I have found that low-carb diets are the only way to go for me when it comes to losing weight. The only problem is that every time I go on one I get really dizzy and light headed. I can't stand the frequent headaches.

I need my carbs, at least my complex carbs.

I am looking for a weight loss plan which will let me eat complex carbohydrates and combine it with proteins while still having the same benefits of a low carb plan.

I like the zone diet but I am dissapointed that I cant have my brown rice when on the weight loss portion of the plan. I am a big beans and rice eater.

Has anyone lost weight on a modified zone diet?

I would love to know if I can still lose weight, while following the 40, 30, 30 plan with my beloved brown rice.

note: my exercise level is mostly sedentary. I take light walks but nothing more because I tend to get dizzy easily

I think you should experiment to find what works for you. Maybe take a "conventional" low-carb book, but follow their advice for "maintenance" rather than "active weight loss." Or take the Zone ideas and substitute the carbs you like.

Or you can take any low-carb plan and simply add some more carbs to it- a serving of grain a day perhaps, or maybe 2-3 servings. Or you can pretty much make up your own plan and stick to it. If 35g of carbs per day leaves you lightheaded and dizzy, aim for 50 or 60 (just pick a number and stick with it) and see how you do. Tweak the numbers up if you're feeling ill, or down if you don't lose weight. Also, be prepared for slower weight loss with more carbs in your diet.

You might like the plan in Life Without Bread. The rules in that book is basically to keep your net carbs below 72 a day. I forget the other details of the book (I read it nearly a year and a half ago) but the author believes you get the health benefits of LC at or below that carb level.

I don't follow any specific plan but have lost 58 lbs in 5 months averaging:

1627 kcal
Carbohydrate 102.8 g 24%
Protein 91.6 g 22%
Total lipid (fat) 101.3 g 54%

For exercise, I just walk, about 45-60 minutes a day.

I didn't want to eat fewer carbs because I knew I wouldn't stick to it long term and I just don't feel good if I don't eat hardly any carbs.

Thanks for the advice guys. I know that to lose weight effectively I should eliminate processed foods and other unfavorable carbs but I know that I get hungry if I dont combine my protein with carbs. My body has a hard time coping with the lack of carbohydrates and I think I should stick with whole grain carbohydrates such as brown rice. But most low carb plans still prohibit brown rice because it effects our blood sugar levels as much as any other carbohydrate.

I think I'll experiment to see what goes well with my body. I am just very eager to start losing weight right away. I know I should take my time but I also want to be able to fit into my new clothes as quickly as possible.

Thanks a bunch for the suggestions

Ok, so looking at my stats I don't know if you want to take advice from me BUT know that I have been doing this for a long time and the way of eating that seems to work best for me every time is the GI diet combined with Atkins. Both rice and beans are welcomed on this plan...it focuses on good fats/good carbs, healthy fruits and veggies, lean meats and LF dairy. The way I've done it is just to modify it so that I'm not eating as many carbs as allowed. It was not very hard for me to give up potatos and rice (even though that was allowed). Basically I just kept eating my LC pasta and tortillas.

Check it out...if you want more info let me know.

GOOD LUCK!

I don't know why you think you need brown rice over multiple other sources of carbohydrate such as sweet potatoes, squashes, carrots, tomatoes, etc. These are much lower GI carbohydrates. I really appreciate the idea of beans and rice, but if you are eating an animal source of protein then you can eat beans without the rice and have a complete protein. Just passing along a bit of info here but one of the things that appears to be true is that the foods we cherish most -- the ones we think we just have to have -- are foods that really cause us problems, that are likely to be not well tolerated or even cause allergic reactions.

Hi there,

I know what you mean about not being able to give up certain kinds of carbs! I live in a small German village where there are some farmers who bake bread with their own flour once a week. I absolutely adore this bread (one kind is wholemeal and the other is rye) and have managed to lose weight without giving up my beloved bread. I restrict myself to one or two slices in the morning and one with my cold-cuts supper in the evening.

For some reason, I feel I need to start the day with something "stodgy" in my stomach first, even if it's just one slice of bread (= about 15g of carbs). I have tried starting the day with Greek yoghurt, but I just felt odd. I cannot start a meal with a salad with French dressing either - it's too acidic for my stomach and the few times I've dared to do it, I just got stomach ache.

Following your meal with a teaspoon or so of Virgin Coconut Oil might boost your metabolism (quite a few people on this forum add in VCO to boost their overall fat intake and/or to boost their metabolism). Green tea is said to help with speeding up your metabolism, and Jonny Bowden recommends - I think this is how you write it - chrome piccolinate?

If you just reduce the portion size of your beans and rice, you might be able to go "reasonably low carb". Mind you, there are a lot of carbs in rice, but if you eat your rice with any kind of fat, you will reduce the glycemic index and glycemic load, so it won't affect your blood sugar quite so badly.

But you will need to weigh those portions - a 100g of brown rice is really not a lot - and fill yourself up on fat and protein and veggies. The carbs are then the treat on the side, not the main dish.

If you've got a metabolism which burns up carbs quickly (I have), then a semi-low-carb plan could still work for you. If all goes well, I can lose on around 80g (I don't minus the fibre and stuff, this is a very rough guess) per day.

Good luck!

amanda