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Thread: Starting a Low Carb diet..

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    Member TrewJewel's Avatar
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    Starting a Low Carb diet..

    I should probably be doing something productive...
    So….I'm going to post about my new diet plan!!

    So I need to drop about 15 or 20 more pounds before I move to
    Atlanta at the end of March. This is to ensure I'll get a good job while I'm down there. I'm setting my sights high on the Cheetah, but we'll go from there!! I've always had a super healthy diet, small frequent meals, and I take a lot of vitamins including tonalin/CLA.. (Although I keep procrastinating to get another gym membership) and I haven’t lost a single pound. SO, been doing a lot of research on low carb dieting..



    Anyone work in Atlanta have some advice? I also put up some pictures in my gallery, so check ‘em out if you want.. see if I’m Cheetah material. Or at least, I hope I will be after I lose the rest of this weight. heehee

    So, on Feb 8th.. I started my initial 2 weeks of hell- I mean my new low carb diet. Only meat, eggs, cheese.. only a little leafy greens and stuff with SUPER low carbs. I'm not to eat more than 20 carbs a day. Once those 14 days are up, I get to gradually bring back good carbs into my diet.

    I think I'm disciplined enough to keep it up. I did great the first two days.. and today I cheated.. only because I didn't know how many freakin' carbs are in black beans. Damn you, Qdoba. Thought I was doing good with my ‘naked’ burrito. Steak, cheese, lettuce, salsa, and those stupid black beans. (it really is GOOD)

    So, I’ll keep anyone who’s actually reading this updated with another reply after I’ve made some progress. I’m also going tanning tomorrow.. so I should benefit from that too.. I’m also dying to get back on a dread mill. Now if only I could convince my fiancé, Andy to come with me. hehe

    If you want to share in my low carb dieting experience.. here's some info on sites I've been frequenting:




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    Veteran Member Alpha_Male's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    I've played around with a low carb diet before and got pretty good results. Basically I stuck to chicken-turkey-protein powders-broccoli-peanuts. I got to the point where my energy levels were almost nonexistant and went back to carbs. Probably the best way to go is carb cycling. Every fews days eat low carbs, then moderate, then high and then back to low and keep on changing.

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    Veteran Member lazydaisy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    TrewJewel-
    I have followed the low carb lifestyle for several months and I love it. Nothing lets me eat more and lose weight faster. Some on this site say they lost energy, but I have never had more.

    The only days I felt bad was the first week and you are already through that!
    I love the forum at forum.lowcarber.org the people and the advise is great.
    Anytime I need help they have an answer.

    Good luck on your move and diet.

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    Curious Guest wanabbritney's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    I've been on Atkins since January 6th and it sure is hard, so far i have lost 20 pounds to this day but have 15 more to go ;(. When you ever get cravings just rememeber that brownie or that bowl of pasta isnt even worth it, it will just throw you off guard.

    I try to work out 5-6 days a week, Cardio can really help the weight loss go alot faster, and remember to drink 64 ounces of water plus 8 ounces for every 25 lbs you want to lose. I notice that the more water i drink along with my diet the faster the pounds melt off.

    helped me a bunch too!

    Good Luck! Hope it works out for you.


    p.s if you get cravings here and there, any one of the low carb bars help out alot, just dont make it a habit!

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    Banned TifaRae's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    I've noticed that protein actually tends to have less calories than refined carbohydrates.

    eg: 1 slice of wheat bread = 100 calories, a few strips of bacon = 100 calories

    The bacon is tastier and more filling. Same goes for pasta vs. chicken, etc.

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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..


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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    I was on Atkins for 2 months but lost the motivation and quit.. and gained back all the weight back. Low-carb diets are really hard to stick to and if you are not ready for a change of eating lifestyle to be low-carb, you will gain the weight back sometime or another in the future (in my opinion at least)

    diet's are always hard emotionally and physically. if you are not ready for it, dont diet.. just exercise and watch what you eat (portion control/calorie intake) instead of a diet because more then 90% of all dieters will fail and gain back the weight back
    live your life to the fullest.. as if you have no tomorrow

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    Featured Member Crystal_eyes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    Hard to stick and for me I was always hungry. Everybody's different so you can't really know what works for you until you try it.

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    Featured Member lopaw's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    I lost close to 60 pounds on a the Atkins diet almost 3 years ago, and have kept it off. I'm no longer on a low carb diet...just a sensible diet with slightly higher protein levels since I like building muscle and do alot of weight lifting.
    I think that low carb diets can work in the short term, but they are way too hard to maintain for a lifetime.

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    Senior Member NaughtyAngel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    It's a misnomer. It should be called low-refined sugar diet... not low-carb diet. I love eating this way. Much more healthier. Unfortunately some people who have not read the book draw conclusions but it has worked for me and many many others. Another problem seems to be that those against it probably cannot handle it so they put down the diet instead of themselves but to each his or her own. Some people bash the diet yet know very little about it but it advocates eating green salads and other fresh unprocessed foods which far outweighs eating processed foods no matter what diet or food plan one chooses.

