How to get started on a low carb diet.

For having a tiny social media footprint, I get a lot of DM questions about diet and exercise stuff. Today, someone asked me publicly as follows:

Any tips to help cut carbs? Super fast metabolism, trouble feeling full enough w/o indulging love for pastas, breads, etc. Also, why is breakfast bad? Daily is small serving of steel-cut oats w/ wheat germ, quinoa, amaranth, flax, chia, nutmeg, cinnamon ... not normal breakfast.

My thread reply.

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For anyone who is interested in starting or trying to learn. This can be as complicated or simple as you want to make it. I try to keep this simple as possible.

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The first step to cutting carbs is probably an inventory of how many carbs you consume. Look at labels and Google. Don't forget to account for eating more than one serving like with pasta or cereal.

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Google says steel cut oats has 29 carbs. That's a ton, that's enough to cause an insulin reaction and leave insulin high all day which is bad.

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The simplest way for me to do this is have black coffee in the morning and then having some combo of meat, eggs, fish and cheese for my first meal, and maybe throw in a little avocado.

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A little later I'll have a Quest Bar and a Two Good yogurt. By the time 2pm rolls around, I'm at less than 10 carbs. I might snack later on dark chocolate, almonds or blackberries/blueberries.

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Dinners usually include meat or fish with a veg and something relatively carby like cauliflower gnocchi (16 carbs/serving). With Mexican food I have low carb tortillas (6 carbs per). My vice is ice cream but plenty of low carb choices.

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Important point is that protein has more satiety than carbs. Carbs burn off quickly, creating the craving for more carbs. The body can survive w/o carbs.

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I don't eat pasta, bread, cereal, most fruit, oat meal, rice. All in, most days are 50-60 carbs, occasionally more, occasionally less.

Hope that helps. Glad to answer anyone's questions.