I lead a low carb lifestyle. Each day, I consume around 30g of carbohydrates. I’ll explain why I choose to eat LC and my experiences leading this lifestyle.
Most of my meals contain very small amounts of carbohydrates, but contain lots of protein and healthy fats. I avoid processed foods, sugars, grains, and starches (so no fruit or starchy veggies). All of my meals are homemade, filling, and extremely fresh. They also happens to be delicious.
Below are examples of what I typically eat on an average day:
- Breakfast
- Natural, high-fat yogurt. Be really picky when choosing yogurt. Most have added sugar. The kind I was able to find is a Greek yogurt and has 5g of carbs per container.
- Eggs in different variations and other protein, like bacon or sausages.
- Nothing. If I wake up with a rock star blood sugar, I often like to fast until lunchtime. See my post about how easily an A1c can be manipulated.
- Lunch
- Mozzarella, avocado, beet “salad”. This is one of my simple, but delicious creations. I cube 125g mozzarella, 1 avocado, and 1 beet and toss them with olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. This is high in healthy fats and low in carbohydrates.
- High-Protein bread sandwich. I have been very lucky, and have been able to find high-protein bread at Aldi here in Germany. Each piece has only 3-5g of carbohydrates per piece and is packed with healthy nuts and proteins to keep blood sugars stable.
- Meat and cheese with olives. Simple.
- Leftovers, if there are any 🙂
- Dinner
- Fat Head Pizza from the Diet Doctor. Delicious. My husband had to do a double taste; he thought it was normal crust.
- Cauliflower, cauliflower, everywhere. My favorite Cauliflower Soup comes from the Diet Doctor website. It’s super creamy and full of flavor! I top mine with bacon, walnuts, & cauliflower with paprika spices for an extra kick.
- Burgers. Iceberg lettuce works really well as a bun.
- Salad. And lots of different types of toppings. Try this Zucchini Walnut salad.
- Basically anything that is non-starch veggies and protein like hamburger, chicken, turkey, or fish.
- Snacks
- Nuts, like pistachios, walnuts, or peanuts.
- Meat and cheese
- Olives
- 85% dark chocolate
- Chia seed pudding
- Drinks
- Water
- Coffee, I drink mine with heavy cream.
- Tea
- Diet Pop/Soda, but only occasionally.
My favorite LC websites and recipes can be found here.
Each of my meals typically contain 5-12g of carbs or less. I find this works really well for me. The least amount of carbs I consume, the better off my blood sugars are. I feel more in control without constantly guessing and BG rollercoaster rides.
Since switching to a LC lifestyle, I have radically reduced my insulin intake. Instead of filling my pump reservoir with 1.8ml of insulin for 3 days, I now only fill up to 1ml. That’s a 80 unit reduction!
I need to bolus for protein, especially for red meat. When I first starting eating LC, I wasn’t aware that I would need to do this. I would eat a LC meal, and still be 150mg/dl or higher after the meal. This lead to a lot of frustrating evenings. However, after a lot of research, I found out that I needed to start bolusing for protein (and fat).
To wrap it all up, I thrive on a LC lifestyle. It is a choice. I am in more control of my blood sugars, and I do not spike or have elevated blood sugars like I used to. And yes, I am full and satisfied after each meal. Traditional carbohydrates are “fillers” and non-essential for the body. I fill up on healthy fats and protein.
What questions do you have about eating low carb?
theinsulintype.com 
Do you find yourself losing too much weight as you are running on a ketogenic diet and therefore burning your body’s natural fat and muscle for energy?
Do you have any issue with your digestion given the lack of fibre in a low carb diet can cause some issues.
I’m also interested in a low carb diet but it can be quite difficult to maintain.
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How much money goes into your LCHF diet? I have a budget of about €3,50 a day for all three meals (and snacks) and I’ve been told I can do LCHF on this budget, but I haven’t been able to figure that out whatsoever! There’s no leeway in my budget either due to my circumstances, so that’s all I got.
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Good question! So for starters, I live in Germany. I’m not sure if the COG is really comparable. I spend about €300 per month for my husband and myself. This includes EVERYTHING we eat or snack on. That’s just under €9.70 per day for the two of us. I think the biggest thing is buying veggies when they’re in season only, which can be tough. But buying zucchini right now for €3 per 500g (two zucchinis) is crazy. With that being said, I think you could do it or at least come really close 👍 look for deals and maybe only buy certain foods when they’re on sale or reduced, then stock up. Where do you live Sanne?
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I live in the Netherlands, but only an 8 minute walk away from the German border with the Lidl right there. 🙂 I’m in a financial management and debt removal program so my weekly budget is super tight. After cat food, cat litter, hygiene products etc. I have about €25 left for the entire week to spend on food. I also can’t tolerate a lot of veggies and overly greasy foods due to IBS and stomach problems, so I feel super stuck/limited.
I tried to budget a low carb diet for 3 days and already went through the €25 for that based on what I can/do eat. I only eat chicken, no pork, very very rarely beef and fish, and mainly leafy salads, green beans, peas, beans and mushrooms. The cheap carbs (potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread) fill in the gaps in my budget and meal plans mostly out of necessity.
I try to make a lot of stuff in my slowcooker to stretch the ingredients which helps sometimes, but I can’t freeze a whole lot either so it’s…. super super frustrating! I’m doing fairly well on a moderate carb intake, especially on high activity days, but low carb sounds tasty and good. I just don’t know how to fill in 7 days worth of food right now. Congee is one of those dishes that has kept me fed more than once the past couple of months lol.
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It sounds like you do a great job already on being mindful of what you eat and trying to stay somewhat low carb. And it’s super unfortunate that the cheapest foods are the starchiest or fattiest! I think you will be able to master it. Maybe look for certain recipes that share common ingredients, then you don’t have to buy so much extra stuff. But honestly, it sounds like you do really well already! How many grams of carbs do you eat in a day? Even 100g and below is still high-moderate low carb.
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On normal days I average between 100-160g, so it’s definitely not super high. I haven’t adjusted my diet much yet because I only recently started a full bolus and basal regime, but now that I’m leveling out I’m looking for all sorts of recipes that require less insulin. 😉 I’m continuing to do my best to substitute for low carb where possible. If I can freeze a meal or two after making a batch when stuff is on sale I definitely will.
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I’m glad LCHF works for you. I tried it for 18 months. At the end of it I had great blood sugars, but shocking cholesterol. And I was sick. My epitaph would have said: “He had great sugars, a fat heart did him in”. Pointless, really.😩
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I have heard about this happening on a LCHF diet. I’m trying to stick to the healthiest of fats, and really not a lot of red meat. We will see what my profiles are at my next visit! Thank you for your feedback though. It is something to look after.
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Great post! I also have been (slowly) transitioning to a LCHF diet and find I have been really improving my control as well. I find myself with a flatter wave after each meal and less unpredictable drops and overnight highs. Still a work in progress of course. I am still stuck on the “traditional” pizza dough recipe but will have to give this one a try!
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Awesome! Yes, slowly is key. It’s really difficult to transition in one day. It requires quite a lot of self-control 🙂 and yes, definitely try this pizza dough. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised:)
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