EAT ALL THE FAT. Seriously, there were days I had less than 10 carbs, and as long as I had a ton of fat, I felt perfectly fine, more comfortable than usual, even. Protein didn't seem to be as important to my body as fat.
So what exactly does this look like? Less than 10 grams of carbs but lots of fat. Fatty meats? Olive oil on grilled veggies, sour cream on eggs?
I tried the low-fat low-carb diet and I could not make it past 3 or 4 days. Fat helps me stay full and satiated. Surprisingly my triglyceride and cholesterol levels were lower when I ate high fat and lowcarb.
My body craves carbs and I have less will power when I dont get enough sleep.
So what exactly does this look like? Less than 10 grams of carbs but lots of fat. Fatty meats? Olive oil on grilled veggies, sour cream on eggs?
I'm going to post pics of what I've eaten (and not eaten recently). Unless specified, I ate the whole item.
Airport lounge food
Caesar wedge (skipped croutons), kale salad, cinnamon-braised beef, ratatouille, one bite of rigatoni (did not eat entire portion), latte (no sugar)
Airplane welcome
Mixed nuts, Coke Zero (orange juice was husband's)
Airplane meal, first course
Salad (skipped poached pears), cheese (skipped apple preserves), grilled shrimp with pickled garnish
Peruvian lunch
One bite of Parmesan bread with butter, chicken causa (one bite of potato portion), trout ceviche (one bite of Peruvian corn and one bite of sweet potato), chicharrones (one bite of fried cassava), lomo saltado (one fry), one bite of each dessert, one nibble of each mignardise to taste
Peruvian dinner
Trout amuse bouche, Peruvian taste trio (ate entire fried cheese, one bite of potato, one bite of cassava), foie gras with elderberries (ate elderberries and sauce sparingly), braised lamb (skipped potatoes entirely), salad with fried Brie and strawberries, grilled alpaca and ravioli (ate half of one ravioli), one bite of each dessert, one nibble of each mignardise to taste
Here's my dilemma with high fat. I was losing weight last year doing this and then I had my blood work done and my cholesterol was through the roof. The doctor said I needed a "heart healthy" diet. This is pretty much low fat. Can't win!
What are some good fats that are heart healthy besides beans? I was told to eat red meat in very small amounts.
If I had a lot of money I'd have my personal chef make me meals like Miso's. OMG that all looks so good!
So what exactly does this look like? Less than 10 grams of carbs but lots of fat. Fatty meats? Olive oil on grilled veggies, sour cream on eggs?
I'm going to post pics of what I've eaten (and not eaten recently). Unless specified, I ate the whole item.
Airport lounge food
Caesar wedge (skipped croutons), kale salad, cinnamon-braised beef, ratatouille, one bite of rigatoni (did not eat entire portion), latte (no sugar)
Airplane welcome
Mixed nuts, Coke Zero (orange juice was husband's)
Airplane meal, first course
Salad (skipped poached pears), cheese (skipped apple preserves), grilled shrimp with pickled garnish
Peruvian lunch
One bite of Parmesan bread with butter, chicken causa (one bite of potato portion), trout ceviche (one bite of Peruvian corn and one bite of sweet potato), chicharrones (one bite of fried cassava), lomo saltado (one fry), one bite of each dessert, one nibble of each mignardise to taste
Peruvian dinner
Trout amuse bouche, Peruvian taste trio (ate entire fried cheese, one bite of potato, one bite of cassava), foie gras with elderberries (ate elderberries and sauce sparingly), braised lamb (skipped potatoes entirely), salad with fried Brie and strawberries, grilled alpaca and ravioli (ate half of one ravioli), one bite of each dessert, one nibble of each mignardise to taste
@savestheday I wouldn't recommend doing that few carbs on a regular basis, but the days that ended up that way were days I ate bacon, eggs, meat, and cheese. That's one day out of a handful though--veggies and fruits are good for you!
Oh good! I was like how did she POOP! Lol!
I have always done lower calorie diets & never done low carbs
I an starting today- Breakfast-,2 eggs with cheese 2TBs sour cream & Franks Red Hot.
I'm still hungry though.
