Living low-carb has numerous health benefits, but how do you start? How do you even begin to ditch the carbs from your daily life? Let me guide you through some easy steps so it’s not so daunting.
If you are new here, you may want to read the keto glossary to help you understand keto words, keto acronyms, and keto slang.
What is a low-carb or keto diet?
Have you heard about low-carb and keto diets and want to know how to start?
The low-carb diet and keto diet are easy.
Are you ready to lose weight and heal your body for life (without dieting, drugs, or making yourself miserable)?
Our free on-demand video training will walk you through how to make this THE year you set health goals…and keep them.
You will become a fat burner, not a sugar burner.
You will eat amazing, nutritious, delicious whole foods that are lower in carbs, plenty of quality protein, and yummy healthy fats (but not too much, that’s a myth, and I’ll tell you why).
What’s the easiest way to start?
Are you ready to start a low-carb or keto diet?
I want to make sure you have everything you need.
I always send new subscribers my FREE 5-day meal plan and shopping list. It’s the easiest way to start FAST.
My mission is simple, to make low-carb and keto easy, delicious, and affordable for the whole family.
How does the low-carb diet work?
When your body is fuelled by a low-carb diet, it switches from using glucose as its energy source to burning fat more efficiently.
When you lower your dietary carbohydrates, you begin to use your glycogen stores and lower your insulin levels (the energy storage hormone).
When you increase your intake of healthy fats, you are satiated for longer which helps regulate your appetite and sustains you for longer.
You can then achieve stable lower blood glucose levels and your body will switch from being a sugar burner to a fat burner.
Why are low-carb diets so amazing? – What are the health benefits
Studies have shown that a low-carb diet may help in numerous ways.
These can include rapid and sustained fat loss, increased and sustained energy, reduced inflammation, less intestinal distress, improved mental clarity, improved cholesterol profile, stable blood sugar levels, and more.
The low-carb diet can help to reverse insulin resistance, an unhealthy metabolic state at the root of many modern chronic diseases. It does this in part by lowering high insulin and blood sugar levels, as well as stabilise blood sugar swings.
These reasons alone make the low-carb diet a great choice for those who are trying to improve their health.
- Of all the weight-loss dietary interventions, research studies using low-carb interventions lost greater weight (and fat) than participants on low-fat interventions. (1)
- By lowering carbohydrate intake, blood sugars are controlled and insulin levels are minimised. This is incredibly beneficial for those with diabetes (type one or two) and those with insulin resistance.
- Low-carb diets normalise appetite, in part by minimising blood sugar swings which often lead to cravings. (2)
- Low-carb diets have a beneficial impact on a whole host of heart disease risk factors such as reduced inflammation, reduced triglycerides, increased HDL, just to name a few.
If you are new here, you may wish to understand all the advantages of living low-carb and to understand why low-carb has become so popular over recent years.
How do carbs affect blood sugars?
So you truly understand how much everyday foods affect our blood sugars, take a look at these 7 charts (spoiler alert – you will never see carbs in the same way again after seeing these).
What Do You Eat On A Low-Carb Diet?
If you are wondering what can you eat on a low-carb diet or keto diet, don’t worry. There is absolutely no deprivation in living a keto lifestyle. We live like kings!
We base all our meals on whole food that is lower in carbs, moderate to high protein, and high in healthy fats. Think meat and simple veggies with some healthy fat thrown in for good measure. It really is that simple!!!
Your daily diet will begin to include the following whole foods. No more junk food. No more sugar. No more grains. Only healthy oils and fats.
But don’t worry, keep reading because I will show you stepwise exactly how to get rid of sugar and junk food … the easy way!
What Are The Worst Carbs That I Should Give Up First On A Low-Carb Diet?
It may seem daunting how to start changing you and your families way of eating. It doesn’t have to be. Discover how to make easy low-carb swaps and start swapping one meal or one snack at a time. Every change you make gets you a step closer to being healthier.
The easiest way to start is to change your breakfast.
Enjoying a nutrient-dense low-carb breakfast will stop your usual morning sugar roller coaster and keep you satiated until lunchtime.
So no more mid-morning slumps, no more reaching for the nearest chocolate cake or granola bar.
Now improve your dinners, and your lunches can be leftovers. It’s that simple.
“Aim for progress, not perfection”
Next, stop or swap your snacks. Snacks can add up to a fourth meal, and most snacks are ultra-processed, high-carb, high-sugar with unhealthy fats and oils.
Each meal you have which is a good choice is one less bad meal. Ditch the processed carbs!
What Is The Easiest Way To Start A Low-Carb Diet? – The Stepwise Method
STEPWISE METHOD: Below is the 5 things you should begin to cut from your diet.
- All sugar-sweetened beverages – Don’t drink your sugar! Reduce then stop fizzy drinks, fruit juice, flavoured milk and energy drinks – they are ALL liquid sugar in a bottle. For most people, drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is the number one source of sugar in their diet.
- Sweets, confectionary, sugary treats – replace then remove. Make lower carb versions of your usual sweet treats, candy and ice-cream and begin to enjoy high-cacao low-sugar chocolate as you stop the sugary chocolate.
- Baking, cakes, biscuits, pastries – regular baking is a toxic combination of processed high-carb, high-sugar, and high unhealthy fats. Learn to make delicious sugar-free baking and banish the beige.
- Cereal and granola – These are generally highly processed, high in sugar and fortified. It will make you have a sugar crash later in the morning and not fulfil you. Breakfast cereals are more akin to desserts these days rather than a hearty way to start the day.
- Sugar and flour – if you give up these 2 things, you will improve your health, weight and nutrition beyond belief. People may say it is restrictive and you are giving up entire food groups, but what you are giving up is food products. It’s only because flour and sugar are found in so many products that giving them up appears to be restrictive. Even just 10 years ago, many of these products weren’t available. Supermarkets looked very different from how they do now.
READ LABELS – you must become a label reading ninja. Read the BACK of the package (nutrition label) not the front (marketing). Don’t worry, once you get the hang of it, you’ll instinctively know what you can and cannot buy.
What Carbs Should You Eat/Avoid/Sometimes Eat When You Start A Low-Carb Diet?
What to eat on a low-carb diet?
The easiest way is to get started is to grab a copy of the Low-Carb Starter Pack which has 25 easy recipes for beginners, a meal plan, a shopping list, a progress tracker, and simple guides.
- Meat – all types of beef, pork, chicken, lamb etc. Do not trim the fat and keep the skin on the chicken – yay –
- Fish – all types especially those high in Omega 3 such as salmon, mussels, tuna, sardines …
- Vegetables – all types that are grown above the ground. Leafy greens, spinach, silverbeet, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, avocados, courgettes, aubergines, capsicums, mushrooms, lettuce …..
- Cheese – choose the full-fat varieties.
- Cream – full fat, double, whipping.
- Full fat milk – avoid all flavoured milk and avoid any milk in large quantities because even though it may only contain 4-5% carbs, it is easy to drink a 250ml serving which equates to 12.5g carbs. No more milky lattes or cappuccinos.
- Nuts and seeds – a great snack but just watch yourself not to overindulge, especially on higher-carb nuts such as cashews. In addition, many nuts are high in omega 6 which is pro-inflammatory. The best high-protein nuts are almonds or wlanuts.
- Eggs – there is no limit on eggs, go for it!
- Fruit – it’s best to choose low-sugar, low-carb, nutrient-dense berries such as blueberries, blackberries etc. Serve with double cream, natural unsweetened yoghurt or coconut cream to ensure you are satiated for longer.
- Fats – use healthy fats such as butter, olive oil, coconut oil, lard, avocado oil, macadamia oil.
What to avoid on a low-carb diet?
- All processed sugar drinks – this includes fizzy drinks, flavoured milk, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit smoothies and even fruit juices which are incredibly high in natural sugars.
- All cakes, biscuits, jams, sweets.
- Seed Oils – Stop using oils such as sunflower, canola, corn, soy or margarine. They are high in inflammatory Omega 6, ultra-processed, bleached, deodorised, unstable and easily oxidised.
