I really don't like Low Carb - help me stick with it!!

[HollyDay]

I lost 8 lbs (and most of my energy) this past fall when I changed my eating to mostly protein and veggies. Then came the holidays. As of yesterday, I had gained some of that weight back and I felt yucky from all the Valentine's candy. Time to clean up the diet and break the sugar cravings.

 

I'm day 2 of protein and veggies. I don't like veggies. It is like eating tree bark, grass, and leaves. I like white potatoes with butter and sour cream. I like chocolate cake, and chocolate ice cream, and milk shakes, and homemade cookies, and homemade bread with strawberry jam. My body is yelling at me to please, please eat something with lots and lots of carbs.

 

So, I'm eating celery with peanut butter, a few nuts with cheese, salads with hard boiled eggs. While I really want a nice big chocolate shake or a tall peppermint mocha latte with whipped cream.

 

Please remind me these cravings will go away in a few days!!!????!!!

[Twigs]

Yes, the cravings will go away in a few days. I always stock up on my favorite low carb goodies and eat a good LC choice whenever I have cravigs. (BTW, is your peanut butter low carb? You probably don't want to sabotage your efforts if it isn't.)

 

Best wishes.

[Lynnae]

They will go away! You can do this!

 

I hate low carb, too, but after being diagnosed with diabetes, I'm kind of stuck with it. Just remind yourself you don't want diabetes. :) OK, that's not much help, but it's the best I've got.

[AK_Mom4]

:grouphug:

 

I eat low carb all the time and for me cravings come and go, but never go away.

 

Sugar-free popsicles are a life-saver, as is flavored water. Sometimes that carb-craving is actually thirst, too, so try to drink extra water while you get thru this.

[nono]

You could have a peppermint mocha latte low carbed. That one is easy. With whipped cream even. You can't have whipped cream on any other diet. You CAN on low carb though.

 

 

Man, you're goooood! :thumbup1:

[ktgrok]

I don't do strict induction level low carb. I'm closer to Primal. Try a bowl of berries with heavy cream and shave a bit of extra dark chocolate over the top. Delicious and still low carb.

 

Also, make sure you are getting enough fat. You need to replace the carbs with fat in the beginning. And get enough salt as well. Oh, and as for veggies, try them roasted. I hate veggies usually,but if I roast them at about 375 or even 400 for about 30 minutes they are toasted on the edges and they almost taste sweet. Top with salt and some parmesan cheese. YUM. To make it easy I use frozen veggies, I just dump the olive oil in a pan, add frozen veggies, and I'm ready to go.

[wapiti]

I'm new to this, but eating high-fat has helped me a lot with limiting carbs. I have gone over to the dark side :). I wouldn't be able to eat just protein and veggies. I am eating protein in normal amounts.

[Ellie]

ITA with ktgrok: be sure you're getting enough fat. Low carb isn't enough; you need high fat, high protein.

 

I tend to go closer to Atkins than primal, so for me, the berries wouldn't be part of the initial phase. However, once I'm past that, bring on the berries and cream!

[HollyDay]

They will go away! You can do this!

 

I hate low carb, too, but after being diagnosed with diabetes, I'm kind of stuck with it. Just remind yourself you don't want diabetes. :) OK, that's not much help, but it's the best I've got.

 

I'm trying to postpone the diagnosis. I've had gestational diabetes with each pregnancy. My A1C has been good for the past 10 years, but it is creaping its way up, so I need to get a handle on the healthy eating....again....

[ktgrok]

oh, yes, coffee...I don't know if coffee is on your plan, but for me a flavored coffee with heavy cream and some splenda fixes up my carb craving.

[Coffeemama]

Finding a few low carb treats that you really LOVE will definitely help.

 

May I suggest buffalo chicken dip with raw zucchini sticks. Yum!

