For those of you just trying to do low calorie and low protein.....

[Coccinelle33]

What are you eating every day and how are you going about doing it?

[zanacal]

I have no breakfast then I try to make sure lunch and dinner are each no more than: 500 cals / 20g protein / 500mg sodium. I also grab a handful of sweets in the evening and have a bit of milk in a cup of tea or coffee each day so that brings me to somewhere between 1000 and 1200 calories. I was writing it down all day every day but I wanted to be able to relax on that front now that I'm used to it! I basically eat a load of crap with no nutritional benefit whatsoever! Yesterday I had:

Lunch: White wrap with a packet of weight watchers cheesey puffs. French Fancy (cake) and Strawberry Yogurt.
Dinner: 1 Serving Spaghetti with half jar kids tomato pasta sauce and 2 Quorn sausages.
Evening: Small handful of sweets (no geletin, no protein, no sodium - just empty calories!)

I also drink diet coke/pepsi and sugar free (aspartame sweetened) cordial and I chew sugar free gum.

HTH

[pinkdreams]

No breakfast. I eat strawberry greek yogurt and add a packet of equal. I also really like white rice with skim milk and equal and a small dash of cinnamon (i think the cinnamon is a no no but it is so yummy) I love the plain cheese ravioli's that you steam in the bag, I eat them without sauce. English muffin with unsalted butter and egg white egg beaters scrambled with pepper as a sandwich. or the english muffin with sugar free raspberry jelly. I drink crystal light by the jug! Sugar free gum and if I really need a sweet I eat some licorice. I am no expert on this diet, I just started a couple of weeks ago and if anyone see's flaws in what I am eating please let me know!!

[swish]

Hi m-d, the thread about what we are eating might really help as some of us have recorded what we've had for a long time so there are plenty of ideas. I have been missing breakfast then eating rice with a vegetable for lunch and pasta with a vegetable for dinner. I was eating homemade bread with jam for a while. I also eat sweets, White chocolate, strawberries and meringue a lot. I try not to snack at all. Hope this helps!

[atomic sagebrush]

There are a couple threads in the Dream Members section where I outline the kinds of meals you might eat on the Low Everything diet.

PS - I think you guys are doing great! Keep it up.

[happyheart]

I skip breakfast. I eat mostly white rice, unsalted matzo, rice pasta, miracle noodles or no-noodles, skinless cucumbers, cauliflower, sugar free candies, TONS of crystal light and diet free caffiene free coke, low sugar or sugar free strawberry jelly (with the matzo), a very small amount of chicken from time to time (probably not much at all due to getting closer to my attempt), I use a salad dressing spritzer for just a splash of taste on the rice, noodles and veggies, and the occasional sweet if I have room with calories. I also usually have a couple reduced fat cheez-its or other non-diet types of things in very small amounts just for some flavor at my meal time if I have room within the diet.

HTH :) :)

[spidy]

To pinkdreams
"I also really like white rice with skim milk and equal and a small dash of cinnamon (i think the cinnamon is a no no but it is so yummy) "

I remember reading that cinnamon is good for lowering blood sugar.

[atomic sagebrush]

Thanks for mentioning that spidy (and welcome to GD, I see you're new!)

Cinnamon was once considered a no-no because it is "alkalinizing" BUT it does lower blood sugar and adds a lot of flavor for essentially no calories. I think that dietary amounts of cinnamon are fine, it WILL help you stick to what can sometimes be a dull diet, and I include it in my LE Diet.

[spidy]

Thanks Atomic. I've actually been a lurker on IG for years esp. your posts/blogs and then I followed you to GD. So thank you for all your amazing knowlegde and ability to put it together for us so it makes sense.

Q: Can I drink Kerela (bitter gourd) juice in the mornings to keep blood sugar down. I have a diabetic auntie who was advised to drink it in the mornings before she was diagnosed and put on meds. Can it help or does it have to many nutrients?

[atomic sagebrush]

Thanks! I am just SO happy to have the opportunity to be here! :heart:

Thank you for this question - that is why I love questions, because you guys know about things I haven't stopped to even consider yet.

