carbs too low????? Protein too high???

I was wondering if you should stay within a certain limit on carbs....I know the between 20-30 gram rule and I usually make it within that range.  Here lately, though, it has become a challenge to see how low I can actually keep my carbs under.....Friday I was at 9 grams and Saturday I am at 12.  I feel like a carnivore with all the chicken that I'm eating.....  What I want to know is if it is harmful to have the carbs that low???? 

That being said, I have considerable protein intake too .... like over 110 grams a day....can I be sabotaging myself with this???

I keep my calories around 800 ...give or take 50

I keep my fat between 20-40 grams....

I always read a range like carbs between 20-30....protein between 60-90....fat between 20-40 and calories between 600-800

Should I stay between those numbers???
My doc's plan calls for 1000 cals a day and not to even really count the carbs, but I said screw that .... I want the honeymoon.... so I'm doing my own thing....any advise???

 Judge for yourself based on how you're feeling.... 
Carbs are as important to have as well as protein and fibre.  They help your body store energy, and without them you could feel fatigued and sluggish.

thanks for that!!!   I do sometimes wake up feeling like I've been hit by a truck....I'm going to start to think of my carb intake next time that happens...fiber is almost zero for me...except for the benefiber....

You are putting too much pressure on yourself.  Yes, you want to concentrate on protein intake - at 2 months out you should be getting about 80 grams of protein per day.  If you are getting more than that, that is great but not a requirement so early out.  You need other things than protein.  Carbs are important - and only getting 9 per day isn't enough.  You need them for energy.  Fruit, milk, vegetables all have carbs so if you are only having 9 grams of carbs in a day then you aren't having any of these?  That isn't good.

You also don't want your calories to be too low. It sounds weird but if you dont' get enough calories  you will stall.  You need calories to lose weight.  I am not saying enourmous amount of calories but just enough to keep you burning.  If you eat 5 to 6 small meals per day, every 2to 3 hours - this reduces hunger, maintains a steady blood sugar and reduces your insulin levels making it easier to lose weight plus it increases your metabolism.

At 2 months out - about 800 calories is probably a good place to be as you get to 3 months, I would increase to 1000.  You want each of the small meals to have protein but you also want to have something with it, one starch per day, 1 fruit per day, vegetables.  Also make sure you are getting in your fluids.

The body does NOT need ANY dietary carbohydrates to survive. None. Depending on how dependent you've become on carbs throughout your life, you may FEEL like you need them, but there are exactly zero processes in the human body that require you to eat carbohydrates to function correctly. Your brain needs glucose, which the liver can make from excess protein.

Also, if you're eating that low in carbs, there is no reason to limit your fat intake. Fat is only unhealthy WITH carbs. Those who go on a high-fat, low-carb diet tend to see cholesterol DEcrease, weight loss, and improved glucose control/insulin response (if you've ever had those types of metabolic issues). Unlike carbs, the body DOES need fat for many things.

I do get in a few carbs here and there, but I don't eat any grains, starchy veggies, or sweets. My carbs come primarily from the little found in eggs, some cheeses and other dairy, and non-starchy veggies (broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, etc.). I eat no bread (or tortillas or English muffins or anything bread-like), no crackers, no rice, no pastas, no potatoes, no corn, no super sugary fruits...I find plenty of variety in meats (and not the leanest cuts), eggs, full-fat cheeses, full-fat Greek yogurt, berries, nuts/nut butters, and non-starchy veggies.

If you're interested in more information, you may want to read up on the "paleo" type diet. I don't consider my diet to be very typical of Atkins anymore because I also avoid artificial sweeteners and other "fake" products that replace carby items.

Paleo diet. I'm reading, I'm reading. Thank you. 

Ditto this. The Paleo Diet book is AMAZING! Couldn't agree more! 

It sounds as if you may not be doing Aikens but you are probably reading from someone that has similar beliefs as Aikens did.  I hope it works for you in the long term.  Keep us posted.

Good luck,

Santos

It's not about "beliefs," but science. Studies have shown that low-carb diets are more successful for the treatment of things like type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol than low-fat diets. Extremely low-carb, high-fat diets (referred to as ketogenic diets in a medical setting) have also been used to successfully treat such conditions as certain forms of epilepsy, cancers, Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and others.

How "long term" do you want? I'm almost 2.5 years out from my surgery and started low-carbing prior to my surgery for my type 2 diabetes. I'm now 9weeks, 6 days pregnant and continuing to eat low in carbs.

The difference between Atkins and a paleo/primal way of eating is that with Atkins, many people end up relying on what I consider "fake" foods like sweets made with artificial sweeteners, low-carb breads, etc. I started out that way, but as I went on, it didn't make sense to me to just replace the carbs with artificial substitutions, so now the way I eat is different in that it's much more natural - no artificial sweeteners, no soy products, just real food. And no grains since they're actually quite difficult for the body to process, and some resources show that consuming grains can increase inflammation in the body, and with a family history of both diabetes and arthritis, I don't need to help inflammation along any!

And I don't want it to sound like I grow all my own food or only buy from farmers' markets or anything - I actually hate cooking, so I do eat out quite a bit, but when I do, I just order meat (steak, chicken, fish, pork chops...) and a salad or other non-starchy vegetable side dish in place of potato products (broccoli, mashed cauliflower, green beans, etc.). I also still consume dairy, which some paleo resources are against, but I can't give up cheese! So, I'm far from the "perfect" paleo, but it's still working very well for me  :)

You know I just might look that diet up, it sounds interesting.  I am almost two months out from revision surgery and I am eating similar to what you are describing to be eating.  With the exception that I add the artificial sweetners and I do eat grains, whoe grains that is.  You mentioned its the Paleo diet right?  And even pregnant does your doctor approve of your low carb?  I am have been wondering about them all together.  I know that if I do have them I try to consume the better ones.  Thanks for the info.

Regards,

Santos