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-   -   Reversing Carb Creep (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=379328)

Tapestry Thu, Jul-31-08 09:25

Reversing Carb Creep
 
I'm fully in the Atkins zone but I find myself reaching for cheese, nuts, and pork rinds. I'm not eating any of them in mass quantities. Cheese about 3 ozs, nuts about 1-3 per day and pork rinds an oz or 2 here and there.

However, I am not loosing and think I need to examine carb creep.

Any success stories to inspire me?

Did you drop [insert food name here] and have success getting back on the loosing track?

mer23 Thu, Jul-31-08 09:43

I think this is whats happened to me......no loss in nearly 4 months.
I've gone back to the beginning.....'72 induction. Lost nothing as yet, but its only been a few days.

Citruskiss Thu, Jul-31-08 10:15

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tapestry
I'm fully in the Atkins zone but I find myself reaching for cheese, nuts, and pork rinds. I'm not eating any of them in mass quantities. Cheese about 3 ozs, nuts about 1-3 per day and pork rinds an oz or 2 here and there.

However, I am not loosing and think I need to examine carb creep.

Any success stories to inspire me?

Did you drop [insert food name here] and have success getting back on the loosing track?


Yes. I went back to the book, and re-read the "Rules of Induction" and realized that *most* of my carbohydrate intake is supposed to be coming from vegetables - not things like mac nuts, too much dairy or what have you.

I started measuring my salad dressings - especially the goopy/creamy ones, and tossing my salads, caesar-salad style in a large mixing bowl before eating - this went a long way to minimizing the 'little carbs' a.k.a. 'carb creep' on the salad dressing front. Some of the thicker/creamier salad dressings don't coat the top of salads well..they just sit on top, leading some of us (well, me) to goop on too much. The 'tossing caesar salad style' and measuring with actual measuring spoons has helped quite a bit.

Also - made myself these silly worksheets, which I filled out, by hand, religiously for at least three weeks - where I had to account for my vegetable intake. So I had these charts that I printed off - breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks etc. But there was a special 'section' where I had to itemize vegetables in the form of CUP 1, CUP 2, and CUP 3. Yes, I had to micromanage myself for a little while... :lol:

That's a lot of bulk and a lot of food - so it became easier - because with the additional servings of salad veggies and other acceptable veggies, I didn't find myself wanting the other stuff quite as much (ie. the creeps - pork rinds, nuts, snacky things like pepperoni etc).

I made 'announcements' in my journal a few months back - that every single day I was going to follow these new rules I'd set for myself: take my supplements, exercise every day (we're talking easy evening walks), get my vegetables and keep my carbs in line. Of course, 'keeping my carbs in line' meant that as much as I hated it - I had to get more familiar with the My PLAN software on this site - because if I wasn't measuring, and tracking and keying this stuff in - then how in the world would I know if I was meeting my daily goals?

In any case, I have since switched plans -from Atkins to Protein Power Life Plan - but I always focus on the lessons of Dr. Atkins - in particular, that *most* of my carbs are from vegetables, and not the other stuff.

You don't even need to look at this as having to drop certain things - if you make sure you're meeting the Rules of Induction and/or the Carb Ladder properly (whether you're on DANDR or on the old Atkins '72 plan, whether you're still in induction or have moved onto 'ongoing weight loss' - it's still all the same - follow those guidelines) - these carb creep issues will be relegated to the background.

What I'm saying is that no matter where you are - the Rules of Induction still apply first and foremost, and then the subsequent Carb Ladder etc.

Hope this helps a wee bit.

Tapestry Thu, Jul-31-08 11:07

Thanks for the posts. GREAT information.

I do eat a lot of veggies. Usually a huge salad at dinner (often for dinner) -- like 5 cups of mixed spring greens with cucumber and cabbage, spinach sauted(sp) in oil or butter, cauliflower or baked green beans.

I'll try to add veggies at lunch and see if that helps.

Luzyanna Thu, Jul-31-08 11:16

I've seen people on here that want to use their 20 carbs for things like SF ice cream, Atkins bars, peanut butter, fruit, bread, etc. That's more of what maintenance 20 carbs would be.....not during the weight loss phase. I average about 25 carbs per day in maintenance and about half comes from things like LC pita bread or tortillas & a very small treat like 2 Tbsp of SF ice cream....otherwise I just keep my diet basic - meat & veggies.