I have cheese sticks for a snack & plan on picking up some almonds later.
Lunch - salad with cucumbers & yellow peppers & spinach with 2 hardboiled eggs & cheese & cottage cheese & bacon with ranch. ( I don't like ranch what else can I use for dressing)
Snacks will be cheese sticks or almonds or green apple slices
Dinner? Hoping H will grill some pork & zucchini slices. Spinach salad with tomatoes & cucumbers from farmers market
I have PCOS and didn't have to do an Atkins-like super low carb diet. Just lower in carbs and avoiding high GI carbs. My approach was 1800 cals/day (consistent calorie goal over a 70 lb weight loss). 40% protein, 30% carb, 30% fat. I focused on eating 5 times a day, protein every time I ate, lots (>5 servings a day) of veggies, healthy fats, and avoiding high GI carbs. I tried to stick to a 90/10 rule, meaning 2 meals and 2 snacks a week I could splurge. I think figuring out what to eat in the beginning was hard; especially trying to meet those percentages. I wrote out some sample menu days and rotated those in the beginning. I ended up with the same breakfast, snacks, and lunch almost every day. I also stuck with real foods and dinners that were protein/veg/healthy carb vs paleo pancakes or lightened up casseroles. The first 3-4 days were tough but then it got so much better. Pasta is my big trigger so I avoided that completely for the first month to help reset. General menu: Breakfast: small tortilla with scrambled egg, salsa or Pico, avocado; coffee Post workout: protein shake (low carb/sugar protein powder, unsweetened almond milk, spinach) Lunch: chicken (rotisserie, perdue simply smart chicken nuggets), a can of green beans or raw veggies with greek yogurt dip Snack: some combo of nuts, greek yogurt and veggies, string cheese, turkey pepperoni Dinner: protein (grilled or roasted meat), lots of veggies (usually roasted in EVOO or Zoodles), healthy carb (1/2 c brown rice, 1/2 roasted potato (sweet or yukon gold), sometimes quinoa). I would switch up marinades and seasonings to make things taste differently and keep it fresh.
I've found carb cycling (alternating between numbers of low and high carb days) to be highly effective and sustainable. It's also adjustable so holidays, vacations and social events don't throw you for a loop and have you falling off the "low-carb" wagon spiraling into a 8 lb weight gain in a week.
Also, veggies have lots of carbs. So going super low carb means really limiting them. Counting macros is really eye opening in this regard. Also why net carb counting (esp. if you are going to try to be in the 20>) is so important.
I've found carb cycling (alternating between numbers of low and high carb days) to be highly effective and sustainable. It's also adjustable so holidays, vacations and social events don't throw you for a loop and have you falling off the "low-carb" wagon spiraling into a 8 lb weight gain in a week.
Also, veggies have lots of carbs. So going super low carb means really limiting them. Counting macros is really eye opening in this regard. Also why net carb counting (esp. if you are going to try to be in the 20>) is so important.
Can you talk a little more about cycling? How often do you alternate? Are there levels between low and high or is always one of those two?
I've found carb cycling (alternating between numbers of low and high carb days) to be highly effective and sustainable. It's also adjustable so holidays, vacations and social events don't throw you for a loop and have you falling off the "low-carb" wagon spiraling into a 8 lb weight gain in a week.
Also, veggies have lots of carbs. So going super low carb means really limiting them. Counting macros is really eye opening in this regard. Also why net carb counting (esp. if you are going to try to be in the 20>) is so important.
Can you talk a little more about cycling? How often do you alternate? Are there levels between low and high or is always one of those two?
Thanks!
It's actually really easy. At as scientific level (and we are talking very in detail) it's how body builder "cut" or slim down for competition while maintaining muscle and fitness. For us normal folks, it's much less detailed.
I followed Chris Powell's plan - he does Extreme Weight Loss and it's how his subjects eat. It's been a while but I believe there are 4 different plans to follow. An easy one, a moderate one, one for athletes (more carbs) and one for fast weight loss (turbo). I usually do turbo which is 2 days low carb, one day high carb, 2 days low carb, one day high carb, and a "free" day. He does not have you count macros, rather serving sizes. What it boils down to is protein is the base of every meal. On low carb days you pair it with fat. On high carb days you pair it with carbs. So you never really eat fats AND carbs together (except on a cheat day). Every single day begins protein and carb, and then on low carb days, the rest of your meals are fats and proteins. High carb, carbs and protein.
