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Low carb for those of us who aren't hardcore enough for Bootcamp/Atkins induction etc

679 replies

QueenStromba · 06/07/2012 22:02

This is a thread for anyone who wants to eat fewer carbs but has either failed on plans than start out really low carb or just doesn't want to eat very low carb for whatever reason. I'm of the opinion that the high carb diet recommended by the government is the cause of obesity and related diseases and that any reduction in carbs will boost health.

While the Bootcamp threads are fantastic, I think a lot of people find it difficult to dive straight into eating very low levels of carbs which leads to giving up by day five. I did this myself when I first tried low carbing last April. I wasn't even trying to eat induction level carbs, just cut out the obviously high carb elements of my diet (rice, potatoes, pasta, bread etc) and I still nearly killed my housemates. It was about six months before I tried low carbing again and I went about it in a completely different way and have ended up eating induction level carbs through preference.

First I cut down my carb portions slightly in each meal, waited a week or two then cut down the portions even further so I was only eating about half the starch element that I had been in each meal. The next thing I did was completely remove the starch from one meal - I think it was breakfast I did first. I had been eating a poached egg on a slice of toast with a slice or two of lean bacon and some mushrooms or spinach - all I did was cut out the slice of toast and replace it with more veg or an extra egg depending on how hungry I was feeling. Once I was happy with that I started on dinner. Instead of rice I had cauliflower rice, instead of potato mash I had cauliflower, swede or celeriac mash and instead of noodles/pasta I had either shirataki noodles or thin ribbons of courgette. For the first while I still mixed in half a small portion of e.g. rice with my cauliflower rice. I normally made enough dinner to have leftovers for lunch the next day. I lost really well on that without worrying about how many carbs were in veg and I still had milk in my tea and berries with yoghurt. I also had a couple of beers a week and the odd slice of cake or whatever. I only went very low carb after doing a lot of reading and deciding that eating a diet very low in carbs and high in fat (including saturated fat) is the healthiest diet for us.

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MissWooWoo · 07/07/2012 00:01

hey I'll join!

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Tortington · 07/07/2012 00:02

am marking my place - i have been a slattern recently that is for sure.

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hillyhilly · 07/07/2012 00:03

I'm with you too, am currently of the mindset that I never want to see another egg or slice of meat but I just need to get the balance right.

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QueenStromba · 07/07/2012 00:13

I'm glad you've all joined :)

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SpringGoddess · 07/07/2012 09:31

I started low carbing gradually too. Reducing carb portions first and then I gave up wheat. In the reducing carbs phase, I was still calorie counting and I moved to true low carbing, high fat as a way of escaping the focus on counting calories - I realise I did this back to front but it has helped me maintain and the gradual move towards low carb allowed me to adjust mentally first, I don't miss starchy food. I would like to eat puddings 24/7 but regardless of what diet you choose that is never going to be the pathway to success and kicking my sugar addiction through low carbing has made resisting much easier.

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annabegins24 · 07/07/2012 17:56

Hiya, I've been low carbing for a couple of weeks now, and weight is coming of nice and steady. Thanks queenstromba for starting this thread!

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tanfastic · 07/07/2012 21:46

Can I join in? I've been low carbing for a week. Have one stone to lose before the beginning of September. I'm currently 11 stone and 5.5 (or I was last Sunday!). I've basically just been cutting out as much carbs as I can. My biggest weakness is bread and so i've only eaten two slices this week (and that was because I ended up eating beans on toast last night as it was past 8.30 by the time I managed to sit down). My typical day has been :

Cereal or porridge for breakfast with skimmed milk.

Chicken/Turkey or prawn salad for lunch with a boiled egg.

Steak/chicken/salmon for tea with vegetables or salad.

I had a little bit of rice one day but basically cutting down on all the shite I was eating has been the biggest thing for me, cupcakes, lashing of mayonnaise on everything, big fat sandwiches, huge portions, pies, crisps. chocolate etc.

I hope when I weigh myself tomorrow I have lost some weight.

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Osmiornica · 09/07/2012 17:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

QueenStromba · 09/07/2012 21:28

Hi Osmiornica. Have you tried celeriac for mash and chips? And have you tried cauliflower mash with cheese on it? My DP doesn't like cauliflower but I managed to get cauliflower mash past him as part of a fish pie. If you don't like that either then swede makes a good mash but it has about twice as many carbs as celeriac and cauliflower.

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QueenStromba · 09/07/2012 21:46

Oh, I made the decision today to cook roasts 2-3 times a week. I work from home so the fact that they need to go in the oven 2-2.5 hours before eating isn't a problem for me and they don't need standing over - you just need to set alarms for when each component goes in. Tonight we had gammon with roast aubergine and chips (I had celeriac and my DP had potato). There's enough gammon left for another one or two meals and once that's gone I'm going to slow cook a brisket. We had a chicken last week that did three meals.

