Lifting every other day is great. You should be eating plenty of protein. Low carb is OK but the key is eating the right carbs. It's also not very fun! The carbs you definitely want to cut out are sugars and overly processed stuff like doritos and cheetos. Having some whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat tortilla, rice crackers etc with each meal is fine. You need to have some carbs to fuel workouts. Have a peice of fruit with most meals too.

It's not just for body builders. You should have a good balance of protein, complex carbs and fiber in each meal. A protein shake is a great way to do this but not necessarily a requirement if you get other proteins. (Egg whites, chicken/fish/lean beef, greek yogurt, string cheese are all pretty lean options).