Low carb diet - what do you eat ?

[Helena115]

For anyone on low carb diet... what do you actually eat ? I mean, what does a day's menu look like ? I'm stuck in some sort of tuna & veggies / chicken & veggies / cottage chese and fruit rut and I'm getting bored with it.

[Carolyn]

I think you've just missed the real pro on this, Heather, who's taking off for a week in London, but debbie here is also doing Atkins so maybe she can give you some ideas.

[Suzanne]

I'm no expert in low carb diets (Atkins or South Beach) but I do watch my carbs in order to keep my blood sugar levels in line. It's been pretty effective in losing weight and keeping it off. Believe me, I know the boredom factor when it comes to eating! If you are an Atkins dieter, don't read any further because this probably breaks at least half of the rules! I'm not a "dieter" anymore, this is my way of life. I try to evenly distribute my carbs throughout the day.

I can't (won't) give up bread but, instead of bagels, croussiants and English muffins, I choose a high fiber/whole wheat bread. I love citrus fruit but juices are way out there in carbs so I eat the fruits but stay away from the processed juices. I allow myself my favorite meals once in a while such as Thai food with rice and thin crust pizza but I make those treats and not the norm. If I need a chocolate fix, I have it but I try to exercise more that day. I stay away from the "Sugar Alcohols" that are found in a lot of today's "Low Carb" foods. They don't relieve my desire for sugar and often contain a lot of fat and calories. In addition, I watch my salt.

Here is a typical day for me which is somewhere between 130 and 180 carbs a day. Again, this isn't for the Atkins people.

Breakfast - 1 cup of high fiber cereal (either Fiber One or All Bran). 1 Cup of 1% or 2% milk. 1 Cup of Coffee with cream and Artificial Sweetener. Sometimes I have half a grapefruit with no sugar in addition to the cereal or by itself. (about 49-55 carbs)

Snack ( I don't always have one) - 1 cup of sugar free low-fat yogurt (19 carbs or less).

Lunch - Sandwich (low fat chicken or turkey) with low carb wheat bread. Large bowl of vegetables (usually the frozen kind with cheese or teryaki sauce). An Apple or Orange. I drink iced tea or water. (About 40-50 carbs total)

Snack (optional) slice of hard bread or low carb bread with low sugar peanut butter. (15-20 carbs). Sometimes I have carrots or even a cookie or crackers.

Dinner - Usually chicken or turkey, potatoes or bread and a glass of milk. (about 40-50 carbs).

[Helena115]

I'm not on Atkins, I believe you need some sticky carbs to function properly (I know I do anyhow). I'm just trying to cut back on the carbs that are really high in GI, like potatoes, white bread, rice & pasta. I won't give up bread either, there's nothing like fresh bread with a little butter ! I have a baking machine so I make my own, usually whole wheat/rye with bran in it. I only eat it in the mornings now, before I'd eat it whenever I felt like it (which is often!).

My day usually looks like this:

Breakfast: tea with milk & 1tsp sugar, slice of whole wheat bread with a little butter, 1 boiled egg (not the yolk) and 1/2 cup grapefruit juice

Lunch: tuna with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, mushrooms with a litle olive oil & vinegar OR cottage cheese, banana & cinnamon

Snack: apple

Dinner: chicken, fish or steak with steamed veggies (asparagus, broccoli, green beans) and a salad. Sometimes a little cottage cheese if I'm craving something creamy.

Note on the cinnamon: it has recently been proven that a daily intake of 1-6 grams of cinnamon lowers your blood sugar levels, LDL-cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels in people with diabetes. And I suppose even if you don't have diabetes it could be beneficiary to have some cinnamon every day to keep your blood sugar levels in check. Should help prevent candy cravings !

----- edited cause I can't spell ! haa haa -----

[Sabeine]

Suzanne,

It sounds like you are following more along the lines of the Carbohydrates Addict program. In that program one can eat whole grain breads in moderation as well as a small snack that is considered a treat.


I have done Atkins and also lower carb or controlled carb plans. For me I have found greater success with the controlled carb plan rather than "low carb" such as the South Beach Plan or Atkins. I do think that one can lose a tremendous amount on Atkins in a rather short period of time, but it is/was easier for me to keep motivated on a plan that allows for a little bit more carbs.

[Suzanne]

As I had said before, I'm really not following a "diet" per se. I couldn't tell you what a carbohydrate addict's diet is all about but I can tell you that if I eat 100 carbs in one sitting, I can get my blood sugar up over 230. Thousands of finger pricks the last year and half give me a lot of statistics (I'm a nerdy accountant for a living).

I try to keep the carbs down and distribute them evenly throughout the day. By doing that, I am able to keep my blood sugar from large spikes and dives all day. I have to watch sodium and fat as well for hypertension and cholesterol. This has worked well for me and allowed me to cut my medications in half and the positive side benefit has been weight loss.

I met with a nutritionist about 4 times trying to come up with reasonable food choices that I could live with. My motivation to keep me eating well is to avoid the effects of the diabetes and heart disease. In a sense, it was a blessing to have serious reasons to watch what I eat. I really needed a good scare because I was headed in a very bad direction.

I do have to thank the Atkins, South Beach, and other truly low carb dieters out there! Because of them, there are more choices for healthy foods than ever! Restaurants and food companies have had to take notice. I know a lot of people on these diets including family who have done great. I just can't give up all those things because nobody could stand to be around me!

I am going to go out and get some cinnamon. I hadn't heard about the positive effects of it and it could add some flavor to my cereals.

[Helena115]

...and it's great in plain yoghurt, in coffee, on cottage cheese, and there's a lot of african food that has cinnamon in it

If you search cinnamon and diabetes you'll find a ton of stuff, if you want the more scientific stuff, check out this link:
care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/reprint/26/12/3215.pdf