Low carb diet

rockdrummer

Very new to the low carb diet ! Just wondering what foods would be considered low in carbs?

Cereals - which would be best - wheetabix, special k, ready brek?
Bread - is brown bread low in carbs, the nutty stuff?
Meat - is red meat OK?

Would this be a decent low carb day:

Breakfast - 2 slices of brown bread, fried egg

Lunch - 2 chicken fillets, salad (lettuce, egg, onion, cucumber, cheddar cheese, sweetcorn), nuts, apple or banana.

Dinner - chicken / turkey / red meat, veggie (carrots, peas, beans)

Snack throughout the day on nuts and fruit

ali.c

rockdrummer wrote: »

Very new to the low carb diet ! Just wondering what foods would be considered low in carbs?

Cereals - which would be best - wheetabix, special k, ready brek?

None of these are low carbs (or even low GI). If its low GI your looking for porridge is a great option if its low carb scrambled eggs would likely to do you better

Bread - is brown bread low in carbs, the nutty stuff?

the good quality stuff is higher in fibre so therefore lower carb than say white bread, but i still wouldnt consider it low carb.

Meat - is red meat OK?

Yeah thats low carb alright

Would this be a decent low carb day:

Breakfast - 2 slices of brown bread, fried egg

Lunch - 2 chicken fillets, salad (lettuce, egg, onion, cucumber, cheddar cheese, sweetcorn), nuts, apple or banana.

Dinner - chicken / turkey / red meat, veggie (carrots, peas, beans)

Snack throughout the day on nuts and fruit

Yeah its not too bad though if it was *really* low carbing your looking for i'd ditch the bread and the fruit. To me what you described is more of a moderate carb plan really!

rubadub

None of these are low carbs (or even low GI). If its low GI your looking for porridge is a great option

Readybrek is not actually that bad, expect it is a complete rip off! and not low carb, best eaten in the morning. Just get oats though, better, cheaper and less processed.

http://www.weetabix.co.uk/brands/ready-brek/ready-brek-original/

Ready brek Original contains the following ingredients listed in order of amount used.

Wholegrain Rolled Oats (60%), Wholegrain Oat Flour, Calcium, Niacin, Iron, Pantothenic Acid (B5), Vitamin B6, Riboflavin (B2), Thiamin (B1), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12.

rockdrummer- just look at packs in supermarkets, all the info is right there. Look at the "per 100g", any number for carbs is the % in it, and the lower the "of which sugars" the better. e.g. readybrek is 58.5% carbs, 1% sugar, then check hte ingredients, there is no sugar added, so the 1% sugar is naturally occurring in the oats, which is fine.

How Strange

rubadub Quote:Readybrek is not actually that bad, expect it is a complete rip off! and not low carb, best eaten in the morning. Just get oats though, better, cheaper and less processed.

Phew, I HATE porridge! And before I get an onslaught of replies saying that's stupid its probably the one food I have hated since I was a child and although I will eat it when necessary (if I am on a hiking trip for instance) I always eat it through gritted teeth. After a few days of eating I start to gag at the thoughts of it. But I know its a superfood and is so good for you.

I am intolerant to wheat so ready brek really is the only thing that I like and fills me up for a few hours. I usually have it with linseeds, sesame and sunflower seeds with some raisins.

rubadub

How Strange wrote: »

Phew, I HATE porridge! And before I get an onslaught of replies saying that's stupid its probably the one food I have hated since I was a child and although I will eat it when necessary (if I am on a hiking trip for instance) I always eat it through gritted teeth. After a few days of eating I start to gag at the thoughts of it. But I know its a superfood and is so good for you.

I am intolerant to wheat so ready brek really is the only thing that I like and fills me up for a few hours. I usually have it with linseeds, sesame and sunflower seeds with some raisins.

Try my recipe for oat pancakes.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055002535

You could also make oat quick pizzas with them
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055123152


A more recent recipie here (omit the wheat flour)

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055216686

I see no reason why oat flour cannot be subbed for wheat flour in any recipies. If anybody has healthy(ish) cake/muffin recipies please let me know, I miss my cake!

Also readybrek is essentially porridge, rolled oats, oat flour & vitamins. Maybe if you half blended up the porridge oats and cooked it then it might be more similar. Readybrek is good enough, just overpriced.

ApeXaviour

rockdrummer wrote: »

Very new to the low carb diet ! Just wondering what foods would be considered low in carbs?

Cereals - which would be best - wheetabix, special k, ready brek?
Bread - is brown bread low in carbs, the nutty stuff?
Meat - is red meat OK?