- All cereals – if you look at most cereal/granola packets, they contain anywhere from 50%-80% carbs. No wonder they are known as CEREAL KILLERS!!!
- Bread, pasta, potatoes, sugar etc. There is no nutritional value in these foods. You may argue that there are fibre and B group vitamins, true, but you gain more fibre and vitamins by increasing your vegetable intake and stopping the leaky gut that wheat creates which also reduces your vitamin/nutrient absorption. There is no known bread or pasta deficiency!
- Fruit – is something that should be limited. Why? Because it’s natures candy. Yes, whole fruit has vitamins, fibre and phytonutrients, but nothing that you can’t achieve from your increased low-starch veggie intake. Choose nutrient-dense, low-sugar fruits such as berries. Fruit such as pineapple, mango, grapes and especially dried fruits, should be avoided. They have an incredibly high glycaemic index, which will make your insulin spike (and begin storing fat). “If you are overweight, fruit is not your friend”.
- ALL fruit juices – whole fruit is self-limiting, fruit juice is not. A glass of orange juice is not the same as the goodness from 6 oranges, it is the same as the sugar from 6 oranges. And fruit smoothies aren’t any better. They can contain up to 35 teaspoons of sugar.
- All wheat products and grains – have a high GI, raise your blood sugar and increase appetite. Avoid all grains including wheat, oats, barley, spelt, sorghum.
- Pasta – high in carbohydrates and offer minimal nutrition.
- Rice – of very little nutritional value. Generally used to bulk out a meal. Try substituting rice for more vegetables or cauliflower rice. it’s a win-win.
- Rice crackers – although they are marketed as healthy because they are low-fat, rice crackers/wafers are almost 80% carbs and incredibly processed. Avoid.
- Diet or low-fat products – check the labels and you will see how processed and higher in carbs they are compared to their regular version e.g, low-fat cream cheese can be up to 15% carbs, whereas the regular is only 4%.
What food can you enjoy sometimes on a low-carb diet?
If you don’t have weight to lose, are metabolically healthy and all your blood results are within your goal, you may occasionally enjoy the following.
- Alcohol – avoid cocktails, beer and sweet wines or liqueurs.
- Dark chocolate – avoid high-sugar chocolate and instead choose high % cacao chocolates that are generally lower in sugar and carbs. Avoid low-carb bars and sugar-free chocolate, they often contain sweeteners that still raise blood sugars.
- Low-carb baking – part of the ethos of going low carb is to give up the sweet treats, but when the need arises, best to make it a low-carb recipe
- Potatoes and starchy vegetables – if you can tolerate a moderate level of carbs, some choose to include some of the more nutrients dense highly coloured starchy vegetables such as carrots, beetroot or sweet potato. But it must be in limited quantities. However, most choose to avoid all starchy vegetables until they are at goal weight.
How many carbs should you have each day?
How many carbs you consume each day will be dictated by your health goals and carbohydrate tolerance.
Generally, a low-carb diet is considered to be:
- <100g/day = moderate low-carb
- <50g/day = low-carb
- <20g/day = keto
Many readers like to begin by simply reducing their carbs to a level that is sustainable and weight loss still occurs.
All the nutrition panels in my recipes are guides only. There are so many variables with different brands that you choose so if your carb requirement is strict, please calculate your own for accuracy.
From the examples below, you can choose your own weekly meal plan. It will take some time to adjust your appetite, but believe me, it will change. In the meantime, if you are hungry, increase your healthy fats at each meal.
FREE keto caclulator
If you are confused with how many carbs to limit yourself to, or how much protein, then use the FREE keto calculator to set your goals and limits.
Once you have your goals set, and you know how to read food labels, you can begin to count your carbs.
Do the best you can, as often as you can.
The easiest way to start your low-carb and keto diet
Start to re-think your regular meals.
Begin to ask yourself how can you remove the high-carb side dishes?
What can you replace or remove?
It’s as simple as that.
- You can still enjoy your regular roast dinner, just remove the bread, potatoes, root vegetables and enjoy non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and spinach instead.
- Instead of crumbed fish and chips have grilled salmon on a salad with a lemon dressing.
- Have a hamburger but not the bread bun, load it up with veggies and cheese.
- Instead of a sandwich, enjoy your usual fillings on a salad or wrapped in nori (seaweed) sheet, wrapped in slices of ham or other deli meats.
- And instead of cheesecake with a biscuit base and sugar-laden filling, have a base made of ground almonds topped with cream, cream cheese, and berry filling.
What To Do If Weight Loss Stops?
Congratulate yourself on how far you have come then let me help you figure out what is going wrong.
The longer you live on whole food that is lower in carbs, you will feel so amazing that you won’t want little slip-ups anymore.
There are many factors that may need to be addressed:
- Is carb creep happening?
- Do you need to start intermittent fasting?
- Do you need to stop snacking?
- Are your measurements reducing but the scales aren’t moving?
4-Week QUICKSTART
Want to change your eating? It just got easier… Ditch The Carbs 4-week QUICKSTART is open.
EVERY lesson has a purpose and EVERY lesson could be your lightbulb moment.
Weekly lessons, mini-challenges, and guest experts.
References:
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What dog food do you feed your dog? I’m hoping there is a brand I can buy. I want my pups to be on LCHF too! 🙂 Our completely carb free if possible
Hi Carolyn, ha ha, you must have read my comment on Jimmy Moore’s FB page. I have a cat and she happily eats “Fussy Cat” Grain Free cat food. Since she has changed to this formulation, she has had no gingivitis (inflammation of her gums).
Hi, I buy my raw, grain-free cat food. Dehydrated raw food (with all the yucky bits that they need) literally saved my kitty’s life after we accidentally poisoned her with a Yucca plant. 4 vets were useless (wanted to operate or change her diet to their grain-filled products). She had never had grains so I wasn’t about to start. I also gave her digestive enzymes which I think Deb at natural pet foods now stocks.
Hi I’m only new to LCHF and you’re information has been amazing, thank you! I have one question though I’m doing well cutting out sugar, breads etc but just wondering do I need to portion control my meals? Typically I have a 2 egg one letter with cheese, spinach and mushrooms for breakfast. Then warm chicken salad with rocket, cucumber, tomatoes, Persia fetta and a poaxhed egg. Dinner yellow curry with brocoli, carrot on cauliflower rice. Snack a low carb cheesecake, nuts maybe a smoothie.
I feel like I’m eating so much rich foods I’m worried I’m eating too much??
Eat until you are almost full and also be guided by your weight and how you feel. If you have weight to lose and it’s not dropping, then cut back on portion sizes. But if the weight is still stable or dropping off then continue as you are. Your variety of foods are great and they are all high in nutrition so great work. X
I appreciate the list but have concerns: since when do carrots grow above ground and is pumpkin a root vegetable? Otherwise, it looks great.
Pumpkin is a starchy vegetable and carrots do indeed grow below the ground but aren’t as high in sugars as pumpkins. Take a look at this list of carbs in vegetables to see the comparisons. I also eat beetroots which are higher in carbs but they are so packed with nutrition, I allow it. Nothing is out of bounds, depending on the level of carb intake you want to reach.
Thanks so much for your support, DitchTheCarbs! I am an avid reader of your site, too!
Hi All!!! I just need to find out if your cholesterol is a bit high is this Banting diet safe to use?
My numbers are all excellent. Take a look at my page on the cholesterol myth where I summarise some fabulous books on the subject. Once you go low carb, your triglycerides drop, HDL goes up and LDL becomes the larger fluffy type instead of the small oxidised destructive type. This is an incredible simplification but have a read and see what you think.
The 7 day meal plan says 3 meals a day but I usually only do lunch and dinner with a couple of snacks, is this still OK ?
Absolutely. I often don’t eat lunch but people would think I was nuts if I only put 2 meals a day on the plan. Your hunger soon diminishes so you won’t want to eat as often as we are used to.
