Newbie! Need some help with low carb and low cal food options

[estephania2182]

Hello all. I'm a newbie and could really use some tips. Currently I am on basically a low calorie diet and also watching portions. My starting weight was 284 lbs. I am a 28 year old female of two boys, one of which is almost 10 months old. Before he came along I weighed around 260 but I've always been a big girl. I started my low cal diet along with exercise last week. In a week I've lost 4 1/2 lbs which I think is decent for a first week but I notice when tracking my foods that even though I'm eating relatively healthier foods than before, my carbs and fat content still seem to be in high percentages. I like yogurt a lot so I've been eating that but it is definitely pretty high in carbs. I also like to eat oatmeal for breakfast, again high in carbs. I haven't eaten hardly any bread at all since I started the diet and very little pasta too. I would really like to get my carbs to less than 100 a day and my fat to less than 80 grams a day, but I still want the foods I eat not only to be good for me but enjoyable as well. Any recommendations on good low carb and low fat foods to eat would be extremely appreciated! I'm especially looking for good options for lunches to take to work also.

[almeeker]

Congratulations on your 4.5 pounds!!! Welcome to the forum, this is a great place to get ideas and advice. I don't really know how much you want to lose, but you might consider checking out the 100+ thread, we're not so much about the number you want to lose, but we're all pretty certain we're in this for the long haul.

You might want to try Greek yogurt. It's much higher in protein than regular yogurt, and when you buy the plain variety it tastes like sour cream so you can use it in a bunch of different ways. I've been buying the 0% fat version, and when I want it sweet I add in some homemade low sugar jam, maybe an envelope of sweetener and maybe some chopped up fruit. I've also been known to add a little seasoning and make it in to veggie dip or topping for a taco salad. Other ideas for easy protein sources are boiled eggs, reduced fat cheese, fat free cottage cheese, tuna, chicken,

I can't eat oatmeal, my body doesn't tolerate it very well. So for breakfast I usually have a piece of fruit and make a sandwich with 35 calorie/slice bread, a piece of reduced fat cheese and a couple of slices of fat free turkey. Or I might have a slim bagel with ff cream cheese and some low sugar jam. Or maybe a bowl of Kashi or Special K with skim milk. For lunch I usually do salad (chicken taco is my fave) or leftovers, like turkey chili, or stir fry. Lately I've been eating lots and lots of squash, mostly spaghetti, and frequently I add a cup of meat marinara to it and eat it just like a bowl of real pasta, yes it is that close to the real thing. For grab & go lunches you might want to look in to Healthy Choice soups, they are very easy to grab and heat up in a microwave, and generally speaking you can eat the whole thing, feel full afterward, and still be on plan.

[rpmcduff]

Eggs are a great low carb food. If you want less fat try just egg whites or scramble two whites and a whole egg. Whey protein shakes are another good low carb and low fat alternative. (The shakes carb and fat vary by brand so make sure you check the label.)

If you are going to eat carbs then breakfast is the preferred time. Assuming you have been fasting since you went to bed, your body has had a chance to burn off much of its glycogen energy stores. Eating carbs in the morning allows you to replenish your energy quickly and if you are controlling your portions correctly there is nothing left over to be stored a fat.

Congratulations on your quick start and good luck moving forward!