Low carb diet woes

C

caroln

Senior Member
Location
Kentucky
I'm getting so aggravated about this low carb diet I'm on. I can handle no bread, no potatoes, no anything made with flour, etc. But I realized I wasn't getting much fiber, so I went to the store to find high fiber food that didn't have a zillion carbs or calories. Forget it. I looked at whole grain bread, which is supposed to be so good for you, lots of fiber and so on. Well, after seeing several different brands, it appears whole grain bread only has 1 to 2 grams of fiber. Not worth the $5 to $8 dollar a loaf. (Small loaf at that.) One of them said it had 4 grams of fiber, but that turned out to be for 2 slices of bread not 1 (have to be careful reading the nutritional facts on the back of the package) with a whopping 35 grams of carbs. I don't even want to talk about the price of Keto bread. Or Keto anything.

So much food that boasts high fiber just have 2-3 grams in a serving. But then you have the corresponding carbs and calories to go along with it. I'd have to eat and eat and eat all day to get the recommended 25 grams of fiber per day.

Cereal? I found one that had 10 grams of fiber, but also had 45 grams of carbs! You can't have one without the other.

I could eat just nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables to get some fiber but that's not happening. Even raisins have a lot of carbs.

I also looked at fiber supplements, but those are just in the 3-5 gram range. And pricey.

I'm doing this carb diet to lose weight, but so far that hasn't happened. I've also worked out at the gym for 4 years, 3 days a week and I haven't lost an inch. I'm not giving up the gym though. I may not have lost weight or inches, but I'm a lot stronger.

Dieting used to work when I was younger, but at 74 years old, I think I'm past the age to drop pounds anymore. I think I better just resign myself to being overweight and go back to just trying to eat a sensible balanced and varied diet.

Thanks to those who took the time to read this rant.
 

caroln said:
Thanks to those who took the time to read this rant.
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I didn't see it as a rant at all. I've tried low carb and found out that it didn't need to be as drastic as I was thinking when it comes to number of carbs considered appropriate for "low carb" (vs keto). The most exciting thing I found when I was doing it was that I didn't have to give up bread totally. Really! I've been buying Schmidt's 647 both Italian and wheat for a few years now. 40 calories and 6 net carbs... and it seriously tastes like "real" bread... can't tell the difference and it's not thin like other low calorie breads.

Anyhow, it's now (unfortunately) around $3.80 a loaf... let me go check the fiber. Okay, label says "40 calories, 6 net carbs, 8g fiber." I have the wheat now... not sure if Italian and white would have the same or not. For what it's worth, I could NOT (and my doc did not approve) stick with keto's 25 carbs. When I do it, I try to stay 80 or fewer, which is still considered a low-carb lifestyle. Hope this helps in some way, @caroln
 

CallMeKate said:
I've tried that a few times... the taste is good, but I can't get used to the thin slices... makes me think I want two of them which defeats the purpose. But then again, I'm weird. 🙃
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Yes, the slices are small and thin, you can nearly see through them...lol
You know I did real well on a diet of low carbs..mostly no bread, no sugar for about six months and I did lose weight, then I got real sick for about two weeks and when I came out of that I just lost all control and have gain 5 pounds back...:(:(
 
@CallMeKate , I've never seen a brand called Schmidt's around here, but the numbers look pretty good. I've noticed that some of the whole grain breads don't even look like bread...they just look like a bunch of seeds pressed together.

I just looked up Sara Lee Delightful that says Keto friendly. It has 18 g of carbs and 3 g of fiber which isn't bad, but looking at the back of the package that was for 2 slices. So, again just 1 1/2 g of fiber per slice but at least it's on the lower end of carbs.
 
caroln said:
I'm getting so aggravated about this low carb diet I'm on. I can handle no bread, no potatoes, no anything made with flour, etc. But I realized I wasn't getting much fiber, so I went to the store to find high fiber food that didn't have a zillion carbs or calories. Forget it. I looked at whole grain bread, which is supposed to be so good for you, lots of fiber and so on. Well, after seeing several different brands, it appears whole grain bread only has 1 to 2 grams of fiber. Not worth the $5 to $8 dollar a loaf. (Small loaf at that.) One of them said it had 4 grams of fiber, but that turned out to be for 2 slices of bread not 1 (have to be careful reading the nutritional facts on the back of the package) with a whopping 35 grams of carbs. I don't even want to talk about the price of Keto bread. Or Keto anything.

