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  #1   ^
Old Fri, Mar-20-09, 12:36
Jamori Jamori is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 51
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 230/169/165 Male 72 inches
BF:
Progress: 94%
Location: Raleigh, NC
Question Moving to semi-low-carb to eat with partner?

I'm 23, am getting married in a few months, and I'm looking for a good plan I can move to so I can more easily eat with my soon-to-be wife. Even now, I hate having to make two separate meals as often as not.

I've been happily on Atkins for the last 9-10 years or so. I've gone from 5'10", 230lbs, 38-40" waist to 6', 170lbs, 32" waist and am content with my current weight.

I don't exercise much and really probably should to tone up some, but I'm much more likely to stick with something I find easy and passive (like Atkins) and try to work in more exercise as a separate thing -- ie, I don't want "go running every day!" to be the necessary counterbalance for eating higher carbs.

I would say I currently eat sort of like I'm in Atkins' OWL .. I've found it difficult to make the mental adjustment to allowing myself to eat the higher carbs of maintenance. I basically allow myself unlimited lettuce/salad, broccoli, or green beans (often as much as a whole can) at each meal. I'll add onions/peppers/mushrooms to anything they'd be good with without thinking twice about it -- but that's about the extent of the variety of veggies I eat, aside from occasional spaghetti squash or eggplant. Very occasionally I'll eat some strawberries or cantelope.


Things I like about my way of eating:
* No calorie counting or having to worry about portion sizes of essentially anything.
* Very few "cravings" (except chocolate, which is easily satisfied with some 85% Lindt Dark or one of those almond flour microwave "brownies")
* Not having to worry about fat content for myself -- or even intentionally increasing fat content for satiety.
* Cheese


Things I can deal with if needed:
* Not eating bread (though something that allowed certain breads could be nice)


Things I don't like:
* High fat isn't good for her -- she has no interest in trying to maintain lower carb, and her metabolism deals fine with how she eats.
* Eating this much meat gets EXPENSIVE!
* We often either have to make separate / significantly altered meals, or meals end up being less than ideal
* Having to worry about what restaurant to pick, because "oh, there's nothing for me to eat there..."
* I like yogurt a lot, but have to buy special yogurt in expensive, individual packs if I want to eat it (rather than making my own from normal milk).


Things that appeal to me:
* Replacing some meat protein with something cheaper like beans.
* Eating whole grains.
* Eating more fruit.
* "Low GI" / "Low GL" sorts of plans(?)
* Eating a wider variety of veggies (more varieties of squash, maybe sweet potatoes, etc...)


However, I'm a bit concerned that too big an increase in carbs would trigger cravings, and make this feel more like a "diet" where I have to deprive/restrict myself. The way I eat now is practically second-nature and I hardly think twice about it. I can accept that even things like more than tiny quantities of brown rice and whole wheat pasta are likely forever out of reach. Regardless, I think I need something relatively structured or I'm likely to have trouble with swinging too far into carb-land.

I'm not really looking to lose any more weight -- I just don't want to gain any, want to be able to eat more freely, and want to continue feeling "good" (ie, none of that lousy carb-induced-lethargy). I realize I'm sort of asking for the best of both world, but I could probably compromise in certain areas. Anyone have any specific suggestions?

Thanks a bunch!

Last edited by Jamori : Fri, Mar-20-09 at 12:51.
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  #2   ^
Old Fri, Mar-20-09, 13:02
Hairballz's Avatar
Hairballz Hairballz is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 601
 
Plan: Atkins / M&E
Stats: 000/000/000 Female 5'6"
BF:
Progress:
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I guess I'm having a hard time understanding why you'd routinely cook separate meals or have difficulty eating out together? Am I missing something? I go out to eat with friends all the time and we haven't hit a place yet that I couldn't order and enjoy. If you're doing Atkins OWL why would there have to be separate meals? I can think of a zillion combinations for meals that wouldn't even come CLOSE to putting off someone who wasn't doing Atkins.

I must not be reading your post correctly or something....
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  #3   ^
Old Fri, Mar-20-09, 13:51
daisywench's Avatar
daisywench daisywench is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 626
 
Plan: atkins modified
Stats: 225/162/160 Female 5'9
BF:
Progress: 97%
Location: MA
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I'm confused too. I make the same meal for myself and my boyfriend (who is not dieting), just add an extra side dish for him, and we've never gone to a restaurant where there's NOTHING for me to eat.
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  #4   ^
Old Fri, Mar-20-09, 14:28
Jamori Jamori is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 51
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 230/169/165 Male 72 inches
BF:
Progress: 94%
Location: Raleigh, NC
Default

It's not that we can't find plenty of meals to eat together, it's more that she tends to like meals that are much less meat-oriented than I have to eat. The current rotation of vegetables/sides gets old, even for me -- and we're unlikely to spend much effort on a more interesting dish if only one of us is going to eat it.

Sure, it's easy enough to add some rice or corn or something on the side for her, or to make half of the dish "her" way and half "my" way. But that's just not the same...

And I guess the restaurant thing is sort of a moot point and applies to something like an asian noodle shop, which isn't going to work for anything approaching moderate carb anyway.

Nonetheless, my desire to start eating more moderate (as opposed to low) carb comes mostly from myself. I've lost enough weight -- I have no intention of going back to how I ate 'before', but am getting bored with the ingredients I can currently use. And the ability to eat more cheaply (without eating just eggs and ground beef or something) is pretty appealing.

The fact that we'll now be eating together ALL the time instead of just MOST of the time just provides motivation to make the switch sooner rather than later. I just want to find a structured way to do it.
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  #5   ^
Old Fri, Mar-20-09, 15:33
Enomarb Enomarb is offline
MAINTAINING ON CALP
Posts: 4,838
 
Plan: CALP/CAHHP
Stats: 180/125/150 Female 65 in
BF:
Progress: 183%
Location: usa
Default

hi-
come over and look at CAD/CALP. This plan appeals to so many just because of what you are saying- it is easy to eat with others.
It is a structured plan with 2 meals of just proteina nd veggies, one plan with salad then protein/veggies/carbs with them in balanced servings. You are not going to be able to eat beans as your protein as in all LC plans I have seen they are carbs, but you could have chili with beans and a veggie and a salad ans your wife could just add on bread or rice.
anyway- come take a look and congrats on your success.

Re Atkins- it may be a good idea to come over to the maintenance area and see what people say about moving up the OWL carb ladder and up into maintaining.

E
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  #6   ^
Old Sat, Apr-04-09, 15:58
RCFletcher's Avatar
RCFletcher RCFletcher is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 6,068
 
Plan: Food Combining
Stats: 220/175/154 Male 5feet5inches
BF:?/27.5%/19.6%
Progress: 68%
Location: Newcastle UK
Default

Hi. I am on a plan in which you separate carby meals and proten meals. There are several versions around, hays, somersizing or the commercial slimming world version which I am on. I was also on Atkins for about 6 years but now I am quite happy at being aboe to have pasta, some bread and a baked potato when I want it. It still works out to be low carbs in the long run but is also low GI and lowish fat. It is workign for me. You might like to look into it.
All the best
Robert
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