Not Atkins, but low carb advice
 

Hi!

I wasn't sure where to post about a low carb plan. But since you all are on Atkins, I feel like you would be very knowledgeable in carbs. I am not doing Atkins but I am trying to keep my carbs between 50-80g and 40-50 net carbs. Can someone take a look at my meal plan below and let me know if this is an ok lower carb meal plan? Also, I noticed when I eat lower carb instead of calorie counting that my calories are higher. Usually between 1600-1800. Would it be better to do the lower calorie (1300) higher carb (150g-180g) plan for weight loss?

Breakfast: 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg, Ezekiel whole grain toast with laughing cow cheese and 1 oz. of whole almonds

Lunch: Ham and light swiss cheese on 1 slice of ezekiel whole grain bread, 1 egg white, 1 whole egg and .5 oz of whole almonds

Snack: 2 string cheese with 1 oz of whole almonds

Dinner: 6 oz of Chicken and 1 cup of broccoli

Calories: 1500 Fat: 70 Carbs: 67 Net Carbs: 50 Protein: 151

What do you all think?

I don't think you have enough vegetables. I would at least add some vegetables with lunch. Maybe a soup or salad. You'll also feel a lot more satisfied.

The best diet is one that you can stick to for the long haul.

The key to Atkins is ketosis. You have to do REALLY low carb to make that happen. Outside of Atkins it can still be beneficial to eat fewer carbs, they are a trigger for lots of people and if you have insulin resistance, well, they are a nightmare.

BUT...if you're not doing Atkins and getting into that fat-burning ketosis AND eating less carbs is making you eat more calories I'm afraid you might be sabotaging yourself.

Ketosis kinda defies the laws of calories in/out by it's nature. When I did Atkins I never counted my calories only stayed under 20 carbs and lost like crazy-like 80 pounds in 6 months. But (obviously lol) it wasn't a sustainable way of eating for me. It's definitely hard to stick with.

Without ketosis calories in/out not only counts, it is everything. So eating higher calories is going to take you longer to lose. That's not to say you can't lose on 1600-1800. Even if you lose slower it may be a better plan for you-what you can stick with in the long run is an important factor as well.

I would swap out some of the bread for some green veggies, especially in the breakfast eggs :)

I prefer paleo and primal low-carb lifestyles, which don't over emphasize ketosis and focus on healthy lifestyle.

I agree, more veggies! Replace the toast with some broccoli or a big salad.

Well, from looking over your menu, a couple of things are missing... as in fruits and veg. And not only that, but you are eating a LOT of nuts and cheese. Both are fine in moderation, but you're eating almost half a cup of each in a day. They may be low carb and cal. dense, but you really need to be throwing some fruit and veg in there. Keep the eggs, but maybe instead of having bread, cheese, and almonds, why not a half a cup of fresh berries? You could even put some home-made whipped cream (made with Splenda or Sweetleaf) on top! YUM! Or even throw some veg into your eggs? Then for lunch, instead of more eggs, why not a big garden salad and maybe a small cup of soup (or even just broth if you prefer). Snack isn't bad as long as it isn't every day and you mix it up. Some days have cheese and fruit, some days nuts and fruit. Or even LC yogurt. I like Greek a lot! Your dinner looks fine, but if you wanted you could always do a different snack and have your cheese on your broccoli! Lower carbs doesn't have to mean boring and no choices. I eat better now than I EVER have! Just mix it up and don't get in a rut. You have to keep it balanced and get those veggies and some LC fruit in there too. Even some melons are fairly low! You can eat lower carbs and lower cal. with some moderate fat in there and lose just fine. Just don't go TOO far one way or the other for what you're trying to achieve.