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  #1   ^
Old Tue, May-30-17, 23:19
Mel4417 Mel4417 is offline
New Member
Posts: 4
 
Plan: Under 100 per day
Stats: 143/137/123 Female 5'5"
BF:
Progress:
Smile Hi everybody, brand new :)

Hi all,

Just wanted to say hello and introduce myself. I'm not really overweight, (I'm at 137) but I also know that I want to be thinner. Like at 123 lbs. THAT would make me happy. When I was in my 20's and 30's, I knew only one way to stay thin (I always weighed around 127) - count calories, and walk off any extra to stay in the 1400 cal. range. It was so simple, and it worked. Now that I'm in my early 40's, it took me about 3 years to realize that something has changed and for some reason, the counting calories/walking plan SIMPLY DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE. I started getting into the 140's....and then the 150's...and even hit 163 and got pretty scared that day. I never had children (by choice) and really didn't do anything out of the ordinary....the only thing that really changed was my age.

The thing that finally made me look at things in a whole new light was when I quickly gained 15 lbs. in one month my simply adding one new food into my diet - yogurt. The GOOD, sweet yogurt, Chobani Flips. Even though I never had much of a sweet tooth (I despise ice cream, icing on cake, white chocolate, etc.) - I had a thing for this yogurt. I looked forward to it every night. And it wasn't high-cal, but it sure was high-carb and (more importantly) high sugar, something my body wasn't even that used to. I have low blood sugar, had it since high school. I don't ever get hungry, I get shaky-hungry, and that's when I know it's time to eat. By the time my stomach starts growling, I'm already weak and shaky. My blood sugar is constantly dropping, every time it's time to eat. I do not have diabetes, been tested over and over again for it, fasting tests, etc. Sugar is always too low. I have hypoglycemia. Yet, when I do eat sugar, that's when I start packing on the pounds. Carbs too. I am obsessed with McDonald's, I'll admit it. But just by taking the bun off of my double cheeseburger and eating only 1/2 the fries, I easily got down to 137 lbs., which is where I am now...and that's how I know low-carb/sugar is the only way I will get to 123 lbs. My awesome goal weight.

*BUT - I can't go too low-carb or low-sugar. My sugar drops enough, so I'm trying to find a comfortable way to do this without getting too weak. I can't go under 80 carbs, when I do, I pass out. It's happened twice now. I fall flat on my face and don't even realize it. So I'm trying to figure out some kind of plan where I can eat and not be hungry/shaky - yet keep all the bad stuff out too. I still walk - I do 1/2 a mile a night. Not much, but I never skip it, and it's only to keep my legs toned. I also do some yoga, light weights (for arm flab) and sit-ups in bed. Religiously.

This is my plan for eating. Rather than asking a bunch of individual questions like, "Would it be okay to eat this? Would it be okay to eat that?" I'll just lay it all out here and if you see anything that could stop me from getting to 123 lbs., please let me know. And please keep in mind that if this seems a little too "carby" - it's because I just can't go too low-carb. My body doesn't do very well, yet it DOES respond well with weight loss when I go "lower" carb/sugar... and then I start losing weight. Okay, here goes:

Baked chicken breast (still trying to find a lower-carb/sugar BBQ sauce.) <Ideas?>

Lots and lots of salad with Bleu Cheese dressing and shredded cheese on top - this goes well with the chicken. ^

Tuna mixed with mayo on lettuce and shredded cheese and hard-boiled egg

1/2 apple cut into slices with chunky peanut butter on top and as much cottage cheese as I want (I love this combo.)

Jimmy Dean scrambled eggs with ham, cheese, and potatoes (18 carbs and sugar combined)

Beef steak (fried) with melted cheese on top and cucumbers and sour cream (I'm a Polish gal.)

Turkey and cheddar sandwich on whole wheat bread (throw the crusts to the birds) and about 5 potato chips.

