Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Withdrawal

One of my goals for this year was to try low(er)-carb eating for a month. So many people I know (including a lot of you guys) tout the low-carb or paleo type diet as a great way to lose weight and increase energy but it never seemed right for me, for lots of reasons (reasons 1-100=I LOVE carbs, 101=generally averse to meat, 102=don't really like eggs, either). And I sort of figured that any diet restricting a major food group sounded gimmicky and apt to fail (remember low-fat in the 80s and 90s guys?  I was eating cereal and pasta by the bowls and always always hungry!). In typical questioner mode, I really had no reason to actually believe this type of diet would do anything more for me than simply eating more reasonable portions of the healthy, real foods I love (with occasional unhealthy and/or synthetic treats because #YOLO).

I tried counting calories 2 separate times, for about a month each. And it was really helpful to figure out a calorie goal and realize what foods I could fit into that goal. But it was not sustainable to monitor and record every morsel that passed my lips. So I quit each time after about a month. Plus I never lost the weight I was trying to lose, and when I tried to lower my calorie goal for faster weight loss I was too hungry. I had pretty much given up and resigned myself to having a little extra padding.

In December, I decided to read Gary Taub's book "Why We Get Fat" because Gretchen Rubin was always going on about how it changed her life and overnight (!) motivated her to completely give up carbohydrates. I had not intention of being motivated, but I wanted to see what all the fuss was---several of the commenters on her blog mentioned they had similar epiphanies.

The book COMPLETELY changed my worldview. Haha. No, just kidding. I'm still skeptical. BUT. What he proposed (and backed up with research, though I'm sure there is also contradictory data that he obviously didn't cite and I haven't taken the time to hunt down) is not just that low-carb eating is "natural" (i.e. the paleo dogma) or causes you to lose weight more than other diet methods (this is actually NOT true and has never been show in larger human clinical trials) but that eating carbohydrates sets of a chain of molecular/hormonal events that leads to...hunger. (and also insulin resistance, adipose tissue dysfunction and other health consequences in some people). and also, the carbohydrate intake led to decreased ENERGY and desire to be active/move (in rodents).

guys, I am ALWAYS hungry. I eat way more than most women my age. I am not overweight but I have recently started to put on some weight and I KNOW its because of my eating habits. I just haven't been successful in "eating less". I'm also quite active, and obviously the activity makes me even hungrier. I exercise because its a tremendous benefit to my mental health, and I love feeling strong & fast & fit, but my current exercise regimen (which does not include many calorie-burning miles) is weight-neutral at best. I've also been really really tired lately; I even asked my doctor to test for things like thyroid, iron, and vitamin D, and all were normal, so I have no reason and thus no quick fix.

So, like a true questioner, since I was trying to increase my energy and decrease hunger, I decided to test it out. I'm on day 2 (of 28). My diet is not completely carb-free, I've just self-created something that works for me (in Taub's book, he mentions that everyone is different, and while a obese diabetic may want to eliminate nearly all carbs for the quickest and largest effect, an otherwise healthy person can experiment with what level of carbs works best). I am eliminating: all grains, potatoes (sweet & white) and corn products. And candy or sweeteners of any kind, obviously. I am allowed to have legumes and a little bit of fruit. Cheese and plain yogurt is OK. I don't drink milk/cream but that would be out (sugars). oh and booze is allowed, because...because I said so?

Guys, I know its only been 48 hours, but I feel AMAZING. Haha. No, just kidding. I feel terrible. I have a nagging headache, I'm queasy in that morning-sickness-all-day way, and I am walking way slower than before (and could barely get through my workout this morning). I also have...GI distress...which may be unrelated (its GI virus season, after all), but suspiciously timed. I guess I'm less hungry? I am eating TONS of fat, not counting calories in any way, and eating when I'm hungry.

