Successful low-carb'ers...I have some questions...

[Julie in CA]

So, I haven't read "the book" yet, so I'm sure my questions will be answered once I get some reading done. Would you mind telling me a couple of things though?

 

#1 I understand that the basic idea is to stay away from bread, potatoes, rice, sugar, flour, etc. Do you actually watch the amount of calories that you eat, as well as the carbs, or you just count carbs? Are you careful about serving sizes?

 

and,

#2 If you have a moment, would you tell me what you ate yesterday, or today, or both? I'd even like to know roughly the quantity of each thing you ate, if you know.

 

and,

#3 Is it all or nothing? If you blow it and eat dessert or pasta once in a while, will it still work? I don't eat a lot of sugar, but I really *really* enjoy having a nectarine or peach with about 1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt a couple of times a week. That would probably have to go, huh?

 

Thanks,

Julie

[Jennefer@SSA]

We are not a no carb family but we really do severely limit carbs and only ww ones at that. I am not a fan of no carbs whatsoever. We do tons of grilled or roasted meats, oodles of lentils and beans and gobs of fresh veggies. Now my kids get many more carbs than dh or I though.

 

A typical day's eating for me is:

 

Breakfast: 1 egg + 1 egg white omelet with veggies mixed in ( I saute a batch of red bell peppers and onions once a week and keep in fridge for this) and salsa on top. Protein and a veggie serving. Once or twice a week I'll make cottage cheese pancakes (you can find recipes on allrecipes.com that are very high in protein - mostly egg, cottage cheese and a tiny bit of ww flour to mix it together)

 

am snack: (very) small handful of raw almonds or shelled pistachios

 

Lunch: 4 oz grilled chicken breast (I'll grill a batch while I'm sauteing veggies above) with a side salad with a vinaigrette. I try and add beans to my salad as well - garbanzo or any white bean works well. Protein and yet another 2 veggie servings from the salad - and bean serving if they make it in the salad.

 

afternoon snack: small apple, a few frozen cherries or another low gi fruit.

 

dinner - fish/chicken/turkey/buffalo 4 oz and usually grilled, 1/2 cup beans or lentils, 2 veggies usually grilled too - seasoned with lemon juice and sea salt typically.

 

pm snack: small serving of low gi fruit.

 

I try to only drink water or green tea sweetened with stevia (but occasionally Sonic's happy hour pulls me in and I get a small vanilla coke :D)

[dsacco]

Ok - first I will say to read the OLD book (look on eBay for the 1995 book I think it is). It's a lot better and not so much "please buy these products"...

 

I lost 40+lbs on it and kept it off for over a year - then blew it and gained 18lbs back his past holiday because I then had surgery and sat in bed forever. But I'm back on it now and doing ok - I feel a lot better when I'm on it.

 

So - after your 1st 2 weeks when you are pretty much getting your body used to eating differently - you can start adding things in. BUT - honestly fruit and yogurt should wait awhile. Reason is that in some people (not all!) fruit sugars will trigger the "need to eat more" button because of their sweetness. Things in the lower glycemic index will do better (think blueberries).

 

I make my own bread - which isn't too bad ;) I got the recipes from: http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/ I also LOVE protein shakes - and I order ZERO CARB protein powder from Netrition - my absolute fav is cookies and cream flavored - tastes like an oreo cookie! I got some great recipes and support from sugarfreeshelia.com - she went from a size 10 to a size 0/1 and has stayed with it. Me - I was happy going from a size 18 to a size 5/6 and I'm ready to get there again.

 

There are TONS of great recipes out there for you to do - so don't think it's all meat and eggs - which a lot of people believe. I eat a TON of salads and more brocolli and cauliflower than I have in a long time!!

[Aggie]

I do low carb because I just feel better when I do. :)

 

A typical day is a low carb protein shake for bf. Lunches and suppers are usually chicken or fish, salad, and perhaps a green veggie. Or I'll have 2 eggs. I eat a regular serving.

