[lackadaisy]

Okay, I'm a calorie-counter but taking the plunge to lowering my carbs to 35% of my diet. Two questions: what should I increase (proteins or fats)? And what should I do in the first few days? I know Atkins & SBD have their own theories about phases, but I'm really concerned about induction flu... I am writing a major paper and can't work out right now due to injury, so I don't want to be too drastic.

Things I often eat:
• Fresh fruit (apples, oranges, bananas, melon)
• Whole wheat breads
• Semi-healthy cereals (Total, Life, Bunches of Oats)
• Oatmeal
• Various indulgent desserts like "High-protein" oat cookies (5g fat, 17g carb, 4g protein)

Things I eat for other reasons but have carbs:
• Yogurt and cottage cheese
• Root vegetables (carrots, turnips), squash, & leafy vegetables
• Protein sources: quinoa, chickpeas, tofu

Assuming my 'natural' nutrient ratio (eating whatever I crave but staying around 1300 cal/day) is 35g fat, 200g carb, 80g protein (tracked over the past 3 weeks), what should I eliminate during my "purge" and what should I use to replace it?

Is it possible to see the weightloss / appetite-curbing benefits of reducing carbs without going through full induction?

[beerab]

I'd up your protein to over 100 grams a day- try to keep your fat around the same area, and lower the carbs down to 100-120 grams a day if you are trying for around 35%.

Get rid of fruits- no more than 1 piece a day and/or switch to berries which are lower carb.

Vegetables and protein should be a main staple in your diet if you want to eat less carbs.

And no you don't need to start with induction to transition from high carb to low carb- just know the first few days you might be tired and irritable or have headaches.

You might want to have one meal a day that has your whole wheat bread or your cereal or oatmeal- just pick ONE item to eat each day.

Typical menu:
B: veggie omelette
S: Apple with pb
L: Large salad with roasted chicken
S: Celery sticks or carrot sticks
D: shrimp and roasted veggies with whole 2 oz. whole wheat pasta and alfredo sauce.

That's just a sample menu of how I did SBD.

[Athenacapella]

If you're reducing carb intake, your percentage of calories from both protein and fat is likely to increase. Low-carb AND low-fat really just isn't doable. Saturated fat from animal sources really isn't the evil it's made out to be.

My personal advice is get rid of the grains/gluten first (bread, oatmeal, cereal, quinoia, cookies). Eat as much veggies and fruit as you want, then you can cut back on fruit as needed to achieve your weight goal.

[lackadaisy]

Originally Posted by Athenacapella

If you're reducing carb intake, your percentage of calories from both protein and fat is likely to increase. Low-carb AND low-fat really just isn't doable. Saturated fat from animal sources really isn't the evil it's made out to be.

My personal advice is get rid of the grains/gluten first (bread, oatmeal, cereal, quinoia, cookies). Eat as much veggies and fruit as you want, then you can cut back on fruit as needed to achieve your weight goal.

I think that's a really good idea. I think I'll take small, manageable steps... first step, no grain at breakfast tomorrow, though it's going to be sad to let my cereal go. No bread is easy (I don't like bread) -- I'll try to cut out the grain from my salad and just go with protein and veggies. I can do a little more fat for sure, but I don't eat beef or pork for ethical reasons, so I'd probably continue avoiding those, and just have a bit more fun with vinaigrettes?

Giving up cookies might be the hardest. They're oat cookies!

[lackadaisy]

Originally Posted by beerab

I'd up your protein to over 100 grams a day- try to keep your fat around the same area, and lower the carbs down to 100-120 grams a day if you are trying for around 35%.

Get rid of fruits- no more than 1 piece a day and/or switch to berries which are lower carb.

Vegetables and protein should be a main staple in your diet if you want to eat less carbs.

And no you don't need to start with induction to transition from high carb to low carb- just know the first few days you might be tired and irritable or have headaches.

Uh oh... headaches are not good. I'll probably try to cut down gradually and see how I feel, I guess. 100g of protein definitely sounds doable. Thank you so much for the suggestions!

[katy trail]

i don't eat pork or beef either. we can still eat tuna, salmon, shrimp, beans(not sure how those are for carbs, but i think the fiber helps) mostly, we eat alot of chicken! lol. oh and eggs.

[beerab]

If you are following a south beach type diet beans are acceptable but yes they can get pretty carby! If you do get a headache take something RIGHT AWAY- don't suffer through it.

[lackadaisy]

My food log today after counting carbs -- final tally 1111 calories exactly (awesome number), 102 carbs / 76 net carbs / 99 g protein.

S1: 7 TJs flaxseed & soy tortilla chips, 2 Tbsp three-layer hummus [18g carb]

B: 3 slices deli turkey, 2 hard-boiled egg whites, 1 slice tomato, 1.5 oz refried beans, 9 grapes [oops], 6 oz coffee [15g carb]

L:: 4 oz grilled chicken, 1 Tbsp granola & oats, 2 cups field greens, 1/2 cup cucumber, 1 cup green beans, 2 Tbsp vinaigrette, 6 oz coffee, 12 oz sugarfree lemonade [19 carbs]

S2: 1/8 cup Cracklin Oat Bran, 1/2 cup Special K [17 carbs]

D: 4 oz tuna (water), 0.75 quinoa/cherry salad, 2 cups salad mix, 1 cup green beans (fresh), 2 Tbsp chopped red onions, 24 oz sugarfree lemonade [19 carbs]

S3: 3/4 cup carrots, 1 Tbsp peanut butter [11 carbs]

I'm thinking that tomorrow I'll try to cut carbs further by eliminating snacks like the cereal and replacing them with protein & cottage cheese, eliminate fruit (those grapes were such a bad idea), and cut back on things like the chips, aiming for 60 net carbs instead. Any advice would be great!

[martinimouse]

Originally Posted by lackadaisy

I think that's a really good idea. I think I'll take small, manageable steps... first step, no grain at breakfast tomorrow, though it's going to be sad to let my cereal go. No bread is easy (I don't like bread) -- I'll try to cut out the grain from my salad and just go with protein and veggies. I can do a little more fat for sure, but I don't eat beef or pork for ethical reasons, so I'd probably continue avoiding those, and just have a bit more fun with vinaigrettes?

Giving up cookies might be the hardest. They're oat cookies!

Don't give up what you like the most, as 17 carbs for your cookies are reasonable for the moderate carb range you are striving for. Give up the high carb foods that don't make much of a difference for you. Then later, you can decide on the next level you may want to take it to. I agree, take small steps since your goal is improvement on your carb intake, not particularly a strict low carb diet.

Since you are not eating beef or pork, i assume you are eating fish, seafoods and perhaps fowl? If so, these are usually low in fat compared to beef and pork, so be aware that you should be adding fat to your meals, good first pressed oils, butter, and coconut oil to balance the needed fats for the fat soluble vitamins, your skin and hair. As your carbs go down, you can also increase the natural fats in foods by having full fat dairy products. Low fat dairy has a load of fillers that are not necessary. You also can eat higher fat fish, such as mackerel, sardines, herring and so on. Mayonnaise and salad dressings, if you like it also helps increase fats. I know it always sounds so scary to say increase fats, but I am not talking about huge amounts, but enough to balance your intake and feel satisfied between meals.

I find I can eat very small amounts of food when there is enough fat and protein to satisfy my hunger. I only really pay attention to the total calories and total carb count and let the protein and fat fall wherever it feels right, so far, my fat and protein pretty much match in gram count.

[LLBoldAsLove87]

lackadaisy... seems like you are doing reduced fat peanut butter, which has like twice the carbs than the "full-fat" kind... how much fat did you get in on your 1111 day?