Choose a Low Carb Plan

When I began to diet, I tried to gather enough information online about low carbing to create my own weight loss plan. Until I gave in and read a few of the books, however, I harbored several misconceptions that were minimizing my weight loss. A low carb plan isn’t complicated, but there are details you must understand in order to avoid pitfalls. For this reason, I strongly encourage you to read at least one of the many low carb diet books and follow it to the best of your ability.

The question is, which plan and which book? Here are my impressions of those I've read:

Protein Power Lifeplan by Dr Michael and Dr Mary Dan Eades

These doctors make you work a little to figure out exactly how much protein you should be eating per day at minimum. Yeah, you have to pull out a measuring tape and do a little math, but hey—you probably should. The least you can do for your body when you’re putting it through the stress of weight loss is ensure it’s getting enough amino acids to keep your muscles intact. The Eades' plan has two stages. You keep to a lower carb level until you have less than 20% of your body weight to lose. At that point you can increase your carb intake until you reach maintenance. The Eades include helpful sections about supplements and exercise. They also explain the science behind low carbing in great detail and show you how to choose the most healthful fats and carbs for your diet. (For what it’s worth, the Eades do include a very brief section on vegetarianism.) If you like to understand the science behind your weight loss diet and you thrive on a firmly-structured plan, Protein Power may work well for you.

If I could have only one low carb book I would choose the Protein Power Lifeplan. I recommend it highly.

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Dr Atkins' New Diet Revolution by Dr Robert C Atkins

This book is heavy on the science behind the diet and is easy to read and understand. The section on vitamin and mineral supplements was helpful. I also appreciated Atkins’ frequent warnings that exercise is a mandatory part of his diet. The diet itself has two main weight loss phases: an “Induction” phase of two weeks (or longer for those with a great deal of weight to lose) in which carbohydrate grams are limited to a minimal level and an “Ongoing Weight Loss” (OWL) phase in which you increase your carb intake with Atkins' guidance until you find the level at which you no longer lose weight. At that point you move back by 5 grams and stay at that carb level for the remainder of your diet. The Atkins book was my first low-carb read and with its quoted studies and careful exploration of insulin and blood sugar, it opened my eyes to the folly of low fat dieting for people with insulin issues. I sensed no condescension toward vegetarians in Atkins' text. You wouldn’t go wrong using this book as a basis for a good weight loss diet.

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The Curves Diet by Gary Heavin and Carol Colman

(Note: this book is written for a female audience as the exercise franchise is women-only.) This book actually includes both a low carb and a low-fat/low-cal diet plan and encourages you to follow one or the other based on answers you give to a short set of questions. While the text does touch briefly on the reasoning behind low carbing, the depth is about the level you’d get in a short magazine article. It also includes a section on how to do a Curves-like workout at home, so if you’re interested in a particular exercise plan to augment your diet this book could be a good choice for you.

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The Schwarzbein Principle by Dr Diana Schwarzbein

Dr Schwarzbein focuses not only on carbs as a problem area for human wellbeing, but on stimulants, drugs, artificial sweeteners and stressful lifestyles. The level of carb consumption she advises is a little higher than that found in the popular mainstream low carb books, but that may appeal to you. I should mention that Dr Schwarzbein wants her dieters to kick artificial sweeteners, added salt, and chocolate. As a cocoa addict, I’m probably a frightening example of exactly why people should not indulge in the stuff. At the same time, I could not follow Schwarzbein's rules. Chocolate enhances my life and I wouldn’t forgo it without solid evidence that it has a deleterious effect on human health. Still, if you want a book that helps you revamp your diet and lifestyle and transform them into something that supports your health and wellbeing, Schwarzbein could be a great match for you. Some people truly enjoy her approach.

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The South Beach Diet by Dr Arthur Agaston

I’m including this in my list because there is a common misconception online that South Beach is a low carb diet. It’s also the "low carb" diet most often suggested to vegetarians. The confusion may stem from South Beach’s first diet phase which is quite similar to the first step of the Atkins' diet. After that introductory period—designed to break dieters of their carb addictions—the similarity ends. South Beach’s nutritional program is based on the idea of choosing good carbs (with reference to the glycemic index) over bad ones and good fats over bad. Since I know people who’ve had success with South Beach, I cannot tell you that it won't work great for you.

