I've been reading that I shouldn't be eating "deli" meats since they are processed and may contain nitrates. Does this mean that I should be cooking my own turkey, roast, chicken, etc.? I get my meat cut directly in the deli, I don't by pre-packaged deli meat - is there a difference?

Thanks

Normally the stuff out of the deli isn't processed too much. Like the whole turkey breasts, roast beef.

It's the stuff like bologna, salami and the likes you need to watch. Good rule of thumb on meats is if it is round or square it's processed way to much and will have sugars, salts or nitrates. Hams are cured in salt and sugar and should be used sparingly.

(note this does not apply to ground meats from the butcher)

Thanks for your reply - I feel better now - I'm in a bit of a stall mode at the moment, so I'm looking for any kind of trigger. I don't eat bologna and salami - I stick to turkey breast, roast beef, chicken and prosciutto, so I thinking I'm okay with what I'm eating - probably have to take a look at my dairy intake.

vbrown, why not start up a journal and let us know what you consume on a daily basis. May be as simple as increasing your water or food intake a bit.

I'd love to start a journal - can you tell me how? Most days I eat the same thing.

Breakfast - 2 devilled eggs - 1 oz. cheddar cheese

snack - 6 thin slices of proscuitto

Lunch - 1 cup salad greens, 2 tblsp. thousand Island dressing, 4 cherry tomatoes, 1 oz. cheddar cheese, 4 oz. chopped turkey breast

snack - 5 slices turkey breast

dinner - some kind of fish (6 oz piece) , fried in butter, and a little cream - 1 diet caffine free coke

I always drink at between 64 - 80 oz of water per day.

http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdis...p?forumid=72&s=

Go there and start a new thread for your journal Then start posting every day to that thread. It is your very own place to record your progress and the mentors on the board can pop in and see how you are doing.

Thanks, going to start my journal right away - what do you think of my menu - I use fitday.com everyday, so I think I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

Looks good so far. Post your percentages from your daily meals into your journal as well. That helps to see how much fat/protein/carb ratio you have going.

Watch out for the Thousand Island salad dressing. Most brands have anywhere from 3 to 5g carbs per TBSP, so 2 Tbsp would be 6 to 10g carbs. Italian or Ranch would be a better choice, at around 1g carb per Tbsp (or less). Don't use lowfat types, these are full of sugar.

Doreen

AND ... you are permitted 3 cups of salad, or 2 cups of salad plus 2/3 cup cooked low-carb veggie per day. Don't miss out on the fiber and nutrients in veggies, not to mention the variety for your meals.

Doreen