I know these are all normal symptoms. I've usually quit around this time, when I've tried to eat lower carb in the past. This time I am determined to stick to it (because its an experiment, and its way too soon to see the results). What I need to figure out is the logistics; specifically what will I eat for dinner? This week we are having turkey chili (which we usually eat with break or tater tots or corn chips), but we don't have too many meals in our repertoire that don't include grains, potatoes or corn products. This is what I've eaten so far:

Sunday dinner: turkey chili (with beans) with cheese on top. Hungry later, ate chunk of brie and nuts and still hungry so ate chunk of sharp cheddar and nuts
Monday breakfast: coffee. hunk of cheddar and peanuts.  Lunch: lettuce, olives, artichokes, walnuts and blue cheese (with olive oil & balsamic vinegar) from cafeteria salad bar with the chicken/feta/hummus I scraped off a tortilla wrap (G made my lunch and it was too sweet for me to throw back in his face). Side of carrots/celery/bell pepper. 4 pm snack of 3 clementines and 1/2 cup pineapple. Dinner: turkey/bean chili with cheese on top. 2 glasses red wine.
Tuesday: worked out. Breakfast: coffee. 2 gooey eggs fried in butter with cheddar cheese & 2 pieces bacon. Lunch: "salad" with hummus, chicken, feta, carrots/celery/bell pepper, spinach/kale yogurt dip (TJs), walnuts and jalapenos. (I'm eating this in between typing, quite late because I was meeting with some people from 1-2:30)

So breakfast and lunch are easy enough---particularly since I"m eating them alone, and because eggs and salad work for those meals. Dinner is challenging. We try for all of us to eat the same thing, doesn't always work because kids are picky & annoying. Things we eat include: Indian curries (veggies, lentils, chicken) with rice/Naan. Tacos or quesadillas with beans, +/- chicken, veggies. Fish with side of veggie and bread or rice (I'm ALWAYS hungry after this meal). Pasta with veggies/chicken sausage, spinach/ricotta stuffed shells, veggie lasagna. Stir-fry (veggies/tofu) with noodles or rice.

If I just "skip the bread" part, I  need to substitute something else, or I'll be hungry/unsatisfied.
Anyone eat this way? Any ideas or recs for websites with good recipes that are lower carb but not paleo (I eat a lot of the stuff paleo doesn't allow, and way less meat than paleo recipes usually push).

I'm not sure I'll make it the next 26 days. You'll find me in the corner shoveling Cheez-Its into my mouth.

36 comments:

  1. Haha! I am on day 2 of a carb-free diet as well! :-) Started on Monday, of course.

    This is my 2nd time doing it, and I can tell you that the headache will subside within a week for sure, possibly even less. Make sure you drink plenty of water. I also do fine on Ibuprofen.

    You will have more energy and, once you hit ketosis, you won't feel very hungry any more.

    I do eat cheese and have a dozen hardboiled eggs in my office
    fridge.

    Last time I did this I lost 10 lbs in a month, which is pretty good. I do love meat and eggs, so that helps.

    I think the goal is to kickstart ketosis, so be very restrictive within the first 2 weeks, then you can put back some fruits and more starchy vegetables. (In the meantime, lemon on steamed vegetables, yum!)

    Good luck! I am here for moral support if you need it. Feel free to email at xykademiqz at googledy mail.

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    1. I'm really not trying to get to ketosis, I know I need to be a LOT more restrictive with that. I just don't have it in me. (and I only want to lose about 10 lb max overall)

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  2. Ten years ago, I lost a ton of weight on a low-carb diet. I wasn't carb-free: I ate one serving of carbs at each meal (1/2 cup rice, 1 slice bread, etc). I don't know what motivated me to follow the diet so strictly for so many months, but I know I wasn't very hungry and I felt great. I haven't been able to do it again, though. :(

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    1. that sounds like something I can sustain longterm Deborah. I may switch to that when this month is over (if I make it!) But for this month I really wanted to have NO grains or super-starchy veg, to see how it feels!

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  3. I vaguely remember trying low-carb/ketogenic a while back, but it didn't last long (because: potatoes). I don't have much helpful to add, except that it sounds like you need to stockpile a snacky carb substitute to eat alongside the non-carb parts of your dinner. Maybe some low-carb crackers would work? Like with chia/flax/sunflower/pumpkin seeds and almond meal or something? (something like this: http://thenourishinghome.com/2012/07/grain-free-multiseed-crackers/) I've also made grain-free veggie pulp crackers, which you could probably make with processed veggies even if you're not getting pulp from juicing. Or bake some sort of bread-like thing (with lentils? veggies? Ground nuts? e.g. http://healyeatsreal.com/top-10-grain-free-bread-recipes/) to slice and eat like bread. Also, peanut butter and tahini are great alone as dips for veggies etc, or to add to stuff (it sounds gross, but I sometimes mix a can of sardines with some tahini and lemon juice as a snack, and it's good!).
    Sort-of related, did you see the Cell paper last month on inter-individual variation in glycemic responses? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26590418 If you can get yourself a continuous glucose monitor you can see how you respond to different carbohydrate meals, and only eliminate the ones that cause you to spike!

