Hey Stitch. Comiserations on the carb bloat. Hope you get over it in a day or two.

Bleh I was so tired last night so instead of cooking diner I ate a bowl of rice crispies. And another. And another. Eating crap carbs always induces huge carb cravings in me, I should know that by now.

Anyway, eggs for breakfast and going to have fish and veg for lunch so on track today.

for every diet i have heard, where people successfully lose weight, it seems that two to four months are more than adequate for losing two stones. i wonder about htat sometimes.

well, i had two days of lots of carbs. and my tummy has bloated, and i feel sick.
so back down to low levels again, but not as low as induction. i really cant do the excessive meat again. plus, its not healthy. so lots of good carbs. and lots and lots of vegetables, which i love. no more feeling guilty for eating a salad.

I'm going to start to listening to the Paul McKenna CD again every night. And I'm going to go to bed at 10pm so I am not so terminally exhausted all the time, thus inducing carb and caffeine cravings. In fact maybe I'm going to give up caffeine...I'm going to go half-caff, Niles Crane style for a while, wean myself off. And I'm going to take up running again. I'm so fed up of feeling like a clapped out old has been.

Goal: to sort these darned eating issues out and be in reasonably good working order (as far as it is in my control to be) by the time my next birthday comes round (35th - so kind of milestoney in a way). Would be great to have lost my excess 2 stone by then. 9 months. I reckon I could do that.

Hello

Columbo, please do continue to post on here. When I start eating properly again I will be going down the GL path and eating a lot of good carbs (oats, pulses, seeds etc), fruit and veg.

When I do the 'low carb' thing I find myself eating huge amounts of butter, fat, meat, cream etc and just know that it isn't doing me any good in the long run.
I need to switch thinking and do 'good carbs' rather than 'low carbs'. No white sugar, flour etc and limited potatoes (that is the biggie for me).

I bought the Paul McKenna book and it really got me thinking about how and why I eat, and I'm going to try to follow his four guidelines.

i think low carbing is a much healthier way of eating than other methods. not the induction phase of atkins however. the ongoing wieght loss, and the maintenance phases. but i think they are very very similar to low GI anyways.
i dont think i subscribe to the goldenshot theory. seems to be working for me second time round, and for sister too.

Columbo I think the Golden Shot thing must apply because I am the same. I know and agree with the low carb theory and have now read "The Diet Delusion" which reinforces for me that low carb IS a healthy way to eat.

But stopping and starting doesn't seem to work does it...

I'm wondering if there is any truth in the Golden Shot theory, and if so, why it is so. I did Atkins in 2002 and it worked then (though I wasn't even overweight then, just wanted to get a bikini body).

I'm still going to frequent this thread, if it keeps going, since I am now following The Food Doctor plan which is essentially a low carb way of eating which probably equates more to maintenance levels of other low carb diets - its more about insulin balance. No sugar! But more fruit/veg and pulses allowed plus brown rice and rye bread in small amounts.

it doesnt work for everyone.
leave it.
me, it works wodners for. day 17 today, and i feel good, lost five pounds, several inches, andmy clothes fit better. last week i was dreamingof bread. this week, i couldnt care less. definitly works for me.

Well, I think I'm just about done with this. I just haven't got the will power to stick to low carb. Not through wanting to scoff cakes - just want fruit, chick peas, porridge, milk etc. Plus the fact that I haven't lost any weight the whole time I've done it, just lost and regained the same 5lbs. Before starting this, I'd lost about a stone just by cutting down and eating sensibly, wasn't even "dieting".

Hopefully will be able to continue in that manner after this last couple of months which has, quite frankly, been a rubbish waste of time and money (meat so expensive these days etc.)

I just don't know what I think - all the research on low carb seems spot on but I just feel weird and unhealthy on it, and that is the bottom line for me really.

no oggy, you havent answered that particular question recently. thank you for answering it now, and encouraging me to stick it out for a futher four days.

i am sitting here munching on a hunk of cheddar, because i simply cannot face any more meat. post workout i need to eat something. and this is all i can come up with.
only four more days till i can have my brazil nuts. only 3g carbs in them according to the blurb on the packet.

Hello stranger. Where've you been hiding?

Stitch, sorry I could have sworn I answered you. <worries which thread she actually posted about nuts on>
Katisha is right, nuts are carby. If I remember correctly macadamia are the lowest. I used to have those.

Stitch it's because they are relatively carby, and in induction you have to be quite hard core. You can have nuts later on.

please?

oggy,i'm on day nine of induction.
please explain to me why i cant have any nuts.

You have to ask at the pharmacy for them. I get mine from Boots or Morrisons and they are about £4 -£5 per pack.

Have just cooked dd and dh jacket potatoes made with spuds from the garden <sob>

thank you oggy, you are making me feel better. but where do i get them from. boots didnt do them when i last looked

also, i know i am drinking too much coffee. but i simply cannot do without my caffeine

Stitch I never have any sort of problems going into ketoosis. No bad breath headaches etc.
Try getting some ketostix - they always help give me a little boost, seeing that I actually am in ketosis.

i always allow a glass of wine. but since one glass of wine a week for me is heavy drinking, it doesnt affect me much.
on holiday , i personally do a very relaxed form of low carbing. even having the occasional ice cream when out with the family. (but only if it is the sort that i truly love)
i guess youknow the ropes then. just avoid themega starchy items, and since youwill be having so much more carbs then avoid full fat, fried things as well.

personally i have been back on the induction for 8 days now. lost three pounds now. but still dont think i am in ketosis. no sign of b ad b reath for example. what can i be doing wrong? very limited veg. no fruit, or refined carbs obviously. lots of salmon , chicken, tuna, and meat. i am eyeing up the packet of brazil nuts the way i would once have eyed up a particularly scrumptious looking dessert

Realise that most of the 7lb is fluid - am under no illusions! Did Atkins for about 6 months a few years back so know the ropes....

Also realise that some longer term changes are needed so will be cutting out carbs such as pasta/noodles/potatoes/bread as far as possible going forward..

I guess I was just asking for some coping strategies when faced with challenges on holiday... Do you allow yourself a drink every day? And maybe slightly more carbs each day? I should be coming off induction about now anyway.....

Agree with Stitch. When you stop low-carbing and come out of ketosis you will put back on up to 7lbs in fluid.

I've got the same problem. I've been Cambridging for a couple of months and have almost lost 2st. We go away to my parents for a fortnight soon and if I stop Cambridging I will immediately gain 7lbs.
I'm debating whether to go for the damage limitation option and stick to very low-carb while I'm away.
Trouble is I want to be able to have an ice-cream with them all when we go to the seaside etc.
Also don't want to be a pain in the bum when it comes to meals.

well done gladders for sticking to it and losing the weight. unfortunatley you are not going to like wha ti say.
atkins, and low carbing in general, need to be taken as not just a diet, or a quick fix, but as a life long change in eating habits. and going on holiday so soon after such a dramatic change is going to make it incredibly hard to stick to. because if you dont stick to it, then you will put all the lost weigh tback on, and then some.
you could try being on a less strict version of low carbing,. ie, not potatos, rice, or pasta. and preferably no sweets.

can i join? have been trying to do the induction thing for the past 2 weeks (ahead of holiday and to shift self away from heaviest weight ever....)

have lost 7 lb so far! (at least another 7lb to go.....)

have been finding it ok (knowing that if I go off track then every day's sacrifices will have been wasted) - and have even managed a cheeky glass of wie or two over the weekends...

rather concerned about the holiday though -we go on friday - will i put it all back on in a week? any top tips?

mrsm, i managed to stay on ongoing weightloss for a year. the trick is to simply decide that there are certain foods you will not eat. ever. thihngs like rice, pasta, bread, potatos, anything made from refined flour, or sugary sweet stuff.
after that, its ok to have some wedding cake, or really close friends birthday cake. or some potato in for example a pie, or a fishcake. or bread in the breaded chicken etc form.
if you can do that, then the weight stays off. ime.

Goodness I can't believe that I started this post so long ago and it is still going and there have been so many messages! Well I did my two week induction really well and lost about 7lbs which felt FAB but then it seems to have been one thing and another. I am under a lot of stress at the moment and have put all the weight back on - I am in a bit of a pick and guzzle phase at the momnent i.e not binging but shoving in a biscuit here, a bit of leftover pasta there, a bit of cheese, a slice of bread...etc etc. I "know" in my rational mind how to lose weight and sometimes even as I'm stuffing things in my face I am saying to myself this is not helpful. I keep trying to go back to low carb but somehow can't get myself on track. I am considering trying hypnosis. (Tried Paul McKennna but did not work for me, I think I need a real live person)

oggy, you had me really confused there. i am sure i have never written a bllog... but, yes, i used to be on the carboholics anonynous threads.


i have been binging on carbs, seriously big time. in one day consuming six slices of bread and butter, two croissants, creme brullee, and other similar stuff, with little or no protein. as a consequence i have put on, over the course of a few months, a stone i weight. trying to go back to owl simply means that i stuff ny face with nuts, and cheese, and other high fat low protein foods, and wonder why none of my clothes fit.
was very good yesterday, and todya, except, when i had nine fat juicy strawberries. could not resist them. chicken, veg, salmon, and salad. an dlots of eggs i have been eating.

My lightbulb obviously needs replacing. You aren't the same Stitch as the blog I read afterall , though I'm sure you are still very talented

Stitch, long time no see .
I've just had a lightbulb moment. I've been looking at your blog (you've got some lovely stuff on there, you're very talented ), and only just twigged that it's you.

right. back on induction today.
owl keeps makeing me slip into six lsiced of bread an afternnoon, induction it is for me now.

Nah. Tbh I've never come clean about my slippages. Also because I've consistantly managed to claw my way back soon enough that I can at least lose 1lb lose every week she always compliments me on how sensible I am and how well I'm doing
'Counsellor' is a bit of a misnomer anyway. They are just people who have used the diet and have undertaken some training. They are self-employed. They don't go into issues surrounding overeating etc they just sort of supervise you on the diet.

Right. Have ordered the Paul McKenna book and tape. It's my birthday in a couple of weeks and I go away in just under four. Must get my arse in gear.

Hi Columbo - I have bought that Taubes book you were talking about. Haven't started it yet as I hadn't realised it would be sooo thick, but I will!

Re this wedding - go and get some heavy duty underwear - magic knickers or somesuch, if you haven't already - that'll get you down a dress size for emergency purposes.

Oggs - does the Cambridge person talk you through this compulsion to eat thing?

Froggy, thanks for the solidarity. 3 things:

1. I hear you on the butter thing, sister! What is that about? "I've hit the self destruct button so I might as well plaster this scone with semtex butter".

2. Have you tried Paul Mckenna "I can make you thin"? He claims to be able to get you to eat only when you are hungry and to stop eating when you're full. I've got the CD and book, and I think, if I can remember far back enough, that it does work...but it is a long time since I've had 30 mins to spare to listen on my ipod at night.

3. Also a book I've recommended before on this thread "Eating Less" How to Gain Control of Overeating by Gillian Riley. Really really good book - short, pithy, no nonsense, do-able. I really recommend it.

<joins Columbo on the shamefaced step>

I can identify with so much of what you've written. I went totally off track over the weekend - too much wine, vodka and cake/chocolate.
I demolished a banana and choc chip cake that I'd made for dh and dd. As if that wasn't bad enough in itself I spread each slice with obscene amounts of butter . I was almost cramming it in my mouth at one point. I followed with Rocky bars and pork pie...

Have sort of managed to drag myself back from the brink but as of this morning I've managed to fall back to the weight I was 3 weeks ago .

Don't feel too bad, we've all been there <some more often than others , and at least you're ready to move on.

Sometimes I get SO fed up of all this.
Sometimes I feel totally in control and empowered.
Sometimes I feel miserable and defeatist.

How I wish I could just eat when I'm hungry and then stop.

Ugh! Writing this immediately after eating a shit load of fun size cadbury bars, feeling like total crap.

I was doing OK and sticking to my previous plan (v. low carbs) but I am due to go to a family wedding next week and I haven't lost the amount of weight I had envisaged. I have a dress to wear but it doesn't look good and I'm in crisis about being the frumpy, mumsy looking sister in law compared to the other lot who are all under 28 and slim. I am 35 and size 16.

Anyway on Saturday I felt so miserable about this, the kind of hormonal PMT kind of miserable where everything seems like too much effort and you don't even want to talk about it. There is more to it than that though - as well as the weight/body size issues I've been starting to feel a bit crap from lack of career or work direction (gave up job to be full time SAHM)as if I am not good enough as I am, I feel completely lacking in confidence as if no one will listen to my opinions because I'm "just" a SAHM. DH kept saying, if the diet is making you miserable, ditch it and do something else. He meant calorie reduction and exercise but since then I've been inhaling eating cookies, scones, ice cream and chocolate. I haven't even enjoyed it, just felt this compulsion to do it, even though it had made me feel like crap.

SO just posting on here to make myself accountable really. I can't be trusted, any sniff of sugar and I get a desire to binge madly. It feels like I am trying to obliterate something by the act of chucking all that dross down my throat - my feelings of sadness and failure I suppose. Boom or bust, all or nothing.

So anyway, no excuses from now on, it's back on the wagon immediately - no one last mouthful - the rest of the bag straight in the bin and then out to the shops to stock up on low carb friendly food.

<hoists self shamedfacedly back on the wagon>

Hellooooo back !

Well done. Another lb down the swanee.

Hellllloooooooooooooooo. Anybody here???

Was weigh in today and lost 1lb

You find your nearest counsellor and make an appointment to go and see them.
My nearest one is about 30 miles away .
I suppose a lot depends on your individual counsellor. I'd done a lot of research and because I'd been low carbing I went straight onto the diet. Some people might be weaned onto it by going low carb for a week first.
There is a medical record form that the CDC fills in with your name, address and whether you suffer from a variety of conditions or are taking any medications (if you are then you are supposed to get the form signed by your dr).
Then I was weighed and I picked my flavours. That was that.
Some will measure you but mine doesn't. You get a little record card and a couple of booklets explaining the different levels and bob's your uncle.
I go every week to be weighed and to buy the weeks supply (last week I only bought 6 sachets as I had a lot left over). I'm in with her less than 10 mins. To begin with she rang me or texted me mid-week to check I was okay, but doesn't now.
I pay £1.65 per sachet but again different counsellors may be different.

Here's the website

Well i'd say I've got about 2 stone to lose really.
What happens then? You have to see someone in person - do they come to you or you go to them? on a wekly basis?
Or will they just sell you the stuff and leave you alone?