Would this be a decent low carb day:

Breakfast - 2 slices of brown bread, fried egg

Lunch - 2 chicken fillets, salad (lettuce, egg, onion, cucumber, cheddar cheese, sweetcorn), nuts, apple or banana.

Dinner - chicken / turkey / red meat, veggie (carrots, peas, beans)

Snack throughout the day on nuts and fruit

Excellent start to a healthier lifestyle! Apart from the cereals and bread I think you've got the right idea. I'm not saying cereals are terrible, they're just made up of mostly carbohydrates. For breakfast (maybe I'm a bit weird but) I usually will have some broccoli and salmon, I've a variety of garnishes for them too. Eggs and grapefruits are good too. Be sure to eat plenty of vegetables (I usually need a second plate) and put a dash of olive oil on most things. Keep your meat lean and there's no need to eat more than a 150g piece per meal since your body can't really utilise much more at any one time, but also try to have some protein with every meal and snack.

Here's a good book with many sample recipes that also extols the ridiculous health virtues of a diet restricted in carbohydrates.
Good Fat: With 100 Low-carb Recipes

The Paleolithic Diet is a very healthy low carb diet. Atkins (when done correctly! You must read the books) is decent too. My personal favourite for low carb diets is the Eades' book
Protein Power
The title is a little off-putting, the book however is excellent science written by two MD's. It's not sensationalist, everything is written just as humble fact. They advocate blood tests showing how the diet reduces Tryglyeceride/HDL cholesterol ratios (the main indicator we have for potential illness), something low fat diets do little for. They've a few other books too:
The 30-Day Low-Carb Diet Solution
The Low-Carb Comfort Food Cookbook


If you're willing to up your carbs a bit (40% of your calorie intake, with fat and protein making up 30% each) then The Zone would be the way to go. It's the one I'm easing myself into. I was on a kind of Paleo diet mostly for the last while, but ketosis isn't conducive to heavy training. I like that this allows me to have a more normal breakfast like muesli now and then. That is of course, muesli supplemented with almonds (for the monounsaturated fat) and either eggs or salmon on the side for protein.

rockbeer

"Brown" bread is no good - you need to make sure it's wholemeal. Most brown bread is just made from good old white flour with added colouring. Even at that, as somebody said, bread can never be described as low-carb.

If you can't stand porridge try oatcakes - you can get them in tescos (look on the cracker shelves) and I'm sure in other supermarkets. I usually have a few of these with cheese for breakfast - all the benefits of porridge and none of the horror of trying to force down steaming bowls of glue first thing in the morning

rockdrummer

Thanks for the replies and info. lads.

I kinda new that bread and cereals were not low carb, just wondering if I was to eat them which would be the best. Currently my diet is made up mostly of carbs at the momet - sandwiches, cereals, potatoes - typical Irish diet !!

I think if I was to go completely carb free I would be starving all the time - can be very anal when it comes to food !

I know its a changes in lifestyle / diet etc but I think it would take time and experience to know what exactly to eat and when !!

rockdrummer

Are Heinz baked beans OK?

ali.c

rockdrummer wrote: »

Are Heinz baked beans OK?

As low carb? I dont think so tbh the sauce usually has sugar as one of the main ingredients.

If you went carb free, its really just a matter of sorting out your portions of protein and fats to compensate, but it does take a bit of getting used too.

How Strange

rubadub, thanks for those recipes. I'm going to try out those pancakes at the weekend.

dudara

I wouldn't consider beans to be OK. Beans themselves contain some carb but there are sugars in the tomato sauce as well.

I followed a low-carb diet for about 2 years, and lost 2 stone in the first sixmonths of that, which I kept off then through a high-protein diet and exercise. Unfortunately, I then slipped from the diet. However, I've recently started back and I've already lost 7 lbs. This however, is not just due to low-carb eating, I'm also exercising as well.

One of the keys to a low-carb diet is putting yourself through an induction phase. (This is common to Atkin's as well as the Idiot Proof Diet and others). In this you limit yourself to about 20g of carbs a day. This regime effectivly kickstarts your metabolism and once your weight loss is underway, you can start to reintroduce some carbs in a controlled fashion.

Carbohydrates are addictive and you will crave them when you give them up. But protein is extremely filling and after a period of about a week you will find yourself adapting.