If you mostly want an alternative to standard Weight Watchers low-fat dieting, you might love South Beach. Their online site even offers a vegetarian option. I confess that when I first started reading through my stack of "low carb" books, I thought South Beach would end up being my choice. I couldn’t imagine cutting beans from my diet and knew they were allowed on SB. At the same time I was investigating Agaston's diet, however, I learned I am allergic to wheat gluten. Since there is a huge emphasis on whole grains—in particular whole wheat—in South Beach, this was a big obstacle for me. I also began to worry about finding anything to eat--at all--on SB. Like many mainstream doctors, Agaston believes saturated fats are dangerous and should be shunned in favor of monounsaturated oils. For this reason the South Beach diet for vegetarians is very soy heavy, while most cheeses are restricted or forbidden. Eggs are also discouraged after the first phase of the diet. I realized it would not be physically possible for me to follow South Beach and get enough calories and protein. I would either have to start eating meat—which I could not do—or eat enormous servings of soy—which I would not do.

I feel obligated to note that I encouraged my omnivore father to go on the South Beach diet because it was the lowest carb diet advocated by mainstream nutritionists. He lost weight in the first phase that mirrored Atkins, but promptly stopped dropping pounds for the several weeks he was using South Beach’s second phase. I finally encouraged him to do Atkins with me. He has been losing weight steadily ever since. As I stated earlier, I do know people who’ve had great success with South Beach and adore it. Everyone’s body is different. If you choose South Beach, I wish you the greatest possible success. I feel obligated, however, to encourage you to investigate the safety of soy and to read the latest research on healthful fats.

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The Vegetarian Low-Carb Diet by Rose Elliot

I had hoped this book would summarize the best low carb knowledge and present it in a manner that was optimized for vegetarians. To some degree, this book fulfills my dreams. It advocates a reasonable carb level for each dietary phase, discusses the science behind the plan well, and includes a concise list of marvelous low carb diet hints. Unfortunately, as brilliantly as Rose Elliot presents low carb, she does something that makes me cringe: she virtually shrugs off soy's dangers.

She doesn't try to refute the conclusions of unfavorable studies scientifically. Instead she suggests those studies were not good ones then refers readers to John Robbins' pro-soy article. Next she wants her readers to check out the Messinas' discussion of soy. I fear if I'd read Rose Elliot's book at the vulnerable beginning of my diet, I would have wished so deeply for soy to be safe that I might have used Rose's, Robbins' and the Messinas' statements as an excuse to avoid looking critically at the facts. I could have ended up eating a very high-soy diet. This troubles me deeply.

I'm grateful she acknowledges soy is controversial. She even advises readers to make up their own minds on the subject-- but refers them only to the pro-soy articles mentioned. This is at best unhelpful; at worst, dangerous. Sigh... I have grave reservations about this aspect of the text and thus would not lend it to any vegetarian friend. On the other hand, this is a well-written treasure trove of low carb guidance and tips. If you've investigated soy as a food and have decided you are comfortable incorporating it in your diet, this book could serve well as a low carb guide and as a recipe collection. Don't let my dissatisfaction with her treatment of soy keep you from choosing this book. (I also disagree with her easy dismissal of the perils of stevia as a sweetener and her quick condemnation of sucralose, but respect her views nonethless.) In every other way, this is a marvelous low carb text.

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If you insist on embarking on a low carb diet without the assistance of a text that explains the fine points, at least visit about.com's section on basic low carbing. While it's no substitute for a book, the site may help you avoid some of the common mistakes. But please reconsider forgoing the help of one of the low carb texts. Surely your local library could loan you a copy. You can also find many of these titles at used book stores and sites like half.com and eBay. Alternately, if you dislike reading, there are audio versions of both Atkins and Protein Power. I can't force a book into your hands, but please don't be a stubborn fool! Read one of these books!

My Low Carb Veg Diet

I can’t tell you the One True Way to follow a vegetarian low-carb diet, but I can tell you what worked for me. Since individual physiology varies, you will likely be able to eat some foods that I can’t. You may also have to avoid some ingredients in which I frequently indulged.

From the start, I logged my food intake in a daily diary to keep track of my calories, fat, carbs and protein. Omnivores might be able to get away with just counting net carbs on a low-carb diet, but vegetarians run the risk of eating way too many calories or eating far too little protein if they don't actively watch their macronutrient intake. I used Fitday every single day of my weight loss and continue to do so today.

