I want to carry on low carbing but seem to react badly to too much protein

[lottieandmia]

Can anyone help? I started Atkins and at first I felt amazing but then got really ill and felt I couldn't stomach any more meat or fish.

So I've had a little break and would like to try again.

My question is, how can I limit the amount of protein I have so that I'm full but so that it doesn't make me I'll again?

I was not eating loads of protein before and made sure I had as much veg and salad as I was allowed and drank 3+ litres of water a day so was doing everything right.

Is there a way I can make low carbing work for me for the long term?

From what I recall Atkins is very low carb.

Other diets have allowed for 30g to 50g carbs a day. Been on these and still lost weight and felt full.

Also re weigh yourself. If you have lost weight you need less food, need less protein.

This might help readdress the balance. I would tweak it till you find something that suits.

When did you start feeling ill ? It's very common for people to feel all manner of side effects in the first week - it's called carb flu. You are withdrawing from the carbs.

But if you're low carbing you should be eating mainly fat, not protein. Why not come over to the Bootcamp threads? Lots of helpful info and support about how to low carb there

BIWI - I don't think it was carb flu because it happened about 2 months after I started and I was fine for the first 2 months.

Thanks for replies. Perhaps Atkins is a bit harsh for me. I found that the weight dropped off me a bit too quickly tbh. I will come over and have a look at boot camp.

Yes Atkins starts off 20g carbs a day - it is very very low. So you don't have much option but to eat one meal with egg, one with meat and one with fish. I think I need more veg.

I am still convinced this is a healthier way to eat than high carb, low fat. I really want to find a better version of it that will suit me.

But Atkins was insistent that your 20g should come from veg and salad!

We've just finished the latest Bootcamp, but there's still a chat thread, and we will keep that going until the next Bootcamp.

The latest chat thread is here

If you click on the link to the spreadsheet in the OP, and then look at the tabs at the bottom, you'll find all the rules and lots of information about how to go about it. And then just pile into the thread!

Yes I agree too much protein makes me feel bloated and constipated even though I drank lots of water

No, the Atkins book says you have to have 20g carbs and that 12-15g of that should come from veg and salad.

I think that what I did wrong was to eat too much meat - I ate meat or fish at every meal. I have noticed on here that some people just have coffee with cream for breakfast.

Thanks BIWI I will come over to that thread

Focus on getting some energy from good fats rather than protein.

• Olive oil based dressing on salad
• Avocado
• Lower carb nuts like Macadamias
• Coconut oil for frying
• Smoothies made with berries and coconut milk
• Coconut milk based curries

etc

I'm starting to have upset stomach too; I really want to stick at it but I'm finding that full-fat dairy, especially, is giving me the gripes. Gah.

I find making homemade soups good, if you feel your food has been very rich. Using lots of low carb vegetables simmered in stock and then liquidized or half quantity liquidized and added back in to give a thick soup with bits. You could have these with some meat added in, some cheese melted on top. They can be very filling but not so heavy.

Or courgettes cut into strips in place of Tagliatelle with a tomato based sauce, maybe with a bit of bacon, and peppers and onions in it.

Or using aubergine in a curry dish with a bit of chicken, peppers and onions.

Very similar to quite standard meals but with less carbs.

^ I do this. I know some people wan tot be very strict on carbs but I have managed to cut quantities on some ingredients and use labels to help me know that these kinds of dishes do not have to go too mad on the carb front.

The beauty of cooking them from scratch is that you miss out on all the added sugars some manufacturers use when producing these meals.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Siqac - a lot of people have problems with dairy. (It's not the fat in dairy, by the way - it would be the same if you were eating low fat dairy.) But you can low carb without dairy easily.

I wondered if it was the dairy, BIWI - never been aware of trouble before, but I never really used to have much apart, from a bit of milk in tea.

Will look at other options, but no carb and no dairy starts to sound a bit restrictive socially!

LOW carb, not no ... !

Yeah, that's what I meant (eating porridge as I type :P)

Sisaq Have you tried oat bran porridge? It makes like a smooth porridge. More fibre in it, so less effective carbohydrate.

I haven't, capsicum - thanks! Can you get it in normal supermarkets?

Call me old fashioned, but why would you want to return to a diet that made you ill?

IMO the improvement you felt initially was probably due to cutting out sugar more than cutting out all carbs.

Sicaq Holland and Barrett from what I remember. Have not had it for a while, but I liked it.

Collection Most diets do not cut out all carbs, most are low carb diets. It is a scale though and some might be a little too low carb for easy digestion as we require some immediate energy for easy digestion.

www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=4005&prodid=4702

Here it is Sisaq.