***Questionable*** ?? -----> Whole wheat noodles with ground beef and Heart Healthy Prego Spaghetti Sauce w/ melted cheese on top (Sort of like a lasagna bake, but there's a lot more meat and cheese than noodles.)
I'm not sure about this last one, afraid it will mess things up because of the noodles and spaghetti sauce. ^

Snack: I just started eating these, and they haven't affected me the way yogurt has in the past: Smart For Life Cookies - 10 net carbs each, and filling, like a meal. Meant to be a meal replacement, but I use them to keep my sugar steady. Here's the link: https://shop.smartforlife.com/produ...ate-cookie.html

So that's about it. PLEASE feel free to let me know if I'm doing anything wrong or if I should add anything, or just a comment in general. I seem to be stuck at 137. For about a month now. I plan on giving up McDonald's completely and following the above plan. Unless you find something wrong. I'm still fairly new to this, I'm just so used to counting calories still.
Thanks in advance and it's great to be here.

Last edited by Mel4417 : Tue, May-30-17 at 23:25.
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  #2   ^
Old Wed, May-31-17, 02:39
Ambulo's Avatar
Ambulo Ambulo is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 3,171
 
Plan: LerC, TRE, IF
Stats: 150/120/120 Female 64 inches
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: the North, England
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Hi there - when I read your post I related immediately when you said you freaked out at 163 pounds, because that was my freak-out weight to. And I just happened to step on the scales this morning and see 123 so another coincidence there!

You will get plenty of good advice from the lovely people here. I confess I have never done really low carb, I just knocked grains, potatoes and sugar on the head after reaching my goal weight by intermittent fasting - something I would not recommend to you while you are having low sugar problems. So I don't restrict berries, non-starchy veg, nuts, nut butters and full-fat dairy.

Just a thought - you seem to be avoiding fat still? I do not eat chicken breast, I gently fry chicken legs and thighs with skin on in coconut oil or butter. And if you like yoghurt, how about plain full-fat Greek yoghurt with berries and flaked almonds?

Wishing you all the best ..
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  #3   ^
Old Wed, May-31-17, 15:54
bkloots's Avatar
bkloots bkloots is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 10,147
 
Plan: LC--Atkins
Stats: 195/162/150 Female 62in
BF:
Progress: 73%
Location: Kansas City, MO
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Hi, Mel. Welcome to a helpful and friendly place. Sounds like you have a personal plan that takes into consideration all of your individual issues. However, that makes it difficult to comment on whether you're doing anything "wrong." What's "right" is totally relative to what works for YOU.

Hang out here for a while. See what other comments you get. Poke around on the various threads with intriguing titles to find links, references, etc. This eating thing really is what you'll see here sometimes: N = 1 That is, an experiment with one subject: YOU.

Best wishes.
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  #4   ^
Old Wed, May-31-17, 16:47
gonwtwindo's Avatar
gonwtwindo gonwtwindo is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 6,671
 
Plan: General Low Carb
Stats: 164/162.6/151 Female 5'3"
BF:Sure is
Progress: 11%
Location: SoCal
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Hi Mel,

I can't go super low carb either: lowered kidney function + diverticulosis. I've experimented, given up, tried something else, given up. Super low carb is just so straightforward and easy. But it is what it is...and it's not for me any longer.

Your condition is unusual as well. Don't know that anyone here will have a solid, experienced answer for you. Has your doctor referred you to a nutritionist? I'm hearing of more and more that are ok with low carb, and combined with understanding of your hypo, a nutritionist might be a good starting point. You can tweak from there?

There is a Registered Dietician online who does phone consultations for, I think, $65 an hour. I called her after my doctor's nutritionist told me: vegan. I was just fighting that so hard. She was knowledgeable about both my conditions and tweaked my fat/protein/carb ratios for them; you might give her a try. http://www.lowcarbdietitian.com

Keep in mind you are trying to take off the hardest pounds: the last few. And your goal of lower than your 20's might not be doable in your 40's, even without your restrictions. (stands back while people jump in to say YES IT IS!! lol)

