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  #1   ^
Old Mon, Oct-16-17, 17:50
Ptrcmcc6's Avatar
Ptrcmcc6 Ptrcmcc6 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,570
 
Plan: Eating healthier
Stats: 185/178/150 Female 5 feet 3 inches
BF:
Progress: 20%
Location: Jersey Shore
Default Anybody following their own plan?

Hi, All......I'm just curious to know if anybody else out there is basically following a "general" low carb plan and if so, how many carbs, per day, do you allow yourself? I, personally, can not keep my carbs below 20g per day, so following Atkins is not for me. I do, however, try to keep my carb intake to somewhere between 30 - 60 net grams per day and I try to get these carbs from healthy foods. A lot of times, with everyday life, it's not always possible so I may, for instance, opt for something like turkey breast and Swiss cheese (both deli sliced) wrapped around a pickle slice for lunch. I know deli meats are processed and they're not really, what you would call "healthy", but to me it seems like a better option (for the 1/2 hour I have to buy/eat lunch) than a lot of other things out there.

Anyway, just curious if anybody else does their own thing, also. I would also like to add, I am down 7 lbs. so far so something must be working.
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  #2   ^
Old Mon, Oct-16-17, 20:06
TucsonBill's Avatar
TucsonBill TucsonBill is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 339
 
Plan: ≤ 20 carbs & IF
Stats: 292/235/170 Male 72 Inches
BF:
Progress: 47%
Location: Tucson, AZ
Default

I started out just shooting for less than 20 carbs a day and have stuck to that religiously. After the first 3-4 weeks I did not miss the carbs at all and found that it became easy for me to fast and am now just eating one meal a day.

In 10 weeks I'm down 47.6 pounds. A lot of that weight, over 17 pounds, was lost the first week, (mostly water weight). Since then I have had very steady weight loss.

I did get Dr Bernstein's book but still have not finished reading it. I've just been following the advice I've gotten in these forums and I'm shooting for 1% weight loss per week.
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  #3   ^
Old Tue, Oct-17-17, 03:07
scintillad scintillad is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 50
 
Plan: OMAD intermittent fasting
Stats: 200/173/145 Female 5'5"
BF:
Progress: 49%
Location: Maine
Default

I am doing low carb plus intermittent fasting one meal a day. (OMAD). I strive to keep my carbs as low as possible and I only eat 1 meal a day within a one hour time frame. After the first couple of days I am never hungry, and sometimes I eat just because I know it has been more than 24 hours and I know I need the nutrition to make it to the next day. I am comfortably full at the end of the meal, no counting calories, and eat until I am satisfied. One of the problems I had, which is a small one, is eating enough calories in just one meal without feeling uncomfortably full. I solved this by eating calorie dense food (lots of fat), and eating half of my meal, waiting 20 to 30 minutes, then eating the other half. This way of eating has been life-changing! No more food obsession, no more snacking, eating in the car, or fast food. I save enough money by eating one meal a day that I can afford to eat really good food, such as steak, scallops, shrimp, etc. I no longer eat mindlessly. I wait until I have the time to sit down and actually take my time and enjoy my meal, rather than wasting my one meal a day eating something I wouldn't enjoy. I have been solidly in ketosis ever since I have started. The one time I ate off plan was a really good Thai dinner and since I stuck to my intermittent fasting, OMAD, plan, I didn't even get out of ketosis by eating pad thai. This has been the easiest plan I have ever been on, and by only eating one meal a day, has allowed me the flexibility to eat with friends or family by planning my timing around their schedules. Belly fat has decreased dramatically in a short time, and I have more energy. Coming from a long history of eating disorders and food obsession, I can't stress how much this plan has helped me.
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  #4   ^
Old Tue, Oct-17-17, 03:48
Ptrcmcc6's Avatar
Ptrcmcc6 Ptrcmcc6 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,570
 
Plan: Eating healthier
Stats: 185/178/150 Female 5 feet 3 inches
BF:
Progress: 20%
Location: Jersey Shore
Default

Thanx to both of you and congrats on your continued success. It sounds like both of you are in agreement with IF and it's success. I'm not sure if I would be able to do IF though because, if I don't eat after so long, I get lightheaded and shaky. I'm wondering if I can start slowly? Right now I usually have 3 meals a day and, on most days, 2 snacks. One mid morning, when I go on break in work, and the 2nd snack is usually a little something before I go to bed. Last night is was about 6 small slices of pepperoni but on most nights, I usually have a Dannon Light & Fit Greek yogurt. That's 9g carbs right there I could probably do without.

