Low Carb diet - am I on the right track?

[toastlover]

Hi everyone

I have started a low carb diet this week but I'm not altogether clued up on the topic or if I'm doing it right. So I'd really appreciate it if you could critique my diet.

Breakfasts
This has been a tricky one because I don't often eat breakfast and I don't feel hungry until mid morning. Every morning I have a semi-skimmed milk latte anyway, and then I have been having a small banana and a handful of almonds.

Lunches
Tuna, chicken or ham salad (salad usually has some balsamic vinegar on it) or Soup with 2 Nairns oatcakes with butter & cheese.

Dinners
Dinners have been consisting of meat and veggies, or an omelette with baked beans, mushrooms & tomatoes.

Snacks
Apples, satsumas, grapes, berries, nuts

Drinks
Diet fizzy drinks, sugar free squash, water, coffee & the occasional gin & slimline tonic in the evenings instead of wine.

Am I on the right track? I don't eat much fish or seafood and wondered if you had any ideas for other foods/snacks I could consider?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

Tina

 

[sugarless sue]

Hi everyone

I have started a low carb diet this week but I'm not altogether clued up on the topic or if I'm doing it right. So I'd really appreciate it if you could critique my diet.

Breakfasts
This has been a tricky one because I don't often eat breakfast and I don't feel hungry until mid morning. Every morning I have a semi-skimmed milk latte anyway, and then I have been having a small banana and a handful of almonds.


A latte can be about 47 gm of carbs depending on which make it is. Bananas are high carb. 23 carbs for a medium one.Try berries instead if you like them,a lot lower in carbs.

Lunches
Tuna, chicken or ham salad (salad usually has some balsamic vinegar on it) or Soup with 2 Nairns oatcakes with butter & cheese.

One oatcake is about 7 gm of carb. You may be lucky enough to be able to eat oat based products but the only way to find out is to test one hour ,looking for a spike,then two hours after eating to see if there is a rise in blood sugar.

Dinners
Dinners have been consisting of meat and veggies, or an omelette with baked beans, mushrooms & tomatoes.

Snacks
Apples, satsumas, grapes, berries, nuts

Apples and satsumas are higher in carbs than the berries but it depends on the size.

Drinks
Diet fizzy drinks, sugar free squash, water, coffee & the occasional gin & slimline tonic in the evenings instead of wine.

Again ,check the labels, not everything that is labelled 'sugar free 'is. Words ending in 'ole' and 'ose' are sugars in another guise! Red wine is actually good for helping to reduce blood sugar, in moderation.

Am I on the right track? I don't eat much fish or seafood and wondered if you had any ideas for other foods/snacks I could consider?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

Tina

 

[sugarless sue]

Toastlover, are you doing regular blood testing? This is the only way you will find out how the foods that you are eating affect you.

 

[hanadr]

Hi toastie
you have certainy started out on the right path, but you can,if you wish, tighten up.
Get yourself a copy of Collins Little Gem Calorie caounter. It's tiny enough for a smallish handbag and only costs about a fiver.
It has nutritional information,including carbs, for thousands of foods. You can look up pretty much anything and set your target.
Hana

 

[Bluenosesol]

Hi Toastlover,

I think you night need to try and get a bit more scientific. I use two simple starting points to follow a LC diet.
1. What is my goal daily intake?.
2. How do the carbs that I eat affect me?.

You can not answer either without counting and testing.

Last night I had my first slice of bread in 6 months as an experiment. It was Warburtons seeded loaf at 18grams per slice. My 2 hours post meal test was one of the highest readings I have had since I gained BG control.
Another example, you mentioned grapes. I can not eat grapes as when I eat a recommended portion of 10, this too spikes my blood to high levels.

My daily goal is 50 grams and I try to eat a green salad and a hot meal with vegetables every day. I also eat oily fish often as it helps reduce triglycerides.
My golden rules are the usual LC rules :-
No - pasta, bread, rice, cereals, potatoes, sweets, pastry, cakes amd limited root veg and fruit.
I do have the odd glass of red wine, or G&T with slimline tonic.
I have lost over 4 stone, HBA1C down from 10.3 to 5.8 (6 month review on Thursday) and reduced medication.
I am not advocating that this will work for everyone, but it sure works for me.

Regards Steve.

 

[Norm]

My regime is quite easy and enjoyable. I stick to my 'No List'. No starchy stuff, potatoes, pasta, rice, bread etc.
Breakfast is 2 cups coffee with one sweetener and qtr teaspoon honey, either bacon & egg or 50g dry weight oats & milk with a half teaspoon honey. Lunch something like cheeseburgers without the bun or grilled frankfurter wrapped in bacon always followed by fruit yoghurt. Dinner is always some kind of meat or fish with veg. Tonight for instance will be braised liver with onion gravy, peas and carrots. Dessert, again fruit yoghurt or greek yoghurt with a qtr teaspoon honey. I have 3 units whisky with water in the evening and later 2 squares dark chocolate & glass of milk most nights. I can't say I am deprived and I always enjoy my food. Since starting Low Carb my energy levels have increased dramatically and I walk every day about 3km. I am not one of those who has to be testing my BG every 5 minutes. I know my body and this is working quite well for me. On the odd occassion I do test, it is always within 5.5 - 6.5 or thereabouts. Keeping things simple means less stress IMO.