22 Tips For Eating Lower-Carb Without Hating Your Life

Great, doable advice from people who’ve been in your carb-loving shoes.

Cutting down on carbs to meet your goals can be really tough when you're first starting out.

FOX / Via reactiongifs.com

So we asked the BuzzFeed Community to share what tips and tricks helped them successfully eat a lower-carb diet without becoming murderous or hangry. Keep in mind that all bodies are different, and what works for someone else may not always work for you. And always check with your doctor before starting a new diet or nutrition plan.

If you're serious about eating a lower-carb diet, here's even more info on how to do that, as well as a quiz that will test your ability to spot carbs in different meals and snacks.

Alright, here's what they had to say:

1. If you're going to eat carbs, try to eat most of them earlier in the day since that’s when you usually need the most energy.

NBC / Via tenor.com

"I try to eat most of my carbs earlier in the day since that's when I'm burning the most fuel and also because breakfast carbs are the best kind of carbs. I’ll tend to eat double veggies with a protein for most dinners."

—Heather Nichols, Facebook

2. Instead of cutting all carbs, first try to limit starchy add-ons.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @nickyngu

"I don't mean eating zero carbs when you have a meal or snack, but limiting the 'carby' add-ons. For example, when eating ice cream, ditch the cone and get it in a cup, and when eating out, try to stick to water (tbh, this is really hard and I don't always stick to it). The little changes don't seem like a lot, but you'll really see them add up."

—r4c881523f

3. Instead of trying to cut out carbs completely, focus on eating more complex carbs, which will get you more bang for your carb buck.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @the_smallseed_

"I found that skipping carbs was making me lethargic and prone to eating more later. So to stay comfortably on the low-carb spectrum of things, I make sure the carbs are complex, meaning whole grains, starchy veggies, sweet potatoes, beans, oats, etc. They keep me full longer, help with digestion (because of the fiber), and don't spike my blood sugar level, making me crash later."

—Camille Michelle Gray, Facebook

4. Or getting your carbs from fresh fruit and vegetables, which have a lot more nutrients and are less calorie-dense than processed carbs.

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—katybug1212

5. Make it a rule that if you want to eat sugary carbs, you have to make them yourself.

FOX / Via Instagram: @jb_at_theecc

“If you find yourself craving cakes, or cookies, or pastries, it’s fine to eat them, but you must make it from scratch yourself. You'd be surprised how quickly the desire for eating carbs goes away when it's not readily available.”

—ivanas48cca9d4b

6. Add more protein to your daily diet to keep you full throughout the day.

NBC / Via reddit.com

“It helped keep me fuller longer, more energized, and made my metabolism increase because eating more protein helped me build more muscle, which burned more calories and helped lead to losing more body fat.”

—katybug1212

7. When you crave pizza, skip the dough and make it in a delicious Portobello mushroom cap.

Jo Cooks / Via jocooks.com

“Flip a big Portobello cap over and fill it with your favorite toppings. Then bake it the same way you would a crust. It's delicious and much lower in carbs.”

—jengo81

Get the recipe here.

8. Use butter and cheese to make low-carb swaps tastier.

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"Giving up carbs is tough, so do a little something for yourself and sprinkle a pinch of parmesan cheese on those zoodles."

—rh1223

9. And just ditch the low-fat diet altogether.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @nourishedbykale

“Healthy fats like avocado, cheese, fish, olive oil, etc. are nutritious and help keep me full. I tried eating low-fat in the beginning, but it made me tired, hungry, and all around just plain miserable. I lost 45 pounds doing a high-fat, low-carb diet and feel a lot healthier and happier all around.”

—brittanyh4f5aa68b6

10. Give zoodles a shot — and slather them in that delicious sauce if you want to.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @jb_at_theecc

“If done right, they have the exact consistency of pasta. Plus, my favorite part of spaghetti is the meat and veggie-packed sauce. This is a great way to trick your taste buds into eating a little healthier, without sacrificing flavor.”