You may read my early Fitday logs (before I moved to the offline version) here. The relevant entries were from February 2006 through May 2006. (At that point I started using the offline version for most logging. Also please be forewarned that I still use the online version to plan my daily foods when I'm away from my main computer. If you visit my current logs, you will probably find animal flesh listed. As I mentioned, I'm no longer a vegetarian, but I support those who are and who wish to lose weight as efficiently and healthfully as possible.)

In my first two low carb weeks, I did in fact stay below 20g net carbs in classic induction diet style. What did I eat? Mostly eggs, spinach, almonds, cheese, avocado and multivitamins. After those two weeks I moved my carb intake up to about 35-39 net grams daily for the remainder of the year. When I had little weight left to lose, I upped my carb intake to 55-59 net grams per day. This did significantly reduce the rate at which I lost pounds, but the boost in blood glucose allowed me to think quicker and more clearly. (I am apparently one of those rare ducks whose brains trudge slowly along on ketones. Ahh well.) Throughout my diet I was careful to get an adequate amount of protein. (Jenny offers a quick protein need calculator here.) As one might expect, I lost faster when I kept my total calories within reason for my short height--about 1250 to 1450 each day. On maintenance I upped my carb intake to 80 net grams. Several months later I moved that up to 105 net grams.

So as a vegetarian where did I find sources of ample protein?

The bulk of my protein came from eggs, neufatchel cheese, parmesan, skim mozzarella, whey protein and mycoprotein found in Quorn products. I had a low-carb yogurt (Dannon and Blue Bunny both offer them) a few days a week. When I could spare the carbs, I’d have a glass of lower carb milk. (The last time I checked Hood still made Calorie Countdown milk.)

Cheese truly is your friend when you’re looking to cut carbs and increase your protein intake. Let go of the misconception that fat is health’s enemy, and you find yourself with a glorious selection of dairy delights you used to think you could only enjoy on special occasions. Visit the cheese section in your co-op. You won’t be sorry.

Cream cheese—especially its lower fat incarnation Neufchatel—gives wonderful flavor and texture to several of my favorite recipes.

Eggs, so yummy in so many forms... They are not, however, all created equal. As a vegetarian you may well be deficient in the DHA and EPA forms of Omega3 fats. For a hefty price, you can buy organic, free-range eggs that are rich in these Omega3’s. Not only is it kinder to the hens, it is a more healthful option.

Parmesan – salty stuff and apparently laden with monosodium glutamate. For this reason I don’t use it abundantly or terribly often. Luckily a small amount of it imparts a lot of taste.

Mozzarella: I love it shamelessly.

Whey protein: I know, you think those canisters of protein powder are only for body builders suffering delusions of muscular grandeur. Think again: protein powders are your friends. They are also NOT all equivalent. Some dissolve wonderfully in heated liquid while others form disgusting glue-like globules. Some have an unpleasantly sweet aftertaste, others are helpfully neutral. When well-chosen, these powders serve brilliantly in recipes.

Mycoprotein: was my tasty salvation. If you are allergic to mushrooms or other fungi, you may want to approach Quorn’s products with extreme caution, but they’ve never caused me a problem. The roast is packed with protein at a low carb cost and the tenders are wonderfully convenient in rushed stir-fries even if they do dig a little deeper into your carb allotment. Edited 5/8/08 to add: A physician I respect, Dr John Briffa, has expressed misgivings about Quorn's safety because, as he explains it, it is not a very natural product. It is not something we've consumed historically. If my understanding is correct, mycoprotein is created using a rather involved process utilizing fungal microorganism found in soil, so this is a "processed" food in every respect. Furthermore, the palatability of the final product may rely more on its msg content than on any inherent tastiness of mycoprotein itself. If you're risk-averse, you might want to avoid this product. If you scoff at such notions and welcome soy and other such potential dangers in your diet with a carefree wave--well, Quorn may not be any better or worse. I just thought I should let you know there are concerns out there. In case you are interested, Briffa's thoughts on veggie meat substitutes continue in this post and the comments that follow it.