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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    Quote Originally Posted by NaughtyAngel
    It's a misnomer. It should be called low-refined sugar diet... not low-carb diet. I love eating this way. Much more healthier. Unfortunately some people who have not read the book draw conclusions but it has worked for me and many many others. Another problem seems to be that those against it probably cannot handle it so they put down the diet instead of themselves but to each his or her own. Some people bash the diet yet know very little about it but it advocates eating green salads and other fresh unprocessed foods which far outweighs eating processed foods no matter what diet or food plan one chooses.
    I totally agree with you. Reading the book for ANY plan you want to pursue is essential.

    I am also tired of people who choose to eat low carb (or however you want to label it) saying they are not eating veggies. You should be eating vegetables! At least 1 cup of low glycemic veggies and 2 cups of salad greens. The fiber in them is essential to your staying regular and, in the weight loss phase of your journey, should be the major source of your carbs.

    To the original poster, I would stay away from any starchy foods i.e. beans, until you have most of your weight, then I would add in the higher carb foods at 5g increments per week. This way, you can tell what stalls you and you can eliminate it until you are at your goal.

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    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    Diets are bad news. Usually when you diet, you just gain all the weight back later (and often some more on top of it). Very unhealthy in the long term. And let's face it, the ONLY way to lose weight is by increasing your calorie deficit. That means consume fewer than you burn. Eat less, move more - that's it.

    Drastic reduction in carbohydrates inhibits the brain's production of seratonin, resulting in depression and irritability. You can also expect some pretty uncomfortable constipation from the lack of fiber in your diet.

    Why not just eat less, cut out junk food, and exercise more? If you like black beans, there's no reason you shouldn't have them.

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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    Quote Originally Posted by Yekhefah
    Drastic reduction in carbohydrates inhibits the brain's production of seratonin, resulting in depression and irritability. You can also expect some pretty uncomfortable constipation from the lack of fiber in your diet.

    Why not just eat less, cut out junk food, and exercise more? If you like black beans, there's no reason you shouldn't have them.
    Absolutely wrong. Not only has my blood sugar stabilized (no more hypoglycemic episodes), I no longer suffer from insomnia or anemia and have been able to totally eliminate my Paxil and Xanax due to lack of need.

    You will never experience constipation if you eat the amount of vegetables and drink the amount of water that are recommended. And there is a large percentage of low carbers that don't need to lose weight, they do it for medical reasons (i.e. diabetes)

    BTW, low carb is not a diet. You will have to eat this way for life. It has nothing to do with gaining the weight back. It has to do with messing up your metabolism for good. So, whatever plan you choose...choose wisely...and make it a life choice or, as we call it, a way of life (WOL)..but never a diet.

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    Senior Member NaughtyAngel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    All anecdotal yet have never tried out Atkins. Try it first then decide and it's NOT low-carb. That is a misnomer. It's actually "low refined-sugars" or "low simple carbs" Don't base what you read in the media about it. Read about it first then decide.

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    Senior Member NaughtyAngel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    Quote Originally Posted by DylanAngel
    I totally agree with you. Reading the book for ANY plan you want to pursue is essential.

    I am also tired of people who choose to eat low carb (or however you want to label it) saying they are not eating veggies. You should be eating vegetables! At least 1 cup of low glycemic veggies and 2 cups of salad greens. The fiber in them is essential to your staying regular and, in the weight loss phase of your journey, should be the major source of your carbs.

    To the original poster, I would stay away from any starchy foods i.e. beans, until you have most of your weight, then I would add in the higher carb foods at 5g increments per week. This way, you can tell what stalls you and you can eliminate it until you are at your goal.

    It gets annoying when I read or hear people bash Atkins when they haven't even read the book. It worked for me and I've kept off the weight. More people should follow it as in eating less simple carbs and more green veggies which it advocates. Unfortunately the media has slaughtered it when many of them have not even tried it. Read it first or try it first... then decide

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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    Low carb is supposed to help fight PCOS symptoms (ovarian disorder that's related to an insulin problem), and my doctor recommended it to me. Apparently it helps not only with the obsesity issue (which I have thus far avoided, but it effects 50% of women with the condition...apparently there are those PCOS women who can still gain weight eating 700 calories a day, which is for real scary!).

    BUT As someone who also has IBS, low carb is impossible for me. The only diet I have managed that controls IBS symptoms is a low fat, high soluble fibre. I can eat lean meats and fish without pain (red meat and dairy are out because of the fat content- can't digest it). Eating a salad with no soluble fibre (potatoes, white bread, rice) to ease the insoluble stuff (the vegetables) is just pain. I still eat insoluble for health, but the other day I tried a pumpernicel bagel instead of my usual poppyseed, and it killed. I can't eat whole wheat- too painful.

    It is very frustrating, because i know balancing my insulin levels would be good, but what can I do? I've heard some people grow out of IBS..I hope I will.