 

I don't count calories. I listen to my body and eat when I'm hungry. This seems easier to do when I don't eat carbs.

 

Sometimes eating processed carbs throws me into a tailspin and I can't stop eating bad carbs. It's awful. Other times it doesn't seem to bother me. Last night, for instance, I had quite a few chips.:glare: But I'm not craving carbs this am. Fruit doesn't cause me to crave more carbs.

 

Yogurt and a peach should be ok for you. Watch your serving size on the yogurt, though.

 

The first week might be rough. Watch for a headache, lethargy, and muscle aches. When you get hungry, eat, but eat something good for you. Hard boiled eggs are good to have on hand.

 

After the first 4-5 days, though, you'll feel great!

 

There's a site http://www.lowcarbfriends.com that might help. I went there a long time ago with some questions and they were very nice.

 

Hope this helps!

[texascamps]

I start every morning for myslef with an Atkins shake. It prevents the sugar cravings. Sometimes I have one for lunch. BUt usually, we stick to meats and salads and veggies. Kids have oatmeal. If I eat real food then I want to eat all day.

 

My kids do eat carbs but we limit them.....You know, their dinner is not mostly rice with a tiny bit of whatever.

 

They get a small potato, veggie, salad and a meat. We usually put a protein in the salad.

[Ferdie]

Hi Julie,

 

1. I don't really count anything. I just try to focus on high nutrition.

 

2. Yesterday I ate:

B - 2/3 cup oatmeal (1/3 dry) + 1 T ground flaxseed

S - apple and chai tea

L - 1 cup soup and side salad with approx 2 T dressing

S - shake, (1 C water, 1 scoop protein powder, 3 cups baby spinach, 2 T super vitimin)

D - 5 oz salmon, 2 cups stir fry veggies

S - fudge bar ice cream

 

Today:

B - 1 cup egg beaters

S - chai tea and apple

L - 1 cup soap + 1 cup steamed broccoli

S - shake (similar to day before)

S2 - protein bar - while running errands because I was really hungary

D - 2 Bocca burgers w/ zuchinni/onion saute (about 2 cups)

S - square of 85% cocoa dark chocolate

 

3. I have a free day once a week so I try to plan my free day when I know we are going to an event. If I blow it I just start over with the next meal.

 

Good luck!

Edited September 1, 2009 by Ferdie

[BMW]

Several years back I lost 30 lbs doing the no carb, then low carb diet.

 

The first 2-3 weeks my "plan" said I could eat eggs and meat and drink water. I enjoyed a lot of steak and eggs and fish! After that I added in cheeses and berries. After I lost the amount I was satisfied with, I added in more.

 

I am currently going back to phase 1. I have never put it all back on, but I get to the point I am at now (gaining 20 of the 30 back), and I make myself get back on track.

 

My rule is if it's somebody's birthday, I will eat a small amount of forbidden foods.... since I have a family of 11, that means I have something "wrong" almost once a month! The plan has been gracious to me in that even if I have something I shouldn't, I continue to lose. But, I never eat a LOT of anything that I shouldn't... usually...

[wagnfun]

I also eat low/no carb because i feel SOOO much better then when I eat carbs freely. I had 60 lbs to lose,I dont count calories now but did when I needed to lose the weight. Now I eat when I'm hungry. I eat all the grilled chicken, egg whites, fruits and veggies I want. When I am rushed for meals, I'll drink a berry protien shake. I drink water mostly and tea 3-4 times a week. I am anemic and the tea tannins decreases the iron in my system. I also kicked a diet coke habit and now diet coke tastes chemically to me. Fruit doesn't make me want carbs.

 

When I eat processed carbs (bread, pasta, chips) I get very bloated, and fuzzy brained. I never use to chalk this feeling up to carbs until I took a 3 month carb break and reintroduced them. Now and then I'll eat baked at home corn tortilla chips.

