Low Carb Chat

[Castillo Mom]

KIDIPIAZZ, thank you so much for sharing your tips. I look forward to checking out your recipes on Pinterest. And yes, spaghetti squash and zucchini are great alternatives to pasta. You mentioned LC tortillas and I do buy them but am not at the moment. Currently I'm in the first phase of Atkins so I don't want to throw things off.

Yes, I do document my meals, I have a journal here on WISH. I downloaded an app where I can record my food intake but haven't used it too much yet.

Thanks again for all the info, I really appreciate it!

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[ali in wonderland]

No earth shattering tips or tricks, just eating below 1600 calories and 50-75 carbs (total, not net...net carbs are between 20-40) with a focus on fat (I don't worry about saturated fat, but avoid trans-fat and vegetable oils) and protein. Do you log your food? MyFitnessPal, spark People and Fitday are all good options for keeping track. As far as meals go, I don't eat any grains...at all. No rice, no wheat, no flour, no corn. No flour, no bread, no pasta, no tortillas. No potatoes. Limited amounts of beans. Limited amounts of fruit. Not as strict as Atkins induction. Not quite Paleo (I might consider myself 90% Primal though) because I do like my cheese and heavy cream and also avoid honey due to the diabetes. Bread sub - I use lettuce to wrap sandwiches and burgers. Occasionally I make "cloud bread", especially if I want a hotdog because a hotdog just isn't the same without a bun. http://whatsfordinner-momwhatsfordinner.blogspot.com/2012/06/gluten-free-grain-free-cloud-bread.html Or I make a muffin in a minute, which is very good shaped in a square container, split and toasted http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/453964-low-carb-muffin-in-a-minute Pasta sub - I use shredded zucchini (buy yourself a spiral slicer or julienne peeler) or spaghetti squash. My husband is Sicilian and I though giving up pasta was going to be a huge problem and I'd be stuck constantly making two meals. However, he absolutely loves the zucchini. The nice thing is that you can grow your own in the summer very very easily (and still have enough left over to share with neighbors) Rice was never a big deal for me, but if I need a sub, grated cauliflower works. Cauliflower also works as a sub for potatoes. I don't particularly care for mashed cauliflower (I've never gotten the texture right despite many attempts), but loaded faux-tatoes are really good http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/loaded_cauliflower.html and so is faux-tato salad http://s1268.photobucket.com/user/AnitasLowCarb/media/Low%20Carb%20Recipes/unpotatosalad.jpg.html Rutabagas and turnips make good fries. There are also some commercial low-carb flatbreads and tortillas available. I don't eat them so I don't have a recommendation. Legumes - kidney beans, lentils, garbanzo, etc., etc., - are all really "healthy" but diabetics tend to have a problem with increased BG even with . I LOVE beans, so this was a challenge for me. I can now handle around 1/2 cup servings, but at first I had to stick with a tablespoon or so on salads. Chili and soups need to focus on meats and vegetables instead of beans. Fruits - I really only eat fruits in the summer when they are in season. Fresh berries in small quantities are good. Bananas, grapes, pineapple, cherries and peaches give me problems. Melons are OK as long as I watch portion size. I'll have 1/2 an apple in the fall when they come into season. Have you ever used Pinterest? I keep most of my recipe ideas there http://www.pinterest.com/kdipiazz/ My favorite recipe blogs are http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/ and http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/ I also like http://www.kalynskitchen.com/ which focuses on South Beach recipes. Find an exercise activity you enjoy. I adore Zumba and have been really bummed because i had surgery on 12/30 and can't go back to class until the middle of February. Walk with your kids..or a dog...or both. Water is great.. Swim. Join a water aerobics class. Or just walk around in the water. Ride bikes. Buy a pedometer and set a step goal - I LOVE my Fitbit. It doesn't matter what you do as long as you do it. It doesn't matter how long you can do something when you first start. Set a small goal. Reach that goal and then set a new one. Just keep going. That's the real secret ...don't let a bad meal turn into a bad day. Don't let a bad day
into a bad week. Don't let a bad week turn into a bad month. Don't let a bad month turn into a bad year ... or years. Just
keep
Thank you for this. I'm going to follow you on Pinterest.