How do I get started on this plan? What is the 7 day meal plan? I am a little lost. My dr says she would like for me to follow this plan because of the inflammation in my joints may be coming from eating too many carbs. Can you please help me get started?
Firstly read the “How to start” page which will cover how to start slowly and give up the most obvious places of sugar first, then cut back on all carbs such as bread, pasta, rice, starchy vegetables etc. You must also cut back on all seed oils such as canola, sunflower, margarine, spreads etc. These cause inflammation. Go back to healthy fats such as olive oil, butter, coconut oil, etc. Take a look at the lists on the page. To make your own meal plan, take a look at all my breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes. Choose which ones are easy to start with such as scrambled eggs for breakfast, salad and last nights dinner for lunch, and dinner meals made the low carb way. Join us on Facebook and Pinterest too for more ideas and suggestions. Good luck xxx
Sorry, terrible spelling.. would you know the carbs for Kumara Libby? 🙂
Anywhere between 25g and 37g per 125g serving, so I keep kumara for my children 🙂
Hi Libby. Re foods to eat. Still a newbie and exploring all this. Re the foods for example cocnut cream- is there a specific brand or type you,should buy? Same with butter and meats- re grass fed versus grain fed. Coconut oil- is there ones you should or shouldn’t use brand wise. Lchf site says grass fed meat and butter. Does it have to say organic on the butter. Labelling is really bad in regards to this. And your cheeses- re Brie for,example- are they all they same or are there certain ones of them you have to buy ? This goes for all cheese that you can have to- are there ones better for you than others?
With thanks
Amanda
Good question. There is no doubt that grass-fed, free-range, organic is best but it is simply out of the price range of so many. What is more important to start with is to eat real whole food as best as you can find. I certainly don’t buy organic all the time. Do what you can when you can. It is more important to change from cereals to eggs rather than getting hung up on a perfect source of eggs. Take a look at my low-carb keto Amazon store. I really try and make this as easy on ourselves as we can. We shouldn’t need a degree in nutrition to eat well. Some sites complicate things far too much. My motto is “do the best you can as often as you can”. I agree, labels are pretty poor and not standardized (net vs total carbs for example). Good luck 🙂
Hi, don’t know if you are still wondering about brands for coconut cream, BUT if you are in NZ go for the Kara brand 🙂 Just come into pak n save store not long ago and is BRILLIANT. I couldn’t understand why people love coconut cream so much by itself and how theirs was going so thick in the fridge (I would only use mine for curries and berry icecreams). Then our store finally brought in the Kara brand about a month ago, and OMGosh what a difference to the cheaper brands it is! It is beautiful and I think (from memory) is really high in fat. Really worth the little extra you have to pay 😉
Hi, I have been giving ditch the carbs a go…so far only in the form of bread,pasta,rice, this was quiet hard for me as I didn’t realise how much I got through a day! I’m a fussy meat eater as I was a veggie for a number of years so still only eating veggie quorn. I don’t drink fizzy drinks or alcohol. I have already cut out cakes/biscuits apart from the odd biscuit! I have lost weight and I still need to loose more…I really want to change my children’s diet also but I have one child who will eat/try anything and a two year old who won’t eat vegetables, luckily she has never been keen on pasta,rice or potatoes anyway but think I will struggle with her…so any tips welcome! She loves all fruit which I let her have as she doesn’t eat veggies but not sure if this is wise!
What a fabulous start you are making. There is no denying the change will take some time. I know as I have a fussy 7 yr old who even used to hate roast chicken, and last night he went back for thirds!!! or cauliflower rice (makes me a happy mumma). If your daughter loves fruit that is great, but try and get her onto the less sugary fruits and nutrient dense ones like berries and add some cream to keep her full. Take a look at my Kids pages for more ideas and tricks. I always let my youngest choose 1 thing on the plate he doesn’t have to eat but he has to eat the rest, he thinks he has some control so is happy. Just keep trying and do the best you can and be proud of what you are able to change then look back to see how far you have come.
I know you posted a few months ago, but I thought I would reply just incase its still relevant. After having a daughter who LOVES veges, I then had my son who at a year old suddenly refused veges. It was getting so bad he would make himself throw it up if we forced him. But we kept on going trying everything we could while getting extremely frustrated (While also being told by everyone he was too small and sickly (Which he always was but got worse when he stopped eating the veges)
Last year while I was going grain free/LCHF, I decided to get him and his siblings gluten free (While planning to eventually get him completely grain free, however that hasn’t gone to plan yet lol!) The futher away from gluten he was, the more veges he started to willing eat. We just started him off with carrots as he seemed to like them more than other veges. He loves potatoes and meat so we would tell him have a carrot then you can choose to have a mouthful of potato/meat then have another carrot etc. We just kept perserving, adding in the other veges and adding in more (Eg you can have some potato after you have eaten 4 carrots etc) and now a few months ago for the first time he cleaned off ALL his veges before he even touched potato or meat without being asked. It hasn’t happened again since BUT he will eat all of one food group before having something else.
Now I am having the same problem with my youngest when he turned 1 -_- BUT I have discovered a few months ago both my boys will happily scoff back a vege/chicken curry I make, so I make that once or twice a week (I roast up 2 big chickens and cook extra veges, then use the left overs the next day to make it. Or sometimes make up Cauliflower curry soup from the Wheat Belly book if cauliflower is nice and cheap, and use that.) Unfortunately they will only eat it with rice, but for me personally I would rather them have a decent amount of veges a couple of days a week than cut out the rice completely so it is a compromise I am willing to take 🙂
My older son use to willing eat the veges in a quiche as well, but unfortunately doesn’t anymore (Plus I haven’t tried doing a grain free one yet lol) so that could be something you could try doing?
Just keep persevering with her 🙂 I didn’t think my son would ever eat veges again, so just a little encouragement from one mother to another 🙂
“Vegetables – all types that grown above the ground. Leafy greens, spinach, silver beet, broccoli, CARROTS, cauliflower, cabbage, avocados, courgettes, aubergines, capsicums, mushrooms, lettuce”.
Carrots grow IN the ground.
Agree. I have been meaning to change that. Oops 😉
Is it safe to go on this low carb lifestyle while breastfeeding?I have gained so much weight with my pregnancy and need to drop a few pounds.
The key is to make sure you are getting enough energy from fats and proteins. By going low carb you will probably be eating a wider range of healthy vegetables, meats and healthy fats compared to many other nursing mothers who may be snacking on bread, crisps and cakes. Also make sure you are drinking enough fluids.
this sounds like wonderful info, how do I go about printing this without all the extra comments at the base? I have 70 pounds to lose this year because of heart problems……….HELP!!!! thanks, Donna Perkins, Wetumpka, Alabama I have had my 2nd open heart surgery and am only 64 yrs. old.
There is a print button at the bottom of each page. Press this but make sure you choose only the first or second pages to print which will just contain the “How to start guide”. Alternatively, you can screen capture or cut and paste my article then print. Good luck and follow us on Facebook for daily tips too 🙂
Hi, I track my food on My Fitness Pal, can you advise the suggested ratio of carbs, fats and protein for LCHF.
Thanks
Generally most people wanting to lose weight aim to get below 50g carbs/day and 1-1.5g/kg of protein/day. As for fat you eat until full which is usually self limiting. To increase your fat you MUST lower your carbs otherwise you are back on the Standard American Diet (SAD) of high fat high carbs = recipe for disaster and weight gain.
I love avacodo and olives, Do I have to limit them?
No limits, but like anything, don’t overdose it and eat a variety of foods. Some people tend to swap their overeating habits for another, variety is key.
Hi, just found your site, and it seems very helpful so far, so Thank you! I quit smoking a year and a half ago, and have subsequently gained 35 pounds, although I needed to lose a bit before that. (Too much wine, sugar and carbs)! I also have entered peri-menopause, which has wreaked havoc on my energy level and sleep. I am targeting a 55 pound weight loss, and luckily my husband has jumped on board so I don’t have to be purchasing/cooking different things for him.