I modify it a bit in that I do count macros. I also do not use low fat/fat free products except for greek yogurt. But it does work, it's easy, and you really don't have to change anything. My family ate exactly the same. An example would be dinner - chicken fajitas. I could make this any night, and on low carb days, I'd have the meat and veggies over greens with avocado and full fat yogurt and/or cheese. High carb day would be the meat and veggies with the shells, a lower fat yogurt, lots of hot sauce and black beans.
Can you talk a little more about cycling? How often do you alternate? Are there levels between low and high or is always one of those two?
Thanks!
It's actually really easy. At as scientific level (and we are talking very in detail) it's how body builder "cut" or slim down for competition while maintaining muscle and fitness. For us normal folks, it's much less detailed.
I followed Chris Powell's plan - he does Extreme Weight Loss and it's how his subjects eat. It's been a while but I believe there are 4 different plans to follow. An easy one, a moderate one, one for athletes (more carbs) and one for fast weight loss (turbo). I usually do turbo which is 2 days low carb, one day high carb, 2 days low carb, one day high carb, and a "free" day. He does not have you count macros, rather serving sizes. What it boils down to is protein is the base of every meal. On low carb days you pair it with fat. On high carb days you pair it with carbs. So you never really eat fats AND carbs together (except on a cheat day). Every single day begins protein and carb, and then on low carb days, the rest of your meals are fats and proteins. High carb, carbs and protein.
I modify it a bit in that I do count macros. I also do not use low fat/fat free products except for greek yogurt. But it does work, it's easy, and you really don't have to change anything. My family ate exactly the same. An example would be dinner - chicken fajitas. I could make this any night, and on low carb days, I'd have the meat and veggies over greens with avocado and full fat yogurt and/or cheese. High carb day would be the meat and veggies with the shells, a lower fat yogurt, lots of hot sauce and black beans.
It's actually really easy. At as scientific level (and we are talking very in detail) it's how body builder "cut" or slim down for competition while maintaining muscle and fitness. For us normal folks, it's much less detailed.
I followed Chris Powell's plan - he does Extreme Weight Loss and it's how his subjects eat. It's been a while but I believe there are 4 different plans to follow. An easy one, a moderate one, one for athletes (more carbs) and one for fast weight loss (turbo). I usually do turbo which is 2 days low carb, one day high carb, 2 days low carb, one day high carb, and a "free" day. He does not have you count macros, rather serving sizes. What it boils down to is protein is the base of every meal. On low carb days you pair it with fat. On high carb days you pair it with carbs. So you never really eat fats AND carbs together (except on a cheat day). Every single day begins protein and carb, and then on low carb days, the rest of your meals are fats and proteins. High carb, carbs and protein.
I modify it a bit in that I do count macros. I also do not use low fat/fat free products except for greek yogurt. But it does work, it's easy, and you really don't have to change anything. My family ate exactly the same. An example would be dinner - chicken fajitas. I could make this any night, and on low carb days, I'd have the meat and veggies over greens with avocado and full fat yogurt and/or cheese. High carb day would be the meat and veggies with the shells, a lower fat yogurt, lots of hot sauce and black beans.
The other great thing about this is that you never go nuts from craving stuff. If you are dying for a plate of pasta, it's never more than a couple days away.
Post by captainobvious on Jul 6, 2015 8:40:09 GMT -5
I also found that cooking a lot on a weekend day made it easier during the week. So, for example, yesterday I made nearly all of our meals for this week.
The other great thing about this is that you never go nuts from craving stuff. If you are dying for a plate of pasta, it's never more than a couple days away.
That is what is so appealing about it. I'm not one to cut out all wine consumption. But I can limit it to a little once a week. I just bought the book.
Just for you -- some things I ate the past few weeks!
