There are actually several ways to approach low carb dieting, a bazillion recipes, and of course the artificially sweeteners and flavorings for those of you who absolutely have to have sweets while low carb dieting.
But let's face it, a lot of the "low carb substitutes", taste like cardboard, artificial sweeteners have a funny aftertaste, and in actuality are not good for you. Your best bet in terms of successfully sticking to low carb, is to cook your own meals, and ditch the low carb subs, and stick to all natural ingredients and if possible, organic ingredients.
And there are two ways to do this. You can either go hard core and eat nothing but red meat and spinach, or you could include a combination of different meats, poultry, eggs, veggies, and fats ie: cheese, cream. Hard core isn't for everybody, and if you're vegetarian you probably won't want to eat steak every day, but for the most part there are ways to switch up/spice up meals so that you don't tear your hair out from boredom and lack of food selection.
But before I go into that, here's my solid advice in regards to low carb dieting: If you're going to do it, do it right, and ditch the artificial sweeteners, and sweets alltogether. If you do, your pancreas will thank you and so will your insulin levels. Artificial sweeteners do not have any calories/sugar/carbs, BUT they still trigger insulin production in your body, so you're better off not using them at all, especially if you have blood sugar issues or you're borderling diabetic.
My other solid advice is, if you want to successfully maintain a low carb diet, be prepared to stick with it for at least 4 months. In all actuality it would be better if you stuck to it for life, but I know as well as you do that you may have that slice of cake 4 months later. Or that big bowl of ice cream.
In any event, keep in mind also that people who don't do low carb love to argue that it's not healthy. This is only true if it applies to a person who is a carb type in terms of nutrition. If your body works better on healthy carbs and whole grains, then a protein diet probably wouldn't be good for you. But in the case of lowering your sugar and losing weight and balancing your hormones, low carb diets are essential.
So back to my point about not being bored during a low carb diet. Like I said, if you don't want to eat nothing but steak and spinach for weeks on end (you will actually lose weight faster this way, and yes it's perfectly healthy), you can create several low carb meals in the kitchen that are not only healthy, but you will actually want to eat.
Also, a little note on fast weight loss: We are taught to believe that losing weight slowly is the healthiest way to lose, this is false. You can lose weight fairly quickly and remain healthy doing so. As a matter of fact, the reason you lose weight so fast during low carb is because your body will, very quickly, get rid of what it doesn't need, ie: water weight and fat. And actually the same thing will happen if you go on a veggie or veggie juicing diet or fast. If you eat nothing but raw vegetables & veggie juice for a week, not only will you lose weight but you'll have the worlds cleanest colon. And you'll get a crazy, out of this world energy boost.
Vegetarians will like that little tidbit of info.
Another diet myth: Exercise is necessary to lose weight.... false. Even if you sat on your ass for the entire first week you began a low carb diet, you'd still lose weight, your body would still cleanse itself, and in actuality if you do want to exercise during weight loss, I would suggest yoga and stretching... if nothing else. Oh, and pole dancing.
People don't give the human body the credit it is due, honestly. The human body was built to improve upon itself, and a perfectly functional healthy system will do just that. If you're sick or chronically ill, it is actually possible to reverse whatever is ailing you, and I'll do another blog on the what's/why's/how's your emotions and mental health are important and effect your healing power.
And again, back to making yummy, healthy, low carb food. Here's a list, literally, of different meals you can make on a low carb diet:
Stir fry with chicken, beef, seafood, veggies (I would not suggest pork, but if you eat it, that's your decision)
Omelet's with fresh vegetables added.
Casseroles
Souffle's (You can make souffle's easy, all you need is eggs, cheese, meat if you want, veggies, seasoning, etc.)
Substitute Cauliflower for rice to make chicken and rice dishes.
You can also make mock mashed potatoes with cauliflower, and mock mac and cheese with cauliflower.
No Bean Chili (I almost forgot about this!)
Salmon cakes
Crab cakes
Liver w/veggies. Liver is very good for you, especially if you need the iron, but getting me to eat it is like pulling teeth, so I opted for the less scary liver powder, which you can put into capsules.
And you can play around with any or all of these, I love spicy food so a lot of times I'll make spicy dishes. Your food DOES NOT have to be bland if you're on a low carb diet.
So there you go, if you have any questions for me, feel free to ask away. The main reason I posted this is because I need to get myself motivated again, and I love steak, but honestly I don't want to eat it everyday. I go through periods of craving nothing but steak, but once that's over, I want something else. Hope this has been helpful to you, and happy eating! More importantly, happy living!
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