I started seeing a nutritionist, who has started me on a B-12 injection 2 times monthly, and a LCHF diet. He wants me to stay between 20-35 carbs daily for at least 3 months. He says I need to buy ketone strips, to make sure I don’t go into ketoacidosis, however, I am otherwise healthy, and not diabetic. Is this something I need to be overly concerned about? I’m on my 4th day of approx. 25 carbs daily, and other than a slight headache, I feel fine.
Thanks for your input!
Kristy in Austin, Texas
Hi Kristy, that is great that you have discovered us and you have a LCHF nutritionist on board. You are ahead of the game already! This will be an exciting time ahead for you as you will really learn so much about nutrition and your health. You will discover new ways to cook, which will eventually become your new favourites. You will lose weight and gain so much energy. You will also lose that constant feeling of guilt associated with eating, which is what I had. Eat too much, feel guilty, eat less, then overeat because you’re starving, feel guilty, and so the cycle continues. My weight has remained below my weight watchers goal for 2 years now without counting a single thing, how refreshing and healthy. You will gain control of your appetite and actually want to eat nutritious foods. Wheat and sugary foods no longer appeal (this is from me who used to buy 5kg bags of flour for my baking).
You mentioned ketone strips. If they are the urine strips they are useful to see if you are in ketosis, fat burning mode, but be aware they are not completely accurate but are a good guide to how you are doing. The blood strips are way too expensive but more accurate. I have a blood glucose monitor and went through a phase of testing to see how I react to dairy, protein, cream, coffee etc. I rarely do it now as I want this way of eating to be as simple as possible, but again, a useful tool starting out.
Good luck Kirsty and come back and ask more questions. Also join us on Facebook and pinterest to get more help. Take care. Libby xxx
I see you place pumpkin in with the root vegetables, I always thought they grew above ground.
I’ve amended that to ‘starchy vegetables’ as you are correct they grow above the ground. They do contain 6-8% carbs so for some this is still too high, but they are packed with vitamins and phytonutrients, so with all things low carb, spend your carbs wisely 🙂
Weekends are very difficult for me. I started 2 weeks ago LCHF, during the week all goes well, but I struggle weekends with snacks. any suggestions?
Weekends can be difficult if you are surrounded by others not eating this way, or eating out. Take little bags of nuts with you, cubes of cheese, slices of deli meat, squares of dark chocolate or go for creamy coffees, they tend to keep me full for hours. When eating out, go for simple dishes such as steak and blue cheese with veggies, salads but no croutons, think meat’n’veg and no sauces is an easy way to continue when out. Some cafes sell frittatas with no pastry, quiche, etc. Even if you buy a huge meat and salad wrap then deconstruct it and eat the filling is another good option. Once you start getting the idea, you can adapt most things. Good luck Shireen 🙂
Help!! I love dry red wine. Could I still have my few glasses on the weekends and still lose weight. I also need to go gluten free. Do any of the above foods in the ‘allowed’ food list contain gluten?
Absolutely go for the wine! As long as you go for an unsweetened wine and limit yourself. I only have a glass at the weekends as I know all my good intentions go out the window once I’ve had a glass and it’s harder to say no to more dark chocolate. If your weight loss ever stalls, you may need to reassess how many glasses you have as the alcohol will always be metabolized before anything else so weight loss will often stop. As for gluten, all my recipes are naturally gluten-free because all my recipes are grain-free. Read my post on Gluten free vs Grain free to truly understand. Beware of GF products because they are so high in carbs because they are made with rice flour, tapioca starch, etc. And remember, gluten-free junk is still junk 😉 Good luck Mary, keep coming back and asking questions.
Hi,I am a new in,so you don’t count how much Carbs you earn per day??I thought there should be no more then 20g/day to get into ketosis?? Thanks
I personally don’t count anymore as I want this to be as easy and sustainable as possible. I have had years of counting calories and points, and this is incredibly liberating. I just don’t eat any sugars, grains or high carb foods any more so I am incredibly low carb all the time. When I was starting out I counted, just to see where my carbs were coming from and it was an eye opener. And yes you are correct, to go into ketosis anywhere between 20-50g carbs/day. Find out what works for you.
Hi very new to LCHF, can I just ask….. If sticking to your advised food lists can I over eat? I’m so scared I’m going to gain weight as for many years I’ve stuck to the low fat diet versions of food ( which obviously don’t work!) Many thanks julie x
It will take a while to trust and adjust to your new appetite. I personally found when I was low fat and on Weight Watchers, I was ravenous all day long, so to be told eat what you like was difficult to understand. By eating more healthy fats especially, will keep you fuller for longer. And depending on how long you have been dieting for, and how insulin resistant you are, will depend on how long it takes for you to adjust appetite and weight. The odd person gains weight when they start because they don’t listen to their body. Remember to eat until 80% full (it takes a while for your stomach to register you have eaten your meal) and only eat when hungry. Don’t snack if you don’t have to. Are you really hungry or thirsty (similar feelings).
I have done LCHF for a week now…sometimes I just don’t feel like another meal with fat in it…and I’m eating alot of eggs. I used to eat oats which are low fat… Are there other options? I like smoothies…preferably without avocado. Thanks.
Eat fat only until full. Don’t eat any more than you can handle. Sometimes people think they have to eat lots of fat whereas it is really eating the fat that naturally comes with a meal (i.e:not trimming a fatty steak) and adding as much fat as feels right to your meals through sauces and cheese for example. I don’t go our of my way to eat extra fat. If you are still hungry though but don’t feel like the heavy feeling some fat brings, add some coconut cream to your smoothies.
I just barely learned about lchf for my arthritis but I have a question: how does it effect high blood pressure and high cholesterol? My doctor at one time wanted me to go totally off meat and fat, so how can I increase my fat intake without increasing my blood pressure and cholesterol?
Thanks
Firstly take a look at the cholesterol myth page, which will explain how it is the carbohydrates in your diet which make you at a higher risk of heart disease than your fat intake, and secondly, meat is one of the most nutritious foods you can have. Sure if you want to give up meat for ethics and personal reasons, but not for your health. Take a look at Zoe Harcombes fabulous post on that subject. By lowering your carbs (and processed foods) you will lower your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol profile. It’s not about how much cholesterol you have, but what type.
Thanks for answering. I will continue with the plan, in hopes to avoid hip replacement. Hopefully, my cholesterol check in January will be good (I like meat).
I always recommend you to get professional advice if you have specific health issues. Also removing vegetable oils from your diet may help with inflammation and pain. Vegetable oils and margarines are high in omega 6 which is inflammatory. Take a look at this article which explains it really well.
Hi!
I have been recently diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes so I am taking meds to stabilise my glucose but I am also on a strict diet.
I have been looking everywhere for good receipts carbs free and obviously sugar free because my body can’t take those at all and I think I just found the right website for me.
Thank you for putting this together. It’s really helpful.
Hi there Libby, just to let you and your readers know, I have been low carb for over a year now, ( sometimes I fall down and have processed carbs, mostly when I am travelling away from home) and the good news is I was diabetic, and now I am pre-diabetic, which is huge :O) I have also lost a small amount of weight in the process ( still more to go :O) but this eating plan makes me feel normal again, not always hungry, and I am a lot healthier than I was :O) now all I need to do is make exercise a habit :O) So thank you so much for all the time and energy you put in to this site, and all of these wonderful recipes :O)
Cheers Maureen Fowler
Hi Maureen, I love your story of regaining your health and reversing your T2 to pre diabetes (huge indeed). And yes eating this way does make so many feel normal again, gain control of their appetite and gain more energy and clarity. It’s not all about the weight, there are just so many aspects that improve. Libby x
Hi, I have started 16 days ago (not on your plan specifically) and I have only lost 2 kg. I believed that if I ditch the 2 chocolates every night, and follow +- 30 carbs a day, I would loose a lot fast!
Can’t help but be disappointed.
