Question:
For those of you who dont eat, or strictly limit carbs...

Hello, For those of you who dont eat, or strictly limit your daily intake of carbs, can you please let me know a typical day of food for you, and what are the results that you have seen from doing this? According to my fitday.com ratio I am eating mostly carbs, and the other 2 (fat and protien) make up the rest of my day. If I could see what others are eating I think it would really help me with ideas. God Bless, Steph    — Stephanie B. (posted on November 2, 2002)

November 2, 2002
If you focus on the protein first, you won't have that ratio. I think in terms of meals of "what protein will I have". Breakfast for me is ALWAYS a protein shake - so there's 30g protein to start. Lunch - cottage cheese and 1/2 fruit or some cooked veg, maybe a rice cake (about 15 g. carb total). Snack on cheese stick. LOTSA caffeine-free hot tea to get that fluid in (I STILL can't drink plain water). Dinner, focus on protein, with a bite or two of starch or veggie. Popcorn as movie snack, maybe. Hope this helps. Fitday helped me lots and enables me to chart weight loss at this point. Good luck.
   — Marti R.

November 2, 2002
Stephanie, I eat like NO CARBS! I am 2 1/2 mos post op and down 53lbs. This is my typical day (I also use fitday religiously)...BREAKFAST: 1/4c of eggbeaters (30 cal/6g prot/0 carb) & 1 link of Turkey sausage (41cal/6g prot/0 carb), LUNCH: 93% lean burger w/ slice of cheese & tomato (330 cal/42 g prot/0 carbs) and DINNER: 10 steamed shrimp (80 cal/20 g of prot/0carbs). My only CARBS usually come in in the form of a protein bar (ZONE Choc PB Bar 210cal/20carbs/16prot)..I will eat one before I go to the gym. Good Luck!
   — heathercross

November 2, 2002
Hi Stephanie ~ I very, very strictly limit my carbs and have since day one. I just added a quarter cup of shredded wheat into my diet each morning (dry, not in milk), and that's becasue I desperately needed some real fiber. Other than that, I do try to have a quarter of a cup of a fruit or veggie each day. Primarily I eat protein. A protein drink for breakfast, left over meat and cheese (I eat a lot of cheese) from my dinner the night before, or maybe turkey meatballs, or shrimp cocktail for lunch. Then for my afternoon snack (or second lunch as I call it), I'll have a 1/4 cup of cottage cheese with a half of a protein bar, or maybe turkey and cheese rolled up, or really a number of things that I can think of. Dinner, anything goes. Steak, chicken burger, hamburger, meatballs, pork chops, and variety of grilled chicken meals. It works for me. I eat Chinese, Italian, Cajun, Mexican...it may sound dull, limiting carbs but really it isn't. I am 8.5 months out, down 140 pounds from 314 and never bored with my foods, and never feel like I am on a diet. It's become a way of life and I have found much success in it. Good luck to you!
   — PaulaM

November 3, 2002
I also use fitday, its a real help. Breakfast I eat fat free yogurt 100 cal 0 fat 14 g of carb and 10 protein, lunch I have 98%fat free smoked chicken and 1 slice is 30 cal .5 fat 0 carbs and 5 protein and I usualy have 3 slices with fat free cheese. snack would be cottage cheese with fruit 140 cal, 16 prot. 14 carbs and whatever for dinner. My usual calorie intake is 500 - 800 sometimes higher and protein is usually 55 and carb are about 45. I also drink warm 20 oz. tea throughout the day to get my fluids in. Hope that helps. It okay to get good carb. I asked this question for a long time before someone told me the difference between good carbs and to stay away from bad carbs which are your breads, rice, pasta, noodles.
   — Chris9672

November 4, 2002
I don't eat a lot of carbs because I have just been told to eat the protein first and being on 6 1/2 weeks out that usually fills me up and I want to burn stored fat so no carbs seems the only way to do that. Today for instance: brkfst 1 egg scrambled and 2 bites of saus. patty lunch 1 meatball, 2 bites bbq beef, 7 green beans and a fried mushroom, my stepdad died and this was a buffet luncheon after the funeral had to have the fried mushroom. dinner tuna fish with ff mayo and 4 crackers it isnt bedtime yet but I will probably have some cottage cheese. but in all of this I am not getting in my 60 grams of protein so I am going to have a protein shake starting tomorrow again that is 55 grms of protein per shake and it doesnt taste like crap. I make it with milk and it is even better on the protein. Good Luck!!!!!
   — Peggy A.

November 4, 2002
Hi Honey: I know just what you are going through. Sometimes it seems as if you just cannot decide what to eat. No this, no that. It is so difficult in the beginning. For myself, and this is only me, when I really tried to keep low carbs in the second month (less than 20 per day), my weight loss was poor. Now, in month three, I do not count carbs. I always put protein first no matter what. In the morning I drink a Strawberry Designer Whey Protein drink for 35 grams of protein. They are an acquired taste. Some never acquire a taste for protein drinks. I am lucky to have found one I can tolerate. At lunchtime, I will eat a piece of fish and mashed potatoes or mac and cheese, or slices of cheese and maybe some crackers. At dinnertime I eat what the others are having, last night pork chops, green beans and mashed potatoes. I always eat the protein part first. I have never eaten sweets, rice, bread or spaghetti pasta since surgery. I have no desire for those. When I was strictly eliminating carbs, not only was I not losing, food was such an effort. And still, I was not losing weight. I am 11 weeks postop lap rny and think I have found the right balance for me. Hope this helps. Love Grace
   — Grace H.

November 5, 2002
According to fitday.. I usually get about 55% protein.. and about 20-25 carbs and the rest fat... usually shared... I don't worry too much about the carb/fat ratio... just keep the carbs low. For me.. other than the few little carbs I get in protein drinks.. or jerky.. or when I'm eating mostly protein.. I don't eat anything that's JUST carbs except some fruit.. one small serving.. either some melon, half an apple.. or something similar. sometimes I have 1/2 slice of whole wheat bread.. but mostly.. I eat chicken, turkey, shrimp, tuna, eggs, cheese, jerky, cottage cheese, protein drinks, soy nuts, regular nuts, and a very little fruit -- all my food is low or no fat.. except the nuts. I think that, coupled with regular aerobic exercise (walking, biking and soon dancing) have helped me. I'm approaching my fifth month out and I'm approaching the 100 pound loss mark... I think its working for me. Good luck.
   — Lisa C.