Low Carb diets

Is anyone else on a low carb diet plan?  I've only just started and wondered if anyone else was on it, or if anyone knows if this diet is healthy.  If you have been on it for sometime then how do you rate it?

steph  

Dude - you've hit the jackpot.
I've low carbed for nearly 3 years now.
It's my life.
Seriously.

I could write  a book about how life-savingly good it is.
But I'll try to be brief here:

BTW - I do Protein Power, not Atkins. I found Atkins harder to stick with, and PP is awesome. Same basic principles though.

Some resources for you:
www.lowcarbluxury.com (a great newsletter)
www.thelowcarbshop.com (online sop in UK)
www.lowcarbfriends.com (great forum, I'm Marlespo there too)

Some hints:
1. Buy and read a book if you haven't already, a LOT of people low-carb without knowing what they are getting into and then quit right away because they are disappointed, have headaches etc.... information is the key here.
2. Visit www.lowcarbfriends.com and get suppor if you need it, this way of eating goes against everything the American government has told us for years and years, and it's a big adjustment.

And some hugs too.

What this "diet" has done for me:
1. I went from 175 pounfds to 145, and I still have about 10 more to go.
2. My skin cleared up.
3. I've never looked or felt better in my life.
4. Energy is through the roof.
5. I no longer starve.
6. My addiction to sugar has been controlled.
7. No more mid-afternoon sleepy spells
8. No more rabid, ravenous cravings.
9. My nails and hair are shinier and stronger.
10. My teeth are whiter.

OMG I could write a book.
Sorry if I"m being annoying, but this is like a religion for me, I *so* believe in how wonderful it is. I will never ever EVER do anything besides low-carb in my life.

Now, of course, I do cheat. But I limit myself to once a month. Some people can't do that because it sends them in a tailspin into a box of cereal, but i've found that I can, and it keeps me sane knowing that once a month I can indulge (I take a weekend off) and eat whatever the he11 I want to.

But seriously - I've got articles, resources, etc... more than I should. I've tried every specilyt product out there, and can recommend some good treats. I've got thousands of recipes.

So fire away if you have .

*** steps off soapbox***

Sounds good, but how do you do a low carb diet if you don't eat meat?  

It's a lot harder if you don't eat meat, but not impossible. People do it. 2 of the cookbooks I have contain special sections for vegetarian low-carbers.

My diet is mainly Meat, veggies, dairy, and fruit. Low-carb = lots of veggies, so it isn't impossible. But really, you'd have to just sort though a bunch of recipes once you decided to do low-carb, and make sure you're eating stuff like tofu & tempeh etc to get your protein etc (beans are generally a bad idea) - - - but still, same advice. If you're really interested, pick up one of the books and read it (they are quick reads) - and just adjust the recipes.

I think with vegetarians the initial stage is harder, you certainly go through sugar withdrawwal for the first week or so on this "diet" and I think vegetarians have a tougher time with it? DOn't know. But it can be done. Lots of people do it on the bulletin board I mentioned above, so they'd help out a lot more than I can.

I hate dieting!! Actually I try not to even call it a diet but a change in my eating habits.  I'm forever watching what I eat, drink, etc.  

I tried to do a low-carb diet and found it very hard.  So basically what I've done was cut out pasta to only once every two weeks.  As opposed to eating it twice a week.  No bread at dinner and I don't eat after 7 pm.  LOTS AND LOTS OF AQUA.......gallons of it.  And of course the physical activity.

What I found really upsetting is when I was in my 20's I lost weight so easily.  Now that I'm in my 30's - it takes me forever to lose weight.  Don't know why?  But it seems like our metobolisms (at least mine did) just completely stops once you hit your mid-30's.  I still can't lose the last 12 lbs.   and bikini season is just around the corner...  I'm maintaining but not losing..

Maybe I will try the low-carb again.  

ohhhhhhh Marlespo easy read book, I nearly fall asleep reading Mr Atkins book, and it's lonnnnnngggg.  Thanks for the sites by they way!!  

What is the difference between protein power and the Atkins diet thingy?  I hate not being able to have fruit on this induction thing, but hey I get to have strawberries in a week, wooooohooooooo!!!  

What sort of flour do you bake with, I read Almond flour in another post, but in the back of the atkins book I'm reading it talks about soya flour, have you ever used that.  anddddd one last thing do the baked goods actually taste like something you would have eaten before, like cake or cookies.

fanks

steph  

Protein Power has no induction period at all, which I LOVE, because that's why I found Atkins so hard. I eat fruit almost daily with Protein Power, and you can do it right from the beginning, as long as you follow the guidelines. (Stay under 30 carbs a day, make them come from veggies & fruits & oils). Protein Power is just a little more lenient, and it works but it works a little slower than Atkins for that same reason. But it's MUCh easier to adapt as a real way of life than Atkins, which for some people (myself included) found to be a struggle.

