Low Carb Diet!
This week I decided to look in to low carb diet’s and what it does to our bodies, not only doing research in to a keto diet but also try it out myself so I can tell you first-hand what the effects are and Is it worth it??
Research
I began my research with google typing in low carb diet. Of course, a lot of different versions of low carb diets popped up for example,
Want to lose weight fast? – Try the new Atkins® Diet – atkins.com
A low-carb diet for beginners – Diet Doctor
Low Carb Diet – What is Low Carb? – Diabetes.co.uk
So straight away I knew from search low carbs = losing weight.
So what is carbs?
Carbohydrates is an important food group. In fact, if you look at the Standard American Diet, better known as the food pyramid, you’d be excused for thinking that carbs are the MOST important food group! The SAD recommends that 45-65% of all your calories come from carbs, mostly grains.
And yet, if you want to lose weight, you are eat less carbs?
So what is the truth? Should you follow a high carb diet or low carb diet?
I must admit, I was once really confused by carbs. Carbs are low in fat so they are healthy BUT sugar is also a carb which is unhealthy. With all that to consider, it’s hard to know whether carbs are good or bad.
Good carbs vs. Bad carbs for weight loss.
Part of the reason that carbohydrates can be a confusing subject is there are “good” carbs and “bad” carbs and even the so-called bad carbs can be good in certain circumstances. Just like there are different types of fat, there are different types of carbs.
Some foods are very high in carbs and, as a result, are not very good for weight loss. On the flip side, some foods are low in carbs and are GREAT for weight loss.
So, if you are interested in weight loss, like so many of us are, cutting down on certain carbs means cutting down on calories and if you replace those carbs with lots of lower calorie “good” carbs, you can cut your calorie intake without eating a smaller volume of food.
High carb foods
So, which foods are high in carbs? That’s a good question. There are lots of high carb foods you’ll probably want to avoid if you want to lose weight but here are a few of the main ones…
- Bread
- Rice
- Pasta
- Breakfast cereals
- Potatoes
Cutting down on these foods is an easy way to cut calories but, I know, many of you will eat a lot of these foods because they are so common and a big part of many meals that you enjoy. Don’t worry though – you don’t have to give them up completely.
Low carb diets
Low carb dieting works for lots of reasons which is why many of the bestselling diets use this approach. They don’t only work by cutting calories either; low carb diets help you lose weight by stabilizing your blood glucose, lowering insulin levels, reducing cravings, and filling you up with healthy, calorie-free fibre. But, the trick is, what do you eat instead? Just cutting out carbs can leave a big hole in your meals leading to hunger and cravings; not good! That’s why you need to know what low carb foods you can eat instead. Low carb foods are lower in calories so you can eat plenty of them without consuming a whole lot of unwanted energy. The result? Fat loss without having to starve yourself! Talk about the perfect weight loss solution.
LOW CARB SHOPPING LIST – FRIDGE
- All fresh vegetables (except starchy root vegetables which are high in carbs, e.g.:Potato 22.9g/piece, kumara 19.7g/piece, parsnip 19.7g/piece)
- Fruits – go for berries (average 5g/cup) compared to 1 banana 30.8g, apple 15.1g, pineapple 18.7g/cup, dried apricots 16.1g for 10 halves, raisins 91.8g/cup)
- Salad ingredients
- All meats, but try to buy free range, grass fed meats. Look out for free range pork as there are still some that aren’t.
- Bacon – no added sugar or honey cured
- Chicken – whole, breasts, legs, mince
- Sausages – read labels to ensure the highest meat content (minimum 80%) and no fillers like wheat, rice etc
- Steak, mince/ground meat etc
- Fish – salmon, snapper, frozen shrimps, mussels, hoki, tuna, sardines and all fatty omega 3 rich seafood. Avoid all processed battered or crumbed fish.
- Eggs – have these boiled, fried, omelette, scrambled…..
LOW CARB SHOPPING LIST – DAIRY
- Cheese – all types
- Cream
- Full fat yoghurt
- Cream cheese full fat
- Sour cream
- Feta
- Haloumi
LOW CARB SHOPPING LIST – OILS/FATS
- Avocado oil
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Coconut oil
- Macadamia oil
- Avoid seed oils such as sunflower, canola etc as high in omega 6
LOW CARB SHOPPING LIST – PANTRY INGREDIENTS
- Olives – black or stuffed
- Tinned/canned tomatoes
- Nuts, seeds – avoid peanuts and cashews
- Almond flour, ground almonds
- Coconut flour
- Stevia, erythritol
- Cocoa
- Coconut shredded unsweetened
- Sugar free jelly
- Almond flour/meal
LOW CARB SHOPPING LIST – SAUCES/FLAVOURINGS
- Himalayan salt
- Herbs and spices
- Fresh herbs – start growing your own basil, mint, chives, coriander etc
- Vinegars
- Full fat mayonnaise
So Now you Know a little information on Carbs and what is involved in a low carb Diet.
Beth’s Experience with low carbs.
Day 1
Breakfast -2 boiled eggs with rice cakes
Lunch – Tuna and Green salad
Dinner – Chicken and veg.
Evening meal before bed – Protein shake
Snacks – chicken
Exercise: Spin & Super pump
Feeling extremely hungry, really badly craving carbs and sugar.
Day 2
Breakfast – 2 Boiled Eggs
Lunch – Chicken with green salad
Dinner – Chicken with green salad
Snack – nuts
Exercise: Poundfit
Feeling super hungry and got a massive headache feeling like it’s not worth it!
Day 3
Breakfast – protein Shake
Lunch – Tuna with rice cake
Dinner – chicken with green salad
Evening meal – cheese and chicken
Exercise: Yoga
Feeling super tired today but hungry & cravings are not as bad still have a headache.
Day 4
Breakfast – 2 boiled eggs
Lunch- Chicken and veg
Dinner – Protein shake
Evening meal – chicken and cheese
Exercise: Heavy Leg day 5×5
Feeling like I have energy today, headache has died off and I don’t feel dizzy when exercising anymore. Feeling full after meals.
Day 5
Breakfast – 3 Pork sausages and 2 eggs
Lunch – Chicken with green salad
Dinner – Chicken with veg
Evening meal – Protein shake
Exercise; spin & heavy upper body
Full of energy, small cravings but nothing big. No more headaches!
Day 6
Breakfast – 2 pork sausages, 2 bacons and 2 eggs
Lunch – Protein Shake
Dinner – Tuna and green salad.
Evening meal – Treat
Exercise: Cardio
Week 1
Iv lost 1lb and 0.9% of Body fat
In my first week I did think I would lose more that 1lb but 1lb of fat is a lot see below…
I am Going to continue with the low carb diet until Christmas and wait to see the results I have in 6 weeks’ time!
Try it out yourself and let us know how you get on.
Thank you for reading.
Planet Gym Squad