LessLiz Thu, Jul-31-08 11:48

I don't think your issue is carb creep, it's calories. If I assume the cheese is cheddar, 3 oz of almonds and 2 oz of pork rinds I get 7 net carbs and 1170 calories. That 1170 calories is well over half your calorie needs for a day, and doesn't contain a lot of the nutrition your body needs to meet its needs other than calories.

Calories do count, even on a low carb diet.

Citruskiss Thu, Jul-31-08 12:10

Re: LessLiz's post - so very true.

Interesting to note that the so-called 'creepiest' carbs are the most caloric.

There's also thinking in terms of carb bargains vs. not so great bargains. For example, looking at carb content relative to portion size. A tiny wedge of cheese as a 'snack' vs. two cups of sauteed spinach in garlic and olive oil, with just a smattering of freshly grated asiago cheese on top as part of a meal.

There are ways of getting around these things. Stronger cheese, in smaller portions - as garnish. Still lots of flavour, but not 'too much' in terms of the creep-factor.

Tapestry Thu, Jul-31-08 12:15

You could be right, LessLiz. I have been tracking my calories too since January. My calories have ranged between 1,400 and 2,000 per day. I average around 1,650.

I work out every day (alternating hiking with my dog and light weights.) I don't eat nuts and pork rinds every day but I do eat cheese (straight or in a recipe) every day.

Calories too high?

lowcarbUgh Thu, Jul-31-08 12:20

Quote:
Originally Posted by Citruskiss
Re: LessLiz's post - so very true.

Interesting to note that the so-called 'creepiest' carbs are the most caloric.


You and Liz are the wise ones. Judy too, but she is a renegade South Beacher, and no one listens to South Beachers. :lol:

Citruskiss Thu, Jul-31-08 12:24

Quote:
Originally Posted by lowcarbUgh
You and Liz are the wise ones. Judy too, but she is a renegade South Beacher, but no one listens to South Beachers. :lol:


I'm listening!!!

:lol:

You don't have to be a Beacher to appreciate the lessons in the plan, and in the experience of successful SB'ers.

lowcarbUgh Thu, Jul-31-08 12:28

IMO, calories do count. When I was actively losing on very low carb, I usually ate 1100-1200 calories per day. When I wanted to stop losing, I ate 2000 calories of mostly fatty foods like nuts and cream. I was never big on cheese or pork rinds.

LessLiz Thu, Jul-31-08 12:28

I don't know that it is absolutely too many calories, but your choice of where those calories are coming from may be leading you to eat *more* calories than you would if you made better choices.
This is in line with Citrustkiss's spinach example.

For myself, I get hungry every day at 4 pm. With every variation of diet I've tried, this still happens, and if I don't eat I get hungrier and hungrier so that by 5 I am ravenous. Here's how this relates to you: it's shortly before dinner, I'm about to start cooking, so what I want to do is grab something easy, eat it, and get on with fixing dinner. I used to grab an ounce of nuts or an ounce of cheese, more likely nuts, and 15 minutes later I am still hungry. If I grab another quickie for 150 - 200 cals I am still hungry!

I have found that this is when I need something in the fridge that I can pull out and *heat* then eat. A single chicken wing, smothered cabbage, broccoli with a grating of cheese -- any of these solves my hunger issues better than nuts or cheese or pork rinds. And all of them are lower in calories with about the same carb content.

I have finally had to admit to myself that even though nuts and cheese (I hate pork rinds) do provide nutrition and calories, that they are in many respects low carb junk food (for me) because I have to eat a lot of calories of those foods for them to quell hunger. Many fewer calories of chicken, beef or veggies with a fat and protein kill my hunger faster and more completely.

Nancy LC Thu, Jul-31-08 12:47

I've pretty much eliminated snacking, except for after dinner, I need to work on that one... god, it can be out-of-control sometimes.

Anyway, the key is just making sure you eat ENOUGH to feel satisfied at each meal and don't eat again until you're hungry. Takes some re-training but it can be done!

Tapestry Thu, Jul-31-08 13:20

Thanks again. I do try to "snack" on olives while I am preparing dinner. However, I can see that the cheese and nuts can be grab and go food for me when I have left it too late to prepare something nutritional. The pork rinds are usually on the weekend as a substitute for popcorn/crunch while I am watching a movie.

ILoveMyKit Thu, Jul-31-08 20:37

isnt 5 cups of salad way more than it calls for?


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