[GailV]

Or, just start hanging out with Matt Stone over at 180degreehealth.com, and discover that lots of people have reduced energy, reduced metabolism, and reduced sex drive due to low carb diets. For example, http://180degreehealth.com/2010/02/is-a-low-carb-diet-counterproductive

[Barefoot Explorer]

Several people have mentioned eating more fat, and I would like to chime in and say that they are SO right. It makes a giant difference for me.

 

You could try making vegetable latkes fried in lard or coconut oil and then dipping them in homemade ranch. Or batter your zucchini with chickpea flour and fry it up. Tastes like bar food, but it is totally healthy and wonderfully filling.

 

Salmon patties dipped in tartar sauce are lovely.

 

Shrimp scampi over zucchini noodles with plenty of butter, garlic and parmesan cheese.

 

You will probably start liking the vegetables a lot more as your sweet tooth adjusts. That is how it was for me! I can't even stand things like standard sweetness chocolate anymore. I do enjoy a piece of dark chocolate covered banana from the freezer once in while though. Melt dark chocolate with a bit of butter or coconut oil and then dip chunks of banana in it. Throw them all in the freezer, and limit it yourself to one or two pieces! Amazing!

 

If you need links to recipes or have any questions, let me know!

 

Emily

[CupOCoffee]

Chiming in to say that if all you are eating is protein and veggies, no wonder you are hating LC. Add some fat to the mix, trust us! Are you eating all lean meats for the protein? Stop. Eat some roasted chicken WITH THE SKIN; eat some good fatty beef! Eat a fatty steak. Bacon! Save the bacon fat to cook eggs in! Add lots of butter to those veggies; use full fat salad dressings and mayo! Cook your eggs in plenty of butter/bacon fat; use PB, but sugar free; eat cream cheese and other cheeses. Fat. Fat. Fat.

 

~coffee~

 

P.S.: i *know* that the whole "add fat" thing sounds really scary; but it works! Really, it does.

[HollyDay]

Chiming in to say that if all you are eating is protein and veggies, no wonder you are hating LC. Add some fat to the mix, trust us! Are you eating all lean meats for the protein? Stop. Eat some roasted chicken WITH THE SKIN; eat some good fatty beef! Eat a fatty steak. Bacon! Save the bacon fat to cook eggs in! Add lots of butter to those veggies; use full fat salad dressings and mayo! Cook your eggs in plenty of butter/bacon fat; use PB, but sugar free; eat cream cheese and other cheeses. Fat. Fat. Fat.

 

~coffee~

 

P.S.: i *know* that the whole "add fat" thing sounds really scary; but it works! Really, it does.

 

I'm monitoring fat, but not trying to cut it out. I do eat and enjoy cheese with nuts. I make my own peanut butter. And, I use butter and olive oil for veggies and cooking.

[HollyDay]

Or, just start hanging out with Matt Stone over at 180degreehealth.com, and discover that lots of people have reduced energy, reduced metabolism, and reduced sex drive due to low carb diets. For example, http://180degreeheal...unterproductive

 

This worries me. Like I said, last time I did this, my energy just bottomed out. Flat, tired, foggy all the time. I'm planning this time to stay meat and veggie for about 10 days to break the carb cycle. Then, I want to add fruits and grains. Oatmeal for breakfast will be welcome again. Beans would be good too

[ktgrok]

This worries me. Like I said, last time I did this, my energy just bottomed out. Flat, tired, foggy all the time. I'm planning this time to stay meat and veggie for about 10 days to break the carb cycle. Then, I want to add fruits and grains. Oatmeal for breakfast will be welcome again. Beans would be good too

 

 

so strange! my main motivator for doing low carb is how much MORE energy I have. And I am nursing a 4 month old full time and a just turned 3 year old part time. I wonder how what we eat differs, or if it is just our metobolic makeup that differs?

 

For fun, and to see how it matches up, I ate yesterday:

 

3 eggs fried in butter

coffee with cream

chicken salad with white meat chicken, mayo, a little onion, and some curry powder, served on a bed of spinach

guacamole with cheese "crackers"

1 chicken leg with thigh

1 1/2 italian sausages with peppers/onions/diced tomatoes/spinach

1/2 cup berries with some heavy cream

more coffie (decaf) with cream, and a cup of tea with cream

[wapiti]

I'm monitoring fat, but not trying to cut it out. I do eat and enjoy cheese with nuts. I make my own peanut butter. And, I use butter and olive oil for veggies and cooking.