Anyway, I do wish you luck in figuring this out and losing what you want to. Prove me wrong!
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  #5   ^
Old Wed, May-31-17, 20:33
4rules's Avatar
4rules 4rules is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 100
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 184.4/184.4/145 Female 5 4 in
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Hi, I think you need to see a specialist re weight control to guide you on your weight loss and low blood sugar. Like someone said it is hard to comment because we are all different. If I was you. I actually would love to be 137 pounds. I would seek out a specialist to get on track and then get the weight down with the support of the forum. Your Family MD. would refer you. Just my thoughts. My heart goes out to you. I had a friend who struggled with the hypoglycemia. I am glad you have the cottage cheese on board because that is a good blood sugar stabilizer. Always have it in your fridge.
Take care
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  #6   ^
Old Sat, Jun-03-17, 10:46
Mel4417 Mel4417 is offline
New Member
Posts: 4
 
Plan: Under 100 per day
Stats: 143/137/123 Female 5'5"
BF:
Progress:
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Thank you so much everyone for your kind responses.
Just one quick question (even though it may be difficult to answer because I am sort of a "special case" here)...but in general, let's just say I stayed under 80-90 grams of net carbs per day. I'm about to try it anyway, AND TRACK EVERY SINGLE CARB in a journal to make sure it's precise. So I was just wondering if anyone here has lost significant weight keeping it under that amount, without going into ketosis, which I'm pretty sure requires getting the net carbs under 50. I can probably do okay if I keep the net carb grams around 80/90...but would it make a difference when it comes to weight loss? The net carbs would only be coming from the whole wheat noodles, the apple (1/3 apple) with crunchy peanut butter, the Smart for Life cookies which only have 10 in each, and the spaghetti sauce used to make the spaghetti casserole thingy. I'm taking the turkey on wheat out of the plan, the whole wheat bread just has too many carbs to deal with. And I will be adding more high fat into my diet as was suggested, such as cooking things more in butter like the ground beef and maybe even some regular steak. The baked chicken I buy is from Kroger.
**One last question, anyone know of the best-tasting low-carb BBQ sauce I can buy (already made)? That chicken is so darn boring without it. Unfortunately, BBQ sauce has the sugar and carbs, and I have no room for them in my plan. Thanks in advance. I truly appreciate all of your advice ^ above.
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  #7   ^
Old Sat, Jun-03-17, 11:28
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is offline
Posts: 13,370
 
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
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You haven't mentioned the timing of your meals.. common advice is same foods in more smaller meals.
Aglaee Jacob in Quebec is another LC dietician who can customize LC for hypoglycemia...check her tips on timing or arrange a consultation.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/3...thout-diabetes/

Here's a SF BBQ sauce...ask the OP on this thread if he likes the flavors he got. http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=477193

All the best,
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  #8   ^
Old Mon, Jun-05-17, 19:42
Mel4417 Mel4417 is offline
New Member
Posts: 4
 
Plan: Under 100 per day
Stats: 143/137/123 Female 5'5"
BF:
Progress:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JEY100
You haven't mentioned the timing of your meals.. common advice is same foods in more smaller meals.
Aglaee Jacob in Quebec is another LC dietician who can customize LC for hypoglycemia...check her tips on timing or arrange a consultation.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/3...thout-diabetes/

Here's a SF BBQ sauce...ask the OP on this thread if he likes the flavors he got. http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=477193

All the best,


Hi, I just eat whenever I start getting weak and shaky. Today I had 2 beef patties with cheese and I felt packed for about 5 hours, but had some trouble concentrating and also got a little wired and confused, so I knew I needed some carbs/sugar, just some, not a lot. So I ate a Smart for Life cookie (10 net carbs) and finally started thinking straight again. Oh! As for the BBQ sauce, thanks for the thread, I checked it out. Today I went to Meijer and bought Stubb's Original and it wasn't half bad at all. 9 net grams of carbs for 2 tbsp. Had a bit of a "kick" to it, so you can bet I only needed those 2 tbsp. and no more. I put it on barbecued chicken and it tastes pretty good. Just took a bite to test it out. And with it, I have a chef salad (this is all planned later for this evening) with Wishbone Caesar Dressing, only 1 carb.
Thanks all for your help! Hoping staying around 80-90 will make a difference and get me to lose those last 14 lbs. THEY ARE STUBBORN.
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  #9   ^
Old Tue, Jun-06-17, 02:38
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is offline
Posts: 13,370
 
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
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Eating two beef patties and cheese and then nothing for five hours does not meet any of the techniques to control hypoglycemia listed in article linked above. Suggestions are to space eating 2-3 hours. Not more food but one patty at a time, eaten with a low glycemic carb and fiber, maybe half the cookie? Do not eat carbs by themselves and that cookie doesn't look to be low glycemic with all the wheat, sugar and soy and other grain ingredients. The goal is to stay ahead of the shakey-hungry stage.
Do you use a BG meter to test the foods you eat? That is take a reading 30 and 60 minutes after one of the cookies? Whole wheat noodles or any food you eat until to know your reaction to it.