 

[Mouseketeer Heather]

LOVE this thread! Thanks so much for starting!

I started Atkins in October of 2011. By the end of day 3, when the cravings were gone and I was in control of what I put in my mouth instead of food being in control of me, I felt like I had conquered Everest! Energy went through the roof and my mood improvement was off the charts. I was completely hooked and have never looked back.

It's not easy, and my mindset is that I am not on a diet. My Way of Eating (WOE) is a lifestyle change that I will keep for the rest of my life.

There are days/weeks/months when those plateaus are daunting and the frustration with the scale (my nemisis! I can hear Doofenshmirtz singing the song) seems overwehlming. But I've kept a few pieces of clothing in my closet from before, and I pull those out when neccessary as a reminder of just how far I've come.

The first three months, we lost our dear dog to a very sudden illness, got though Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's without a single deviation from Induction (I had A LOT to loose, so that phase was much longer for me). And I realized that I wasn't weak, but rather misguided in terms of what foods worked for my body.

We got a puppy. A golden retriver mix that had to be walked A LOT. So add in the personal pup trainer and the weight loss kicked into high gear.

I'm down 125 lbs and still going. One of my friends talked me into walking a half marathon in Sept of 2012, and I caught the race bug. 5k, 10k, 10 miler, you name it I'm having a blast doing them. Princess Half Marathon is in a few weeks, have been training hard and can not wait for the experience. DH and I are looking at this upcoming trip as a celebration of getting my life back.

It's taken a lot of "fusion" to come up with a WOE that works for me - elements of Atkins, Paleo, South Beach...but low carb has been my literal life saver. Every person is different, and a cookie cutter diet approach that seems to be so prevalent is counter-productive, IMHO.

Will I ever be "skinny"? Not likely, I simply don't have the body type. But I am healthy, strong and vibrant. And I'm good with that!

Keep the faith!!!

 

[Castillo Mom]

LOVE this thread! Thanks so much for starting!

I started Atkins in October of 2011. By the end of day 3, when the cravings were gone and I was in control of what I put in my mouth instead of food being in control of me, I felt like I had conquered Everest! Energy went through the roof and my mood improvement was off the charts. I was completely hooked and have never looked back.

It's not easy, and my mindset is that I am not on a diet. My Way of Eating (WOE) is a lifestyle change that I will keep for the rest of my life.

There are days/weeks/months when those plateaus are daunting and the frustration with the scale (my nemisis! I can hear Doofenshmirtz singing the song) seems overwehlming. But I've kept a few pieces of clothing in my closet from before, and I pull those out when neccessary as a reminder of just how far I've come.

The first three months, we lost our dear dog to a very sudden illness, got though Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's without a single deviation from Induction (I had A LOT to loose, so that phase was much longer for me). And I realized that I wasn't weak, but rather misguided in terms of what foods worked for my body.

We got a puppy. A golden retriver mix that had to be walked A LOT. So add in the personal pup trainer and the weight loss kicked into high gear.

I'm down 125 lbs and still going. One of my friends talked me into walking a half marathon in Sept of 2012, and I caught the race bug. 5k, 10k, 10 miler, you name it I'm having a blast doing them. Princess Half Marathon is in a few weeks, have been training hard and can not wait for the experience. DH and I are looking at this upcoming trip as a celebration of getting my life back.

It's taken a lot of "fusion" to come up with a WOE that works for me - elements of Atkins, Paleo, South Beach...but low carb has been my literal life saver. Every person is different, and a cookie cutter diet approach that seems to be so prevalent is counter-productive, IMHO.

Will I ever be "skinny"? Not likely, I simply don't have the body type. But I am healthy, strong and vibrant. And I'm good with that!

Keep the faith!!!

Heather, thank you so much for sharing your story, truly inspiring! And congratulations on the marathons, that's amazing!

