I have been on Atkins for three years. The first two years were successful, but now I am so, so bored. What are your go to snacks and treats? Also, do you do smoothies? I would love some low carb recipes.

We saw a dietician at my husband's doctor's recommendation. Portion sizes were shown and were small. My husband could have 60 carbs per meal and 15 per snack. He was told to count carbs and not calories. I ridded the pantry, freezers, fridge of cake and similar mixes, sugar, ice cream, etc. We both lost weight and his blood sugar was under control very soon! It takes planning, preparing and prepping, examining labels and the like. I bought a comprehensive carb count book to guide me and it soon became second nature to shop and eat within these guidelines! Smoothies are great (within the guidelines!

Hi, I'm very glad to hear that all of you have had success with the low carb lifestyle. The only problem I have experienced is that I tire easily. Since carbs give you energy, I believe that is the problem. I don't eat any sugar at all as that is a simple carb. I do eat a little starch, as starch is a complex carb and gives your body time to deal with the carbs. A simple carb like sugar goes into your bloodstream immediately. Natural sugar, as in fruit, is supposed to be as bad as white cane sugar, so I don't drink juice, either. I have a terrific "sweet tooth", so I rely (probably too much) on sugar substitutes. I purchase a lot of sugar free treats, such as cookies and candy.

Weight loss is NEVER definite. In my experience any "diet" where by calorie intake is reduced will give results IF the person involved is determined. The question is what "diets" are sustainable for a lifetime? Balance is the key. "No" anything is not balanced, and for most will not be maintained over the long haul. For the most part it isn't about what you put in your mouth it is more about where your head is at, that makes the biggest, longest, fastest difference. This is such a struggle for so many. There are no quick and permanent solutions--one size fits all.

It's good to see the positive effects others have experienced with dietary changes. Hubby and I have been following a low-glycemic diet (choosing foods on the lower half of the glycemic index of foods) for well over two decades as a way to prevent diabetes, which runs rampant in hubby's family. So far, so good. Meanwhile, two siblings have died with diabetes-related illnesses (ages 55 and 68), and two other siblings have diabetes, one mild - non-insulin (74), the other severe (59, on disability due to diabetes-related issues) insulin dependent. I developed fructose malabsorption after gallbladder surgery, so I now avoid foods and sugars that contain high amounts of fructose.

Three years ago I went gluten-free (which means so did hubby - with a few exceptions), and the first 6-months without wheat and other gluten-containing grains, we both lost 15-pounds and I felt better than I could have ever thought possible. I've had arthritis and inflammation since I was 13-years old and eliminating gluten changed all that.

In order to prevent boredom with our diet, I try to make three new recipes each week and we follow the old Basic-4 (since the 1970's) when it comes to the number of servings of food we consume for the day.

Bread/Cereal - 4 servings (all gluten-free wholegrain for us)

Fruits & Vegetables - 4 (or more) servings

Meat/Alternative - 2 servings

Milk/Dairy - 2 servings

I also add a small serving of nuts to our diet each day.

I use stevia, erythritol, and coconut palm sugar for cooking/baking --- but a carb is a carb, no matter what food contributes it... They ALL count. If you choose white bread instead of white sugar, you've actually made the same choice because they both raise blood sugar nearly the same. So I try to limit the amount of carbs from every source.

I make breads and baked goods with low-carb almond flour (and other nut flours) and coconut flour, and avoid high-glycemic flours and starches, which most gluten-free commercially produced baked goods are made from. I made all our baked goods with freshly-milled flour before going gluten-free, so nothing changed there except now I make them gluten-free as well as low-glycemic. We don't do without, we just do "different".

It's hard to get people out of that "low fat" brainwashed mentality that absolutely does not work to lose weight. Avoid labeled "fat free" dairy products like the plague they are!

I would also love to hear from others who have gone low carb about typical meals and/or recipes. I am about to launch into doing this to shed some creeping pounds. I do know it works having done it some years ago--really quick weight loss--but I don't recall that it was painless, especially in the first few weeks. In fact, it was like withdrawal which probably shows how bad my diet had gotten. Winters here are very long, cold, and dark and every winter I really crave the carbs and sweets. When the light returns I don't have these cravings nearly as much,so every spring there seems to be a lot more motivation

While I like meat/fish I typically don't eat a lot of it, so going more meat-intensive is somewhat difficult.Finding other satisfying sources of protein seems key.

