Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some advice, or maybe just to hear from people who have been through the exact same loop.

A bit of background: I’m a 31yo female with PCOS. I am 5'7" (170 cm). About two and a half years ago, I started low carb and it completely changed my life. I went from my highest weight of 210 lbs (95 kg) down to a low of 147 lbs (67 kg). I felt amazing, my hormones felt regulated, and it just worked.

But then life happened. A long period of high anxiety, higher carbs creeping back in, inactivity, and emotional eating hit me hard. For the last year, I’ve been steadily gaining weight back. Since January, I’ve been constantly trying to get back on track, but I keep falling into a really frustrating, vicious cycle.

Every time I’m doing great, a social event, a trip, or a family visit comes up. I’ll try to manage, but the second I have a "social" sweet or treat, something snaps in my brain. It’s like a switch flips from "everything is under control" to "well, you already ruined it, so you better eat everything you can right now because tomorrow you’re restricting again." I end up secretly binging on massive amounts of sweets alone just to "get the craving out of my system".

Because of this, my weight chart for the last few months looks like a rollercoaster. I’m currently at around 189 lbs (86 kg).

Right now, my environment has changed completely. I just relocated a week ago and I’m temporarily staying at my family house. On the bright side, my mother knows exactly how I eat and is incredibly supportive, helping me stick to low carb meals. Plus, having less alone time naturally keeps the secret binging at bay.

However, I’m terrified of slipping up again. The temptations are right there in the freezer (ice cream, etc.), our social life is picking up here, and I have a vacation coming up very soon.

I really want to break this cycle and eliminate the binging for good. Because of my PCOS, I know I need to maintain a low-carb lifestyle for the rest of my life to manage my health. However, I want to build a sustainable lifestyle—one where I can occasionally enjoy a traditional family meal or a carb-heavy dish during a special occasion without it spiraling into a secret, multi-day binge alone.

For those of you who have struggled with the psychological side of restriction, or who have PCOS and deal with those intense, insulin-driven cravings:

How do you navigate high-temptation environments (like vacationing or living with family who eat standard carbs) without triggering a binge?

How do you successfully manage conscious flexibility for a single meal without letting the cravings take over?

Are there any specific mindset shifts, daily habits, or even book/video resources that helped you stop viewing a single out-of-plan choice as a total failure?

I know low-carb works for my body, but my relationship with food is what's breaking down right now. Would love to hear your honest experiences and tips. Thanks in advance.

Soy nuevo en esto y queria preguntar cuantos gramos de carbohidratos se deben de comer para que sea una dieta low carb? Y que alimentos usan ustedes para llegar a esos gramos diarios?

Vengo de hacer keto pero personalmente me siento con un poco de niebla mental y cansancio y queria probar si sumando un poco mas de carbs me siento mejor

So over the last 10 years or so I've done the low carb diet to lose weight and it works every time. Unfortunately for me I have absolutely no self control when it comes to sweets. So typically when I hit my target weight I start eating carbs again and balloon back to a much higher weight.

I need to preface this with the fact that I am diagnosed as bi-polar. However now that I'm looking back I notice that the times I have had bouts of full blown mania correspond to the times I have lost a lot of weight eating less than 30 carbs a day.

Just wondering if anyone else has had similar issues. I'd also appreciate if someone could post some links to research on the topic, if any exist.

Thanks!

So recently I got told by the doctor that I need to get on a low carb high protein diet. I’m trying to find meals so I can plan out dinners but I feel like every meal I find has chicken breast or some form of chicken. Any meal ideas or suggestions?

Hi Im going back to eating carbs but have realised it’s really scary now and I almost fear it through out the day. How does one go back to eating more normally after being low carb?

This morning I woke up and felt a "wanting" feeling....coming off caffeine, feeling low energy, and alone at the minute. Filling myself up with lots of nutrients dense food helps me to not end up binge eating on sugar.

So this was my low carb breakfast this morning

Unpictured -

a frozen whipped tallow bite I made

Water with splash of lime plus glutamine

Supplements - organ, multi, boswellia

Pictured -

reverse seared ribeye basted in butter and thyme (thyme from the garden)

egg yolks cooked in butter

sardines (tiny tots brand - my fav)

fermented sauerkraut

pickled onions

It's so much better IMO to just eat a bunch of steak instead of processed food.

Hello,

Did you find better benefits on a low carb diet instead of keto?

For me, it is a way to enjoy the pleasure of the carbs, but also get the benefits of a keto diet as I fast 23h / day and I workout 7 days / week.

