[PC76]

I've lost about 50-60 lbs and I want to start maintaining a bit. I was 275-280 when I was diagnosed and now I am 225, so I want to slow down a bit but it keeps coming off fast. I eat about 1800-2000 calories a day, any tips on increasing calories without adding carbs? My card intake is about 120-150g a day. BS has been a steady 5.7 average over the last 2 months.

 

[Shanny]

You can always increase your fats intake - no carbs there.

 

[wdmama]

How's your fat intake?

Avocado is a good, healthy addition... add to whatever you can.

Then there's butter, bacon, cheese.... add those wherever you can...cook chicken in butter, then top with bacon cheese and guacamole

Peanut/Almond Butter by the spoonful?

 

[PC76]

Here is basically my day:
Breakfast Turkey wrap with mayo on a whole grain wrap or turkey on toast.
Snack Appla and Jerky and/or Cracker and Hummus
Lunch whatever is leftovers from the night before, today is pork chops, spinach, mushrooms and brown rice
Snack Blueberries and cheese
Dinner whatever my beautiful wife makes, tonight is Sausage, zuchini, peppers, and either brown rice or sweet potatoes
Snack 100 calorie popcorn and a protein, peanuts, jerky, chease, something like that.

It seems like a lot but it is only 1800-2000 calories a day. So somewhere I have to add in more high fat meat?

 

[wdmama]

Here is basically my day:
Breakfast Turkey wrap with mayo on a whole grain wrap or turkey on toast.

Try roast beef instead of turkey, add a slice of cheese or avocado.

Snack Apple and Jerky and/or Cracker and Hummus

Lunch whatever is leftovers from the night before, today is pork chops, spinach, mushrooms and brown rice

You butter your rice, right? Cook the pork chops in bacon grease.

Snack Blueberries and cheese

Dinner whatever my beautiful wife makes, tonight is Sausage, zucchini, peppers, and either brown rice or sweet potatoes

Butter, butter butter.

Snack 100 calorie popcorn and a protein, peanuts, jerky, cheese, something like that.

Maybe try some pork rinds and artichoke dip or guacamole would be a good high fat/low carb snack

Darker and fattier meats are good, add butter or oil to cook them with. Butter your veggies. Stuff like that.

 

[PC76]

You are awesome. All the is easy stuff to do, i have it all already. I appreciate your help. Avocado is one food I can't stomach but hey, before diabetes I couldn't eat spinach either, now I eat it 3 days a week and love it. I'll give it a go.

 

[wdmama]

Sounds like me! I refused to even try guacamole until about 5 years ago. It's one of the healthiest first foods for babies, so with my second son, we decided to give him some mashed up avocado and I tasted it... BLECH.

Then, a year or two ago, I tried guacamole and I still didn't like it.

Maybe 6 months ago I had it again, and it was actually pretty good... so I started buying avocados about 4 months ago. I already make my own pico de gallo which is so much better than anything store bought, and so fresh and light... so I just mash up an avocado, squeeze half a lime over it, sprinkle some salt, then add a couple spoons of pico... and it's amazing. Better than anything I've tasted in a restaurant or from the store. Now I use my finger to lick the bowl when I'm done! LOL

My husband refused to try it too, then I finally convinced him and he had a little on some fish tacos... now he eats it with everything.

I think it's definitely an acquired taste, and then it's addicting. I still don't like avocados plain... but give me guacamole and I'm in heaven

 

[Daytona]

wdmama's suggestions are spot on. Unfortunately I don't have your problem of losing weight too easily. Here are some things that I do which have (unintentionally) slowed my weight loss.

• Butter and Coconut Oil. They are delicious, I cook everything in them. For example, cook your popcorn in coconut oil and drench it in butter.
• Ribeye and Ribs. These cuts of meat are much more fatty than chicken/pork and will add tons of flavor and calories. Oh and they are the best tasting things in the world. Don't forget to add a touch of butter to your steak too!
• Heavy Cream. Add it to your coffee. Add it to your almond milk (with vanilla and cinnamon to make a horchata). Mix it in with full fat greek yogurt (e.g. Fage Total) 1 part cream to 2 parts yogurt. Add a bit of fruit and/or sweetener. This tastes amazing and makes a great imitation ice cream.

Congratulations on the weight loss and enjoy the new you!

 

[PC76]

Oh jees, my son, he's 1, he loves plain avocada, blach! I almost gag watching him eat it! It gives me the shivers. I'm going to try it, if it adds something to my diet than great. That has been the biggest thing for me, not getting bored of the same old food. Variety is key. And it does sound good, so I'm in!

