Gransnet forums

Dieting & exercise

Low-carb support thread 2016 Part 2

(827 Posts)
Mamie Mon 08-Aug-16 11:31:57

The thread is intended to support people who are already on the diet or want to start losing weight / gaining health benefits by low-carbing.
Here is a simple explanation of this way of eating and how it works.
www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
You do not have to count calories, weigh anything, exercise furiously or feel hungry.
You do have to cut out sugar and sugar-substitutes and avoid starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice and pasta.
You need to eat lots of vegetables (especially those grown above ground) and protein which can be cheese, eggs, meat, fish etc. You can eat olive oil, butter and other natural fats. You can eat limited amounts of fruit, dark chocolate and some alcoholic drinks in moderation.
You need to avoid anything labelled low-fat and most processed food and drink.
Link to previous thread here
www.gransnet.com/forums/dieting_and_exercise/1222065-A-new-low-carb-support-thread-for-2016
Welcome aboard!

shysal Tue 25-Oct-16 09:32:00

I notice that ITV's Tonight programme on Thursday 27th at 7,30pm is 'Can Your Diet Defeat Diabetes?' I have set it to record, assume it will be about low carb.

BBbevan Tue 25-Oct-16 09:53:48

ThankShysal I must record that as we will be away then

Cleverblonde Tue 25-Oct-16 10:31:36

Very interesting how our tastebuds change quickly. I started low carb diet last Friday, cut out sugar to pretty much zero. Treated myself to my Waitrose skinny Cappucino this morning on the way to work (first since I started the diet), with usual sweeteners and it was too sweet!

Mamie Tue 25-Oct-16 11:17:00

Yes I agree, things do taste very sweet, very quickly.
You don't need to have a skinny though. smile

Cleverblonde Tue 25-Oct-16 11:52:52

aha thanks Mamie, having a skinny kind of makes me feel better about the cheese I snack on once in a while ;)

Singlegrannie Tue 25-Oct-16 12:07:43

Have to get out of the low fat mindset Cleverblonde ! Cheese is fine, be wary of the crackers, full fat is good. !! I always used to have black coffee, have cream In it now. !

Mamie Tue 25-Oct-16 12:18:35

I had soup for lunch and a lump of cheese with a blob of marmite!

Anya Tue 25-Oct-16 19:59:25

Been in Oxford for a couple of days with DiL and GDs 1 & 2 and last night the girls wanted burgers for dinner, so I went along with this. I was delighted to see a 'Naked Burger' on the menu at Gourmet Burger Kitchen. Instead of a bun you can have it with salad and homemade coleslaw (they use a fresh type dressing instead of mayo).

As the burger was 100% beef, there was no filler, so happy to report a good, filling, lie-carb meal at a burger joint.

Walked 16,000 steps yesterday so pretty tired now I'm home.

Making loads of soup too now the nights are drawing in. Also made Mary Berry's ham terrine (have I already posted this confused ) using a ham hock and have plenty of stock left over (and frozen) for more soups.

Lazigirl Wed 26-Oct-16 10:10:40

Thanks for reminder about the programme Shysal.

ninathenana Wed 26-Oct-16 15:09:55

Can someone tell me where I'm going wrong.
H and I have cut out all cake and biscuits and started using spray oil for cooking instead of veg oil.
A typical day now for me is
Porridge made with half water half semi skimmed tea with semi skimmed milk and sweetener
Four ryvitas with low fat cottage cheese, apple and coffee as above
4pmish banana cup of tea as above
Grilled chop (all fat removed) two boiled potatoes and mix veg. WW yoghurt.
Been like this for a month now and lost 2lb !!!!
Yes I do walk every day smile

BBbevan Wed 26-Oct-16 16:14:25

It is Low Carb High Fat ninathenana So no low-fat anything Full fat yogurt, butter etc. No, potatoes, bread, sugar , rice , pasta etc. Look on the Diet Doctor web site. It is an excellent way of eating. No calories to count.
This morning We had bacon, egg and tomato. Lunch was home made minestrone soup and this evening we are having baked cod with prawnsand spinach .
Drink lots of water .
Hope this helps but Mamie will probably give you lots of good advice

Mamie Wed 26-Oct-16 16:49:05

Welcome ninathenana and yes BB is right, the Diet Doctor link in the original post is the best place to start.
You need to cut out the carbs and add fat into the diet. So no low-fat anything, you can have butter, cheese and cream when you want, but olive oil, avocado, oily fish are even better.
This morning we had full-fat yoghurt and berries. Lunch was salad leaves, tomatoes, avocado, cucumber and smoked salmon in dressing with an apple. Dinner is cottage pie with a cauliflower parmesan mash.
Feel free to ask anything you like. smile

Lazigirl Wed 26-Oct-16 17:01:08

Walking is good too nina in addition to all the previous good advice from Bb and Mamie. Forget about the calories, just try to cut down on the carbs, you don't feel hungry that way, and it really does work!

