I've first started out trying to count cards and ate mostly only protein and veggies but I couldn't stand that so now I try counting calories. But it just seems like everything I eat has so many carbs in it...but if I go by the food journal thingy I have only been eating under 800 calories per day (except for one night when I had Mcdonalds for dinner...)
so I don't think 800 calories seems enough but everything else is high in carbs and I already eat so many carbs in a day (oatmeal for breakfast, a granola bar for a snack and so on)
I don't feel like I'm starving, but I wonder how I can increase my calories without adding more carbs?

I think that the whole anti-carb notion is a crock. Anything that says you can't eat fruits and veggies because of the carbs in CRAZY! What I say is the main thing to do it cut back your portions. You can eat what you like as long as you don't over do it!

Thanks for the advice. I figured the no carbs diet would work, I'm not sure if it does but it apparently does not work for me. I either eat under 900 calories and fewer carbs or eat more calories and extra carbs.
I'm not sure how many carbs we are allowed to have, but on my diet I haven't been eating any junk food, but today I was browsing a weight loss magazine and they have tons of low fat, low calories ice cream items! Some had only 17-25 carbs so I figure thats not bad if I eat 2 or 3 things with that many carbs a day...
yay for low fat icecream!

I suggest eating lots of fruits and veggies regardless of the carbs. In my mind, low-carb has some valid points to it, however, so few of us get all the fruits we need that there is no point in cutting those out. Limit excessive breads and I think you'll be fine. 800 calories may feel like enough, but if you eat too few your body goes in to starvation mode aka stop burning fat mode. We don't want that! I've heard suggestions of a minimum caloric intake of at least 1200 calories/day. That should keep your metabolism crankin'! Several small meals through out the day, full of fruits and veggies. That's my two cents. Good luck!

I've just been working w/ calories off the Food Journal and trying to stay within that -250 to -750 range for each day. I've only missed the mark one day...but I was still under the recommended caloric intake for the day (-103), so at least I didn't go over!

Hannah is right...those fruits and veggies are GOOD for you! As long as you're not using pounds of butter with them, you should lose weight by eating them. Stay away from the junk food and overdoing those calories.

Of course, Hannah is also right in the respect that if you take in too few calories...your body will "shut down" in the sense that it will slow down your metabolism. Get within the range that you should be and you shouldn't have a problem. Add exercise as you can.

Right now I'm still working on the Food Journal and getting the process of recording my intake to become a habit, but as I become more confident with that, I'm hoping to try monitoring my exercise as well online.

Good luck!

thanks!
no I don't add tons of butter to my veggies, maybe a little. But I just really like to eat alot of fruit, and fruits like apples and peaches have so many carbs in them according to one book I read.
Lori-your only eating 250-800 calories!? wow...but yeah I know that going too few calories is bad over the long run, your body begins to store fat and your metabolism goes out of wack.
I guess I'll find a way to add good healthy carbs (like fruits and veggies) and cut out or add alternatives for the bad carbs (like low carb bread)
that might work better...

#1 DON'T CALL IT A DIET. If you think of it as that, you WILL fail. It's a life style change.

2. The thing with low carb is; NOT ALL CARBS ARE BAD. You want to eat any fruits and veggies. Go for whole wheat breads and pastas -- those are GOOD carbs; allowed on low carb diets.

3. In order to be successful, you've to eat at least 1200 calories a day. under might work short term but long term its detrimental. Even if that means eating some bad things, it's better for you. Go for real yogurt instead of light, for example.

I also read that eating a big breakfast as opposed to a big dinner aids weight loss.

Originally Posted by 17681

thanks!
no I don't add tons of butter to my veggies, maybe a little. But I just really like to eat alot of fruit, and fruits like apples and peaches have so many carbs in them according to one book I read.
Lori-your only eating 250-800 calories!? wow...but yeah I know that going too few calories is bad over the long run, your body begins to store fat and your metabolism goes out of wack.
I guess I'll find a way to add good healthy carbs (like fruits and veggies) and cut out or add alternatives for the bad carbs (like low carb bread)
that might work better...

She has a 250-800 calorie deficit, meaning counting the calories burned in exercise and by her metabolism, she's creating -250-800 calories a day, if she takes away the calories burned from calories eaten.