My meals so far today, what do you guys think?

[lori0615]

I'm on a 20 Carbs a day diet

Thurs 02/26/09

Breakfast: (15 GRAMS)

Sausage, bacon, eggs, cheese and salsa= 15 Carbs

Lunch: (2 GRAMS)

Chicken breast with mayo on a bed of lettuce= 0 Carbs

[Barb135]

Are you counting ONLY carbs? or are you counting calories and other nutrients also?  It's great that you are eating breakfast - too often we tend to skip that meal - even myself at times.  

Depending on the type of sausage, bacon (and how it was cooked) and cheese, it would appear that there might have been an excess amount of fat for breakfast.  If the chicken breast was grilled or broiled, lunch would have been ok, except lacking in a wide range of nutrients.  Are you taking a good multivitamin to make sure you get the vitamins and minerals you need?  

I remember from a previous post that you said this was a "doctor ordered" diet and that you aren't allowed any fruit. What about veggies besides salsa and lettuce?  And dairy - anything besides cheese?  Will you, at some point, be able to add fruit back into your diet?  

I personally would not be able to go on a diet that didn't include all of the food groups.  To me, a weight loss journey should be a life style change that a person can live with for the rest of their life, because if too many foods are restricted it's almost guaranteed that the weight will be gained back once "normal" eating is resumed.  

I wish you all the luck in the world with your new diet. Let us know how it works out for you.  

[lori0615]

I am only counting carbs thats what i was told to do. It is basicly the adkins diet. I am only on the diet till i get under 300 pounds or 4 months which ever comes first than I can eat more fruit again. I don't drink milk so not sure what else to look into on the dairy.

I'm going to try low carb pizza too. I'm going shopping tonight. I'm taking prenatal vit, vit B6, metformin, vit C.

[wonko]

I agree with everything that Barb said above.  Also, I thought JoyRenee wrote a great response to your other post.

I know this is "doctor's orders," but I still feel concerned that you are only counting carbs, missing food groups, and fiber.  I truly feel you should consult a nutritionist or other diet expert who also understands your PCOS and pregnancy goal.

What happens after the imposed deadline of 4 months?

I'm rooting for you and I know you can lose the weight, I'm just worried about the means and the time frame.

[msniki412]

What about eating yogurt?? That counts has dairy too. They have tons of great low fat low cal low sugar yogurts.

[Barb135]

Low fat yogurt, cottage cheese, etc all count as dairy.  

I didn't think to ask before - are you diabetic/insulin resistant?  

The general key to losing weight is "calories in/calories out" (we do allow for medical issues that don't follow the "rules"), so if you are taking in more calories than you are using, you won't lose weight.  It doesn't matter where those calories are coming from.  

I agree that you need to not eat simple carbs (white sugar, flour, rice, etc), but your body needs the complex carbs (whole grains, nuts, legumes, fruits, veggies, etc) in order to function properly.  Complex carbs are one of the things that help fill us up and keep us feeling fuller longer.  Protein also helps keep us feeling fuller.  And although you need some "good for you" fats (olive oil, avocado, fish, etc) it's important to watch the saturated fats from things like sausage, bacon and other foods.  

I do wish you the best of luck with your diet, but I agree with wonko, that it would probably be much better to consult with a nutritionist.  You need to have a healthy body in order to have a healthy baby.  

[lori0615]

I do have insulin resistant, I'm only trying to get pregnant not pregnant yet.

Dinner last night was:

chicken breast on a bed of baby spinach covered with cheese, with a side of green beans with cheese on them.

[Raven13]

This is the stupidest diet I have ever heard of you are never going to loose weight this way trust me. You need to focus on the calorie and saturated fat content of food not the carbs. Your lunch was ok (at lest it included lettuice) but you could have used low fat mayo or a fat free salad dressing. The way to loose weight is to eat loads of fruit & veg, cut back on your calorie and saturated fat content and excersise more. This diet is hardly a long term plan is it? If you deny yourself certain foods then you'll just crave them more and then end up binge eating & gaining weight. Even if you do somehow manage to miraculously loose weight on this diet once you return to your normal regime you will gain it all back again in no time. A diet should be a healthier life change - grill things instead of frying them, only put a small amount of meat & potatoes on your plate & pile the rest up with veg, control your portion sizes by weighing all your food - that sort of thing. You should be eating low or no sugar ceareal, fruit, a yogurt or a smoothie for breakfast not high calorie high fat foods like sausages bacon & cheese! Eggs are fine but its all about how you cook them, try boiled or poached instead of fried.
You should try joining weightwatchers they'll teach you how to make some healthy lifestyle changes that'll help get your excess weight off in no time!

