Please can I pick the brains of you low carbers?

[sweetheart]

I'm trying to loose weight but I'm trying to do it by learning more about food and how it's made up and understanding more about the macroneutrients of foods. So I'm using my fitness pal and I've set my macroneutrients to 50% protein, 25% fat and 25% carbs which works out about 88g of carbs per day.

Now in terms of low carbing how low is 88g per day? And how on earth do you guys stick to virtually no carbs? I'm finding that I'm over on my carb allowance every day!

Can you give me some ideas of what you eat for breakfasts and lunches please? Perhaps also some snack ideas too. Dinner doesn't seem to be so much of an issue and I expect a few carbs as part of the main meal of the day.

I was out and about at lunchtime the other day and popped into a supermarket to grab something to eat - I picked up some chicken bite things thinking they would be great and was shocked to see how many grams of carbs they had in them!

[ClopySow]

Were the chicken bites processed? There are no carbs in chicken so there must have been lots of additives. One of the rules seems to be to stay away from processed food due to all of the additives.

There's a list somewhere in bootcamp that tells you how many carbs various foods have in them. You'd be surprised at the carb content of fruit and veg.

88g is high for low carbing i think. I'm trying to stay below 20.

I'm pretty new though, i'm sure someone with more experience will come along with more information.

[sweetheart]

Wow - below 20!!! I'm struggling to stay below 88!

[Equiem89]

88g isn't low carb, as mentioned above it should be more like 20g then after a while you can build it up and you will then find a point where you start gaining weight again.
Low carb does not mean high protein. Low carb means high fat. You need to jiggle your macros around, I find the best for me is 70% fat, 25% protein and 5% carb.
What's your daily food diary?

[sweetheart]

I'm generally trying to stick to some kind of smoothie for breakfast with unsweetened almond milk, a bit of greek yoghurt and maybe some berries.

Then a chicken or tuna salad for lunch - currently playing with dressings to get the right carb / fat balance.

Snacks are either egg muffins made with turkey bacon or greek yoghurt or nut butter on a oatcake or a cheesestring etc.

Dinner varies depending on how well I've done with my carbs during the day. this week I've had a chicken and cashew nut curry (without rice), an omlette and salad, chicken drumsticks with some sweet potato and vegetables, chicken in a cream and grape sauce with some brown rice.

I am loosing weight slowly, perhaps I'll reduce my protein and carb a bit and increase my fat slightly to see if that gives better results.

[sweetheart]

I know I could cut some easy carbs out - like I allow myself 3 cups of tea / coffee a day with ss milk so I know I could cut those if I wanted to get really serious about it but for me what I really want is a sustainable weightloss that I can maintain without feeling too deprived - that way I know I'll stick to it. If I get too strict with myself I know I'll just crack and fall off the wagon. I'm trying to teach myself a better way to eat for life and how to make better choices based on foods nutrients rather than do another crash diet (of which I've done many!!!)

[ClopySow]

The thing i've found with it is that you end up eating much tastier stuff so don't feel deprived.

Bacon and eggs or eggs and asparagus for breakfast
A big salad with cold meat, eggs, olives and full fat mayo for lunch.
Pork/lamb/fish with veg for tea. This week i've had fatty pork with crackling, lamb meatballs, baked avocado with goats cheese.

I usually hate dieting because i feel so deprived. I feel anything but on low carb.

[StuntNun]

I'm interested how you came up with those particular macros.

[Equiem89]

Mine or OPs?

[ihatethecold]

Op, the Pig to Twig book is very helpful if your just starting out low carbing.
I bought my copy off eBay and lost 10lbs in 3 weeks.

[wombattoo]

To be honest op, it doesn't sound like you're eating low carb if you're having oatcakes, cashew nuts, sweet potato and rice. Ideally your carbs should only come from vegetables

[Gcalgske]

Low carb starts around less than 50g per day.
Personally I'm very insulin resistant so cannot have too much protein either if I want to lose weight. My macros are 5% carb/15% protein/ 80% fat. It's around 20g carbs with around 1500 cals (although I don't count intentionally count calories, it's just what I've noticed from recording my other macros)
I don't feel deprived. If you eat plenty of healthy fats and green leafy veg it's easy. Appetite reduces. I love my food btw, I'm a foodie, and I love this woe.
Creamy sauces, roasted meats, fish, game, crisp veggies, crunchy salad with indulgent dressings and lashings of butter!

[AlwaysBeYourself]

I'm lowish carb . I eat paleo so no dairy, grains or processed food but I do eat most fruit and veg inc potatoes and paleo treats. This way is something I can see myself doing for life. I know I would lose the plot if I went too low with my carbs. Low carb is considered to be anything 100grams and under .

[Gcalgske]

Re. Suggestions of what to eat for breakfast I can't really help because I never eat it. I'm just not a breakfast person. I normally have a black coffee but I do think it's best to get out of the 'breakfast foods' mentality. If it's food that fits with your plan then you can eat it at breakfast. A lot of people eat natural yoghurt
At lunch I'll have veg and meat/fish/cheese/eggs. Cook everything with lots of butter!
Examples:
*2 egg omelet with cheddar and spinach
*tuna mayo served in baby gem lettuce cups with spring onion
*slice or two of pork belly with buttered cauliflower
*pate stuffed into celery sticks
*cold chicken thigh, mixed salad leaves, cherry tomatoes, oily dressing
*half sliced avocado with mixed leaves, finely sliced shallot, oily dressing crispy bacon
*smoked salmon, capers and cream cheese on cucmber slices
*greek salad with feta, lots of black olives, cucmber, shallot, mixed leaves and oily dressing
*bacon and eggs, mushrooms

[BIWI]

50% protein, 25% fat and 25% carbs which works out about 88g of carbs per day

Who told you that these were the right proportions? If you're low carbing it should be fat, then protein, then carbs. You're eating too much protein, not enough fat and too many carbs.

If you're eating oatcakes, grapes, sweet potato, brown rice and cashew nuts, then you're not eating a low carb diet.

[oldlaundbooth]

OP, BIWI is doing a boot camp at some point over the summer, you should join!

(aren't you, BIWI? )

[Custardo]

im quite short - I do 20g carbs per day

[BIWI]

I am indeed, oldlaundbooth! Starting 16 May.

Hey, Custy! How are you?

[Custardo]

hi biwi, huzzah a name I recognise

[BIWI]

Where've you been?!

[ChipInTheSugar]

Can anyone tell me whether they've shifted any menopause weight by low-carbing?

[BIWI]

Me! I was mid-perimenopause when I first started seriously low carbing. I lost 2 stones, starting in January through to around November (I think). I did it really slowly because I was more relaxed at weekends, had a couple of odd weeks off for holidays, etc.

[Custardo]

I dunno really, kids grew up and mumsnet seemed redundant !

[BIWI]

I'm glad to see you back

[KindDogsTail]

OP you mentioned you would like a diet for life and understanding of food so although it is not the low carb boot camp diet other posters are writing about, I would advocate a diet written by Ian Marber in this book:

www.amazon.co.uk/Food-Doctor-Ultimate-Diet/dp/140533908X?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21
It really explains things well in the introduction so you cannot go wrong. Basically three meals and two snacks a day. Keeping even blood sugar by eating the right foods. Having a little good fat (olive oil, seeds, nut), a palm size piece of protein, some starchy carbohydrate like brown rice but not too much, then leafy vegetables.
All snacks have some protein and a little carbohydrate.

It has a kick start diet then a longer term plan but you can follow it without counting calories.

[ChipInTheSugar]

Thanks BIWI - seem to be going up a dress size every two years something needs to change!