So much food that boasts high fiber just have 2-3 grams in a serving. But then you have the corresponding carbs and calories to go along with it. I'd have to eat and eat and eat all day to get the recommended 25 grams of fiber per day.

Cereal? I found one that had 10 grams of fiber, but also had 45 grams of carbs! You can't have one without the other.

I could eat just nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables to get some fiber but that's not happening. Even raisins have a lot of carbs.

I also looked at fiber supplements, but those are just in the 3-5 gram range. And pricey.

I'm doing this carb diet to lose weight, but so far that hasn't happened. I've also worked out at the gym for 4 years, 3 days a week and I haven't lost an inch. I'm not giving up the gym though. I may not have lost weight or inches, but I'm a lot stronger.

Dieting used to work when I was younger, but at 74 years old, I think I'm past the age to drop pounds anymore. I think I better just resign myself to being overweight and go back to just trying to eat a sensible balanced and varied diet.

Thanks to those who took the time to read this rant.
Click to expand...
@caroln, it's a good thing that at our age we're just tougher, because things in life are darn sure more difficult. Getting enough fiber and protein without the high carb load is such a tightrope walk, for sure. I count calories, (some people hate that) the food journaling helps me stay aware of my intake, helps me plot a course to lower the overall values, and compare alternate foods to increase protein and fiber.
I eat fruit and nuts for both fiber and protein, but watch that I don't blow my daily calorie "budget". I still eat all the usual carbs, but try to make the portions smaller(portion control). About gym workouts: young folks can binge drink and pigout over the weekend, and burn it off with heavy duty workouts at the gym...we can't. Someone on a different forum reminded me not to expect to "burn off" excess calories at the gym, maybe 10%. 90% of weight loss comes from what we don't put into our mouths. Gym work is great to help elevate your metabolism, and actually helps to curb your appetite. Plus, keeping muscles as toned and as strong as they can be helps to protect us from falls.
Weight loss should not be a sprint, but more of a marathon.

PS raisins and some other dried fruits have added sugar.
 
caroln said:
Dieting used to work when I was younger, but at 74 years old, I think I'm past the age to drop pounds anymore. I think I better just resign myself to being overweight and go back to just trying to eat a sensible balanced and varied diet.
Click to expand...
I don't think you are too old, but for most of us as we age our base metabolism and every day calorie burn goes down.

I believe eating a "sensible balanced and varied diet" is the right thing to do. What you need to lose weight is to eat few calories doing it, and be patient.

I know low carb and other diets work for some folks, but only if calories are cut.

Best of luck to you with this, I know it's hard...
 
Victor said:
It is no rant. I am on a low carbo diet but I still eat rye bread and that stuff. Try easing your diet with small treats a dietician told me. Skip a meal every week. Hot peppers may delay your appetite. At least your teeth can stand the chewing? Chewy foods can harm them!
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I give myself a "cheat" day, usually Sat. or Sun. I have a sandwich (shocking!) for lunch and potatoes or noodles with dinner. Fast food is definitely OFF the menu!
 
Calories are the critical factor in losing weight. I don't know what carbs have to do with it, but there may be reasons beyond losing weight for cutting carbs. You can still lose weight as you get older. I lost 44 pounds when I was 77-78. It took about a year. But to be honest, it required cutting out a lot more calories than I could lose weight on when I was in my 20s. I was shooting for 700 calories a day, but usually hitting around 900 this time around. I had so many people telling me I needed to eat more than that, but...

The bottom line is that you gotta do what you gotta do. As for "starving myself," what can I say? My asthma is gone, I am more physically fit. Various aches and pains are gone, and I had to buy new pants twice during the diet. I had to buy new belts too because I ran out of holes. I was shooting for getting down to 165, but I stalled at 180. Now I'm just maintaining, and that requires eating the same amount of calories I considered a serious diet when I was in college, when people were telling me I had to eat more back then too. Things change with age, and each of us is different but the basics of "burn more calories than you use" is still an inescapable biological fact in dieting.
 