I bake with Almond flour, but admit to not have done much of it yet. Haven't tried soya flour, though there are some great recipes using the Atkins (or Carbolite, my preferred) baking mixes, but it takes tweaking.

My favorite dessert recipes are:
Butter Pecan Creme Brulee
Strawberry Pie
Coconut Cream Mousse
Strawberry Cheesecake

Yum! And how bad can it be to lose weight eating things like that. As for the read - I'm a geek, so I liked reading the books - and loved the science and reasoning behind it all. That's really necessary for me, to know WHY it works, that wasy I can actually stick to it, you know?

Yvonne - sounds like you do semi-low carb anyway. Some people can handle a lot higher levels than others (ie my brother, he eats up to 60-80 carbs a day and doesn't gain weight) - my level is about 30 or 40 though. Everyone's different.

Is anyone currently on a Low Carb or Atkins style diet??  I was thinking of starting one at the New Year.  Marlespo, are you still on this way of eating? 

MaddieRose,

I am not now, but fully intend to start eating this way first of the year - cliche` I know but true. I have been recommended by my Endocrinologist to try this for PCOS issues so thank you Sara for your enthusiasm on this post, I was so pleased to read it as I know Atkins will be just that bit too much for me.

Hi my name is..Sheril............and I am a carb addict 


So, I will need some more back up by then if you're interested we can support each other

Sheril

PS) Sara- can't believe you'll be moving just when I need you for repat and now PP issues 

Hi Sheril,

I will need some support, so that would be great at the New Year.  I am a total carb addict and always have been.  Wow, that was so easy to confess, hopefully I will not continue confessing to different things as the night goes on;)

I have not heard of the Protein Power, but will look into it shortly. 

Danielle

i did atkins for a while and i lost.....but i just wanted carbs.

it's terrible, but i love them.  more power to you all. 

Marlespo will not be gone totally!! She'll be checking in lots and I'm sure back full force once she's settled in the US!

Good luck to you all. I can't/won't do low carb but admire you if you do!!

i did it for a full year, lost 2 stone, but in the past 3 months, have fallen off the wagon! But as Marlspo stated, when I fell off is when I noticed that all the things that had cleared up are starting all over again.....and to be honest...have decided that I don't like living with the pain of IBS.......and besides......I've gain 4 of it back! UGH!!

I'm going back on it right after Christmas dinner (I'm gonna enjoy stuffing one more time..and pay for it 2 days later)

Hi Sheril,

I will need some support, so that would be great at the New Year.  I am a total carb addict and always have been.  Wow, that was so easy to confess, hopefully I will not continue confessing to different things as the night goes on;)

I have not heard of the Protein Power, but will look into it shortly. 

Danielle

That's great! I was nervy about that confession believe it or not! It will be so nice to get some support, so we can hit it together and I will start reading up on those sites Sara posted.

GrnEyes- well done for sticking to it so long/the loss and I agree with you totally, when I have cut out processed carbs, my headaches do improve, as does concentration etc, so I am totally with you there.

As this will be my last Christmas in England, I will enjoy my last traditional roast and then that's it, walking to AND from work and low carbs we're off, get me ready for all those cheaper clothes Stateside

NY-State of mind: Bikini season - perish the thought argh!!!!!

Sheril.

Danielle & Sheril, I'll be a low-carber until the day I die. I'm off the wagon, so to speak, over the holidays & immigration fiasco, and will be back on track come early January, once I can start cooking for myself again. I still have 20 pounds of baby blubber to lose. 

And hey! Sheril! Quit talking about me like I'm dying!  Just because I'm moving back to America doesn't mean I'll be leaving UKY, I'd rather poke my eye out with hot, sharp, pointy instruments! 

Perhaps in January we can have a weekly thread that we can all post in and support each other in - post recipes, daily menus, and things like that. That is always helpful for me. Especially the daily menu - telling other people what you are eating each day helps to keep accountability. Means people can yell at you for not eating enough veggies, and if you are struggling it means other people can look offer practical advice based on real facts.

Right! So I guess I'll do that anyway, and just hope people join in with me. I'll make an effort to post Monday January 10, and each Monday after that, rather than clogging the place up with daily posts.

Whadya think?