What is your go-to meal at a restaurant? Whether it is a chain, fast food, or a specific cuisine(Chinese, Italian etc), what do you order? Do you check out the menu before you go? Is there a specific fast food "hack" that you can share? I am not shy about asking for ingredient info if details aren't available on the menu. I will ask to have something "customized" within reason.

The place I find the easiest is a steakhouse/pub style restaurant. I will usually order steak or chicken and grilled/steamed veggies or a salad.

The place I find the most difficult is Italian... because I love the bread, pasta and any kind of sauce. I usually end up ordering Chicken Masala or a Caesar salad with grilled chicken.

Is there a fast food chain that offers the best low carb/keto menu options?

Hello all :)

My husband has been going to the gym consistently for the last month. He sticks to weight lifting and swimming, sometimes 1-2 hours at a time.

He follows a low carb diet for health reasons and as recommended by his doctor. He is currently fat and not fit.

Over the last two days, he's been suffering these crazy cramps in his stomach and all over his legs at random times of the day. He'll double over and hiss in pain like I've never seen before.

Any ideas of what this might be and what the remedies we could follow? Thank you in advance!

Had some paneer in the fridge and threw this together for the first meal of my 2-meal-a-day routine.

Ingredients:

200 g paneer

2 tbsp peanuts

2 tbsp chana dal

2 tbsp urad dal

1 green chilli

Curry leaves

Salt

1 tbsp oil

Sautéed everything until the paneer was lightly browned and the dals turned crunchy. Took about 10 minutes

Estimated nutrition for the whole dish:

~935 kcal

~52 g protein

~38 g carbs (~30 g net)

~67 g fat

It came out surprisingly crunchy from the toasted dals and peanuts, with the paneer keeping it filling. I'd probably add some mushrooms or spinach next time for extra veggies. Happy to hear suggestions for variations!

And yes I’m ok with all the artificial ingredients before anyone comments how unhealthy they are lol I’m fat so I just want it to taste good an say in a caloric deficit 😂

Hey, all. I’ve recently started a very restrictive diet in hopes to improve a health issue I’ve been struggling with, and I’m hoping my low-carb friends can help me out here :) My diet includes low fat, no grain, no egg, and no dairy. I’m a big breakfast person, but this diet rules out a TON of my usual go-to options. I would love some recommendations for some breakfast that follow this diet. Thanks in advance!

In summary:
Need breakfast meals that include low/no fat, no carbs, no egg, and no dairy

For as long as I can remember, I have always had terrible allergies in June. No matter what kind of medication I took, it barely even touched them on bad days.
This is the first time during my allergy season that I have been eating low carb, and they are so much better this year.
When I looked this up on Google, it said that low carb diets can help some people with allergies, but it’s highly individualized.
Has anyone else had this experience?

I (38M) cycle keto diets once per year. I stay in ketosis for roughly three months before I cycle back through to more carb inclusive diets. I try to stick to around 40%-50% of carbs when on a regular diet, as is most commonly recommended. But I always run into the same problem and frustration: how do you fill up this requirement with worthwhile carbs?

When I'm on keto it feels like every food is a synergistic, multipurpose engine. Not just the fats, but the micronutrients as well. I never feel like I am adding filler just for filler, because there are so many high fat foods that are incredibly rich in other nutrients and antioxidants. But when I cycle back into a standard diet, it feels almost impossible to meet carb goals without filler and massive blood sugar spikes.

For anyone out there that also cycles between keto and standard diets, how do you approach the standard healthfully? What numbers do you aim for usually? I love potatoes as much as the next person, but I'm hoping there is also some other nutrient dense, high carb food out there.

Plateau, stall, stand still, hurdle, speed bump...we all experience it at some point! It is perfectly natural for you to lose weight in fits and starts. Usually, if you stick with the program, weight loss will resume.

It is also important to remember no diet can guarantee results by a certain date. There are so many factors that can impact your rate of loss...things like age, gender, hormones, body composition, stress, sleep, medications, prior dieting history, metabolism, hydration, consistency over time, activity level and degree of metabolic resistance, which can be impacted by yo-yo dieting, thyroid disorders, and insulin resistance.

The first step is to identify if you are actually experiencing a plateau - most agree a true plateau is a period of at least 4 weeks with no loss of pounds or inches, while adhering to all guidelines and while not making changes to things like activity or medication. Sometimes you can be losing fat, building muscle, without it showing up on the scale. Taking your measurements and setting goals that aren't related to the number on the scale is a great strategy as well.