What you can probably eat that I can’t: wheat gluten. Since I don’t dare touch the stuff I can’t vouch for its viability in recipes or comment on its protein/carb content, but from its frequent mentions in low-carb havens I gather some find it delicious and useful. But please be careful. You can have a wheat gluten allergy without realizing it. I had stomach upsets constantly for years and just passed them off on bad genetics. I thought it was just *normal* for me to get sick every day or so on my meals. A friend even suggested to me years ago that I might have a gluten allergy and I just rolled my eyes. Do NOT ignore the possibility like I did. Consuming gluten when your GI tract can’t handle it increases your risk for a whole host of auto-immune diseases. My mother now has one of those diseases and I believe it’s in part because she ignored her own gluten allergy. My sister (who’d suffered, to a lesser degree, many of the symptoms I’d suffered for years) refused to entertain the notion that she, too, had a gluten allergy until she saw what has happened to our mother. She stopped eating wheat and, gee, her problems went away. Yes, I realize that just because I have the allergy doesn’t mean everyone else does. My brother is not the least bit allergic to gluten. Most people aren’t. But a great number who are don’t realize it. Don’t be one of them. Please. Auto-immune diseases really suck.

For vegans: you can no doubt devise scrumptious meals based on soy, rice bran protein and wheat gluten. I don't deny it would be an extra challenge to follow a carb-conscious path without dairy, but I also believe it absolutely can be done.

So that's it. I ate heartily and happily while low-carb vegging. I hope it works just as well for you.

Why low carb veg style?

Whyever Would A Vegetarian Do Such A Thing?

Shortest answer: it works.

If you are an overweight vegetarian and would like to lose body fat, a low-carb diet will likely help you do so at a good rate and without the kind of hunger that often accompanies low-fat weight loss plans. Transforming a veg diet from its typical high-carb low-protein profile to a low-carb higher-protein variant may seem daunting, but it's actually not difficult. You just acquire a fun new set of recipes to prepare and go on about your life as you always have.

What do you have to lose? If you despise it, you can always turn your back on the diet and find another path. But please don't think it's impossible to do this just because you don't eat meat. It's no more time-consuming than weighing, measuring, and logging for Weight Watchers--and it's a whole lot tastier! I assure you: a vegetarian low-carb diet is not only feasible, it's enjoyable. Do not be afraid of leaving your favorite carbs behind. I tell you truthfully: after a very short while they won't be missed.

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Whyever Would An Omnivore Do Such A Thing?

I would be remiss if I didn't allow for the possibility of ominivorous low-carb visitors investigating the practicality of shrugging off meat. For you, I repeat what I stated above: a veg low carb meal plan is workable and can be delicious. If you're looking at meatless options for ethical reasons or because you'd like to avoid some of the pollutants that can bioaccumulate up the food chain, veg low-carbing may be what you're seeking.

If, however, you are toying with vegetarianism because you believe it's inherently more healthful than an omnivorous diet, I would encourage you to read Dr Michael Eades' blog. Sad as it makes me, I am persuaded that our biology is likely better-suited to a diet with ample animal protein and far less vegetable-based fat and carbohydrate than nutritionists currently advise. Western culture has a tendency to romanticize nature, imagining gentle gardens and sun-ripened spreads of fruit in our distant past. Spending a few hours watching Animal Planet may disabuse you of some of the quainter notions you hold about the, ehhh, peaceful dietary nature of primates. The reality is that our species likely evolved our keen brains when we began including ample amounts of DHA-laden fish in our diets. Furthermore, when we hunted and gathered food, very little of the plant matter consumed would have resembled nutritionally the high-carb staples that make up the bulk of our diet today.

This post by cardiologist Dr William Davis pretty much sums up my own sad resignation to the truth: humans better thrive when they include animals in their diet and miss out on significant health benefits if they avoid eating animals.

If you're interested in human dietary history, there are many online resources, but one I found especially enlightening--if dismaying--is this one by Ward Nicholson. I'm not telling you not to become a vegetarian. If your heart tells you it is the right ethical choice for you, by all means embrace it. But please don't adopt vegetarianism because you believe it's healthier or more natural for your body. If that is what you seek, you might be more interested in organic dieting options that closely resemble what our evolving ancestors likely consumed.

Dealing with Stalls

Okay, look, stalls happen. Understand they're only temporary. I know, I know, that's easy to write, not so easy to live. There are a few things I've done that seemed to shake off stalls: hot baths with vigorous skin defoliation, sleeping in late, extra exercise and, peculiarly enough Tazo's Berryblossom White tea. I suspect most of these are unique to me.