Katisha, I think you have to have at least a stone to lose.
It's no fun at all, but it is effective if you can stick to it.
The 3 sachets give you about 40g or so of carbs a day and about 430cals. They also give you 100% of the vits/minerals etc that you need. You go into ketosis the same as when low carbing.
Tbh I've been sneaking bits of cheese and meat as I find not eating really hard when preparing food for dh and dd.

Hmmm. Wonders (jealously). How distant do you have to be from your ideal weight for them to take you on with the Cambridge Diet?

Bloody hell oggs

Well done that frog!

Hi Orm here's my progress so far...

08.05.08 - 14st 1lb (start weight)
15.05.08 - 13st 6lb (wk 1 -9lb)
21.05.08 - 13st 3lb (wk 2 -3lb)
29.05.08 - 13st 3lb (wk3 -0lb)
05.06.08 - 12st 10lb (wk4 -7lb)
12.06.08 - 12st 9lb (wk5 -1lb)
19.06.08 - 12st 6lb (wk6 -3lb)

So I've lost 23lbs since I started

Good to see people back on this thread.

A confession: my "break" lasted 4 days...interestingly long enough for a mini revelation - I don't even like white bread, pasta, cake etc. It's total junk food and it makes me feel ill. I feel better low carbing. I sort of knew this before but didn't believe it, thought I wanted it but I don't. Thought low carb was the hard way but it's the easy way.

So back on the straight and narrow now - green leafy veg only total minimum carbs for a week then the zero carbs week. I am looking forward to it actually.

Good luck everyone.

Right.

I. Am. Going. To. The. Gym.

Haven't been for months. Paying money for nothing.

How are you doing oggs? Last time I checked in you were going great guns. Faded away yet?

I have just started a no wheat , potatoes and bread diet I am just hoping it gives me a good kick start within that as well I want to stop sweet things as well like biscuits , chocolate this has been advised by my doctor so lets hope it works

Hello Wisp {smile].
I'm Cambridging at the moment <boo hiss>. It works, but it's awful.
I had to come off Sole Source and am now eating an evening meal (green veg and protein). Lost 3lbs this week.

Thought I'd pop in here,say hi, and see how people are doing with low carb.
I've done every diet imaginable, and know that low carb suits me the best, and I feel fantastic on it.
I've ditched the Cambridge diet (Hooray ) and following Atkins, but as a veggie, I'm allowing myself nuts, seeds and tofu.
20g carbs max per day, and 400g of induction friendly veg per day too.
I have exactly 2 stone left to shift.

ColumboTheCookieMonster: hows the hardcore bootcamp going?

Ooh.
Good luck.

Yup. If I can manage it. But not long term you understand, only a week at most. But interestingly, I don't think you'd come to much harm if you did do it longer. According to the research in the book, all the essential vitamins can be supplied by meant and fish, even vitamin C. Don't think I'd want to test the theory though!

I'm going to start again tomorrow but have green veg for 1 week until I'm happily into ketosis. Then next Weds going to commence operation meat fast.

Columbo, what do you mean by no carbs? No veg at all? <worries>

<watches with interest>

Yes, the Taubes book is very, very interesting.

I think maybe my planned 2 days break is going to be 1 day only - after eating that lunch and few biscuits I am feeling so tired and weird and lethargic.

Think I am gonna start the hardcore no carbs thing tomorrow instead. Never thought I'd say that!

That looks an interesting book Columbo.
I am sure I am going to agree with everything in it if I buy it (which I well might.) The thing is that once you are converted to low carb it's great, but the problem is in falling off the wagon when you are eating both high fat AND high carb, which probably isn't good news! Cream and Cake!
Must get back on wagon.

Sitting here eating my lunch of

banana and peanut butter wholemeal sandwich

and have just baked a loaf of cardamom banana bread.

Reason? I dunno. I was bored and fed up with the constant meat (I don't really like meat that much) and the way the kitchen always smells faintly of grilled meat, despite my efforts with a Diptyque candle.

Also, just read The Diet Delusion by Gary Taubes which makes uncomfortable reading. Basically making me realise what bad, bad news refined carbs are. So I suppose psychologically what has happened is that I've convinced myself that sugar/white flour etc must be absent or minimal from my diet, so therefore I want some now. Then I will start not eating them after that. I know. It's doolally.

I am having a planned 2 days off, then I am doing a week long zero carbs regime, eskimo stylee.

Will report back.

Great news Aqua! Well done on getting below that 14 stone mark. Lol at the idea of breaking through the glass floor. I have some glass topped scales and I worry every bloody time I step on 'em.

I feel like crap today, don't normally drink but was so stressed out by life in general last night that I had 60ml of vodka, and I have a blippin' hangover this morning. Just from that? Must be getting old I reckon.
Anyway. Back on the wagon, had protein shake for breakfast and no coffee.

Erm...ok, on the bootcamp front I have been rubbish! Totally lost it. Been feeling really depressed about scales not moving and totally lacked motivation. I went back on the low carb yesterday (after toast for breakfast!) and weighed myself today... I have finally broken through the glass floor and I am UNDER 14 stone!! <<dances down the street naked... oh no, hold on, that's for when I break the 13 stone barrier>> I can't believe it. I haven't even been to the gym all week because my DS has been ill. So, it isn't due to diet and exercise - it was obviously due to pre-period bloating. Whatever. My jeans feel loose! Woooo hooooo!

Felicitations Aunty! Lookin' good!

(hides double vodka and sugar free Red Bull - which is foul btw) Bootcamp? Did somebody say bootcamp? Um oh yeah that was me wasn't it?

Actually I have been exercising doing 40 mins on my stationary bike at 75% MHR every day apart from yesterday. And crunches!

But I am going to have to bootcamp myself on the food front, I haven't majorly cheated but been grazing all day and feel I've probably been losing the plot on portion control.

Anyone else up for a bit of bootcamp? From tomorrow post daily menus and any exercise if so.

<<Hides penguin wrapper>>

Isn't it?

It's ominously quiet around here...

Yes you look great Aunty - congratulations!

Congratulations MrsAuntyspan! You look fabulous.

Hey girls - I'm back from wedding (pic on profile i hope) managed to lose the required 10lb (and a bit more) so thanks for all the help.

Back on low carbing now (although not as strict as before) as put 1 1/2 lb back on!

xx

Wow oggs that's amazing! Congratulations! <<dreams wistfully of 12st>> You have inspired me. I had pretty much given up as the scales haven't moved in what feels like 100 years but then I checked on here and feel re-energised. Back to it. Columbo, may I join you on your bootcamp?

It's like that on the Delia site (not low carb obviously...)

Wail please can I have a little vent on here?

Oh I'm so frustrated! There is a certain low carbing msg board that I frequent which has some interesting recipes/links etc. But as of this evening I think I can't bear to log on to it again. Each time I try to ask a reasonable question which does not kiss the diets (and the authors) ass it seems that everybody kinda jumps down yr throat for seeming to voice any implied criticism. Since when did thinking for yourself and not becoming assimilated into the borg become a crime? Plenty of other LC boards I have posted on do not have this attitude.

Possibly I am not allowed to say this but I am so annoyed I think I am going tear chunks out of a certain pink book and throw it in the trash.

OK. And breathe!

Congrats Oggs!

I've lost 3lbs this week...11st 6lb now. Definitely noticing a tighter midriff....and an actual waist! Really should do some exercise though

Gosh Oggs - well done!
I'm afraid I have been AWOL on hol in France. And haven't quite managed to get back on track yet. Too much creme brulee...

Oggs that is amazing, you must be feeling very motivated now!

Right that's it - bootcamp for me. Bootcamp consists of writing down every last morsel and not going over 20g carbs. Plus exercise. If I haven't lost inches or pounds next weigh in, it is going to be limiting cals to 1500 per day too.

<draws leg back; squints; gets Columbo's arse firmly in her sights; kicks>

<yells in best S'arnt Major voice> Stick with it you 'orrible little lot

08.05.08 - 14st 1lb (start)
15.05.08 - 13st 6lb (-9lb)
21.05.08 - 13st 3lb (-3lb)
29.05.08 - 13st 3lb (-0lb)(to be expected as I came off diet to deal with bum problems )
05.06.08 - 12st 10lb (-7lb) (total lost in 4 weeks - 1st 5lb )

Well done on the 7lb Sally.

Can you someone give a boot up the ass please - haven't lost any weight/inches for weeks now despite being good. I think exercise is the only way to go. Did 30 mins on my exercise bike yesterday but I need to start the crunches and toning really.

Have a family wedding in just over a month and I really really wanted to drop a dress size by then. I don't want to be the fat SIL. All the others are v. slim. Although to be fair, when I was 25 and childless I too was v. slim. But it doesn't make it easier. Oh god the family wedding photos wail. I don't wanna go. Bleh.

Congrats on your weight loss Sally!

I'm still sticking to the diet but haven't been able to weigh myself again yet. I have lost 1 inch from my chest and hips and 1/2 inch from my waist since the 30th of May though

well I weighed myself this morning
7lb gone since monday, although I think at least 2lb of that loss is down to the bottle of red wine I drank last night
so realistically its more like 5lb, although I've felt so rough today I ate an oreo mcflurry.
back on track tomorrow

Wow Oggs....a 5lb weight loss in 2 days...that WAS some serious constipation! Fantastic weight loss overall, well done and congrats!

Thanks Sugar ...I made some Oopsie rolls and had one with a scrape of strawberry Stute jam, a few raspberries and a little cream...amazing! I felt very guilty eating it...can't believe they only have 1 carb

Oh good idea about the flaked almonds Sally, thanks I'll try that

You should pat yourself on the back for resisting all that temptation Columbo! Perhaps teach your DH to make you some oopsie roll french toast at weekends instead

Day 11

Well done for avoiding the temptation Columbo .

Not sure if I'm repeating myself here as I'm on 2 other weight loss threads at moment, but stats up to now are;

08.05.08 - 14st 1lb (start)
15.05.08 - 13st 6lb (-9lb)
21.05.08 - 13st 3lb (-3lb)
29.05.08 - 13st 3lb (-0lb)(was expecting this as I came off diet for 4 days due to extremely severe constipation, and am pleased not to have gained anything)

Today I weighed 12st 12lb, which is 17lb in just over 3 weeks .

'Tis a godawful diet though, and I'm now eating a small meal of veggies and a small portion of chicken/fish in the evenings. I would have broke it big stylee otherwise, and I'm hoping the veg will help with my gut

Last night due to feeling stressed and tired, I thought I would buy a double decker and eat it on the way home, but I didn't.

Also this morning DH went out for the papers and came back with some jumbo almond croissants, my fave. And I didn't eat one.

Talk about temptation. It is hard. Miss the little lift that sugar gives you I guess. Ho hum...

I have a handful of flaked almonds in my blueberrys and greek yogurt to give it a bit of crunch

Hi BlueBirdz - I use philadelphia full fat to make the oopsie rolls and they come out fine. The trick is to whisk the egg whites until they're very stiff and then fold in the yolk/cheese gently so you don't break down the air bubbles.

Enjoy your breakfast!

Lol yes SugarBird...it's only been 10 days for me and I'm already willing to eat anything remotely resembling carbs no matter how dry .

I managed to get some Fage Total greek yoghurt and some low GI granola so I'll try those for breakfast with a few berries or dessicated coconut. I bought pork scratchings for when I crave crisps and some GoLower choc raspberry bars too for choc emergencies.

I have a question about the Oopsie rolls...when it says cream cheese, does it mean dairylea style or philadelphia style?

Oh and I weighed myself for the first time today... 11 stone 9 fully clothed. Like I said before, I don't know what I weighed before as I have no scales, so I might have lost weight in the past 10 days and I might not. I'll see what happens from now on.

Age: 40
Height: 5'3"
Weight 30/05/08: 11'9

A friend of mine who's not low-carbing tried those crispbreads and thought they were vile as they were so dry! I'm obviously happy to eat anything that remotely resembles carb food as I find them fine... But yes, dry. Lots of high fat, l/c topping needed

Omg Columbo that sounds so good!

I had some sliced strawberries with a little double cream for dessert...after my rosemary chicken breast, ratatouille and salad.

I saw the bran crispbread SugarBird and I'll prob get some of those so thanks for your help

I stood staring at the labels of various things in the shops today...I must have looked like I had OCD .

OMG I just made a double chocolate eclair with an oopsie roll! I split it and filled it with mascarpone mixed with melted 86% choc and topped it with the rest of the melted choc. It was delicious! And only 6g of carbs the whole thing. Must NOT make a habit of it.

I really like the oopsie rolls, especially with butter . It makes a huge difference to be able to eat something that seems carby. They are even OK on Atkins induction.

With the H and B gluten-free muesli, I just have a quarter cup measure, which isn't too bad, but not low-carb enough for strict induction regimes, followed by a couple of the Scandinavian bran crispbreads they sell, which are 2.9g carbs each (29g per 100g and 10 in a 100g pack).

Just been eating cold roast beef as I can't wait for dinner (5 minutes away) .

wheres wickedwaterwitch

Ive just eaten my own body weight in steak (special offer in tesco), the mushrooms were really nice, I put them on top of the steak a bit of garlic would have been nice chucked in with them, but they come with a butter that you cook them in, I'll deffo cook them again, perfect with the steak.

Thanks Columbo and darn ...thought I'd found a decent(ish) low carb cereal. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Definitely gonna make some oopsie rolls though!

I went in to Holland & Barrett...the only gluten free muesli I could see was 60 something carbs per 100g...and the soy and whey protein was outta my price range atm. They had a tin of 90% vanilla soy protein for £3.99 but I wasn't sure what I could use that for

Bought 3 packs of morrisons value cheese slices to make crackers with hehe. Found the recipe here:

sugarlitemessageboards.yuku.com/topic/3931/t/Cheese-and-Ham-Toasties.html

I found microwaving for 1.45 mins in my 800watt microwave worked well.

<drools> Columbo there are some fantastic recipes on that site

<shuffles off to her powdered shake>

doing well so far today

blueberries and greek yogurt for breakfast
smoked pork sausage, 2 boiled eggs, salad and mayo for lunch
parma ham, salami and some italian cooked ham with a couple of olives for lunch part 2
2 pints of water

steak and salad planned for dinner

I bought some frozen broccoli, cauliflower in a cheese sauce and a frozen mixed mushroom thing as well, they are from the frozen veg section in tesco, Im going to try them out and see what they taste like, both low carb and good for days when your in a rush/to tired to cook from scratch.

