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5-week challenge - looking for diet buddies LCHF-style

27 replies

pliable · 27/07/2018 15:09

Hi everyone,

I've just started to cut back on carbs and would like to focus a bit more on it the next month or so. I've gained a lot of weight over the past 2 years because of overeating and generally not being active - even though I have an annual gym membership! Skipping class too much...

My plan is that, for the next 5 weeks - until end of August - to go on a low carb diet LCHF style, and also do intermittent fasting 16:8. This might seem a bit aggressive but I've never been much of a breakfast person (except when holidaying). Also, make sure that I go to the gym at least two times a week - for yoga and spinning. Ideally 3-4 times a week!

So the diet idea for the next five weeks is to have 2 meals a day - lunch (12-1) and dinner (7-8), with no snacking in between if possible, and for breakfast only have black coffee.

I'm not setting myself a strict weight loss goal as I've no idea how my body will react to this, but would love to lose at least 3-4 kg, ideally 5-6 (sorry, can't think in lbs). I'm going to report my weight here every Saturday morning - tomorrow morning the start weight and with the final one Sat 31 August.

Anyone wants to join me? You don't have to do the same diet, but would be nice to have some buddies for the 5 weeks.

Thanks and good luck to all!

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pliable · 27/07/2018 15:12

Here's the food list, it's adapted from the LCHF website.

Allowed daily:
*Meat, fish, eggs, butter, cheese, plain yoghurt and cream
*Vegetarian protein such as tofu and mushrooms
*Above-ground green vegetables, tomatoes, avocados
*Water, tea, coffee

Allowed a couple of times per week:
*Nuts - for snacking
*Berries - blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries
*Dark chocolate
*Red wine, champagne
*Root vegetables - parsnip, carrots, etc

Not allowed:
*Sugar - soft drinks, sweets, juice, chocolate, cakes, pastries, ice cream, sweeteners, honey, sugar
*Starch - bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, chips, crisps, porridge, muesli, cereals
*Fruit - except berries
*Beer, white wine, spirits

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pliable · 28/07/2018 08:39

Just logging in to record my weight: 69.9kg/11st this morning. Will check my weight daily but will only post it here on Sat morning.


Houseuttering and cleaning day today, and going on a 10-mile hiking trip on Sunday, hopefully it will kickstart my active week.

Have a lovely day everyone!

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pliable · 28/07/2018 08:40

House decluttering, not sure what happened there :-)

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GnusSitOnCanoes · 28/07/2018 10:22

Pliable, I'll join in. We're pretty much the same weight and my target loss is the same as you. I'm cutting carbs and sugar and increasing my exercise, so let's see. Good luck with the decluttering and hiking!

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AndBabyMakes3 · 28/07/2018 13:16

Hi pliable I am also doing lchf - started end of June. Starting weight ~87 kg, down to 81.8 kg this week. Weigh in on Mondays though had a bad few days this week so not too optimistic. Trying to get for a daily walk with baby in the pram but need to incorporate more exercise as I have a long way to go yet to get to my target weight. Best of luck to you and GnusSitOnCanoes on your weight loss journeys.

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pliable · 28/07/2018 14:10

@GnusSitOnCanoes happy to do it together! Let's motivate and cheer eachother. Or nudge, if needed!

@AndBabyMakes3 that is impressive, 5kg+ lost, that would be all I need :) thanks for the wishes, please stick around even though you've started earlier. I actually started at 72kg but it was a very slow start and I wasn't determined, now I am.

So today I had black coffee for breakfast and again coffee for lunch, but also had some actual food: a big omelette with mushrooms and some slices of bresaola (dry cured beef). For dinner I'm planning chicken legs and broccoli.

Not sure what do to about tomorrow, it's a 10-mile hiking trip. I've decided to buy some nuts for snacking but still pondering the lunch. I was thinking salad, but I need a lot of energy so it can't be a garden vegetable salad. Will go shopping soon.

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AndBabyMakes3 · 28/07/2018 14:17

Thanks @pliable make sure to add protein and fats to the salad to keep you going. Perhaps some eggs and chicken or ham if not vegetarian and an olive oil dressing. I find the diet doctor website is great for recipies and meal ideas. 10 miles is a long hike so you will need your energy! I am waiting for baby to wake up now so I can bundle her into a jacket and head out for a walk; I should have dressed her and walked while she slept but cannot predict her naps at all. Determined to get out today though, we have been stuck inside the last 2 days with heavy rain and thunderstorms.

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pliable · 28/07/2018 14:25

Thanks, yes I'm thinking boiled eggs and maybe some salmon slices or avocado.

