I have become horrendously fat. AIBU to go back to low carb?

[SquishyBones]

I know it works as I’ve done it before but I worry about my bowls as I already suffer from chronic constipation.

AIBU to ask you all for tips, meal ideas etc? Also success stories!

Do you know why you suffer from chronic constipation ?

I am also very fat and need to do something about it , the problem is I know as a nearly 50yr old, whatever course of action I take, I will probably need to keep doing it for the long term to maintain the loss.

The other thing I need to deal with is not falling into the self sabotage trap, where you give up because you have eaten something you shouldn't have, one 'bad' meal doesn't mean you should have another and another, just accept it and make small changes to the next meal to even things up a bit, no need to right off the entire day.

or write

Eat properly and move more you don’t need a “diet”

Thing is if you low carb properly ie LCHF, you will be come less hungry and the desire to snack falls away. Strictly you would give up booze too for the first couple of weeks and then spirit and low cal mixer.

You may not realise it but you are calorie counting, You are dropping calories that you would have normally consumed in carbs so your net will be lower.

Same as IF, you are cutting calories.

All 'diets' are CI v CO.

Are you drinking the 3 l of water per day? And you can take a magnesium supplement which will help the constipation

Eating fewer refined carbs could work and help you generally eat healthier. I used to eat some variation on white bread/pasta/rice/potatoes/noodles with most meals. I've switched to a lower carb/higher protein wholemeal bread for sandwiches and brown rice/wholemeal pasta. I have a smaller serving of carbs and bulk out with veg (frozen is good to have on hand). I also try to eat a decent amount of protein with each meal to help me feel fuller for longer.
I also find drinking a pint of water at meal times helps me not to over eat and stay hydrated.

It’s better to think of LCHF not as a diet but just a way to eat. It’s not cutting out whole food group but ensures you get it from increased green vegetables. I find it healthier and less likely to lead to sugar craving.

If you already suffer constipation I'd steer clear of this diet. I've suffered constipation my whole life (despite eating lots of wholegrain, pulses, fruit and veg). I tried low carb once. I only lasted a week because the constipation was unbearable. I was horribly uncomfortable and in pain. I actually found it quite scary. I knew this was a risk so I read up before about how to avoid constipation on low carb diets and I was doing everything they recommend - loads of water, live yogurt, tablespoons of chia and flax seeds every day. Nothing worked! I think my body just really needs whole grains and pulses to keep it regular. Seeds and water don't work for me. I've now been doing 16/8 for years. It's a miracle - so easy and very effective when it comes to weight loss.

@sallyWD - it's not a miracle though! It's basically cutting out a meal so therefore reducing calorie intake.

I also do 16/8 sometimes 20/6 - it's just an easy way to cut calories nad that's why it works.

18 / 6!

That's interesting @SallyWD - I get horribly constipated WHEN I eat carbs!

astrogirl speaks a lot of sense! Unless you have a medical, religious or ethical need, don't exclude a food group. It's not healthy or sustainable. I wish all this low carb/low fat/etc nonsense would go away. Try and focus on eating 3 balanced meals a day, reduce alcohol, keep cakes and bakes for an occasional thing, avoid processed foods as much as possible

@inwood I agree to an extent! For many people on 16/8 they cut out a meal and of course lose weight. But I really believe there's more to it. Some people don't cut out a meal and lose weight AND I can honestly say I'm eating more calories on 16/8 than when I was calorie counting. I know this because I have everything recorded on My Fitness Pal. I truly believe the act of fasting for 16 hours burns more fat than if you ate the same number of calories over 15 hours - it's not just a case of calories in/calories out. I have a substantial, calorific brunch, a light snacky type lunch and a huge early dinner and still lose weight. I'm actually eating a lot of calories.

@MsTSwift can I ask what you eat between those times? I do the same but am still putting on. I can only think I must be scoffing and not realising it.

the diet 'industry' is only in business because of the inability of (mostly) women to understand that a diet that works 'every time' or 'last time' is a diet that doesn't work at all. Because none do.

all the restricted eating, intermittent fasting etc etc are just ways of reducing calorie intake. Eat a balanced diet in normal portions. If you are too fat, reduce the portions. Move around more but the super-efficient human body makes it very difficult to out-exercise too much food.

People with constipation, please ge a gentle laxative. I don’t want to alarm you but excessive straining can cause prolapse

I will echo the gallbladder comment! Gentle weight loss!

@mencken finally someone else talking sense as well 👍

I recommend eating lots of non starchy vegetables - especially green ones - every day, which helps with bowel stuff and means there's not as much room left for carbs and snacks. Most importantly it's really good for you too.

I aim for 5 or more portions a day of things like broccoli, spinach, beetroot, green beans, kale, cauliflower, asparagus, peppers, cucumber, salad leaves etc. And check what a veg portion size looks like as often I think we underestimate.

I went from 11.5 to 8.5 stone just by drinking less booze and eating more veg. I never went hungry and just ate what I fancied including treats etc.

The gallbladder thing is interesting, people who are obese are at a higher risk of developing gallstones and people who reduce their weight as a result of bariatric surgery are also at an increased risk of gallstones. I wonder if anyone has ever scanned people prior to surgery to see if they have pre-existing asymptomatic gallstones ?

Try a balanced diet that doesn’t exclude any single food group.

So it's alright to tell people to exclude fat, but not carbs?!

As PP have pointed low carb is just that - low - it's not no carbs

Why don’t you try 5 2 ? Very friendly bunch with lots of helpful advise over there.

I low carb as my normal way of eating, not as a diet.

I am very low carb, so green veg and most salad items, some nuts and seeds, a high fat intake but no grains, no fruit and almost no root veg (and most certainly no maple syrup or anything like that!). Low carbers like me will naturally have a very high water requirement and will also need a good amount of salt in their diet.

I have almost never been constipated. If you tend that way then linseeds can be useful but the best short term solution is a couple of pieces of sugar-free gum. Xylitol is fantastically but gently laxative if you are a low carber!

Is there a recipe site for the Mediterranean low carb plan?

@Haffiana what do you eat on the average day, and what made you choose to eat this way?