Beginning a Low Carb Diet

[Reece Berg]

Hi there,

I've been following CRON for 5 months now and it has done wonders for me. I currently consume roughly 1,000-1,200 kcal per day.

I currently intake the following each day:

Breakfast = 55 grams Vector cereal, 2x Calcium and Vitamin D Supplement
Lunch = EAS Myoplex Deluxe Whey Protein Shake
Supper = 100 gram Lindt 85% Cocoa Bar
2 cups of Matcha Green Tea

This provides me with 80% or more of every vitamin and mineral except potassium, selenium and phosphorus. However, this RDI is based on a 2,000 kcal diet so I don't think I'm intaking too little of any vitamin seeing as my low calorie intake gives me lesser vitamin requirements.

This provides a total of approximately 68 grams of protein, 53 grams of fat, 100 grams of carbs for a total of 272 kcal from protein, 477 kcal from fat, 400 kcal from carbs.
Rounded up this yields roughly : 24%/42%/35% (for protein/fat/carbs respectively).

I would greatly appreciate any insight on what kind of direction I could go from here. I'm quite new to this low carb method of healthy eating and am still not exactly sure how low I should go in terms of carbs, as well as how to balance the protein/fat ratio. I would greatly appreciate ideas on things I could add/modify to my current diet in order to perfect it, however I don't want the diet to go over 1,200kcals otherwise it will begin to conflict with my CR. I'd also like to keep the Lindt bar (if possible), as it gives me something tasty to enjoy and actually has the least carbs of all my meals. Thanks for taking the time to read and respond :)

[MeBLady]

Hi there,

I've been following CRON for 5 months now and it has done wonders for me. I currently consume roughly 1,000-1,200 kcal per day.

I currently intake the following each day:

Breakfast = 55 grams Vector cereal, 2x Calcium and Vitamin D Supplement
Lunch = EAS Myoplex Deluxe Whey Protein Shake
Supper = 100 gram Lindt 85% Cocoa Bar
2 cups of Matcha Green Tea

This provides me with 80% or more of every vitamin and mineral except potassium, selenium and phosphorus. However, this RDI is based on a 2,000 kcal diet so I don't think I'm intaking too little of any vitamin seeing as my low calorie intake gives me lesser vitamin requirements.

This provides a total of approximately 68 grams of protein, 53 grams of fat, 100 grams of carbs for a total of 272 kcal from protein, 477 kcal from fat, 400 kcal from fat.
Rounded up this yields roughly : 24%/42%/35% (for protein/fat/carbs respectively).

I would greatly appreciate any insight on what kind of direction I could go from here. I'm quite new to this low carb method of healthy eating and am still not exactly sure how low I should go in terms of carbs, as well as how to balance the protein/fat ratio. I would greatly appreciate ideas on things I could add/modify to my current diet in order to perfect it, however I don't want the diet to go over 1,200kcals otherwise it will begin to conflict with my CR. I'd also like to keep the Lindt bar (if possible), as it gives me something tasty to enjoy and actually has the least carbs of all my meals. Thanks for taking the time to read and respond :)

I'm not familiar with your plan, but can offer some insights on protein/fat/carbs.

For your current weight, height and gender, you are low on protein....you should be getting at least 80 g. of protein per day to preserve/maintain muscle mass -- a little more than that if you are doing any type of resistance training. If calories are a concern, stick to the leaner cuts of meat.

For the amount of carbs you are consuming, IMO, your fat intake looks okay.

With carbs, you are on the higher end of the scale for a typical LC diet, but 100 g. is okay for a maintenance level as long as you are not experiencing cravings and not gaining weight. If you lower your carbs, you could most likely increase your calories and your fat intake without gaining weight. The key is to make sure the majority of your carbs come from healthy, nutricious sources.

[Reece Berg]

Thanks for the advice meblady :)

I'm going to do some research and see if I can find some foods I like that could increase protein without increasing carbs and try and cut back on carbs a bit. Thanks again and congratulations on achieving your goal :)

[nikkil]

Maybe you could have 1/2 the bar and then add in some veggies? Also, does your protein shake have sugar and what's the carb count?

Instead of the vector cereal, what about a flaxmeal one or some eggs (even whites with veggies cooked in olive or flax oil)?

sorry, I have to say that your meal plan doesn't look very healthy, IMO. I'd cut out the chocolate completely and replace it with whole foods...

BUT, to each their own - you asked for an opinion and I'm sharing mine but if it works for you and you're happy then go for it :)

[Reece Berg]

Maybe you could have 1/2 the bar and then add in some veggies? Also, does your protein shake have sugar and what's the carb count?

Instead of the vector cereal, what about a flaxmeal one or some eggs (even whites with veggies cooked in olive or flax oil)?

sorry, I have to say that your meal plan doesn't look very healthy, IMO. I'd cut out the chocolate completely and replace it with whole foods...

BUT, to each their own - you asked for an opinion and I'm sharing mine but if it works for you and you're happy then go for it :)

Thanks for the advice nikki :)

My protein shake has 19g of carbs (2g from sugar) as well as 53g of protein and 4g of fat. I never knew there was so much protein in egg whites! I'm definitely going to add those into my diet :)
Any suggestion on how much flax I should use? As for the chocolate bar, it's sort of a special bar in that it provides 46g of fat (!), 11g of protein and only 19g carbs (unfortunately 15 of which are from sugar). I kind of considered it an easy way to get a balanced amount of fat in my diet - as the other things I eat are extremely low in fat.