I forgot to buy double cream for my coffee, I might try and manage without it for a change.

TG, well done on yr 3lb loss!

I had burgers last night, but I had them in oopsie roll buns (1 carb each) and they were gorgeous. Oopsie rolls were invented by an American woman who blogs as Cleochatra, she is doing Atkins and has a blog about her experiences.

recipe here

picture here

You also use them for sandwiches, cakes etc. I have a batch in the oven right now.

i lost 3lbs last week, but Saturday i had crackers, cheese and wine (alot of all 3) and last night i ate a huge portion of lasagne

today i've had:

Omelette (2 eggs, one extra egg white) with feta and herbs

Tuna mayo and cucumber, slice of ham.

Small handful of grapes.

Will have homemade burgers without buns for dinner, with some salad.

Hi Bluebirdz.

With UK food info the fibre content is taken into account when listing carbs so it wouldn't be 5g net carbs it would be 20g unfortunately!

It is confusing as in the US the carb count includes fibre so with US brands you do need to subtract the fibre content to get net carbs.

Thanks for the welcome and the tips

Going to pop in to Holland & Barrett today and see if they have the muesli. I did buy this cereal in Tesco called Vogel's Bran & Linseed...it has about 20g carbs, 15g of fibre, per 45g helping. Does that mean it's 5g net carbs per helping? Sorry but I'm new to this lol.
Also saw some Lizi (I think) Granola in Tesco that said 4.5g carbs on the front...I'll check that again. They were both in the organic food section.

Day 8 and still no scales. I have noticed I seem less bloated and a bit tighter around the midriff though...(pleeease don't be my imagination). Should pop into Boots if they still have scales in there...oh the humiliation

<humph> Well, yesterday didn't exactly get off to a flying start .
Breakfast was a butterscotch shake, lunch was remainder of butterscotch shake.
Cooked dh and dd haddock, chips and mushy peas and had a banana shake <virtuous>.
Then it all went to pot...

...finished off dd's and dh's leftovers, had a choccy biccy, then another. Had a vodka and orange in the bath. Then opened a bottle of wine and drank the whole bottle, accompanied by fruit shortcake biscuits and two bags of crisps
Result is that this morning I feel guilty as hell and have a mild hangover.

Also havent yet got round to midge-proofing the caravans and they've bloody arrived en-masse this morning and I was bitten to bits in the night and am sat here cursing, swatting and itching. Bastards!

Hey ho...and a happy Wednesday to one and all!

Feck!

Thanks for that Columbo. I haven't been around for a while so I have only just seen it. It made me feel a lot better. I have been weighing myself every day but I am going to try to stop. Who cares what the scales say, it's how I look and feel that matters... good in theory but those damn scales are so seductive
Oggs, don't lose enthusiasm. You are doing so well. Just imagine the total hottie you are going to be if you stick with it. Imagine how good you will feel about yourself and what you have achieved.
Hi Bluebirdz. Welcome.

Hiya - re breakfasts, I too am sick of the meat/eggs at breakfast so what I do now is make a shake:

1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
1 tbs smooth sugar free peanut butter
250 ml soya milk
(I add half a teaspoon splenda too)

Whizz in blender.

This is 25g of protein plus the fat in the peanut butter. Because I use Solgar protein powder there is 8g of carbs in this, but across the day I still keep under my limit and it is so worth it 'cos the vanilla one tastes yacky and this one is yummy. Can stick in a tupperware beaker and take out of the house too.

Keeps me going to lunch, and I don't have to think about what I am going to have, or cook anything.

hellooooo Im back

sorry I had to dissapear for a bit had a tough couple of weeks

back on track now, Ive filled up the fridge and I'll be back on the wagon tomorrow

Hi everyone. Haven't been on the thread for a while but still low-carbing (pretty much...) I've been doing it since Jan 1st and am a bit bored but hanging in there! Not losing but not gaining anything back either.

BlueBirdz - I'm also sick of bacon and eggs for breakfast and get the gluten free muesli from Holland and Barrett as it's relatively low carb compared with other cereals. Also they sell 85 per cent bran crispbreads, which are very low carb (bit dry, too, but hey!) and great for breakfast with butter and Marmite...

Don't lose heart...if the majority of the time you're sticking to your diet or a healthier way of eating, then the occasional break or slip up won't hurt in the long run.

Day 7 for me and my main concern is where I can find a good pre-packaged low carb cereal lol. Bacon and eggs etc has lost its charm in a big way.

<waves forlornly>

I'm fed up. First day back on Cambridge after four days off.
The doubts are setting in.
So bloody sick of dieting.

It's getting a bit quiet on this thread. Is everyone still on the wagon and just busy with other things? Or have people gone off the diet?

I am still on it. Finish phase 1 tomorrow, going onto phase 2, except not going to be doing the Idiot Proof Diet as such, just going to keep my carbs low (say below 40) and exercise more. I can't be arsed with introducing each food week by week. Life is too short to mess about.

Also, found my Leslie Kenton X factor diet book which is low carb and better on the recipes and science front I reckon. But anyway, staying low carb.

Hope everyone is OK.

Hello

Just started low carbing 4 days ago. I'm not doing Atkins as such but, as I have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), a low carb diet is supposed to be a good way for me to control it...plus I need to lose a few pounds (or stone )

I don't have any scales at the moment so can't weigh myself but I was around or over the 11st mark last time I did and I'm only 5'3 ish. 9 stone would be a good weight for me I think.

I have cut out bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, chocolate, cakes etc...and I eat plenty of protein and veggies. I've also been eating small amounts of fruit like blueberries and unsweetened cream or yoghurt. I expect it will take longer for this to have any effect as I'm not doing an induction phase like you do on Atkins. Well done all who are trying this or have already had success

Thanks for the Columbo....food for thought indeed . Very interesting.

Aqua I have copied this from another website (someone else there copied it from someone else...I hope it is allowed to post it?)Useful info on stalls! It's long but worth a read.

STALLS -- WHY THE SCALES CAN LIE
A biologist at Berkeley shared something very revealing on the low-carb BBS system about 4 years ago that helps us all through the erratic weight fluctuations you invariably encounter: Fat cells are resilient, stubborn little creatures that do not want to give up their actual cell volume. Over a period of weeks, maybe months of "proper dieting", each of your fat cells may have actually lost a good percentage of the actual fat contained in those cells. But the fat cells themselves, stubborn little guys, replace that lost fat with water to retain their size. That is, instead of shrinking to match the reduced amount of fat in the cell, they stay the same size! Result - you weigh the same, look the same, maybe even gained some scale weight, even though you have actually lost some serious fat.
The good news is that this water replacement is temporary. It's a defensive measure to keep your body from changing too rapidly. It allows the fat cell to counter the rapid change in cell composition, allowing for a slow, gradual reduction in cell size. The problem is, most people are frustrated with their apparent lack of success, assume they have lost nothing, and stop dieting.
However, if you give those fat cells some time, like 4-6 months, and ignore the scale weight fluctuations, your real weight/shape will slowly begin to show. The moral of the story - be patient! Your body is changing even if the number on the scale isn't.

PATTERNS OF WEIGHT LOSS
Common patterns of weight loss from tracking a lot of people who become assimilated into the lowcarb lifestyle (hehe...resistance is futile!) a pattern emerges.... the 2 week induction is pretty heady...weight lost just about every single day, enormous and unbelievable amounts of weight loss are reported. This is often followed by complaints that weight loss "stalls" or that the rate drops to only 1 pound per week.
Many people just don't know that fat-loss ...the actual goal when on a weight-reduction" diet, is rate-limited. In other words, the human body has factors that prevent more than a certain amount of fatty-acid release from storage...and even more factors that prevent those released fatty acids from being used up instead of stored back into the fat cells.
A priority of the human body is survival. Anything that threatens its survival results in the cascade of events to maintain the previous status quo. Water fluctuations are one way the body does this. OK...so you done good on Atkins' during induction...lost 10 pounds the first 2 weeks. Maybe 7 the first week and 3 the second. But, whoa!Weeks 3 and 4 there is NO loss! And weeks 5 and 6 is only 1/2 pound each!
So... what gives? Initially, the body jettisons the water attached to the glycogen stores that we diligently deplete to get into ketosis...this accounts for about 3-5 pounds of water. In addition, muscle stores of glycogen are not being replaced when used...which will account for the rest. All in all...MAYBE 1/2 pound of fat was metabolized during the first week... and MAYBE 1/2 pound of fat was metabolized the 2nd week. Of that 10 initial pounds, only 1 pound was fat and 9 pounds water... The body senses this lack and sirens start shrieking: Warning! Warning! Losing water... new thing...got to get back to the status quo! Brain tells body to produce and release that vasopressin antidiuretic hormone....more water is retained, and no weight loss noticed. Fat loss is still occuring, MAYBE even 2 pounds per week, because ketosis is firmly established and appetite supression is in effect...but water retention is hiding that continuing fat loss. The body is preventing dehydration with this mechanism, and that's a good thing.
From the perspective of the scale, it can be discouraging. Which is why the mantra: Water retention masks fat loss (repeated frequently to oneself ) is helpful. Water retention will mask ongoing fat-loss for as long as the body retains the water. We can combat this by drinking more water...but we aren't going to totally overcome this mechanism during the initial water-loss phase of the Atkins diet. By weeks 5 and 6, things start to get back in balance, and the scale will begin to reflect the true fat-loss...which, as mentioned before is rate-limited. Individuals vary, but max weight loss runs about 2 pounds per week...under extremely optimal conditions... or 1% of body weight (whichever is the lower number).

So don't use the scale as an excuse to undermine your progress. Even when the scale is in a stall, fat loss can be occuring.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Taken from
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/weight/scale.htm

We’ve been told over an over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet many of us can’t resist peeking at that number every morning. If you just can’t bring yourself to toss the scale in the trash, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the factors that influence it’s readings. From water retention to glycogen storage and changes in lean body mass, daily weight fluctuations are normal. They are not indicators of your success or failure. Once you understand how these mechanisms work, you can free yourself from the daily battle with the bathroom scale.

Water makes up about 60% of total body mass. Normal fluctuations in the body’s water content can send scale-watchers into a tailspin if they don’t understand what’s happening. Two factors influencing water retention are water consumption and salt intake. Strange as it sounds, the less water you drink, the more of it your body retains. If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang onto it’s water supplies with a vengeance, possibly causing the number on the scale to inch upward. The solution is to drink plenty of water.

Excess salt (sodium) can also play a big role in water retention. A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium. Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it’s easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers. However, a food doesn’t have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content. That’s why, when it comes to eating, it’s wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains. Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners.

Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking plenty of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum.

Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and it’s packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it’s stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with it’s associated water. It’s normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if you’re prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.

Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it’s wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you’ve had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It’s the actual weight of everything you’ve had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you’ve finished digesting it.

Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely, in fact it’s not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, it’s likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in. Generally, it’s only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it’s physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you’re really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle.

This brings us to the scale’s sneakiest attribute. It doesn’t just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what you’ve lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when you’re just sitting around. That’s one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.

Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn’t differentiate between the two. It can’t tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat. There are several other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current.

If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry. The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don’t be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride. It’s a matter of mind over scale.

columboetc- i've cut out potatoes, rice, pasta, bread etc. Mostly eating protein and green veg.

Well done Columbo on losing lbs and inches, and sticking with it. I'm fully back on track food wise, but its still booze thats the issue, I've been out every night this week, which hasnt helped. But I have had a good week so far of running and cycling, which I hope is damage limitation.

And I didnt sucumb to a cornish pasty on the late train home last night (it helped that the stall was closed )

Hmmmm, Columbo... perhaps you are right about the water thing. [extremely, ridiculously hopeful emoticon] Thinking about it, I don't think I have been drinking enough. Mission for today - drink loads... and then drink some more
Well done on completing your first week. I think it definitely gets easier the longer you do it for. It starts to become second nature.

First week over for me, have only lost 3 lb but despite grumpiness it has been relatively painless and I have lost several inches from my tummy which I really needed to get rid of. Definitely sticking with it.

Oggs well done on your loss

Aqua you're probably losing fat and holding water, and will get a whoosh soon. Oooooh hoping the same happens to me with the stretch marks...I must say they have got less noticeable but I wont be buying that bikini just yet...

Minum my mum is doing the diet as well and often has to peel open the sandwiches at work lunches...are you back on track now?

WWW Are you staying on phase one/induction then?

Tattoedgrrl I only started last week. Are you doing low carb or just cutting out bread/wheat etc?

OK, just did everything I could think of - went to the loo, took all my clothes off...even blew my nose ffs... nope, the scales aren't going to budge. That's it. I am not stepping on them again until Monday.
On a (massive) positive note though, while I was in the bathroom I looked at myself in the mirror and I noticed that my stretch marks have all but disappeared. When I first had my DS I was so depressed about them and thought my bikini days were over forever (they were really really bad). I think I was wrong! I think they are disappearing as I lose weight. Another incentive to keep going.

Oggs, I am 31 so a fitness age of 59 is pretty horrendous! Congratulations on your weight loss. That's amazing. You must be feeling great. Keep it up!

Thanks, Minum, you're right, I know I need to exercise as well. Surely...surely I will start to lose weight again soon [hopeful emoticon].

aquasea hope your gym session went well. I think its hard to lose weight if you dont do excercise as well, so I'm sure it we get your weight loss going again.

Went off rails last night, had sandwiches at the event I went too, then made myself another one when I got home . Will be very careful today, and drink lots of water. I am running this morning, and cycling and swimming later, so hopefully will limit the damaage.

How old are you aqua?
The stall thing is a bummer isn't it? Stick with it - your body shape should be changing even though the scales aren't registering it.
You've probably thrown yourself out of ketosis though, and will need to get back 'in the zone'.