I too am doing Atkins, it just works for me. You're so right, it has t be a lifestyle change. People ask me if I'm on a diet and I say no, I've just changed my eating habits.

 

[Mouseketeer Heather]

Heather, thank you so much for sharing your story, truly inspiring! And congratulations on the marathons, that's amazing!

I too am doing Atkins, it just works for me. You're so right, it has t be a lifestyle change. People ask me if I'm on a diet and I say no, I've just changed my eating habits.

Absolutely!

Thanks for the congrats, but in all honesty, a race is merely putting one foot in front of the other. We all can do it, and it's a total blast of a party with awesome bling at the end!

I would also recommend a documentatry called "Fat Head" to anyone that's looking at a low carb lifestyle change. It's still available on Netflix, I believe. It blew.me.a-w-a-y!

 

[Lindaland]

LOVE this thread! Thanks so much for starting!

I started Atkins in October of 2011. By the end of day 3, when the cravings were gone and I was in control of what I put in my mouth instead of food being in control of me, I felt like I had conquered Everest! Energy went through the roof and my mood improvement was off the charts. I was completely hooked and have never looked back.

It's not easy, and my mindset is that I am not on a diet. My Way of Eating (WOE) is a lifestyle change that I will keep for the rest of my life.


We got a puppy. A golden retriver mix that had to be walked A LOT. So add in the personal pup trainer and the weight loss kicked into high gear.

I'm down 125 lbs and still going. One of my friends talked me into walking a half marathon in Sept of 2012, and I caught the race bug. 5k, 10k, 10 miler, you name it I'm having a blast doing them. Princess Half Marathon is in a few weeks, have been training hard and can not wait for the experience. DH and I are looking at this upcoming trip as a celebration of getting my life back.

It's taken a lot of "fusion" to come up with a WOE that works for me - elements of Atkins, Paleo, South Beach...but low carb has been my literal life saver. Every person is different, and a cookie cutter diet approach that seems to be so prevalent is counter-productive, IMHO.

Will I ever be "skinny"? Not likely, I simply don't have the body type. But I am healthy, strong and vibrant. And I'm good with that!

Keep the faith!!!

Great inspiration!

I did have success with low carb a few years ago and I remember feeling the same way. It's all about the choices you make, one meal at a time. Not a "diet" but a WOE. I was exercising an hour a day, every day and felt fantastic!! However.....I never tracked or measured anything and I didn't look into proper nutrition either. After a few months I started having a couple bad hypoglycemic episodes, which upset my DD, and then I started to feel very unhealthy. I hit my first goal and lost 100 lbs and stupidly decided I "earned" a weekend off. (I know, right!) That weekend turned into a week and that soon turned into a month and now its been a few years and the weight has almost all come back.

I am now at the point where I want to get back to the time I was feeling great and did not have these carb cravings again. Although this time I need to track my foods and get some education on nutrition and eating healthy.

I also have a border collie that I got as a puppy a few years ago and have started getting involved in Flyball and joined a team. I did do agility with him when he was younger, but my weight really prohibited me from actually "running" the course. In flyball I don't have to be running as much but just being part of a team has been giving me more reason to get up and move to work with my dog.

This thread has been great with all the tips and inspiring stories.

 

[Lavenderrows]

Keep up the good work

 

[Castillo Mom]

Absolutely!

Thanks for the congrats, but in all honesty, a race is merely putting one foot in front of the other. We all can do it, and it's a total blast of a party with awesome bling at the end!

I would also recommend a documentatry called "Fat Head" to anyone that's looking at a low carb lifestyle change. It's still available on Netflix, I believe. It blew.me.a-w-a-y!

Thanks Heather, I have Netflix so I'll be sure to check it out this week.

Today is going to be a challenge. My son and I are heading out to Disneyland in about an hour and I haven't been since I restarted Atkins. Had to come back to this thread first as a means of inspiration which I know will help me stay on track!