 

I vote for adding more fat. FWIW, I'm finding that I have to actively search out ways to add good fats beyond just butter with the eggs, and I find that too much protein makes me nearly as hungry as too many carbs.

 

If you just cut out the carbs without replacing some of that energy (protein doesn't fulfill this need well), it makes sense that you'd lack energy. (Plus, my rudimentary understanding of ketosis is that it's a lot easier kickstart the liver into burning fat if there's more fat available in your bloodstream, though I admit I just skimmed the book I'm reading, and I need to go back to that part to read more thoroughly... I'm not finished skimming the rest of it yet either.)

 

The book I'm reading also mentioned something about a bad window - more than 50 g carb and less than 150 or something like that - too many carbs to be in ketosis but not enough for the brain to function well outside of ketosis.

[Marylou]

http://www.carbohydrateaddicts.com/

[Susann]

http://forum.lowcarber.org/

Here's another site that might help you. Low carb has saved my life!

[LizzyBee]

.

[Lynnae]

I'm in a funk right now too. I love how I feel when I eat paleo - healthy, productive, energetic, stomach tightens up even without exercising, bloating and indigestion go away, I fall asleep easier. I love veggies, so I don't mind eating lots of them daily. But it seems like I will stick with paleo for 4-5 days then feel like I need a carb infusion. Then begins the slide back into unhealthy eating. I really want to complete a whole30 and then add back one food item at a time so I can figure out the things I'm truly sensitve to and which ones I can eat long term, but I just haven't been able to make myself stick to it yet. I've had a cold for 2 weeks down and I'm craving lots of heavy comfort foods, which would be fine except that eating more carbs inevitably leads to a sugar binge for me. I know I react to sugar differently than I used to and it scares me, but I still have these binges every couple weeks. It wouldn't be so bad if I could eat just a bite, but I am like an addict when I am around sweets. I don't keep them in the house (usually) but they're at work, church, parties, etc. I'm not sure if it's because I have or am developing diabetes (so far my blood sugar counts have been fine but I haven't had any of the more involved tests), or if it's because of my leukemia (cancer cells metabolize sugar 3x faster than regular cells). But when I have sugar, I have brain fog, fatigue, and sometimes blurry vision. How do you make yourself stop something that you know is going to wreck your health if you don't stop? Ugh.

 

That really stinks, and I can totally relate. I don't have the answers. I didn't stop until I got my diagnoses, and then the fact that sugar would kill me was actually in my face. That scared me enough to make me stop eating it. But before diagnosis, I was right where you are.

 

And yes, church gatherings are REALLY difficult.

[Georgiana Daniels]

I lost 8 lbs (and most of my energy) this past fall when I changed my eating to mostly protein and veggies. Then came the holidays. As of yesterday, I had gained some of that weight back and I felt yucky from all the Valentine's candy. Time to clean up the diet and break the sugar cravings.

 

I'm day 2 of protein and veggies. I don't like veggies. It is like eating tree bark, grass, and leaves. I like white potatoes with butter and sour cream. I like chocolate cake, and chocolate ice cream, and milk shakes, and homemade cookies, and homemade bread with strawberry jam. My body is yelling at me to please, please eat something with lots and lots of carbs.

 

So, I'm eating celery with peanut butter, a few nuts with cheese, salads with hard boiled eggs. While I really want a nice big chocolate shake or a tall peppermint mocha latte with whipped cream.

 

Please remind me these cravings will go away in a few days!!!????!!!

 

 

I. Could. Have. Written. This. Post.

 

This is soooo me. You've just described why I've been failing since the holidays. At one point I'd lost nearly 25 pounds and now I've gained all but 5 back. Sigh. I'm going to follow this thread and hope some of the willpower of the others rubs off on me.

