Let's talk about carbs.......

So I am really trying to stick close to the 20 carb mark but it is SO hard for me. If I don't get in my fruits and veggies, I suffer for it with constipation.  I also eat yogurt (a very small chobani) but it has 13 carbs in it. I am NOT a milk drinker and feel as though I need the yogurt for calcium.  My weight loss has slowed  a bit but I feel like that is to be expected for 3+months out.  So how do you all keep your carbs so low? I keep  my calories 550-800 and my nutritionist says to keep fat

If you are taking your calcium supplements (1,500 mg a day) you don't need the diary. Just a thought.

Stop the yogurt and you can do so much more with those 13 carbs.

Are you getting 25 grams of fiber? That counts against your carbs and helps with the constipation. I take two stool softeners a day and drink a cup of coffee in the morning and with 25 gms of daily fiber I go every morning. Blessed I guess.

Even if you are at 50 carbs with 25 grams of fiber, you will still be in moderate ketosis.

Are you counting your carbs already?  I think we are about the same amt of time out...had surgery on April 1st.  So far I have not been having a problem with constipation, but agree with your "fiber cancels out carbs" theory.  Just curious to know what kind of fiber are you doing?  Chewable, liquid, powder??!?!?

Have you tried a daily probiotic? I've read here that some people have had good luck with that.
Wishing you well!!

Take some magnesium and get in a fiber supplement.  People will disagree but fiber is not absorbed by the body.  It actually feeds the good bacteria in the gut.  I can point to you to research if you'd like to see it.  Lots of people here use Miralax and I do too from time to time.  Also consider a Magnesium supplement.  The PPI we take can cause low Magnesium levels.  Magnesium helps water be drawn in to the large intestine and can help with consipation.

ok, so fruit is loaded with sugar and you get far more for the constipation relief from veggies than fruit, so switch your ratios a bit and eat less fruit and more veggies. For fruit stick with berries like blackberries, blue berries and strawberries (the lowest glycemic fruit). Canteloupe is also a low glycemic fruit. Veggies, eat lots of leafy greens and that should give you the fiber you are looking for/need.

For the yogurt, anything mixed with something is going to be too high in carbs for you to stick with your plan with any level of ease. You are better off getting plain greek yogurt and mixing your own stuff into it. I like the Fage 2% (you don't really need to go 0% fat with yogurt, the fats are good for low carb dieters, especially for women). I mix mine with some Smuckers or Polinar Sugar Free preserves and a packet of stevia to sweeten it up a bit. I also take frozen strawberries and blend them up with greek yogurt to make almost an ice cream.

I have tried mixing with protein powder but was not crazy about what came of it, but its worth experimenting with. But you can keep your carbs much lower if you mix it yourself. A bit more work but well worth it in the long run.

I'm am a recently certified healing food specialist and my focus is on probiotics. If you decide to keep the yogurt, I suggest it be plain. Ciobani plain would be fine as it has several species of living probiotic bacteria. If you can't give up the fresh fruit, than add it to your plain yogurt. This is actually very delicious and once I'm past the liquid stage (I'm a new sleever) and allowed yogurt and fruit, I will do it this way. If provides calcium, protein, fiber, vitamins, and probiotic substances that feed bacteria in the intestines.It seems like a win win to me.

A word about Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is primarily yogurt that has been strained of the whey. It is usually double the protein and not as sour as regular yogurt. Greek yogurt has less probiotic bacteria than regular yogurt because the strained whey holds so much of the beneficial bacteria. You can make your own Greek yogurt by straining yogurt through a cheese cloth. The whey can be used in many ways. For example, it could replace the vinegar in salad dressing. I also love Greek yogurt and will eventually eat that too; but I will make my own and use the whey so I won't lose the benefit of those wonderful lactobacillus ssp. bacterias.

For one, I believe it is totally legit to subtract fiber in order to come up with "net carbs". This also helps you concentrate on fiber-rich foods, which tend to be some of the BEST for the body. Think flax seed, blueberries, spinach, broccoli, etc. On the subject of yogurt...believe it or not, the carb count is wrong. As long as the yogurt has LIVE cultures in it (which is what you should be eating, preferably Greek), the bacteria actually eat most of the sugar by the time you consume it. Try not to eat it until it shows to be within a week or two of expiration, to ensure adequate time for this process to occur. Look it up, I swear it's true. Almond milk (unsweet) is a great choice for protein shakes. Also, you might try adding 10 carbs a day for a week and see if it effects your weight loss. I stayed around 40 most of the time and lost beautifully. I recently tried a stent of about a month at around 25/day and didn't lose any better at all...unnecessary torture. Just a thought.

I tried low carb and not only didn't lose any faster, but was totally miserable - both because Fred can't handle much in the way of meats and because of painful constipation.

Now I eat a balanced diet, with my protein coming from dairy, legumes, shakes, eggs and small servings of fish and chicken. I also eat whole grains, veggies, fresh fruit and occasional small servings of nuts. I cook with coconut oil and butter.

That leaves out sweets, white flour anything and most packet food. Isn't it funny that we now naturally do what dietitians have been telling us to do for years? Shop the edges of the stores, avoid most packet food, reduce sodium, put down our forks between bites, chew more, drink more water, avoid pop, juices and alcohol...

I got to a normal BMI in 6.5 months by keeping my carbs to under 40 g, not 20. I think it's too painful to do 20 g a day unless you play games like net carbs or not counting the carbs in veggies.