( I am one of those people that expect weight loss with any small effort…) ☺️ positive or naive?
How can I stay motivated?
Wow 2 kg in only 16 days is fabulous. The rate of weight loss can depend on any things but mainly how much you have to lose and what your eating habits were like before starting LCHF. Steady weight loss is the key and more importantly remember all the amazing health benefits that LCHF brings. That is the real long term goal.I know it can be frustrating not to lose weight as quickly as you would like, but you are losing and you should feel proud of yourself. Baby steps, you’re doing incredibly well Arlene. 🙂
Hehe considering after almost 3 weeks of re starting lchf (although i haven’t been able to do full low carb yet) i have gained 2-3kgs, you are definitely doing really well! ?
I’m thinking about starting low carb but I’m sooooo scared I’ll be hungry and dizzy all the time. If I don’t eat potatoes/bread in a meal, I’m hungry again after 2 hours :/. I feel that my body needs carbs to feel full, is that possible?
Hi Silvy, these are quite common concerns when starting out low carb. By increasing your healthy fats you will feel full and satiated for longer, than quick burning carbs. You will also reap all the health benefits from lowering your carbs, eating good quality protein and increasing your fats from healthy sources. It may take a while for your appetite to adapt to be running on more fat than carbs, but it is so incredibly wonderful to finally be off the high/low sugar roller coaster. Good luck with starting out and join us on Facebook for daily tips and subscribe for free recipes when I post them. Libby 🙂
Hi Libby, I have been trying to find my way within the LCHF world for a few months and I am just not winning .. I eat a good hearty breakfast and a cup of coffee with cream and I’m good for the day till dinner when i’ll have a salad with chicken or steak .. most days my meals don’t vary (i’m easy that way).. problem is the weight is maintained and I’m just lost 🙁 please would you assist me .. anything would be appreciated 🙂
When weight loss stalls something needs to change. Firstly it could be that you are near your goal weight and so you have found a natural balance, secondly other things might be creeping back in that you have forgotten to count (for example too many creamy coffees or an extra glass of wine). Take a look at how much you are eating for breakfast and dinner, are they too big and actually the same size as 3 meals just eaten in 2? Nuts, dairy and alcohol are generally the biggest culprits in stalling weight loss. Sometimes we just have to remind ourselves of the health benefits of LCHF rather than the weight loss. It will happen, albeit slower than we would wish. For me it is about no longer counting anything, no longer being on the sugar roller coaster, improved nutrition and no longer having any guilt surrounding every meal or snack. Good luck and be patient my friend 🙂
Hi just came across your site and found it interesting. I’m trying to lower type 2 diabetes a and loss about 50lbs. I use the my fitness pal and was wondering what I need to set the carbs, protein and fat on in grams to loss and how many calories a day.
Welcome Denise and that is great news that you have discovered low carb to help with your T2 diabetes. Read this post which may really explain how diabetics especially can be helped by lowering their carbs, how it may lower your insulin resistance and improve your control. Where you set your carb limits will depend on how high your current carb intake is and your current medication. You may need to be seen by a diabetes educator, dietician or health professional as your need for medication may need to be reduced in conjunction with lowering your carbs. Ensure they are low carb friendly practitioners.
Libby, I have a problem and don’t know what to do. I don’t like veggies except starchy ones. I have gotten spinach down by making it in to shakes. Is there any suggestions you might have to help. Or is it ok to just skip them. I have been using some of these.
Wheat grass
Cacao
Spirulina
Maca
I’d add healthy fats at the dinner table to encourage you to eat the non-starchy vegetables such as butter, cheese, mayonnaise etc. Adding spinach to smoothies is a great idea. Also hiding them in meatloaf and casseroles are another good idea.
Hi, my kids don’t like vegetables either. I put them in ground meat. I puree the vegetables with egg and add it to meatballs,meatloaf or even tacos. You don’t even notice them. Good luck 😉
I’ve tried low carb on and off over the years. It’s never stuck, and I’ve read a lot of advice that just hasn’t make it any more livable for me. I’ve settled on a lowER carb diet, ditching all flours, grains, dairy, and most sugars. I never eat junk food, and cook nearly everything myself. I eat enough fibrous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower…) and leafy greens to stay somewhat full. Water and black/green tea are my only beverages. Even though I gave up fruit for three whole months before, it wasn’t worth it for me. I will never give up fruit again, and the whole fruit-in-moderation advice didn’t work for me, either. Fresh fruit is the very last true culinary enjoyment I have left, and my quality of life without fresh fruit–berries, citrus, melons–plummets. I don’t eat dried fruit, and I work out five to six days a week with high intensity, focusing on large muscle groups; and walk with friends or alone nearly every day. I’d rather exercise more than give up fruit. I just came back from a session with my trainer and after a lean, nutritious lunch working at my desk, just had a snack of about 3/4-cup blueberries before meeting up with a friend in about a half hour for a 5-mile walk. And that snack (I’d have had more if I’d had more berries in the fridge) made today’s workout worth it for me.
I don’t mean to seem a downer, but after ALL the other dietary changes I’ve made, the utter overhaul of my lifestyle, the advice to give up fruit (or limit its intake to some paltry serving size) is just too much. Never going to happen.
Then don’t give up the fruit! Go for it. You sound like a fit and active person within the normal weight range. Generally the advice is to stay off excessive fruit, and high sugar fruit especially if people are overweight or have other health issues, then in that case fruit is not your friend. But with everything, eat within your personal carb limitations and eat to what is appropriate to you. Whole fruit is somewhat self limiting due to the fibre and water anyhow. You obviously have worked out a fabulous routine and it is working, so why change, stick with it Tom and enjoy 🙂
Went locarb 2 yrs ago after my son lost 100lbs with it. After 9 months 60 lbs. less, bld pressure better & cholesterol improved. Several med. problems not related to diet & months of friends bringing food to help..+20lbs. And kidney stone Dr. say lo carb caused. Want to go back on it but afraid. Any thoughts on this?
Many people think a high protein diet can cause kidney stones, however we are MODERATE protein, so no more than Jo Average would eat. The links and articles appear to be pointing the finger towards soda more than anything else.
I have been LCHF for 4 weeks 20g or less carbs daily track everything but my blood ketone 1.3 -.3 – .6 To get benefits of ketone my reading shld be at least 1.5 My foods have included live yoghurt 1 TB milk = 1 tsp per 3 cups of tea 50 g raspberries . Cld these be interfering? To work out my macros I based my cals/day 1300 I thought fat amount is remainder of cals after 20g carbs and 90 g protein. Is 90g protein too high.Female 60 20mg to lose mod active. I feel very fatigued How can I get my blood ketone up? Thank you plse can you email me
Hi Patricia, take a look at this post which explains ketone levels and how to test ketones.
Keep up the good work Simply Shads, waiting for more healthy recipes
I have just moved from South Africa, where lchf is commio and very supported, to the Isle of Man, where people just don’t seem to be in the know. I am BATTLING to find my foods, especially grain-free beakfast ‘cereal’, mixed seeds and psyllium husk for baking into crisp breads. Can anyone let me know where to get them, please? Is there anywhere online that would supply them?
Thanks
You can always order them from their Low-Carb Keto Amazon Store but does Tesco/Sainsburys not sell the seeds and nuts we use? This could be your opportunity to spread the LCHF word to the Isle Of Man. Can anyone else help answer Margaret?
Holland and Barratt stock most of what you need,certainly psyllium husk. Most UK High St have a shop.
Newbie here. Extreme insulin resistance T2 diabetes. Need to lose 50 lbs. When I start LCHD, should I ditch my insulin?
I cannot give medical advice and recommend you need to be under the supervision of a health practitioner to adjust your medication as it is required.
No way, see your results. Watch your numbers. Then come up with a plan with your doctor. Don’t give up any of your meds yet.
Ya don’t give up your meds just yet…. slowly come off insulin while under proper medical advice.
That’s what I did.