I've got my weigh in today with the cdc. It's a day early as I can't get there tomorrow. I was hoping to have cracked the 13 stone barrier but have just weighed myself and I'm 13st 0.5lb.
Still cause for celebration though as that makes me down 1st 0.5lb in 2 weeks! Yay!
('Official' weigh will make me heavier as I weigh in just my 'jamas at home, so I choose to go off my home readings )

Right. I refuse to let the vindictive scales get me down. I am off to the gym. <<hums 'eye of the tiger' ever so quietly under her breath>>
It didn't help that while cleaning up I came across my fitness assessment and my fitness age was actually 59

I've stalled. I have been really good (apart from Saturday night when we went out for dinner and I just had to eat what was served because its a bit rude not to! I only had a tiny bit of wine though and stuck to water and diet drinks because I was driving) but I can't seem to get below 14 stone The scales are no longer my friend! I even had my first personal training session on Sunday...and I can hardly walk now! Oh, she did my assessments and everything and apparently I have the bodyage of a 52 year old! I guessed somewhere in my 60's going by how I feel so I think being in my 50's isn't too bad

I don't think the bad breath thing is true... possibly people are referring to the smell of ketones? But ketones don't actually smell offensive, its more like a very mild pear drop smell, or almondy milky smell. I mean it is a little odd, but it is not dog breath by any means! I know this since a friend did low carb and had the ketone thing, but it was fine, not bad at all.

Anyway, with the lack of sugar/carbs your saliva is less likely to be acidic and will probably be neutral so won't have any mouth odour at all.

I just tested mine (left over ph testing kit from some crazy supergreens turn yourself alkali drink I was into a while back)and it is totally dead on neutral.

Oh I see oggs, thanks for the explanation. (WWW here, namechanged temporarily)

I am paranoid about bad breath and have been cleaning my teeth after every meal plus drinking lots of water. I don't smoke (do you CD?)

Can i join you, if it's not too late!

i'm on day 3 of no bread / spuds / rice / pasta, lost 1 lb so far.

i'm not fully on the wagon, but i'm trying.
(drank a bottle of red wine last night)

had 2 boiled eggs for breakfast, a plum mid morning, and tuna and chick pea stew thingy for lunch.

running out food so will have to stock up on some tuna / mayo / nuts etc. No idea what to eat for dinner

Ah, CD...that's me buggered. I don't smoke . No dogbreath here. I never even notice a metallic taste in my mouth.
Surely smoking leads to less than pleasant breath??

WWW, the cd (the diet not the countess), was designed by Dr's to help obese patients needing surgery lose weight very quickly. It contains 100% of all the essential vitamins etc in a very low calorie form.
As I said, it is drastic, but I'd come to the end of the road and had an atrocious relationship with food (despite cooking really healthy meals from scratch I tended to binge on crap). I needed to step away from actual food to re-assess.

Odd day yesterday, I was actually hungry in the afternoon, which hasnt happened since I restarted Low-carb. I ate some chicken and mayo, then cheese and tomatoes, then scrambled egg, which kept me going till dinner time - I hope I'll be back to normal today

I don't really do added sugar so is ok on that front

do you all have dogbreath?
I did atkins once for 10 mins and it was vile

I have found the best way to lose weight is

oat based brekkie
salad for lunch 3 days a week
other times sarnies but not fattening ones
No carbs in the evening to speak of
skip a few meals (pref in the eve)
smoke

WWW, what day are you on? Are you going to stay on Phase 1 for a bit longer?

I didn't eat much bread/stodge before the diet. It is sugar that I had the issue with. Pasta, cous cous, bread I could live without easily. But gimme a cookie, some ice cream, some Marks and Sparks Vicky Sponge or a bit of fruitcake oooh. Jeez, what is this, gastro-porn? Shut up Columbo, you're on a diet and there will be no sticky buns for you for ages, years even.

I have 2 stone to lose, 3 if I am aiming on being as slim as I was 5 years ago (which is not unreasonable, though I did run a lot then) but 2 stone would get me bang in the middle of the healthy BMI for my height.

I feel fine but I do miss proper cooking/baking. Low carb cooking seems so ersatz. The thing is, I have been losing weight steadily but slowly by trying to reeducate myself, and I haven't been bingeing much recently (made a big tray of rocky road the week before starting Neris & India and had one bit, the rest sat in a tub in the fridge over the weekend and was then given away to a friend).

I think I can stick this for the purposes of losing weight, but I don't think I subscribe to the "sugar is like the crack cocaine of the food world" thing. I mean sure, it's not good for you, but I am teetotal and it was one of life's little pleasures, you know?

I gained weight due to getting depressed and turning to sweets in the evenings. Previously I have been 8.5 - 9 stone all my life and still did carbs, ate chocolate regularly. However, I also ate very healthily apart from that and did quite a bit of exercise.

I hope to get myself back into that position - personally I find it depressing to think I am on this for life. Sorry if that is a downer but I just don't subscribe to the theory that it has to be for life. I think you just have be very mindful of what you eat, not eat loads of crap and not eat more than you are going to burn off.

So I will be going back to my muesli and bananas and brown rice and jacket potatoes once I have lost weight.

Can you tell I'm a Neris not an India?

Columbo, I feel v positive too and don't, so far, feel remotely tempted by sugar or carbs. I'm just telling myself "I don't eat those things" and so far it's working. I keep hearing phrases from the India book too, mostly

you're NOT THE BIN
Cheating is fatal

oggs, 405 a DAY? That's not enough, surely?

I have to say I don't feel like I'm on a diet with India and Neris, not at all. I just have to remember that I don't eat carbs, sugar or caffeine and it's fine. I'm even ok on no booze so far. (had one night where I drank but otherwise am at beginning of third week of not drinking)

Just had a nice left-overs lunch - heated up the frying pan with some oil, dropped in a chopped spring onion, chopped a couple of slices of bacon, a handful of chopped frozen peppers, some shredded chicken from the carcus of Sunday dinner, fried for 5 mins, then stirred in the scrapings from a tup of cream cheese, and grated some parmesan on top - yumm

Sounds like everyone is doing well. Great to get control of the cravings, I love the fact I've lost my sweet tooth.

Lost 3/4lb on the weekly weigh in this morning, not much, but its in the right direction.

It was a good week foodwise, except for Saturday when I lost the plot with toast and rice, I was really busy all day, and cold and wet after a day in the rain with no coat, so just ate what I could find

Its a manic week this week, I'm out every night for dinner, or at events, so its going to be hard to keep the booze consumption down.

Good luck everyone this week

So pleased you're feeling better Columbo. It's a great feeling when you realise you are in charge rather than the cravings isn't it .

I too am feeling more positive today. It's not that I have any cravings as such it's just the mind numbing boredom I feel not being able to eat a thing.
It's made me realise how much I actually enjoy eating. Not necessarily carbs/stodge, but the actual sensation of eating/preparing good food.
I'm hoping I come out of this with a lot more respect for my body and the things I put in it.
It's great seeing the weight come off daily, but it really is a drastic/end of the road type of diet.
When I think of how many calories I must have been stuffing my face with, it's quite a shock to see how well I'm feeling on just 405 calories a day.

Well knock me down with a feather! I am feeling right chipper and perky!

Yesterday I was literally lying face down on the floor crying, thinking how hard it was and how I couldn't bear the thought of a life where you couldn't have a fecking croissant if you fancied one...I was so upset because I was ready to jack it in and go and have a slice of raisin bread, I was cross with myself but in the end I didn't have the raisin bread and eventually the feelings of resentment and despair passed. (Clouds part and angelic light shafts fall upon Columbo) Suddenly I got it!

It was just a blimmin' craving, which I didn't really recognise as such because normally I would have given into it. All that I did was decide not to give into it, and after that I have decided that I am not going to be a slave to sugar in that way ever again.

Have been sticking to it and today (day 4) I have had bouts of feeling pretty damn good actually, lighter, happier, more free. For eg, when we were getting petrol DH asked me if I wanted anything when he went into the garage to pay, and I was delighted to realise that not only was I saying no, I meant it, with not even any hint of desire for a Kit Kat etc.

So anyway. That's me, pretty good at the moment. Not weighed myself yet, waiting until the first week is over. Fingers crossed!

Well done WWW - fab loss! And well done everyone else for sticking to it too.

well done everyone!!
I'm impressed

Ive been a bit poorly so not sticking strictly to the carblessness, hopefully back on track for monday, not put any weight back on though as Ive had a dodgy tum.

Well done Www . How are you finding it? Are you still all fired up? Drinking enough water?
I'm miserable on this diet but have not cheated once. I need to start doing some exercise to boost the weightloss.

Hi all I've lost another 4lbs so that's 12lbs in all in 14 days.

No stodge I meant

Columbo I've had all those feelings, but I can assure you I feel better than I ever have on this diet. I eat less volume now, am rarely hungry, and what I eat is really good quality, nutrious stuff, no stodgy. I rarely snack, just 3 really yummy meals each day. Good luck - it will get easier very soon.

Hey Oggs, yes its pretty good, loads of low carb recipes that actually seem do-able and tasty!!

If you'd like to accompany me onto the other thread we can discuss special discounted terms

Yo, Binkle . I'll have the book unless anyone else wants it. Is it any good?
<thinks that she should have perhaps asked this before saying she'd have it >

Columbo, try snacking on nuts not cheese or meat.

I've shifted over a stone and 2 dress sizes on the Neris & India diet and I am firmly convinced this way of eating is more healthy. We consume so much less butter than we used to because we aren't putting it on toast every day.

Eat lots of fish too, not just meat. Its more interesting and seems to speed weight loss to mysteriously. After the 1st 2 weeks it gets easier, really. I don't even think of being on a diet now - I just don't do carbs and I have never felt better.

On day 3 and today I am feeling tired and hungry, so I will eat a bit of cheese or salami but I don't feel full, satisfied.

I am worried I will be eating too much after snacking on brie and meat all the time.

Also feel resentful, I don't like the thought of all that meat and grease and cream and I want a bit of bread or a biscuit or a cake.

It's all very well going on about neolithic diets, I grumble to myself, but civilisation is based on starch!

Anyway I am sticking to it but find myself looking into the future when I reach my goal weight and being able to eat a normal diet.

Sorry, very negative post. But it's all I can muster today.

does anyone fancy buying the India Knight Idiot Proof Diet Cookbook (and breathe...) off me?

Its a low carb one maybe you have heard of it?
£12.99 in the shops but your delivered for £6.00

Anyone?

wow oggs, well done! That's fab.

Weigh in today after first week of Cambridge...... <drumroll>...... 9lbs .

Have decided not to weigh myself at home anymore though as my scales put me at another 3lbs down .

So. First week over. 9lb down, 41 to go .

Corrr well done Aqua. I had a rough first few days - I had a horrible headache that wouldn't go and I had to pee ALL the farkin time!

Now have a bladder of steel and only have to go every few hours

V excited about wedding now and gorgeous dress. I am only 5"2 so I'm still classed as overweight as far as BMI is concerned but I don't care anymore. And as I'm getting married abroad I'll be brown, and as we all know, brown fat is far better than white fat

Pics to follow - and thanks for all the support and advice, lowcarb hugs to you all! x

Can I join the wistfullness at 11st...

at the "its just food, its not love" I like a bit of Oprah to start the day

Todays menu

Cheese Omlette
Tuna salad
Salmon with yoghurt dressing, and spinach

Good luck everyone today

Well done auntyspan. That's fantastic!
<pulls up a chair to join oggs and katisha in a circle of wistful 11st wishes>

Good going Columbo. You poor thing having a root canal though. DH had one of those a few months ago and he said it was "barbaric"... he is a man though

I am on day four and feeling fantastic. I haven't caved once. I have lost all the weight I put on in my two weeks splurge... which I think must prove that it really was all water. phew. I feel so much better when I don't eat carbs. I am less bloated, more energetic, happier, I sleep better and I don't feel hungry all the time (not to mention not feeling the pull of the cakes and then the consequent guilt and misery when I succumb)... so why do I go back to them? I wrote all that down to remind myself when I am feeling like something sweet. It might taste good for a second but it doesn't make me feel good. Oh god, now I am sounding like Oprah "it's just food, it's not love" bleurgh.

First day went OK.

Bacon, eggs and tomato
Salami and an avocado
Salami and cheese snack
Pot roast brisket
Soy chai latte
spoonful of peanut butter

And I spent three hours having root canal surgery today.

So far so good. Thumbs up.

Excellent work Auntyspan! We shall require photos you know!

<Joins Oggs in reverie of 11st...>

Well done auntyspan
<dreams wistfully of being under 11st>

Double congrats auntyspan, you'll look fab on the big day

morning ladies - weighed in this morning at under 11 stone, not been there since I was a student....!

Have lost a total of 12lb now - and am off to get hitched a week today (lets hope the dress still fits )

Good luck with your start today Columbo, hope you enjoyed your carbfest last night

Today I'm cycling and swimming, so making the most of the sunshine.

Good going aquasea

Two days of being back on induction and I am back in ketosis! Bring it on! I am feeling inspired.

Just popping in since I am starting tomorrow - did post about a week or so ago to this effect, got back today from my weekend away, the fridge is stocked with meat and green veggies etc, Neris and India cookbook arrived today and I feel GREAT about starting.

I am having takeaway pizza for my evening meal tonight, DH wanted it and I am going along with it, though I don't know if the last day of carbs party is really a good idea - I have been trying to cut down a bit gently to soften the withdrawal syndrome only to stuff myself with pizza and ice cream this evening.

But anyway. Tomorrow, I love ya, you're only a day away...

Hello all

Today
I had bacon and eggs
smoked salmon and cream cheese
half a tomato
Brie, Dolcelatte and Camembert
about to have prawns and broccoli in garlic butter

finally have all my vitamins and feel ok. In every way, ahem

So I am on day 10 of NO booze, carbs, sugar, caffeine and I so so hope this carries on working. The India and Neris cookbook arrived today, about to look at it.

Indeed oggs!

But I can't seem to care that much

8 miles?! Bloody hell! highly impressive. I have my first personal training session on Saturday and I am terrified...Terrified she will take one look at my wobbly bod and run screaming from the room. I hope she doesn't use those fat pincher things <<shudder>>

<nonchalently buffs halo>

Et tu, Orm?

<orm shuffles in sheepishly and then buggers off before anyone sees her>

But I did run 8 miles on Sunday <hopeful and ingratiating smile>

Most of the weight you put back on when coming off lowcarb is fluid. Something to do with the glycogen created/stored when eating carbs holding onto water.
When you low carb and switch into ketosis (burning fat rather than glycogen) you dump all this, but when you go back to eating 'normally' the fluid comes back.

It's making me wonder if I should lower my goal weight to take this into account

Good day yesterday, and didnt feel hungry - I do like living on 3 meals a day, and not feeling the need to snack.