By testing you could make a meal plan with both food content and timing that works for you to keep BG steadier.
Here's an article how to use a meter for weight loss but same would apply to using it as a tool to avoid hypoglycemia or improve any Metabolic distortion.
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2016/...ng-blood-sugar/. And http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2014/...ool-fingertips/

Last edited by JEY100 : Tue, Jun-06-17 at 03:02.
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  #10   ^
Old Tue, Jun-06-17, 03:11
Mel4417 Mel4417 is offline
New Member
Posts: 4
 
Plan: Under 100 per day
Stats: 143/137/123 Female 5'5"
BF:
Progress:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JEY100
Eating two beef patties and cheese and then nothing for five hours does not meet any of the techniques to control hypoglycemia listed in article linked above. Suggestions are to space eating 2-3 hours. Not more food but one patty at a time, eaten with a low glycemic carb and fiber, maybe half the cookie? Do not eat carbs by themselves and that cookie doesn't look to be low glycemic with all the wheat, sugar and soy and other grain ingredients. The goal is to stay ahead of the shakey-hungry stage.
Do you use a BG meter to test the foods you eat? That is take a reading 30 and 60 minutes after one of the cookies? Whole wheat noodles or any food you eat until to know your reaction to it.

By testing you could make a meal plan with both food content and timing that works for you to keep BG steadier.
Here's an article how to use a meter for weight loss but same would apply to using it as a tool to avoid hypoglycemia or improve any Metabolic distortion.
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2016/...ng-blood-sugar/. And http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2014/...ool-fingertips/


Hi, and thanks for all the info. I know, I did it wrong by eating the 2 beef patties and then nothing else for a long time. I was actually thinking the same thing as you while I was eating those 2 patties - "I should probably eat 1/2 a Smart 4 Life Cookie with this to add a few carbs/sugar"... but I didn't. So I see what you mean, eating it alone, many hours after all the protein, could still cause a spike. These cookies are supposed to be a meal replacement and keep sugar levels steady, that's why I was mainly interested in them. But to be honest, when I do eat one alone, it doesn't do much, and I still feel like it wasn't enough in about 15 mins. As for the part about avoiding the shaky/weak hungry - that's how it's always been for me, low-carbing or not. My stomach never gets hungry before I get the shakes. I wish it would, because then I would know to eat before my sugar drops. But it's always too late. I go from feeling completely fine, to getting weak - and that's when I realize I'm hungry and it's time to eat. So maybe I'll just do it every 2-3 hrs. like you said so it won't ever get a chance to drop. It's just I'm worried that eating when you're not truly hungry will cause weight gain. But still worth a try because sugar spikes and drops will also cause weight gain. Thanks for the link - will check it. Low blood sugar really sucks.
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  #11   ^
Old Sun, Jun-11-17, 08:47
truckgirl's Avatar
truckgirl truckgirl is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 8,887
 
Plan: Organic/Dr. Berg
Stats: 239/201.6/150 Female 5 ft 6 in
BF:
Progress: 42%
Location: USA
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Welcome! I used to fight hypoglycemic issues so I understand the feelings you've mentioned! Getting blood sugar levels stable is going to help you so much 😊
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  #12   ^
Old Sun, Jun-11-17, 08:57
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zoogirl zoogirl is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,910
 
Plan: atkins 20
Stats: 127.6/111/110 Female 5' 2"
BF:
Progress: 94%
Location: Canada
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Hi and welcome to the forum, there is a ton of support here, just start poking around, try not to get overwhelmed, remember one day at a time, drop by my journal sometime, nice to meet you, ttyl
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