Talk to me about low-carb diets

notanewuser

darwins_mum wrote: »

Thanks for your tips Firefox. I have approx 1 tin of sweetcorn a week, is that too much? 1 large sweet potato a week in soup, again, is that too much? Occassionally I have brown rice, a tortilla wrap once a week, no pasta, no white bread, no white potatoes, occassional pebble sized purple potatotes.
Crisps and apples seem to be my downfall.
I get loads of berries in porridge every day, I have just moved to jumbo oats, is porridge daily fine? I can't think of anything else to have for breakfast on the train. I eat no red meat, little cheese or cows milk. I do manage lots of flax seeds, linseeds sunflower and pumpkin seeds daily. I have found myself craving purple veg (good job as it is my favourite colour). How many grams of carbs should I be aiming for a day?
Just managed to get the book today, so slowly working my way through it, it will take a while for me to absorb it no doubt.
DM

For weightloss, 20-40g of carbs per day. For maintaining, somewhere between 40 and 80g.

Oats are a starch, so is rice, tortilla wraps, sweet potato. 40g of jumbo oats with water is around 23g of carbs.

darwins_mum

notanewuser wrote: »

For weightloss, 20-40g of carbs per day. For maintaining, somewhere between 40 and 80g.

Oats are a starch, so is rice, tortilla wraps, sweet potato. 40g of jumbo oats with water is around 23g of carbs.

Thank you Notanewuser. I will reduce my porridge portion size until I find a breakfast that works on the train. I am assuming that I need to cut out the oat milk as well?
When it is warmer I can manage with a green smoothie, but not when it is this cold.
DM

notanewuser

darwins_mum wrote: »

Thank you Notanewuser. I will reduce my porridge portion size until I find a breakfast that works on the train. I am assuming that I need to cut out the oat milk as well?
When it is warmer I can manage with a green smoothie, but not when it is this cold.
DM

I make sausage and egg muffins. They're basically like baked omelettes - cooked sausages, eggs, cream and water, and grated cheddar on top. Baked in batches in the oven. Very portable cooked breakfast. Work at any temperature. Often do them 12 at a time, with bacon for hubby or mushrooms for me.

Do a similar thing with feta cheese and a small amount of red onion (plus oregano) in place of the sausages/bacon/mushroom to make a lunch muffin that's brilliant for picnics etc.

Fire_Fox

darwins_mum wrote: »

Thanks for your tips Firefox. I have approx 1 tin of sweetcorn a week, is that too much? 1 large sweet potato a week in soup, again, is that too much? Occassionally I have brown rice, a tortilla wrap once a week, no pasta, no white bread, no white potatoes, occassional pebble sized purple potatotes.
Crisps and apples seem to be my downfall.
I get loads of berries in porridge every day, I have just moved to jumbo oats, is porridge daily fine? I can't think of anything else to have for breakfast on the train. I eat no red meat, little cheese or cows milk. I do manage lots of flax seeds, linseeds sunflower and pumpkin seeds daily. I have found myself craving purple veg (good job as it is my favourite colour). How many grams of carbs should I be aiming for a day?
Just managed to get the book today, so slowly working my way through it, it will take a while for me to absorb it no doubt.
DM

Depends how low carb you want to go, the definition spans a broad church of different eating styles and 'levels'. You absolutely do not need to go super low carb and into ketosis to lose bodyfat. You also don't need to do it all overnight, you could aim for roughly a third of daily calories as carbs and then adjust as you go.

Are you grinding the flax/ linseeds to release the nutrients? Consider switching off the sunflower seeds, they are heavy on omega-6s which you want to limit. Either eat more of the others or add in chia. Also are you somehow supplementing the minerals you are not getting from dairy?

This blog has some wonderful recipes including breakfasts for reduced/ low carb diets including a porridge sub http://www.marmaladeandmileposts.com/
It's based on Smarter Science of Slim principles (free podcasts are great) which is calories split roughly one third each carbs, protein and fat but no actual calorie counting, limited starches, loads of nutritious wholefoods. NOT saying you should follow that just so you know what the basis of the blog/ recipes is.

