Carbs - Is it just me?

[jamiedolan]

HI,

I really like what I have read about PP. I really like the concept and the science behind it.

That said, I don't like a lot of protein sources nearly as much as I like carbs. I have lived my whole life on carbs and am finding that I feel horriable when I bring my carbs down. I feel bad that I keep going back to the carbs, but I feel so horriable without them.

I am just wondering if anyone can relate to this situation, where you just don't like a lot of protein foods, but you love carb and fat foods. How did you deal with it, were you able to overcome it?

Jamie

[meewolfie]

Hi Jamie,

I can tell you that for many years, I looked at the low-carb diet as something that would be impossible for me. I was what you might call an "accidental vegetarian" in that I barely ever ate any meat. My favorite foods were milk and cereal, pasta and cheese and just about anything else that is usually referred to as "comfort food".

When I had to come to terms with a more healthy weight loss program, I finally investigated doing low-carb (I have a relative who did the program successfully). The knowledge that I've gained from research helped me to recognize that there wasn't any other alternative for me. Carbs were killing me (literally!). I had allergies, I always felt swollen and my head was in a cloud. I had very little energy and felt that I may have to go back on anti-depressants.

Then I started the PP plan. In less than a month, almost of all of those unpleasant symptoms have disappeared. The scientific explanation about the effects of insulin on my body was the key to helping understand that there was really no choice for me. The carbs that I felt I couldn't give up - barely tempt me now - and were the source of all of these negative symptoms.

I'm dead serious about this. I made home-made bread for a friend last week - I fed him, then packed it up for him to take home. I have half a loaf of what I know is amazingly wonderful home-made bread leftover on top of my fridge. I haven't touched it and will have to give it to my dogs or throw it away before it goes bad. I don't even want it - because all it says to me is - "eat me and spike your insulin and go back to feeling swollen and cloudy".

I've adjusted to the shift towards lots of protein by starting with the protein sources that have always been favorites. Shrimp! Bacon! and wonderful things like chicken and tuna salad. I like eggs, though I can't eat more than two at a time. My goal for this month is to find additional protein sources that I like and may have overlooked in my bee-line towards the home-made pasta during my old shopping days.

Two things that I would suggest to get started (especially if you think it's going to be a hard transition):
1. Make a list of your favorite, love to have, protein sources.
2. Plan on doing the program for one week. That's it. Give yourself permission to go back to the old way if at the end of that week you just can't stand it. I felt so good after a week I just couldn't believe it and knew that there was no turning back.

During my first week, all I did was concentrate on the protein. I ate when I was hungry, didn't track anything - simply kept the carbs to an absolute minimum. The first three days were pretty awful because I gave up coffee at the same time (not a necessity for the low-carb plan).

Most importantly - believe in yourself. Don't tell yourself "I can't do it". If you do - then your destiny has been established. Simply tell yourself that for one week, you are going to be a protein person. Believe it - and I think you will find that you can do it.

Good Luck!!

Mary

[WakefieldWendy]

That said, I don't like a lot of protein sources nearly as much as I like carbs. I have lived my whole life on carbs and am finding that I feel horriable when I bring my carbs down. I feel bad that I keep going back to the carbs, but I feel so horriable without them.


Hi Jamie,

OK, first, when you say that you don't like a lot of protein sources as much as carbs, are you talking about taste, are you talking about feeling good, or are you talking about that little voice in your head that tells you protein is bad and carbs are good?

If you are talking about taste - then I agree with the previous suggestion. Figure out what protein sources you like, and if helpful, figure out preparations that you like (i.e. if a chicken breast baked with cheese sounds appetizing, but a roast chicken leg with skin doesn't, then note that.) It may be that you like or don't like certain kinds of fat or spice or whatever and can plan protein around that.

If you are talking about how you feel (i.e. your statement that you feel horrible without them) then my best bet is that you are addicted to carbs. People who give up cigarettes and cocaine feel awful without them, but that doesn't mean the cigarettes and cocaine are actually healthy. I would recommend not one week but 3 weeks of solid sticking to it, no cheating. I have fairly serious carb addiction, with carb cravings on rebound, and it takes me 2-3 weeks to stop feeling bad (not physically, but emotionally). If you cheat, you will think to yourself, it is just one little (doughnut/cookie/banana/piece of cake), but you will restart all your cravings and your clock will reset to zero.

If you stick it out with no cheating for 3 weeks, and still feel bad, then we'll have to explore what you are eating. Are you allergic or sensitive to some kind of food, etc.? But for now, my bet is that you feel bad because you are addicted to carbs.

[maxlharris]

That said, I don't like a lot of protein sources nearly as much as I like carbs. I have lived my whole life on carbs and am finding that I feel horriable when I bring my carbs down. I feel bad that I keep going back to the carbs, but I feel so horriable without them.

I am just wondering if anyone can relate to this situation, where you just don't like a lot of protein foods, but you love carb and fat foods. How did you deal with it, were you able to overcome it?


