Which LC plan works best for you?

[Grammy G]

I've played around with low carb diets since the 6th grade (I'm now 55). I lose and then gain it all back when I return to my old eating habits. I'm so excited to find that there are many ways to eat some of the old time favorite foods by making them low carb.

I wondered if anyone has just changed their habits and eat low carb without doing a drastic Atkins approach? I've never been able to stick to that WOE for long without binging.

I'd love to know what y'all have learned.

Thank you,
Georgene

[A&F]

I have found that if I don't think about it as a diet, but rather a way of eating that works with my body instead of against it, that just happens to have weight loss as a side effect, I don't have to worry about "sticking" with anything. If I do have questions, or wonder why I'm not feeling the way I should or losing weight, I go back to my Atkins book (one of the older ones). In general though I don't think about it too much. I stick to meat and dark green leafy vegetables with variations in those groups. For me, I found that when I started adding in low carb substitutes for high carb foods that I stalled out. The item may have been low carb, but my body didn't like it and wasn't as efficient as it was without them. I stay very very far away from them now.

[Mistizoom]

Something has changed for me this time, and I really am viewing this as a lifelong eating plan. I have no desire to go back to a high carb way of eating. I totally agree with A&F, I am doing this for my health and losing weight just happens to be a (very wanted) side effect. I am not following any particular plan, but what I eat is very similar to Atkins OWL. I don't consider it drastic, but to have the effects I want I need to keep my carbs at 25-30/day or less.

[synger]

When I began to objectively SEE how my blood sugar reacted to a higher carb meal, it became easier and easier to just think of lower carb as "how I eat". It's not an "I can't" thing, but more an "I don't" thing. That's a huge change from other plans i've tried for weight loss over the years.

I don't follow a specific Doctor's plan or book plan. I aim to keep carbs under 50 (to keep BG stable) and to have an average of under 1400 calories/day (to lose weight). When I do eat carbs, I follow the IR Diet framework of not eating more than 30 grams in a single meal.

I know that when I go outside of those limits, my BG spikes, my heart starts pounding, I sugar crash, and I don't lose weight (or even gain).

This is how my body is now. It's just a matter of living it out day by day.

[Grammy G]

I wanted to thank you ladies for your help. I am trying to think of this as a permanent way of living.

I wondered how you divide your carbs? If you are only eating less than 50 carbs a day then do you divide that by 3 meals and 2 snacks?

I think that is one place where I am blowing it. I don't really pay attention to my serving sizes and how many carbs I am eating. I basically eat meat and veggies but then I'll eat nuts for snack or a LC dessert and not figure out serving size or carb count.

I have lost a total of 20 pounds if you go back 2 years ago. It has come off very slow.

Thanks for your help,
Georgene

[Jigsaw]

I'm on phase 2 of the "Diabetes Miracle." so far so good. 1st phase you get 5g carb counter at each meal. (although many carbs don't "count" so it is not as low as atkins.) I don't think I entered ketosis. In phase 2, I get basically 10-20 carbs at each meal or snack if the meals are more than 5 hours apart. I've only been doing it since December 26th. but it is not that difficult. Nuts are free (within reason) a handful not a jar full

[Grammy G]

Originally Posted by Jigsaw

I'm on phase 2 of the "Diabetes Miracle." so far so good. 1st phase you get 5g carb counter at each meal. (although many carbs don't "count" so it is not as low as atkins.) I don't think I entered ketosis. In phase 2, I get basically 10-20 carbs at each meal or snack if the meals are more than 5 hours apart. I've only been doing it since December 26th. but it is not that difficult. Nuts are free (within reason) a handful not a jar full

I've never heard of this WOE. I'm wondering what your meals and snacks consist of? Do you have time to share a daily menu?

[A&F]

Originally Posted by Grammy G

I wanted to thank you ladies for your help. I am trying to think of this as a permanent way of living.

I wondered how you divide your carbs? If you are only eating less than 50 carbs a day then do you divide that by 3 meals and 2 snacks?

I think that is one place where I am blowing it. I don't really pay attention to my serving sizes and how many carbs I am eating. I basically eat meat and veggies but then I'll eat nuts for snack or a LC dessert and not figure out serving size or carb count.

I have lost a total of 20 pounds if you go back 2 years ago. It has come off very slow.

Thanks for your help,
Georgene

For me, I don't worry about "dividing" my carbs. I just eat. I also don't really touch LC desserts; generally I'm full at the end of a meal. If I'm out with friends and everyone else is getting a dessert I will get a small bowl of berries if available. It is a little less socially awkward that way and I don't make any of my friends feel "guilty" about eating what they want to.

A typical menu for me would be:

B - omelet with spinach and sausage or half an avocado with an egg yolk in the middle w/ a slice of cheese on top (thrown in the oven at about 200 before I get in the shower, taken out when I remember that it is still in there)

L - Chicken breast, pork chop, - whatever is leftover from dinner the night before

D - Grilled pork chops and wilted spinach (although last night I was at an event with amazing bbq and I may have over done it with pulled pork, smoked turkey breast, ribs, and two chicken legs - I was hungry!)

S - Rare that I do snack, but it is usually a hard boiled egg or deviled egg. Something eggy. If I do eat something with the possibility of a higher carb count, such as nuts, I will measure out exactly the serving size so I don't accidentally eat too much.

Hope this helps!

[Grammy G]

Thank you so much for sharing a day's menu. Am I right in noticing that it's very similar to Atkins?