I am wheat & dairy free for other allergy related conditions so find it hard to stick with the low carb diet. I simply cannot do any cream or milk products & tolerate small amounts of cheese. I find food very boring & then fall back on the gluten free junk. I have added coconut cream/ yoghurt & almond milk to smoothies with berries or a banana plus protein powder for breakfast. I know the banana not great but really miss real fruit. Frozen berries for most of the year not really doing it for me. Any ideas for snacks and treats that r still low carb so I don’t feel like a total ‘food leper’ my husband’s tongue in check explanation for me.
You made me smile with the food leper reference. Love it. As for snacks, there is a page here and here to look at and here is my snack finder. Boiled eggs, avocados, pork crackling, nuts, fat bombs, calamari, granola bars, cold meats … I hope these give you some ideas. Eventually the goal is to stop snacking, but in theme time, these might help you out.
I was on long acting insulin at 44 units twice daily. Short acting insulin three times daily at 25 units each. It was through the lchf eating changes I was able to get down to 5 units twice daily of the long acting and 3 units of short acting twice daily.Quite a difference in med changes. Cholesterol readings went from over 400 down to little over 200. A1c from over 9 to 7. All in a 30 day period. I had only been doing lchf for 30 days when tested. Lost 13 pounds. Stressful times hit me and started eating again. Just now getting back to lchf eating because I know this works. I need this for myself. I felt better, got around better, was much happier. It took time and constant monitoring to reduce my insulins under medial supervision. Was told to keep doing whatever it was I was doing by my pimary care as well as my endocrinologist.
Very encouraging for me. D Wilson
Hello Libby,
Am sooo excited to have found your website and even more excited to discover that you are a Kiwi! I am in Auckland too 🙂
I have a question with regards to products, do you buy your products from the spmkt…. Countdown? New World? PaknSave? And with items like nuts and seeds etc am I OK to get those from the bulk bins at the spmkt or should I be buying them packaged from the health food aisle??
Appreciate your advice, am writing my shopping list as I type this!!
Yay, another kiwi has discovered my website xxx I tend to shop mainly at New World and buy seeds, nuts, almond meal etc when they are discounted. The bulk bins are fine, but check the price per 100g, sometimes they are not as good value as regular packets that are “on special”. I also buy my veggies form the fruit and veg shops when I am near them, I find the supermarkets to be incredibly overpriced generally. Good luck and enjoy all the new recipes here. 🙂
Thank you Libby 🙂
Re bulk bins versus “on special” I discovered that on Sunday, quite a bit of difference in fact! Yes I have a couple of Asian fruit and vegie shops that I like, as you say spmkt prices are ridiculous…..$6.50 for a cauli!!!
I am hoping to lose a few kilos, I am so over dieting though, I think I’ve done them all! So understandably I am excited to discover a way of eating that I can manage and enjoy without feeling like I’m depriving myself, but having said that should I be limiting my total carb intake if I am wanting to lose weight, and if so how much should it be?
I have started eating the meusli for breke and made the zucchini bacon slice for work lunches this week. Am really looking forward to a coconut cream curry for dinner tonight, yum!
Your website is amazing, so much easy to read info and so many delicious recipes to choose from, you’ve done a fantastic job!
If you want to lose weight, then cut the carbs down until you start dropping. It’s always a balancing act. After decades of Weight Watchers and other crazy diets I now don’t count a single thing. It is the most intuitive way of eating for me for over 3 years now. I pretty much stay at goal weight and still enjoy my red wine, 90% chocolate at weekends and some occassional low carb baking.
Thanks for the advice Libby, sounds fabulous 🙂 I too have spent way too much time on way too many diets only to lose the weight and then put it back on again soo frustrating, NO MORE!!
I’ve seen young body-builder types with grocery trolleys full of eggs, cans of tuna, lean beef and especially skinless/boneless chicken breasts – so I adopted that habit about 5 months ago. 2 or 3 eggs for breakfast, sometimes with cheese or bacon, a can of tuna with carb-free herbs for lunch, and then a steak or big chicken breast or even some meat-only hot dogs for dinner. I don’t purposely eat more fat than necessary, mostly because the calories are not needed. I have not been hungry AT ALL, even when sitting down to eat. No temptation to “cheat”, either. Result? I am approaching 100 pounds lost (not proud of being THAT fat, believe me) , blood pressure dropped from 170/100 to 122/80, acid reflux totally gone, any joint pain banished, and a closet full of clothes I can wear once again.
I plan never to go back to eating the crud that is being foisted on us. Don’t be afraid to give up the starch, sugar, chemicals and assorted crud which constitute 99% of your grocery store offerings. If a 54 year old fatso can drop from 280 to 180 in 5 months, you will be fine.
Congratulations, this is an awesome result. A loss of 100lb is incredible. And in 5 months – simply wonderful. Well done x
Denny K. That’s is great. Is that all you ate? I have 150 to lose….hope I can lose and have no flap flapping. Great job am going to give it a try thanks?
Congratulation your big encouragement for me thank you keep it up! 100lb in 5 mo wow
Denny this is AWESOME!!! Congratulations, come and join me in my Low Carb Support Group. I’m sure you will be able to encourage others with your incredible success. See you there.
brilliant well done inspired
Oh, by the way : We are prematurely killing our beloved pets with carbs. Dogs and especially cats need to eat meat, but commercial pet food is mostly corn & wheat, which was bad enough before being poisoned by weed killer (“Round-Up” which is soaked into all American grain today) …. Huge numbers of cats and dogs now suffer & die from kidney failure, and the only explanation is what we are feeding them. My kitties now get chicken and tuna, which is a lot cheaper than any ‘gourmet’ canned food. Cooking for them is kinda fun, for that matter.
Agree. My cat lives on grain free pet food. No pet should live on sweetcorn and grains, I can’t remember seeing that in the wild.
Hi Libby
Animal nutrition is what I’ve taught for 30 years. Giving your cat a “grain free” food is not the best option. Grain free does NOT mean starch free. A cat is an obligate carnivore, which means starch is Impossible to digest properly and causes inflammation and is a leading cause of kidney disease in cats. Grain free also uses carb binders that are often in the form of lectins, which are starting to show in research as harming the villi in the intestine, thus leading to leaky gut syndrome and IBD.
Kibble in any form is a dead food, which is why nutrients (vitamins/minerals) have to be synthetically added back in to the food. In the case of cats, the lack of moisture in the food causes chronic dehydration (as you already know, the kidneys need water to process protein) and cats are not genetically programmed to drink a lot of water. They’re natural diet of mice and birds (no I don’t advocate letting them out to hunt) would be over 80% water. They are forced to use the water in their own tissues and organs to supply the necessary moisture to the kidneys. People will say their cat drinks a lot of water… proof of the dehydration as that is not natural for cats and they’re trying to replace the lost moisture in their bodies.
I could go on and on…. probably have already for many reading this ;-)…. but I had to comment on this as this is MY passion as is the low carb protocol is yours.
Many allopathic vets will disagree, ( please keep in mind that they are “taught” nutrition by the Pet Food industry) but there are plenty of others who are major advocates of fresh whole nutrition for animals. Please check out Karen Becker, Paws for Change, Know your pet food, among other sites. Thanks for letting me talk!
Hey there Tess, thank you so much for your thoughts and I too have come to this conclusion recently. I ran out of my old grain-free food recently and bought another brand – she went absolutely NUTS on it. She became so hungry (as we do on carbs) and thirsty and I am investigating feeding her a raw meat diet. Talk away, I love your enthusiasm and knowledge.
Thanks Libby! I appreciate your interest and thoughts! Good luck with your kitty and let me know if you have any questions… it’s a huge leap to raw foods for a lot of folks!
Hi. I stumbled on your site via FB. I follow a lot of the advice you offer already. I typically eat scrambled eggs with turkey, a piece of wholebread toast and coffee for breakfast, salad and breast of chicken with vegetables for lunch and something similar (chicken or red meat or salmon) for dinner, with 2 snacks of 3 rice cakes with 150 gr. of turkey and a protein shake if I go to the gym (weights training 3x week). In the first 3 months of eating like this my % fat went down from 17.5 % to 14 % (44 yr old male), while keeping weight constant, but another 4 months later I stay the same. I wanted to ask, if I want to continue to lose fat, should I:
1) go full keto?
