How do I do healthy low/no carb

[justonemorethen]

I have a 2-3 stone to lose. I love the idea of Atkins but usually only manage 4 or 5 days at most.
The problem is if I give up early not only does it not work in terms of that ketosis thing but essentially I have eaten nothing but healthy. Protein and fat with no real salad veg or fruit.
I have tried a couple of times but now I am worried that I am going to miss out health wise if I keep flunking it.
Any suggestions on a)how to keep going or
b) something similar but healthier?

You could try just giving up one thing a week. Start with bread, then move on to pasta/potatoes the next week. Follow on with refined sugar the week after. Or do in any order you want. I find this eases me in gently without horrific mood swings.

i always eat the most healthily when i do the atkins. mainly because i eat proper food, rather than filling up on processed carbs. I also have never ever returned to the two week induction. That is the killer and the unhealthy bit, imo.
you need to get over that day 4/5 hump which is the hardest imo. just make sure that when you start it again, you have nothing major going on in your life and can give full attention to the meals that you will be eating. i generally go with the idea of a piece of meat/chicken/fish and some veg or the other. I always always eat fruti, coz i cant live without it, and have coffee with milk, coz i am a bit of an addict. once you get into the habit, i find that it takes less to make me fullup, so i think i lose weight not because of the ketosis argument, but because i eat less. iyswim.

for me, bliss is strawberries and greek youghurt, preferably with a bannana chopped in too. :)

Buy lots of vegetables. Don't buy fruit as its high in carbs and not essential.

Plan in advance what you will have with each meal.

Choses veggies to eat in salads - bags of lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, pepper.

And veggies to steam - broccoli, cauliflower, courgette, mushrooms.

And then eat a salad with your lunch and half a plate of steamed veggies for dinner.

Also make soup and have some with your dinner.

Just been to a nutritionist and she advised a low GI diet rather than the low/no carb plan I've been on for the past few weeks. Am going to slowly reintroduce the good carbs - brown rice, wholemeal bread etc, and eat with plenty of low GI salad and veg items. Lots of veg curry, homemade soups etc.

I know lots of people have been successful with the low carb diet, but I just found it all too fragile - I hated the fact that eating out was a minefield - just sugar in salad dressing can scupper you, whipped cream on coffee which turned out to be from a can etc etc. You can go wrong even if you're really careful and I felt like such a diet bore.

I also couldn't get on with eating so much fat. I am sick to death of cheese and eggs (am veggie, which makes it all worse) and have always preferred skimmed milk in coffee rather than cream. It was starting to make me feel queasy.

Good things I've taken from the diet include reduced carbs and wheat, and cutting out sugar and caffeine. Will definitely carry on like this as it's a way of eating which really suits me, just not the intense carb restriction. Sorry, turned into a bit of an essay, hope this helps!

carlywurly I agree 100% I lasted 3 weeks on low carb. Back to low GI, low fat. I didn't like eating so much fat and also sick of eggs (and chicken).

Eating out ok on low carb if you eat meat/fish though.

Low GI (or low GL) much healthier. I had toilet issue on carb free diet (constipation).

Also have realised that one piece of fruit a day is enough and no need for white carbs at all.

you cant do the atkins type low carb if you are veggie. not possible

You can do it, it's just incredibly restrictive and dull. 4 weeks here to prove it!

Low GI the way to go for veggies I reckon.

I agree with ladysybil. I have just started again after a break of a few years and it'sd all salad and steamed veg and fresh meat, fish and dairy. And much smaller quantities. And gallons of water. No junk food, so no sugar and no salt.