Anyway, I'm thinking maybe I should look into this IF but take my approach a little more slowly. I can start by cutting out the snacks for a week or so, then try going down to 2 meals a day (as opposed to 3) for another week or so to see how I feel and then see if I can do one meal a day. I'm just curious though. I know you guys seem to have made this your WOE but just wondering if you can eat this way for, let's say maybe, a week out of the month and then go back to 2 meals a day for the other 3 weeks?
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  #5   ^
Old Tue, Oct-17-17, 05:38
scintillad scintillad is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 50
 
Plan: OMAD intermittent fasting
Stats: 200/173/145 Female 5'5"
BF:
Progress: 49%
Location: Maine
Default

A lot of people do intermittent fasting with 16 hour fast and 8 hour eating window at first. That way you can eat your meals within an 8 hour window, such as from 10 AM to 6 PM. That way you are sleeping through most of the fasting period. Any 8 hour time slot will do though. After getting used to that you can go 18/6, 20/4, etc. I go 23/1 and am never hungry. I was for the first couple of days but after that I never got hungry. It helps if you are already fat adapted from being on low carb for awhile. The main thing is not to eat or drink anything but water, black coffee or tea, or sparkling water during the fasting period. That means nothing with ANY calories.
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  #6   ^
Old Wed, Oct-18-17, 06:10
Merpig's Avatar
Merpig Merpig is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 7,582
 
Plan: EF/Fung IDM/keto
Stats: 375/225.4/175 Female 66.5 inches
BF:
Progress: 75%
Location: NE Florida
Default

Even with fasting there are so many variations in rules. Dr. Fung does allow a little cream in your coffee on fasting days, and some bone broth. Dr. Valter Longo has his “fasting mimicking” plan which allows several hundred calories in a day but which he claims provides all the same benefits as absolute fasting.

I think many of here do a bit of “mix and match” when it comes to eating plans.
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  #7   ^
Old Wed, Oct-18-17, 08:13
JLx's Avatar
JLx JLx is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 3,199
 
Plan: High protein, lower fat
Stats: 000/000/145 Female 66
BF:276, 255 hi wts
Progress: 0%
Location: Michigan U.P., USA
Default

I do my own low carb thing, and sometimes not very low carb, combined with intermittent fasting days. I've also been doing some protein powder/fruit days when I get into trouble. I read about it here: https://www.wellnessresources.com/n...-loss-challenge

That advice was about a clogged liver hindering weight loss, but what I'm finding about this short term intervention is that it helps me get my head squared away. I always want to eat carbs, and the more I eat, the more I want to eat. Doing the protein powder/fruit thing calms that down better than just LC for some reason, and I can get back on track. And I lose weight! (With no regain.) The first time I did it for 3 days, I lost 9 lbs; the second, 5 lbs; currently, will probably come out to be 4. The fact that I'm losing less each time indicates my liver is healthier, I think. The other reason I believe it works is because of the fiber and its benefits to gut health.
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  #8   ^
Old Wed, Oct-18-17, 10:13
Kinmount's Avatar
Kinmount Kinmount is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 505
 
Plan: LCHF
Stats: 205/181.8/145 Female 5 ft 4 in
BF:
Progress: 39%
Location: Southern Ontario
Default

I'm doing low carb with no fasting loosely based on the Protein Power plan. I try to eat under 30 net carbs per day and 1300 calories plus fat and protein amounts based on Protein Power guidelines for my weight and body fat numbers. There is a small list of vegetables I like which includes salads, cucumber, tomato, carrots, turnip, kale, asparagus and cabbage. I stay away from bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. It's working. I cook all my own meals and stay away from processed food for the most part. I find coldcuts way too salty now.
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  #9   ^
Old Wed, Oct-18-17, 11:42
Grav Grav is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,469
 
Plan: Banting
Stats: 302/187/187 Male 175cm
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: New Zealand
Default

I don't set myself a daily limit on carbs, but instead allow myself to eat as much as I like of anything that contains no more than a set amount of net carbs per 100g of food. This is based on the "Banting" approach promoted by Tim Noakes' Real Meal Revolution, which is how I got started with LCHF 2 years ago. Most of the time when I was actively losing, that upper limit was 5g per 100g; currently I'm in maintenance so I'm working within 10g.

Here in New Zealand our food labels include a breakdown of nutrients per 100g as well as "per serving" and "% of recommended daily value", both of which - as most of us here already know - are pretty subjective. This makes it really easy for me to get a direct comparison between similar products. I know this information isn't so readily available on food labels in the States, but Google will helpfully give you the breakdown of most things in this way by searching for "(food name) nutrition" as well.

In general terms I also favour keto over paleo, in that I do eat my share of full-fat dairy (cheese, om nom nom!), and I'm not afraid of processed food if it's still low carb (e.g. spam), although most of what I eat is of course real food anyway, so I don't think it's too big a deal.