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    1. thanks! yes, I saw that paper. here is my criticism of it: they only measured glucose. So yes, glucose goes up more or less in different people with different foods but...so what? are there actual changes in insulin signaling? hunger pathways? inflammation? Does eating the non-glucose increasing foods lead to weight loss? Its intriguing but so preliminary.

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  4. Best wishes on this, Ana!

    I've also gone from being underweight (breastfeeding) to being about five pounds heavier than I've been other than pregnancy. Just enough to make me cranky. And like you, exercise doesn't seem to have any bearing on my weight.

    I eat pretty well, but potatoes...I could never give up potatoes!

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    1. I KNOW. I do love potatoes. I vaguely remember you don't eat gluten? that saves you from a plethora of potential bad choices. Or at least all the types of bad food choices I tend to make.

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  5. I'd cut the bread/rice at dinner AND the two glasses of wine. That's like 600 calories right there (at least). You can substitute something more fulfilling at lunch. I can't do what you've been eating at lunch bc I end up ravenous at 3. But I eat a small dinner most nights. It seems to work.

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    1. haha, I don't have 2 glasses wine every night! that was my celebration for making it through my 4 days of holiday call. But also, if I cut out 600 calories (OMG) from my dinner, i'd be eating...very little. and starving. I honestly couldn't possibly eat more at lunch, the nuts/cheese I'm adding to my salad is SO FILLING I can barely finish. I'm sure the lunch is a good amount of calories. I eat dinner pretty early, we eat at 6 with the kids, so I have a lot of activity still going on afterwards, which is why I get hungry again if I eat a small dinner. It makes sense if you eat later and go to bed or just relax after dinner.

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  6. Ideas? Well,yes.

    Add back potatoes. Just bake or boil. I don't care if you're not watching fats. I'd rather drink a few tablespoons of olive oil than eat fried potatoes.

    Also, I find rice to be a useful food to help soothe the stomach rather than just eating fat laden cheeses and nuts by themselves.

    Quinoa is tasty too.

    The only carbs I tend to avoid are processed ones (mostly wheat,but also gluten free) like pasta.

    I've been eating like this since the mid 90's and don't have any weight issues like I did when I used to eat cookies and pasta.

    Good luck.

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    1. I don't have any weight issues either. I'd like to weight a few lbs less. Never had issues with cookies, sweets. I just want to feel less hungry, and I have a feeling rice & potatoes is contributing to that, but we'll see how this experiment plays out.

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  7. Hmm. I think your diet will be very difficult to sustain without more of . . . something. Meat, fish, eggs, protein, or carbs. Because you've cut out essentially . . . everything! I don't know. I do feel like I learned a lot during my yearlong paleo experiment but I think one of the most important things I learned is that there is no magic, and (as you know) we live in a pretty obesogenic environment and even with favorable genetics everyone just has to be cognizant of that. I am lucky in that I truly love to run so it does give me a bit more leeway and I am essentially the same size (maybe 1-2 lb more, but no more than that) than my stricter paleo days and I am eating everything I want BUT absolutely with moderation and attention. I do not miss the restrictions. I also find that keeping carb portions moderate (i.e., sometimes skipping rice, only eating a little bread or one actual serving chips, not usually eating pasta) seems to work really well without feeling as limiting as 'no grains ever'.

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    1. I also really pay attention. I don't use myfitnesspal (too annoying and I don't want to measure anything!) but just write everything down. keeps me honest and makes me really think about treats (and perhaps appreciate them more!) when i do decide to have them.

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    2. oh, and also - I eat quite a bit of fat, too. Definitely higher fat / lower carb though definitely not LOW carb. Paleo did teach me that fat is really satiating and (for me) does not seem to lead to weight gain. I buy full fat yogurt, eat nuts, etc.

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    3. so I DO eat eggs & meat (lean chicken & fish mostly, nothing that TASTES like actual meat) or it would be impossible! I just don't LOVE those things. I don't sit down to a plate of scrambled eggs with glee like the rest of my household, but I can get them down.
      My goal is to add more eggs & non-meat proteins (nuts, cheese) and lots of healthy fats because I don't want to increase meat consumption for lots of reasons (financial, ethical). "Moderation and attention" is where I'd ultimately like to end up. Its really the snack-y carb cravings that are derailing me, probably by making me hungrier. Once I tackle that, my diet is pretty good.

