If you are a single man and have decided to go on a low-carb diet, your busy lifestyle may make it difficult for you to plan your meals ahead and cook your low-carb meals at home. No matter what your life situation is, there are plenty of strategies you can implement to keep your daily carb intake within your carb allowance, which usually varies between 50 and 150 g a day to help you achieve your goal weight, according to MayoClinic.com.
Carb Counting
Carb counting is an important component of following a low-carb diet. You do not have to worry about calories or fat, but it is important that you know how many grams of carbohydrates you eat each day. To make it easy, use an online tracking tool or download a carb-counting app for your cell phone. All you need to do is enter the food you eat with the estimated serving size to know your daily and average carb intake.
Cooking Low-Carb Meals
Cooking your own low-carb meals is the easiest way to have control over the type of ingredients and portion used in your meal. To prepare quick and easy low-carb meals, simply combine non-starchy vegetables with a source of protein and some fat. For example, you could have spinach, eggs, sausages and cheese for breakfast, a salad of leafy greens with chicken, avocado slices, bacon and salad dressing for lunch and a steak with a mushroom and cream sauce served with greens beans and butter for dinner. Depending on your carb budget, you may be able to add some fruits, nuts, nut butter, dairy products and grains, in controlled amounts.
Eating Out
If your schedule does not always allow you to prepare your own meals, you can ask for a few substitutions to make your meals low-carb when eating out. For example, ask to replace your fruits, toasts, hash browns or pancakes with more eggs, bacon, sausages, lettuce and tomatoes at breakfast. If you go to a fast-food restaurant, replace your usual burger with two patties, without the bread, and have a salad instead of french fries. If eating at a Mexican restaurant, simply eat the filling of your fajitas, along with the salsa, sour cream, cheese and guacamole, but omit the tortillas, nachos and taco shells. If you go to a pizzeria, ask for a thin crust to reduce the carb content of your pizza or try to find a menu item that is more appropriate for your low-carb diet, such as non-breaded chicken, meat or fish served with plenty of vegetables and a few pats of butter.
Drinks
Stick to water, soda water or diet soft drinks to keep your carbohydrate intake low and avoid regular soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit punches and juices. Alcoholic beverages can also hinder your weight-loss progress. Beer contains a significant amount of carbohydrates as do drinks made with juices or soft drinks. Consume alcohol in moderation to be successful with your weight loss and choose the lowest carb alternative, such as hard liquor, dry wine or low-carb beer, and include them as part of your carb counting to stay on track.
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