For you who count carbs what is the amount you keep under? Also,any advice on a good carb counter (app or?)

I once lost 35 pounds in two months with ridding myself of complex (carbs) and simple sugars. Bad stuff to eat and highly unnecessary. It's really hard to get rid of all the stuff all the time though. I keep thinking I'll go back to it, and maintain with a small amount of carbs. Sounds like it works for you!

I will say it's hard to replace meats with other proteins on low carb because most of the alternate sources are carb laden (lentils, chick peas, soy, etc.). It's probably one or the other, but hard to be both meat replacement and carb free?

Good for you. I eat lower carb too. My calorie intake is a little on the high side but I don't have to lose weight, it's just that I don't process carbs very well and want to prevent diabetes.

A great flour alternative is grinding your own pumpkin and flax seeds, keep it a 3/4 to 1/4 ratio (more pumpkin seed). This is my favourite flour replacement. I also make sure to add a full grated zucchini as it is a little dry but hey, it's extra veg.

Cassandra some food ideas:

salmon cakes (canned salmon, 1 egg: form patties, fry), mushroom stuffed chicken (fry onion, mushroom, butter (or coconut oil), add some thyme and splash of brandy, stuff in bone in skin on chicken breast, bake), eggs with shredded zucchini, spinach and goat cheese, sweet potato chips (slice and sprinkle with olive oil, thyme, garlic powder s&p), I do make french toast with paleo bread (egg with coconut flour, you can google recipe, very quick, dry though, maybe add shredded zuc), almond pumpkin waffles, basics like fried/baked fish/chicken/beef, I do "bread" the chicken with hazelnuts and various spices at times, salads (my favourite dressing is mixing mayo, vinegar, touch of honey, thyme and shredded fresh garlic) It is very much like a ranch but a little more tart, curried devilled eggs, soups (a simple broccoli soup is just boiling some brocolli, puree to texture you like with water it was cooked in - top with coconut oil or olive oil with s&p) and many other soups, avocado with beef slices or lamb slices, smoothies.

I find the main thing is to stay away from sugars/sweeteners as much as possible. The more I introduce the more it consumes me. I am coming down from dessert high from this weekend. The first week isn't fun but once you move past it it's back to normal. Tuesday are my free day so I will take advantage of various youtube videos playing in the background while I do things around the house to motivate me back on track. I usually listed to someone like Abel James as we share common practices.

I didn't proofread so not sure if any of this makes sense!

I too am trying to limit my carbs. I'm like a lot of you in having trouble knowing what I can eat. Those of you who are more educated with this diet, keep the ideas coming please. Thanks.

The Protein Power forums are a wonderful source for recipes.

Protein Power forums

Fat has been demonized. Read "The Big Fat Surprise" by Nina Teicholz. It was largely one man, Ancel Keys, who changed the way Americans ate in the fifties and sixties, by force of a domineering personality. The whole low fat idea, called the diet heart hypothesis, surmised that increased heart disease was caused by increased cholesterol in the blood. This has since been disproved (the 2015 dietary guidelines have removed cholesterol restrictions and are now aiming at lowering sugar) but it took many years and the blackballing of many scientists who did not agree with Keys. I wouldn't worry about increasing the fat in your diet, as long as it is not trans fat. Eat butter, cream, grass fed beef, olive oil. Avoid vegetable oils. Fat keeps you feel, you eat less, and you are more satisfied.

I did a low carb diet in the 70's and lost weight. A few years ago I tried it again for two weeks with a coworker who had way less weight to lose than me. She lost 11 lbs and I lost 4. I tried low carb again this January....again, really didn't lose more than a few lbs.

im back to counting calories and it's also been slow going. I think age has a lot to do with it. Agree with Arcy.......it's very difficult to eliminate an entire food group for long periods of time.

msgenie, I wonder if your low energy is due to you not having enough healthy fats in your diet. Fats act as a fuel for your body.....gotta have them in order to maintain a good energy level. As a matter of fact, it will be more difficult to lose weight on a very low carb program unless you do eat healthy fats.

I use coconut oil, olive oil, and ghee in my diet, along with the other fats in meat, dairy, nuts, etc.

My morning cup of coffee, with a heaping tsp. of ghee added, is an amazing energy booster. It's the ghee, not the coffee.