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  8. i did a whole30 over the summer and am doing a second one now- i can't eat wheat (celiac) so that makes it a little easier. the whole30 instagram account has tons of helpful recipes that are low carb. also the skinny taste blog has tons of recipes that can be adapted to be low carb.

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    1. thanks Cate. Go you for doing a whole30. no way I have the discipline to do that!

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  9. As you know, I am not a fan of any diet that eliminates whole food groups. But I am a huge fan of a natural, whole foods diets. Eliminate all the processed stuff- refined sugar (even in small amounts), crackers, commercially made bread, most pasta (I eat organic whole grain spelt pasta every now and then), but leave in the potatoes (I know you hate sweet potatoes, but they're a great option nutritionally... though white potatoes have some good stuff too), legumes, whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, millet, and so on), and all fruit and vegetables. My personal thought is that the only healthy diet that is truly sustainable is one that focuses not on macronutrients, but on micronutrients. Make sure you are getting adequate amounts off all necessary vitamins and minerals, and I swear you won't feel like crap. Just my two cents, for what it's worth! Good luck!

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    1. your diet sounds great and may be closer to where I end up after this month.

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  10. That was the cracker I was eating today: handfuls of Cheez-its. And why? I didn't even want them. Yes, I did, I always want crackers, but you know what I mean.

    I like the idea of a no-carb diet, but it isn't exactly realistic for a vegetarian. When I write down everything I'm eating on My Fitness Pal, I generally feel good. But it is so hard to record everything. Good luck this month!

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    1. I think you can do a LOWER carb diet as a vegetarian, or avoid certain kinds of carbs (no bread/pasta/processed carbs, stick to stuff like sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa) but yeah, its harder. I'm not a vegetarian but I don't eat a lot of meat (and no mammals), and even that makes it harder.

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  11. I am so in favor of Whole carb ( not no carb) because it really did change my life. The pcos thing. iPhone hard to type... Possibly more later.

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  12. Ok, I have a keyboard. Could the GI be from the increased legumes? It may take a while for your gut to be able to handle them if you haven't been eating them in large quantities previously. It looks like you've been eating them regularly, but are you eating more now?

    I am a huge fan of mindful eating and figuring out what makes you feel full and good. When I eat refined carbs and sugar I am always hungry and I have emotional ups and downs, when I eat whole grains and meat and veggies I'm less hungry and more even-keeled emotionally. (But when I have to think a lot or make a lot of decisions, that makes me hungry no matter what I eat.) So for me, drinking (whole) milk helps me balance carbs, but I know other people who get sugar spikes from it. Potatoes aren't great for me even though I love them, but other people have no problem with them. But I'm sure you know all that. I really don't like diets that make people feel icky and have never done the ketosis thing.

    Quinoa is the bomb. Apples are surprisingly filling. You may have to eat smaller meals more often (or maybe not). Chickpea flour is wonderful.

    I do need to reset myself though. I've gained 15 pounds in the past few months (which is out of the healthy range), mostly from pastries(!) and I've been tired more and so on and so forth. I need to take better care of myself. Paradise has some really good bakeries, but I think I can resist now that I've, you know, tried everything. I should stick to the bread at the German bakery.

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    1. i'm used to legumes. i'm all for "mindful eating" but carbs are my weakness and I'm not always mindful. Also...just so hungry all the time, and I'm tired of spending my mental energy NOT eating.

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    2. By mindful eating this time I don't mean contemplating each food before you put it in your mouth. I mean figuring out after you've eaten it how it makes you feel. Which carbs make you feel bad, what makes you feel full etc.

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  13. I'll chime in again: full fat Greek yogurt is awesome and feels decadent. I eat a lot of eggs (mmm, fluffy scrambled; or sunny side up; or Benedict) and I also love meat, so that helps. Basically, any "above the ground" vegetable, any meat (avoiding deli), full-fat cheeses and dairy, and later nuts should be good. To me, these are all very filling. It's true that there is a bit of satisfaction missing that you only get from awesome bread, but it's amazing how much less hungry I get when not eating carbs at all. FWIW, I have personally always had digestive issues with many fruits, like my stomach gets upset if I eat really sweet apples or ripe pears.
    Good luck! I will be cheering you on!