Todays menu
Bfast - cheese omlette
Lunch - Tuna salad
Dinner - belly pork cabbage and cauliflower

going running this morning

Good luck today to everyone today - drink lots of water {smile]

Wow - that's brilliant Oggs You must feel really good about yourself. Keep it up! <<feeling slightly intimidated by the gallons mentioned, runs off to grab a glass of water>>

Ah Sally, feeling your pain. That's exactly what I do. Here, the wagon door is open, climb back up.

Is anyone else amazed at how quickly the weight comes back on? I lost a stone by severely limiting carbs and was feeling great but after two weeks of bingeing relaxing the rules, I have put 3/4 of it back on again

Thanks for the welcome, Katisha.

Welcome Aquasea!

Well I've been good today, but I always am on Mondays... Amazing how the not feeling all that hungry thing kicks right back in.

and a magnum

at maccyd's

fell off the wagon with a bump and landed on my bum!

chicken wrap thingy with fries and a diet coke for lunch

Going okay thanks Aquasea. Haven't been tempted to break it yet and am drinking gallons of water.
Down 8.75lbs as of this morning .

whoops succumb.

Oh, by the way, I am in Sydney so its nighttime here hence me talking about dinner.

Hi Oggs and Minum. Thanks for the welcome. Nearly a whole day without carbs! I am feeling proud of myself. I even had black coffee at a friends house and wasn't tempted by cakes and biscuits she had on offer (OK, so I lied, I was tempted but I didn't sucumb ) I have salmon and vegetables for dinner. I think coming here is really going to help. I have to lose weight. It is really making me feel down on myself. How is your CD going, Oggs?

Oops. How rude Welcome Aquasea

I agree Minum, going alcohol free during the week does make a huge difference. When I first did low carb a couple of years ago I went 2 months without a drink and I lost 2 stone in a relatively quick space of time.
If you do drink at weekends it also really does help if you stick to vodka/gin and diet soad/tonic.
Wine has loads of sugar in it and will kick you straight out of ketosis.
(Haven't had a drink since weekend before I started CD and tbh I'm not missing it)

Welcome Aquasea, and good luck with your new start. I know what you mean about being put off course by celebrations/visitors etc, but this time round, I am managing to eat what I should eat, and not get pushed into eating things I dont want to eat. My breakthrough was when I realised I could say no to cake/biscuits whatever, and not feel guilty that I was upsetting my host.

Lost 2lbs on the weekly weigh in this morning. Keeping off the booze mid week is really helping.

Bfast - cheese omlette
Lunch - frittata and other picnic leftovers
Dinner - Sausages and cauli mash

Hi everyone...can I join you? I know I need to do the low carb thing as I know it is good for me (and I need to lose loads of weight post baby!) but I struggle with it. I do it for a week, or even two, lose weight, feel loads better but then there always seems to be a reason to relax it (inlaws coming to stay, some celebration or other etc etc) and then once I relax it a bit I seem to lose it totally and think "well, I've had a bit of toast, I might as well have chocolate, cakes, whatever I want". It just doesn't make sense! Anyway, I am back on it again and I am going to try to come here to stay on the straight and narrow! 4 and a half stones to lose.

Finishing off kids dinners is a bad habit of mine as well. Can't bear to see waste to find myself shovelling stuff down, which is utterly pointless...

Had a bit of a disaster with some flapjack I made this weekend for them. For some reason it went all crumbly (I make this a lot and it's usually fine). Any way I decided obviously the best thing would be to pour melted chocolate over it all to stick it together. In fact that worked rather too well and there is no nothing left of any of it, and a fair bit of it is inside me...

Ho hum and on to Monday morning...

When I cook now it's making me realise how many times I dipped my finger in things or finished off what dd or dh left .

Oggs I was speaking to a lady today who lost 4 stone last year doing the same diet as you, shes now maintaining and looks fantastic, she lost the 4 stone in 3 months and has kept it off!

Im so tempted!

Thanks Katisha
Feeling a bit fed up today. I've just cooked dh and dd sirloin steaks, new pots, purple sprouting broccoli (from the garden) and salad.
I had half a sachet of toffee and walnut shake added to a cup of black coffee
I weighed again this morning (I know I shouldn't but it's habit to step on them first thing in the morning) and since I started on Thurs I've lost 7 and three quarter lbs.

I really want to know how this works out for you Oggs so please stay here!

I have been a bit hopeless lately - can keep low carb up during the week and then tend to lose the plot at weekends. So not surprising I am not losing any weight at the moment!

Day 4.
Just had half a sachet of toffee and walnut shake for breakfast (I'm saving the other half for mid-afternoon).
Will try the vegetable soup or leek and potato for lunch.
Tea will be half a sachet of chocolate and mint, with the other half as a bedtime drink.

Feels a bit odd being here. You sure you don't mind me being the odd one out?

blueberries for breaky

smoked pork sausage salad for lunch

a bottle of wine and jerk chicken with rice and potatoes and roast veg (went to bils for tea).

I don't find it tmi WWW I deal with bowel movements all day, I can even talk about them when eating without it spoiling my apetite

well done on the weight loss

Well done WWW on the loss - and your menu looks great.

B/fast - full fry up
Lunch - tuna mayo salad
Dinner - Spicy mince and peppers

Yesterday was good food-wise, but had a few pints of real ale last night, I darent think how much sugar was in them

I need to lose 3.5 - 4 stone and am bloody well going to do it this time.
(Sneaked a peek at the scales this morning and I'm down 5.75 lbs. Need to keep off the scales now until official weigh in on Thur)

Onwards and downwards, eh?

Oggs, it's such an embarrassingly high figure I won't post it but once I'm nearer my target I will post my starting and finishing weight!

Oh, well done you !.
See, it really does work. That's fantastic. It will give you the motivation to carry on.

How much do you want to lose in total?

I've LOST EIGHT POUNDS!! In 7 days! I am SO happy

am weighing shortly, will report back later!

Oh, well done WWW - hope it wasn't too traumatic an experience

Thank you SS. Have been to the loo, hurrah. So sorry for tmi on this thread!

well done WWW your doing really well

am shattered

2 celery sticks with pate

cup of tea and a biscuit

a chicken thigh in spicy tomato sauce

water

Today

bacon and eggs
large salad nicoise so tuna, spinach and watercress, quails eggs, green beans and olive oil dressing, it was lovely
brazil nuts
lots of water
and having steak and broccoli and salad tonight
no wine for 6 days
no coffee for 3 days
no sugar or carbs for 6 days

my vits from Holland and Barrett finally arrived so physillum husks, HURRAH!

Thanks Oggs

Could you not even face scrambled eggs? Easy on the tum and full of protein?

hello everyone

not sure whats on the menu today

Ive completely lost my apetite, I don't want to eat at all, I had a pepperami last night for dinner and that was a struggle

I think its stress

Im having a coffee and hoping I feel like eating something before I go to work as Im on a late shift and will be very busy, I don't want to go passing out on anyone.

That's worth knowing - thanks .

you can get psyllium (isphagula husk) from Holland and Barratt in a big tub which over time works out much cheaper, plus it doesn't have any artifical flavours or sweeteners. It is called Colon Care plus.

No sugar as such I don't think WWW. Each sachet contains 3.5g Ispaghula Husk in an orange flavoured base containing sweeteners.
When I was low-carbing I took it whenever I needed to move things along, with no obvious detrimental effect on the diet.

I'm going to use it now I'm on the Cambridge also.

Hopefully just upping your veggies will sort it

WWW my insides are better than they've ever been, which I think is because I have wheat problems, so hopefully you will find yours are good, once you've settled into the diet

Another good day yesterday, except for a chocolate biscuit, which I ate without thinking when it was offered to me.

Todays diet
Cheese/Tom omlette
Salmon and salad lunch
Out for dinner, so no idea yet, will do my best to avoid a carb heavy meal, but not sure I'll be totally on-message

Enjoy the sunshine today everyone

sorry, oggs.

Thank you so much Oogs. Never thougt I'd be discussing my poo on the interweb but there you go! Is there sugar in Fybogel? I read the boglog thread on India and Neris's site but gave up...

Give Fybogel a try. It's such a gentle acting one it merely provides some bulk to hold things together and move things along. It's not one of those explosive ones.
It was prescribed for me years ago when I suffered from IBS and I have used it since with no problems.
I use the orange flavoured one mixed with about half a pint of water. Take it in the evening and it will help the next day. Give it a go before you go back to work.
Failing that try and eat more fibrous veg - it should ease as you add in more variety. You can eat celery at that stage can't you? I used to love it with paté.
Remember you will not be eating much fibre at all and your fat intake will have increased.Doesn't make fr a happy gut. It may need a little help .
Hope it eases soon. You're doing really well.

Thanks SS and Oogs, Minum, India and Neris keeps you off a lot of veg in phase 1, which is for 2 weeks. I am eating a lot of salad and spinach though. Just checked and it says "after the initial 2 weeks your veg intake will go up considerably" - phew!

Today

bacon and eggs
a salmon steak, cold, for lunch
half an avocado
basil, tomato and mozzarella salad
some brazil nuts
a piece of cheese
a steak with cream and peppercorn dresing
spinach and watercress salad with olive oil dressing

Have been to the loo but er, still not happy with the poo aspect of this diet, I have to say. I either don't go or have diarrhoea (sorry for tmi). I am REALLY hoping this sorts itself out next week, I cannot have this at work

Am now on day 5 so apparently over the worst bits. Tf for that.

phew glad your staying Oggs would miss you if you went xx

DAMN those bloody chocs! I had 4

scrambled eggs for breaky

smoked pork sausage salad for lunch

celery with cheese and onion sandwich filler and a cup of strong coffee

not sure whats for dinner yet

Starwb, from what I understand the cd is a sort of extreme atkins in the sense that it is based on you going into ketosis.
So if it's alright with you lot I'll not be going anywhere .
Filled with a mixture of excitement and trepidation . I'll let you know how I get on.

WWW I think your diet looks a bit short on veg, unless you are eating lots of different things in the salad - you need your 5 a day - did you have veg with the chicken and tarragon? (which sounds lovely by the way )

Another good day yesterday, I am getting to the point of very little hunger, and lost all taste for sweet stuff.

Todays menu

Cheese and tom omlette
Burger and salad for lunch
Salmon with corgettes and asparagus (if they have the new season in greengrocers this morning) Lots of hollandaise !

Good luck everyone today.

You will feel better www. Much better.

Good luck froggy. I've heard loads of success stories. It's hardcore but good I beleive. Have you found out how much it costs?

good luck Oggs my uncle lost loads doing that diet, your not leaving us though are you?

its normal to feel totally shit for the first few days WWW, headaches and just genaral yuckyness its like a detox.
Your portions sound fine, keep up with the water, after inductions over you can look forward to introducing a few more varied things, I used to eat a tin of salmon for a snack on induction, the bowel thing is normal as well, beware though if you take the fybogel it may work really well so best do it on a day your at home

Well Ive had quite a stressful day, I didn't have time to eat my lunch but I did manage about 6 chocolates, and came home and scraped the potato off the top of a shepherds pie (just lamb, leek and lentil for the shepherd) ate a few spoonfulls with some green beans and a tiny bit of cauliflower, Ive drank 2 pints of water and a bottle of diet coke.

Ive also smoked 3 cigarettes (I gave up on monday)

I have my lunch all ready for tomorrow so am determined to be good

Are you feeling any less bloated WWW? I always feel much clearer headed and less windy/bloated when low carbing.

Thanks Oggs. There are no QUANTITIES in India and Neris. And I know she says 'don't worry as long as you're eating from a plate; but I do (worry)

Sounds like you're doing fine . That's a lot less cream than I guzzle.
To get over constipation I always use fybogel (a bulking agent).
I don't really feel qualified to comment though, given my appalling record. I can't believe I lost 2 stone and then put it back on again .

prawns were 200g pack.

low carb experts does that sound ok? Too much? Not enough? The cheese was a Mini moo thing, the salami is that french pound coin sized, a few slices, it was a whole chicken breast with a quarter pot of double cream between 2 of us. 2 rashers bacon, 2 fried eggs.

I really can't believe this is going to work. No caffeine today for the first time in YEARS. Feel rubbish. And constipated alternating with diarrhoea, luvverly! Apparently I will only feel this bad again tomorrow (day 5) and then it will be better, roll on.

Well, I've had

bacon and eggs
some cheese and salami
prawns and salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing
some more cheese and salami
tarragon chicken with cream
salad

lots of water

Aw, thanks everyone .
I've got my initial meeting with a Cambridge Diet Counsellor tomorrow

<<oggs>>

My friend has lost 7 stone on Lighterlife, which I think is more expensive than cambridge, but she also had a tough relationship with food and she was attracted to the LL diet bcause of the counselling that went along with it. She now doesn't use food as an emotional crutch, as she used to, and she swears by the fact that it's so supportive.

I think it's pricey though, and you have to sign up for 14 weeks so you have to be REALLY committed. <hugs again>

Sorry you are having a bad time frog. I find that I teeter on the brink with food so often - it's so easy for me to slip from one virtuous tuna and salad sandwich and an apple, to two rounds, an apple and a packet of crisps...then another because in for a penny etc. And by the end of the day I feel fat and full of self-disgust. Which is why lc works for me by breaking that relationship. But if it's no good for you I have heard good things of Cambridge. Perhaps it's the kickstart you need. I don;t know how much it costs I must admit.

back on the wagon today

am working late so I went back to bed for an hour after taking dd to school, if ~i sleep I dont eat

just had coffee and I'm having egg bacon, mushroom and tomato for lunch and taking a salad to work for dinner.

<<TMI warning>> - I was egg bound last week, this week complete opposite problem <<sigh>>
Im anxious about my interview next week so I think its IBS more than the diet.

Ate some asparagus that was rather past its best yesterday and am now having an "interesting" morning...However I have cheered myself up by finding a pair of jeans in New Look that actually fits.

Oggy - don't despair my froggy friend. That book looks good - I might order it myself actually because it is so hard not to eat for non-necessary and even non-pleasurable reasons. Stay with us and battle on!

Good day yesterday, didnt have anything dodgy all day, and kept off the wine last night. Lovely DH replaced my bike tyre last night, so I'm cycling to my meetings today, and swimming tonight. Going for a run when I've dropped the boys of at school. But have decided to wear shorts, which just reminds me how much I've got to lose

B/fast, cheese omlette
Lunch, tuna salad
Dinner, sausages and cauli mash

Typing out this menu makes me realise how samey my food is - will try to make my diet more varied

Cor WWW that sounds good.