Thank you,
Georgene

[Rebecca1979]

I love the old(ish) Atkins DANDR (2002)! I find that clean eating and avoiding the franken foods(bars,shakes,supplenments) REALLY does this diet justice! =) Good luck!

[A&F]

Originally Posted by Grammy G

Thank you so much for sharing a day's menu. Am I right in noticing that it's very similar to Atkins?

Thank you,
Georgene

It is. The last time I did low carb I followed Atkins (don't remember which one). I incorporated too many processed and frankenfoods for it to work for me though and I became frustrated.

This time, like Rebecca says, I just focus on clean eating. For me it is a lot easier that trying to count each carb and figure out if things are "safe." I don't really even think about it as a diet. For me, I feel like crap and sick when I eat off plan. I don't like feeling like that, so I don't eat off plan.

[kiwistars]

I don't get the new atkins.It seems like they just made it harder with the calorie counting etc.I am on the Atkins new diet revolution from 2002 as it is the only WOE I know that gets weight off.
My mum got me on it in 2004 after she lost heaps which she still has not regained now 9 years later...

[haferchamp]

I am fairly new to low carb eating and am learning and tweeking as I go. Since my pre-diabetes diagnosis I've been "eating to my meter" so to speak. I started testing my blood sugars after anything I ate so now know basically what does and doesn't spike my blood sugar. I don't count carbs but cut out all processed foods (except Premier Protein shake in morning). Clean eating and I don't have to prick my fingers. Anything else and i'm testing. I'm not doing this for weight loss, but for blood sugar control. The bonus for me is actually losing a few pounds. I don't have a scale so will see how many pounds i've lost when I go back to doctor. I have just stated reading the Diabetes Miracle book and and highly recommend it to everyone. She is really informative in a way that makes a ton of sense in regards to how your body responds to carbs and insulin response. Whether you are Met B, pre-diabetes, or Diabetes 2, its really informative. Haven't got to the diet section yet but will probably incorporate a few ideas there as well. Good luck!

[MaryMary]

I started on Induction in 2001 weighing 376 lbs. I was being watched for diabetes since my mother and 5 brothers had diabetes. I moved up the ladder adding in fruit and vegetables for my carbs. It does not feel like a diet since I have been doing this for 10+ years. But I'll give you a sample menu. By the way, my fasting sugars are now running about 83.

Breakfast 1 egg, 1 oz soy cheese, 1 oz bacon, 1/2 cantelope.

Lunch, 4 oz chicken, 8 oz broccoli florets, 8 oz salad, 1 tbsp dressing, 1 tbsp tahini sauce

Supper 8 oz Greek yogurt, 4 oz pumpkin, 1 tbsp flaxseed meal, 1 tbsp olive ol, 16 oz salad, 2 tbsp dressing

This is approx 1400 calories, 70 g net carbs, 30 g fiber

I don't eat sugar, grain or drink alcohol as they mess with my head and decision making skills. I reached maintenance in 2006. I relapsed in 2011 and got back on when I remembered why I started in 2001. I am in a healthy range now, 5'8", 158.8 lbs, 65 yrs old and no diabetes so long as I stay away from sugar, grains and alcohol.

[Jigsaw]

Every time someone posts a menu, I seem to eat way more than them... maybe that is why i'm stalled a bit.
I have:
BF: String cheese and 2 pc. of jerkey (I get up at 4am and grab this on the way out the door to work)
2nd BF: 2 eggs, some type of meat, bacon or ham, 1/2 cup blue berries
S: 1/2 an Avocado, sometimes blueberries if I didn't eat them earlier
L: salad with cucumber, tomato, romaine, kale, spinach, crab meat or other meat, Bowl of broccoli, 1/2 cup blueberries, or a salad and an atkins meal
S: Nuts, whatever I feel like or have on hand, a hand full or so, or Low carb "bean cupcake" made with black soy beans
After work: cheese and salami slices (or corned beef, cream cheese roll up with blue cheese) or a peanut butter cookie
D: Some type of meat, zuccini "potato skins" with top the tator, Salad (same as lunch), cottage cheese, sometimes fruit or tonight I had lc tortilla with turkey ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo and cheese
S: strawberries or sf pudding with whip cream, or a piece of dark chocolate

I have no Idea how many calories this is, I imagine alot, I really don't want to count calories if possible. But I think I may have to cut back a little after seeing everyone else's menus, we'll see I guess. Maybe i'll have to cut out the "sweets" (pudding and such) and see if that helps.

I'm suppose to get in between 10-20 carbs per meal and snack if the meals are more than 5 hours apart...

I may switch to the Atkins if things don't start moving a little more. Most people on these boards do Atkins and it seems to work really well.

[Grammy G]

It really helps to see what works for others. I'm trying to look at my habits to see if I can cut back somewhere. I started cutting back on snacking after dinner. I now count out one serving of sunflowers seeds in the shell. Since I did that I dropped another 2 pounds. It's coming off so slow but I'm okay with that because I don't want it coming back on fast. :-)

[MaryMary]

I didn't want to count calories but I needed to know how much I was eating. So I keyed the information into an online calculator, there are lots of free ones out there. For a week, I didn't change anything. It was between 1700-1800. So I figured if I kept the amounts the same and changed my protein choices, I could cut this to 1300-1400. The calculator lets you see where the carbs and calories are coming from. Once you get it down, and you know what's in what. You don't need to keep doing it unless you want to or unless you introduced a new food choice. I kept track for about a month. That's when I started to lose 1 lb a week or so. I was not looking for big losses as I had such a long way to go, I knew it was going to take a long time.