OMG I can’t believe how hard it is to keep the carbs low!! I’ve just logged my food eaten so far today into MFP and whilst my calories are in good shape I’ve already consumed 50g of carbs yet I feel like I haven’t had any!
They have come from the yoghurt and fruit I’ve eaten today, plus milk for coffee. I don’t know how on earth I’m going to get my numbers down – I’ve still got half the day to get through.

I was hoping as a veggie I could ring the changes and have fruit andyoghurt some days for breakfast but clearly not 🙁

This is going to be harder than I thought..!

A lot of us dont go below 50 grams and I find it very hard. If I get my carbs to 20 I then find I have only had 600 calories and need to add something. The fact that you are only eating good carbs is more important than the actual figure. Also the 800 calories is the important part. I know some people do manage to get to 20 grams and 800 calories but the stress and the juggling was too much for me. Put shortly, eat 800 cals in low carb food and the actual carb numbers will take care of themselves.

I really cant see a problem with yoghurt and fruit for breakfast but it has to be the right kind of fruit. Apples and pears are high in carbs, tropical fruits are high in calories which basically leaves you with berries, kiwi fruit, the occasional apple and I also like passion fruit but it is 98 calories for 100g and 23g of carbs but I only have one which I about 10 grams (so 9.7 cals and 2.3g carbs). You have to juggle but you will get there.

There are my breakfasts planned for the next week –
Spinach and berry smoothie (home made) – Yoghurt & raspberries with flaked almonds – blueberry and green tea shake (home made) – yoghurt and passion fruit – scrambled egg with cheese – no carb bircher – Sunday I have a full English of grilled bacon, fried mushrooms, fried or scrambled egg and canned tomatoes.

Hi Spalmaon – yogurt and fruit will work, but it’s all about what fruit and what quantities. Berries are best on carbs and if you have just a few – enough to give flavour, rather than bulk – you should do fine. it’s the fat in the yogurt that will give you that full feeling.

It takes a while to learn where the carbs hid out and as a veggie, that might make life a bit tougher, as things like pulses and legume are high in carbs – but again, if you keep control of quantities, these can still be incorporated. In the early days, unless you have a medical reason to go below 50g carbs a day, work to between 50/60g and then as you get used to things, you can gradually lower your allowance – although if you’re losing weight at that level, you could leave it there.

Don’t worry about today. Try to keep the carbs low for the rest of the day, but don’t panic too much – one day over limit will not matter in the scheme of things. Tomorrow, try to log you food before you eat, that way you will know in advance if you can get away with everything you’re planning to eat and cut back if necessary.

Spalmoan – I am a veggie and I have yoghurt and raspberries or blueberries with chia seeds or yoghurt with passion fruit and pecans and I always have cream in my coffee which is lower carb than milk. I have been following the BSD since January and although as veggies we don’t have the same food choices, this way of eating does fit in with a veggie diet and works. I have learnt to eat one apple a week and have not had any oranges/pineapple etc since I started this way of eating but haven’t missed them.

Thanks for all the advice – mushroom omelette for dinner !
Really grateful for the advice x

Hi bit late to party but I was told to keep off milk because of the sugar in it (lactose) but yoghurt OK, so maybe black coffee? I’m on that now, have got used to it!

Thanks that is a good idea will try x

Substitute cream for your coffee (unless you drink heaps of it of course!). I’m not totally veggie, but I don’t eat mammals – so I’m still ok with chicken, fish in small doses. Yes, the chickpeas and beans are high in carbs, but as someone else said, the 800 diet is about the calories and ‘good’ carbs. Nowhere in the book does it recommend a figure to get your carbs under , but just be sensible about eating the good ones – veggies, oats, quinoa etc.

Thanks Gladys I’m going to give cream a try and as you say, it’s the calorie number and ” good carbs” that matters