Low carb diet thread

[conradd]

After a number of false starts, I'm now back on and committed, at least for the short term. My goal is 2 sizes down by the end of August and I'm not even climbing on a scale. Anyone else doing a variant of low carb?

I'm not doing a strict Atkins diet. I feel better when I lean towards salads and vegies than meat, although I do grab a South Beach frozen entree once or twice a week. My work schedule is crazy right now - working all day in Albany, then driving to Portland to teach night classes, so I don't have time to cook at home. My office during the day is in the same building as the college cafe and I have been lunching on mini-chef salads (lettuce, with a bit of chopped ham & turkey, and shredded cheese) with a side of hardboiled egg and avocado. I estimate that I'm staying under 10 carbs a day which should kickstart my metabolism.

I'm also trying to convince myself to sign up for the Pilates class that is going on during lunch - 8 weeks, free tuition since I'm now a college employee. I sure need to do something energetic besides climb stairs.

Anyone else dieting this summer?

[mtomm[$]]

I basically eat a somewhat low carb diet. I stay between 50-100 daily.

[slick4591[$]]

I'm not counting anything, but I've cut the carbs and lost arond 50 in the last six months. Lately, I've been slacking and found a few back. My goal at this point is to drop 20 more.

[jgibson2[$]]

Doc just prescribed prednisone for bronchitis (couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without feeling like I was going to die). If I don't go really low carb for the next 3 weeks, my blood sugar will be totally out of control.

It's going to be a long 3 weeks.

[mtomm[$]]

Judy--you don't adapt well to low carb? Even after three weeks?

The thing I like best about low carb is how it keeps hunger at bay better than eating high carb.

I've developed a passion for avocados and cottage cheese generously salted! Sometimes I add tomatoes. Best Lunch Ever.

I used to not like cc very well but the more I've experimented with the more I enjoy it. It is now a staple for me.

[jgibson2[$]]

Margo,
My fingers will be VERY sore. It's a balancing act, because I had to start with high doses of steroids and taper, so I have to keep checking my blood sugar to be sure I don't go too high or too low. Tonight I was too tired to cook and too tired to care enough. Blood sugar after 2 slices of pizza was 288, so I had to take an extra dose of Amaryl. That was enough of a scare to make me stay away from the carbs, though.

Also because of the steroids I'll have to watch my sodium intake, which limits some of my favorite foods (like cottage cheese).

On the plus side, I can breathe tonight. Maybe this will be the kick I need to get going with South Beach.

[magenta321]

I did South Beach right before my cruise and all my clothes were too big. I ate what I wanted on the cruise, and now all my clothes are too small. This stuff works for me in the short term but never in the long term. I just can't stay away from carbs long enough. I start crying for no reason and have a lot of other emotional effects. Eventually it makes me depressed. I know it can take the weight off but sometimes I wonder if I can survive it.

[mtomm[$]]

Margaret, Joel Marion's Cheater Diet would probably be a really good choice for you. It goes low carb and then has you cycle up carbs weekly for two weeks then back down again. Plus you get one day a week at the end of each week to "cheat". I was a test subject for him before he published the book (you meet all sorts of people online, eh!) I sucked at it but it sounds like something that you could use. It isn't complicated at all other than cycling carb choices.

He uses the glycemic index which really isn't important but what you will probably like is how you go vlc and then low carb then higher carb.

If you don't want to buy the book I could give you a basic outline of how it works.

[conradd]

Day 4 and I'm already sick of eggs. Bleah. I've had hardboiled eggs for breakfast every morning (they're so darned portable) and today Shane made scrambled eggs with onions, ham, and cheese. I'm tired of salad too. I can't remember what I ate last time that allowed me to stay on it for 3 months. Grumble, grumble.

[magenta321]

The thing that ended up helping me last time were umm... what the heck were they called... Oh... Oopsie Rolls.

Uses for oopsie rolls (recipe thread) - Low Carb Friends

I took my oopsies and put turkey bacon on them every morning. I didn't get sick of BLTs for breakfast. You can find a lot of other uses for them there.

I used them for anything I would normally have bread for, but couldn't on the diet. That made me much less cranky and bored. However, it was hard to have them on hand when I needed them and they were a pain in the butt to make because you need to make a merange (sp?) and I don't like recipes that are that difficult

[conradd]

Oh, I am so making a double batch of those!! Thank you!!!