[Georgiana Daniels]

so strange! my main motivator for doing low carb is how much MORE energy I have. And I am nursing a 4 month old full time and a just turned 3 year old part time. I wonder how what we eat differs, or if it is just our metobolic makeup that differs?

 

For fun, and to see how it matches up, I ate yesterday:

 

3 eggs fried in butter

coffee with cream

chicken salad with white meat chicken, mayo, a little onion, and some curry powder, served on a bed of spinach

guacamole with cheese "crackers"

1 chicken leg with thigh

1 1/2 italian sausages with peppers/onions/diced tomatoes/spinach

1/2 cup berries with some heavy cream

more coffie (decaf) with cream, and a cup of tea with cream

 

 

 

You're really doing it up right. I do worry over my cholesterol, though, because I'm on the high side of normal already.

[Chocolate Rose]

 

I. Could. Have. Written. This. Post.

 

This is soooo me. You've just described why I've been failing since the holidays. At one point I'd lost nearly 25 pounds and now I've gained all but 5 back. Sigh. I'm going to follow this thread and hope some of the willpower of the others rubs off on me.

 

If you are actually doing low carb, you probably will not need willpower. After a few days of very low carb, your body will not have the cravings. If you do still eat carbs, then you will have the cravings. Like Lynnae, it took an actual diagnosis for me to go low carb. Otherwise, it wouldn't have even been on my radar. I am motivated by health (don't want to be on medications or take a chance of losing body parts or eyesight) so I don't even consider eating any other way. And, it's working because I don't have the cravings. If I was having cravings, I don't know what I would do.

Be sure that you are eating enough fat. Otherwise you won't have any energy. As others have said, you need to replace carbs with fat for energy. For most people doing LCHF, their lipids and cholesterol normalize.

One difference, for me, is that this is a way of life/eating for the rest of my life and not just a temporary diet. As I said, I'm doing it for health and not just weight loss. I haven't lost a whole lot of weight, but my weight is going steadily down.

[ktgrok]

 

 

You're really doing it up right. I do worry over my cholesterol, though, because I'm on the high side of normal already.

 

 

Here is the thing. It is still normal. And for me, I had to prioritize. I can't fix/do everything right away, perfectly. When I try I end up failing and eating total crap. So for me I can't worry about what type of fats, artificial sugars, organic, calories, etc etc etc. I just can't. So I decided that my weight is the biggest issue, the one effecting my health the most. So right now I'm watching carbs. Just carbs. I'm eating whatever fats I want, and if I NEED a treat and am about to go off the wagon I have an Atkins treat bar. Is that a great thing for me? No, but it is a heck of a lot better than being obese. Same with splenda in my coffee. Not idea. but I'll deal with that once I'm thin. So for now I'm eating low carb foods and losing weight. When I'm at goal, and maintaining, I can look at eliminating artificial sweeteners, or going to organic, or whatever. One thing at a time or I get paralyzed, give up, and eat junk. So I'd say, if your weight is significantly a problem, lose the weight then worry about cholesterol. My guess is it won't be an issue anyway.

[Georgiana Daniels]

Great encouragement! It is true that when my weight was down so was my cholesterol. I had forgotten about that.

 

Any advice for eating out? Issue #2 for me is that we are on the road every weekend and I lose willpower while watching everyone eat all the yummy stuff.

[AK_Mom4]

I have excellent luck eating out by ordering salads and soup, or ordering an appetizer for my dinner entree. My family has mostly stopped ordering desserts out of sympathy, but when I absolutely have to have some, I look for the cheese plate or share a slice of cheesecake with someone. My current favorite are mexican restaurants because I can almost always find something low-carb on the menu.

[Georgiana Daniels]

Thanks for the idea!

[LizzyBee]

That really stinks, and I can totally relate. I don't have the answers. I didn't stop until I got my diagnoses, and then the fact that sugar would kill me was actually in my face. That scared me enough to make me stop eating it. But before diagnosis, I was right where you are.

