Adding in more carbs
 

One of my goals that I made for myself in maintaince was to stay at 30 carbs or under. Now I see that I really do what a few more carbs to play with, more veges and all. I am thinking of going up about 5 carbs a week to about 50 carbs a day, and would like to know what others have found out what level is good for you?

I see that Atkins is your chosen plan. Do you mind if I ask if you worked thru all 4 of the phases? Usually if you have, (particularly OWL) you will have found your CCL and CCM.

One of the things that I find is that if a person has kept their carb level quite low all the way to goal, they end up not knowing what is "safe" or not "safe" or how much to add without deleterious effects. It sounds like this is where you have found yourself.




The only thing that I would tell you is even though you're at goal, use the principles of OWL and the rungs of the carb ladder. I wouldn't willy-nilly just start adding in foods. You may find that 50 carbs a day you start gaining, or you may surprise yourself and find that you can tolerate more. I would probably suggest only adding 1 food at a time and use a 2 week time frame instead of 1 week. Often it takes more than a week to have the full impact.

I can tolerate about 40-50 net carbs/day in the form of the lower rungs and rung 5. I occassonally eat a starchier veg like 2 oz of roasted parsnip. And rarely if ever eat from the higher fruits, legumes, and wheat. For me, I can tolerate sugar much better than wheat products. I can stop if I eat a piece of candy, but wheat puts me in the downward spiral to hell.

Hope this helps a little bit.

Progress not perfection.

Lisa

thanks Lisa, fruit does not call me, nor does wheat, now that I have been off them for 6 months. I find things like peanut butter could be a trigger still. It was a staple before. I added in more veges, nuts and berries but since I was also watching calories, i could not add in more than up to about 30 carbs. So that is how I find myself here. I will just add in, watch my weight and blood sugar.

Usually peanut butter is a trigger because it's a legume and not a nut.

I'm not a huge bean eater, and wheat is the devil. My favorite starchy veg is roasted parsnips and brussel sprouts in (shhhhhh.....) lard, garlic, dried red chilis, onion powder, salt & pepper.

It seems like we all have had to watch the calories as we got older and closer to goal. It's just really inevitable so I hear ya on that count.

Fruits a big trigger for me (took me a long time to learn and an even longer time to accept) but I will occasionally partake of 1/4 apple or some berries. Nuts are just too caloric if you're not watching the portions.

Yeah...this is the dark side of maintenance if you're truly going to keep it off and stick to it for life.

(but....I wouldn't give up my size 6 Levi's for anything)

Progress not perfection.

Lisa

Was there something particular that was calling to you???

Arlene, I ventured up the carb ladder a bit before I determined that I really couldn't eat much higher than induction level (and, honestly, below that to lose at more than 1/2 a month (yes, you read that right) as I got closer to goal. What I found worked best was to first add 5 net carbs (yes, I was doing NANY), but it could be total carbs just as easily, and eat only the same foods I'd been eating. After a week or two at that higher carb level, I would introduce a new nut or fruit or daily product and try it every other day 3-5 times (in the intervening days, I'd stay at the same carb level, but only eat from foods I knew I tolerated well).

If I didn't have a reaction to it, I would move it to my "tried and true list", and try another new food 3-5 times on alternate days. Repeat as needed. About six weeks later, I tried adding another 5 Net Carbs, and on that week I didn't add a new food. Unfortunately 30 NT (~50 total) was about as high as I got before I stalled out and slowly began dropping back.

If you are satisfied with all the foods you are eating, you could simply try adding 5 carbs at a time till you either stop losing or start to gain. I'm not sure I'd add 5 carbs every week though; I think I'd do it every 2-4 weeks and give your body time to adjust.

It could be, Arlene, if you are at 30 carbs and not losing that that really is you ACE - Atkins Carb Equilibrium. Unfortunately I think as we get older, particularly post-menopausal, and if we are insulin resistant at all, our tolerance for carbs plummets. When I did South Beach, starting in 2004 at age 50, I could easily eat 50-75 carbs per day and lose a pound or two a week; as noted, my tolerance is way less now.

Lisa, size 6 jeans! Holy catfish, I think I was in third grade! LOL I am VERY happy in my 12s right now. Yes, I also get into trouble with nuts, I have to be careful. Thanks for the advice and words of wisdom. My husband LOVES beans but I don't lust after them, and will have to find alternative things to eat when I fix him his favorite bean soup.

Liz, Your advice sounds good. I will try adding in five carbs on a two week advance and alternate days. I may be at my ACE at 30 as it seems I have stopped losing. I will give it a few more weeks. One problem I am having is just adding in enough to get to 30 or above! I love brussels sprouts, will have to have several servings or find another vege that is high.

I am nervous about adding carbs. I reached goal three weeks ago. Started adding about 5 to 10 carb grams per day in the form of blueberries, and small amounts of other fruits. I've continued to lose. I find I don't have a sense of how much I can eat without gaining. I'd love to be eating more fruit and some yougurt. That's about all I'd change.

I suspect I am more worried than I need to be at the moment. I'm tall, and I am eating SO much less overall than I had been for the last three decades.

I have been at goal for a few months now and for me, it was the scariest time. I know how to regulate what I was eating for losing, but to stay stable an not gain? Lots of work to figure it out. I can say that with time, and trying, I am much more comfortable now. I stay at or just under my goal and know how to lose if I need to. I weigh every day or so and make changes for a few days to get back down. You will learn this, too.

Go here http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=91 and read!!!
When you feel like joining in, put yourself on the list of the weekly weighin!

There's really no reason to be nervous as long as you are keeping a close eye on the scale and any cravings (and taking the great advice given in this thread). Tomorrow is my 9 month anniversary in maintenance and I'm still learning how to navigate it! It just takes time and trial and error.

You should definitely join us in the weekly weigh-in thread!

I am on another plan, but have always thought going up the Atkins carb ladder made sense. It is scary adding in carbs, and for many of us scary to not lose and stay the same- but this is the long haul!!
In a few weeks it will be my 9th anniversary on plan and I still can't believe it!
Maintaining is SO worth it!