[nikkil]

It's all the sugar that would be worrisome, not the fat. I can guarantee that there are other ways to get the fat without having the sugar that goes with the chocolate :) What about adding mayo to things, cooking with oils, having salad with dressing, veggies with butter??

[Reece Berg]

salads with dressings and veggies with butter sounds great, thanks again :)
About how low should I try to keep sugar consumption?

[cs_carver]

However, this RDI is based on a 2,000 kcal diet so I don't think I'm intaking too little of any vitamin seeing as my low calorie intake gives me lesser vitamin requirements.

Vitamin requirements ride on you, not on your caloric intake. The RDI is the LEAST amount you can take to stave off the major nutritional-deficiency diseases--not at all the same thing as promoting long-term good health. I don't worry much about potassium, myself--I get a good early warning from leg cramps when I'm low, and I take more. But the rest? 80% of not much is not enough, IMO.

Worse, it all looks fake--I can see a plan like this to blast off weight, but are you planning on sticking to it for life? Cereal and chocolate. Hmm... not much room for Mother Nature to intervene.

And then, because you asked--take the sugar to zero. There's no need for it at all, nutritionally, and it's pushing good stuff out of your plan.

[Reece Berg]

Vitamin requirements ride on you, not on your caloric intake. The RDI is the LEAST amount you can take to stave off the major nutritional-deficiency diseases--not at all the same thing as promoting long-term good health. I don't worry much about potassium, myself--I get a good early warning from leg cramps when I'm low, and I take more. But the rest? 80% of not much is not enough, IMO.

Worse, it all looks fake--I can see a plan like this to blast off weight, but are you planning on sticking to it for life? Cereal and chocolate. Hmm... not much room for Mother Nature to intervene.

And then, because you asked--take the sugar to zero. There's no need for it at all, nutritionally, and it's pushing good stuff out of your plan.

Thanks for the advice :)
You are right - it certainly has helped me lose weight - 25 pounds but I know this is because of the calorie amount I have been consuming and not because I really have a clue on how to make proper meals :help:
I really do like sugar and chocolate lol but I guess I'll get rid of some of the chocolate since everyone is telling me it's not a good idea. I was reading up alot on antioxidants and saw that dark chocolate had an ORAC score of 13,000+ and just thought that between dark chocolate and green tea I would get all the antioxidants found in fruits + veggies and could just get most of my vitamins from my cereal and my protein shake. I guess adding a multivitamin to be at 100% or more certainly wouldn't hurt as well as cutting back on the chocolate :)

[cs_carver]

dark chocolate had an ORAC score of 13,000+ and just thought that between dark chocolate and green tea I would get all the antioxidants found in fruits + veggies and could just get most of my vitamins from my cereal and my protein shake.

But, what's the score of an equivalent caloric amount of kale and blueberries?

I think virtually any form of restriction + supplementation is ok for a short-term program. Heck, people DID live through concentration camp conditions. BUT: that's not a plan for a long and healthy old age, IMO. EVERY month, we learn of new factors in natural foods that affect health. ALL the time. I really don't want to bet my long-term good health on the limited data available in 2006....

Just as an example--I don't see any "colored" foods in your plan, and it's the colored stuff that protects your eyes from macular degeneration. While a very few of the very expensive general multi-vitamins may provide the luteins that are protective, it's not much.

[Reece Berg]

Thanks again for the advice :)

You're right, I preoccupied myself so much with basic nutrition, I neglected to look at other things that may impair my health. I'm not a big fan of kale, however I did some research on what you suggested and found out that corn also has lutein - now that's something I could eat on a daily basis :)
I know it's high in carbs, but I suppose if I cut back on the cereal I could make room for it (I'm a newbie so my goal right now is to keep carbs under 100g, see how it goes and reduce from there over time).
As for ORAC scores, kale scores in at around 1770, blueberries at 2400. I suppose I could add some blueberries in too (I'm fairly fussy when it comes to fruits and vegetables, so even taking in 1 a day of each will require some conditioning...)

Ok, so here is my modified diet at the moment. I of course haven't tried this one out yet and am just shaping it based on suggestions from people.

Breakfast = Myoplex Deluxe Protein Shake with 1 Tbsp grounded flax mixed in
Lunch = 1/2 Lindt 85% Cocoa + 1 cup blueberries + Multivitamin
Supper = 1x corn on the cob, 1 serving of low carb meat (variety)
2x matcha green tea

I know this certainly won't win me any awards for most creative or healthy meals, however I do believe it's a step in the right direction.

[Elizellen]

I think on that menu plan I would give up before the day was out!!
It will be interesting to hear if you have any 'bathroom issues' eating only that for a period of time!!

[Reece Berg]

I guess we'll find out soon enough lol. I should be ready to try this in a few days once I go grocery shopping :)

[kwikdriver]

You might want to look for someone named Whoa182 or Whoa282 -- something like that, anyway. He hangs around here and does CRON, and is pretty hard core, as well as being a bright guy. There's a long, long thread on CRON here you ought to look up, all sorts of info.

I have to concur with some other people here: the "ON" in CRON stands for "optimal nutrition," but there ain't a thing nutritious about sugar. It's a pure waste of calories, and on your calorie intake (which looks way low, even for a CR plan), you can't afford to waste calories.

[Reece Berg]

Thanks for your reply and advice :)
I will definitely check that out!