Hi Jamie,

Others will have more help for you on the protein sources thing (you might look into Protein Powered Vegetarians if you are so inclined). I think I can talk about the other half.

It is fairly normal to feel a little gross for as much as a week after dumping carbs from the diet. It's fairly extreme from a metabolic point of view. Most people will get over this first wave of ick in 2-5 days.

There is also, during the first month, the "carb flu" which feels a lot like the real flu (tired, achy, etc) that some people experience. It too is normal and there are some specific pieces of advice both here and around the net. If you use carb flu for your search term, you will find some advice on that.

The great news goes like this:
1- Most people report that horrible feeling and it will subside given a few days of uninterrupted low carbing.
2- If you have really bad carb cravings, I think L-Glutamine is what folks take, something like 500 or 1000mg. Have read some people having great success with this.
3- Once you get over the hump, you will feel so alive you will wonder what took you so long.
4- If you get leg cramps (or other muscle cramps) early, a potassium supplement will solve it. It's a normal side effect of dumping a lot of fluid, which happens in that first week.

Courage and good luck.

[Gabriel Guzman]

HI,

I really like what I have read about PP. I really like the concept and the science behind it.

That said, I don't like a lot of protein sources nearly as much as I like carbs. I have lived my whole life on carbs and am finding that I feel horriable when I bring my carbs down. I feel bad that I keep going back to the carbs, but I feel so horriable without them.

I am just wondering if anyone can relate to this situation, where you just don't like a lot of protein foods, but you love carb and fat foods. How did you deal with it, were you able to overcome it?

Jamie


Something I've noticed over the years is that the transient feeling of discomfort immediately after reducing the amount of carbohydrate in the diet (which could last from a week for some to a few for some others, while their body adjusts to the 'new' foods) makes them stop the effort too soon. After that, the only memory is how horrible the whole thing was, without really giving it a try.

That said, it's not easy to give anything a good try without knowing what we get ourselves into. So the best way to give anything a try is to learn ahead of time the possible causes of discomfort and not only understand them but also be prepare with some kind of contingency plan.

Your statement "I don't like a lot of protein sources nearly as much as I like carbs..." pretty much describes a large majority of us. Otherwise, we wouldn't be having the problems we have, right? However, something that's seldom explained is that what we think we can't live without may very well be a transient experience. We might think we don't like certain protein sources more than carbs probably because of the way cravings play us. It's easy to crave cake than a juice stake, isn't it? That doesn't mean one is addicted to carbohydrates (that concept is still not watertight to me). True, the intervention phase of Protein Power is quite a shock to our bodies, and a needed one, so we really shortcircuit our metabolism to start over with the right metabolic scenario. That doesn't happen overnight, however, and we must be prepared to go through the rather uncomfortable period in which cravings go away. They do go away, but there is no magic number of days that rules when they go away. The closer to the program, though, the better the chances for cravings to go away sooner, rather than later.

If it still feels unbearable, then it's time for a contingency plan, just to help us stay on track: the alternative stuff... In my case, I can always relate to that because my sweet tooth can be a real pain, so after understanding that I either suffer in a Spartan way or I learn how to prepare things that will quench my sweet tooth while still on track, the whole thing changed. Granted, it takes more than just wishing... it takes some 'doing' and some learning on how to make delicious treats that are still a carb-bargain.

So, the 'feeling bad' when carbs are too low does go away but not overnight. To explore other protein sources is also a challenge that, at some point, we have to decide on taking so variety is not compromised. Lack of variety is one of the main reasons why people, in general, don't stick to nutritional intervention. But to explore the variety, there's some learning to be done as well.

Personally, this quest came with a huge bonus as I truly discovered how much I enjoy cooking and it's now my favorite past time activity. Of course, it also helps when those close to me like it when I cook! :)

[jamiedolan]

Hi Jamie,

OK, first, when you say that you don't like a lot of protein sources as much as carbs, are you talking about taste, are you talking about feeling good, or are you talking about that little voice in your head that tells you protein is bad and carbs are good?

HI,

Well, it is both the taste and the way I feel. I do think that more protein and less carbs is clearly the better way to eat. Given the choice, I am far more intrested in carbs than in protein. I do like some cheese, but normally I like cheese best on pizza. I eat some cheese by its self. I most often eat my pizza without meat, or with grilled chicken. I do eat some baked chicken and some grilled meats, but I am just not that intrested in them and never manage to eat very much of them.

In terms of how I feel, well I keep trying to eat high protein, every time I try to eat high protein and low carb, by the afternoon, I just feel sick, heartburn, a migriane starts, nausea, i feel sick, and I feel hungry for very high carb foods like ice cream.

Then like tonight, I ate 3 chicken sasuages, they were ok, but I wasn't thrilled with them. Within a hour after eating them, I was just sooo hungry that I started looking for other food.