 

I agree with Aggie, the first week is tough. It takes a good few days for the body to realize it is missing carbs. Headache, lethargy, muscle pain and GRUMPINESS may occur for a few days. Like Aggie, I keep sauted veggies, hard boiled eggs & grilled chicken on hand to munch and add beans to anything I can. I do not eat red meat.

 

I lost 40 of my 60 lbs buy cutting my eating this way (and working out). In the beginning, I cut fats (butter, any mayo, any oils) and cheese. Now I eat low fat cheese and cook with olive oil.

 

Yesterday I ate grilled eggplant with mushrooms and grilled peppers on a salad for lunch, a protien shake for dinner and grilled chicken & cottage cheese for dinner.

 

Today so far, I've eaten for breakfast two egg whites w/ veggies and chicken/veggies for lunch.

 

Hope that helps!

[EKS]

I was successful with the low carb thing for about a year (and lost quite a bit of weight). I counted calories for my own information, but I found that when I was eating that way I naturally ate much fewer calories.

 

On a typical day I would eat an egg white omelet with cheese (like one of those presliced chedder ones, once slice), and about 3/4 of a cup of egg whites with coffee; a spinach salad for lunch with 2 T of salad dressing and some chicken or turkey or tofu (probably 100-200 calories worth); a chicken breast (or some other meat), vegetable, and salad. For a snack, if I was really hungry, I might have some nuts. Also, back then I would eat a low carb ice cream bar (but I've since stopped eating artificial sweeteners). I'm pretty sure that I generally would consume less than 1500 calories per day.

 

I think it might be all or nothing if you're looking for weight loss. The book explains this. Your body apparently gets into a fat burning mode which I could sense (at least I *think* this is what I was sensing) by a sort of taste in my mouth (sounds gross but it wasn't really). Once you're down to your target weight you can experiment with adding some fruit back.

 

Good luck with this.

[Leah]

So, I haven't read "the book" yet, so I'm sure my questions will be answered once I get some reading done. Would you mind telling me a couple of things though?

 

#1 I understand that the basic idea is to stay away from bread, potatoes, rice, sugar, flour, etc. Do you actually watch the amount of calories that you eat, as well as the carbs, or you just count carbs? Are you careful about serving sizes?

 

and,

#2 If you have a moment, would you tell me what you ate yesterday, or today, or both? I'd even like to know roughly the quantity of each thing you ate, if you know.

 

and,

#3 Is it all or nothing? If you blow it and eat dessert or pasta once in a while, will it still work? I don't eat a lot of sugar, but I really *really* enjoy having a nectarine or peach with about 1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt a couple of times a week. That would probably have to go, huh?

 

Thanks,

Julie

 

I am a paleo-zoner, so I eat meat, vegetables, fruit, and some nuts and seeds and I "block" each meal so I am eating protein, carbs and fats in balance. It sounds a lot more complicated than it is!

 

It does end up being a low-calorie plan (that is what I need to work off the fat) but I don't actually count the calories.

 

Because I "zone", I do watch the serving sizes and I can say that this has been very, very helpful. If you click on my blog you can see pics of a recent day's food.

 

On the cheating...you should be ok with the very occasional, sensible cheat. My love for fruit is part of the reason that I won't do a no-carb plan. I need to work with something that I can live with for a very long time, convinced that I am healthier with it.

[Julie in CA]

I finally got the book from the library today, so I'll read all about it tonight.

Yesterday, I ended up with 18 carbs, but I didn't know that some folks count only "net carbs". Counted that way, it was probably a bit less.

 

I actually don't eat very many sweets at all, only the occasional fruit with a bit of yogurt. I will drop that for a while, but hopefully can add it back in later, since I really enjoy it. I'd be just as happy with strawberries or raspberries instead of the nectarine/peach, if that's better, and I really only need about 1/3 of a cup of yogurt with it to make me happy! It's better than any dessert, imo, and I'll have a really hard time waiting to eat that again. It's a big temptation, for sure.