Anya Wed 26-Oct-16 17:03:41

A typical day for me is breakfast (if I remember) fruit ( usually berries) with cream or full fat natural Greek yoghurt. Bacon, egg, mushroom and tomato at the weekend.

Lunch soup or omlette (cheese, prawn or mushroom) and salad or celery stick with taramasalata. As much as I can eat. No bread or potatoes or similar.

Dinner any meat (leave the fat on, and eat the crispy chicken skin) or fish or other seafood, or cheese dishes (eg cauliflower cheese, spinach gratin)or eggs with piles of vegetables and finish off with a chunk of cheese if I'm still hungry.

ninathenana Wed 26-Oct-16 20:52:59

Ignore me, I'm not actually trying to do this particular diet. I can't do fat as I have gall stones. I was just wondering if anyone had any idea why I could loose anything.

I don't like butter or the taste of fat on meat. I've always cut every scrap off.. smile

Anya Wed 26-Oct-16 21:46:02

In that case I'd stick with what you're doing. At this rate you'll lose 24lb in a year.

Sounds ok to me.

yogagran Wed 26-Oct-16 22:25:47

I'm joining in on this thread please. My OH has just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and I'm on a steep learning curve. The diet doctor web site has been a big help and there seems to be lots of help and advice here too so I'm hoping that I'll learn even more

Mamie Thu 27-Oct-16 06:04:43

Welcome yogagran. There are a few of us on here who have tackled type 2 with this diet, either personally or for partners.
Some people have followed the Michael Mosley Blood Sugar diet
thebloodsugardiet.com/
There is also an LCHF bootcamp which has just started on Mumsnet
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/low_carb_bootcamp/2762936-Week-1-2016-Pre-Christmas-8-week-Low-Carb-Bootcamp
Good luck and just ask when you need help. smile

Anya Thu 27-Oct-16 08:31:41

Is it tonight that programme on TV about diabetes and diet? You might find that interrsting yoga

shysal Thu 27-Oct-16 09:13:44

Yes, Anya. 7.30 on ITV.
Good luck yogagran.

yogagran Thu 27-Oct-16 09:31:10

Thanks Mamie, Anya & shysal, that's useful. I'll make a point of watching that programme. I'm a little confused by the recipes on the Michael Mosley Blood sugar diet as a lot if them include beans, noodles and other dried pulses which I thought were a no-no, can anyone give me clarification on this?

Mamie Thu 27-Oct-16 11:15:55

His version is different from classic LCHF. Some people have followed MM, others have stuck with LCHF. We did strict LCHF to lose the weight and get DH out of pre-diabetes, but have now been maintaing for a couple of years and have pulses occasionally. Tonight we are having a chicken casserole with cider, cream and mushrooms served with squash and tomorrow we are making the first cassoulet of the season and that will have beans.

BBbevan Tue 01-Nov-16 08:43:29

Six more days until we move. The house looks like student accommodation with just the bare necessities. We are trying to use up all the freezer and fridge food. So lamb shanks in red wine with garlic and rosemary have just gone into the slow cooker. Probably have some broccoli with that.
Hope everyone is well and Anya is fully recovered.

Anya Tue 01-Nov-16 13:40:57

I think much depends on the reason you are cutting carbs in the first place. If, like some, there is a threat of diabetes and/or you need to lose a lot of weight, then best to go the whole hog from the beginning. Hard and fast - very low carb, as Mamie and her husband did.

If you just want to gradually cream off the odd stone and eat more healthy then it's perhaps OK to just cut out carbs from sugars, and cut back more gently on carbs from, for example, root veg and pulses. By root veg I don't include potatoes, as they don't even count as one of your 9-a-day.

BB I'm not sure I'll ever be 'fully recovered' but thanks for asking smile

When I was a runner I used to maintain that I was injured, recovering from an injury or just about to sustain an injury!! The same rule seems to apply to everyday activities now hmm

Singlegrannie Tue 01-Nov-16 13:53:12

Had blood taken for testing on Monday, going for the results at my diabetes check up on Friday. Really hoping that my efforts have paid off and that the HbAIC is OK and the cholesterol is under control. According to my scales, I have lost a little weight.
Fingers crossed. !