Low-carb support thread 4 for 2018

Thank you for your kind encouragement - Mamie good on you for even thinking about dieting when you have had an accident - get well, and put Lchf on back burner! Rilla, you sound as though you have problems too, I feel guilty now for going on about weight loss ?

Mamie
I am sorry to hear about your ankle, I hope it improves quickly ?

Well done Granny Island, great loss.
I have just returned from a week in Italy so haven’t lost weight! But haven’t put on either. But blood sugar has come down as far as I can see, and I have stuck to the low carb as much as possible. I am very pleased with glucose levels, and now have 5 weeks to think about weight loss too.
My problem is my tablets, one of which pushes blood sugar down. So by the evening it is going too low and I have to top up with extra calories and carbs for overnight. It is frustrating. The DN doesn’t want to reduce the tablet until I can get my BS and weight down. A bit of a vicious circle unfortunately.

Well done GrannyIsland. Sounds like good weight loss.
I have also lost weight but only because I have lost my appetite after falling down stairs and breaking my ankle! Have stuck to low-carb apart from my day in hospital when breakfast was bread and jam. ? Now two weeks in and lugging around a cast from toes to thigh. I don't recommend it.

Weigh in today, pleased to say this time I have stuck to the diet. Two weeks in, and lost six pounds....yea I know it’s probably mostly water....but it’s inspiring none the less. I’m getting quite obsessive about it all. Don’t know if 5hats a good or bad thing!

Thanks Riverwalk, it was the thought of diabetes that made me research insulin resistance and discover LCHF. I walk most days and do two yoga classes each week but you’re right, I need to increase my walking. I love yoga but it’s not enough, it’s accompanied me through all my weight gains and losses of the last 20 years. I’m so impressed by your weight loss, well done seems a bit inadequate. You must feel fantastic. It is a life long battle, I seem to have been dieting since my early 20s!

Jessity you're doing well but like me and others on here you don't have a great deal of weight to lose so it's always difficult to keep up the momentum. Your diet sounds fine so to kick-start it and lose a few pounds you have to up the exercise I'm afraid! I've just done a 2-hour walk with a friend and am hoping not to undo the good work later as meeting my sister for lunch.

I went from 11.1 to 9.3, over a period of a few months - I now hover between 9.3 - 9.7, currently stuck on 9.7.

It's a life-long battle this weight business! But I'm determined to avoid diabetes, obesity, dodgy knees, etc.

Thank you for this support and the suggestions. I was trying not to be impatient but got so disheartened when I put weight back on again. I do need to take a longer term view I know, not least because I feel good with this WOE after so many years of failed diets. Interesting to be reminded in Briffa's and Taubes's books that "no potatoes, bread, rice, pasta" was what we all did when I was a teenager in the 60s but much better now to understand the science behind it.

Morning all - emerging from trying to work out what a low-carber does with a hundred plus kilos of plums. ?
I agree with the others Jessity that it does take time, especially if you don't have as much to lose as others.
One thing I did was a variation on Michael Mosley's high intensity exercise thing. I used to go to the nearest hill and walk for thirty seconds as fast as I could until out of breath, then slow down for 30, gradually building up to a minute at fast speed, a minute at slow speed, and then two minutes. It seemed to help, but obviously only if there is no medical problem.

Welcome Jessity. You are doing fantastically well and if you don't mind me saying think you are a tadge impatient expecting to lose weight more rapidly. I started this way of eating over 2 years ago because I was pre diabetic and lost over a stone in about a year! I did not restrict myself too severely because I wanted this to be a way of eating for life and not just a quick fix to lose some weight. Happily I am now out of the diabetic zone but yesterday went out to eat and had scampi and chips , but this isn't part of my daily diet or I'd be back where I started! Occasionally when I do eat out or have visitors I eat "off piste" and gain a bit of weight, but then get back on track. Rilla you have definitely got the right idea, and it's important to incorporate a bit more exercise ie walking into your routine. Good luck to both of you, it's worth it in the end

Thank you Rilla, much to think about there. I like the idea of berries and yoghurt, not had either while I’ve been doing this WOE. Green veg soup should be a doddle too, I’m a keen cook. And permission to drink vodka too! What’s not to like

Hi Jessity
I think your weight loss is good, I think if it is slower you are more likely to keep it off and you are more likely to maintain good habits. It may be that you are just on a plateau for a couple of weeks.
I do have the same problem as you, as I have got to just under 11 stone (I am 5 ft 2) I find it much harder to lose the weight although my blood sugar has improved greatly.
I am always pleased with every half pound!
Perhaps you could try tracking your calories, just to see if the fats are putting you up to maintenance levels? I find I have to eat less than 1100 calories to lose anything. The Blood Sugar Diet is only 800. I use My Fitness Pal or Lose It (which I subscribe to but you can use it off-line).
The BSD restricts fruit and veg too - based around berries and green leafy vegetables. Oily fish and cheese can add up too.
Try drinking more water, and walking a bit further each day.
I often find a day with white fish, vegetables, green veg soup (home made) and berries/yoghurt for breakfast can kick start the weight loss again.
You sound so disciplined, don't feel guilty about the odd treat (and I would have the vodka)!

Newbie here, with apologies that my very first post asks for help instead of offering something.

I've been doing LCHF for 8 weeks now but have lost only 6lbs which seems a bit miserable. I was 10st.9lbs and am now 10st.2.8. I did go down to 10st.1, gained 2lbs and have lost 1lb. I'm 5'3" so I need to lose more. What am I doing wrong?