Forgot I can eat avocados.

today I've had:

Morning Shine bar
tuna salad
2 x shakes
2 bits of cheese.
celery sticks with a bit of egg may sandwich filler
small pot of hot dog sausages

AF is about to rear it's ugly head so haven't weighed myself

Oh and a whole packet of prawns

at SS! But I hope you had a nice day.

I ate salmon and salad for supper last night

today
bacon and eggs
smoked salmon and cream cheese wraps for lunch
half an avocado
3 slices of salami (the pound coin sized proper French type)
a slice of camembert
some brazil nuts
lemon sole with butter and lemon
salad with vinaigrette (olive oil and tarragon vinegar)

loads of water

multi vitamins
fish oils
milk thistle

Feel tired but ok

<<hugs oggs>>

well today was my child free day off, Id been really looking forward to it, I went shopping, ate a pepperami and a some tuna and pepper sandwich filler with celery sticks in the car for breakfast

lunch was a seafood salad and a couple of chips

followed by

2 mini packets of gold bears
1/2 a lager shandy
white wine and lemonade
a few crisps

got home, not feeling very hungry but it'll kick in later Im sure

what wagon ?

oggsfrog have you read a little book by Gillian Riley (Can't remember the title - but she is an addiction cessation counsellor) I would thoroughly recommend it. Not a diet book (she stresses that we obsess about our weight when in fact it is food we have a problem with) but guides you towards a more manageable relationship with food.

Ah yes...this is it. Check out the feedback people give it. It is so worth getting a copy.

Not having a good time of it at all Orm. I'm despairing of ever managing to reach a healthy weight.
I'm currently looking into the cambridge diet. Can't really afford it but feel I need something that will break this destructive relationship I have with food.

Et tu froggy?

<sits in dust with head in hands>

Have also rolled off the wagon over the last few days, circumstances conspiring against me (trying to find food while working on bank hol and stuff like that).
So off we start again today. I just hate having to get past the cravings all over again.

Columbo's last post seems eminently reasonable to me. We have only become dependent on sugar and starch fairly recently in our history.

I tripped up on large piece of coffee cake yesterday

but leapt back on the waggon with such force I think I knocked a few off this morning! Soz!

I know what you mean. When I first started thinking about doing Atkins I used to get into a total panic about what I could eat - potatoes and wheat being such a staple. But it becomes second nature after a while.

However I can still trip myself up

I think the way I am trying to see it is that we have only recently in human history been able to eat refined carbs and sugar. SO why do I feel that I am giving up something practially essential? Sugar in fact esp whte sugar is not really natural at all as a foodstuff. And when the British Isles were first settled by wandering neolithic hunter gatherers, wouldn't they have lived on mainly protein (mussels/whelks/fish/game) and wild tough fibrous naturally growing greens and berries like seakale and seabuckthorn? It would have been tough and unappetising most of the time but when you found a wild honeycomb or blackberries you would have gone wild for them.

So I am imagining myself mainly eating protein, fat and non starchy veggies but occasionally enjoying a "wild honeycomb or blackberries" (ie christmas pudding or easter egg heh heh) and still not getting fat.

Yes it sounds reasonable columbo. I don;t know about the science anymore TBH. I swallowed the whole blood sugar thing hook line and sinker and stuck religiously to Atkins for a few years. But got fed up of it dictating my life. Found that when I moved away to a 'normal' low-GIish sort of diet I didn't put loads of weight on as long as I remained sensible and didn't binge. And took plenty of exercise. I have a huge love of sugar and starchy foods and could quite happily never eat meat or fish again, and that does mean that I do tend to binge on carbs if I'm not careful. But it also means that when I'm on a restricted carb diet, I eat very little - take away the enjoyment factor and eating becomes a chore not a pleasure. I can leave the safety of lc but only if I keep a strict hold of my eating and keep moving a lot, and I go back to the fold if I start to put on weight or eat too many of the wrong things.

I just placed an online order for in readiness for my starting next Weds.

So, a question for old time low carbers who lost weight, stopped eating low carb and then put weight on. How much weight did you put on and was it due to overeating or was it because of this thing I have heard that once you go low carb you have to stick to it otherwise your body just keeps putting on fat slowly as it believes it has encountered famine and starvation and it is trying to ensure you have fat reserves for the future.

I am OK with not eating cakes and sweets etc again (or at least apart from birthdays and christmas etc), but the idea that if I eat lentils, rice, fruit etc I will get fat frankly scares me. I am overweight because I ate emotionally and became addicted to sugary treats to lift my mood.

I am going to eat low carb (unbalanced diet) until I lose the excess weight, then introduce low GI wholegrain/legumes/fruit etc (proper balanced diet) but not a diet rich in carbs (again unbalanced).

Does this sound reasonable?

Arsy bum flaps buggery hell!

Fallen off wagon so hard I hurt myself. Got bored of not wanting to eat. And I really fancied crisps. So I had crisps and bread, pasta and shortbread.

I think I know what superpoo is like. Clean, neat and perfectly formed. No need to wipe. TMI I'm sure but there we are.

Just asked my poo why it wasn't flying away.

Didn't get a good response.

But I got some weird looks when I came out of the loo.

Are we all drinking water girls??

nah it'd take more than pics of flying poo to make me vom

oggs, I roasted and pureed the butternut squash and then realised I don't have any veg stock cubes so pureee is in the fridge and I am waiting for my Ocado delivery tomorrow, which has stock cubes. I will ahve it for lunch on Weds, when I'm working from home.

Icky? Anything to do with you googling images of flying poo perhaps?

feel a bit icky

couldn't stomach the lamb I made for dinner, just ate 2 almond cookies instead

Just like that I'd imagine Strawb

I've never bothered about portion control when it comes to meat/fish etc.
Have you tried the roast butternut squash soup? Mmmmmm. Bloody gorgeous.
I did wonder about portion size with this as one very large butternut makes a lot of soup and I scoff it all in one sitting

I just found out the answer to my own queston on portion sizes from the pig2twig site>

"India
Administrator - PM This User

Don't worry too much about portion control. Eat off a normal dinner plate, not a tray (or a desk), and you should be absolutely fine. "

yep thats why I waiting for a super poo, Ive never had one before whilst low carbing

wonder if it looks like this

I don't remember any super poo .
I'm sure that's not the kind of thing you'd forget .
<has mental image of a poo flying through the air in a cape>

Oh ewww Ss, I am SO not looking forward to that part.

I had a look at the pig2twig forum

Im waiting for a super poo

I';ve just looked on the india knight forum and I'm a bit worried that it says "meat portions the size of your palm" etc, the book DOESN'T REMOTELY specify sizes of meat or chicken breasts or cheese. So is it just smaller portions = weight loss?

Oh and just to say I read the india knight book and the cookery book - it looks pretty good and not too hard - Good luck everyone is on it!!!

OK on my way

Not telling until you pop over and tell us tales of your hydraulic stool...

ooh...where??!!!

Hi BLTN, well done.
Can't afford to buy the cook book, what is the chili bake?

Hey Binkle!!! How the hell are you?

Well done on the loss. I'm doing abyssmally at the moment and feeling very embarrassed by my lack of self control.

Pop over and see us - we miss you. Guess where I'm going on Fri?

Hey Oggs!!

Where you been

I'm over on the cambridge diet thread - I lost 7lb this week!!

I lost track of the other thread when all talk turned to chickens etc is it still going?

I'll join you - doing India (get the cookery book too - the chilli bake is to die for). I have lost a stone in 2 months and more impressively 20 cms off my waist (and I have cheated a bit when we were away too, but it stayed off)

I too lost 2st but as of this morning am back where I started
You've got me craving a g&t now Strawb.

I lost 2 stone doing it last year WWW, it does work but you have to read labels and be very vigilant and drink loads of water and excercise

Ive had a g&t Im cooking roast potato slices with onion and garlic and a rack of lamb, I don't know if I'll manage to steer clear of the potatoes although atm I don't feel like eating, but Im sure that will change

And I am going to make home made mayo today as realised the organic versions dh bought yesterday still have sugar in them.

I can't really believe this is going to work, it doesn't feel like a diet. I had steak and salad for lunch yesterday and then tarragon chicken and salad, lots of water, no booze and have just had 4 rashers of bacon and 2 fried eggs for breakfast.

It doesn't seem right! My fridge is full of meat and cheese and cream, it all seems too indulgent to be a diet. Please someone tell me it works!

Weekly weigh in this mornning - lost the pound I put on last week, so back on track. Not a good weekend - we were away, ate bread, and drank beer, but did plenty of excercise last week.

This weeks challenge - no midweek drinking, running 3 times, swimming once, cycling when I can (and of course stick to meat/veg diet)

Today
B/fast - full massive fry up
Lunch - salad and something
Dinner - out for curry, will have tandoori, and veg curry

I drink the Atkins shakes SS - i use them in emergencies as I've read they can stall weight loss (although I haven't experienced that yet). They're actually quite nice.

Those protein ones you get at the gym look a bit chalky.... and i don't want to end up looking like one of those chiseled blokes on the label!

has anyone tried protein shakes?

Oh Im PMSL!!!!!
Ive just been reading last years low carb threads

how the hell I managed to loose 2 stone I'll never know

and I did get pissed a lot!

very funny though

I realise looking back that having weekends off is not a good idea

Katisha!!! <<stern look>>

was it mainly cream and jelly?
if so its hopefully not so bad.

STEP AWAY FROM THE CRUMPET!!!!

Ive just made almond cookies

Went to MIL's today and it would have been very rude not to have had the trifle...
So now I'm having a crumpet. Oh dear. I might have another one.

<Goes and sits with Oggs at the back and starts whispering and passing notes.>

oh god I want icecream

am off to make some almond cookies

god no!! 7lb in a FORTNIGHT!

fork fork cheeky!!

blueberries and greek yogurt for breaky
and coffee with cream and splenda

lunch - cheese Omelette

dinner - bacon and eggs
diet coke

need to drink more, need to go shopping or I'll start struggling

have some peppers roasting in the oven, a courgette in the fridge, some meatballs but they are swedish ones and probably full of carbs, enough salad for tomorrows lunch box. Im going to make some more almond cookies, although I tend to eat to many of them.

Soz oggsfrog!! Must start reading posts properly

7lb in a week SS that's really good you must be chuffed.

Welcome Columbo, glad I'm not the newest here anymore ... been grazing all day today but going to TGI's tonight for a burger with DD & pals (football widow this arvo) which I'm looking forward to. Have a cold though and no energy to get on the cross trainer

CR8P water intake today too.

Strawb, kitchen or garden forks?

I did a weigh in on my dodgy scales today, 7lb down, not bad for 2 weeks, if Id done proper induction it could have been more but Im happy, Im really busy on my feet all day on a busy ward which is also helping with the weight loss.
Ive still been eating berries, drinking coffee and having the odd bit of dark choc (as well as 2 blue ribands and some pasta yesterday )

Oggs it was a BIG pan full of linguine and I only had 3 forkfuls [proud emoticon]

Ive lost my appetite which is a good thing, Im trying to stay away from alcohol as that always ruins the loss of appetite thing.

well I had bacon and eggs for breakfasr, have had lots of water and will be having steak for lunch. Seems lovely so far but half way through day 1 it is easy to feel so, I realise this! I did have my coffee this morning, couldn't resist. Maybe will try not having it in phase 2, which is phase 1 again.

Hello, interested to see this thread here as I have just read India and Neris's Idiotproof Diet again and am going to start it on 14th May. Before then I'll be travelling about with DS (1 yr) to my mum's and gran's and it just won't be practical to start Phase 1 until I get back home. Also, I am weaning DS from 1 remaining morning BF before starting.

I have 2 stone to lose, lost a stone already just through walking more.

I did try Atkins when it was in vogue a few years back and strangely when I was actually pretty slim and didn't need to lose weight, my memories are of feeling terribly deprived and obsessed with baking ersatz muffins and cookies...this time I am going to forbid myself any such follies. I reckon I need to forget about cookies and pies and muffins altogether, and after phase one concentrate on good healthy low GI carbs and no sweenteners.

The most disgusting thing I used to eat on Fatkins was a snack of salted Macadamia nuts with a "cream soda" made of a glass of sugar free Dr Pepper with a teaspoon of double cream in it. Yuck!

Yes Oggs but you were right at the very back of the wagon and we couldn't hear you!

<ahem> Aunty, I think you'll find that I asked what the award was for a full 24 hours before Katisha did. Well done you.

Tsk, Strawb. At least you managed to stop at 3, or was that all there was?

I'm contemplating hopping back on the wagon tomorrow...

ok I had 3 forkfulls of the pasta

and by the way WWW I still drink three large cups of real coffee a day but have switched from milk to cream.... hasn't had a detrimental effect on my weight loss but everyone's different I think...

Well done SS for not bowing to temptation - DD was eating tuna pasta for tea and I soooooooo wanted some. It looked so nice. AF is due in a few days and making me crave carbs

Award was an advertising one Katisha (thanks for asking ) and was a real shocker - only runner up but still a nice paperweight for my desk...LOL....

Had an OK day today.... although did a ketostick before tea and it was only just pink - should I be worried? Haven't weighed for a few days. Didn't drink enough water today by a LONG way.

Will try and get to the gym tomorrow... i will i will i will!

Can't remeber what India said about it in her book. Have you seen the pig2twig site? It's got some great food ideas for when you need inspiration.

I have it black and have 3 teaspoons of coffee. And then don't drink it the rest of the day

what do you reckon? Do I have to give it up?
I will if otherwise it won't work, I don't want to fail.

Tonight am having curry and naan, last night Pizza all in prep for no carbs from tomorrow.

have fridge full of meat and cheese, quite looking forwrd to it!

It should really be decaf as coffee has a carb count and also stimulates insulin production, but if you can stick to just one cup a day I wouldn't worry too much.
Use cream rater than milk though.

Yes it will be, have never tried Fatkins or anything like it, have always just calorie counted. But I need something FAST so I see results fairly soon and stick with it otherwise I give up and I really really really want to be a smaller size by my birthday (October)

Will it be your first time low carbing WWW? If so, you should be very pleased with the results this time next week .
Just remeber to keep drinking the water.

Has anyone answered the coffee question? I have one large cup when I get up and that's it, surely I can still have it?

Oh I'm going to do India and Neris too, starting tomorrow so will read this thread with interest.

