[Terion]

hi, any low-carbers out there, how about any low carb and pregnant gals out there, just wanted to compare stories, recipies and support each other!

 

[polka123]

I'm trying modified low carb while nursing.
I gotta lose this baby weight b/c it's raising my p/b.
I go to http://www.ediets.com/index.cfm
to see what I can find for free.

 

[Terion]

Yeah I'm modified too, I eat fruits, mostly berries (strawberries, blueberries and rasberries) but I am staying completely away from grains and starchy vegies, I eat alot of stirfry with cabbage and beef, I'm still nursing my 9 mo. old while pregnant and she doesn't seem bothered by my high cabbage diet lol..although the side effect of pregnancy has my milk down anyway so she isn't nursing that much anymore

 

[pottermamma]

Can you guys tell me any more about low carb diets??? I have no idea what they consist of but it seems to be a way to lose weight quickly which is what I'd like (like 10+ lbs by the end of July????)
Thanks

 

[Terion]

basically you cut out all starches, pasta, rice, potatoes, grains etc. eat alot of meat and veggies (green ones) there is a good website and board at www.thinner.com lots of info and nice folks there, and you can lose 10lbs really fast low carbing.

 

[BrooklynDoula]

I eat a low carb diet and have lost as much as 10 lbs a month doing this - over 60lbs in total since I had my ds. I would be afraid to eat no grains while I was pg and nursing, have you asked your doc about this?

Also, I do not eat any meat or eggs, so for me eating low carb is not about eating lots of meat and veggies. I eat some fake meat (Boca Burgers), lots of nuts, and nut butters, tons of lettuce, califlower, broc, green beans, spinach, kale, collards, chard, etc. Some fruit, esp. berries, and some cheese. BUT I also eat homemade granola for breakfast every morning that has oats and flax seed meal in it and I eat beans with some frequency. I also regularly go on dates with my husband where I follow no rules at all!!

Good luck. Feel free to ask more questions.

 

[Terion]

I do really well with no grains, even while pregnant and nursing, I eat lots of veggies ( I have a huge organic garden to graze in) so I make up for vitamins and fiber there. also I drink so much water it seems impossible..hahah mostly I feel really good, when I do splurge and eat carbs, even healthy ones like brown rice or quinoa (which I love) it makes me feel like I've taken a sleeping pill within an hour of eating it, they really have an effect on me....right now I'm really into jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese wrapped in bacon and grilled....oooh that's my newest preggie craving, ate them for dinner last nite and breakfast this morning....I can't seem to get enough spicy this time around...if I didn't live so far out in the boonies I'd be out eating indian and thai every nite!!! yum....ooh I'm hungry....

 

[mommabear]

Please don't flame me, but . . . I am fairly sure it is unsafe to eat a low- or no-carb diet while pregnant. The ketones your body excretes (in urine and breastmilk) are very unsafe for the baby. If you don't eat grains, but lots of fruit and veggies, you are probably safe. Also, I would be concerned about a high animal protein diet -- unless you are eating organic meat and dairy, you are likely ingesting a large amount of antibiotics and growth hormones, certainly not good for a baby. Amaranth is a grain that is a complete protein, and beans and brown rice are both carb and protein rich, so I am baffled by this whole "high protein-low carb" thing. Too be honest, it seems very unsafe to cut out a whole category of food. What some of the other posters said about modified low-carb eating seems safer. Personally, I try to eat whole foods, in as close to their natural state (ie fresh) as possible. So I would choose brown rice over white, whole wheat flour over refined, etc. Then you are getting the proteins these foods naturally contain, not to mention tons of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound preachy, I would just be very careful if I was pregnant or nursing.

 

[pottermamma]

So, megan, your diet sounds like something I can handle, but tell me what you don't eat...sounds like no breads (which I love, especially tortillas with my beans!!!!!) but what else????

 

[KarenEMT]

I am low-carbing and loving it! I'm not pregnant, but still nursing my 2 yo. I tried WW and low-fat pretty much ever since DS#2 was born and I couldn't lose a pound. Low-carb was the last result for me basically. I was so depressed about weight and lack of energy. I now get my carbs from salad and veggies and best of all I'm so much less hungry.

How is it to low-carb when pregnant? Does it help combat strange cravings? What level of carbs do you strive to eat while expecting?

 

[treehuggerz]

Yes, I'm a low-carber and love it. I lost 60 lbs on Atkins 1 year before I got pg with dd. I got very bored with it though after one year. It's not for pg or nursing women as far as I know. However, the South Beach Diet is more of a healthy eating plan. You can follow phase 2 or 3 when nursing and/or pg. You will lose weight more slowly than other low-carb plans but that is healthier anyway in the long run. I recommend reading the book, most libraries have it.

