Hi everyone!

I'm new here! I've been doing low carb for a few months, and if I look at another high protien item again, I'm going to scream! Ok that's not entirely true. I am determined to lose this weight, but I am finding that low carb can be really expensive, and the hardest part is when I am completely out of food, I'm out. The rest of the family can eat healthy lower fat well balanced food, but if there is no low carb items, Oh well!

Either way, I think I'm doing lower calorie anyways.

I am looking for new ideas on how to make low fat work, that isn't too high in sugars. I don't mind getting sugars from whole foods, but I would love to get to know how you all make low fat work!

I look forward to talking to all of you soon!

Carrie, low fat is how I eat. But I also have to exercise regularly. I eat lots of fruits and veggies, lean meats (fish, turkey, chicken), whole grains, foods rich in fiber and protein, lower in saturated fats, sugars, and sodium. I drink lots of water and stay away from sodas (even diet). I treat just about any other drink as a treat, but drink water as my regular drink of choice. I also eat about 5 or 6 times a day, rather than 3, and always make sure to have breakfast. That way you don't pig out at any one meal. I have eggs with breakfast and generally a whole wheat muffin or oatmeal, veggies and lean meat for lunch and dinner, with snacks of cheese, nuts, yogurt, fruit, etc. in between.

You won't lose fast with this method, but you didn't gain fast either. IMO it's the healthiest way to lose and the easier to keep it off.

Hi Almost heaven,

actually, I think I did gain fast. lol I had 3 babies in a year, and piled all of the weight on. After my twins were born I lost 40 lbs in 4 months. My husband and I split up for a while, so I was able to continue to lose, but when we got back together, I gained those 40 pounds in about 2-3 months, plus I gained 10 more pounds in the month following. OUCH!!! My husband is on the same page as I am about my weight. (He is now really supportive, where as he wasn't supportive before) In August I started low carb and I have lost a good amount of weight. I would like my weight loss to stay at an average 10lbs loss a month, until I get to around 20lbs to goal weight. Do you think that with the conversion of eating, i can maintain this weight loss? I still exercise.

What has been your average weight loss? I know it is different for everyone. How many calories are you going for a day? I think I'm going to start of with 1200 calories?


Do you have children? How do you incorporate them into your lifestyle?

My kids don't have weight problems, but I feed them well balanced foods, with mainly unprocessed sugars. I'd do that for them over low carb any day.

<< Do you think that with the conversion of eating, i can maintain this weight loss? I still exercise.>>

Hi Carrie, 10 pounds/month is a very fast average rate of loss. You would have to work very hard to continue to lose that much regardless of what eating style you choose, especially as your body gets smaller and there is less extra fat to lose. Just one of those sad facts of life.

I switched a couple of years ago from lower carb eating (any veggies I wanted coupled with proteins and fats - not atkins) which I had done for about 2 years, to a more natural, easier higher carb, lowfat way of eating. It was not pretty. The carbs hit the fan. There were 2 years of pent-up carb deprivation, and I went totally bonkers eating all forms of carbs for several months. I was totally unprepared for this transition. Of course other things were going on in my life at the time, so it was not only the food. If I ever were to make that drastic a change in eating again, I would make a much more specific plan and wean myself more slowly from one way of eating to the other. I think I would write out meal plans ahead of the day and stick to them religiously. That never occurred to m e. Of course it might be easier for you than me, but egads, was that a rough transition. And I did gain some weight back.

I am now eating low fat (and low cal), and while each has its merits, with low fat, there is a much broader array of satisfying foods to eat. For me, wl went faster with low carb simply because the foods became so freaking boring to me - you can only disquise a ground beef patty so many ways -- and I am a very good cook. All things considered, I prefer low fat to low carb and can see living the rest of my life with these foods. My body liked both of them when done consistently.

Jan, h250/s214/c205/g?170?

I highly recommend finding a structured program that will give you some specifics about eating and balance. Off the top of my head I would recommend Weight Watchers for you, since they have a new plan geared towards a lower-carb lifestyle. It is not "low carb" but allows fewer starches than the traditional plan, while being based on calories and lower fat. I'm guessing that they would start you off a bit higher than 1200 calories given your weight.