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Creamtea1 · 10/07/2012 09:15

Queen I work from home the majority of the time too, so am lucky in planning meals. I love my slow cooker and brisket is one of my faves. I should really swing between your thread and the bootcamp one as more often than not i am not 100% hardcore.
Second day of feeling a bit sick - and no not preg as only a week since period.
Been LC since jan

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tanfastic · 10/07/2012 13:43

Well I've lost 4lb Grin very happy with that and I definitely feel better for it already.

Today I've had a salmon (tinned) salad fir lunch and I'm having prawn and mushroom stir fry for tea. Been snacking on strawberries nuts and yoghurt.

How are the rest of you doing?

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ZimboMum · 10/07/2012 19:33

Hi queen have been struggling with low carb for a little while as the weight doesn't seem to be flying off like it does with others. Decided this is the woe for life so it doesn't really matter how long it takes to shift the weight, I'll be healthier anyway. Not going to beat myself up about the odd cheat, will get there in the end. :)

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Selky · 10/07/2012 19:45

Can I join? I have been cutting out bread/rice/pasta and am ready to do more.

I have lost a couple of pounds so far, but I have several stone to lose.

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ferfuxake · 10/07/2012 19:47

I'd like to join too please. Just over 4 weeks until I go away and I am still a lard arse despite resolutions going back months. I need to lose about a stone and a half. Would be delighted with 10 pounds before holidays.

I tried Zoe Harcombe before and managed to lose about half a stone very quickly, but then never maintained it, which makes it a bit pointless really.

So I am convinced by the benefits of low carb but also know that I am useless at sticking to strict plans. I'l lhang out here for a bit if that's ok with you. Pizza tonight, diet starts tomorrow. Blush

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devilinside · 11/07/2012 10:16

Hi, I'll join you. As much as I think Atkins is great for weight loss, it does bring you into a situation where you can't have any treats whatsoever (except ultra low-carb ones) I'm happy to eat lower carb (not low carb) and lose slowly.

Today: Greek Yog with strawberries
lunch: salad
Dinner: chille with a small helping of rice

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ZimboMum · 11/07/2012 13:05

Just had a delish pork steak smothered in mustard and then fied off in butter with asparagus for lunch. Yum. Now if I can just get 20mo DS to actually like something other than hummous for lunch i'll be well away!

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QueenStromba · 11/07/2012 15:16

What about cauliflower hummous? I keep meaning to try it but any time I've looked for tahini in a shop there hasn't been any.

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ZimboMum · 11/07/2012 19:39

That sounds amazing! Will add it to the list of things to try!

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hillyhilly · 11/07/2012 21:07

Woohoo! It seems to work, I have lost 3lb this week and one last week, I have been a lot more careful about carbs. I did however have two big nights and one afternoon with a lot of white wine consumed, and I still lost weight!!!!

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ferfuxake · 12/07/2012 10:03

Wayhay, I lost a pound and a half on my first day, despite cheating with a packet of maltesers and rather a lot of red wine.

I know this is meaningless really and could just be a fluctuation, but it still makes me feel better. Problem is it also makes me think I can have a Rich Tea or two with my cup of coffee...

I had scrambled eggs and half a piece of toast for breakfast, soup and cheese for lunch and veggie sausages and salad for tea. Would that all sound OK if it wasn't for my cheats?

I need to get a bit more imaginative though. Will be looking out for other people's meal ideas - ideally quick ones that can be put together when knackered from putting 2 small DCs to bed.

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QueenStromba · 12/07/2012 12:06

I'd ditch the toast in favour of some porridge or baked beans if you must have some carbs at breakfast - I personally find mushrooms fried in butter to be a satisfying breakfast accompaniment.

One thing I'm quite evangelical about is wheat. It's full of anti nutrients which stop you absorbing nutrients from other food. It's associated with every autoimmune, allergic and inflammatory disease - my asthma, allergies and psoriasis have all gotten a lot better since I stopped eating the stuff. Gluten also gets broken down into morphine like proteins which bind to the morphine receptors in your brain causing mild euphoria and the compulsion to eat more - it's estimated that eating wheat can make you consume 400 extra calories in a day. This is why the thing people normally miss most on a low carb diet is bread - the vast majority of people are actually physically addicted to it. If you really can't face giving up bread altogether then spelt or rye bread are better options because spelt and rye haven't been as intensively bred as "normal" wheat and so contain less gluten and any other nasties. If you want to know more about this then Wheat Belly is a fascinating read.

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captainmummy · 12/07/2012 15:57

I don't miss bread, queen - i miss potatoes! specially new potatoes in butter. I can eat them on their own, dipped in chilli sauce, for tea (not any more, obv Sad).

Bit silly planting up a ton of potatoes in my veg patch, earlier this year! (and the onions, strawberries, broad beans, etc!)

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QueenStromba · 12/07/2012 16:11

Have you tried other veg in butter like broccoli, cauliflower or asparagus?

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captainmummy · 12/07/2012 18:08

Yeah love all those too, but nothing quite matches a nice new potato, hot from the pan, salted and dipped in chili.

Sad

Although the butter on everything is a bonus! Tonight i had aubergine, thinly sliced and fried in butter/oil and rolled round feta. Was yum but feel a bit sick now - too much oil i think!

Definitely won't be hungry for a while!

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