I'll give you an example of what I would eat during the course of a day - this was yesterday's menu

Breakfast - Some cold meats, two pieces of cheese and half an avocado (Other regulars include a hard-boiled egg, a rasher, grilled mushroom etc)

Snack - a handful of peanuts

Lunch - A big salad of romaine lettuce, parmesan shavings, chicken breast, cherry tomatoes and a low-sugar dressing (I like salads, but somedays I will have grilled vegetables and meat of some form, or a homemade curry)

Dinner - salmon fillet served with a broccoli, leek and cabbage mix. This was followed by a small amount of homemade pate. (I also love home-made burgers, served with some bacon, cheese or egg)

Throughout the day I drank 2 cups of green tea and approximately 3 litres of water.

Atkin's diet book is worth a read. I know a lot of people think it's excessive, but there is some sensible advice in there too. He was one of first people I'm aware of to put forward the idea of carb-rich eating causing insulin resistance and sugar-craving. I used Atkin's first time out. I just modified the diet to remove half the frying he recommended.

Another diet book that will give you tips and pointers is India Knight's Idiot Proof Diet. This is a low-carb diet but done in a more approachable fashion than Atkins.

Collins publish an excellent Carb Counter book which gives you the carb content of everyday food.

rubadub

ali.c wrote: »

As low carb? I dont think so tbh the sauce usually has sugar as one of the main ingredients.

There is not as much sugar in a tin as some would think. I sometimes strain off the sauce and add spices. Beans are very cheap, esp. supermarket brands. Also you can just leave the sauce there and not eat it all, i.e. put a spoon in and tip it at the side of the bowl so the sauce pours off.

ali.c

dudara wrote: »

Atkin's diet book is worth a read. I know a lot of people think it's excessive, but there is some sensible advice in there too. He was one of first people I'm aware of to put forward the idea of carb-rich eating causing insulin resistance and sugar-craving. I used Atkin's first time out. I just modified the diet to remove half the frying he recommended.

I am sure the atkins book is good I never read it. I have only read the anabolic diet e-book. That recommends about 30g of carbs a day with a carb refeed once a week after the induction period. The net intake of carbs is total grams of carbs-grams of fibre.

I do agree that overly processed carbohydrates are addictive dudara, but i do think that there is some room in the weight loss for good healthy carbs i.e. porridge or loads of vegetables.

@Rubadub, i am not sure if the OP is using low carb in the sense of actual *low* carb, and honestly i do agree that sometimes the quanity of sugar we talk about eg 4/6g of sugar in a moderate diet is really not that bad, but for the purpose of low-carbing it would make a difference!

dudara

ali.c wrote: »

I do agree that overly processed carbohydrates are addictive dudara but i do think that there is some room in the weight loss for good healthy carbs i.e. porridge or loads of vegetables.

I wholeheartedly agree. Lots of green leafy vegetables to provide plenty of fibre. Later in the low-carb regime, you can reintroduce carbs. It makes sense to use wholefood, low-GI carbs here.

ali.c wrote:

@Rubadub, i am not sure if the OP is using low carb in the sense of low carb, and honestly i do agree that sometimes the quanity of sugar we talk about eg 4/6g of sugar in a moderate diet is really not that bad, but for the purpose of low-carbing it would make a difference!

Such a small amount of sugar will make a difference in the initial stages of a low-carb diet. It's easy to think that a small bite won't make a difference, but if you do that on a regular basis, you'll just sabotage yourself. Later, once weight loss is established, you can relax a little bit.

ali.c

dudara wrote: »

I wholeheartedly agree. Lots of green leafy vegetables to provide plenty of fibre. Later in the low-carb regime, you can reintroduce carbs. It makes sense to use wholefood, low-GI carbs here.

Ah yes my point was though that without low carbing these can help weightloss and be part of a more balanced diet. There are variations in low-carbing, the aktins i think is uber low carb for a good while, whilst the AD has carb refeeding on a weekly/biweekly basis

dudara wrote: »

Such a small amount of sugar will make a difference in the initial stages of a low-carb diet. It's easy to think that a small bite won't make a difference, but if you do that on a regular basis, you'll just sabotage yourself. Later, once weight loss is established, you can relax a little bit.

That was my point if someine is not low carbing but eating a healthy moderate diet then i really dont think 4/5g is going to make a difference. if you are low carbing and eating approx 30g of net carbs a day its going to make a difference!!

ApeXaviour

rubadub wrote: »

There is not as much sugar in a tin as some would think. I sometimes strain off the sauce and add spices. Beans are very cheap, esp. supermarket brands. Also you can just leave the sauce there and not eat it all, i.e. put a spoon in and tip it at the side of the bowl so the sauce pours off.

ali.c wrote: »

@Rubadub, i am not sure if the OP is using low carb in the sense of low carb, and honestly i do agree that sometimes the quanity of sugar we talk about eg 4/6g of sugar in a moderate diet is really not that bad, but for the purpose of low-carbing it would make a difference!