Orange falafel salad
Grilled octopus and garbanzos
Tuna salad, flatiron steak and greens
Catfish po' boy (only three bites of bread)
Seared albacore on baby spinach (did not eat bread)
Green falafel salad
Sour cream hen house bowl (all greens, no rice)
Seafood crudo on kelp noodles
Shrimp tacos, fish tacos, fish ceviche, octopus tostada (did not eat tortillas)
Well I don't have fancy pictures, but I'll share too.
From this weekend's BBQ:
-Macaroni salad: Licked the dressing and returned the noodles to the serving bowl -Babyback Ribs: rinsed the sauce off in the pool and ate the meat -Hot dog: This was pretty easy. Just threw the bun at some bitch who was giving me dirty looks, went OFF on someone who offered me ketchup, and topped with mustard. -Watermelon: Ate the seeds. Most people are willing to save theirs for you if you ask. -Flag cake: Luckily for my sweet tooth, the hosts opted for a Confederate Flag cake. I thought it was in poor taste, so I politely refused. -Beverage: Since I'd done so well, I allowed myself a 40-oz of malt liquor.
The other great thing about this is that you never go nuts from craving stuff. If you are dying for a plate of pasta, it's never more than a couple days away.
That is what is so appealing about it. I'm not one to cut out all wine consumption. But I can limit it to a little once a week. I just bought the book.
I just bought this book too. This is great since I don't have to change the way my family eats and I don't have to give up carbs for LYFE. Does the turbo weight loss work?
miso lol you come off as a little out of touch here! Sure low carbing is easy when you eat out every meal. Thats not really an.option for everyone.
Low carb for me is hard work because of all the food prep. I do one big food prep Sunday night and then Maybe 30 minutes a night on dinner and getting my food ready for the next day.
I 100% agree with you that you don't have to be miserable low Carb. I love everything I eat and enjoy my food. But it takes planning.
A little? I'm imagining this is what the first draft of GOOP looks like before her editors tell her to tone it down. Lol.
I can't even assume she's joking because she said we're all too dumb for jokes.
@misoangry, you just made me fire off an unnecessarily terse email to my in-house counsel. I hope you're pleased with yourself. Although I'm 100% certain she'll annoy me later, so I don't feel too bad.
What you are eating now that doesn't require food prep or planning?
Have you never heard of convenience foods?
Healthy eating in general takes work. I go back and forth between prepping ingredients on the weekends so I can have healthy lunches, and heating up Amy's burritos. LOL.
I am not giving out advice, but here's what I have been doing:
no bread, no pasta, no white rice--brown rice I eat. no potatoes, mostly.
Also, I switched from a wheat bites cereal to oatmeal.
eta: Since we're discussing actual food we put in our mouths, my lunch today is: carrot sticks, green oilves, fermented sauerkraut, and sausage. I'm drinking water.
Well, since I don't do any food prep and very little planning then I must be eating all convenience food... or just out of touch like @misoangry
Are you eating out a lot koosh? I've been finding that I have to do a LOT more planning and meal prep than I used to, but we nearly never eat out to save money and make sure we know what's going in to our food.
Here's my dilemma with high fat. I was losing weight last year doing this and then I had my blood work done and my cholesterol was through the roof. The doctor said I needed a "heart healthy" diet. This is pretty much low fat. Can't win!
What are some good fats that are heart healthy besides beans? I was told to eat red meat in very small amounts.
If I had a lot of money I'd have my personal chef make me meals like Miso's. OMG that all looks so good!
Yeah, or if you've had colon issues, like me - high protein and no whole grains is bad for you.
It all depends on what the person is looking to do.
Yes, this is definitely an important point to make, diets are not one size fits all.
Are you eating out a lot koosh? I've been finding that I have to do a LOT more planning and meal prep than I used to, but we nearly never eat out to save money and make sure we know what's going in to our food.
No. I don't eat out much... well, when its not 90 degrees all the time that is. It's hard to cook right now.
How do you eat at home without any food prep and very little planning? I mean...you at least need a plan when you go to the grocery store. Do you mean you get delivery all the time?
Low carb for me is hard work because of all the food prep. I do one big food prep Sunday night and then Maybe 30 minutes a night on dinner and getting my food ready for the next day.