For women who haven't yet hit menopause, please just expect to retain water and times and know that you likely are still losing weight, the scale simply doesn't reflect it.

It may also help you to know you're not alone with your stall. I doubt there's a dieter anywhere that hasn't run up against this ugly, stubborn wall. Oftentimes it seems to happen just when you're feeling worst. I know that for me stress is a triple-whammy that makes me feel lousy, makes me want to overeat and also dumps cortisol into my bloodstream making it all but impossible to lose body fat. Not fair in the least, but hey. That's life. To combat the stress, try to laugh, get more exercise, and sleep as much as you can.

But most of all, actively practice patience. It's your best weapon--an unbeatable one really--against a stall.

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Sigh... I should probably not include this particular stall-buster, but a wise supervisor of mine shared a technique with me that she has never seen fail: limit yourself to nothing but eggs and grapefruit for a day. In the case of strict low-carb dieting this would mean no more than one or one and a half grapefruits and a bucketful of eggs, but it might just do the trick. One never knows. Be sure to take your multivitamins

Dealing with Irregularity

Not everyone has the problem of digestion slowing waaaaaay down at times during low carb, but I have experienced it. I've read this can be related to too much dairy intake, so the first remedy you might look toward is cutting your milk product consumption a little--or a lot. You can also consider increasing your intake of some of the laxative sugar alcohols like maltitol and sorbitol. That wouldn't be my personal top choice, but for some it works great. Other dieters like fiber supplements such as psyllium or ground flax husks. I've found regular exercise helps keep things normal most of the time. And some people get great results by taking a daily magnesium citrate supplement.

Peculiarly, I did find that coffee--both regular and decaf--can help in this area, but that may be something unique to my physiology.

What I've found doesn't help? Big gluts of water. Your experience may vary, of course, but the cups of water I gulped to combat irregularity only resulted in a painfully full bladder and unnecessary bathroom breaks.

Again: keep in mind my physiology may differ significantly from yours.

Hey, what about exercise?

Exercise, you say?

Good question.

I hesitate to touch this topic. I believe concretely that exercising is a health boon, but I don't exercise much and never have.

I shall be brutally honest: in the beginning of my weight loss journey I was so heavy that exerting too much made my heart race badly. As the pounds dropped I was more able to exercise, but I've never been much of a fitness buff. Briskly walking 2 miles three or four times a week is the most I would ever do.

I believe that I lost a little bit faster in the weeks when I fast-walked or road my recumbent bike, but in the many many weeks that I did not exercise much (or at all) I still lost at a good rate. While I don't believe exercise contributed much to my weight loss, I do believe it increased my health and helped buoy my mood.

If you suffer from excessive stress or depression (both of which can cause body chemistry that thwarts weight loss) exercise can theoretically ease those problems and help you avoid slow-downs or stalls that would otherwise result. Unfortunately, I've not personally experienced extraordinary benefits from exercise, so I'm not the greatest spokesperson for its merits. I believe it's healthful and that we would all be healthier if we pursued it...

but I didn't, much.

Nonetheless, if you want healthy bones and a fast metabolism, you would do best not to follow in my lazybones footsteps.

Diet Logs are mandatory

My father joined me in my low carb efforts several months after I embarked on my diet. I set up an online food log for him, but he refused to use it.

Despite dieting alongside me, he has not reached his weight goal. (And he had far less to lose than I!) I've told him time and again that he must log his food if he expects this diet--or any other--to work for him.

He is stubborn.

Do not be like him!

Even for dieting omnivores it can be a challenge to keep track of and control carb intake each day. For we vegetarians who get the bulk of our protein bound up with carbs, it's all the more demanding. I cannot imagine successfully managing my carb and protein intake without the help of a tool that logs my meals. (Watch me lug my cumbersome laptop on vacations to do exactly that and you might believe me: the logs become indispensable.) You could, of course, do this by referring to food charts in books and using a simple notebook or spreadsheet. If, however, you're comfortable with the Internet, you may as well take advantage of one of the free diet tracking services available. Among those I see mentioned in a simple google search are Nutridiary, Sparkpeople.com, and Fitday.