Have to agree with ali.c (and dudara) here. Low carbing pretty much means no sugar (apart from some low GI fruit). That's how it works, it's not just psychological. It takes about 48 hour but your body switches over into burning fats and ketones and stops relying on glucose. You stop getting cravings for sweet things, bread etc. If you keep interrupting this process you're not going to do yourself any good.

rockdrummer

So far today:

Breakfast - 2 slices of brown bread and scrambled egg

snack - 2 oranges and 2 kiwi's

Lunch - chicked fillet + salad (lettuce, onion, broad beans, cucumber, sweetcorn) + small white roll, banana and weight watchers yoghurt.

Will be going to gym for one houre this evening.

Havent decided what to go for for dinner yet.

Have drank 1 litre of water so far, 2 cups of cofee, and 2 cups of black tea (the herbal kind)

rubadub

ali.c wrote: »

@Rubadub, i am not sure if the OP is using low carb in the sense of actual *low* carb, and honestly i do agree that sometimes the quanity of sugar we talk about eg 4/6g of sugar in a moderate diet is really not that bad, but for the purpose of low-carbing it would make a difference!

You are right, I actually forgot that the thread was specifically about "low carb", and had "low calorie" in mind. I aim for low carb myself but certainly not "no carb".

I also maintain that the main reason Atkins works so well for some people is that it is VERY restrictive, so people get bored of the same old food and naturally eat less.

I could make an T-Z diet, you are only allowed eat foods whos name starts with T-Z. Or the smarties diet, you must eat 3 smarties a day, at 11am, 3pm, and 7pm- on an empty stomach Though I do accept the Atkins is more than just restriction.

rockdrummer

I wont be able to knock carbs out altogether - but if I vastly reduce them as much as possible it should have an effect? combined with gym !

I try and go 3 times a week - for an hour and do vigorous aerobic exercise. half hour on bike and half hour on threadmill, or ski bike !

I weigh 86KG and am 32 - want to get down to a reasonable weight 70 - 75KG !!

Do ya think im going the right direction?

http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com/

dudara

rubadub wrote: »

I also maintain that the main reason Atkins works so well for some people is that it is VERY restrictive, so people get bored of the same old food and naturally eat less.

A low-carb diet is actually not that restrictive, once you get creative. In fact, I think it forces you to come up with new combinations of food. I got a recipe the other day for red onion and feta 'muffins' (using egg to set the muffins) which I'm looking forward to trying.

/note to self - go buy a muffin tin.

ApeXaviour

rockdrummer wrote: »

So far today:

Breakfast - 2 slices of brown bread and scrambled egg

snack - 2 oranges and 2 kiwi's

Lunch - chicked fillet + salad (lettuce, onion, broad beans, cucumber, sweetcorn) + small white roll, banana and weight watchers yoghurt.

Will be going to gym for one houre this evening.

Havent decided what to go for for dinner yet.

Have drank 1 litre of water so far, 2 cups of cofee, and 2 cups of black tea (the herbal kind)

The white roll and banana aren't the best. Both very high GI. Why not keep it to the nice big meat salad with some dressing for lunch.
More vegetables is the key. You can develop a taste and experiment with textures/added flavours. I used not to eat vegetables, now I can't get enough of most of them. For dinner, personally I like a big meal. Steam up a rakeload of broccoli and carrots, green beans etc (I mean what would normally do for a family) then throw a pasta sauce or not too sweet chinese sauce on it, then some kind of meat, say a diced chicken fillet in there too and you're ready to go. Fills me up and only has about 40g of carbs in it (for meal that weighs the guts of a kilo).

Also maybe instead of two pieces of fruit for a snack, have one and some cheese, a glass of milk, or a boiled egg.

rubadub wrote: »

You are right, I actually forgot that the thread was specifically about "low carb", and had "low calorie" in mind. I aim for low carb myself but certainly not "no carb".

That'd be nigh on impossible. There's glycogen in meat, vegetables are basically carbohydrate stores. "No carb" is pretty ridiculous, "no sugar" isn't.

rubadub wrote:

I also maintain that the main reason Atkins works so well for some people is that it is VERY restrictive, so people get bored of the same old food and naturally eat less.

