Just starting - does this look ok? Help

[ClopySow]

Todays menu

Breakfast - coffee with cream, 2 scrambled eggs, 2 rashers bacon, 2 chunks grilled chorizo

Another coffee with cream mid morning

Lunch - salad with large handful of spinach, a handful little gem lettuce, cucumber, olives dressed in oil and herbs, 4 small slices ham rolled with cream cheese, dollop of mayonaise

Another coffee with cream mid afternoon

Dinner - 2 sticks celery fried in butter with large handful of spinach with a dollop of cream cheese, cup of cauliflower florets mashed with butter and black pepper, palm sized piece of quite fatty roast pork.

2 litres of water throughout the day

I'm really worried i've got it completely wrong and am eating too much and am just going to end up fatter.

And what about 70% black and greens dark chocolate...good or bad?

[BIWI]

That looks fine!

Just a couple of things - there's quite a lot of dairy going on there. Some people find that dairy can impede weight loss, so just keep an eye on that.

You might need to drink a bit more water, although that does depend on how much weight you want to lose.

And personally I'd avoid the chocolate for now. Get yourself into the habit of low carbing to start with, and try and break the hold that sugar/sweet things have over you.

[ClopySow]

Thankyou.

I was adding the dairy because i was worried my fat intake wasn't high enough. How can i keep the fat up but take the dairy out? Or maybe i don't need to. I was under the impression that high fat is as important as low carbs but i could be wrong.

I drank probably another 2 pints of water in the evening. How does water intake relate to the weight loss?

Sorry, i'm a bit clueless.

Thanks again.

[WestCoastDreamin]

I've been drizzling chilli or garlic oil on my salads, snacking on olives and eating avocado to up fats.

I'm not drinking decaf coffee either - just black. I had cream in it last night and it really turned my stomach!

[ClopySow]

What about goats cheese?

I've been hammering the olives and am heading towards the avocados too. I'll get some oil on the go. Full fat mayo has been used quite liberally too. And butter, but i guess that's dairy too.

[BIWI]

Actually, butter doesn't count as dairy for some reason. (Can't remember why)

You may be fine with dairy, but there's only one way to find out!

I'd have thought goats cheese would be fine, but again, need to experiment a bit.

[ClopySow]

It would be really bloody frustrating to do all of this and not lose anything. I've cut right back on dairy now and will see how i get on.

Interestingly enough, my carb cravings have completely gone. I'm enjoying the food and my mid afternoon slump has basically disappeared. I feel really good. I expected to feel shitty for a while anyway. Maybe that'll come.

[BIWI]

Not everyone gets carb flu - I never did!

Glad that the cravings have gone. That's a really good sign.

[ClopySow]

Yeah, it's going much better than i ever would have expected.

[WestCoastDreamin]

I'm down 3.1kg which I'm delighted with, am just hoping I can keep my expectations in check as it is the next few weeks that I am likely to stray off because I'm impatient!

BIWI - I'm trying to still stay within a net calorie target (1400 per day) and so far that is working well for me, and I'm averaging over 60% fat and

[Spandexpants007]

Grilled tomatoes with breakfast?

[WestCoastDreamin]

too carby I expect!

[BIWI]

Don't need to count calories!

In terms of eating, just avoid carbs as much as you can. Don't be afraid to ask the restaurant to serve a meal without something, or to replace carbs like potatoes with salad or extra veg.

When it comes to drinking, then white/clear spirits with soda or slimline tonic are not too bad. Dry white wine/red wine/Champagne next best - but don't go mad!

[WestCoastDreamin]

Thank you! I know you don't recommend counting calories; I just like to see that the rough amount of energy that my body needs to function each day is not being excessively exceeded and it is interesting to see how those calories are met by less food in this WOE - it's such a leap to trust that your body really will be able to use those gazillion calories of fat for energy when all you've had is an avocado

[ClopySow]

I measured my waist today because my red frock was fitting much better. 2 inches off in 8 days, and 1 off my belly. It's all disappearing from my back. I'm chuffed to bits. I feel amazing too. Another day of no afternoon crash.

We had huge amounts of delicious looking leftover sandwiches in the kitchen at work today. I ignored them. No bread tastes as good as less back fat feels.

westcoast i got a distinctly odd taste in my mouth, that's a sign.

[WestCoastDreamin]

Oh. My. God. Hangover!

Clearly my tolerance has taken a nose-dive as I got tipsy very quickly and felt so rough this morning! I had a bottle of wine (I know, I know!) and a gin & tonic which usually would leave me fuzzy but functioning...hell no! Had to go back to bed. That is the best motivation ever though for staying away from the alcohol!

Managed to stay on track though with actual eating so, yay, as I usually go snack crazy after a drink or two...

[seasidesally]

i felt terrible after i had a drink,it took me 2 days to recover

[ClopySow]

Westcoast my friend, i was right there with you with the hangover today. I can't remember the last time my head felt that sore. Managed to stay on track with the food though.

[WestCoastDreamin]

I seem to have hit plateau already! I haven't shifted on the scales despite upping the exercise anti and being really good! I've only been LC for less than two weeks so would I have hit a wall already? There better be movement by weigh-in wednesday or I'm gonna be wailing!

There are traces of ketones in urine (I know, I know! A decade of MN has given me a compulsion to POAS though, shoot me!) so I'm thinking that's good (I'd hope for only traces as I'm drinking tons of water).

I had quite a carby dinner last night (chilli with celeriac chips) and it seemed to just sit in my stomach then I was really sick and had diarrhoea during the night (soz, tmi) but no-one else felt unwell and we all ate the same things. Weird.

[BIWI]

But you've lost half a stone! And you've been drinking, so you haven't been 'really good', have you?

Low carbing is an unforgiving way of eating. If you cheat, like you have been doing, then you won't lose weight. Harsh, but true.

[WestCoastDreamin]

But that was DAYS ago!! [impatient]

I hear ya.

[BIWI]

slow and steady wins the race, you know!

[ClopySow]

Have you tried using a tape measure instead of scales? I only ask because i don't have scales and hate them enough not to buy them, so i measured everywhere at the beginning and am doing that every few days. It's very satisfying and i can really feel it in my clothes.

[WestCoastDreamin]

I'm definitely noticing a difference in my clothes but I couldn't find my tape measure! I should do that, though...that's good advice!

[ClopySow]

Apparently some people lose inches before they lose weight, which is odd.