And msgenie, you are shooting yourself in the foot by buying sugar free treats. They are as bad for you as the regular stuff. The key is weaning yourself from those kinds of foods entirely.

I disagree with arcy_gw's statement ..."it isn't about what you put in your mouth that's important....". That IS the issue for most people! Chemistry trumps calories every time. Finding the best pathway is very a very individual struggle.

My situation is also a little different than most; I turned to a low white carbs and sugars diet out of desperation to regain my health, not to lose weight. I have had to bump up the calories in order to maintain a healthy weight. That's a challenge because when one is enjoying a low carb diet, cravings and hunger pangs tend to disappear. (That's one reason why people say it's an easy program to follow.)

My daily routine consists of a boat load of different vegetables prepared in all kinds of ways, some fruits, eggs, cheese, meats, nuts, and grains. I make my own salad dressings and employ a variety of spicy, flavorful condiments.

I can't imagine getting bored, the food choices are absolutely endless.

I eat only trace amounts of sweets, pastries, breads, crackers, white potatoes. I don't crave them, want them, nor am I tempted when those foods are around me. The ramifications for me are rather severe.

I wish that I could help with recipes, but I don't typically cook that way. My meals tend to be very simple, with few ingredients. But I have learned my way around herbs and spices, I guess. My meals are colorful, full of variety, loaded with flavors......and low carb.

rhizo, you're the second one on this forum to mention that coffee. What does it taste like?

The ghee is a clarified butter. It smells of caramel, to me, but just tastes creamy and luscious in coffee, as the fat for sauteeing, cooking eggs, and flavoring veggies.

Make sure you listen to your body too because you will know what works for you. Even though I am low carb I am also lower protein. If I add too much meat protein to my diet I get histamine reactions. I get my calories from a lot of fat - coconut oil, nuts, seeds, avocado. I also lose too much weight so I am probably higher carb that others here. I will be sure to eat a piece or two of GF bread, 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 a potato everyday. I also do very well with starches - like tapioca starch for adding to baking with nut flours. Most seem to do well lower carb than I do.

I don't drink coffee anymore but I also mix mine with ghee, coconut oil and add some gelatin to it when I do have it. I makes if very rich and creamy - I Magic Bullet it to froth it up like that.

It's called bulletproof coffee. I think I mentioned it before. I use 1 T ghee and 1 T heavy cream because heavy cream is low carb. It's delectable!

Calories do matter. Eating low carb is usually eating fewer calories by default because most carbs are higher in calories than protein , fruits and veggies.

In the 90's I went to a dr for weight loss who was a Harvard MD and PhD in biochemistry. My brother has a PhD in physiology.....they both said the same thing...it's calories in/calories out. Two thousand calories is two thousand calories whether it's lettuce or chocolate pie.

I'd love to see someone eat 2000 calories of lettuce. How many heads of lettuce would it take? I just saw a little snippet of a video quickly showing what 200 calories of misc. foods looks like. It's amazing the difference between what you get from a burger versus say...broccoli! A tiny half of a burger versus a huge amount of broccoli.

What makes low carb work for me is that after eating a burger (no bread) I'm satisfied and not hungry. CICO is the name of the game but it isn't everything, if you eat 2000 calories of some things you will be hungry again in an hour. I find proteins and fats keep me satisfied and not hungry, longer.

That's exactly right lucille! If you eat a couple slices of bread for breakfast, you will be starving right away. People don't understand why they are starving shortly after eating...that is why, too many carbs or the wrong kind of carbs. I remember years ago when I first started the low carb diet, I read the Atkin's book (cover to cover) and it was like a light bulb came on for me. Now I know why I was starving all the time. I had also been on a low fat diet and couldn't understand why, instead of losing weight, I was packing it on! Why it took me so long to figure it out, I will never know but it was what everyone was preaching at the time...remember that Susan Powter and her "stop the insanity"? The insanity is the low fat idea of dieting! That's what I found out! Once I started eliminating the processed carbs, the weight just fell off, I wasn't hungry anymore and I felt so much better!

Just a note to rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7 I think I do eat plenty of healthy fats, mostly olive oil, which I use for frying, salads, and wherever I can fit it in. I should also mention that I'm 68 years old, will be 69 in a couple of months.