Sorry rub, have to wholeheartedly disagree with you there. Firstly cutting out sugar and restricting bread, rice, pasta, potatoes is not that restrictive. Personally I've never eaten more diversely since I've gone low carb. Traditional meals (lasagne, shephard's pie, pizza, hamburger, stew) will always have a high density carbohydrate aspect. So it forces you to be inventive and unconventional. Before it was "oh boring old pasta/pizza/(substitute other easy food here)". Now I rarely eat the same thing twice. I combine my food in many weird and wonderful ways. It's so the opposite of boring that it's almost a problem. I've become obsessed with food, thinking about it, what I can do with it all the time. This makes me eat more. But I'm not looking to lose weight, just to be healthier.

rockdrummer wrote: »

I wont be able to knock carbs out altogether -

To get my meal dose of carbohydrate (36g) with say broccoli, means I need to eat 600g (nearly two heads). That's delicious, but no easy task let me tell you, you're not left hungry... Especially after including the protein and fat requirements. To get the same from apparently healthy high fibre oat bran, I'd only need to eat 55g. That's 1/15th of the packet I have in front of me, I guess this to be about 2-3 heaped tablespoons. Which one do you think is going to fill you more?

rockdrummer wrote: »

but if I vastly reduce them as much as possible it should have an effect? combined with gym !

Absolutely!

rockdrummer wrote: »

I try and go 3 times a week - for an hour and do vigorous aerobic exercise. half hour on bike and half hour on threadmill, or ski bike !

Any exercise is good, the more intense the better.
If you like them then don't be afraid of weights. More muscle means more lean mass that will be burning more calories, i.e. greater metabolism. With the (likely) increase in protein in your diet you'll probably find it easy to achieve some gain initially.

rockdrummer wrote: »

I weigh 86KG and am 32 - want to get down to a reasonable weight 70 - 75KG !!

Do ya think im going the right direction?

Yes you appear to be very determined and you have some set goals that seem very achievable. I was 80 kg last July. I was down to 73 by the end of September (which I've maintained since though gotten leaner). Just keeping read about stuff on the net, make it like a hobby so it's often on your mind. Keep it up man, I'm pretty convinced you'll be successful...

rockdrummer

Thanks for the replies everybody... Very useful information.

I'll have to get used to eatin alot of vegatables...

dudara

You know that ultimately it's all good for you.

At the start, watch out for the kind of vegetables you eat. Generally anything that is dense and grows underground should be avoided for a while. Also take care with peas and beans.

You can eat lots of salad vegetables, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, leeks, cabbage, onions etc.

ApeXaviour

dudara wrote: »

You can eat lots of salad vegetables, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, leeks, cabbage, onions etc.

Just to add to that list:
Cauliflower, mange tout, green beans/haricots/sugar snaps, cucumber, courgettes, artichoke, asparagus, black beans, bok choy, sprouts, cabbage, eggplant, peppers, radishes, tomatoes, bean sprouts, scallions, lettuce, celery, raw carrots are all great.

And try to minimise (as dudara said) most beans, corn, potatoes, parsnips, peas, turnips, cooked carrots.

Favourable fruits are: All citrus fruits, pineapple, plums, watermelon, nectarines, peaches, apples, pears, rasberries, strawberries (basically all berries), grapes.

Unfavourable fruits are: Bananas, cranberries, dates, figs, raisins, mango, prunes

dudara

Just an update for those thinking of low-carb dieting. After 2.5 weeks, I've dropped 4 kg, or nearly 9 lbs. Most of the weight loss was at the start, probably due to some water loss and quick start. It's slowed in the last week, but I was expecting this as I've significantly upped my activity level.

Will keep you updated.

ali.c

dudara wrote: »

Just an update for those thinking of low-carb dieting. After 2.5 weeks, I've dropped 4 kg, or nearly 9 lbs. Most of the weight loss was at the start, probably due to some water loss and quick start. It's slowed in the last week, but I was expecting this as I've significantly upped my activity level.

Will keep you updated.

Congrats, i am not sure its for everyone though, i tried it and after 2 days i was violently ill, it really didnt seem to agree with my tummy. May just give it another go in a couple of weeks!

ApeXaviour

dudara wrote: »

Just an update for those thinking of low-carb dieting. After 2.5 weeks, I've dropped 4 kg, or nearly 9 lbs. Most of the weight loss was at the start, probably due to some water loss and quick start. It's slowed in the last week, but I was expecting this as I've significantly upped my activity level.

Will keep you updated.

Wow... fair play to you girl. That's fantastic! I haven't really lost much weight on the 6 months or so since I started restricting my high density carbohydrates (circa 5 kilos) but I've not been as lean as I am now for nearly ten years (since I was 15).