Oh, you lot are doing so well you put me to shame .
I'm meandering in a sluggish fashion trotting along behind wagon with aim of getting back on when i've finished eating the stash of crisps very soon

oh gawd

Ive just eaten bacon and eggs but the dc are eating bacon carbonara with linguine, its lovely Ive got loads left, enough for dh when he gets home and enough left over for ......me

I will not
I will not
I will not

Ive been good today!

it looks and smells soooo nice though

I love linguine

I lost the wagon yesterday as I had to travel for work so gave up and had some nice foreign food, very carby... Semi back to normal today apart form the sandwiches I had for lunch.
So I shall board the wagon again tomorrow morning.
I have to work bank hol Monday which is a pain so no weekend plans really here either.
(Psst Aunty - what was the award for?? Unless it compromises your anonymity of course!)

oh gawd ds is eating toast

its the smell thats the killer

I know if I have a bite I'll just be dissapointed

well done auntyspan and congrats on the award!
and a wedding you kept that quiet!

no plans for the weekend, I'm working tomorrow so only sunday off

breakie - 4 strawberrys which I ate in the car on the way to work, I really can't stomach much at 6am, coffee with cream and splenda

cup of coffee with milk and 1/2 sugar

elevenses - smoked pork sausage and egg salad with french mayo

dinner - spanish chicken - chicken in a spicy tomato sauce, with peppers and a few lentils bunged in (cooked in the slow cooker yesterday), blueberries with greek yogurt for afters.

snack - tuna pate, almonds, olives

need to drink more

I discovered that M&S do a tube of dark chocolate discs, each disc is 1.6gm of carbs, so I take them to work with me and if theres lots of chocs/sweets given to us by the patients (theres usually loads!) I eat one of my dark choccy discs so I don't feel I'm completely denying myself.

I have been ULTRA good today after blow-out last night... just bacon & mushrooms for brekkie, beefburger with a bit of cheese for lunch & having salmon for tea. Also drunk loads of water. Getting married at the end of the month so at least have something to aim for!

how have you guys done today then....? And what plans for the weekend??

Well done auntyspan. You might be a bit bloated after the wine so don't worry if the scales go up. You are lucky to feel fine now! When I start lc I usually react really badly to alcohol - ratarsed on 2 glasses

I was so good last night girls you would have been proud of me!!!

Avoided all the carbs in the meal - easy actually as it was smoked salmon and then lamb. Didn't eat any of the choc pudding but DID drink about 2 bottle of wine but matched each glass of wine with a glass of water.

This meant I nearly missed my award cos I was on the loo ALL night!!!

But feel fine this morning, just had bacon & mushrooms and a big coffee.

<shines halo>

the truth hurt Oggs xx

Ive been good today

no breakfast, took dd to school and came home to catch up on some sleep

lunch - went to M&S had a prawn and avocado salad, glass of rose, glass of water.

snack - some almonds, strawberrys, celery with tuna pate (wine made me hungry), diet coke

dinner - celeriac and leek bake, had half saving half for tomorrow

snack - salami, celery with cheese and onion sandwich filler

am slowly getting through my second pint of water.

Ooh, have you won an award Aunty? What for?

<pointedly ignores Strawbs truthful hurtful accusation>

Aunty I'd make sure you always have a glass of water in front of you, to keep the wine consumption down, and enjoy the meat and veg, so you wont mind pushing the pots etc to the edge. With any luck it will be posh food, which is usually high fat/low carb.

I think my scales are broken, they keep giving me a different reading everytime I stand on them, maybe AF is due, Im starting to crave stuff in an AF way iykwim, I hate it when that happens.

Im taking my mum to M&S we're having lunch there I'll stick to the seafood salad and try and be good, Ive got a job interview coming up I really want to try and shift some of my weight so at least I feel more comfortable even if I don't look much different, the interview is obv making me anxious and wanting to eat stuff I shouldn't

Orm - no you can't be upsetting your mum

Aunty - enjoy the awards ceremony lay off the bread, pasta and potatoes hope to god theres cheese and biscuits as well as a dessert, but lay of the biscuits obv

Oggs - your being norty arn't you

Minum - well done

Katisha - Im afraid its a lost cause, but I didn't eat the rest you'll be happy to hear

ITS A NEW DAY TODAY!!!

Had some (a v little bit of) baked fruit pudding at my mum's last night. I turned down the roast potatoes <halo glowing> but the pud was too lovely. She always trips me up. If I admit I'm on a 'that stupid diet' again she gets worried and at 76 I can't really expect her to cater specially for me. Now can I?

I have an awards ceremony tonight - a 4 course meal and shed loads of wine.



I think i might have a bad day.

Any tips anyone?

<lurks at the back keeping her mouth shut>

Morning all - today is a new day, I'm going to put yesterday's mishaps behind me.

Breakfast - Cheese Omlette
Lunch - Tuna salad probably
Dinner - going out tonight, probably Nandos, which is pretty good, if I take it easy on the beer

Will go out for a run later.

I did have a square of 85% dark choc today and an everton mint

its not been such a good day

Label each one with a DCs name and let them see them - then hopefully guilt at stealing candy from babies will stop you.

They aren't all that nice anyway. Get yourself some 70% dark choc instead.

DON'T get your DH to hide them, whatever you do. On sunday I got my dh to hide the gin, the crisps, the beer and the chocolate buttons.

DD hit the roof after nursery today cos I promised her buttons and then couldn't find them

had to phone DH and get him out of a meeting to find out where they were x 5

<sigh> and then I ate 5.

If I eat them I will be in trouble with the others

am having antipasto (again) instead

But you just said they were for the others. So if you are going to eat them (ie the others don't get them) then chucking them would have the same result, ie they are gone, only this way is better for your diet!

Or...make DH eat them.

Logical, captain.

I can't they are for dh ds and dd

I could just eat the lot and get it out the way

Chuck 'em Strawb, so you haven't got 'em in the house. (The Blue Ribands. not the DCs)

SHIT

2 blue ribands

just had a row with ds needed chocs am stressed

12gms of carb each

also tesco sandwich fillers the prawn mayo is really low in carbs (just had some), as well as the cheese and onion one good for when your busy, tired, and in need of a snack, yummy with celery or salad.

two cups of tea with sugar today

smoked pork sausage and boiled egg salad for elevenses (no breaky)

Just discovered a really good low carb dinner

Sallys Celeriac Shepherds Pie

Lamb mince
1 large leek
lamb stock cube
couple of cups of water
handful of lentils (if your feeling norty but lentils arn't to carby bad if its not to much)
half a celeriac sliced
salt and pepper

brown the mince, add the sliced leek, add water and stock cube, cook for 15 mins chuck in the lentils cook for anout 15 mins, add salt and pepper cook for about another 15 mins. Leave to go cold if you can (if not carry on with recipe).

If your feeding a family who need carbs, top their mince with mashed potato and bake in the oven for about 40mins

For the low carbers - put sliced celeriac in the bottom of a oven proof dish, (if your doing the whole lot just for you you can use the whole celeriac sliced), top with the minced lamb, you can put a few slices of celeriac on top but they don't cook so well, I topped them with a bit of gruyere, but they didn't go very soft. Cook in oven for about 40 mins with the other potato topped shepherds pie

et voila!!! low carb upside down shepherds pie!!!

its bloody lovely!!!

I cooked the mince yesterday (last night in the adverts in between Bionic woman )and left it to go cold for todays dinner

Breakfast - Cheese Omlette
Lunch - Tuna salad (again) - taking it to friends house, so I'm not tempted to eat bread with her
Dinner - No idea, will drop into Waitrose this afternoon.

I'm out tonight, so wine and nibbles temptations again

Have got a cycle ride this morning, then cycling and swimming later on with DS this evening.

OK - brekkie was big coffee and atkins cereal bar
lunch was bacon salad
tea was salmon & spinach / ricotta parcels and salad

Also had two mini babybel and have drunk 1.5ltr water.

Unfortunately drank a beer during th football

other than the beer twas a good day!

Doing well and having a wine-free night, but did have a few chips with dinner, and had to have a couple of bites of the biscuits DS2 just made (fortunately not too nice, so no temptation to eat any more )

Today I've cycled 8 miles, and run for 20 minutes, so feeling good (with wobbly legs)

Inspired by SS I'm going to get some water

What a coincidence...I tripped and fell mouth first onto a huge plate of curry with cous cous and naan bread

oops I just slipped and fell mouth first onto a blue riband choccy bar

feeling tired and a bit fuddled today, not sleeping well and got a lot on my mind

nearly had a cake from a bakery but went to the shop next door for 2 pepperami instead

breakfast - 2 rashers of bacon, coffee
lunch - chicken salad
snack 2 pepperami
dinner - antipasto consisting of parma ham and 3 different types of salami, fresh basil leaves, olives, sundried tomatoes, fresh tomato, salad leaves with balsamic (I know balsamic is norty but I love it!)

just had a really strong coffee, trying to stay awake as I need to go to bed early tonight, drank 1 litre of water need to drink at least 1 more before bed, might have some blueberries and greek yogurt later but not at all hungry atm.

No scales so no idea how I'm doing in lbs and oz (or kgs if you prefer). But I'm an inch down on the waist and hips.

This happens almost straightaway with me and I know it can't be fat, has to be water retention. Which begs the question ...what do I normally eat that makes me bloat? I've come to the conclusion it's wheat which is a bugger as I love bread and pasta under normal circumstances. I find when I come off lc, I get stomach cramps and other symptoms too horrible to mention when I eat pasta and bread again.

Last night went a bit better, managed to get past the 5.30 watershed without opening a bottle of wine - drank diet ginger beer instead, which was OK. Went out later on and had a couple of glasses, but resisted most of the carby snacks on offer, and didnt have any of the various home made cakes, so I am losing desire for carbs.

Bfast - egg/baccon/tomate
Lunch - tuna mayo with lettuce
Dinner - good sausages with onion sauce

I've got a supermarket delivery coming on Thursday, and have chosen the stuff very carefully.

I'm sure this is just a fluctuation....

What's brisket Oggsfrog??

Am i being ignorant??

I'm having half a quiche tonight (inside only no crust) and broccoli.

Drinking a massive Venti coffee at the moment with a touch of cream

Also weighed myself this morning and apparently lost another 2lb but I'm this is just a fluctuation...

Oh dearie dearie...

<pulls wagon cover over head and trembles with shame >

Today I have eaten...
Apple, brazil nuts, cold brisket, banana, satsuma, passion fruit scooped out into bowl of double cream, carrot, mashed banana and passion fruit scooped out into bowl of cream (was so nice the first time ), ham, cheese, pork chop, beans, <says next one very quickly in the hope nobody will notice> mashed potato, and am now drinking vodka with orange juice , .

<wagon is now very low on the suspension in one corner >

just shopped online to avoid temptation, I hope they've got my celeriac Im looking forward to my leek and celeriac gratin!!!

Nuts are a good snack. Cheese. Cold meat - we've got some cold pork in the fridge which I love normally.

Hi everyone! Do you all think it's the lack of snacks that causes problems? I agree that roasting a load of veggies to keep in the fridge helps. I also keep a batch of the cookies and some 70 per cent dark chocolate to hand (so I don't rip into the kids' lunchbox supplies).

If you're desperate for fruit it's probably better to have some than to be craving it so much you fall completely off the wagon. I remember dreaming about raspberries about three days into low carbing and started eating them way before the end of induction. But if I hadn't, I prob would have stopped of at the bakery before long .

Must admit I keep forgetting to drink water. I was really good in the beginning but now I can go all day and not have any...

Ive found bing a bit more organised food wise has helped, I roasted a load of peppers and courgettes which means I can add them to salads and omelettes, cooked some chicken breasts for salads and made low carb cookies.

I menu planned as well, although i haven't kept to it rigidly but it takes away the "oh bloody hell what am I going to eat for dinner" when I come home shattered.

<<SS hauls Oggs back on the wagon>>

Dont leave me!!!!

Ive been good today

I made those cookies Sugarbird gave us the recipe for, had 2 for breakfast

lunch - chicken and roast pepper salad

snack - salami and cream cheese (and another cookie )

dinner - roast pepper and courgette omelette with gruyere cheese

2 coffees with cream and splenda

Ive got to be good after my nortyness on the weekend

oh I did have 1 choc eclair sweet = 5gm's of carb its really hard being on a ward with chocs

<elbows Katisha in ribs, thus making her drop the grapefruit>
<hides grapefruit>

Orm, my main craving is always grapefruit for some reason.
I find that because I don't feel hungry I tend to grab cold meat/cheese to eat and don't bother making a proper salad to go with it. Then I have a lot of brocc/cauli etc in eveing with meal. I should try to get some veg during day and have less at night.
I do worry though about all the cream/butter/fat I eat.

Must make more effort to drink water too.

Can't you eat berries or rhubard oggs? Don't despair!

I always think that I'll really enjoy eating fruit when I come off lc. But I find that after a days or so bingeing I find it a bit ho-hum tbh.

I am baaaad with cream and Greek yoghurt ...and fatty meats too But my main cravings are all sugary and starchy so I really am better off this way.

Here - let me hold the others for you (heh heh heh...)

<takes deep breath and hops back on wagon - inadvertantly sitting on one of her precious grapefruit>

You can have half a grapefruit for breakfast until they are gone. Surely if there's that version of low carb where you have bread for breakfast then you could have half a grapefruit?

<wails and hugs grapefruits to chest>

Look - the wagon has returned for you! Hop back on! Have a glass of water! Phew - I was worried we'd lost you there.

But when I'm low-carbing I eat loads of fat. I scoop butter out of the dish with my finger, I cook crispy bacon to eat while I'm reading in the bath , I eat loads of lamb chops with crispy fat, I use gallons of double cream in my drinks and to make sauces with...etc...etc .
I love my fruit (grapefruits especially) and veg.

<decides she'll miss her mates and starts knocking together a one-person wagon to tie to back of main wagon>

It might do auntyspan, although it's only been a week. I think I just have to be patient. I think the reason it feels worse is because I'm working harder than I did before - I used to spend 40-50 mins in the gym with little breaks to get a drink and change machines. Now I run for 50-60 mins plus without breaks.

Come back Oggs! (U-turn in the wagon to go back and see where you fell off)
You don't HAVE to have cream and cheese if it makes you uneasy. Why not do another week or two of protein and lovely healthy salads? How can that be bad for you?

I've done loads of reading about this and apparently it takes your body longer to get into the swing of burning fat if you've done a similar diet before - would this explain it Orm?

Stop the wagon! I need to get off.

Was in Tesco's, and I don't know how it happened , but I came out with a basket filled with grapefruits (7), apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, satsumas, leeks, carrots, chives, onions... and had a lovely, juicy, crunchy, sweet apple on way home .