Ha ha, I am totally obsessed by purple veggies! :T I live in a food dessert but I so want to be able to buy interesting stuff. The closest I can get is red cabbage, aubergine and Flower Sprouts which are really pretty.

darwins_mum

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Depends how low carb you want to go, the definition spans a broad church of different eating styles and 'levels'. You absolutely do not need to go super low carb and into ketosis to lose bodyfat. You also don't need to do it all overnight, you could aim for roughly a third of daily calories as carbs and then adjust as you go.

Are you grinding the flax/ linseeds to release the nutrients? Consider switching off the sunflower seeds, they are heavy on omega-6s which you want to limit. Either eat more of the others or add in chia. Also are you somehow supplementing the minerals you are not getting from dairy?

This blog has some wonderful recipes including breakfasts for reduced/ low carb diets including a porridge sub http://www.marmaladeandmileposts.com/
It's based on Smarter Science of Slim principles (free podcasts are great) which is calories split roughly one third each carbs, protein and fat but no actual calorie counting, limited starches, loads of nutritious wholefoods. NOT saying you should follow that just so you know what the basis of the blog/ recipes is.

Ha ha, I am totally obsessed by purple veggies! :T I live in a food dessert but I so want to be able to buy interesting stuff. The closest I can get is red cabbage, aubergine and Flower Sprouts which are really pretty.

Thank you for the reality check FF, I certainly do not need to do it overnight, but since realising that some carbs have had an adverse effect on my metabolism and girth I have been on a crusade to eliminate them. Sometimes not knowing where they lurked. My approach veers towards harm reduction and gradual elimination.

I currently soak the Linseeds in hot water for a few seconds and then use them and the water in porridge and smoothies. I also use flax seed oil in smoothies. I thought I needed Omega 3,6 &9? Not tried chia, but will check them out. I have been pretty much dairy free for 2 decades, and take an iron supplement and high strength vit c, d & B along with lots of leafy green veg daily.
I love the look of flowering sprouts and try to get alfalfa and mung sprouts down me at least 3 times a week.
Will check out the blog on the train and absorb another chapter in the book.
Thanks for the help.
DM

darwins_mum

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Depends how low carb you want to go, the definition spans a broad church of different eating styles and 'levels'. You absolutely do not need to go super low carb and into ketosis to lose bodyfat. You also don't need to do it all overnight, you could aim for roughly a third of daily calories as carbs and then adjust as you go.

Are you grinding the flax/ linseeds to release the nutrients? Consider switching off the sunflower seeds, they are heavy on omega-6s which you want to limit. Either eat more of the others or add in chia. Also are you somehow supplementing the minerals you are not getting from dairy?

This blog has some wonderful recipes including breakfasts for reduced/ low carb diets including a porridge sub http://www.marmaladeandmileposts.com/
It's based on Smarter Science of Slim principles (free podcasts are great) which is calories split roughly one third each carbs, protein and fat but no actual calorie counting, limited starches, loads of nutritious wholefoods. NOT saying you should follow that just so you know what the basis of the blog/ recipes is.

Ha ha, I am totally obsessed by purple veggies! :T I live in a food dessert but I so want to be able to buy interesting stuff. The closest I can get is red cabbage, aubergine and Flower Sprouts which are really pretty.

Gah, any idea where I can find the Podcasts Not associated with Itunes? (The devils own business)
DM

shykins

if u want something to have on the train and u like smoothies, make a hot one eg coffee, cream, protein powder .. some people add an egg or coconut oil

Mojisola

darwins_mum wrote: »

I thought I needed Omega 3,6 &9?

They need to be in balance and most western diets include too much 6 and very little 3.

darwins_mum

shykins wrote: »

if u want something to have on the train and u like smoothies, make a hot one eg coffee, cream, protein powder .. some people add an egg or coconut oil

Shykins, that concoction sounds "interesting", not sure I would consider consuming any of those ingredients with the exeption of protein powder. Do you?
DM

shykins

i have coffee with cream every morning, seems to set me up til lunch. not being a huge fan of protein powder i rarely add it but thats cos i dont really like sweeteners

i have been known to put coconut oil into my coffee instead of cream. once u whizz it uwould never know!! tastes like a latte

when its hot i crush ice, coffee, cream and s/free syrup into a drink thats a bit like a starbucks frappucino