Often people don't get enough protein, and just increasing that to 30%-40% of your calorie intake will often increase your lean body mass (muscle) even if they are somewhat sedentary.

I wouldn't worry too much about the water loss, excess carbohydrate causes fluid retention. Just be sure to drink plenty of water, more protein means your kidneys have to work a bit harder. The odd kiwi/tomato now and then in the transition phase is good, as until you get used to it, potassium levels (something to do with them binding with glycogen) can be lacking.

ApeXaviour

ali.c wrote: »

Congrats, i am not sure its for everyone though, i tried it and after 2 days i was violently ill, it really didnt seem to agree with my tummy. May just give it another go in a couple of weeks!

Do you mind if I asked for an example of your meal plan? It could have been just a coincidence. I just think it odd that a diet consisting largely of vegetables (as all good healthy low carb diets should IMO) would disagree with one's stomach.

ali.c

ApeXaviour wrote: »

Do you mind if I asked for an example of your meal plan? It could have been just a coincidence. I just think it odd that a diet consisting largely of vegetables (as all good healthy low carb diets should IMO) would disagree with one's stomach.

A good healthy low carb diet does have vegetables but limited to under 30g net carbs a day.

I cant remember the exact meal plan i followed but it included the following foods

Eggs, celery, brocilli, chicken, lettuce, green beans, beef, peanut butter and whey protein. I'd say i was getting about 3 -4 cups of green vegetables on the both days equivalent to about 20g of carbs the rest was made up from the rest of the stuff in my diet.

Indeed it could of been a concidence but when i went back to eating a more moderate carb diet following that. I wasnt even at home when it happened :mad:

ApeXaviour

ali.c wrote: »

A good healthy low carb diet does have vegetables but limited to under 30g net carbs a day.

Aye that's quite restrictive one, but still... equivalent to half a kilo of broccoli per day (if broccoli was your only source of carbohydrate).

I cant remember the exact meal plan i followed but it included the following foods

Eggs, celery, brocilli, chicken, lettuce, green beans, beef, peanut butter and whey protein. I'd say i was getting about 3 -4 cups of green vegetables on the both days equivalent to about 20g of carbs the rest was made up from the rest of the stuff in my diet.

Sounds pretty good. Some almonds, and a dash of olive oil (monunsaturated fat is quite necessary to vary your macro nutrients), some fish and you'd be quite near ideal.

Indeed it could of been a concidence but when i went back to eating a more moderate carb diet following that.

That's what I'd describe my current diet as. I try stay away from grain derived food, potatoes, rice etc. Get my carbs from fruit and veg.

Unless you're following a specific plan, the basic idea for a healthy low carb diet (imo just a healthy diet) goes: Lean meat, fish, vegetables, nuts, some fruit, little starch and no sugar.*

*this I got from the dietry recommendations of Crossfit

dudara

I just made a batch of these egg muffins last night. They turned out so delicious, I thought I'd pass on the recipe.

Oil a muffin tray. (I used a mini muffin tray with 12 sections).

Fry some red onion until softened. Place a little on the bottom of each muffin section. Crumble a little feta cheese on top of each section.

Whisk some eggs (2 eggs did my little tray), a little cream (or milk), along with salt and pepper and pour into each section, filling up to just a little below the brim.

Pop into a medium oven and cook for approx 10-15 mins until the muffins have risen and are golden brown on top. Take out and leave to cool a little (the muffins will collapse back a little). Take out of the tray and enjoy.

EileenG

I've been low carbing for the past seven years, and definitely don't find it restrictive. Once you get the hang of cooking without adding processed carbs, it's pretty easy. The basic principle is to replace any bread, pasta, rice, potatoes etc with green veg. Most things work well if you do that.

I often make lasagne using sliced aubergine instead of pasta, and I just mash some cauliflower anywhere I'd normally use potato. I've got tons of dessert recipes too, mostly based on cocoa powder, gelatin and cottage cheese.

An excellent book is "The long term, low carb lifestyle" by Carolyn Humphries. Lots of good recipes, generally for one person, and genuinely low-carb.

dudara

4 weeks into this way of eating and the weight-loss is holding steady at about 5 kg. I'm not surprised by this as I've significantly increased the amount of physical exercise I undertake (2-3 gym sessions a week and 2 taekwon do sessions).

