Low carb menu ideas

I have been dieting and exercising for a couple of months now. I have lost 30 pounds, but haven't been able to work out lately because I think I'm not eating enough. I have so much energy, but once I start working out, I get weak and dizzy, and am afraid one time i'll be carrying my kids and faint or something. I have been counting calories and have stayed between 500 and 900 a day, and believe me, the 500 day was A LOT of food!

That day I ate 2 pieces of turkey bacon for breakfast - 50 cal for lunch I had a salad - 100 cal for snack I had beef jerkey - 70 cal and stir fry for dinner - 200.

The only thing I've found to add more calories without eating all day long is to add carbs. Does anyone have any suggestions so I don't add too many?

Congrats on the weight loss, but...I'd have 'that much' food in one sitting :/

Don't be afraid of carbs! Your body needs fuel to run on - you definitely need more food than what you've been surviving on. 1200 cals is the bare minimum for a short, slight female couch potato. Up your cals and you won't feel like fainting anymore. I don't know your stats, but you need to eat more in order to be healthy.

Hi there - If you're only eating 500 calories a day, that is not nearly enough. You should enter your info, height, weight, etc., along with your goals, into the tools provided on this site, it will in turn give you your recommended daily calorie needs to reach your goals. You most likely burn close to 2000 calories a day, just by being alive and doing your normal every day tasks. It's recommended that you don't have more than a 500 calorie deficit (meaning you should eat at LEAST 1500 calories a day). Otherwise, your body will go into starvation mode and if losing weight is your goal, you'll lose very little. Use the tools, they're very helpful...as are the other people on this site.

Low Carb Foods

-Eggs

-Cottage Cheese

-Chicken breast

-Tuna

-Turkey

-Nuts

-Nut butters

-Olive Oil

-Hummus

Add some more food to your meals. 2 slices of turkey bacon is not breakfast. Breakfast is 2 eggs, 2 slices of turkey bacon, and 1 piece of whole wheat toast. Or an omlette with sliced turkey bacon. A salad full of vegetables is not lunch. Lunch is a salad with grilled chicken on top, drizzled olive oil, and maybe an apple. Snacks are whatever you feel comfortable with. Add some oil to your stir fry, some more meat, SOMETHING. I won't tell you why you need to eat more and more balance, someone else will, but this is how to do it.

That is great that you lost weight however that is not a healthy way to do it by cutting your calories down to almost 500 a day! your body needs at least 1200 to get all the essential vitamins and minerals that is needs. You do not want to ruin your metabolism either by starving youself like this. Yes your body needs carbohydrates, as well as protein and fat. Carbohydrates are not BAD, as they are thought to lead to massive weight gains etc. As long as you eat good for you carbohydrates such as whole wheat breads/pastas, beans, oatmeal or oatbrans, squash and potatoes, you will be in good shape! These will offer you more nutrients as well as fiber which is needed to keep you feeling fuller for longer! Try focusing on creating a healthy lifestyle that you can maintain rather then starving youself...this can lead to many problems! (trust me I KNOW) Working out and eating right are excellent for your mind and body , but you must know how to balance the two and give your body what it needs. Your body is like a machine and it needs the right fuel to work and keep you going!! You may find that some days you are less hungry then others or more hungry, but in the long run you should have a balanced diet throughout the week and have made up for missed calories or lost calories here and there. I know you are tryin to loose weight, however you can do this without depriving youself!!

good job on the weight loss but your body is most likely in starvation mode. youre eating next to nothing which is horrible for your metabolism.

from someone whose struggled/struggling with anorexia, this sounds like what i used to eat. im not saying you have an ED but honestly 500 calories? try upping it to like 1200 atleast.

Most nuts are low in carbs and high in calories, with healthy fats in them. Add a snack of nuts - not honey-roasted - and you could easily get an extra 200 in without a lot of bulk. Add dressing to your salad, and oil, butter, or trans-fat-free butter substitute to vegetables if you can't get more food volume in.

Also looks like you're not getting enough protein. Meats are always low-carb unless they're breaded or have added sugar. Same thing with poultry, fish, and eggs, and there are plenty of sugar-free or low-sugar protein supplements out there.

I guess I should have added my stats here. I'm 5'9", currently 238, and looking to get to 160ish. I know eating too little slows your metabolism, but I feel like I eat enough. I rarely feel overly hungry.

You're probably not feeling too hungry because your body has adapted to surviving on 500 - 900 cals daily. The fact that it's adapted does not mean it's all it needs to function properly. Severe undereating over a long period of time will cause your body to shut down all kinds of functions and processes it deems 'less necessary'. It will do everything to keep your heart beating and your brain going, but other than that, it will shut down. I know that sounds like an overreaction, but this is basically what happens when you deprive your body :/

Calculating your bmi, you're now around 35. Getting to a healthy weight ( bmi 20-25) takes time, but it's wonderful you decided to get healthy :D
With your stats, your bmr (what you burn just existing) is 1890 cals. Remember, this is what your body needs to function. If you're sedentary, your daily burn is 2270. If you're lightly active, it's 2600.

So if you've been lightly active over the past couple of months, you've been needing 2600 cals daily to maintain. This means you've been undereating by 1700 - 2100 cals daily. That's a huge deficit :/ Your deficit shouldn't be larger than a 1000 cals; severely overweight people can start off with such a large deficit, but soon it will have to be made smaller.

In order to lose a pound a week, subtract 500 from your maintenance cals. So 2600 - 500 = 2100 cals. You might even lose more, you can expect to lose 1% of your body weight weekly.
So please, up your cals - you get to eat a lot more, you'll feel much healthier and happier and you'll lose weight.
You might see an initial weight gain if you've been undereating for a while, but this will come off, so no worries.

You can calculate your bmr and daily calorie needs here :)

The key to weight loss is patience I think. 1 - 2 lbs a week is a perfect weight loss rate, and as you're not crash dieting this way, you can sustain the weight loss and it will be much easier to maintain afterwards. It's more of a lifestyle change than a diet, really.

I hope this helps, and good luck!

ETA: added a motivating testimonial ;D

Regardless of the hype that says "up the protein, down the carbs" (Atkins comes to mind)... your body NEEDS carbs - just have to take it in within reason. I use the CC 'eat meter analysis' to make sure I hit all the requirements for the day. If I am down on the protein (like another before had suggested), I grab some almonds. If I am down in carbs: whole wheat bread or cereal.

I too was one to have jumped on the Atkins bandwagon years ago. Although I didn't follow it to a t, I ended up with the "shakes" and feeling like a could faint (I felt I have come close a few times) from a carb defficiency - especially after a workout. Don't be afraid of carbs! A slice of bread or two with almond butter, saltine crackers with hummus, healthy breakfast cereals are a great way to get your carbs while adding some protein too!

Good luck! Everyone had some great advice before me, so I won't reiterate all of them!