Peas, Green Beans, and Bell Peppers... Are these okay?!

(David) #1

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I am 32, and have been overweight for at least ten years. I’m five foot seven, and I weigh 215 pounds. I went to the doctor for a routine checkup, and they took my blood for labs. The result was that my glucose was 162 (non fasting), and my A1C was 6.1. This means that I am now pre-diabetic. I want to loose weight, improve my insulin sensitivity, and get into shape. I need to make a change. After extensive online research, it looks like a ketogenic diet makes the most sense for me.

I do NOT suffer from fat-phobia, and I can honestly say I never have. I have known for quite a while that it is eating too many carbs make you fat, due to the insulin response. I have been eating keto for 3 days, and according to the urine ketone strips I bought at walgreens I am already in moderate ketosis (about 40). For the past 3 days I have eaten only fatty 8 oz hamburger meat, eggs, bacon, steak, pork chops, and about half pre-packaged combination bags of kale, spinach, and kale with every meal. I fry all my meat in olive oil, I also drown my kale, spinach, chard combo in olive oil and vinegar.

I’m trying very hard to never eat more than 20 grams of carbs/sugar per day, with those carbs coming from vegetables. The problem I’m having is diversity, specifically with my vegetables I started with. I don’t really like kale, spinach, or chard. I have been eating it because I bought it, but once I finish it, its unlikely I will buy more. I like green peas, green beans, and bell peppers, but I have read that I should avoid these because they have too many carbs/sugar, and can kick me out of ketosis? Is this really true??? I’m wondering because, at my grocery store there are these little bags of frozen vegetables that can be microwaved, and I could easily see myself buying them, microwaving the bags, dumping some butter and salt in there, and eating that instead, but I obviously wont do that if its going to kick me out of ketosis!

Can I eat these bags of peas, green beans, bell peppers, and cauliflower, or are they too high in net carbs?

Also, for a guy who really hates leafy green vegetables kale, spinach, chard, lettuce, cabage, etc… what are some good alternatives???

I know broccoli, which is alright, but not every day.

Is it cool to saute spinach in olive oil and garlic, or does that destroy all the nutrients???

If green peas, green beans, and bell peppers are okay in moderation… what is a good amount???

Also… if you know… I have recently re-started going to the gym. I like lifting weights (I just haven’t done it in about 2 years) I have already noticed a drop of in my strength, which I know is likely due to the depletion of my glycogen stores in my muscle, however, that has me wondering about my rep and set numbers.

Normally, after a workout glycogen stores get replenished with the carbs I eat. However, now that I’m not eating carbs… HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO REPLENISH??? Also… if my primary goal is muscle preservation, and fat loss… approximately how many reps and sets should I be looking at. (I basically only do a few exercises… I ONLY do bench press, barbell squats, dead-lifts, barbell presses, pull downs, rows, and abdominal crunches and leg/knee raises.

Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated!

(John B) #2

I have also read that peas are relatively high in carbs (which I confirmed reading the nutritional label on the frozen peas I was considering) so personally I stay away from those, but it all depends on what else you have eaten that day and how close you are to your daily carb limit. I do use green beans and peppers, which I know have some carbs, but not as high.

In regards to mixing it up a bit with the greens you do eat, kale taste a lot better when sauteed in bacon and butter. This is a regular at our house, and we are also fond of boc choi…also cooked with bacon and butter.

(Ethan) #3

You replenish glycogen with gluconeogenesis

(Andrew) #4

Eat liver or any offal if you don’t like vegetables. Way more nutrients. Veg are just a handy way to stuff yourself with some bulk.

If you find yourself eating a bunch of something, then it probably has too many carbs. I like tomatoes. Bad. I like garbanzos. Bad.

@EZB said it. Your liver will make plenty of glycogen from fat if you need it. Remember: your body has probably never done this, it will take weeks or months to whip it into shape. Brenda leg presses 800 lbs now. Keto crazy. It will happen.

#5

No one can answer your question but you. Every body is different. Rather than rely on some arbitrary number of carbs, determine your personal carb tolerance.

Get a glucometer, they’re cheap and readily available at any drug store. Buy one that uses inexpensive strips. Test your BG for several days to establish your baseline: upon rising, before meals and an hour after meals. After you’ve established what your normal is, start varying the macro composition of your meals and see how your BG responds.

With a starting A1c of 5.8, I am the most insulin resistant person in my household. Members in my family can eat any veggie (including tubers) and maintain a state of nutritional ketosis.

(Hassan) #6

How much liver to eat in a day to negate the need for the daily veggies? If i want to stop veggies

(Sheri Knauer) #7

I know a lot of people report a loss in strength when starting keto (myself included). After you are fat adapted (6-8 weeks, sometimes a bit more) you will notice your strength returning and increasing if you continue to lift heavy.

(CharleyD) #8

Sounds like you’re on the right track as far as veggies go actually. Stick to the cruciferous family for lowest starch content. Do you like cauliflower?

From the convenience POV, there’s been a boom in riced and mashed cauliflower preparations in the freezer section. I like the kind in the microwave steamer bag. Add a scrambled egg and some soy sauce and you have a Stir Friday dinner within minutes. Even better with a low carb yum sauce like http://www.homespun-threads.com/in-the-kitchen/japanese-yum-yum-sauce

I think to give you an answer about the glycogen repletion question will depend on how often you DEplete it, ie: regular anaerobic effort. Like if you just do one big workout a week, your liver should be able to handle most of the repletion on zero carb fine. If you’re depleting the stores every other day or more often, you may can handle a larger carb macro.