I genuinely thought the low carb idea would work for everyone, as I lost a lot of weight without even trying to lose weight. I just wanted to keep my blood sugar under control. And, honestly, I didn't pay any attention to the size of my portions. Maybe I'm just a bit of a freak. Nowadays excess weight is not a problem at all, it's keeping it on that is a problem if I continue on the low carb diet. I don't want to get overly "skinny".

Many times, I make up a meal of just meat and vegetables, being very careful not to pick starchy or sweet vegetables, like corn and peas or potatoes, rice, etc.

I follow a ketogenic diet which was originally put together to help children who have seizures. But studies have shown it to be so helpful for those with typeII diabetes, that those patients don't even need to take their insulin any more. As long as they follow the way of eating. Go back to bad habits, go back to medication which IMO is a quick fix. Eating healthy fats (olive oil, coconut oil, butter) not unhealthy fats (canola oil, sunflower oil, margerine) makes a huge difference in your health too. Rather than reach for that banana, which is one of the worst fruits because of all the sugar in it (and no, there is no such thing as "healthy sugar"), reach for an avocado. Even though I hate avocado, I manage to choke one down now and then to get my potassium in. lol Eating this way has improved my A1C, lowered by LDL, raised my HDL, and helped me lose 50 pounds. I went from a size 14/16 to a 6/8. It's weird because when I did Weight Watchers, I weighed what I do now and couldn't get anything under a size 10 on. Yet, with the ketogenic way of eating, I'm down a few sizes more!

I'm trying to get one of the women I work with more interested in Keto. She was diagnosed typeII six months ago. Her blood sugars are through the roof. She has yet to see a dietitian. I keep telling her to lower her carbohydrates. She said she loves them too much. Well, that's what got you to be a diabetic little lady... :) (I think that, I don't say that). So I told her just to avoid processed foods. If it comes in a box or can (or the center store aisles), don't eat it. Allow yourself one or two slices of toast and 1/2 a banana. But she doesn't want to do that either. I see her lunches and see why her bg is always so high. And it makes me sad. She's been very ill for a week. She's only allowed to have clear drinks, a banana and some rice. Everything goes straight through her. I asked her how her bg was. She said the lowest it's been since she was diagnosed. Gee, can it be she's only eating a banana and a little rice and her body is saying, YAY!!!

For anyone looking for low carb recipes, follow my Keto board on Pinterest. I've made quite a bit of the stuff that's on it. Low Carb recipes (ketogenics)

I agree that protein keeps you satisfied longer than carbs, which also helps you take in fewer calories because you're not as hungry as often. However, you can still overdo calories with protein, especially with nuts/peanut butter and not lose weight because your caloric intake is too high even though you've eliminated most carbs.

True. In the beginning when I switched over to low carb I kept track of calories as well as carbs. Now I sort of have an idea of what's what, and I don't snack a lot because I'm not as hungry. I do eat a handful of nuts or a spoonful of peanut butter sometimes as a snack. But I've lost 45 pounds so far, so even with the occasional nuts, my intake of calories is less than the calories used.

What do you guys eat for snacks? That is what is causing problems for my husband with blood sugar issues. He wants an evening snack and finding something that is tasty and healthy is tricky when what he really wants are potato chips or crackers. About the only thing I've been able to come up with are pistachios and various other nuts, but he is getting bored with those. I tried making kale chips, he hated them. He is also not fond of veggies, so crudites with dip are out.

You can't force your husband to make healthy choices if he hasn't faced reality himself. Breaking the habit of a nightly snack is a tough to overcome but can be done.

A few apple slices with cheese or peanut butter, celery sticks with peanut butter, a handful of nuts flavored with different spices are a few ideas that I can think of. Snacks aren't on my radar; hopefully others will have ideas.

The very last thing he should be doing before bed is putting a big carb=sugar load on his body.

Petra, have you tried seaweed snacks or pork cracklings? The dried seaweed snacks are SO good, but if he doesn't like seafood, he might be put off. They are really crispy and much more delicate than kale chips. Almost every kid in my grandson's kindergarten eats them for snacks. I think the sesame flavored are the best and my Costco has them available for much less than this.
Seaweed snacks

I can't vouch for any particular brand of cracklins, but know I loved them when I did low carb...heated up slightly in the micro. You can get a chip fix with them.
Pork Curls

snacks - deviled eggs, nuts, seeds, toast (see paleo bread), smoothie, low carb cakes (make ahead and freeze in portions), leftovers, salmon spread, beef jerky (if you have a dehydrator), sweet potato fries, 1/2 banana and almond butter. It's a reality of changing your mentality for what is best for your body and not what you want, unfortunately.