 

[PC76]

Daytona,

I will try those for sure! I love ribs that's for sure and steak too. Thank you.

 

[wdmama]

Good ideas Daytona! Some of these things I do, I just don't think about them as adding calories anymore LOL... I have heavy cream in my coffee every day...and we do eat steak and ribs... I buy chicken thighs with the skin on, etc.

Neat trick about the yogurt! I finally found some plain WHOLE milk yogurt for my boys.

Variety is definitely the key... I search online every time it's time to make a meal plan to see what's new that looks good. Paleo and Primal blogs have a lot of good low carb/high fat ideas too. I haven't found any amazing low carb blogs, so I turn to these for new ideas. I used to not touch seafood, now I eat tilapia, salmon, and shrimp each once every two weeks. I've been exploring Asian cooking more lately... definitely need variety to keep this up, at least for me!

 

[Shanny]

I need a dash of salt on my avocado, but otherwise . . . 'course I'm right in there cleaning the guacamole bowl with my fingers too!

 

[beefy]

Here is basically my day:
Breakfast Turkey wrap with mayo on a whole grain wrap or turkey on toast.

I'd add a slice of bacon (70-120 calories depending on thickness, no carbs) and/or cheese (about 110 calories per oz. and no carbs)

Snack Appla and Jerky and/or Cracker and Hummus

Add in a handful of peanuts, almonds or cashews - over 300 calories per 1/3cup, so be careful with quantity.

Lunch whatever is leftovers from the night before, today is pork chops, spinach, mushrooms and brown rice

As suggested, fry those chops in bacon grease which you now have leftover from making bacon for your breakfast wraps...

Snack Blueberries and cheese

Again, nuts can add a nice bit of calories and VERY heart-healthy fats

Dinner whatever my beautiful wife makes, tonight is Sausage, zuchini, peppers, and either brown rice or sweet potatoes

As suggested earlier ... butter ... one 'pat' is nearly 40 calories... put a couple on the veggies to really flavor 'em...

Snack 100 calorie popcorn and a protein, peanuts, jerky, chease, something like that.

Butter your popcorn...

It seems like a lot but it is only 1800-2000 calories a day. So somewhere I have to add in more high fat meat?

Remember that fat is NOT the enemy that many would have you believe... Keep in mind that as healthy males you and I require a MINIMUM of 15-20% of our calories from fat just to have healthy testosterone levels... (There's a reason for sales of viagra, etc... since the "low-fat" craze took hold...)

Personally I like to see around 40%-45% of my calories from fat - With 40-45% of my calories from fat, 40-45% of my calories from protein and only 10-20% of my calories from carb, I've been putting on muscle faster than when I was in my 20's and 30's...

Good luck, Paul!

 

[PC76]

Beefy,
Thank you, I appreciate it, all things that I have at home too. All that is easy stuff to add. I know I could shed a few more pounds but I want to do it slower.

What about the soium level though? Is that a concern?

 

[jwags]

I add avacados to everything. I have started to add them to my smoothies and pestos. I even made some ice cream today with avacado. As I understand it you don't want to gain but maintain your weight, is that right. As the others have said add fat to your diet. I have lost about 80+ pounds and have been in the 118-120 range for over a year. I eat about 1800-2000 calories a day but make sure my fat portion is always bigger than my protein portion. My favorite fat is almonds, almond butter and Coconut Oil. There are tons of low carb/high fat snacks you can make with Coconut Oil. One of my favorites is CO, dark cocoa, chopped nuts and a little sweetner. Just pour into a plastic dish and pop in freezer until hard. Then take out and enjoy.

 

[beefy]

Beefy,
Thank you, I appreciate it, all things that I have at home too. All that is easy stuff to add. I know I could shed a few more pounds but I want to do it slower.

What about the soium level though? Is that a concern?

I buy un-salted butter - that keeps the sodium down. The same goes for my peanuts, I buy natural peanuts without added salt.

Bacon, however, certainly has sodium. I don't worry about it as I don't salt any of my food, except steak.

If there are things you're adding that have sodium, you can always reduce your salt intake in other areas to compensate.

 

[jwags]

Like Beefy, I eat very few processed foods with salt. In fact I find I need to add Sea Salt to a lot of things to increase my sodium. I buy Coleman Bacon at Costco. It has no added nitrates, additives or hormones. The little bit of sodium won't kill me. I have found with weight loss your body knows when it hits its natural weight range and you stop losing.