Here is an online source that explains it: http://www.southbeachdietinformation.com/

Best of luck losing that baby weight!
Marvel

 

[BrooklynDoula]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pottermamma So, megan, your diet sounds like something I can handle, but tell me what you don't eat...sounds like no breads (which I love, especially tortillas with my beans!!!!!) but what else????

It is true that I prety much do not eat bread, tortillas, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. I do occasionally eat these, but I treat them as special foods and not everyday foods. In truth, the less I eat these foods, the less yummy they taste when I do. I discovered I don't really like sandwiches aferall and that beans taste grat with califlower and greens - even better than they do with tortillas. Good luck!

M

 

[Terion]

first of all to address Mamabears' concerns, I do eat a modified low carb diet, I have added fruit back to my diet, I still don't eat bread or rice or grains, but plenty of fruit and veggies (all organic as I live on a huge farm and we have gardens and orchards) also my high animal protein content comes from all organic sources as once again I'm fortunate to live on a huge farm where we raise our own drug and hormone free grass fed cows, free range chickens and pork, we don't treat our animals and we don't treat our land with chemicals....and if we don't raise it ourselves we are part of a big area network to trade for organic meats....so that being said, I probably eat around 40-50 grams of carbs a day, mostly those are from fruits and vegies and when watermelons come in that will go up because I am truly a watermelon junkie....

I don't do well on carbs, when I eat them I get instantly sleepy like I've been drugged then I nap and wake with a splitting headache, I was a vegan for 6 weeks recently and gained 8 lbs....not good for me.....

: and I was hungry alllll the time...now I feel good have energy and don't feel so bloated...everyones bodies are different....

 

[tink79]

I'm not preggo now but I am low carbing (for 3 years now) and have low carbed throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding... I've been on maintenance level since the beginning...

 

[Terion]

how did it help with weight gain during pregnancy...I really have to watch what I gain as I was pre-e with my last pregnancy and am already a large mama!! I just went in for my 16 week check and gained 3 lbs in the last 5 weeks since my last check up, that's 8 total so far so I'm not doing so good!!! I may have to cut out fruit....boooo hoooo....

 

[tink79]

I had GD and normally have some insulin issues, I gained a whopping 45 pounds which was completely gone by 2 weeks PP... 75% of that weight was acquired in the 3 weeks before DD was born so it was obviously water... I swelled up so badly I have stretch marks where my cankles were...

:

Fruit was a major issue for me... I craved it nonstop, unfortunately my DD had fluid around her kidneys & the amniotic fluid was on the high side (both insulin related issues) so my doc didn't allow me to eat much once I was logging all of my food for her to see... She was definitely a stickler...

Good luck to you! I wouldn't do it any other way...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terion how did it help with weight gain during pregnancy...I really have to watch what I gain as I was pre-e with my last pregnancy and am already a large mama!! I just went in for my 16 week check and gained 3 lbs in the last 5 weeks since my last check up, that's 8 total so far so I'm not doing so good!!! I may have to cut out fruit....boooo hoooo....

 

[Marsupialmom]

I just started low-carb dieting on June 28th.

 

[DesireeH]

You might check out the Suzanne Somers diet. Its modified low carb. In the past I lost 30 pounds in a month and kept it off for a year, my hormones also evened out (I have PCOS) and I got pregnant with my son after multiple miscarriages. Not all "low" carbers are eating beef and cheese all day. On the Somers plan you are allowed whole grain....(has to actually be WHOLE), fruits, etc etc.

For anyone with insulin resistance, most of the times "lower" carbs is the only thing that works. It also helps hormones. My hormones were totally screwed up after years of no fat everything.

 

[Terion]

I've heard good things about the sommers diet my friend did it and lost some weight and kept it off, it's all about whole grains and you can only have them if you eat them with no fat--so oils, cheese, meat etc...
I have been slacking on my low carbing lately (and showing it....ah pregnancy and the hunger that comes with it-for me anyways) although my treadmill got here and it's put together so monday I'll motivate again....

 

[christiab]

I had to see a perinatologist (high risk OB specialist) while pregnant w/ DS. I had been following a strict LC diet (lost 33 lbs

) when I conceived. I asked about safety of LC while PG and was told that it was fine as long as you ate enough carbs to stay out of ketosis. In fact, she said it was great to avoid gestational diabetes. I just added brown rice and whole grains back to my diet. I was able to keep my 1st trimester weight gain to 2 lbs, and packed on the other 35 when I needed them in the 2nd and 3rd trimester. My 8lb 2oz son was all the proof I needed about LC safety. BTW, he's 3 mos and 18 lbs!!! Mamma must be making hi-octane BM!!