 

On the plus side, I'm actually sticking with my walking routine. It's not much (only 1 mile per day), but it's a start!

 

Thanks for the help,

Julie

[Jami]

I finally got the book from the library today, so I'll read all about it tonight.

Yesterday, I ended up with 18 carbs, but I didn't know that some folks count only "net carbs". Counted that way, it was probably a bit less.

 

I actually don't eat very many sweets at all, only the occasional fruit with a bit of yogurt. I will drop that for a while, but hopefully can add it back in later, since I really enjoy it. I'd be just as happy with strawberries or raspberries instead of the nectarine/peach, if that's better, and I really only need about 1/3 of a cup of yogurt with it to make me happy! It's better than any dessert, imo, and I'll have a really hard time waiting to eat that again. It's a big temptation, for sure.

 

On the plus side, I'm actually sticking with my walking routine. It's not much (only 1 mile per day), but it's a start!

 

Thanks for the help,

Julie

 

I don't know what kind of yogurt you eat, Julie. But if you either strain regular yogurt so it's more like cream cheese or buy Greek yogurt (already strained) you can find pretty low carb options. Toss in a few berries and it should be pretty low carb for a snack. :)

[gardening momma]

I finally got the book from the library today, so I'll read all about it tonight.

Yesterday, I ended up with 18 carbs, but I didn't know that some folks count only "net carbs". Counted that way, it was probably a bit less.

 

I actually don't eat very many sweets at all, only the occasional fruit with a bit of yogurt. I will drop that for a while, but hopefully can add it back in later, since I really enjoy it. I'd be just as happy with strawberries or raspberries instead of the nectarine/peach, if that's better, and I really only need about 1/3 of a cup of yogurt with it to make me happy! It's better than any dessert, imo, and I'll have a really hard time waiting to eat that again. It's a big temptation, for sure.

I have the 2002 edition of the Atkins book. It's been a while since I've done low carb (and need to get back to it), but from what I remember, you generally go for 20 net carbs per day during induction (the first two weeks). Then, starting the third week, you add 5 carbs to your daily intake each week (25 net carbs the 3rd week, 30 net carbs the 4th week, etc...).

 

Another thing I remember from the book, and it might have been worded exactly this way, is "berries are best" meaning they're generally lower carb than other fruits.

 

ETA: the reason you count net carbs instead of total carbs is that fiber doesn't increase blood sugar levels, and therefore don't make you gain weight. So you subtract fiber from the total count. And if you buy things that contain sugar alcohols, you subtract those, as they have "minimal" effect on blood sugar levels.

 

ETA: Atkins is not no carb, even during induction.

Edited September 2, 2009 by gardening momma

[s.z.ichigo]

Your life on low carb, extremely simplified:

 

Eat meat and seafood. Eat veggies. Eat cheese. Eat eggs. Lose weight very quickly and easily at first, and then a bit more gradually (but steadily).

 

You will get VERY TIRED of eating meat all the time. You will CRAVE bread and Cocoa Puffs more than anything you've ever craved in your entire life.

 

You will slip up and have a day where you cave and pig out on bread and rice and pasta and sugar and Dunkin' Donuts but it won't be the end of the world.

 

You'll get back on track, keep losing weight, and gradually add things like fruit, low-carb bread, small portions of potatoes, etc, back into your diet. You will always have the occasional pig-outs, but they're good for moral. At some point you'll "just know" how many fruits or starches you can eat to maintain your weight. Remember though, that the weight loss will occasionally plateau and you'll lag for a bit before losing again. You can always kickstart it again with a nice chocolate sundae and then cutting back to very few carbs for a week or so.

 

As long as you're generally healthy and don't have to pay really close attention to your intake of *insert something here*, it's a VERY easy diet to grasp. I've got no special nutritional needs, allergies, or health problems so I just do the above and I lose weight. I have done this in the past and it's worked like a charm (husband too). I don't currently, but I should (husband too, lol).

Edited September 2, 2009 by s.z.ichigo