My daughter is at her grandparents for the next 2 weeks, which is why I can go on long hikes and stick to the diet (no eating leftovers from her plate!).

I'm a single mother so not that easy to find gym time, as she usually spends only 2 evenings at her dad's. That's my excuse anyway :)

Enjoy the walk, I'm off shopping.

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GnusSitOnCanoes · 28/07/2018 22:45

Well, I've managed two days with no sugar and long walks, so I'm chalking that up as a win. Carbs are still too high, but progress not perfection and all that Grin.

@Baby, thanks for the Diet Doctor tip - I'm off to look for some LC inspiration.

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pliable · 30/07/2018 08:45

That's great @Gnus! It is a win! Sugar is the biggest enemy :)

My 10-mile hiking trip went well. Kent is beautiful even in the rain.

However, I sinned.

My breakfast was eggs with salmon and black coffee, all by the book.

Lunch however, was all sinful. I just couldn't picture myself eating a salad al fresco in the rain. Had a falafel wrap and a berries energy bar stuffed with sugar. Oh, and the coffee was a canned starbucks double espresso (with milk :() - as we didn't stop at a coffee place during the hike...

For trail snacks I had almonds. Also had a glass of dry prosecco at the end of the trip in the pub. At home had chicken with sauteed courgettes.

All in all a good day and let's forget about the lunch ;). Looking forward to a low carb sugarless week!

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AndBabyMakes3 · 30/07/2018 12:52

Well done Gnus and pliable lunches are quite hard as we are so used to sandwich based lunches and salads are ok in hot weather but not so much when it is raining! I went easyish at the birthday party (had 4 whiskeys with 7up free spaced out over 3 hours, lots of water in between and when I got home) and I was dying with a hangover yesterday. No carbs for soakage I guess. Really really craving carbs (wanted pizza for breakfast!) but mostly held out, had a slimsters burger bun thing for dinner which is the most carbs I have had for 5 weeks (18 g in one bun) but breakfast and lunch was almost carb free. It was too hot to bring baby for a walk though and my head was splitting so just lazed around. Pissing down here today so will bundle up and get out later on, found a new route that doubles back on my usual one so that will increase my time walking also. Happy to be alcohol free for the next 4 weeks or so. Onwards and downwards.... Grin

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pliable · 31/07/2018 10:32

I think alcohol slows down the weight loss, especially if it's beer or sweet wines, but any alcohol really.

I have not lost any weight since the Saturday weigh in, I'm not sure whether the carb on Sunday is at fault - need to look at the diet. I don't want to hit plateau so soon!

How are you getting on GnusSitOnCanoes?

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pliable · 01/08/2018 18:17

Today. Not hungry at all. No snacking. Tons of water.

breakfast: black coffee
lunch: big avocado, tomatoes and spinach salad. black coffee again.
dinner: 2 thin beef cutlets and broccoli

I don't feel like I'm slimming down - not on my clothes anyway. I've decided to resist the urge of getting on the scale until Saturday morning.

This is the good news. The not so good news is that I don't feel like exercising at all. Haven't done any yoga or anything else since Sunday's 10 mile walk. Ok I walked a bit but that's because I need to walk to the train station.

I need to do some exercise though, as I'm doing another long walk on Saturday - even longer, 13 miles...

Maybe that's why I'm not losing much weight, too inactive.

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pliable · 03/08/2018 12:49

keeping a record of meals.

today:

breakfast: black coffee
lunch: omelette with sauteed mushrooms and fresh parsley, black coffee
dinner: smoked salmon and sauteed courgettes with garlic and dill

no snacking
no alcohol

tomorow:

breakfast: black coffee
trail snacks: macadamia nuts
lunch: smoked salmon, avocado, spinach and cherry tomatoes salad with olive oil dressing, black coffee
dinner: chicken thighs with sauteed courgettes

Official weigh in tomorrow morning, just before I take off for a 13-mile hiking trip.

I really hope to see 68.X o the scales tomorrow, even 68.9 would do.

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pliable · 05/08/2018 20:55

Checking in again. So it's all working better than I thought.

Saturday morning weigh in: 68.7kg, down 1.2kg in one week. I believe that's the initial boost with water lost but I'm drinking massive quantities of water so I don't know how that affects things. So the next target is 67.x by Saturday morning.

Motivation still strong, I'm not feeling hungry at all and I'm managing to stick to LCHF most meals. Activity levels high: a 14-mile walk yesterday (in horrible heat) and also spent 2 hours walking today in central London, in the morning.

Have a fab week everyone!

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orangeplum · 05/08/2018 21:56

Well done. Great result and worth the effort.

Keep going.