Jan is right, expecting to lose 10 pounds per month on any plan at your current weight is unrealistic if you want the losses to be healthy and long-lasting. One of the things low-carbers experience that can cause problems is muscle loss. When the body doesn't get enough carbohydrates, it burns muscle tissue in addition to fat to get the right kinds of fuel for the brain and other functions. So, chances are that part of your weight loss to date has been muscle tissue -- the amount depends on how drastically low-carb you went and what types of exercise you do. Losing muscle lowers your metabolism. When you add carbohydrates back into your diet, even if you do so in a healthy and controlled manner, you'll stop losing as much muscle. (EVERYONE who loses a significant amount of weight loses some muscle.) If you have a depressed metabolism because of the muscle loss and/or too few calories, it may take a while for your body to heal and bounce back. I think a lot of people who switch from low-carb to calorie counting give up and say "it doesn't work" because they don't understand this transition process. Just be sure to feed yourself ENOUGH calories, eat a balanced diet, and be patient. The losses will be slower but they will come.

That brings me to the most important point: Most people who try to lose weight see only as far as their goal weight. You would think it goes without saying that if we lose weight, we want to keep it off. However, most people don't understand that, to be successful over the long-term, you have to adopt a lifetime view. When you do that, fad diets and fastfastfast weight loss can be seen as the false gods they are. While we'd all like to have the weight gone NOW -- and I include myself in that -- the truth is that it doesn't really matter how long it takes us to get to our goal weight. The important thing is that we adopt a healthy, balanced, well-rounded, active lifestyle which will, as a side effect, cause us to lose weight. You're not doing this so you can start a new life -- you're starting a new life, which will eventually lead you to a healthy weight.

Thanks girls!

I really needed to hear that. It is so easy to get caught up in those "false gods". I didn't realize that. Of course I want this off NOW. Who doesn't? But you are right. The problem with losing weight fast, is that it piles right back on fast. My biggest problem in this area is long-suffering, which really is a gift. I grew up being annorexic, bullimic and a compulsive exerciser. I am no longer any of those ( obviously!) , but that combine with my hysterectomy last year, my metabolism is messed up. I don't want to have to do really low calorie. I can easily live on 900 calories a day and not be hungry. That's not good. I have a big fear of food. Either I cave and have all of the wrong stuff, and the weight piles on, or if I do low fat/low carb, it is easy to get back into the really low calorie thing. (Which works, but we all know what happens)

We all know that processed foods are bad. We all know to watch out for trans fatty acids. But doing this doesn't mean you have to do absolute low carb, or not do low fat at all. Am I right? But how do you avoid wanting those extra processed carbs. Sometimes that piece of bread turns into wanting a loaf of bread and nothing else. What tips do you have for self control?

Thanks girls!

Carrie, when I first started, I lost between 1 and 3 pounds per week. As my weight dropped, the loss slowed down. I stuck at 150 for quite awhile, but then I wasn't working as hard to lose as just maintaining at that point. Then I kicked it in again and dropped to 140 over about a 2 month period. I still want to lose some more, but I don't rush it. Two pounds a week is generally a healthy loss.

I've set my goal around 1200 cals per day, but frankly, I generally go up to 1400. And I exercise between 1 and 1 1/2 hours per day.

My daughter is grown, so I don't have kids to deal with. Though, I have had night classes. So the only time I could fit exercise in on those mornings was to get up real early and do some exercise before getting ready for work, and to take my jogging clothes to work and run at lunch.

As for dealing with others in the house and the diet foods, my hubby doesn't need to diet at all and isn't the least interested in eating "that junk" I eat. LOL "That's not real food" he'll say. So we have two meals...and I take a taste of his. That satisfies my tastebuds and I still eat my healthy meal. I fill up on my meal first, then taste what he's having.

And I'm the same on bread too. I used to make a meal out of a loaf. Now I only eat whole grain bread, and whatever food I have trouble stopping on, I get a serving, put the rest back away and walk away from it to have my serving. Whereas, I used to take the loaf with me to the TV set....as a snack mind you. A very big snack.

That's awesome. I know, some snack huh!? I am really averaging no more than 2lbs a week, or 8-10lbs a month. Sometimes slower. I know that by the time I get to around 20 lbs to goal weight, is when I REALLY slow down. I'm fine with that.

I have a lot to lose, so hopefully weight loss will keep up.

My husband is really supportive (now) of my weight loss.

Three kids in one year!!! I have to say both "Congratulations!" and a teeny little "yikes!" also!

When I finally made up my mind to get in shape, I decided to NOT do any "diet plan". Because I needed to do something that I could do for the rest of my life. Plus, I did not want there to be "my" food and "the rest of the family" food. So that meant regular, healthy foods, but with big-time portion control. And lots of water. And almost daily exercise, as equally important. I stayed at around 1500 calories a day, so I didn't feel too deprived. 1200 would have been too low for me psychologically, personally.

I have strayed in the past couple of weeks eating-wise, but have kept up the exercising, which is a part of life now. So I'm not the best to give advice on the "self-control" part , but just once you see a difference in clothing sizes, and see some body shape changing, that gives a huge boost in determination.