Some people have issues with artificial sweeteners, that does not seem to be the case with me. So sometimes I'll make sugar free Jello as a snack. Other snacks are cheese cubes, pork cracklings, a spoonful of peanut butter or a handful of peanuts or cashews.

Thank you so much for the suggestions!! I think I'll incorporate small amounts of several of them on a small plate, that should satisfy.

Oly, I've noticed the seaweed snacks at the store and have wondered about them. They seem a bit pricey for the small amount you get. The closest Costco is over an hour away, so we are not members. But I might pick up a bag or 2 and see if he likes them.

Rhizo and Cookie, totally agree, he has to get to where he chooses being healthy over having snacks he wants. We did really, really well last year, but somehow got derailed starting with all of the Thanksgiving goodies. It is high time to get back on the wagon, for both of us. The first line of defense is to just not have anything questionable in the house. If it's not available, he/we can't eat it.

Lucille, he can't eat artificial sweeteners, but sometimes I serve him yogurt with a little fruit and a drizzle of honey, that's kinda dessert-like and he likes it. I use full-fat, plain, unsweetened, it's incredible how much sugar flavored yogurt contains.

Two thousand calories is two thousand calories whether it's lettuce or chocolate pie.

That is true, but how your body processes those 2000 calories is not the same. You can lose weight on a limited carb diet of x calories and gain weight on a diet of the same amount of high carb calories. It's why most people don't have to count calories when on a good, healthy low carb diet.

Eating low carb is usually eating fewer calories by default because most
carbs are higher in calories than protein , fruits and veggies.

Not true. You are forgetting about the fat component of low carbing.

I don't try to talk people into low carbing because I don't think it is a good fit for everyone. And it is restrictive compared to what the average American eats every day. It can be very healthy and it does work, as can a healthy well-balanced low calorie diet.

I follow the Whole30 meal template all the time (I do it low carb which is not required for Paleo and Whole30,) and don't snack but for someone that needs to for blood sugar reasons Frico is a great snack that satisfies the salty/ crunchy craving (I include them in meals since I love them.)

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/frico-5111731

I use parchment since I dont have a silpat, do not use foil. Its very easy to season them different ways for some variety.

A calorie is a calorie - I don't buy it either.

Maybe if you just look at the first law of thermodynamics but the second law of thermodynamics says that energy spontaneously
disperses if it is not hindered. Protein
and carbohydrate are metabolized in different ways and their energy is
therefore dispersed in different forms.

Yeah, that whole calorie is a calorie bunk is a saying of big agra and food giants, such as coca cola. Have you seen the commercial telling you to drink a coke, you just need to exercise for XX amount of time afterwards? Total carp. While someone can eat a diet of 1000 calories of oreo cookies and lose weight, they sure won't feel very good doing it. However, if someone ate a diet of grass fed beef fried in coconut oil, the same 1000 calories, they would lose weight and feel great. I'm not advocating eating 1000 calories unless you are 4 feet tall, but just used it for comparison. That whole thinking is extremely outdated, as is the fact that eating fat makes you fat and causes heart disease. The whole obesity epidemic started when the dietary guidelines were changed to have Americans eat no more that 10% saturated fats, no more than 30% total fats. So, what did they replace the fat with? Highly addictive carbohydrates, which break down to sugar. So now we are sugar addicts, with insulin resistance and huge blood sugar fluctuations, which cause a viscous cycle of overeating, insulin release, and on and on.

msgenie, I could have written your post. Sure feels good to dump those 30 lbs., doesn't it? Costly to replace clothing, though. I try hard to limit carbs, but it's sure not easy. Especially when sitting in a restaurant enjoying a meal with friends/family, and here comes that basket of bread and butter! I just cannot buy anything thinking that I'll only eat half at a time.

As for artificial sweeteners, they are probably best avoided, but they can be helpful in satisfying the desire for something sweet without eating inappropriately. I just boiled a cup of water and sprinkled in some Crystal Light lemonade. So good, nice change.

As for nutritional counts, I use calorieking.com. They have an ap too.