Has anyone managed to maintain long term low carb

[Justwanttobeatpeace]

Hi all
have been low carb for four months now and am at the weight I want to be. I have some kind of carb type meal once a week to fit in with my social life but the rest of the time it’s no sugar, pasta, grains or rice and minimal processed food. I don’t seem to lose any more and/or gain at the moment. This suits me fine as I’m a healthy 21 BMI and heavy boned.

just wondered how realistic it is to do this long term? I’m happy never to eat sugar or processed carbs but only on social occasions, but I never hear of any successful long term low carbers?

anyone out there that has managed to maintain their weight with this way of eating long term?

I found it too restrictive to follow for a long period of time, especially socially but I'm a vegetarian so found it a bit hard going anyway as I can't abide tofu or meat substitutes.

I did keto a few years ago and lost 2.5 stone. Since then I have been low carb and have maintained my weight loss.

I only tend to have heavy cabs on special occasions. I've found it very easy to stick to tbh. Carbs tend to bloat me and leave me feeling sluggish.

I also make a lot of low carb alternatives like naan so I don't feel like I'm missing out. I generally enjoy cooking so which helps as otherwise I find it gets boring.

I am however planning to include more legumes into my diet next year and see how I get on.

Hi @Girlintheframe
can I ask what sort of foods you eat on a day to day basis?

@Mummysgogetter I eat all kinds of things.

Curry, cauli rice and naan
Variations on chicken and veg (stuffed chicken, chicken and blue cheese, chicken satay etc)
Fish pie and shepherds pie made with cauli mash
Bolognese with courgette spirals
Fish/chicken Thai curry with cauli rice
Chilli/cornbread/avocado
Kedgeree/fried rice (using cauli rice)
Lots of pasta dishes where I sub the pasta for courgette spirals
Granola/Greek yogurt
Salads

Sweet - made with almond flour and xylitol
Carrot cake
Ice cream
Courgette cake
Brownies
Biscotti

These are things off the top of my head. Most foods you can find a low carb version for.
Hope that helps

Wow @Girlintheframe that sounds like an amazing list of foods. How long have you been low carbing for?

@Mummysgogetter I started keto in 2019 then start of 2020 low carb.

I realize I've put down naan, cornbread, granola but I make keto/low carb versions of these.

Im lucky as I enjoy and have the time to cook. When I don't I stick to simple things like grilled chicken and kale/mushrooms/broccoli. I like stir fries too which are brilliant when your very short of time.

There are lots of great recipe sites on line if your into cooking. Some of my favourites are cafe delites, gnom-gnom, wholesum yum and sugar free Londoner.

I know a few people who have been low carb for years. They were super strict for, like you, about 4 months to lose the initial weight, and then when it plateaued they were at a weight where they were more able to exercise and manage it that way and introduce the occasional carb. One I know is entirely low carb (pretty much zero), one is low carb but will have 60g of carb on a Saturday or sunday, another has carbs daily but quit drinking and refined sugar. It depends what's sustainable for you personally and whether you can introduce carbs back without losing all your hard work so far!

DH and I stuck with a low carb lifestyle for several years, 5 I think. What helped was not having children, and living in a country where protein (especially steak) was cheap and plentiful, and there wasn’t as much pressure at that time (socially ? Culturally?) to eat less meat / eat high welfare / free range / organic. It was easy tbh, we loved our food, we still drank wine in moderation, we enjoyed food and cooking, we had time to plan and shop and cook properly.

Ffwd 15 years, and we’ve never got back on track after having two children and moving to a different country. Meat / fish is super expensive here and I find it hard to buy ‘cheap’ meat in bulk with all the dire warnings about meat / processed meat consumption. we don’t have anything like the same time to plan, shop, cook and eat, we have two teenage boys who consume a lot of food. We can’t afford to feed four adult appetites on low carb in the same way. I don’t have the brain space for all the planning that’s required, and I’m resenting all the cooking time required without being low carb: don’t have the time now. And there is always bread / cereal / biscuits etc around 🙄 the house for the boys.

it’s really getting me down. I can see the way I ‘should’ be eating but there are so many obstacles to doing it. Meanwhile I steadily gain weight, and being peri menopausal doesn’t help.

I hear you @Chocchops72

Done it for 30 years due to pcos.
Don't lose weight or gain I just maintain

I've been low-carbing for 4 years now, and maintaining my healthy BMI. Now I'm maintaining rather than losing I will very occasionally have pasta or bread, but tbh I don't really miss it all that much. Potatoes are my weakness, but I seem to be able to have them about once a week without weight gain.

I eat lots of beans, lentils, chickpeas etc but not much by way of white carbs (well, unless they’re particularly delicious). I’ve stopped falling asleep after lunch, which is great! I seem to maintain a similar BMI to you.