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My goal is to curb binging and lose weight from fat loss. This week, my only binge free day so far was when I IF and then ate lunch and dinner--lots of protein, fats, and a slight overindulgence (but not what I consider a typical binge) with pistachios. The only real (not from greens) carbs I had were from a banana and going to bed felt so great.

I think I have to stick strictly to paleo as possible right now, with little room for flexibility. I'm going go paleo hell because today I decided to have some old protein powder in the fridge (contains rice and pea protein) with a banana and coconut milk...and then I ended up binging. It may just be because I had a banana so early in the morning though. I think I do better with IF without a morning meal so I'll be sticking wit that.

Someone suggested no carbs until dinner, so I will be doing that. So those on LC/VLC:

1) did you replace your carbs with extra protein or just up your fat? I always thought that people just upped their fat and didn't budge with their protein, but I may be wrong. I currently try to take in 45-50 g since I'm not that active and female. I feel like going over this might be an overload.

2) do the small amount of carbs in your diet come from starch or fruit? Why?

Thanks!

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2 Answers

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I went VLC for a while (with an unintended sugar binge day now and then), aiming for under 10g/day. This was intended to help restart my weight loss, and curb my sugar/carb addiction. I've always been very sensitive to carbs, even those that came purely from fruit or vegetables. I didn't lose any substantial weight on VLC, but my waist measurement did go down, and I had almost no bloat, which was a new thing for me. Then again, I barely ate any fibre while VLC-ing, so I'm sure that had a lot to do with it :)

I tried not to overdo the protein (since excess amino acids can get converted into glucose). Therefore, it was necessary at times to eat pure fat, in the form of butter. Yes, on its own :D It did wonders for suppressing my hunger! I normally get hungry very easily, and would find myself reaching for something to eat within 2-3 hours of my previous meal. While I was VLC-ing, I could go 12 hours without feeling light-headed. And this was during the day as well, meaning I was conscious the whole time.

Eating only meat, cheese, butter and the occasional egg did get boring after a while, and I was starting to feel a bit...off. I don't know if it was a thyroid issue or something else, but at the moment, I am trying to incorporate more vegetables into my diet, and upping my strength-training and cardio. I'm kinda worried that going off VLC is going to cause my midsection to expand again :S

(Oh, and I should mention that, while I was VLC-ing, I developed a dependency on 85% and 99% dark chocolate. Those were the only carbs I got. I know, it makes absolutely no sense that I gave up nutritious fruits and vegetables in favour of 10g of sugar, but during that period, the occasional squares of chocolate were my only joy and comfort.)

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hey! are you still on VLC? i'm on my fourth week of it and have found the no bloating is incredible. and usually i could eat until the cows come home but upping fat really satiates my hunger. and times when i feel hungry, having a spoon of coconut oil can hold me off for hours! but now i have a fear of eating carbs by way of fruits or nuts again because I feel so much leaner without carbs, although I feel a bit "off". My energy levels are never 100% without copious amounts of coffee and I crossfit about 4-5 times a week. – mzrdnan Mar 30 2012 at 20:05
I honestly don't know what to think about LC or VLC anymore. I don't feel that I can draw any conclusions from my own experiences because I have not kept to a strict VLC or LC diet for any significant length of time in the past few months - I would eat VLC during the week (<20g), only to go nuts on carb-laden foods (both Paleo and non-Paleo) on the weekends, or when my friends wanted to go out on an ice-cream date, etc. Like you, I love that bloat-free feeling that comes with VLC. However, lately I've been having this constant ache in both of my calves, radiating to my back. – LQ May 9 2012 at 10:59
(continued) especially after I exercise. I don't know if it's because I'm deficient in carbs, or deficient in the vitamins and nutrients present only in starchy vegetables/fruits/legumes. And because of the inconsistency in my dietary intake, I cannot attribute my lack of weight loss to any single factor. I'm considering upping my daily carb intake with healthy Paleo sources, instead of going all-out periodically with junk food. It sounds simple in theory, but I anticipate that I will miss out on the social aspects of abstaining from non-Paleo foods entirely sigh – LQ May 9 2012 at 11:08
(Sorry, reading back on that last sentence: it doesn't really make much sense. What I was trying to say was that I anticipate that abstaining from non-Paleo foods entirely will make me feel deprived, because I will be missing out on the fun of eating junk food as a form of social interaction/bonding exercise with my friends). – LQ May 9 2012 at 11:11
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Sunny Beaches,

You can for sure up your protein a bit. If you pick fruit stick to berries and some citrus (grapefruit being a good choice.) For starches potatoes and white rice are the safe starch choices. I have found that potatoes upset my stomach so I do not eat them very often anymore. It is important you find carbs that agree with your stomach...

Make sure you have some fat with the carbs. Perhaps some cream with the fruit or sour cream with the potato. Of course there are other ways to get fat other than dairy... Coconut oil being one.

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