High Fat-Low Carb eating

I can highly recommend India Knight & Nerys Hughes' modified version of Atkins, gloriously entitled the "Idiot-Proof Diet". Includes lots of sensible psychology and is very funny in places! There are some recipes in it (also a separate cookbook) which offer variations to offset carb cravings. Cauli mash with lashings of cream is a belter! Best of luck to everyone.

Thanks, Brahaspatinda, I might stick this on my kindle.

I've dug out all my Atkins recipe which cheered me up no end because they reminded me that a good substitute for is a G&T with slimline tonic.....zero carbs!

I tried it for a while and it was very successful but I missed my carbs too much so I've gone back to a calorie controlled eat a bit of everything and do more exercise diet.

I'm doing really well resisting carbs but this is the time of day when I could kill for a with my

I've had to satisfy myself with a teaspoon of crunchy peanut butter.

Nerys Thomas Brahas ?

I downloaded a 'sample' of their book Idiot Proof Diet and meant to read it all.

Even without diet advice it's a laugh a minute. The first page has a side-on photo of the two of them back to back entitled 'Eggs on Legs'

I've ordered the book from Amazon. I was going to download it but DD has decided to join us on the diet so we'll be able to share it.

So - as a vegetarian - no meat, no fish, limited dairy (bit of cheese now and then for protein) where would I go with this regime? DS2 and DDiL follow a much stricter form of this diet, and we have discussed it at length, but I can't really see how I could make it work without being bored rigid? (Actually they reject gluten, which limit's their carb intake.

Yes, I know, it's my choice! Just interested...

Aaggghhhh ubiquitous apostrophe! B****y iPad.

I may be wrong but I have to say that my impression from the Mumsnet threads is that vegetarians find it difficult to do.

I have ordered the book today as well merlot hoping to get DH to join me, do you want to compare notes and give a bit of mutual support?

Good idea, Gill

I've downloaded the rest of the book. It looks doable as an going to start on Monday.

I'll issue apologies in advance as it says you can get a bit grumpy (caffeine and carb withdrawal) in the first week.

Just off to shops to buy some double cream and chromium tablets!

PS have also ordered The Low Carb Goirmet by Karen somebody as it's said to have lots of good recipes too.

as an so I'm

Why can't you have caffeine? I know over on the Mumsnet low-carb bootcamp some people cut out milk for a bit because of the sugars, but caffeine?

Don't know Mamie but I think it's just for the first two weeks. I've bought some decaffeinated ground coffee for the percolater and it tastes OK and some rooisbush tea which I used to like anyway.

Although I'm not starting till Monday (mum's day dinner tomorrow) I though there was no harm in cutting down the caffeine and drinking more water from today.

Ariadne I know someone who is vegetarian and has lost a great deal of weight on the Harcombe diet. She had to diet for the sake of her health. She eats lots of eggs.

The bit with these diets I would find difficult is the 'no caffeine'. I don't consume vast quantities of the stuff but I do like my two large cups of filter coffee each morning. What is so wrong with caffeine?

Clipper Organic is the best instant decaff coffee I've tried so far. You can get it in Waitrose and Sainsbobs.

I took your advice and bought the 'idiot proof' diet. I'm a bit bemused. It seems so all or nothing. The list of supplements is worrying. It all seems so counter intuitive. Also I don't like cooking. I heat things up but can't stand faffing about with pans - heresy I know! I think I'll try an amalgamation of low carb/no sugar and see how I get on. DH doesn't want to do it which is a complication.

We're just breaking through the 'carb withdrawl' barrier and feeling better for it. I don't get hungry about three hours after a meal any more and I feel full with a smaller sized portion.

DD has nabbed the book so I'll have a look when she's finished reading it.

Read the book and as I progressed through it I started to think 'WTF'

It is very draconian. And it's not healthy if you are constipated and have to take some pill to counteract it.

So I'm doing my own version which is working as I've lost 4lbs since Monday, don't feel hungry, have plenty of energy and sleep well.

But you have to like cooking at least one meal a day. And I'm not going decaf either.

I'm finding the Hairy Bikers Love Food and Loose Weight (something like that) very useful and I'm just taking any carbs out of their recipes or substituting something else eg their Chicken Jalfrezi, leave out the teaspoon of sugar, reduce sauce to thicken and add a spoon of ground almonds. It was delicious and filling.

The Low Carb Gourmet has some good recipes too.

No carbs for lunch. Today for example 3 quail eggs in smoked salmon

Did you have to get your glasses out to find the eggs?!

I read and enjoyed the India Knight book; very funny and I liked the fact that they have been there and eaten the scone. They are not skinny food fascists and are understanding of cravings. But.....I cannot and will not give up caffeine as I could see no good reason in the book for doing so. Coffee is my one vice ( apart from fattening food, obviously), I don't smoke, hardly drink alcohol, just the odd glass when out for dinner, and I take my coffee black. I love a good pot of coffee, fresh ground and have read that the process involved in de-caffeinating coffee and tea is quite toxic, rather like people eating low fat petroleum by-products masquerading as butter like spread, rather than have the real thing. So, shall cut out bread, pasta, rice, vegetables grown below ground ( higher carb content) and see how I get on.