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    1. apples/pears are really high in FODMAPS (fermentable something-or-others) that can trigger IBS symptoms. I haven't eaten them since doing the FODMAPS elimination diet a couple years ago and my stomach is MUCH better! (also stone fruits, & many kinds of nuts, including almonds)

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  14. Once you get used to it, it's awesome to not feel hungry all the time. Definitely helps with not only hunger, but also mood/energy stabilization. Also, after a couple of weeks, the carb/sugar cravings subside, and it becomes easier to stick to it. I now eat higher carb after doing a couple of years of low carb (still eat clean carbs - no gluten and minimal sugar - but include some rice, potatoes, oatmeal, quinoa, beans...) and I feel like the hormonal "reset" is still in effect and I have a lot more control over my hunger and blood sugar despite not eating super low carb. I think that takes more than a month of low-carb eating though to get to that point. See how you feel - you might really like it!

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    1. "you might really like it". is exactly why I'm doing it! I'm tired of feeling hungry all the time (especially when I'm trying to count calories/eat less to lose a few pounds)

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  15. Wanted to make a separate post for some meal ideas:

    For dinner:
    -spaghetti squash (roasted) and weeknight bolognese (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/weeknight-bolognese-recipe.html). Lots of fat from the beef and cream in the sauce, and really minimal carbs even with a decent serving of squash (like equivalent to a banana - not good for ultra-low-carb, but okay for low-carb)
    -salmon cakes (http://meljoulwan.com/2014/11/10/oven-fried-salmon-cakes/) again - some carbs from sweet potatoes, but pretty low overall - really tasty and good to freeze/use for leftovers
    -gyro salad (http://www.health-bent.com/salads/paleo-gyro-taco-salad-tzatziki-guacamole) This one is a true low carb recipe. Add more avocado to your meals to fill up! Making tzatziki with 1/2 and 1/2 avocado and greek yogourt is wonderful as well.
    -crockpot chicken drumsticks and carrots (lots) with salt/pepper/olive oil/rosemary (easiest meal and pretty tasty - I am always hungry though as there is not enough fat)
    -here is a great veggie side to go with a meat - has lots of fat from coconut milk and almonds: http://meljoulwan.com/2012/03/14/coconut-almond-green-beans/
    -easy veggie and meat curry with coconut milk - saute veggies (carrots, broccoli, green beans, onions, garlic, ginger, zucchini, snow beans, etc), add in protein (chicken or shrimp), can of full fat coconut milk, and curry spices/flavors (curry powder/sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, lemongrass, etc)
    -You need to do more roasted veggies with your proteins at dinner - huge amounts of roasted cauliflower, brussel sprouts, beets, kale, eggplant with lots of olive oil and spices/herbs. This will fill you up, but you want to be filling half your plate with the stuff.

    For snacks, cheese and nuts are great, but also try greek yogourt, avocado, toasted coconut flakes, canned fish (I love things like sardines and oysters, but I realize most don't), protein bars.

    My favorite low-carb "I'm still hungry after dinner" snack is this: http://paleomg.com/5-ingredient-avocado-pudding/ (super filling and calorie dense, and a little bit chocolatey and sweet)

    I have lots more ideas. Let me know if you'd like any.

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    1. Thanks. I don't eat beef, but the curry sounds really good. I love roasted veggies, we do cauliflower, brussels a lot. Eggplant is a good idea. Never tried roasting kale, but eat it a lot. I just started this on a whim Sunday night so I didn't get to do a special grocery shop, but I will definitely make sure we get yogurt and avocado. (no to canned fish!) Every "protein bar" i've seen has a good amount of carbs. what do you recommend?

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    2. Quest bars are reasonably popular in the low-carb community. For a protein bar, the protein is high, and the carb count low. Most of the carbs are in the form of fiber, which doesn't really count like normal sugar/starch carbs would. I personally don't love them, but I know a lot of people who do. Worth a shot. You can also look into making your own and see if you can find a low-carb recipe. Another option is to just do straight protein shakes (I like Optimum Nutrition). Typically protein powder is sweetened with artifical sweetener, so it tastes good without the carbs. But it's a nice way to get another 150 calories/25 g protein throughout the day.

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    3. thanks. quest bars looks...yucky. I'll stick to eating handfuls of nuts, I haven't artificial sweetener in years and don't want to add that back into my diet!

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  16. I like Met-Rx Protein Bars (for body builders).

    http://www.metrx.com/products/

    They are large and *extremely* filling and most have very few carbs, like this one

    http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2008/05/28/556614/ProteinPlus015125FMX03CRDGSilo.jpg

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  17. Pure Protein are also yummy and not much carbs
    http://www.pureprotein.com/products/?categories=bars

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