 

And yes, church gatherings are REALLY difficult.

 

 

LOL, I decided my post was too whiny and deleted it, but you quoted it before I deleted it.

[ktgrok]

Great encouragement! It is true that when my weight was down so was my cholesterol. I had forgotten about that.

 

Any advice for eating out? Issue #2 for me is that we are on the road every weekend and I lose willpower while watching everyone eat all the yummy stuff.

 

Really, eating out requires the same attitude. Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good. Just because there isn't something yummy that is zero carb doesn't mean you should eat macaroni and cheese :) If the best thing you can find, or at least the best thing that you actually like and will eat willingly, is the breaded fish, get that. Don't get the pasta. Know what I mean? If you MUST have dessert split it with one or two people and get the lowest carb/highest fat dessert, like a custard or cheesecake. Put the amount you will eat on a separate plate and eat just that amount. But really, order something fatty and yummy, like wings or a steak and you will be too full for dessert. Heck, keep some of those atkins bars in your purse and eat one of those while everyone eats dessert. Have some coffee and splenda. Better than a milkshake.

 

The other day I was out and didn't bring a snack and got Mcdonald's chicken nuggets. Sure, they have breading, but they were lower carb than anything else (that I could eat in the car without a mess). And I asked them not ot put the fries in my meal so I wasn't tempted. Stuff like that.

[Lynnae]

 

LOL, I decided my post was too whiny and deleted it, but you quoted it before I deleted it.

I'm glad you didn't. There's a lot of good advice here.

 

I'm no longer feeling guilty about using Splenda sweetened syrups in my coffee. :)

[Ellie]

 

I'm monitoring fat, but not trying to cut it out. I do eat and enjoy cheese with nuts. I make my own peanut butter. And, I use butter and olive oil for veggies and cooking.

 

If by "monitoring" fat you mean limiting it in any way, then that's your problem. It isn't only the low carbohydrates that makes the diet so successful; it's the high fat *and* high protein.

[Ellie]

 

 

You're really doing it up right. I do worry over my cholesterol, though, because I'm on the high side of normal already.

 

My total cholesterol came down 100 points in two months when I started Atkins. Good cholesterol was admirably high, bad cholesterol admirably low. My doctor was uber impressed.

[Jeannie in NJ]

for snacks I like raw bell peppers (red, orange and yellow), the red are especially sweet and they give me the crunch that I miss from not eating pretzels anymore. Also raw unsalted almonds are sweet.

[Ellie]

Great encouragement! It is true that when my weight was down so was my cholesterol. I had forgotten about that.

 

Any advice for eating out? Issue #2 for me is that we are on the road every weekend and I lose willpower while watching everyone eat all the yummy stuff.

 

 

Suck it up, lol.

 

If you were doing any kind of weight-loss diet, your family would still be eating yummy stuff that you cannot, right?

 

I can order a big ol' juicy hamburger and just push it off the bun and eat it without the bread, but along with all the toppings, including bacon, cheese, mayo, and avocado. Can't beat that. Or I can have a small steak and fresh broccoli. Yummo.

 

Some restaurants are less low-carb friendly than others; Red Lobster and Chili's are two of them. Mostly I can find a low-carb dishes; I have become intimately familiar with Cobb salads, lol.

[HollyDay]

 

If by "monitoring" fat you mean limiting it in any way, then that's your problem. It isn't only the low carbohydrates that makes the diet so successful; it's the high fat *and* high protein.

 

No, by "monitoring" I mean I'm making wise choices and being sure to include fat. For example, for breakfast I had an egg scrambled with spinach and cheese. I added a spoonfull of mayo rather than my usual ketchup so I would get fat rather than sugar. I'm eating plain yogurt that I sweeten with liquid vanilla stevia but I purchase organic full fat yogurt, not reduced or fat free. The same goes for milk, whole milk, not fat free. Yes, fat free has few calories, but I'm going for the benefits of whole milk. Salads, I make sure to include walnuts, olives, and some sort of homemade oil and vinegar dressing.