2) drop the cheat day. On Saturdays (and one meal on Sunday) I eat whatever I want, from pancakes with Nutella for breakfast with mi kids, pizza, burgers with their buns,… Today, Sunday, I ate lasagna and cheesecake for dessert. 🙂
I am still not sure if the benefit of the cheat day is that it helps you ‘stay good’ for the rest of the week or whether surprising the body with a day out of the norm is also an actual reason to do it.
Many thanks for the advice and greetings from Spain.
Hi Jose, I don’t have cheat days at all. If I do ever splurge, it is possibly eating too many low-carb goodies I make myself. I just have completely lost the taste for junk food. As for weight loss, eating lasagne and cheesecake, pizza, burgers and Nutella can easily undo all your hard work for the entire week. Why not try to have a cheats meal rather than a cheat day? Part of the ethos of going low carb is to eat unprocessed food so I have recipes for all of these foods you still love and can enjoy AND stay low carb. Try my sugar free nutella, low carb waffles, FatHead pizza, bunless burgers, cheesecake. I am sure a major reason for LCHF being so successful long-term is because eventually, we don’t actually want junk food, it’s not a treat anymore. This for me, is groundbreaking as someone who has dieted all my life.
I want to thank whomever is in charge of doing this website because I found a lot of information on here to be quite useful and I appreciate the fact that we can open up and share our ideas with each other I recently lost over a hundred pounds doing this and I just want to show other people with it also I have a Facebook group called healthy living for a healthy life so come join and check this out I wish everybody luck on this adventure of losing weight and becoming more healthy have a beautiful day thanks again
Read up on why fruit, potatoes, and whole-food carbs in general are NOT fattening (and other low-carb fallacies):
I would agree with many, but not all of your points. “Fat and carbs don’t make us fat. It’s only processed fat (vegetable oil) and processed carbs (white flour and added sugar) in processed foods (foods with more than one ingredient) that inherently lead to overeating and weight gain.” I have also said this throughout my website and one of the biggest myths I try to bust is that we are not NO carb we are LOW carb. By removing processed food from our daily diet, we almost become low carb by default. Nutrient dense, low-carb whole foods are encouraged but not to be overdone. Lower carb diets reduce insulin resistance and inflammation. Lower carb diets, with healthy fats, gives a better blood lipid profile and lower TG which is the best predictor of heart health. There are so many benefits from eating nutrient dense lower carb whole foods.
“By removing processed food from our daily diet, we almost become low carb by default.”
It’s the other way around. By going low-carb, you naturally nix most processed food. That’s why low-carb diets work. Can you name a single junk food that isn’t at least “medium-carb”? It doesn’t exist.
But there are plenty of healthy, slimming, whole-food, high-carb foods (fruit, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, etc.) that low-carb diets inappropriately restrict.
High-carb, whole-food diets don’t make humans fat:
It’s all about a low-processed-food diet–which is more sustainable, long-term, than low-carb.
I’m not arguing that low-carb diets aren’t effective. They clearly are. But they’re unnecessarily restrictive. Kind of like Paleo.
I am new to the low carb way of eatting. I am having to make a change due to diabetes 2 levels. I have always fallen back on breads, sweets. But I have to do this for me. My health. How many carbs can I have a day to lose weight? And what’s the typical weight loss?
Even beginning to drop your carbs is beneficial, how much and how quickly you do it will depend on medication. This is a great article form Diet Doctor “How to start low carb with diabetes medications”.
Does this lowcarb eating work if you take hormone pills.really need to know this before starting.
You really need to ask your doctor for medical advice but what I can say is most people here have experienced amazing reduction in their symptoms of menopause and other hormonal issues such as PCOS.
HI there,
I am starting on low carbs as I have been advised that my body doesn’t deal well with carbs and I am at risk of diabetes. I also need to lose weight. I understand your principles of ‘doing the best you can’, avoiding processed foods etc, but wondered if there is a general rule of thumb to go by when reading food labels, such as aiming for food with no more than 2% carbs?
I’m also slightly scared by how unusual it feels to try and add extra fat to my diet, and I am worried I might get the carb thing wrong, just ending up eating masses of calories and gaining weight.
Thanks for any thoughts you may have!
Alice
Many people starting out go by the rule of 5g carbs per 100g. I totally empathise with you about fearing the fat. I slowly reduced my carb and slowly increased my healthy fats until I got to a comfortable level (which may be different for everyone). Don’t overdo the fat, we want to be using our bodies fat stores, but we do need to eat enough to keep us full and keep the carbs away. So eat healthy fat until full, eat meals until no longer hungry, and remove processed food from your diet and you almost become low carb by default.
I am grateful for stumbling upon this website…I think my biggest challenge will be removing my favorite International Delight Coffee creamer from my daily cup of coffee…I can do that gradually. I am glad that you stress “STRIVE FOR IMPROVEMENT, NOT PERFECTION”…that’s real life. I do have weight loss goals but my main goal is to avoid Type 2 diabetes. Thankfully I have been working out regularly since the beginning of the year. Again many thanks I will be visiting your site often. God Bless you!
Angel I am so happy you are here. 🙂
Has anyone every tried adding extract flavouring to your cream for those of use that love flavoured creamers in our coffee. The options of flavours are endless……..use mint, with some form of sweetener and voila!!! Flavoured creamer (without all the extra carbs)!!!
Hello!
I’m looking to get healthier and drop some pounds before my vacation coming up in 9 weeks. Will low carb really help drop your weight? Just seems that it goes against everything we have been taught, but I guess that’s why the other way doesnt work. Is there information on where the the low carb scientifically works? Or the science behind it?
Thanks!!
Yes, yes, yes it works. Just take a look at my testimonials page and join my closed group to see all the amazing changes happening to everyone who lies this way. This may also be another page you may wish to read. I understand it takes a huge mind shift to change what we have been believed, but trust me, it is the healthiest and most nutritious way to live.
Hi my name is Laurie yes low carb works I have been on a low carb diet for 8 weeks now started beginning of March my weight was 163 lbs. I now weigh 149 lbs. and I hope to be at 130-135 lbs. by sometime in July then say there. This diet if you follow it right you will be healthy and many pounds lighter its the carbs that we over eat that pack on the pounds. Just check out the low carb sites they will guide you I say at below 50 carbs a day if you eat the right foods meat,oils, veggies and fruit you will not be hungry one other thing eat only when hungry. Good Luck.
Watch a documentary entitled, The Perfect Human Diet. It is what finally convinced me low carb is the way to go.
I’m excited to start a low carb lifestyle! I recently got diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and hope this will not only help me lose weight, but help with my PCOS as well. 🙂
Hi Elizabeth. I was also diagnosed with PCOS 7 weeks ago. I started following a low carb diet and I realised that what you put into your body makes such a big difference. No bloated tummy, higher energy levels and my skin has changed for the better.
It is also important to have water with your meals and throughout the day. This helped me reduce my cravings and kept me going. Dark chocolate is my treat now and again.
I have lost 4.7kg in 7 weeks.
Planning your meals is the key to success for this diet!
where did you get your information for what not to, and what to eat for your low carb diet?
I too have PCOS and am looking to do low carb. Here’s to hoping the best for both of us!
What did you say you use now instead of My Fitness Pal? Can’t seem to locate it. Very interested in trying this!! I can see now that I’m not only addicted to sugar & chocolate, but also to carbs in general! Bummer!! Thanks for all your help & guidance!
I don’t track anything for myself, but I use cronometer.com to calculate the nutrition panels here. Far more accurate than MFP. If you are new, come and join my closed Facebook group. See you there.
Hi. I am new here and I want to start this diet. I have a nexplanon implant. I haven’t gained weight since I had it inserted 3 months ago. Will it stall my progress of losing weight?
