If I cut carbs do I still have to count calories?

saw50st8

Mon, Feb 27 2017, 11:30 am

amother wrote:

What makes you think low carb is not sustainable? Ever since I found out I'm basically a ticking time bomb for diabetes, it's been very sustainable.

That amother might be thinking about atkins phase 1. It's very restrictive and it's the initial weight loss phase. As you move into phase 2 and 3, you add in more and more fruits and vegetables, until you get to the maintenance phase. The maintenance phase is based on a person's own body chemistry and how you personally digest things, so one person may be able to eat sweet potatoes, another might not.

I personally didn't like weight watchers at all. I find counting to be so tedious and I don't think it teaches healthful eating. It basically teaches calories in vs calories out. It doesn't work for me but works for lots of other people.

amother

Khaki

Mon, Feb 27 2017, 11:33 am

amother wrote:

What makes you think low carb is not sustainable? Ever since I found out I'm basically a ticking time bomb for diabetes, it's been very sustainable.

Perhaps it's semantics as there are now varying types of what are called "low carb" diets.

In the end, most diets which count calories or whatever in some way limit carbs because they tend to be more calorically dense than other types of food. So a lower calorie diet is generally not built around carbs but is built around protein, veggies, some fruit and limited portions of complex carbs.

Although I am not a particular proponent of the Paleo diet, it's considered to be more or less low carb since agriculture didn't exist theoretically back then. However, it does contain limited amounts of non processed carbs - which again works out to the same thing.

I perhaps was responding to the OP in which she seems to be discussing the classic type of low carb diet in which people exclude almost all carbs and theoretically eat high fat forms of protein. I know many people who went on the Atkins diet and ate their steak and fried eggs and heavy high fat cheeses but as a long term life style it didn't work because it's difficult to sustain as most tempting foods tend to be combinations of fat and carbs - that to me is the mental trick of the classic nonfat diets.

Without knowing exactly what you are calling a low carb diet in terms of eating every day, it's difficult to analyze. Although I don't consider myself to be on a low carb diet, my actual ingestion of carbs is pretty low - except for fruit and small portions of cookies or pretzels - as shown on my example of a day's diet. Diabetic diets do limit some form of foods which interfere with insulin but not necessarily all carbs as many of those have lower glycemic indexes.

amother

Papaya

Mon, Feb 27 2017, 12:09 pm

amother wrote:

That's true. I get most of my carbs from fruits. I only eat grains with a high protein content, like farro or quinoa. Even oats, which have a low glycemic index, are something I don't have too often (when I've had GD, oats didn't help my sugar levels at all, so I avoid them entirely while pregnant). I mean, I'll occasionally indulge in real pasta or cake or something, but I'm really good about keeping it in check. It has to be "worth it". I'm allergic to fish, so I eat a lot of eggs and chicken for protein. I only eat red meat on Shabbos, special occasions, or when I'm too tired to cook dinner and reach into my stash of homemade meatballs that I keep in the freezer. I snack on cheese and nuts. Cheese also goes in my omelets and sometimes on veggies depending on my mood, but I definitely eat less cheese than I did when I ate pasta all the time.

amother

Khaki

Mon, Feb 27 2017, 1:03 pm

amother wrote:

I would almost never eat a pasta based entree because it is too calorically dense and the portion of the pasta I would have to in terms of points or calories would be too small to satisfy me as compared to the portion of chicken breast or fish. I also don't tend to eat much red meat although I might have a lean roast beef sandwich but certainly not one of the higher fat type of foods like brisket or pastrami or even a rib eye. If I eat bread which I don't tend to do frequently anyway, it would be whole wheat or even a whole wheat or corn based wrap.

Again, I think at least for me it's pretty much a low carb diet although I don't rely on counting carbs and certainly not the artificially low net carb cookies and ice cream etc that I see sold.