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AndBabyMakes3 · 07/08/2018 21:36

Wrote a long reply yesterday and lost it! I am down to 80.7 kg from original weight of 87 kg in 6 weeks. Onwards and downwards. How is everyone else doing?

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pliable · 08/08/2018 08:46

@AndBabyMakes3: sorry to hear, but good that your diet's working!

I'm doing well weight-wise but my activity levels are low, apart from the hiking at weekends. I'm blaming it on the heat :) but it's my fault. Now that it's cooling off I don't have an excuse.

I skipped my yoga session 3 weeks in a row and have not been doing any spinning, and no running whatsoever.

My weigh in is on Sat morning, but I'm definitely going in the right direction. I decided to approach it like tennis players: ball by ball, game by game. Once I see 68.x (which is where I am now), I'm never going back to 69.x and must do all I can to get to 67.x. So my next goal is 67.x on Saturday morning. I'm very close! :) Even if it means a weekly drop from let's say 68.1 to 67.9, the goal was attained. But, I'm not allowed to get to 69.x no matter what, this week.

I was at 68.7kg last Saturday, so that means I need to lose 0.8kg+. I'm getting there!

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pliable · 08/08/2018 08:56

Just for fun, my (not so creative) menu today:

B: black coffee as usual
L: scrambled eggs with salmon and rocket salad with olive oil dressing
D: chicken thighs with steamed green beans

I just bought Brazil nuts, macadamia, strawberries, and raspberries case I get cravings in between meals. So far I have only been snacking on nuts when hiking, not feeling hungry between meals. Berries are my treat/desert - but I will only be having small portions at the end of meals.

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pliable · 11/08/2018 21:19

Back to log my weight: 67.3kg. That's 1.4kg gone! Next target: 66.x kg by Saturday 18kg. That should be easy to reach, I only need to lose 0.4kg (bit less than 1lb).

I'm starting to think it's a bit too much, as I initially thought the rate would be 0.5-1kg per week. However, I'm almost never hungry and I feel energetic, I sleep well and my skin looks better than it looked in a long time, must be all the water I'm drinking.

Again I skipped yoga (went for dinner instead) and no running or skipping BUT I'm doing a 13-mile hiking trip again. I must be crazy to be doing that in this weather but I've committed to it so I'm going.

menu today:

black coffee 2x
lunch: fish with a big plate of steamed veggies
dinner: thin beef steak with chicory salad
also had some pecan as a snack

tomorrow:

black coffee 2x (I'm predictable ha ha)
big bag of various nuts for trail snack
lunch: feta cheese and avocado sandwich - with rice cakes I figured it's not ad bad as bread
dinner: beef steak (again) with green beans

need more imagination for the food, I'm starting to get bored :) have to check that dietdoctor website.

how's everyone getting on?

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pliable · 11/08/2018 21:20

*Saturday 18 Aug!

I'm obsessed with kgs :)

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pliable · 18/08/2018 10:45

and, I hit plateau, sort of.

lost only 0.3kg in one full week, so I'm at 67.0kg as of this morning. I desperately wanted to see 66.x but it wasn't meant to be. well, at least I didn't go back to 68.x...

next target 66.x, same as last week. hopefully closer to 66 rather than 67 :D

hard weekend this one, BBQ with friends tonight, there will be alcohol and other carbs involved, and full day hiking Sunday.

if I manage to get to Monday without gaining any weight, I will consider it a big success.

have a fabulous weekend everyone!

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pliable · 18/08/2018 10:51

Oh, I forgot to say. I discovered a great new recipe: braised endive (chicory). Just chicory, butter, salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, herbs for spice - it completely melts in your mouth.

I love chicory, usually have raw in salads, with smoked salmon and cream and chives. Never realised I could cook it and it's SO simple to make.

Newfound love.


PS. And it's very, very LCHF friendly...

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pliable · 18/08/2018 10:55
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AndBabyMakes3 · 23/08/2018 13:04

Hi @pliable hope the LCHF is going well for you? I have hit a plateau for the past 2 ish weeks, hovering around 80 kg (once the scales went to 79.7 kg - I was delighted then I had brunch so up over 80 again lol) little to no change over the past week, bang in 80 kg again this morning. period was due so kinda put it down to that and being bloated but period now late so need to get checked out! It took me 10 years to pile on the weight so I know slow and steady is the best way to get it back off. Just been thinking of you and your 5 week challenge; don't give up if you're not to your target yet, you will get there with persistence. Also one thing I really noticed was that I needed a break from the LCHF after a while, just to not think about it. Put me in a much better place mentally as there is a LOT of repetition on it, so also don't beat yourself up about it of you do stray every now and again. All the best Flowers

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