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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    ^^^Molly, there are many people who suffer from IBS who follow a low carb plan. (I'm still gonna call it low carb because I eat under 100g net carbs per day which is considered low carb as opposed to the normal American daily average)

    Here is a link to some preliminary information:



    You can take it from there. Good luck!

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    Veteran Member oulala's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    Quote Originally Posted by DylanAngel
    It has to do with messing up your metabolism for good.
    Did I misinterpret this or did you just say it messes up your metabolism? I don't think I want to go there.

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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    Quote Originally Posted by oulala
    Did I misinterpret this or did you just say it messes up your metabolism? I don't think I want to go there.
    Not to be harsh to anyone, but it wouldn't mess up your metabolism if you stayed within a normal range of the plan for the rest of your life. In ANY plan, you will gain the weight back if you resume your bad eating habits.

    In the case of low carb, you are switching your body's normal glucose burning process to burn fat for fuel. If you go back and forth numerous times you will find it harder to lose each time you attempt.

    I'm not saying this is easy...but it IS doable and it has to be for the long term. I don't know of any plan that you can eat as much as you can on this one and not feel deprived.

    Low fat, to me, was a cycle of bad tasting, sugar laden foods which left me hungry and obsessing over when my next meal would be. Atkins has brought to me a full day's menu of whole, fresh and healthy foods as well as low body fat percentage and no illness.

    Ya just can't beat that.

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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    Thanks for the link Dylan, but it only really describes IBS...doesn't really say how a low-carb diet would be tenable. But I am seeing a specialist next week (finally! canadian wait times for doctors are loonngg) and I will ask how I could low-carb it without being in pain...I couldn't completely go Atkins though, I know that... I can't eat a salad alone without being in severe pain. Also, I can't have dairy or red meat, but I could probably still make a 100carb day fly. That's a little more reasonable.

    But I have to ask- without sounding like an alcoholic or anything, but can you really go the rest of your life without drinking? Or caffeine? I guess of course people can, but it sounds a little daunting to me.

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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    Molly, I gave you that link in particular because, if you peruse that particular forum, there is a large group of people who practice lower carb and suffer from PCOS or IBS. Please take the time. The format is almost identical to our SW forum. I don't think you'll be sorry.

    Also, there is nothing that says you have to give up alcohol or caffeine. If you have one or two cups of coffee a day you should be fine. There are people who do both. The key is moderation. The reason you should limit the drinking is because your body will burn off alcohol first, then glucose, then fat so you're really cutting into your weight loss time there.

    That being said, there is absolutely no reason that you can't indulge in a few drinks once in awhile. Bacardi and Diet Coke is a no carb drink. Red wine is about 2.7g per 2oz glass and white wine is under two, I think.

    Warning though...you WILL get drunk faster on this eating plan. Most of us can only handle two before looking to put the lampshade on our heads and dance on tables!!

    (Ok, as strippers, I guess we have half of that covered anyway, lol. Bring on the lampshades!!)

    Good luck at the doctor!

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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    ok thanks Dylan- I found this info list that I think would work for me:
    · 1. Cut back on sugar.
    · 2. Cut back on foods with yeast, especially yeast breads.
    · 3. Take probiotics when needed.
    · 4. Cut back on dairy products, especially milk.
    · 5. Emphasize soup with meat and non-starchy vegetables.
    · 6. Go easy on spicy foods.
    · 7. Avoid grains, corn and rice.
    · 8. Avoid raw vegetables and fruit unless eaten with an acidic dressing.
    She said that the problem with salad is the bacteria, but when eaten with an acidic topping like oil and vinegar, most of the bacteria gets eliminated. (It also explains why biting into lemon wedges always makes me feel better...it kills the bad stuff)

    And this website and others suggested that the bacteria in grains (breads, etc) actually contributes to IBS, so a lowcarb diet is better. She also suggested cooking fruit for the same reason. I have heard that before, but I understand what's behind it a little better now. Giving up grains is gonna be tough but I'm gonna try!

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    Veteran Member silverandcold's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    All I have to say about Atkins is, I fit back into my jeans from high school, so I am a happy camper. I don't find it hard at all, I mean, looking at other people eating french fries is tempting, but there are a lot of other foods I can eat that I like.
    High school jeans, people!!
    Kisses, Kirah Honey

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    http://www.myspace.com/kirahhoneyshouse

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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    Molly- Glad you found all that info! Information is key with your problems so I'm glad you now have a source for that. It's rough going it alone.

    Silver - I was a potato freak! Even craved them during my two pregnancies. If you want a comfort food like mashed potatoes, boil a head of cauliflower and mash it with some heavy or sour cream and some parmesan...presto!...fauxtatoes! Dab some butter and salt and pepper on top and yummm.

    I have heard that some people use jicama to make faux fries with. I can never seem to find it but I'm still looking and I'll let you know.

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    Veteran Member silverandcold's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting a Low Carb diet..

    Thanks! That cauliflower idea sounds soooo good right now....!
    Kisses, Kirah Honey

    http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/kirahhoneyshouse/

    http://www.myspace.com/kirahhoneyshouse

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