The real improvement I'm seeing is in my waist and hips. Clothes are starting to get really lose on me. Now that's good.

g'em

Here's a Q for all the low-carbers: I've gone on and off low-carb diets for years now, generally when I need to lose fat before a competition or to shed holiday excesses and teh like. It works, that's for sure, and there's nothing quite so lovely as the "flat tummy" feeling, lack of bloating, absence of energy slumps and whatnot that results from it.

BUT invariably after a few weeks I get awful constipation. Days will go by without me making any movements and invariably when I do "go" it's very, very painful. Interspersed with the constipation will be bouts of diarrhoea and tummy cramps.

My apologies for the nature of this post, it's not exactly the most pleasant I'm curious to know if anyone else experiences this when low-carbing? As soon as I revert back to a diet that has oats and wholegrains (presumably because of the re-introduction of soluble fibre) everything clears up again and my digestive system is happy and regular.

dudara

It is a problem, but I find that a small handful of nuts adds enough fibre to my diet for me. I eat a lot of dark green vegetables too, that are naturally high in fibre.

You can also try Psyllium (sic) husks, or some of those soluble fibre sachets that are advertised on telly.

ApeXaviour

I mentioned this on another thread but I'll go into a bit more detail here. This is personal change, I know it doesn't work for everybody. I really believe the low carb diet really improved my gut.

Okay, so before I suffered heavily from heartburn (suspected ulcer), and I'd "go" maybe 3-5 times per week. My diet consisted mostly of pasta, rice, cereal, a decent about of meat and the odd piece of fruit. What it lacked in incredibly was vegetables. So when I switched to low carb, I had replace all the pasta etc with something to fill my stomach. That something was mostly veg, but also included a slight increase in meat, oil, nuts etc. I put it down to the veg, but almost immediately my ahem... frequency went to twice per day. And if you'll forgive my candor, were a good bit more pleasant.
Now the only way my toilet expeditions become unpleasant is if I drink a good bit of beer. This also has the effect of temporarily returning my heartburn to it's pre low carb state. I find switching to (my preference is dry) white wine doesn't effect me to nearly the same degree as the beer, especially those gorgeous belgian ales.

That's my personal experience with as much detail as i thought necessary. Maybe it'll help you, or maybe you're built different.

EileenG

I'm assuming I don't have to tell anyone to eat their green vegetables and drink enough water? Those are the main things in keeping regular and easy. However, if things do back up, then increase fats, either with nuts or coocnut oil or even cream.

I was experimenting with low carb ice-cream recipes yesterday, and ate of the the results. I did a poo that Gillian McKeith would have been proud of.

One thing to bear in mind is that on a low carb diet, you digest more of your food, so there is less rubbish to be excreted. You will naturally poop less.

jam_mac_jam

I cannot understand how a diet that can give you constipation, and means you cant eat wholegrains, bananas,carrots or beans. Sorry doesnt sound too healthy too me. I pity your colons and kidneys to be honest. It doesnt appeal to me as I love fruit and I am not the best meat eater but I cant get my head round not eating wholegrains.

EileenG

The truth is that most people don't eat whole grains. They eat processed stuff that claims to be whole grain, but whole porridge oats is the closest most people come. Cheeries are not whole grains.

I took part in a five year study of low carb diets (yes, I've been low carbing even longer than that) and they regularly analysed my diet for deficiences. There were none, and that didn't take my multi-vit or fish oil into account.

Green vegetables have more fibre, vitamin C and general nutrition than fruit, and between meat, nuts, eggs and seeds, you get lots of B vitamins. Of course, all the fat soluble vitamins are very plentiful, which is good news, particularly for women, who need lots of vitamin D and K for strong bones and to maintain fertility.

If you do the diet right, then constipation is not an issue. I sometimes do CKD, where I have one or two high carb days a week, and then (in spite of all the wholegrains), it does become a factor.

jam_mac_jam

EileenG wrote: »

The truth is that most people don't eat whole grains. They eat processed stuff that claims to be whole grain, but whole porridge oats is the closest most people come. Cheeries are not whole grains.

I took part in a five year study of low carb diets (yes, I've been low carbing even longer than that) and they regularly analysed my diet for deficiences. There were none, and that didn't take my multi-vit or fish oil into account.

Green vegetables have more fibre, vitamin C and general nutrition than fruit, and between meat, nuts, eggs and seeds, you get lots of B vitamins. Of course, all the fat soluble vitamins are very plentiful, which is good news, particularly for women, who need lots of vitamin D and K for strong bones and to maintain fertility.

If you do the diet right, then constipation is not an issue. I sometimes do CKD, where I have one or two high carb days a week, and then (in spite of all the wholegrains), it does become a factor.