I am trying to lose a few kilograms of fat as soon as possible. will I lose weight if I just cut out basic carbs such as bread, pasta, rice, potato’s? and if I will, how much and how fast do you think I will lose?
I have tried to sign up for the emails and the free download of information and have not received any acknowledgement or emails. Please advise
I can see you are in my email system, and all the emails have been delivered, but unopened. Go and check your junk folders in case it has ended up in there? Then add my email address to your address book so I always end up in your inbox from now on 🙂
I have checked my junk folders and have not received anything. I am going to sign up again, not sure why it is not coming through.
Hi!
I’m just starting LCHF, and your website has been so helpful already!
I was wondering what your recommended carb-, fat-, protein- and calorie-intake is? I’m 5.5 ft and 155 lbs. I want to get down to 140. (sorry if you say this on your website, but I couldn’t find it).
Thanks!
I’m Glad I stumbled upon this! I’ve been considering attempting a low carb diet for a while in order to lose some weight, and this page has had some helpful information regarding that. I decided I’m going to start after the new year once I can get the stuff I’ll need
thanks for sharing these greate tips.
Hey this is good stuff and I am so impressed with this article. And it is very helpful for us. When I try to lose weight it is the best way after reading this guide.
Super low carb or Carb free are the only diet that worked me and it was HARD…I became a raging beast during the 1st 2 weeks. But for 3 months straight, I lost about 30lbs. Unfortunately my weight all came back and then some when I started going back to school and eating carbs again due to stress and lack of prepping ahead of time. Now I definitely want to go back and stay low carb as much as possible. Reading this is helping to motivate me 🙂 thank you.
BHB salts are a very useful tool to calm the hangry beast and establish appetite control. If you use 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp of the powder in 4 oz of water when you feel inappropriately hungry, it will raise your blood ketone concentration enough to satisfy your hypothalamus for at least a couple of hours. The brand called KetoCaNa has the best taste in my experience for an individual product, though I now use a 50/50 blend of that plus another ketone salt preparation called Nutricost Ketone Salts, both available from Amazon.com. The blend tones down the acidity of the KetoCaNa product and provides the best overall taste to my palate. You won’t need it every day, only when you feel like you need appetite control.
Hi Libby. I’m unsure if I should include xanthan gum and whey protein in my “pantry essentials”; I can’t see that you suggest them but have noticed other sites recipes contain them occasionally. What do you think?
Also, which of your two plain breads (almond or coconut) would you recommend for the “man” who I’m weaning off bread; which one rises more? I’ve made your 3 seed but it is too small for sandwiches.
Thanks for your time, love your work!
Regards, Kelly.
I do have xanthan gum but have found it tricky to work with so I don’t consider it an “essential” pantry item, especially for beginners. I don’t use whey protein, I am of the opinion they are too ultra-processed so I personally avoid protein powders (eggs are real food and cheaper 😉 ).
Thanks Libby! (I couldn’t work out the point of the protein powder anyway… :-))
Oh, and how about my bread question please? Sorry…. Many thanks.
Apologies, I missed that one. I love my almond flour bread recipe. It is the closest thing to regular bread. It won’t rise as much as bread because there is no yeast or gluten, but it’s pretty darn yummy. Especially toasted with butter.
Hi Libby, can you recommend an MCT Oil please? I’ve been looking on iHerb but with all the variety I am totally confused… Thanks!
I personally don’t use it and don’t see the need for it. I would rather enjoy the fat that comes with my meal rather than adding it to a drink for the sake of reaching a daily fat goal. Fat should be enjoyed until full, not a target we have to reach.
Good Morning – I am a subscriber of your newsletter/updates. I recently joined WW on-line and recently have been very sick. BP started to rise, something I have never had to worry about, hopefully the medication. Any way, my doctor suggested low carb/atkins diet to jumpstart my need to lose 30 lbs. All is so confusing!!! I have cancelled my WW subscription, not doing well with that and really can’t afford to continue. Anyway, what is the difference in your plan and Atkins. As I said, all confusing. Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks!
I too have been a yo-yo dieter for decades and I ended up paying WW to actually put ON weight. Then I discovered LCHF and well … the rest is history as they say. The main difference between Atkins and LCHF is Atkins never really focussed on whole foods (just think of their range of shakes, bars, candy etc) they are also reported to eat much higher protein and most of their phases aren’t actually keto, more of a low-carb “ish” plan and may include some sugars and grains. Why not join the FREE support group (no money required) and learn all the tips and tricks and my stepwise method to get you back on track. Welcome aboard!
Libby, how many carbs would you suggest starting with. Thank you!!!!
That would depend on where you are starting from and your health goals. The general guidance is even lowering your carbs, cutting out all sugar and junk food is beneficial. Typically, <100g carbs/day = moderate low-carb, <50g carbs/day = low-carb, <20g carbs/day = keto. I hope that helps. Good luck, you'll love this way of life 🙂
Hi Libby, I really appreciate all the science on this website; I’ve just read the coconut flour vs almond flour article. I have a partial bag of almond flour, that will be my last one. I’d like to begin using coconut flour recipes, and I have some favorite recipes that use coconut flour already so maybe it won’t be so hard for me to convert.
Thanks for all the great information and the recipes.
best wishes
Hi Libby, Am trying to live a low carb lifestyle but finding it a bit challenging as a vegetarian (was even vegan for a year). Have been using this website for dessert recipes as I am still cursed with a sweet tooth. Noticed (with horror) yesterday that the low carb desserts and fat bombs are not to be eaten daily (have been eating them to curb sweet cravings after meals). How to curb this tendency? Any suggestions specific to vegetarian diets? Not sure how tofu fits in and can hardly look at an egg these days as I’ve eaten so many in recent years (lacto-ovo vegetarian).
Hi Kim, it can be hard to give up the sweet things and don’t worry, you are not alone as most people tend to rely on low-carb sweet treats at the beginning. And that’s to be expected as you are trying to come off the sugar and high-carb junk foods, so low-carb sweets are an awesome stepping stone. But the longer you live low-carb try to slowly cut back on how much you rely on sweet foods and always try to choose savoury dishes or snacks instead. This is what I teach in my 4-week course, the stepwise approach really does work (you can see more details here). As for being a vegetarian, I am developing more recipes as quickly as I can as I seem to have a big following from low-carb vegetarians. I love baked eggplant with cauliflower couscous, curry cauliflower rice, and all my vegetable dishes are on this page. Some are side dishes so may have bacon, so simply omit that and it’s another recipe for your repertoire.
Hello Libby, I am doing the low carb lifestyle system because I am a diabetic and the low carb keto dieting has done wonders for me. I have a terrible sweet tooth problem that the low carb keto dieting system has really helped me with. I do enjoy the low carb desserts and fat bombs. You have a great website here and thank you for all of your information you have given us.
Hello Libby, I really do enjoy all of the hard work you have put into this website. I have read a lot of your Keto and low carb articles and have really gotten a lot out information of them which has helped me because I am a diabetic and you have given me some great ideas to work with so I thank you very much for every thing.
The Low-Carb Ketogenic diet is probably the most wanted diet Solution I have run across yet. The basics on how to start a low-carb diet is just exactly as shown above: A 7-Day Low-Carb Meal Plan & Shopping List, A support group, what to eat and what to avoid and a sometimes foods list, but most of all is the Low-carb easy healthy recipes.
Mostly I like your Blog. Basically your way of writing skills are amazing. I have been thinking about this ever since I read this blog. Just wanted to mention keep up the great work! Thank you so much for Keep sharing.
you’ve done a really good post congratulation!
Thiis website was… how do you say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found
something that helped me. Cheers!
I was fortunate enough to discover this website and couldn’t be more grateful to you Libby for providing this in depth level of help/resources! Speaks a lot to your genuine desire to educate others. I recently started eating only from home for weight loss purposes – as eating out has been a nasty habit of mine – and I’ve been especially enjoying the recipes on the site.
I agree with you