Hey....I'm trying to introduce other carbs into my diet and was wondering how does other people do it.... Yesterday I added grapes...and upped my veggies a bit just to see what would happen... I did feel a little better.

However, today I attempted to add 1/4 cup of dry Kashi cereal and had a serious sugar reaction.... Wow that cereal used to be nonsweet to me. However, I noticed it tasted very very sweet...interesting.... I added it after drinking a protein shake so I'm thinking that has to be added to a regular nondrink meal.... At least I'll try it with some All Bran next time to see... Has anyone else experimented adding or increasing their carbs and how successful have you been??? Have you continued to lose or what?? I've gained 3 pounds.... I'm moving from Atkins to PP and feel better but the weight fluctuations are killing me...

Help!!!

Good morning, skewee--yes, I've added some carbs, but very carefully. First thing I added was more veggies, and they've all been fine. I'm wary of some fruits, as they do start the cravings again--especially tomatoes and grapes. (Grapes were my downfall in my pre-LC days, so for me they're like flirting with the devil). So I limit fruits to berries. I've found I can have small amounts of oatmeal--steel cut oats, the slow cooking kind--and bran crackers without having a sugar reaction. I'm also eating small amounts of some nuts, like walnuts and macademias, and even a little organic peanut butter, and that's fine. Every now and then I'll have a slice of wheat-free, low carb bread, but that's an iffier proposition, as I do tend to want to eat the whole loaf at one sitting.

I guess my advice to you would be to add things back one by one and wait awhile until adding anything else--to see what you can handle (like your experiment with the Kashi). Also, to add these items in very small quantities.

skeeweeaka - RoseTattoo gave you very good advice. One thing at a time and give it a while to see how you do with it. Veggies (low carb, not starchy) are the best bet to add in first followed by berries. Watch for the All Bran. I used to eat the All Bran X Fiber and thought it was so blah by itself - tried some for the fiber after a month or so low carbing and boy could I taste the corn syrup in it! I would just make sure that anything you add - like the cereal - doesn't have any added sugars of any kind. But we're all different and you will just have to experiment. I think if you keep it at one thing at a time and take it slow, you'll do just fine .

BTW - I've thought of upping my carbs since I'm at goal, but there's really nothing that appeals to me to add. So I'm staying at 40 or less per day. If something strikes my fancy, I'll try adding it, but for now I'm happy where I'm at.

Thanks guys...you're right about trying one thing at a time for a while... Today, I added a half of grapefruit to my lunch...been having strawberries with no effect... Didn't notice any negative affects at all, actually felt better.... The half of grapefruit is only 5 carbs....lunch was 1 cup of cabbage and 4 ounces of sausage... It was very very good... But the fruit is really satisfying immediately after my meal and that's great...

skeeweeaka: IMHO, one of the best things about PP is its versatility. No food is forbidden as long as it's accounted for - even in the beginning stages .

What you might find helpful in raising carbs is a copy of the glycemic index. The glycemic index ranks foods on how they affect our blood sugar levels. This index measures how much your blood sugar increases in the two or three hours after eating. Choosing lower GI fruits / veggies / whole grains will help ease you into raising carbs as you prepare for Maintenance.

You can get more info on the GI at: http://diabetes.about.com/library/m.../nmendosagi.htm

If you do decide to include grains or tubers as your carbs get higher, a word of advice - invest in a bottle of Beano until your digestive system is used to them again

Cheers,
Nat

LOL....thanks for the advice...notice I started belching again when I begain to introduce more fruit... My 7 year old thought it was hilarious...lol

I do appreciate all this support...you guys are the best...and this site is terrific!!!

Nat - Great to see you posting again ! Hope all is well with you!

skeeweeaka - At least you're keeping the young one entertained !

Well she's easy lol... It's me who finds it a little disconcerting... Other than the cereal, I haven't had any adverse reactions to my 2 fruits a day, except I do seem to notice the hunger pains again. Didn't notice them as much on Atkins, but felt bad too... So, I've tried to up my protein a little more when I consume the fruit to counteract that... I'll let you know how it goes... Thanks again for the input.

It could be the choices of fruits. Some are much more sugar filled and higher GI than others. Grapes, pineapples and bananas come to mind as higher GI. Cherries, melons, grapefruit, sour apples are on the lower end of the spectrum - don't forget the fat (and the fiber) with the carbs, it will slow their absroption big time.

Shadow, five by five

-N

Yes I thought about that but my fruits are low GI, peaches, grapefruit, grapes occasionally, strawberrries, and blueberries... Now in terms of the fat for example, I had 3 eggs with cheese, 2 slices of bacon, 1/2 cup of cabbage and 1/2 grapefruit... I'm not feeling really full like I had been on Atkins with that meal without the fruit, but must admit I have to stick with this program versus Atkins because I am a lot more clearer and have a little more energy. I guess I'll just snack on the walnuts and low carb things or have a protein shake without the fruit which usually takes care of the hunger pains. Thanks for the advice...

Apparently, I have been consuming more carbs than I thought... I went to Fitday and plugged in my numbers for the past few days and they were all over 30...so maybe that's my problem... I hate counting them but I guess I'm going to have to until I get this down better... Also, I'm wondering how many calories I should be consuming a day... I went to one site and it said that I should not consume more than 1285 a day to lose 2 pounds a week... Is this right???? 1700's to lose 1 pound a week... Does anyone know for sure???

Good morning, skee. I do think it's necessary to track calories--and the general rule of thumb is 10 to 12 times your goal weight. The lower carb and higher fat intake on PP does seem to allow for some leeway, though, and also any exercise you do burns up some calories, too. So don't take that as an exact measure. It varies from person to person. I was able to get away with a bit more than the upper limit, even accounting for exercise. But I'm still limiting carbs to under 35 a day.

Losing two pounds a week is a lot, IMHO. I think an ideal weight loss--one that will stick, and not just be temporary--is about a pound to maybe a pound and a half. But that's just my opinion--I'm sure other people have a different experience.

Good luck.

skee - I agree with RoseTattoo (naturally!) . Watch the carbs, get at least your minimum protein, exercise - and the calories will take care of themselves. Needless to say, you can't eat 3,000 or more calories and lose weight - but I'm sure you know that ! But with this WOE, as long as the carbs are low, you can eat more than what is considered normal and still lose weight. Remember, the slower it comes off, the longer it stays off . 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per week is fast enough. If you keep track on FitDay, you'll have a better idea of how many calories you can eat and still lose at what you consider an acceptable rate. The biggest set-back is going too low and setting your body into starvation mode. HTH

You may not be over like you thought. I don't think that fitday subtracts off the fiber grams like you're supposed to with PP and Atkins. You may actually be okay after all.