I don't feel I've cheated. No bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, desserts, pastries, sugar. Only "cheats" have been about a month ago at a Diamond Wedding, I had a small piece of celebration cake because it was difficult to refuse and a few days ago, in a bit of despair, I had an ice cream - ate some of the ice cream, none of the cone and disposed of the remnants. During those 8 weeks I have had 2 Granny Smith apples because I miss them so much!

A typical day is
Breakfast: either nothing or 2 eggs scrambled in butter
Lunch: salad leaves with tuna/cheese/smoked salmon and, depending on what's available, avocado/coleslaw (my own, just white cabbage and Hellman's)/radishes/cucumber, etc.
Evening meal: grilled chicken/lamb/steak with salad or vegetables or LCHF meal e.g. Butter chicken or similar, with rice for DH and either nothing or cauliflower mash/rice for me.
Tea is with almond milk no sweetener, coffee with cream, fizzy or still water, lots of it, Twinings fruit teas sometimes.

I was occasionally having a vodka with soda and a squeeze of lime, gave that up and that was when I gained weight!

I've followed advice and help on here (many thanks), John Briffa, Gary Taubes, Diet Doctor, MN bootcamp and I know it's the right thing to do but it doesn't seem to be working for me as it does for everyone else.

Ladies, what am I doing wrong?

Thank you for empathising with me Rillao, just need to hear others in same boat!

GrannyIsland, I do empathise. I have been staying with relatives and doing visits for 3 days, then out for a meal so a bit disastrous this week. Starting from tomorrow again, best of luck.

It’s not easy is it ? First few days at home, fine.lost weight. Then came weekend, went to an outside all day concert, had a salad befor I went, but choice there for early evening meal was abysmal - all douhnuts and burgers. Succumbed I am afraid, but No Alcohol was drunk. Then on the Sunday, feeling weary I had a few chips with a fried egg and a wee drink in the evening. Frightened to go on scales now. But did walk a lot, and......tomorrow is another day....

Good luck and keep us posted GrannyIsland ?

I fell off the wagon in July. Writing this post to publicly declare as from tomorrow I am definitely back on. Here goes.....

Hi Kupari. Am glad this way of eating is working for you in terms of weight loss. I haven't experienced raised cholesterol and Googling didn't get me very far either. I don't know if others can help, but I think this is one where you will just have to be guided by your doctor. Sorry not to be more helpful.

I have been trying the Low Carb way of eating for the last 9 months, and I'm pleased with the gradual weight loss. I have been trying to lose weight gained with steriods for the last two years. So, I'm pleased Low Carb seems to be working.
However I had a routine Cholestrol blood test last week and I'm shocked at the raised levels. I've gone from 5.8 to 6.4. I've never had a reading as high as this. Has anyone else been aware of raised Cholestrol levels since adopting low carb way of eating. Would welcome your thoughts on this.

Thanks for the recipe Rilla, sounds really good.
Has anyone else tried using a dehydrator for fruit? The instructions that came with it are a bit hard to follow, to say the least.

Mmmmm that sounds lovely. I will try the scones very soon

hi Mamie
The scones were brilliant. Not exactly the same as usual but good enough that seven out of eight have already been eaten, and DH and DS said they were lovely for tea.
I adapted the recipe slightly from the Swerve website.

200 g ground almonds
30g half spoon sugar and stevia
3 tbs coconut flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
57 g butter chilled cut into small pieces
1 large egg
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp water
1 1/2 oz dark chocolate drops

I also put in an ounce of fudge drops. They disappeared into the scone. They may have helped make it more moist. Anyway, these didn’t affect my blood sugar at all, but may try without them. The original recipe says to make sugar free toffee. Recipe also says cream but I didn’t have any so used yoghurt.
May also use chopped dark chocolate.

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degs. Line a baking tin with parchment.

In a large bowl whisk together almonds, sweetener, coconut flour, baking powder, soda and salt.

Cut butter pieces into the mix using a pastry cutter or 2 sharp knives until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir in egg, water and yoghurt until the dough begins to come together.
Stir in fudge/toffee and chocolate drops.

Turn dough into baking sheet and form rough circle eight inches in diameter.
Cut into eight even wedges.
Gently separate wedges and scatter round the pan.
Bake for 20 mins to 25 until edges are golden brown and set to the touch.
Remove and cool on pan.

Cals. About 290 per portion as the swerve site recipe. 7 g carbs as Swerve recipe?

Good luck with the plums!
You could use them in a low carb dessert like almond flour plum cake? That’s always delicious!
I also like them just stewed up to eat with ice cream or yoghurt. My DH makes gorgeous low carb ice cream.

That's good news Rilla. Am intrigued by low-carb scones. Could you post the recipe or a link?
We have family staying so had pudding last night for a treat. I had frozen a lot of our strawberries (before they shrivelled in 34°) and just puréed them with loads of cream to make ice-cream. Also made a raspberry coulis with our tiny but very sweet raspberries. All our tomatoes are ripening at once now, so we have pounds and pounds and OH is making loads of ratatouille. I have no idea what to do with the plums that are ripening, I think there must be tens of kilos out there. We managed to buy a cheap drying machine in Lidl so guess prunes will come into it. ?

I have had a couple of difficult days visiting relatives, a bbq and eating out last night. Stuck to salad and meat mostly although ended up with quiche for one meal.
So haven’t lost any weight but blood sugars are amazing, haven’t been out of my target range since I started. Feeling very positive. Just need to get the weight down now.
Ironically I am trying to bake some low carb Scones today as I am hosting a strawberry teaparty soon and will need something that I can eat!