—katyf446f8212c

Here are 21 veggie noodle recipes for you to try out.

11. Invest in an awesome spiralizer that will help you turn zucchini and carrots into low-carb pasta.

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"I really like pasta."

—bongbru1

12. Make your sides, toppings, and meals more filling and lower-carb by incorporating eggs.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @restoring_radiance

"If you want pizza, take the pizza toppings (mushroom, olives, whatever you want) and make a scramble, then top it with pizza sauce and mozzarella. For a taco version, use taco seasoning, meat, veggies, etc. and then top it with salsa and cheese. This usually works for me no matter what I'm craving, and eggs are low-calorie and really high in protein."

—Ana Grydzuk, Facebook

13. Don’t drink your carbs.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @nutritrain_rd

"Try to slowly give up soda by swapping it with carbonated, naturally flavored water like La Croix. Stay away from those brand packaged ‘fruit’ juices because most of them are loaded with added sugars, which means more carbs. If you want fruit juices, blend your own smoothies at home, juice your own fruit, or buy fresh squeezed juice from a supermarket."

—Jordan De La Esperilla, Facebook

14. Learn to cook/bake with flour alternatives like coconut flour or almond flour.

The New Wholesome Home / Via thewholesomehome.com

"The hardest thing for me was learning to live without bread, particularly for breakfast. Baking with flour alternatives makes me feel like I'm still eating bread but without all the carbs. My two favorites are coconut flour blueberry muffins and almond flour cheddar biscuits, both of which I found on Pinterest."

—alyseu2

Get the recipe here.

15. Keep a bag of frozen cauliflower in your refrigerator so you can easily add it to any of your meals.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @cleancoursemeals

“I can not stress enough how AMAZING this vegetable is when used as a substitute for carbs. A personal favorite of mine is using it as the crust of a pizza or as rice.”

—cristinianna14

Here are a few cauliflower fried rice recipes and an amazing cauliflower pizza crust recipe.

16. Stock up on low-carb snack alternatives that you can munch on when you get specific cravings.

cellowhisps.com

“I always stock up on Whisps cheddar cheese crisps for when I'm craving chips. You can order them off Amazon and they're sold at Costco!”

—broganc3

17. Download apps like MyPlate and MyFitnessPal to learn more about what's in the foods you're eating.

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—gabcapasso

18. Find some delicious spaghetti squash recipes to test out.

Lauren Zaser / Via buzzfeed.com

"You can never go wrong with spaghetti squash. I've been on a lower-carb diet for a few months now and there's no way I could have made it this long without it."

—lauraannec2

Try this ridiculously tasty recipe for spaghetti squash with bacon, spinach, and goat cheese.

19. Attempt to drink your coffee black, or slowly ease up on the sugar until you get there.

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"I couldn't give up coffee, so my trainer suggested that I take coffee with just milk and no sugar. It was initially hard, but I eventually got used to it."

—apoorvav427c50577

20. Try to find and stock up on low-carb alternatives for your favorite foods.

My Fitness Pal / Via blog.myfitnesspal.com

"Pinterest is my go-to for finding recipes with healthier alternatives to the foods I like. Also, I've found plenty of support groups on Facebook where people offer up great options."

—brittanym4b760f375

21. If you have a hard time staying full, try eating smaller meals but more often.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @eatliftbake

"Embrace the ~300~-calorie snack, or mini-meal, which could help keep you full longer throughout the day. I try to eat a small breakfast, snack, small lunch, snack, small dinner, and then finish with another snack. Just make sure the meals are high in fiber, protein, and fat and you'll be good to go."

—s430652c05

22. It's going to be hard, but stick with it because eating lower-carb is definitely doable.

20th Century Fox / Via popkey.co

"The first few weeks will feel like torture. But once you get past them, you'll find that you don't crave sugar or carbs the way you used to, and that's a beautiful feeling."

—corinnem44466ef1d

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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