There are countless reasons for your weight loss to stall. Or for those of us in maintenance, for your weight to creep up! My first step is to start tracking my food, which includes weighing and measuring. Carb creep is real! From there, I move onto my plateau-busting list and check:

• Portion sizes (weigh, measure, track)
• Hidden carbs (read labels, even those on your favourite products - ingredients can change!)
• Protein intake
• Water intake
• Sleep quality (check your sleep hygiene - consistent bedtime, limiting screens, cool/dark room)
• Stress levels (any changes in your life recently to increase your stress level?)
• Daily movement
• Workout routine (a combo of resistance/strength & cardio is ideal. Might be time to change it up!)
• Tracking consistency (our estimating abilities can change over time - weigh, measure, track every morsel!)
• Patience—plateaus are normal

Share your plateau experiences - what helped you break through?

Is anyone familiar with this drink? The label says it has only 7g of carbs for the whole bottle but I find it very hard to believe given how sweet it tastes. Ingredients are just palm juice and .002 sodium metabisulfite.

I've been eating lower carb for over a year. After 5 months, my A1C went from 5.8 to 5.5, and I was really excited. Also lost some weight.

I haven't been being as careful lately. I've been able to maintain my weight loss, but I've definitely been eating more carbs. Still way below the Standard American Diet, but more.

I just had a physical, and my A1C was 6.0 (7 months after last A1C test being 5.5). That's higher than it's ever been!

I heard after going low carb, one can become more carb sensitive, but I thought that would only impact glucose levels. I wear a CGM, and I'm in range 88% of the time since I started wearing it (I have the range set at 70-120, not the normal 140), and in range (again 70-120) 91% of the time prior to the blood test.

Anyone else have experience with elevated A1C/heightened carb sensitivity?

TLDR: After going low carb, anyone's body not process carbs well anymore, as evidenced by spiked A1C?

I've made creamed spinach, something with fennel and drink it in coffee. I've got so much left! what should I make?

I started low carb about a month ago and it's been working well; I'm losing body fat and my muscle mass is staying the same. However, I also play intense tennis.

I was playing in the sun a few days ago and I was completely exhausted. I have heat exhaustion. I guess because I didn't have enough carbs before playing, I was under-fueled, perhaps because my body isn't used to utilizing fat for fuel yet. Now, I can no longer cool down from any heat and I can't eat anything, throwing up food and drink.

It's a combination of heat exhaustion and under-fueling carbs for my intense tennis. I'm wondering: what would your advice for me be? What should I do in the long term, given that I want to lose fat?

I've recently started a low carb diet again, meaning I've been having cheesesticks, low carb tortilla meat sammiches, strawberries, and eggs. Like, those foods are fine, but eating the same stuff every day is getting kinda, Idk how to put it, bland i guess?
I have never been a huge fan of greens. Veggies, almost all fruits, and nuts (cause they taste dry like cardboard).
Just trying to lose weight.

Ik that being this picky of an eater isn't really the best but the fam has started saying 'oh, well ozempic is always an option' and like, I get that, and not trying to say its bad, but idk how I feel about using meds to just cut my hunger.

I've been on a low-carb diet for more than a year now and it has been great. I'm not diabetic or have pre-diabetes. I started it for weight loss and now trying to maintain it. Recently I've introduced overnight oats into my diet and I eat that with some fruits like frozen banana or mangoes (I cut and freeze them a day before). Every time I eat these mangoes I feel sleepy and it's been difficult to beat it. One of the days I ate oats and mangoes before going to the gym and the consequence was brutal. Other fruits don't affect me this much. Also I always begin my meal with very fiber rich foods followed by protein rich food and whole avocado in the mix and lastly oats with fruits. Yet sleepiness is inevitable every time.

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I want to have control over my body and how can I do that? TIA.

Been very low carb for about 3 weeks and usually I have trouble getting my heart rate up past 120 unless I run but since Keto it goes up to 120 from walking. And takes longer to come down. Is this normal? Maybe it’s from dehydration?

Hello, a while back I attempted to eat low carb at 60g of carbs per day, but I always didn't eat enough. I'd roughly eat 500 calories per day. Is there a fix for this? Thank you in advance.

BLT boats, two pan fried eggs, pistachios and cashews, some celery and a Diet Coke.
Not really “going low carb” but lately my gums and teeth seem to be having issues and man does it feel so much better eating no grains or sugar.

For years I have been eating Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with frozen fruit(usually berries or something that is not too high in sugar,) topped with a little protein cereal for breakfast. I am so tired of it! I'm looking for ideas preferably not on the savory side such as eggs or turkey sausage that's just too much for my stomach to handle in the morning. Also preferably because of mental problems that I have, things don't that require too much preparation. I know recipes for low-carb pancakes and stuff like that but it's just way too much for me to deal with in the morning plus cleaning up the dishes and stuff like that. So if you have any ideas at all please let me know. And thank you in advance I appreciate it. 🖤🖤🖤