I managed a week and have lost 7lbs, but have done what I always do. Decide that I want to treat my body kindly and bin the cream, cheese etc.

Hell. I'm hopeless.

At the risk of sounding like a bloody broken record (again), I'm going to exclude potatoes, wheat, sugar and cow dairy products.

<waves to the wagon as it drives off>

I don't think so katisha. It would stop ketosis I suspect. My body just has to get used to burning stored fat instead of using instant carbs. Hoping that after a while it will sort itself out and I won't feel like lying down and crying

Orm, I wouldn't even be able to run for half a mile! Don't know why but I just can't run. I can walk fast for ages but running just makes me feel terrible. But if you are doing all that mileage, wouldn't you be justified in upping the carb count beforehand?

Don't get downhearted Oggs. The whole weighing thing is a bind because you can fluctuate so much daily. According to the scales I have gained two pounds since yesterday so it's all bolleaux. Go by your clothes.

Curse of the lo-carb diet strikes (predictably) again. Tried a slightly shorter than usualy Sunday morning run (being aware that I might find it harder than usual if ketosis had kicked in). And I nearly died! Only managed just under 6 miles and I had to stop every 1/2 mile or so for a rest. So disheartening . Hope it's just the diet and hope it goes away soon. Never known it so bad. If it doesn't improve soon I'll be knocking lc on the head.

On a positive note, my clothes are all looser and I'm losing the desire to eat cr*p...in fact to eat anything.

Well I take back what I said yesterday - weighed this morning and lost (in total) 4lb over the week..... well chuffed!

Will take your comments on board though, def cutting down on cheese, will cut out alcohol and keep up with the water.

I'm still going to use the shakes for emergencies though - more to do with the fact that I've bought them in bulk more than anything else!!

Here's to a good week xx

Gawd. We're all in the dumps aren't we. I too am having to re-think.
I got off to a fantastic start but drank wine this weekend leading to carb hunger. I didn't go for it big stylee, but the tomato based soup I've been scoffing is too carby for this stage really.
Result is that this morning I'm 2lbs heavier

I'm so fed up with the dysfunctional relationship I have with food.

put on 1lb on the weekly weigh-in this morning - I am going to cut the booze down drastically this week - I was being too optomistic to think I could drink every day, and keep on losing. Will also make sure I do 30 minutes of running or cycling every day this week.

Todays menu

Bfast - cheese and tom omlette
Lunch - ham salad
Dinner - chicken and bacon with mushroom sauce

What I'm really enjoying about this diet is never feeling hungry, and eating smaller, more nutritionally rich meals.

Snacking is the problem with this diet. It's tricky. You have to be inventive or else get out of the habit. Ideally once you are fat burning you don't get so hungry anyway and only eat breakfast, lunch and dinner but in the real world you have to go for things like celery and ham. Out of induction it gets a bit easier as you can do cheese, cream cheese in ham/smoked salmon/celery/cucumber, a few nuts, some leftover salad.

Actually a good idea is to have ready made salad in the fridge because then you could have some of that without having to specially start chopping up lettuce and so on. Or some cold sausages/slices of ham...But there is very little in the crunchy/chewy range!

You might be OK with the shakes - I know breakfast is difficult, especially if you are rushing out ot work and can't be arsed woith omelettes and all that. I usually have ham and cream cheese, or else blueberries and greek yog. (The latter out of induction.)

thanks Katisha - not doing the proper induction due to not being able give up coffee.

But yes, I will try this week to do it 'properly'. But gutted about the shakes thing as I'd planned on having those for brekkie.

What do you guys snack on?

Are you actually doing induction proper Auntyspan? If so I think you will have to lay off the cheese and fruit for the first two weeks or so. And the beer.

It's basically protein plus salad for the first induction period and after that you start bringing in the other stuff. That would probably give you a faster initial weight loss and get you into the swing, but most of us here are doing some sort of customised version of induction and the weight comes off, but a bit slower.

My tip (which I don't follow ahem) would be to up the water intake as that does actually seem to speed things up. There is also a body of opinion that the Atkins shake/cereal bar things slow it up as well. I used to use them in emergencies but they are well nigh impossible to find any more so now I don't bother.

hmmmm weighed myself this morning and have lost 2lb.... was expecting a bit more for my first week. Not sure if I'm doing everything right....

Cannot give up coffee although have changed to black with small amount of full fat milk or cream. only switched on Friday though

Ate punnet of strawberries and some raspberries during the week and as I read I believe that they're off limits for induction?

Is it possible I'm eating too much??! Tend to snack on cheese... could this be why I'm not losing as much as I wanted to?

Having lamb steak, cauliflower cheese (made with greek yoghurt) and asparagus for tea.

Also had three Micholb beers last night but they ARE low-carb!!

Ive decided not to go shopping, Im going to use what Ive got and go in a few days time, otherwise I end up wasting stuff

I found a pack of bacon in the freezer and will just send ds down to the local shop for some eggs.

I love rye bread with houmous, will deffo try in with cream cheese but not for a few weeks or I could be in trouble

seafood arribiata with linguine for dinner, but obv no linguine for me (I love linguine) Im having either salad or sliced courgette with mine.

found a rasher of bacon and a hot dog sausage in the fridge grilled them and a couple of cherry tomatoes for breakfast.

I managed not to finish the entire box of maltesers before Oggs hid them.

I think the lowest carb bread (without looking up anything) is that very dark rye bread that comes sliced in packets. I used to eat quite a lot of that with cream cheese - in fact I might go and get some.

I used to make those almond scone things of Orm's - is that what you mean by the muffins Strawb? They do go a bit damp quite quickly but are still nice.

I seem to be back to my usual sticking-point weight now (12st) , which is good, but now I need to get below it for once. Could do with shifting another stone really.

its is a huge weight off my mind , just wish I could shift the huge weight that is dissertation comfort eating fat off the rest of me

think of those maltesers as shit nuggets

gotta go shopping today

soup sounds good

Ive got nothing for breakfast except 2 rashers of bacon, I'm funny about breakfasts I really can't eat anything thats not breakfasty iykwim, so I often find breakfast difficult, although I like berries with greek yogurt but Im on an early tomorrow morning doubt I'll want to eat anything before I do.

What bread is the lowest carb?
I'm going to be on my feet all day so I might let myself have poached egg on toast for breaky. Or I could make some of those biscuits and have them with my coffee, I used to find the muffins good but they don't stay fresh for long.
I think some low carb baking is in order.

Congrats on passing your dissertation Strawb , I bet that's a weight off your shoulders.

<confiscates Katisha's maltesers>

Hangover hungry yesterday so made a big pan of soup with tinned toms, celery, bacon, leeks, chilli. Got one small bowlful left so am going to have it for breakfast.

Where's MrsMalumbas gone?
And can someone stop me eating maltesers?

erm well it was going well until I got to Pizza Express

2 dough balls and half of dh's ice cream

just had a chicken and roast veg salad before that, it was going so well

hey ho another day tomorrow

Sorry girls couldn't bear the no fruit this time for some reason and have had to change diet altogethrt but have lost 4lbs in a week and no hunger! Good luck

well Ive got that post alcohol weight loss that lasts a day, then you weigh yourself the next day and find you've actually put on 3lbs

note to self - stop weighing!

meal was fab I stuck to my plan, no carbs passed my lips apart from the alcohol

I know I'll be hungover hungry today so I've just had bacon eggs and mushroom, am off out for lunch with dh and the dc (still celebrating passing my dissertation ) I'm going to try and just have a salad.

(dd (6) is reading my message and she wants you all to know she had toast for breakfast )

I'm on induction and I eat almonds occasionally and small amounts of blueberries and raspberries but having low carbed before I know this will slow down my weight loss, I'm not to bothered about that but if your really keen to make the most of induction weight loss its a good idea to stick to the plan.

OOOPS, I ate macadamia nuts today, only just read that nuts are a big no-no during induction. I did feel a lot better after eating them. Headache went a way and I wasn't feeling hungry anymore. Anyone one else eaten nuts on induction?

I love just bol and lettuce with cardinis dressing, and a big blob of full fat yoghurt on the bol

I have been to gym and am now in the danger time of trying not to finish off the DSs tea for them. They are having spag bol and I will have just bol later, or maybe bol and cabbage which is nicer than it sounds.

"I constantly need to pee & have a headache. Is this right?"

Yep! You're obviously doing it properly!!

i think wine is OK but you have to 'burn it off' before you burn off anymore fat. So as long as you do something active tomorrow then you should be OK?

I've had today - Atkins shake this morning for brekkie, sausage, mushrooms and bacon for lunch and tonight is a tuna salad. Had a couple of mini cheeses for snacks.

Also had two coffees, one with milk and one with cream. Drunk about 1.5ltr of water.

I constantly need to pee & have a headache. Is this right?

no breakfast again today norty I know

coffee cream and splenda

cup of tea at the hairdressers

am just eating a tuna mayo salad

off out for a meal tonight, I know the restaurant Im going to and Im planning a

shared starter of Antipasto so fine for me I'll just avoid the bread

main course - lamb steak and salad

I'll try to avoid dessert

I might have a coffee

its the wine Im worried about

how many carbs in a G&T?

why not try omelette pizza cook the omelette add peppers and meat on top then cheese and grill

sorry not cucumber I meant celery!

for snacks I eat

cucumber with tesco cheese and onion sandwich filler/pate/cream cheese/egg mayo

sliced cold meat

the occasional pork scratching

sometimes a handful of almonds but I'm not on strict induction

a small amount of blueberries and raspberrys with a bit of greek yogurt (again not ideal on induction)

Ive even been know to eat a tin of salmon or have a spoonful of cream if I'm craving something sweet.

Day 2 and I am already miserable!

Breakfast was 2 poached eggs and siced tomato,
Lunch was 2 turkey patties with onion and roquefort and sliced cuumber.

Dinner will be baked salmon and salad, although I can eat the full fat salad dressing that I couldn't eat on Weight Watchers.

I am going to the library in a bit to get some low-carb books.

What do you eat when you have the munchies?

Must not eat pizza......

from my calculations I think Ive lost about 5lb although I'm celebrating passing my dissertation tonight so all that will be back on by tomorrow!

AuntySpan, half a stone (7lbs) should be do-able in a very short space of time. Most of it will be fluid.

Welcome Auntyspan

the cheese crisps never really appealed

yes the pork scratching smell like something has dies

but they taste ok

thats if you don't break your teeth on them

I've never tried pork scratchings - do they really smell that bad??

Hi auntyspan! If you stick to induction you should be able to shift half a stone in a month without too much problem. The Atkins shakes are best avoided unless they're the only option though, as some low-carbers say they can stall their weight loss. The Atkins company recommends them, but that's a money-making enterprise. Nuff said...

Milk is quite high carb - have you tried having a spoonful of double cream in your coffee instead? It's low-carb and lovely if you like your coffee rich!

Hi sally - the cookies aren't really crunchy. They're quite soft and crumbly I'm afraid. When I'm really desperate for something crunchy I have a small packet of vegetable crisps (the ones with parsnip and beetroot) but they're still not that low carb. I saw a recipe for making cheese crisps where you basically cut thin slices of cheese and nuke them in the microwave or bake them in the oven till they're crispy. Haven't tried these yet, though.

Hello everyone - can I join??

I've been doing the induction since Monday and so far I'm finding it OK. I have bought some Atkins shakes for emergencies which have really helped me out - these are OK for induction aren't they?

I have still been drinking coffee though, I can't possibly give that up, it's my only vice! I drink a venti filter from starbucks every day but then often don't have another one, possibly a diet coke - is that ok?? I have been having 3/4 coffee and 1/4 skimmed milk, should I cut that down?

Not weighed myself yet but currently have a BMI of 30, and I'm getting married next month, ABROAD, so have to shift half a stone ideally before then. Is this do-able?

Thanks in advance - v helpful thread!

I haven't tried the cookies yet but plan to.

Are they crunchy?

I miss crunchy things when low carbing

theres only so many pork scratchings a girl can eat, especially when every time I open a packet the smell is so bad, dh asks if someone has died

Im a student nurse Sugarbird, Im on busy ward placement for the next 3 months it'll be chocolate hell , Ive worked on this ward before and your often to busy for a lunch break, sometimes the odd mini bounty or cadburys hero is all you've got to keep you going the whole shift!

Talking of almonds, did anyone try those low-carb cookies? I take them to work, along with some berries and a flax seed muffin for snacks. Does anyone else work in a low-carber's nightmare? People bring biscuits, cakes and chocs into the my office every day!

I've just had roast beef, caulimash and veggies. Lovely.

I don't have to get up early for work tomorrow so am planning bacon, eggs and salad for breakfast.

Sally I think I'll have to try some of that cheese and onion sandwich filler...

oh and the odd handful of almonds

breakfast - coffee with cream and splenda I just couldn't face eating anything

lunch - chicken and cheese salad

snack - celery with tesco cheese and onion sandwich filler its got 0.1gm of carbs in a 1/4 of a tub!

dinner- bacon, eggs and mushrooms

Mmmm. Sounds yummy. Similar to one I do with celery rather than lentils.

I use the stock from boiling a gammon/ham joint. Add a tin of tomatoes, some leeks/onions, some of the ham, and some green lentils (shhh.... not really allowed I know), chillies. Boil for a while and then stick in blender.

Recipe please Orm, for your ham and tom soup (I'm a soup addict and love comparing recipes).

Breakfast/lunch - a spicy peperami and 2 babybel cheeses (I know, I know..., but had to rush out this morning to drop dd at school and go on to do the shopping. Have only just got back so had to grab something while I was out. Did drink 1l of water while out though.)
Tea - will be prawn cocktail salad with chillies and avocado (looking forward to it already)

Breakfast - boiled egg and sesame ryvita with butter. Cooked 2 eggs but didn't want them
Lunch - home made ham and tomato soup and some cheddar
Dinner - don't know. Probably chilli with just a handful of kidney beans, salad and greek yoghurt.

Today is Day 1 of of low-carb induction diet!

I had lots of high carb foods yesterday in a bid to say farewell pasta, garlic bread and chocolate bars!

Now I'm off to a breakfast of poached eggs and tomatoes!

I agree its really important to have the right food in the fridge. I always have some hard boiled eggs - great to snack on with mayo, or to add to my lunch to cheer it up.

Todays menu
B/fast - cheese and tom omlette
Lunch - left over veg from last night with cheese
Dinner - salmon and salad