low calorie/low carb diet

Went for my physical last week. Doc put me on a low calorie/low carb diet. Low calorie as in 1200 per day. Yes I'm overweight and the blood work came back with me getting real close to diabeties . I know a lot of you have been on diets and lost a lot of weight - do you have any recipes you can share that are actually good? no bread or sweets allowed. only berries as far as fruit is concerned.

I did a Whole30 once - my go to meal was potatoes, green beans, and an over easy egg with Frank's hot sauce. All mixed in a bowl, but could obviously do them separately if you wanted to. Sometimes I'd put homemade taco meat in it that didn't have sugar in it....

Not sure what that's like calorie-wise, but it tasted really good. Good luck! It's hard, but you can do it

Potatoes are a no-no on a low carb diet. Just a half cup of cooked, diced potatoes has 13g of carbs. A whole medium potato has 37g.

If you like stir-fry with rice (I love stir-fry). You can still have it with peppers, onions, whatever veggies of your choice and chicken or lean beef/pork. I also like a veggie stir-fry too, so that can save a few calories. But replace the rice with Cauliflower rice. Makes an exceptional rice substitute.

Omelets using Egg Beater eggs (comes in a carton) with low/no fat cheese.

Stuffed bell peppers. I use ground turkey instead of beef. I use diced onions, Worcestershire sauce (sparingly), and again...cauliflower rice. Top with low/no fat cheddar.

Salads, of course, are excellent low calorie foods of you don't overload them. I use very little cooked or baked chicken (never fried) and steer clear of any cheese and/or croutons on my salads. Most salad dressings are pretty friendly in the LOW fat selections. Don't get fat free! Read the labels, fat free dressings are loaded in sugars to improve flavor. **Tip, rather than put dressing directly on your salad, measure out a serving in a small bowl and dip your salad one bite at a time. You will actually use much less dressing that way!

Hope this helps

I might also add that just dipping the tines of your fork in the dressing and then spearing your salad helps cut back on the dressing.

Taco salad - lean beef or ground turkey sautéed with a few spices, layered over lots of lettuce, tomatoes, avocado if you like. Top it with salsa (watch the sugar content there) instead of dressing.

Sautéed beef (or chicken) and broccoli with ginger (can add garlic and/or a little soy sauce). Add onions, peppers, maybe a little pineapple.

Beans are a great option for low fat protein, plus they have really valuable enzymes. Google beans and diabetes and you'll get a ton of information. If you go down that path, you can add beans to just about anything instead of meat. They're really cheap, too, if you buy them bulk and cook them yourself.

Fish, and more fish. Wild caught and no shellfish (high in cholesterol).

Watch "What The Health" on Netflix and you will be scared to eat anything that isn't a plant.

Once, my wife made mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. Only once. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever eaten. It might be helpful for your diet.

July 10, 2017 I had an appointment with my doctor. Blood work review showed that my blood sugar has been creeping up over the last five years (114). She said that she would run an A1C on me in January 2018 and if it is over 6.3 I would have to start diabetes medication.

I'm almost 68 y/o and weighed 182 (5 ft. 6 in. tall).

My wife is a retired RN (I was also an RN for about ten years before I got into Banking Compliance) who used to counsel Diabetes. So I asked her to put me on a Diabetic Diet. Counting carbs and portion sizes.

As of today I weigh 167 and have gone from size 40 waist to size 36. Oh, and Yes, I do 40 minutes on a treadmill at 3.6 mph with a 3 degree incline and holding 3 lb. weights six days a week.

The only diet that truly works is eat less, count carbs and keep moving. Lifestyle changes.

Now I look forward to what the A1C test will show in January.

My husband recently got the same talk from his Dr. more because of blood pressure and has dropped 20lbs.

Did the Dr. recommend exercise along with the diet? If not, I will. Someone on BOL once said dieting is 20% about the food and 80% about the exercise and that is so true. Not knowing what your physical capacity is I would recommend getting out and walking every day if you can. I walk no matter (other than thunderstorms) on my lunch, it not only helps with weight maintenance but helps with work stress. If you can ride a bicycle, it is the best exercise I have come across. Whatever you choose as your moving exercise combined with the diet you should be successful.
Good luck to you.

Powdered Water

Just add water

Don't worry, edAudit, I have plenty of frozen water in the freezer as a fallback!

Soccer, yes the doc did state 1 hour per day exercise. He said that you have to burn 3500 calories to lose 1 lb. So, cutting back on calories and increasing exercise should result in weight loss. The diabetic thing ,though, was a surprise. Shouldn't have been - bread and sweets are my downfall.

Wasn't this on a Charles in Charge episode?

Wasn't this on a Charles in Charge episode?

What is a Charles in Charge?

It was a sitcom years ago with Scott Baio. He was Charles.

He said that you have to burn 3500 calories to lose 1 lb.

So based upon simple math; All you need to do is run full out for 6 days and you should loose about 40 pounds.

Chachi's real name was Charles. it makes sense.

Exercise has the added benefit of increasing your metabolism. If you exercise regularly you will burn more calories when resting than a sedentary person. Also, don't forget strength training as part of your exercise routine. I started doing yoga, then switched to pilates and am amazed at what a difference an hour a week has made. It's also a great stress reliever.

This site always has good recipes and exercises: https://greatist.com/eat/high-protein-meals-that-dont-involve-chicken#

Never heard of this, but it makes perfect sense. I'll have to give it a try.

I will recommend joining Weight Watchers. Their point system is very easy to follow and promotes higher protein and low carb food choices.
I lost about 40 lbs this year. After losing so much weight, I was able to start working out and now I run for exercise and stress release. It's helped me so much more than a diet. I've changed the way I think about food and how I feel about exercise.

30 minutes of intense exercise a day will do wonders for your overall health. Start small and work your way up. Find a group workout gym and go for it.

https://darebee.com/

A couple weeks ago, the wife and I both did very, very strict minimal/very low carb diets for 2 weeks, and we both lost about 10-11 lbs with minimal exercise, but as I've done low carb in the past, adding in exercise (which is the smartest thing to do anyway) essentially multiplies that good effects of the low carb diet. Best of luck, and keep on trying even if you mess up a little, but don't give up.