[Barb135]

I suspected that you weren't yet pregnant, but certainly trying.  What I meant is that the healthier you body is, the more likely it will be for you to get pregnant; and when you DO get pregnant, you will need for your body to be as healthy as possible in order to sustain both yourself and your baby.  

You are insulin resistant - are they giving you anything for that?  I've read/heard that very often metformin is prescribed for both insulin resistance and PCOS.  That might be something to look into as I've known several people who were on it and lost a lot of weight, although it is not FOR weight loss.  

Last night's dinner was not too bad (sounds rather tasty); however, (and this is strictly from a personal point of view) - you seem to be eating a lot of cheese.  What kind of cheese do you eat?  Is it low fat?  And how much are you eating for each meal?  Some kinds of cheese have a lot of calories and saturated fats; therefore would not be so good for you.  

Don't forget - you can also eat other types of meat - baked or broiled fish, tuna, etc is an excellent choice as it has tons of protein and of course the omega 3 fatty acids for very few calories.  Plus a good small, lean steak now and then is good for you too.  

You could try a baked potato (with the skin as it has a lot of potassium), with yogurt instead of sour cream.  

Keep working at it.  Even on a very low carb diet, you can still have a wide variety of foods.

[lori0615]

I have lost 5 pounds in 2 days and i have a ton of energy. This diet is only till i lose the weight she wanted me to lose. than I can add back in the fruit but will always have to stay away from the white carbs. I am only using a half of a cup of cheese with each meal and it is low fat cheese. I have 2 cups of veggies with lunch and dinner also. I'm on metformin for the isulin resistance also and not getting sick on it anymore since I started to eat this way.


This diet is not for everyone but it is working with me. I can have a few fruits the doctor said berries that are not sweetened can be some of my 20 carbs a day after the first 2 weeks.  

[wonko]

Well, you sure are a trouper.  I'd go nuts!

Have you tried buying frozen fruit?  You can get lots of varieties unsweetened.  It doesn't go bad, and it takes longer to eat.

I love making smoothies using silken tofu and frozen fruit.  Not sure if that would fit into your plan or not.

[lori0615]

Thanks for the info I can have frozen fruit in 2 weeks.

[RaychS]

This seems very similar to atkins which is perfectly healthy, so I dont know why people are scaremongering. You should be getting most of your 20grams of carbs from green veg, things like brocolli are ideal. There is little nutritional value in lettuce, so do try to include other things when you are having a salad, how about peppers, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers etc.
There is a great forum at http://www.minimins.com/atkins-diet/ if you want to chat to people about your meal plans who understand this diet.

Rach. xx

[Barb135]

I don't think anyone is "scaremongering".  I've seen a lot of people try the Atkins diet and sure they some lost weight, but as soon as they started to eat "normally" again, they gained back all the weight and then some.  Why not take just a bit longer and do it with a sensible, well thought out plan that will make you healthy and ready to get pregnant and carry a healthy, full term baby?  

The food value in lettuce depends on what kind of lettuce you are eating.  If you are eating the regular iceburg lettuce, I will agree that there is little food value; however, other types of lettuce - like romaine, green leaf, red leaf, etc DO have nutritional value, as well as baby spinach, swiss chard, etc.  I agree that you should try to include other things with your salad. And you said you ate your chicken on a bed of baby spinach - which is very good for you.  

As usual - keep us posted and wishing you the best of luck.  

[JoyRenee]

What's funny about the Atkins diet is that Mr. Atkins himself was obese.

[JoyRenee]

Okay to answer your question- your breakfast and lunch was seemingly high in fat. If you cut carbs but keep eating the same amount of unhealthy fats or more- I just don't see what it will accomplish. Mayo, bacon, sausauge, even eggs have a lot of fat.

How about trying a bowl of fruit for breakfast with yogurt and milk. Or perhaps a bowl of oatmeal with some milk.

For lunch try a salad of Romaine lettuce (Iceberg lettuce is mostly water and has no nutritional value) with cherry tomatoes, carrots, etc. with those low-fat salad spritzers and sliced chicken.

Keep going, girl! You can do it!!!