Regarding fasting, for me it's not so much of an option during the week when I'm working, but most weekends/holidays I can limit myself to two meals a day without much trouble. At all times though, I just eat when I'm hungry, and don't when I'm not. Pretty simple really.
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  #10   ^
Old Wed, Oct-18-17, 14:34
SuzyQ0902 SuzyQ0902 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 687
 
Plan: LCHF/IF
Stats: 268.8/242.4/140 Female 5'6"
BF:
Progress: 20%
Location: Texoma
Default

I also just do a general low carb thing. I no longer count carbs, but I know I keep them very low (probably under 20/day) because I'm very careful in what I eat, and avoid snacks except for a piece of cheddar cheese when I get home from work. I rarely eat 3 meals/day. Most days I don't eat til noon, so I'm fasting for 15-18 hrs/day. A few days a week I only eat dinner, so I'm getting in 22-23 hrs of fasting.
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  #11   ^
Old Thu, Oct-19-17, 01:07
Ambulo's Avatar
Ambulo Ambulo is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 3,160
 
Plan: LerC, TRE, IF
Stats: 150/120/120 Female 64 inches
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: the North, England
Default

I have 2 simple rules - no grains, potatoes or sugars; and eat within 5 consecutive hours, which in practice ends up mostly within 2. On top of that, no seed oils and vegetable oils, no fruit juices, and mostly no beans because I do not like them! So higher carb than most people on this forum I suspect, but I don't count anything.
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  #12   ^
Old Thu, Oct-19-17, 03:56
cotonpal's Avatar
cotonpal cotonpal is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 5,269
 
Plan: very low carb real food
Stats: 245/125/135 Female 62
BF:
Progress: 109%
Location: Vermont
Default

I personally found it better to follow a specific plan when I was starting out. That way I couldn't fool myself about why I needed to give in to this or that particular craving or habit. It also set me up for some good habits that have lasted over years like weighing and measuring everything and recording everything I eat. This has become second nature to me and it's just what I do. It doesn't feel like too much work or obsessive. However you decide to eat you need to ask yourself what your goals are and if the way you are eating accomplishes them or whether the way you are eating turns into a form of self-sabotage.

Jean
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  #13   ^
Old Thu, Oct-19-17, 05:57
Ptrcmcc6's Avatar
Ptrcmcc6 Ptrcmcc6 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,570
 
Plan: Eating healthier
Stats: 185/178/150 Female 5 feet 3 inches
BF:
Progress: 20%
Location: Jersey Shore
Default

Thanx to all of you for your responses. A very interesting read to see what works for each and every one of you. I guess that is what it really boils down to. We each have to do what works best, and we feel we can stick to, as an individual. Personally, keeping my carbs at 20g or below, right now, is not an option. I've tried it before and I wind up feeling deprived and hungry for things I should not be eating. I guess you can say I'm doing a sort of backwards Atkins. I'm starting with my carbs being a little higher and I will tweak from there with the hopes of someday getting them down to somewhere around 20g per day........lol.

Anyway, thanx for all the feedback. Please keep them coming........

Patty
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  #14   ^
Old Thu, Oct-19-17, 09:26
bkloots's Avatar
bkloots bkloots is offline
Posts: 10,141
 
Plan: LC--Atkins
Stats: 195/162/150 Female 62in
BF:
Progress: 73%
Location: Kansas City, MO
Default

For many of us for whom "weight management" has been a lifetime challenge, low-carb has proved to be the best strategy for actually achieving maintenance. I began with a plan (Atkins), but after fifteen years of staying in that general category, I've finally arrived at a life where I don't "count" anything. I like that.

My baseline: No sugar. No starch. Moderate exercise.

With those black-and-white "rules" always in my head, I'm mindful of the choices I make from day to day, and for the most part, make good ones.

Best wishes.
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  #15   ^
Old Thu, Oct-19-17, 11:54
madeyna's Avatar
madeyna madeyna is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 936
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 168/128/130 Female 5.3
BF:
Progress: 105%
Default

I sort of backed into Atkins as well. I started with just clean eating no sugar no starches or flour .Didn,t count anything just ate clean. When that slowed down the rate of loss I started counting carbs when that slowed down started counting counting cals as well. For the last 15 pounds I did that all as well as added imf and really blew off the last usually hard 15 pounds. I did Atkins for several years so I know the program really well and didn,t regain everything I had originally lost so that was helpful. This time I wanted a make it easier to start so I more or less detoxed by eating clean for the first month or so then going on the theory that as your body gets smaller it needs less carbs and cals to maintain it I got strickter on the diet about every ten pounds . I am struggling with maintaining by doing it this way because I hit goal at my stricktest point in the diet so I spent a month after I hit goal slowly adding carbs and cals working my way back up the adkins plan the way its written. I was hungry so if I had just jumped off thet diet at the point I hit the goal I would have had a very quick regain.
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