(Brian) #9

The green beans and peppers are not so bad. The peas are a little iffy.

The numbers I’ve seen on peas have been anywhere from about 6g of carbs per serving to about 14g of carbs per serving. The lower end isn’t so bad, the upper end isn’t so good.

When I think about that a little, I think I may have an idea of why there is such variation. When peas are harvested younger, they’re much less starchy. When they’re left to mature longer in the pod, they get a lot more starchy.

I know there is a big difference between what I grow I’ve grown in my garden and the starchy, mealy peas I buy in a grocery store. They don’t even taste like the same vegetable.

I don’t eat many peas since going keto. But if I do, I only eat a small portion, and I keep in mind that they’re not the ideal vegetable for the ketogenic diet. Kinda similar to carrots… I’ll eat a few from time to time, but they’re not the ideal vegetable for the ketogenic diet.

Just my take. Good luck!

(David) #10

What is my body using to convert via gluconeogenisis?

(Brian) #11

Oh, and sauteed spinach is really good. I like mine sauteed in butter along with a heapin’ helpin’ of garlic and some mushrooms. :slight_smile: Mmmm, mmmm, good!

Oh, and do you like asparagus? That’s a good one if you like it.

(Allie) #12

I eat raw bell peppers most days…

(Dawn) #13

Well this is your lucky day…spinach is totally ok. If you are counting net carbs, then it is really really good. But if you are counting full carbs then eat it in moderation. There are some great keto recipes for cream spinach. YUMMY! Peas, I would skip. I eat green beans but only in moderation.

If you get a good keytone meter, you can run some tests to see how different vegetables affect your blood levels. IIt is possible that you are one of those people who can eat a few more veggies and still remain in ketosis.

I love mushrooms, jalepeno peppers, cucumbers, pickles, olives, romaine, ice berg, spinach, onions in small quanities, bell peppers, zuchini, celery, collard greens, turnips greens, kale, banana peppers, Anaheim peppers, cauliflower, broccoli and some tomato. None of them kick me out of ketosis or cause me any issues. But again, each person can differ.

(Richard Hanson) #14

Hi David,

Welcome to Keto … it is a bold choice.

Don’t eat foods you don’t like. Keto is not a punishment, if you don’t like something don’t eat it. There are also many things we do like that we forgo so to hell with eating things I don’t like.

Vegetables are overrated anyway.

Dr. Eric Westman runs a clinical program out of Duke University and he makes the ketogenic diet accessible to almost anyone, even those with rather limited mental acuity. He has a list of foods, known as “Page 4”, which lets people know what they can or can not eat, and how much. His recommendation if for two cups of leafy vegetables and one cup of another vegetable that is low carb each day, no more no less. This makes it simple for anyone to understand and follow, but you can also look at the nutritional information on the packaging for those microwave oven friendly vegetables. Have a small portion and load it up with butter, bacon bits, some cheese, anything you find most appealing.

I like asparagus, broccoli , cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, spinach, mushrooms, … but I don’t feel compelled to eat lots of servings of vegetables just like I do not feel compelled to not eat fats. I don’t follow our governments recommended dietary guidelines. I am a fat eating man.

Also, I used an app, Cronometer, to track what I was eating so I could gain a better understand of the impact of my dietary choices with respect to caloric intake and macro-nutrient content. Once you have a good idea about what is going on, you can stop recording everything, but I found this to be a very informative tool.

I hope this all helps.

For a bit of hope: … I have had T2D for over 15 years but no more. When I started keto my A1c was 9.4 and I was taking 6 prescription medications including two types of insulin, 75 units/day, to treat my T2D. My current A1c is now 5.1 and I am no longer taking any prescription medication at all.

Keto life is a joy, a source of hope and optimism for your future.

Best Regards,
Richard

(David) #15

Thank you for your answer!!! I have to say that was very well written and informative! Thank you for the advice! I’m pretty sure I can do 2 cups of leafy greens and 1 cup of other vegetables daily. I do like asparagus, and I think that might be my go-to 1 cup vegetable. As for the leafy greens I’m pretty sure I can tolerate then, so long as I can saute them in olive oil and garlic. Your answer is definitely helpful!

Also, is there a good way to calculate how many calories I should be eating, and… is it important to stay within a calorie range… or is it that as long as I stay under 20grams of net carbs, eat plenty of fat, and don’t get carried away with protein I’ll be fine?!

(Brian) #16

That!

:slight_smile:

(Andrew) #17

Under 20g of carbs you’ll make minimal insulin and store no fat so calories aren’t important when you are sneaky.

(Pete A) #18

I eat a half cup of cooked spinach or green beans or broccoli each day. Being this is a “fat diet” they’re much more interesting with a tablespoon of butter or bacon grease on top!

I’m 4 months into keto. Vegetables generally appeal to me more now that I’m in the groove.

Good luck, sounds like you’re off to a great start!

(Richard Hanson) #19

Hi David,

As you are quite a bit overweight, once you are keto adapted you can simply burn calories that you ate in the past, you can burn your fat for fuel. Eat as little as you like as dictated by your hunger.

Asparagus … I like … I like bacon wrapped asparagus smothered in butter. An appropriate keto ratio is one baby spear of asparagus wrapped in one piece of thick cut bacon. This will allow you to assure all of your friends and family that you are in fact eating your vegtables. :smile:

Keto for Life!

Best Regards,
Richard