YEP, I am over it, our metabolism is shot, we can't do really heavy workouts any longer. The best way is a healthy, balanced diet, plenty of exercise, just plain walking, swimming, and light weights. If the doctor says you need to reduce your weight, he should give you a plan to follow that fits your needs.

I have cut back on carbs but I am not going without them. We all need to enjoy our food. I don't want to hurt my health but I also want to enjoy my life. I am not putting on a bikini anymore, I don't have to be a size 6. Some people just have the genetics, they will stay thin but that alone does not mean they are in good health.
 
@caroln, if you want to keep trying the keto, you might solve the fiber problem by taking Metamucil.

The last time I had a colonoscopy the nurse told me I should take that every day. I asked why since I wasn't having any problems and she said it was just good for everyone.

I didn't take her suggestion, but because of what she said, I wouldn't hesitate if I thought it would be helpful.
 
What about beans, peas, legumes in general?
Half a cup of garbanzo beans have 7g fiber, 20g carbs, and 120 calories.

Make a soup of chicken or veggie stock, add the garbanzo beans, then add:
a cup of kale 2.6 g fiber
A cup of carrots a little over 3 g
Cup Collard greens a whopping 7.5 g

plus onions and maybe some chopped up grape tomatoes and the whole thing is way
Low calorie, low carb, and over 20 grams fiber.

Other beans peas and legumes have similar fiber and calorie counts too.
 
I have pretty much decided there is no clear answer.
My last bloodwork showed my A1C as 6.4. Prediabetic.
I was shocked as I eat a pretty healthful diet. My BMI is normal so I suppose I've gotten insulin resistant.
I believe that came from eating too many times a day. Now I eat three good meals, nothing in between. I'm not eating breakfast before at least a twelve hour fast. Lower good carbs.
Thats my plan.
The A1C test was done the day after we got back from vacation eating vacation food. I use that as an excuse. 😜
 
psyllium fiber? Celery? Greens?
I try to limit carbs. Very tough to do a strict low carb diet.
I get highs and lows in my BGLs. I definitely feel them in general weakness when BGL is relatively low and hot flashes when relatively high. I snack all day to keep the levels even. It's is hormonal (insulin is a hormone). 73, male. I try to eat a lot of protein, fats, and vegetables.
 
Well, I have tried upping my fiber and it started wreaking havoc on my digestive system. I just can't handle it for some reason. I read an article that says not everyone is a good candidate for a high fiber diet. It appears I'm one of them. My body just doesn't like to have that much fiber.

Anyway, I'm done playing around with diets, etc. I'll just eat sensibly and leave the cookies, cake, pizza and the like as an occasional treat. At least something good came out this.

Thanks to all for your support and suggestions!
 
I've been on a low carb diet since last September. I have gotten used to it, and it is much simpler to cook than having to decide what to eat each day! I make sure I have enough fat in the diet. That helps a lot. The gut becomes used to the diet and the bacteria are working properly to help with regular BM. My daily meals include: 2 eggs, 2 sausages (or 2 bacon), 1 oz cheese, and coffee. Lunch is celery with peanut butter (or almonds). Dinner is chicken (or fish) with a very large lettuce salad or broccoli. Snacks include almonds, peanuts, chicken bone broth, and herbal tea. Sometimes I splurge and get a keto ice cream and have some of that during the day. Other than that, it's a pretty basic diet. My energy level is good. I have lost weight, but it's slowed down, even though I walk 1 hr a day. I feel good.
 
I have never dieted in my life until January 7th of this year when I saw a video of myself (taken from behind, no less!). I just didn't know where to begin, so I downloaded a free app to track my calories in, and what a wake-up call that was! I have been learning how to sub out higher calorie foods for lower ones. I now drink water at every meal instead of iced tea or soda. In addition, the 647 products have been amazing, and I am using the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray instead of butter or oil, etc. I notice that I seem to be using a lot of calories on dressings and mayonnaise. Anyone have any revelations regarding low-cal condiments that actually taste good? I feel like I've tried everything!
 


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