anyone doing moderate carb instead of low carb?

[1978Emma]

Hi there, just wondered whether anyone was like me out there who struggled with doing low carb but is finding moderate carb much easier to do. I am not on a set diet plan just basic healthy eating but I'm allowing myself anywhere between 100g-150g of carb a day and no more than the 150g except on my one treat day every fortnight when I have a nice meal out with friends.

I am also a veggie so find the moderate carb more manageable for me, I am doing really well and have lost 1 st 11 lbs (25 lbs) in just 6 weeks on it so know its working and so just wondered whether there were any people out there watching carbs but not doing low carb as such.

Em xx

 

[Rhyannasmum]

Hello Em, well done on your weight loss. I'm currently doing moderate carb. I allow myself up to 100g a day.

Ive been dabbling in various eating plans since I finished a vlcd a couple of months ago. I tried low carb for a few weeks, but started to get bored so moved to calorie cycling, but i was having too many high calorie days and not enough low cal days and started to gain weight. I then tried primal eating, but my monthly carb cravings kicked in and derailed me. So I've decided I need to keep things simple for a while.

I'm watching the carbs and cals while following low GL diet principles. I've also realised I need to eat little and often. I was getting too hungry going long periods between meals and then over eating.

I like the principles of primal eating and exercising, but I'm not sufficiently practised yet in just keeping my weight stable so I've decided to take things one baby step at a time.

Watching carbs as a vegetarian must be challenging, so doubly well done to you.

 

[tranquility]

Yes I'm a controlled carb person with a bit of calorie counting thrown in. I try to keep to 20g of carbs or less per main meal. It's the only type of plan that really works for me and it also helps balance the blood sugar levels which reduces cravings. I allow myself up to 100g a day but often don't need that many. I usually eat 3 meals and 1 snack a day, then have a relaxed day on a weekend.

 

[1978Emma]

thanks Rhyannasmum, oh its great to see someone else doing a more moderate carb diet and wow you have lost loads of weight hun, thats so inspiring!! and being so near to goal must be mega satisfying!

I give myself a max of 150g a day but try not to go up to that so tend to be more 100-120g if I can help it spread over the whole day. I have really done the whole lifestyle change thing and changed basically all my food, I still am a veggie but before I had a very unhealthy diet of starvation all day and then binge eating in the evening on crappy foods now I eat healthy regular meals and have healthy snacks and don't bring my trigger foods as I call them into my house and just allow myself a nice meal out with friends at the most once a week but usually once a fortnight as a little reward for my hard work! I started just over six weeks ago and aimed for low carb at first and found it impossible for me, I know it works for others but I just struggled but since increasing the carbs I have found it easier to stick to my plan and I still think watching the carb intake helps as I basically like many on here I am sure was a def carb addict!

I can totally understand why you have had to dabble with various eating plans, I think sometimes it can take a while to find what suits us, after all we are all different, sometimes I see someone doing well on a certain plan and I think oh I'll give that a go and I just can't cope on it, its each to their own I guess. For me I personally found healthy eating / calorie counting and watching my carb intake is working well as it doesn't feel like a fad diet or anything just sensible and I have already seen major health benefits on top of the weight loss.

Em x

 

[1978Emma]

Firstly tranquility well done on the weight loss, that is so amazing! I am also doing the calorie counting thing and watching carbs prob not as strict as you on the carb front as I tend to have on most days anywhere between 100-120g as I find it hard sometimes being a veggie to reduce them enough but I do know some people manage a lower carb veggie diet but for me I find the 100-120g works. Yeah I find a relaxed day as you said helps, I have one every week at most or usually once a fortnight when I eat out with friends where I don't watch my carb limit on that one night and really enjoy my carb filled reward although often feel bloated afterwards prob because I am not used to such a high carb intake now, before having a meal out and I wouldn't have felt bloated but now because I am not eating loads of carbs the rest of the time it really seems to effect me on my one night off! Em x

 

[tranquility]

Hi Emma,

You are doing amazingly well on the weight loss yourself.

I wouldn't say I was strict with the carbs it's just that the first of the low carb plans I read about was a 60g of carb a day plan. Atkins/high fat very low carb doesn't really suit me. For me the 20g per meal is easy because I'm not a big pasta/rice lover. I found that carb counting for me is more crucial that calories when I was advised by a registered dietician to change from my moderate carb plan to the promoted high carbs low fat plan but using the same number of calories. All the weight that had been lost on my own plan went straight back on in a matter of weeks. It was quite difficult to wean myself back off the carbs.

Keeping your blood sugar level is the key to getting rid of the weight. If you haven't already have a look at something like Bloodsugar101 which explains how the carbs control the insulin release and fat storage. It is mainly a site for diabetics but it contains a vast amount of info that can help with the weight loss. If you can work out the best foods to keep you balanced it becomes a lot easier not to worry about eating too much/too little.

 

[1978Emma]

thanks tranquility, oh agree totally on the blood sugar thing, sadly before I starved all day and then binged in the evening, my blood sugar must have dipped so badly and then gone sky high! I was starting to get these marks on my body which my gp said was to do with insulin level and since I have been eating regular healthy meals and much lower carb intake they are fading and so thats been mega wonderful for me as I was so embarrassed by them before! My gp told me I was pre-diabetic and so you know I may still develop it but at least I feel I am trying to change things and doing it in a healthy way. Will def check out the Bloodsugar101, hadn't heard of that so thanks for that!

I find most of my trigger foods are mega high in carbs so I have had to totally remove them from my diet except for my treat meal out as I start chomping and can't stop. I was a huge fan of anything like bread, pasta, rice so I have tried to find alternatives that whilst still have carbs don't have as much and also don't trigger me to want to carry on eating.

OMG though at you losing 5 stone, thats incredible, oh I am so happy for you, its obvious you are managing to turn your life around, Em xx

 

[Rhyannasmum]

Hello again Em,

Ive started a diary on the Low GI board, where I'm listing my daily menus and tracking my weight if you're interested in taking a peek.

X

 

[namaste]

Hi, just popped by to say hello I'm veggie too so I know how you feel! I didn't think I could do low carb either being as the majority of my diet was carbs... brown rice, pasta, bread etc. It took a totally liquid diet (exante) for a few weeks to break my bad habits and control my cravings and blood sugar. Now I am low carb and loving it.

You're absolutely right though, we all have to work out what's right for our own bodies. All this one size fits all is rubbish. The human body is an extremely complex organism and what works for some won't work for others. I'm still having problems with people who think they know what's best for me... I just ignore them.

Anyway, I'll be dropping in now and again to see how you're doing.... it's quieter on these boards than the exante one but there's still plenty of knowledgeable people around.

Have a lovely dayxx

 

[Phoenyx]

Hello again Em,

Ive started a diary on the Low GI board, where I'm listing my daily menus and tracking my weight if you're interested in taking a peek.

X

Oooh I'm off for a peak too.

 

[Eli]

I'm not really counting carbs, but also not gorging on them. I guess leaving white flour and sugar, bread, pasta, rice and potatoes out of the diet helps a lot. Carbs I mostly get from fruits, vegetables and milk products and those I don't mind. I used to be on a very low car diet though, but I just can't keep it up. I want to eat in a way I can imagine eating for a very long time if not all my life.

 

[1978Emma]

exactly namaste, its about finding what works for us, sometimes you hear of one person doing well on one diet so you think "yay that diet must work" but it doesn't work as well for you, I think we each have to find our own way. For me calorie counting / healthy eating works and of course watching my carbs to an extent.

Oh and Rhyannasmum will check out your diary hun, might be good to have some ideas, Em xx