Really whatever works for a person's individual lifestyle, food preferences and health is the best but it needs to be something that is not thought of as a diet because a diet is something that you stop doing. 😀🤔

I own no stock in WW but I find it incredibly easy to follow as I have an online tracker so I just plug the food into it and it spits out and tracks my points. I can do this on my phone or iPad or even on my desk top computer. Since most people seem to eat the same thing more or less, you pretty much know how many points or calories they are in a short time especially since fruits and veggies are 0 points. I also enjoy shocking myself by plugging in various foods and finding out how incredibly high they are in calories or points. I get some kind of perverse pleasure realizing that I might have had the equivalent of three days worth of calories or points at just one meal. 😱😱

Most of them, especially prepared food, would also be high in carbs since they are a combination of fat and carbs which drives up the calories so these kinds of entrees or desserts or appetizers or meals wouldn't be eaten by low carbers either.

amother

Smokey

Mon, Feb 27 2017, 6:32 pm

causemommysaid wrote:

Correct. In order for me to lose I need to limit portions and carbs at the same time.

If I ate lots of fat in my diet, the calories add up and I cant lose weight.

So, I realize now the OP was asking about a specific diet, but I was focused in on where she said she craves sugar.

I'm not eating large quantities of fat (I don't think?), or even large portion sizes, just enough to fill me up. I'm also a sugar fiend, and my point really was that, since I started eating more proteins and vegetables (by default, since I cut out flour and sugar), I'm no longer craving the sugar.

But I'm sure the time will come soon when I'll need to limit even more, in order to continue losing.

amother

Red

Mon, Feb 27 2017, 8:04 pm

amother wrote:

Op here
I don't do well w calorie counting on mfp or ww since
a-I can't weigh my proteins so I probably eat too much of them.
B- I'm constantly hungry and or nauseous

On day 2 of pure protein (lean), and whilenits prob also a combination of where my hormones are up to cycle wise, I'm def feeling much less hungry than usual. Never thought I can go a day, let alone two with no fruit and veggies and constant eating!
Now the question of how to get my comfort I used to get from food in a diff way will prob become an issue pretty soon. But for now I feel super fat so will hopefully stay motivated...,

amother

Jetblack

Mon, Feb 27 2017, 9:28 pm

I am on a no grain, no sugar diet, and try to eat around 1200 calories a day. I also work ot 4-5x a week.
It was hard at first, but cutting out the processed grains and sugars really curbed my appetite. I have to make sure I eat enough proteins during the day, otherwise I'm be famished by the time supper rolls around. If I am am still hungry over 1200 calories limit, I will eat. I don't want to risk feeling the need to cheat on unhealthy foods.

The hardest part for me is the meal planning. Eggs, salmon and chicken get to be redundant. Especially without the ready made sauces. I also need to be creative with my veggies, so I don't get bored.

I like to buy the mehadrin fit n free cheese cakes. I feel like I am eating a treat, but its only 100 calories and low fat.

amother

Smokey

Tue, Feb 28 2017, 9:15 am

causemommysaid wrote:

Correct. In order for me to lose I need to limit portions and carbs at the same time.

If I ate lots of fat in my diet, the calories add up and I cant lose weight.

So I was curious, because it didn't seem like I was eating crazy amounts of fat, and I just added it up. The reason I didn't specify portion sizes is because for me, these portion sizes are enough to fill me, more or less (and coffee helps!). My main problem is craving sugar. My point was that since I started this diet, I haven't actually craved sugar, and I haven't missed having bread with every meal.

I'm sure I made some mistakes with these calculations, and I didn't include vegetables, but even so, it's still not a crazy amount of calories.

breakfast:
2 eggs: 160
1 slice cheese: 100
(sauted onion; Israeli salad with kirby, tomato, onion, pepper)
(shabbos morning: banana, cantaloupe and farmer cheese)

(coffee)

lunch:
zucchini "lasagna": 140 (marinara sauce and zucchini)
used 1 entire package of farmer cheese 280 + half brick fresh mozzarella 280 = 560, divided by 4 because I ate 1/4 of the tray every day for 4 days

(coffee)

supper:
6 oz salmon: 350
quinoa: 100
(grilled squash with some olive oil)

snack: 3 T. raw almonds: 120

total: 850, not counting the vegetables, marinara and

OR
supper:
4 oz steak (one night /week): 300 OR grilled chicken breast (2 nights / week): 100; and
half sweet potato: 60
(1 grilled red pepper)

That was last week. This week I'm adding homemade vegetarian bean burgers and salad for lunch, which I have to figure out how to calculate, and possibly tuna with baked potato and peppers (so the potato is a "cheat"). I'm also planning to add milchig vegetable soup with yogurt.