Fair enough, i maybe dont know enough about it, and my mind cant accept a life with little fruit. I also couldnt live without porridge. What ever works I suppose and any diet where you have to eat lots of veg and non processed food cant be so bad.

EileenG

You can eat fruit even on a very strict low carb diet. Berries are very nutritious and very low carb. Avocados are perfect for keto diets. Rhubarb is technically a vegetable, but I make all sorts of yummy desserts with it. Pretty much anything you grow or pick yourself is fine. My garden has gooseberries, raspberries, crab apples, tayberries, red currents, white currents, blueberries, and wild strawberries. I also pick wild sloes, blackberries and elderberries in season.

g'em

EileenG wrote: »

I'm assuming I don't have to tell anyone to eat their green vegetables and drink enough water? Those are the main things in keeping regular and easy. However, if things do back up, then increase fats, either with nuts or coocnut oil or even cream.

3-4L of water a day and copious helpings of veg and the problem persists.

Even with wholegrains (some us do know what real wholegrains are Eileen ) back in my diet the situation hasn't improved greatly so now I'm at a complete loss. Back to the drawing board...

EileenG

Where are most of your fats coming from? What sort of proportion of your diet is fat? Have you tried coconut oil?

g'em

almond oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, olive oil... take your pick!! oil with eggs in the morning, fish oils mid-morning, drizzling of oil on my salad/ veg at lunch and a little more oil with dinner in the evening. Mid-afternoon is small portion of fruit with something protein-based. I tend not to eat nuts as I have no ability to manage my portion sizes I've gotten out of the habit of eating milled flax so that's just been re-introduced too.

Never tried coconut oil.

rubadub

g'em wrote: »

I tend not to eat nuts as I have no ability to manage my portion sizes .

tell me about it, open a 500g pack and it is gone in the same time as a 50g bag. I wonder if there is some dispenser thing to keep them in, dishing out a small amount each day, though I know I would come home drunk and raid it

How Strange

g'em wrote: »

3-4L of water a day and copious helpings of veg and the problem persists.

Even with wholegrains (some us do know what real wholegrains are Eileen ) back in my diet the situation hasn't improved greatly so now I'm at a complete loss. Back to the drawing board...

G'em, I suffer from the same problem and it is extremely frustrating.

I've avooided wheat for about 5 years and I pay the price if I sneak a slice of bread here or there or have some beer. But since the beginning of January I've been so disciplined. No wheat at all. I have prunes with my breakfast, a couple of cups of green tea in the morning, water throughout the day - all the things that usually kickstart my system and NOTHING.

I drink water, I try to eat as much fibre as one person can be expected to eat - dark veggies, chickpeas, pulses, beans. As I'm trying to lose a few pounds I restrict my carb intake in the evening time and eat more fish or chicken with lots of veggies. I've been eating the odd slice of rye bread at the weekends which claims to have fibre.

I eat a green apple or two every day.

And I'm stumped. The first half of January was very good but after that its been bad. I started using oat bran in my breakfast a couple of weeks ago and that really upset everything so I've cut that out now.

If anyone has any advice I'd love to hear it.

menoscemo

I was having the same problem last week there, in fairness I had a feed of alcohol on a saturday night (first time since christmas) and couldn't go for about 3 or 4 days later.

My weight had been steadily dropping (i have lost 5 kilos since new year) for 4 weeks then I got worried when my weight started increasing by 0.5 - 0.8 kilos per day. I felt all 'blocked up'

Anyway I just took some senakot for a few days, made an effort to clear the 'blockage' and everything has been back to normal since... weight back dropping and going normally. Hope it helps.

How Strange

I've really resisted the notion of low carb and thought that eating rice or a couple of spuds with your dinner is fine but after reading this thread I decided to see how I'd get on with a low carb diet.

For the last few nights I've had a tiny portion of carbs with my dinner, a large portion of protein (chicken or fish) and a huge portion of veg.

And the result is a non bloated tummy. Amazing. And I always feel full after my dinner but I don't get that over full feeling from eating too much potato or rice (basmati, jasmine or brown - never white).

So I'm going to keep it up. To the low carb bridage - you have a new convert.

g'em

How Strange wrote: »

So I'm going to keep it up. To the low carb bridage - you have a new convert.

lol, the non-bloaty tummy really is the *best* side effect of low-carbing isn't it?!?

I'll be really interested to see how you get on in light of the... ahem.. digestive problems that we were talking about above. I'm still a little the worse for wear, and even senakot won't help anymore.

This is WAY more info than I should be giving about myself on the intarweb