Low-carb support thread 2016 Part 2

Welcome NewGranGill. We have a big vegetable garden and have cut right down on growing potatoes. We do still have a few new potatoes in season but have replaced chips with celeriac chips. We were strict about below ground veg when losing weight, but now we are maintaining and eat beetroot and Anya's favourite Jerusalem artichokes. We also grow and eat squash. Cauliflower is a staple here and we grow a lot of chard, spinach and kale.

Never!

DH has just returned from the allotment with some lovely black kale, so the caterpillars didn't get it after all

Tonight salmon baked with pesto. Roasted cauliflower florets, leeks cooked in butter and tossed with the cauli. Tomorrow belly pork, savoury cabbage, black kale apple sauce.

Savoy cabbage!

I did belly pork last week, but very slowly in one of those roasting bags with sage and bay leaves. It was lovely and delicious cold in a salad the next day.

Have you tried kimchi Mamie

I got some at our town market today. A new stall manned by a lovely couple. They make a variety of fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, all from basic, natural ingredients. Great for gut bacteria. I've made my own sauerkraut in the past, but it's a bit fiddly and I made enough to free a small army and only I ever ate it. So it's much more economic to buy it from this reliable source as the stuff in supermarkets is a bit dodgy.

My point being it will go nicely with any left over belly pork I think. I might try your way of doing it tomorrow.

free feed.

No I haven't, but just looked it up and it sounds interesting. The trouble is I don't think I would find it here. We have just had a whole week of items about the Galette des Rois on the news and before that it was all about foie gras, oysters and patisserie for Christmas. Forrin food definitely discouraged.

Though we can get sauerkraut. That being from Alsace.

Welcome NewgranGill. You will definitely get lots of support and ideas on here. I wish we had an allotment, I buy all our veg from M&S, costs me a small fortune, but is nearest place to me. Since starting to eat LCHF diet about 9 months ago we now have a much more varied diet - some delicious meals and occasionally weird ones too . A blood test showed that I was pre diabetic last year and since then have lost over a stone, although have not strictly adhered to the diet, occasional beer, porridge for breakfast, but no bread or potatoes. DH has also lost weight which is good for him as hip replacement is on the cards in the near future. Good luck

Interesting article on LCHF diet and cholecystitis, I would like to go back to the diet once I have had my gall bladder removed, which as it was a severe infection should not be too long. The pain was indescribable, so do not want to be there again or spend any more time in hospital if possible. Till then I will keep to as low carb as I can as I know this works for me. So see you all in the, hopefully near future

I can imagine it must have been very painful Pippa - it was found to be an infection then? Do what you can and hope it gets sorted very soon.

Thanks for the warm welcome. Can you drink tea and coffee with skimmed milk? I also love Jerusalem artichokes but they grow like weeds so will have to have a few of them, but think I have the basic idea thanks.

I drink semi-skimmed milk in tea and coffee. I think there are more milk sugars in the lower-fat milks, but it is a tiny amount isn't it?
I think you need to start and see how you get on NewgranGill. We aimed for 1lb a week weight loss for the first few months, I personally think slow and steady is better than fast loss at our age. I think if you cut out sugar, potatoes, rice, pasta and bread (as much as you possibly can) then I wouldn't worry about what kind of milk it is.

Thanks Mamie it's just that I have to have a significant weight loss by mid May when I see my consultant for him to keep me on his list for a knee replacement. In all I need to lose 4 stones by November

That's doable NewgranGill

Four stone equals 56lbs. Say November is 10 months away, that's just 5.6lbs a month or about 2.5kg a month.

Imagine a whole new you (plus new knee) by next Christmas and hold onto that thought.

God luck Newgran This is the place for you. I lost nearly 3 stone in 6 months to Reverse my diabetes. It worked and the only slight downside was my hair thinned. However it is now growing back rapidly and I have never felt so well.

BB. Was your hair thinning definitely down to LCHF diet, and what has reversed it? I ask because my hair seems to be shedding quite a bit and I thought it was just seasonal.

I think so Lazigirl I started the Diet in March and noticed more hair than usual on my hairbrush about 2 to 3 months later. My Dr. Said the rapid weight loss was probably the cause, and it does say on the Diet Doctor website that hair thinning could be a side effect of LCHF but would be only temporary. . However since October my hair has stopped falling out and is growing quite noticeably. I did start taking a multivitamin tablet about that time recommended by * Anya*, so that might have helped.

Day 5 into low carbing, stood on the scales this morning and 3lbs lighter! I know this will be loss of water weight but it's still encouraging and I'm feeling less bloated.

The cauliflower mash has been a godsend and last night I had Eat Water pasta in a stir fry with mushrooms, sweet peppers, spring onions, sugar snap peas and a chicken breast. The pasta needed several rinsings to get rid of the fishy smell and was totally tasteless but it filled my plate, so I didn't feel deprived. The only downside to the Eat Water pasta is the cost, £2.49 for a tiny pouch!

I tried that when I was in England Linsco56. It is a very strange taste I think.
We had roast chicken yesterday so I am making a "pie" with chicken, mushrooms and leeks in stock with a cauliflower mash topping.

Try beansprouts instead of that revolting pasta Linsco much cheaper (60p) a good sized bag and enought for a beansprout omelette for lunch the next day. Also much better for you.

Duck stir fry for us tonight. I'll spiralise all the left-over veg from the weekend and use the beansprouts I've just recommended, with a touch of ginger and teriyaki sauce.

Just come back from a relaxing swim and chill out (?) in the sauna (all to myself ) was the only one in the pool too. Felt like my own private place.

Just had beetroot ( very thinly sliced) with goats cheese melted and bubbling under the grill.

PS well done on the 3lbd.

Our allotment leeks are just about ready. That sounds like something I'll try Mamie

Well I did my first day yesterday - scrambled eggs for breakfast, cheese salad with real mayo for lunch and beef stew for supper but I only had the meat and gave all the veg to DH I had some home grown Black Kale with butter stirred through. I'm still apprehensive about this after failing so often but hey ho will try. I'm off to Vienna for a week on Sunday so high fat shouldn't be a problem should it!! Just won't be able to try a pastry. Good luck to everyone.