Posted by bozeman on March 29, 2003, at 20:06:50
In reply to Re: low carbo » bozeman, posted by beardedlady on March 29, 2003, at 18:44:10
That's OK, beardy. I figured either you never saw it, or just got busy. Either way, I didn't take it personally.
Also being a woman with chocolate cycles :-) I found I had to modify the diet a little at the outset. My first week has more of an Atkins flavor to it -- Daily salads (usually two, sometimes three), no fruit, some green beans or broccoli, the rest proteins or fat -- steak, omelettes, roasted chicken, chicken salad, roast beef, deviled eggs, salmon salad, chicken soup (no noodles, just meat and some veggies), roast turkey, etc. That week "breaks" the insulin cycle for me that makes me crave carbs. (I keep carbs under 30 grams per day for that week.) Once I get through that week, I can go up to about 100 grams of carbs a day, (by adding back in the fruit and the rest of the vegetables) which in my opinion is more than I'll ever need unless I'm pregnant, and still not have the cravings. That 100 grams puts me just about smack in Zone territory, and if I go slightly over or under, I don't worry about it. I don't really eat refined carbs anyway, due to allergies, so you're right, I can just about make myself bored eating fruits and veggies as they are much less dense calorically.
Something you might try -- on the rare occasion I had a "bad" craving, I made a power shake -- flax oil and maybe some heavy cream for fat; milk if you want it and can tolerate it; plain yogurt if you want; fresh or canned-in-juice fruit (frozen is yummy and makes it more like a shake); and a low-carb protein powder to balance it out. I like to add raw eggs to mine (if that makes you queasy, you can use a pasteurized egg product available in the supermarket like Egg Beaters.) Perfect Zone snack, or meal replacement, depending on how much you make, that doesn't feel like eating a bucket of salad. It takes a little fiddling with a calorie counter book to get a handle on the percentages if you're not familiar with them, but by the time you've made it once or twice you'll have the ratios down and won't need the book any more. If it needs sweetening, add a little Stevia. It's virtually calorically neutral and without the danger and side effects of aspartame (which breaks down over time into methanol, among other things -- deadly to the optic nerve! Ever notice they started putting expiration dates on canned soda a few years ago? This is why. The shelf life of the aspartame required it; and it breaks down more quickly under heat, which is why you should never use aspartame in cooking, only in cold foods or right before serving, and keep a fresh supply if you must use it. Throw out what you can't use in six months.)
Probably more than you wanted to know (chuckle!) but I hope it helps. Good luck with those last ten pounds -- you should have them off in plenty of time for summer!!!
Best,
bozeman
poster:bozeman
thread:213825
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030329/msgs/214162.html