Bitter gourd juice CAN lower blood sugar and does so quite efficently. The downside is that it does have a lot of nutrients, including more potassium than 2 bananas. The other downside is that it can cause uterine cramping and that might not be good for an implanting baby (remember, the most important time to keep blood sugar low is during the early part of the 2WW). I would say that as an overall part of your sway, it might be ok to include as long as you were ok with getting potassium (I'm not at all convinced potassium makes any difference for gender ratio, but I know some people are trying to include minerals in their sway).

If you were to drink it, I wouldn't do it in the morning. I would drink it with a largish meal. I am concerned that if you were to drink this stuff with a smaller meal or with nothing, you could actually run the risk of lowering your blood sugar too far (super low blood sugar is dangerous!!) I would also hope you would start with a very small amount and see how you handle it rather than diving in with a full glass of the stuff.

Honestly, I don't feel like enough is really known to say that it's safe to consume prior to TTC and my preference is always for people to lower their blood sugar with diet and lifestyle rather than supplements (since blood sugar really CAN be significantly altered to perhaps dangerous levels via supplements) but if you do decide to proceed, please keep us updated on how it goes for you.

[spidy]

oh dear, had no idea about the potassium. I ovulate tomorrow or saturday so unless I buy some in the morning its too late this month. I will update you if I do.

[carmella_marie]

Breakfast: peppermint tea with equal (can't get through the morning without something!)

Lunches: cucumber sandwich with Low sodium bread with low fat cream cheese OR two pieces of low sodium bread with sugar free strawberry jam and a yoplait light OR 1/2 cup steamed white rice with steamed green beens.

Drinks: Diet caff free coke or selzter water or a glass of non-fat milk or peppermint tea or CL

Dinner: 1 cup low sodium pasta with a tiny bit of low sodium low-fat alfredo sauce and some sauteed mushrooms OR 1/2 of a grilled cheese (made with low sodium swiss) OR a "fruit salad" made with skinless apples, a few grapes, yoplait light, strawberries and raspberries. OR a fruit smoothie with strawberries, raspberries, non fat plain yogurt, and a splash of cranberry juice.

If cals are low: swedish fish, fat free twizzlers or red vines, and for a special treat every now and then, a chocolate chip cookie or low fat chocolate ice cream.

[atomic sagebrush]

oh dear, had no idea about the potassium. I ovulate tomorrow or saturday so unless I buy some in the morning its too late this month. I will update you if I do.

Well, do know that you need 2500-3500 mg of potassium just for your own health (and that is allowed both on FGD and IGD) so you will need some source of potassium in your diet. Who knows, maybe the bitter gourd is a good place to get it!

[atomic sagebrush]

Breakfast: peppermint tea with equal (can't get through the morning without something!)

Lunches: cucumber sandwich with Low sodium bread with low fat cream cheese OR two pieces of low sodium bread with sugar free strawberry jam and a yoplait light OR 1/2 cup steamed white rice with steamed green beens.

Drinks: Diet caff free coke or selzter water or a glass of non-fat milk or peppermint tea or CL

Dinner: 1 cup low sodium pasta with a tiny bit of low sodium low-fat alfredo sauce and some sauteed mushrooms OR 1/2 of a grilled cheese (made with low sodium swiss) OR a "fruit salad" made with skinless apples, a few grapes, yoplait light, strawberries and raspberries. OR a fruit smoothie with strawberries, raspberries, non fat plain yogurt, and a splash of cranberry juice.

If cals are low: swedish fish, fat free twizzlers or red vines, and for a special treat every now and then, a chocolate chip cookie or low fat chocolate ice cream.

That sounds great carmella!!
Jelly Bellies are anotehr good treat! You can eat 35 jelly bellies for 150 cals, no fat, pro, sodium.

[amari]

I have a question about diet when ttc a girl, it seems like this diet makes blood sugar spike because it is so high in sugar. Is that what it is suppose to do? Then your blood sugar levels come down low and stay down? Is it better to gain a little weight but have less over all nutrition or keep thin and have better nutrition? Thanks!

[atomic sagebrush]

Yes, that's exactly the point amari. IF you eat something sweet, your blood sugar does go up for a little while but then drops low and if you can resist not eating, you'll have a long time with lower blood sugar.

I believe it's best to stay thin and have slightly better nutrition tho because just being thin keeps your blood sugar down.