Of those three, I've only used Fitday, but the other two may also be great. The free online version of Fitday allows you to view and update your daily log anywhere you have access to the Internet. It also allows you to track your weight, mood, and enter a small journal entry daily if you like.

I use the non-web-based version of Fitday because it's easier and more flexible than the online log. If I met the programmers who wrote this program I would personally hug each of them. I could not have dieted successfully without this wonderful tool.

Again I warn you: do NOT attempt a low carb vegetarian diet without logging your foods. Don't even think about it.

Dealing with limited time

Ahhh, for those easy days when eating involved ripping open a box or bag, twisting a few dials, setting a timer and waiting for my warm tasty food to come to me... Let's face it, there just aren't many low carb vegetarian convenience foods on the market. There are, however, a few things you can do to save time. If you eat hard-boiled eggs buy an egg cooker right now. I fooled around with the egg-stractor and a hand tool from Japan designed to help peel eggs before I gave in a bought the egg cooker. The hard-boiled eggs made in the egg-cooker peel fast and easy every time--no more digging painfully at egg shells and losing half the flesh of the egg to a stubborn section of shell.

String cheese is another easy low carb option. And I heartily recommend Atkins shakes. Everyone in my family--except me--prefers the Chocolate Royale. I prefer the Chocolate Delight and the caramel. Easy quick meals. Give them a try.

NexGen muffins available from CarbSmart are convenient delicious treasures.

Pickled asparagus is a low-carb veggie ready to eat right from the jar.

Shirataki noodles--just cut the bag open and drop them in a colander for a good rinse in the sink. While they're being rinsed, grab your low-carb marinara and some parmesan and put them in a bowl. Now your noodles are probably ready, heat up the whole thing in the microwave and enjoy. I use this meal after long busy work days.

And hey, it's also relatively fast and easy to fry an egg or two. No, it's not as quick as dumping 2% milk on a bowl of corn flakes, but it's still not overwhelming.

If/when you decide to tackle low-carb recipes, consider making double or triple batches and storing the leftovers in the freezer. You will thank yourself later! The recipes I've found that freeze the best are the pizza, the mockafoni, the enchiladas and the soup.

Eating Out

Omelets and fried eggs can be a bit tiresome after awhile. Many restaurants have cottage cheese available if you ask for it. I've had places give me shelled hard-boiled eggs. You can have stir-fried broccoli, peppers, cauliflower and mushrooms. And, my personal favorite, you can have the Cobb salad sans meat. The Cobb salad has become my best vacation buddy and the treat I look forward to when we head out to a restaurant. It's do-able, trust me. I've been eating out with my family at least once a week the entire time I've dieted without mishap. Just make friends with eggs and salad and all will be well.

Dealing with Brain Fog

Some low carb dieters experience muddy thinking. I was one of them.

Yeah. Not fun stuff. There were times I was utterly unable to recall the most common of words. Despite the low carb gurus touting the human brain's ability to run swiftly and powerfully on ketones, my own brain plods like a sniffling garden slug on ultra low carb. My cognition picked up a little when I went from the early 35-40 net gram phase to 55-59 grams, but even then I remained much compromised in thought and deed. My typing even slowed. When I upped my intake to 80 net carbs a day for maintenance the situation did improve greatly, but still caused troubling pauses in thought. It actually took a few months at my present 105 net grams for my brain function to normalize. I would certainly not enroll in school during a low carb diet.

I should note, however, that my sister (not a vegetarian) has dieted extensively at induction level carbs (20 net grams or less) and has yet to experience any cognitive troubles. As I've said before: individual physiology varies. You may be one of the lucky many who never experience the fog.

If you do find yourself muddling about trying to recall your aunt's new husband's name is there anything to be done for it? For omnivores, probably not, but for vegetarians, yes: acetyl l-carnitine. As a vegetarian you are likely desperately deficient in this nutrient. Since it helps the brain make use of ketones as fuel, acetyl l-carnitine can be a great boon to low carb dieters. If you're experience muddy thinking, please consider this supplement.

As a vegetarian, you might also be severely low on DHA. Well-intentioned folk will try to suggest that the ALA in flax seeds and flax oil can readily convert to this all-important long-chained fatty acid, but it is unfortunately not true. There are excellent algae-derived vegetarian DHA pills available. Please, for your health and mental wellbeing, consider taking at least one a day.