Low Carb Diet Diary : Week 1

Low Carb Diet Diary : Week 1

A week is a long time in low carb diet terms. Bit of a rollercoaster, truth be told. Even counting the carbs in so called low carb food becomes a chore after a few days. You need to stick with it, though, because, as I'm finding out, the rewards are well worth it.

I have named the type of diet I'm trying the 'Just Enough Carbs' diet. Traditionally, a low carb diet requires that you stay away from carbs altogether. I had a slight problem, as regulars of this blog will know, which I put down to the low carb diet I tried last time.

I was fainting, due to lack of sugar. Ouch.

So, this time, my low carb diet is not quite so low carb. In fact, I've set two limits per meal (and these are flexible, believe me), which I'm testing. Firstly, in the spirit of the low carb lifestyle, I've set a limit of a total of 20% carbs per meal. Secondly, I'm calorie-limiting to around 1750 per day, split half and half between my main meal (at lunch) and breakfast/dinner/snacks.

You know what? It seems to be working. Low carb, or at least reduced carb, works for me.

Some stats for you, since I had to enter them all over at SparkPeople.com - height 6'1", weight (weight for it....) 89kg when I started. This gave me a BMI (body mass index) that was edging into the danger zone. WHich is why I started this diet thing in the first place.

5 days later (or thereabouts), and I now weigh 87.1 kg. I did ask my better half if this was due to a flat battery or my shiny new low carb diet, and we came to the conclusion that it was the diet. And the 2 litres of water per day that I'm drinking.

Lunch is, then, lettuce (iceberg), shredded, two cups thereof. Slice of really dark rye bread - luckily I like it, with some crab stick salad (light mayo) spread on it. It's nicer than it sounds. I also eat an apple a day (because you know what they say), and have a light breakfast of cereal and milk (semi skimmed, low fat). Dinner is a small porion of whatever is cooking.

Next week I start my real day-by-day calorie and carb counting by way of a confirmation of the low carb diet that I'm creating for myself. We'll also look at the theory behind all these things too, which I'm reasearching for my book 'Just Enough Diet'.

Stay tuned...

Low Carb Diet

Low Carb Diet Diary

Low Carb Diet Diary Update

For those who didn't know, this is my last week of 'regular carb life', and my low carb diet starts next week. On Tuesday, because Monday is a holiday, and I don't want to mug myself.

The way it'll work is as follows. Tuesday morning, I shall weigh myself, and pack a reasonably low carb diet lunch package, the contents of which I shall post here, along with my weight (gulp).

Now, I'm only planning to change my diet one little bit at a time since the last time I cut them out I kept having episodes of dizziness. You can always email me tips (see address below) and I'll take them on board if they seem sensible. The thing with a low carb diet is that everyone is different, so I'm also looking for ways to calculate my 'carb tolerance level'.

The first change that I'll make is to try to note down where the carbs are that I'm consuming ... and reduce them. Not quite the low carb diet in a traditional sense, more like public research in the Supersize Me mould. Without the cameras, of course.

Then, we'll see whether my weight changes, or not. If not, drastic actions will be necessary. I might even have to exercise (double gulp). Although, frankly, I'd rather do a bit of honest exercise than embark on a totally low carb diet!

Wish me luck...

Contact : three_m_thirty@yahoo.com

low carb diet

Low Carb Diet Recipe : Grilled Salmon with Watercress Sauce

Low Carb Diet Recipe : Grilled Salmon with Watercress Sauce

This low carb diet recipe is designed to be full of goodness, and low in calories and carbohydrates. It is not a traditional low carb food, since it does contain some carbs, but it can help weight loss as part of a controlled low carb or low calorie diet.

Low Carb Principle

This is a fish dish, and as such has a high oil and protein in the meat, and a reasonably low carb content. Grilling the salmon, rather than cooking it in any oil, will help to maintain a healthy carb and fat level.

We also use wholegrain rice, which is a low carb alternative to traditional minted new potatoes which usually accompany such a dish. Unusually for a low carb diet recipe there is also a sauce; and in order to keep the low carb diet principle, you will need to find a very low fat cream or avoid the sauce completely.

As always with these recipes – they are healthy, tasty low carb alternatives, but will only work as part of your weight loss plan if other elements in your diet are taken into account.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients. Please be aware that quantities need to be adjusted according to your bodies own ability to cope with carbohydrates. Tip : use a program like CarbTrack to monitor your low carb diet – it'll help you to decide exactly how many carbs you can process without gaining weight.

• Salmon steak (not smoked or cured in any way)
  
• Cress
  
• Fresh Watercress
  
• Lemon juice or zest
  
• Low fat cream or substitute
  
• Wholegrain rice

Preparation

Cut and wash the cress and watercress. Strip the salmon steak(s) of any excess fat (greyish meat) so that it does not get cooked into the fish. Squeeze the juice of a single lemon into a receptacle.

Cooking

Put the rice into a deep glass dish (with lid) : two cups for four people should be ample. Add two cups of water, and lightly salt it. Place dish, lidded, into the microwave for about 14 minutes at 850W (assuming 2 cups of rice).

Grill the salmon steaks to taste. Don't forget to turn them over.

Reduce the watercress in a pan with a very small amount of vegetable spread (not butter!), add the lemon juice and a small amount of low fat cream or substitute, and put the mixture into a blender. Blend (it'll go green).

Serving

Put a bed of cress on each place, place the salmon steak on top of it and tip the sauce over the salmon steak. Put the rice on the side, and deliver to the table.

Low carb diet

Low Carb Diet Diary

The Low Carb Diet

So, what is this low carb lifestyle all about then?

Firstly, some definitions, as I understand them. If I get anything wrong in my discussion of low carb facts and issues, please don't hesitate to correct me by email, by clicking the appropriate link.

The term low carb refers to foodstuffs that have a low carbohydrate content, and has also been taken to apply to a diet that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Low carb diets include the South Beach Diet, and other diets based around protein rich foods; fish, meat, cheese etc.

Carbohydrates get turned into sugars by the body, which are not dissolved and contribute to weight gain. Think of a low carb diet as one where the excess sugar (calories) is kept to a minimum – an average male should consume 2,500 calories of energy per day in order to avoid gaining weight.

A low carb diet maintains low sugar content, and hence restricts the number of calories consumed. This is a simplification, and if anyone can give an easy to understand scientific explanation of why a low carb diet works, then let me know.

Low Carb Drawbacks

I have followed high protein, low carb diets in the past. In doing so, I have encountered some problems with the low carb diet lifestyle. In particular, a drop in blood sugar which led to me nearly fainting on a couple of occasions.

One of my colleagues explained it thus : you are following a low carb diet, and not getting the same amount of sugar as before. Your brain needs sugar to function, and if it does not get enough, you will have problems concentrating, and run the risk of becoming light headed.

In other words, low carb diets are good, zero carb, high protein, intentionally low energy diets are not necessarily good for you on a long term basis. For quick weight loss, however, a low carb diet will probably work.

Low Carb Diet Diary

So, we're going to test it. Remember 'Supersize Me?'. Think of this blog as a kind of low carb diet version. I'll track my eating, I'll try to calculate the calories contained in what I eat, along with the carb levels (and GI, if I can).

Most importantly, I'll track my weight as I follow various low carb diet lifestyles, along with the convenience. If I find a good recipe or two along the way, I'll pass them on.

Low carb diet

Low Carb Diet

Welcome to my low carb diet blog. Here you will learn about low carb diet issues, such as good quality recipes for people following a low carb diet, types of low carb food, and information about the low carb lifestyle in general.