I 100% agree with you that you don't have to be miserable low Carb. I love everything I eat and enjoy my food. But it takes planning.
Have you read the cookbook Well Fed ? She has a really good section on how to prep food at the beginning of the week and then taking 10-20 minutes per night to assemble your dinner. It's not all reheating the same stuff, she has lots of easy ideas to change up the flavor combos.
Does anyone have any favorite recipes I can start with?
What do you normally eat? I just make my same entree and vegetable sides that I've always made. Pasta has been demoted from regular rotation to occasional treat, as has anything requiring a bun, but most recipes are still fine. I do look for ways to add fat and protein; for example, instead of just steaming or roasting vegetables, I'll add an extra drizzle or olive oil or a pat of butter, and maybe some sliced almonds or feta or parm.
Here are a couple recipes we've enjoyed recently.
These first three are similar in ingredients, but prepared differently.
Skinny Chicken Pesto Bake I made this according to the recipe; side was steamed broccoli that I topped with toasted sliced almonds and parmesan and then broiled.
Portobello Burgers with Pesto, Provolone, and Roasted Red Peppers I did eat one of these on a bun, but then had two more with a fork and knife like you would eat a chicken breast (I had spread the pesto right on the mushroom before grilling). You could easily swap out the portobello for chicken if you want some more filling protein, or just eat more of them, which is what I did, lol. Side was a pretty standard caprese salad.
Vietnamese Marinated Flank Steak I made this according to the recipe except that I halved the sugar. I felt that the steak and salad both benefited from having a little bit, and I'm not that concerned about 1 tablespoon of sugar when probably half of it was getting tossed with the marinade. Side was the salad included in the recipe.
Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken I made this according to the recipe except I eliminated the sugar. Normally I wouldn't be that concerned about a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in a marinade, but I didn't feel it was necessary here, and it was indeed good without it. Side was a chopped salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, green and red peppers, cilantro, and red onion, with a quick vinaigrette made with olive oil and lemon and lime juice. Some cotija cheese would be a great addition to this salad if you have it. We ate the leftover chicken and veggies over salad greens the next day.
Non-recipe ideas:
- Any stir fry, eaten without rice, using maybe 25% more protein than normal, and adding almonds or cashews. The nuts get nice and toasty and add flavor and texture. In my experience, keeping things flavorful goes a long way toward not feeling deprived. If you don't want to do all the veggies from scratch, fresh stir fry mixes are the way to go. Whole Foods sells some nice packaged assortments, and I'm sure other stores do too. Frozen stir fry veggies are no good in this situation IMO. They get soggy and need rice to add texture and soak up all the liquid.
- Frittatas and omelets are a good way to get a lot of protein and use up small amounts of veggies and herbs. Add some cheese and bacon for variety and protein. A baby greens salad with a light vinaigrette makes a nice side.
- Ratatouille with grilled chicken. If you don't like eggplant, leave it out and increase the rest. My DH doesn't like eggplant so I make it this way sometimes. It won't be classic ratatouille, but it will still be good.
-Salads have nearly unlimited options for adding fat and protein - nuts, olives, avocado, cheese, meat, etc. And obviously oil in the dressing.
Have you read the cookbook Well Fed ? She has a really good section on how to prep food at the beginning of the week and then taking 10-20 minutes per night to assemble your dinner. It's not all reheating the same stuff, she has lots of easy ideas to change up the flavor combos.
Thanks for the rec!
No problem! wambam told me to get it last week and I've been making my way through it ever since. Her second book has a great section on meatballs & I've currently got a few batches in the freezer to see how they hold up. Microwave with a side and dinner is ready in 5 minutes
Adding low carb to the list of things that rile people up - maybe everyone needs a cheeseburger
just kidding!
ETA: finding a well balanced food plan can be hard and I know I've gotten discouraged many times. everyone is giving really good advice and I've definitely bookmarked some of the things in here!
Adding low carb to the list of things that rile people up - maybe everyone needs a cheeseburger
just kidding!
ETA: finding a well balanced food plan can be hard and I know I've gotten discouraged many times. everyone is giving really good advice and I've definitely bookmarked some of the things in here!
I thought this actually went pretty smoothly for a food/diet post!