If you are talking about taste - then I agree with the previous suggestion. Figure out what protein sources you like, and if helpful, figure out preparations that you like (i.e. if a chicken breast baked with cheese sounds appetizing, but a roast chicken leg with skin doesn't, then note that.) It may be that you like or don't like certain kinds of fat or spice or whatever and can plan protein around that.

I have thought alot about this. I like eating some amount of a couple kinds of cheeese. I like small amount of lean beef and lean chicken. I don't care very much for most other meats. There are some beef / steaks that I sometimes manage to eat more of.

If you are talking about how you feel (i.e. your statement that you feel horrible without them) then my best bet is that you are addicted to carbs. People who give up cigarettes and cocaine feel awful without them, but that doesn't mean the cigarettes and cocaine are actually healthy. I would recommend not one week but 3 weeks of solid sticking to it, no cheating. I have fairly serious carb addiction, with carb cravings on rebound, and it takes me 2-3 weeks to stop feeling bad (not physically, but emotionally). If you cheat, you will think to yourself, it is just one little (doughnut/cookie/banana/piece of cake), but you will restart all your cravings and your clock will reset to zero.

What do you do if you just feel sick when you go without carbs, like migriane, nausea, heartburn, etc?

If you stick it out with no cheating for 3 weeks, and still feel bad, then we'll have to explore what you are eating. Are you allergic or sensitive to some kind of food, etc.? But for now, my bet is that you feel bad because you are addicted to carbs.

I think that is highly likely that I am very dependant on carbs. I just am not sure what I can do about it so I can get through the these horriable feelings and eat more protein.

[jamiedolan]

Hi Jamie,

2- If you have really bad carb cravings, I think L-Glutamine is what folks take, something like 500 or 1000mg. Have read some people having great success with this.

Courage and good luck.

I will have to check into this, because I think that cravings are one of my biggest problem, then my second biggest problem is that I keep feeling like crap when I go high protein and low carb.

jamie

[maxlharris]

I will have to check into this, because I think that cravings are one of my biggest problem, then my second biggest problem is that I keep feeling like crap when I go high protein and low carb.

jamie

It takes a couple days to a week to get over the hump and feel the energy burst.

The other thing is: PP is not a high protein diet. It's higher than the average american diet, but it's really an adequate protein approach. If anything, it's a high fat, low carb approach with adequate protein. If you are hungry, you might look into eating protein that is less lean.

Also, as you start, you might want to stock up on the stuff that is LC that you really really like. It's not a start to the program for me until I have my big steak. Or Filet, either way.

[WakefieldWendy]

With reference to your favourite foods, it sounds like you are not a big fan of fat with meat but are OK with fat in the form of cheese. You do need to eat a reasonable amount of fat or you will be very hungry and it isn't healthy. So if you don't like fatty meats, eat cheese, eat nuts, eat good oils. One recommendation I have is to look at the recipes section. I know there is a whole thread of main course salads that have lots of lean protein, but cheese + oils in dressing (+ bacon if you wish it) add the fat you need.

I think your other feeling awful stuff will go away fairly quickly but I don't know what to say about that. I find caffeine helps migraines.

[maxlharris]

Oh yeah, forgot a couple of wife's favorite, non-animal fats:

Olives and Avocado

The fat will probably help.

[laughingW]

I think that is highly likely that I am very dependant on carbs. I just am not sure what I can do about it so I can get through the these horriable feelings and eat more protein.
Did you ever try a simple taper?

Like, have meals 3-4 hours apart with 12-15g carb and 3-4 ounces of protein for a week. That's more like transition levels than intervention. You could even have those carbs half fibrous veggies, half starch/fruit.

If you have been very addicted to carbs, it means you can only run on sugar and when you suddenly try to run on protein/veggies/fat you come crashing to a halt. You don't have the right enzymes and liver function etc.

that amount of carb will give you just enough sugar not to feel totally sick, yet give your body some practice in running on less sugar and starting to run on fat.

Then you can reduce the carb to 10 g per meal or increase the time between meals and your body will have to run on more fat gradually.

In some ways a taper is harder, I know, but in some ways it is more respectful of listening to the body and, if it's harder, you are more macho when you pull it off. :)

That's what I would do. I spent so much time feeling sick on carbs that I won't put up with feeling sick any more. Any solutions I pursue have to have me feeling better or only a little uncomfortable, not major sick. I'm tired of treating my body like a donkey to be beaten into submission.

[Omlette]

I was going to suggest snacking on peanut butter (full fat version) or other nut butters. Advocado with your steak or chicken. Crustless quiche are good and easy to reheat. Also, smoothies - I know this might be a little higher carbed, but a little frozen fruit with heavy cream, water, and protein. Sweetened with stevia or splenda. Always a nice sweet treat that keeps you full.

Don' watch calories to begin with, and eat some sort of full fat source with your lean meats. Oh, and use real butter.