 

[Ilivetogo]

Yay, glad you came along! Are you following a particular plan or doing your own thing? Either way, congratulations. Hopefully this thread grows a bit more so that we can all encourage each other.

I guess you could say a combination of Atkins and my own thing. Moreso Atkins. My DS13 and I are doing it together. We are following VERY closely to Atkins so far.

I've decided to only go to the scale once a week. First week I was down 7. YAY! In my daydreams I'd like to go down 60 lbs. More sensibly however, I'd better start by saying 50.

I'm loving the encouragement on here, and also the "stories" that give us all insight and pointers! Thanks everyone.

BTW - What's the difference between actual carbs and NET carbs??


.

 

[Ilivetogo]

Thanks Heather, I have Netflix so I'll be sure to check it out this week.

Actually, I just looked it up and you can watch it on YouTube, too!!

.

 

[Castillo Mom]

I guess you could say a combination of Atkins and my own thing. Moreso Atkins. My DS13 and I are doing it together. We are following VERY closely to Atkins so far.

I've decided to only go to the scale once a week. First week I was down 7. YAY! In my daydreams I'd like to go down 60 lbs. More sensibly however, I'd better start by saying 50.

I'm loving the encouragement on here, and also the "stories" that give us all insight and pointers! Thanks everyone.

BTW - What's the difference between actual carbs and NET carbs??



.

I admire your willpower in being able to stay off the scale, that's something I've always struggled with.

As for actual vs net carbs, Atkins considers that fiber and sugar alcohols have little to no impact on blood sugar so they can be subtracted from the actual number of carbs to arrive at the net amount. Hope that helps!

 

[Kachina]

Hullo! We've been doing paleo on and off for the last year or so. I've lost 60 pounds so far.

Once your body gets used to nothing but whole foods, nothing else makes you feel as good. Nice to see a group of like-minded folks here.

 

[Castillo Mom]

Hullo! We've been doing paleo on and off for the last year or so. I've lost 60 pounds so far.

Once your body gets used to nothing but whole foods, nothing else makes you feel as good. Nice to see a group of like-minded folks here.

Hi Kachina, welcome!

Congratulations on losing 60 pounds, that's incredible! Hope to see you around.

 

[tina.tina]

I just watched 35 minutes (1/3) of Fat Head on You Tube. Thanks for posting that!

 

[daemom]

I'm very seriously looking into a low carb lifestyle for myself not for my outside, but for my insides. All of my family--and I mean all-- have died from cardiovascular disease. My younger brother just died in his sleep at the age of 47--he'd been to the dr two weeks prior and had been given a clean bill of health with excellent numbers. A few years ago he did have high blood pressure and high cholesterol so apparently that's when the damage was done. Anyway, I need to take better care of myself for my family and after doing some research I'm looking at a low carb lifestyle. Thanks for starting this! You guys can talk me down from the cupcake, the pasta.........

 

[Castillo Mom]

I'm very seriously looking into a low carb lifestyle for myself not for my outside, but for my insides. All of my family--and I mean all-- have died from cardiovascular disease. My younger brother just died in his sleep at the age of 47--he'd been to the dr two weeks prior and had been given a clean bill of health with excellent numbers. A few years ago he did have high blood pressure and high cholesterol so apparently that's when the damage was done. Anyway, I need to take better care of myself for my family and after doing some research I'm looking at a low carb lifestyle. Thanks for starting this! You guys can talk me down from the cupcake, the pasta.........

Welcome Daemom! You can do it! I'm not gonna lie, the first few days might be a bit of a challenge and you may get some sugar cravings but once you get past that hump it gets so much easier.

I think one of the great benefits besides better health is the fact that you'll be satisfied after a well balanced low carb meal. I tried another weight loss routine that limited fat and I was hungry all the time. No that I started low carbing again I have more energy, I'm sleeping better and my mood is even starting to improve.

