Weight-Loss Changing my diet.. again?

Weight-Loss
squeak

squeak

New member
So, I've been calorie counting and trying like heck to make this nutrition thing work for a few weeks and I thought I was doing pretty well. But (there's always a 'but') I went to the doctor today for a check-up and to talk with her about my goals. She wants me to go low carb, basically to take on a nutrition plan similar to someone with diabetes. Then she tells me that if I want a book to follow I can get one on the South Beach diet. This immediately made me cringe. I don't want to do any 'diet' with a name! :/

Anyway... she told me that counting carbs is easier than counting calories and she wants me to shoot for 60g net carbs (carbs minus fiber) per day. So, I did a little research and I now know to avoid special 'low carb' branded products claiming to have ridiculously low amounts of 'net carbs'. Ok. So... I sat down with Fitday and started looking through the last few weeks, realizing that IF I do this I'm going to have to cut my carb consumption by over half.

Uncertain of what I would be able to fill the rest of my plate with (so to speak) since carbs are in just about freaking EVERYTHING I turned to the trusty ol' internet and learned that low-carb diets are high in (healthy) fat and protein. This set off all sorts of warning flags because I have high cholesterol. So... now I'm just totally baffled. I literally sat at my desk for an hour today trying to figure out what to eat for lunch, whether I should try for something low-carb or just something I would normally eat given my currently established nutrition goals (the latter won, btw).

Does anyone have any insight? Links to previously-generated insight are also appreciated.
 
Why does your dr want you to go low carb?

Foods w/o carbs? Meat = bad for cholesterol. Green leafy veggies have low carbs.
Can you not have whole grains and eat more of them instead of the enriched crap...I mean food?
 
I've been cutting the enriched grains out of my diet. I'm eating whole wheat bread & pasta... I've been planning to switch to brown rice, too. But that's with a 1600kcal nutrition plan with 55% coming from carbs.

As for why, she says I'll have better success with weight loss if my insulin level is low. (For the record, I'm not diabetic... she says that this is the sort of thing that is being done for folks in danger of becoming diabetic. A pre-diabetic diet? I think.)
 
If your doctor, who is familiar with your medical condition and history, has recommended a specific diet to you, you should not be asking strangers on the internet to second-guess it. Have questions about why, or how, or what effect it may have on other aspects of your health? Go back and talk to your doctor.

(I'm not one to blindly follow a doctor's advice, myself. But that's because I do my own research and draw my own conclusions. If you're going to be taking someone else's advice, and you choose to follow the stranger-on-the-internet's advice over the advice of your personal physician, there's not much point in wasting your time and money getting that physician's advice in the first place.)
 
The south Beach diet isnt horrible, I actually had fun on it. they have you spicing your foods up like a real chef!!

My friends were begging for my tuna salad with avocado but I didnt wanna share! theres a yummy salmon recipe...and grilled veggie recipe...

mmmmmmmm Im hungry for new recipes, I think ill get my book out!!

oh ya, there was some dessert with ricotta cheese that was really yummy, too!!!
 
allyphoe said:
If your doctor, who is familiar with your medical condition and history, has recommended a specific diet to you, you should not be asking strangers on the internet to second-guess it. Have questions about why, or how, or what effect it may have on other aspects of your health? Go back and talk to your doctor.

(I'm not one to blindly follow a doctor's advice, myself. But that's because I do my own research and draw my own conclusions. If you're going to be taking someone else's advice, and you choose to follow the stranger-on-the-internet's advice over the advice of your personal physician, there's not much point in wasting your time and money getting that physician's advice in the first place.)
Click to expand...

Well, obviously I don't have ready access to my doctor 24 hours a day... just like you I'm doing my own research and part of that is seeking information from others who might have experience with these sorts of eating plans. I'm not just trying to lose weight here, I'm changing my lifestyle. I'm not sure if this sort of low-carb diet is something I can stick to, and since I'm already seeing the results I want from my current plan... just sort of weighing the pros and cons.
 
Of all the low carb diets out there - the south beach diet is probably the least offensive once you're out of phase 1 - but - and I' not a doctor -i just think I know pretty much everything on the internet... What about looking at the Low GI diet -which takes into consideration the Glycemic Index of foods -which is far more diabetic friendly than SB and is all the rage right now in dietville :D

While Ican't stand Health magazine anymore, it's gone too fad diet lose 30 lbs in 3 days by eating cabbage as it's headlines - their website has an excellent description written by dieticians on the major fad diets out there...



South Beach doesn't get an awful review but it doesn't really get a thumbs up either.
 
Just like you aren't blindly taking your doctor's advice, I doubt you will just blindly take our advice. Doctors simply dont have the key to WL anymore than anyone else. There are so many different studies and theories and diet plans out there, no doctor has the exact answer.

Low carb diets are known to cut your appetite, so if cravings or hunger are a problem for you then this might be helpful. If you're losing on a healthy calorie amount, then me personally, I'd just stick with what's working.
 
Nutritionist. Good idea, I was thinking about that yesterday but it totally slipped my mind. Thanks Brunette!
 
I agree with Brunette. Nutritionist!

It seems you are taking the right path by switching from refined sugars and bleached flours and searching for a healthier alternative. Watch the labels on the products that say wheat etc and make sure in the first few ingredients it says WHOLE WHEAT or WHOLE GRAIN.. labels list first the items that make up most of their products and you don't want to be tricked into buying something and it not be what you think.

Each body/mind needs a certain % of fat, carbs, protein, etc to function at its optimal level, and if you go and cut that in half right off the bat, you may feel sluggish and unable to focus at first. If you choose to go that route, cut out a little at a time and find that level that suits your body and not the 'average' person.

Good Luck.
 
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