 

I am making a decision to be aware of fat and be sure that each meal includes a meat, veggie, and a fat in some form. That fat might be in the form of nuts or seeds or olives rather than butter or oil, but it is there. So, I'm thinking celery with homemade peanut butter has veggie, protein, fiber, and fat. Gouda cheese with cashews has protein and fat/fiber.

[Georgiana Daniels]

 

 

Suck it up, lol.

 

If you were doing any kind of weight-loss diet, your family would still be eating yummy stuff that you cannot, right?

 

I can order a big ol' juicy hamburger and just push it off the bun and eat it without the bread, but along with all the toppings, including bacon, cheese, mayo, and avocado. Can't beat that. Or I can have a small steak and fresh broccoli. Yummo.

 

Some restaurants are less low-carb friendly than others; Red Lobster and Chili's are two of them. Mostly I can find a low-carb dishes; I have become intimately familiar with Cobb salads, lol.

 

Lol! Suck it up--words to live by!

[Ellie]

 

No, by "monitoring" I mean I'm making wise choices and being sure to include fat. For example, for breakfast I had an egg scrambled with spinach and cheese. I added a spoonfull of mayo rather than my usual ketchup so I would get fat rather than sugar. I'm eating plain yogurt that I sweeten with liquid vanilla stevia but I purchase organic full fat yogurt, not reduced or fat free. The same goes for milk, whole milk, not fat free. Yes, fat free has few calories, but I'm going for the benefits of whole milk. Salads, I make sure to include walnuts, olives, and some sort of homemade oil and vinegar dressing.

 

I am making a decision to be aware of fat and be sure that each meal includes a meat, veggie, and a fat in some form. That fat might be in the form of nuts or seeds or olives rather than butter or oil, but it is there. So, I'm thinking celery with homemade peanut butter has veggie, protein, fiber, and fat. Gouda cheese with cashews has protein and fat/fiber.

 

 

I see. :-)

 

Have you looked at the carbohydrate count on yogurt? 12 carbs for one cup. And the carb count on milk? 12 carbs for one cup.

 

One egg, with spinach and cheese, is not a very big meal, but it did have at least 4 carbs (half a cup of spinach). It would not have satisfied *me.*

 

Also, peanut butter, while it is a protein, does not have as much as meat, chicken, or fish; it does actually have six grams of carbohydrates. A tuna salad, with mayo and hard-cooked eggs would be a higher-protein, lower-carb meal than your peanut butter snack (three 5" pieces of celery have 4 carbs; if you had a tablespoon of peanut butter on each one, that would be 22 grams of carbs).

 

This could be the reason you're not satisfied: not enough protein, not enough fat, still too many carbs.

[AdventureMoms]

Are you sure you're eating enough? Because if you're really hungry you're going to crave stuff. Your described meals would not be enough for me, even if they do have a bit of fat. Also I'd consider going really low carb for two weeks to kill the cravings. And eat more fat. Nuts are a fairly carb-y source of fat, btw. Milk and yogurt are pretty carb-heavy too.

 

Also there are low carb versions of most treats. Figure out what you can't live without and I bet someone has a recipe!

[ktgrok]

Are you sure you're eating enough? Because if you're really hungry you're going to crave stuff. Your described meals would not be enough for me, even if they do have a bit of fat. Also I'd consider going really low carb for two weeks to kill the cravings. And eat more fat. Nuts are a fairly carb-y source of fat, btw. Milk and yogurt are pretty carb-heavy too.

 

Also there are low carb versions of most treats. Figure out what you can't live without and I bet someone has a recipe!

 

 

I had the same thought...1 egg would NOT be enough for me, especially when nursing. I'm eating much more, and still losing.

[HollyDay]

 

 

I had the same thought...1 egg would NOT be enough for me, especially when nursing. I'm eating much more, and still losing.

 

I'm not nursing.....

[Ellie]

 

I'm not nursing.....

 

Still not enough for *anyone*. :-)