Low carb diet - Help please

Franbern, I completely agree with petunia. It's really worth looking into the principles behind Michael Moseley's Fast 800 and Blood Sugar diets as it overturns all the long held myths about dieting. If you can, watch Fat Fiction (either on Amazon Prime or Netflix, sorry can't remember which) and anything by Jason Fung on YouTube. I won't bore you with the details of my own personal transformation with this way of eating, but for the first time since I was a teenager, I am slim. Feel free to PM me if you do want me to bore you! Now more than ever before we need to protect our health.

Top up your plates with grated carrot beetroot and sauerkraut delicious. Add more fish to your diet the low carb bread you mentioned is nice it's not heavy. Salad cream is better than mayonnaise or try a light salad dressing . Cut down the size of your meals gradually and try to eat more fruits. I was told to cut down because of cholesterol which I did and my cholesterol levels have gone down considerably too. Which is better than going on medication good luck to you.

Thanks to you all for replying. Riverwalk spot on - I have been told I am pre-diabetic. Many thanks for the links and I will be following these through.

In the past I have always followed simple low calorie diets for losing some weight. So this idea of looking at Carbs is new to me. Okay, something to concentrate on during this winter lockdown. So difficult as we get older to be able to lose weight.
Fortunately, I do love eggs, and see that these form a big part on low carbs food. I will just see how I can cope and how it goes, one week, even one day at the time.

I’ve had a low carb way of eating for years. My advice would be do it gradually so you don’t feel it’s a deprivation. Once a way of eating is labelled a “diet” some think they can follow a particular restrictive regime for a while, before “normal” eating patterns gradually resume.

This has to be a change for life in what you eat, so start by omitting one or two high carbohydrate foods, ie potatoes to begin, and substitute with other veg. Then gradually substitute others. It will become normal for you. It’s not possible or healthy to eat no carbs.
I will occasionally eat carb type food if eating out, and chips are an occasional treat.

Low carb bread is fine by me.

Hi franbern

There's loads of info out there.

Books-try the Michael Moseley fast 800 series. Maybe fasting is not for you but the principles of low carb are spelt out and there are loads of recipes. There is a purely recipe book of his that is useful. There are many other low carb books on the market and thousands of articles online. Try Pinterest-its a gold mine of low carb recipes.

YouTube-again there are loads of you tube videos available, showing both recipes and explaining the principles.

I try hard to follow a low carb diet as I am concerned about avoiding diabetes and I have some concerns about the possible link between sugar(carbs) and dementia.( I know there's more to dementia than that but there is a tenuous link). I try to limit my carb intake to under 50 grams a day. Some days I go over but I try hard to stay in that limit.

I avoid substitutes really. Ive tried the low carb breads, rice, pasta etc. they are very expensive and just remind me of the real thing, but not quite. So I don't bother.

I also avoid low fat products. Things such as low fat yogurts. Often the fat is replaced with sugar.

I avoid other low cal products as well. Well, keep them to the minimum. I will have a daily diet coke.

I also avoid cereals as even non sweet cereals can concert to sugar in the body.

So what's in is fresh meat, fish, nuts,eggs, cheese, cream,vegetables that are low in starch. These generally grow above the ground. I eat berries for my fruit intake. My all time favourite breakfast is Greek yogurt with blueberries and toasted crushed nuts. Yummy.

It takes some time to get to grips with but I feel much better eating in this way. It depends on why your GP has suggested low carb. Its good for weight loss but equally good at reducing blood sugars if diabetes is a threat.

Having said all that, I try not to impose my diet on other people. So if there is an invitation for a meal (ha, if only we could) if I'm served carbs, I just go along with it for that occasion. If I can serve myself, I avoid the carbs. I also found that going low carb has broken the link for me between regarding cakes,chocolate etc. as a treat. I no longer crave those items. In the past, if I had a biscuit or cake, it made me want more. Bonus for me.

An overview of this diet is that its full of proteins and vegetables. Almost no processed food. It has opened up a whole new way of eating that makes me feel less sluggish and less aches and pains. Its certainly made me more aware of what I am eating. It has also changed the meals I eat, in a good way. And I do eat mayonnaise!

Give it a go. You might enjoy it

Has your GP recommended low-carb as you're pre-diabetic? If so have a look at the low-carb forum on Diabetes UK website.

www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/low-carb-diet-forum.18/

I've been a low-carber for some years as it's my way of keeping my weight in check. I think we all love bread, potatoes and pasta but you just have to find ways around that!

I've never tried any of the low-carb bread - I understand they have about half the carbs of ordinary bread, so you could always have just one slice, not two, which would serve the same purpose. I rarely eat bread but keep a sliced Hovis or similar in the freezer if I every have a craving for a piece of toast - the same small loaf has been there for about 6 months!

Mayo is not a carb.

Salads won't fill you up, they are really only an accompaniment to meat, fish etc, IMO.

Have a look at Minimoon's link - it's a good place to start.

Bear in mind your doctor said LOW carb not NO carb. You actual need some in your diet. Why has he advised this? Asking as it really makes a difference as to what you should do.

Please read the link.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4DfZMpv7BYJ3kGXdHxdxkKp/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-carbs

The fast800 diet has some sound advice. Not suggesting the fasting bit but Michael Mosley's books and articles have some great recipes based around a Mediterranean style way of eating, so lowEr carb, not Atkins low. Good explanations of why too.

I'm doing the fasting bit at the minute, and don't miss the carbs, and I'm someone who could have made a sandwich of a slice of bread between two other slices of bread.....

Just cut out bread, potatoes, pasta and rice etc. from your diet. Its hard to begin with, but it is doable.
Here is a link to a helpful site to get you started.

Usually when people eat Low Carb they have to eat High Fat to compensate, so mayo would be ok. Not sure there is a low carb substitute for bread though.