Please feel free to drop in when you can because it really helps to get encouragement from others, I know it's something that keeps me going. Hope to see you around!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I'm very seriously looking into a low carb lifestyle for myself not for my outside, but for my insides. All of my family--and I mean all-- have died from cardiovascular disease. My younger brother just died in his sleep at the age of 47--he'd been to the dr two weeks prior and had been given a clean bill of health with excellent numbers. A few years ago he did have high blood pressure and high cholesterol so apparently that's when the damage was done. Anyway, I need to take better care of myself for my family and after doing some research I'm looking at a low carb lifestyle. Thanks for starting this! You guys can talk me down from the cupcake, the pasta.........

Have you talked to your doctor about this? You should feel great about a decision to eat better, but low carb does little to address cardiovascular concerns.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

I am also living a low-carb lifestyle right now. I am following "The Metabolism Miracle" by Diane Kress, RD.

It counts carbs slightly differently than Atkins (which I had lost weight with before), but works well for me.

I have been working the program since June, and while I have only lost about 20 lbs, I have dropped my A1C from 12.8 to 5.9, so I guess my veins and arteries are skinny, I just need to work on the body.

My biggest challenge is that my family is not living this WOE with me, so sometimes it gets tiresome cooking 2 different entrees, etc. The weather has screwed up my walking regimen (usually at lunch at work), so I need to buckle down and get to the gym (I hate the treadmill) or the mall to walk.

I will be checking in and keeping track with everyone here.

I am very impressed by the amazing stories so far, keep them coming!

 

[Castillo Mom]

Have you talked to your doctor about this? You should feel great about a decision to eat better, but low carb does little to address cardiovascular concerns.

I believe that a person needs to make an informed decision on what weight loss program they want to follow based on research and discussion with their physician. I'm not a clinician so I wouldn't try to convince anyone on what they should or shouldn't follow and I don't intend to debate the safety of a ketogenic diet. That being said I've done my homework and my doctor is completely supportive of what I'm doing.

I did notice that you've posted your concerns twice now here and you're definitely entitled to your opinion. However, my intention in starting the thread is for those of us who are following a ketogenic diet to find encouragement and support here. With all due respect I don't understand your interest in this thread if low carb is not something you agree with.

I am also living a low-carb lifestyle right now. I am following "The Metabolism Miracle" by Diane Kress, RD.

It counts carbs slightly differently than Atkins (which I had lost weight with before), but works well for me.

I have been working the program since June, and while I have only lost about 20 lbs, I have dropped my A1C from 12.8 to 5.9, so I guess my veins and arteries are skinny, I just need to work on the body.

My biggest challenge is that my family is not living this WOE with me, so sometimes it gets tiresome cooking 2 different entrees, etc. The weather has screwed up my walking regimen (usually at lunch at work), so I need to buckle down and get to the gym (I hate the treadmill) or the mall to walk.

I will be checking in and keeping track with everyone here.

I am very impressed by the amazing stories so far, keep them coming!

Hi Beverly, welcome! Only 20 lbs.? 20 is great! That's 20 lbs. closer to your long term goal. And the fact that your health is improving, well that's the most important part.

I sure can relate to the challenge of getting in exercise. I don't live where it's cold but I've had difficulty with keeping up with a routine. I too have a gym membership and need to buckle down!

Cooking for the family, yes that's also a challenge. I restarted Atkins about two weeks ago and my sons who also have a few pounds to lose are interested in what I'm doing. They have much less weight to lose than me so they're going to start on the second phase of Atkins. This will make meal planning a bit easier since their eating habits will be much closer to mine.

 

[Kachina]

Bravo! I described what I eat to my doctor after she told me she was thrilled with my weight loss - told her I'd cut out anything processed including grains and sugar. She said, "oh, so you just eat a healthy diet". I find that when I tell people what I'm NOT eating, rather than the name of the "diet", they tend to keep open minds about it. There have been so many fad diets out there that people kinda cringe when you mention one they don't know much about. But tell them you only eat whole foods and skip the sugar and grain, and that they understand. Definitely talk things over with your doc.

Congrats on your weight loss, disneyeveryyear!

Is it okay if we share favorite recipes here? I'm always looking for new ones, so I figure others are, too.