OP, how's it going so far?

amother

Red

Tue, Feb 28 2017, 9:49 am

amother wrote:

Thanks for checking in:)
Its day three and I woke up nauseous (something I have super often) and it won't go away:( but I'm going to try not to keep eating just to have a break from the nausea, I see that nothing makes it go away for more than 5 min anyways. I'm def not very hungry which helps.

Ur eating plan sounds awesome and I've done similar in the past- overall ur not eating so many calories which is the bottom line.
But for someone like me- I would prob eat the whole tray of zuchinni melt and still be hungry:/ I actually think I eat way too many vegetables on a reg basis and cutting them out will hopefully help me get back into them in normal amounts...

Do u weigh urself?

amother

Smokey

Tue, Feb 28 2017, 10:37 am

amother wrote:

I'm sorry you're nauseous. Can it be you're a little dehydrated, and maybe not getting enough salt? I also get nauseous sometimes from low blood sugar, maybe you're waiting too long in between meals?

Since this diet I've been weighing myself often.

Portion size isn't my issue personally, but a close friend of mine was like this. She'd over-eat on fruits and vegetables. She ended up going on OA (after trying many diets) and it really worked. Not only did she lose tons of weight but she started running in the 5k and is in amazing shape. I don't think she was "addicted" to food, but she said OA works for her because she loves having the structure and emotional support to stay with it.

amother

Navy

Tue, Feb 28 2017, 10:44 am

I've done Atkins several times with very little success. On WW I've gained weight. The only thing that caused lasting significant weight loss was tracking both calories and carbs (and keeping them both quite low) on mfp.

Simply eliminating white flour and sugar would not be enough for me - I could still easily gain. Firstly, the whole grains are just as bad for me as the white flour. I can't lose weight while still eating brown rice, or quniona or even sweet potatoes. At BEST I'd maintain. If I eliminate all grains but legumes plus starchy vegetables, and keep an eye on protein and fat portions so it's within a low calorie range - then we are talking and my body starts shedding 1-2 lbs per week.

amother

Red

Tue, Feb 28 2017, 10:58 am

amother wrote:

how much do u limit ur carbs? None? One serving? Do u count ur veggie calories and do u weigh ur proteins?

amother

Burgundy

Tue, Feb 28 2017, 12:16 pm

I'm doing low-carb paleo. I eat palm-sized portions of animal protein at each meal, fill the rest of my plate with low-carb veggies, and include about 1-2 tbsp of healthy fats (coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil....). I don't eat any grains, sugar or sweeteners, legumes, dairy, fruit, potatoes or other starchy veggies, or nuts. I drink LOTS of water.

I've actually found that my cravings have almost disappeared, I feel satisfied from one meal to the next without snacking, and I'm losing weight at a nice pace (1-2 lbs a week). I find this way of eating the MOST maintainable for me personally. But everyone has to figure out what works for them.

amother

Red

Tue, Feb 28 2017, 10:02 pm

So today I had :
Half a cup of non fat cottage cheese and an egg.
3oz salamon
200 calories of lean turkey
? Of grilled chicken ( how does one gauge? It was about the size of my hand maybe, not thick)
And will prob have a non fat Greek yogurt still.
It just feels like it's a lot of calories ??
On the days I will add veggies I think I can bring down the calories but protein is hig in cals...
I do feel the terribly strong craving for sweet stuff is just about gone....
Is this a normal amount to be eating??

amother

Burgundy

Tue, Feb 28 2017, 10:55 pm

Red - Have you read the book "Why We Get Fat"? It really explains the reasons behind eating low-carb very well.

You can't eat unlimited protein - there is something called gluconeogenesis (sp?) where your body turns excess protein into sugar. A palm-sized portion (width, length and thickness of your palm) per meal is a good way to gauge it (I got this idea from the Whole30).

You also can't REALLY eat unlimited fat, but some fats are self-limiting and others are not - I never am tempted to use more than a tbsp or 2 of oil in a meal, but nuts I can get way out of hand with which is why I eliminated them.

amother

Red

Tue, Feb 28 2017, 11:09 pm

amother wrote:

Palm is the whole square part of the hand? X3 a day? Does it matter if it's low fat turkey or meat? Also if I'm not having veggies I need to have some protein for snack (3 oz of salamon and a 4 oz yogurt for ex)

Thanks for helping me think this through. And I will check out that book!