Started a low-cal and low-carb diet

[Renovatinghouse]

Hello! I just wanted to post here to track my progress. I have been doing the diet for a month and have lost 5 kilos already.

I am 5'3" and weight 87 kilos (I think that is around 13 stones). My BMI is 34 and the doctor told me I have high cholesterol, so I need to do something about it. I have been a yo yo dieter all my life and addicted to carbs. A close relative died of a heart attack at 60 and I don't want that to happen to me. So, I have started!

I am currently size 18/20 and my goal is to wear a beautiful dress size 12 in December which I have not used since two years ago.

I am posting here to try to record my progress weekly. Thank you for reading!

I joined a gym but I am not sure what is the best thing go do to help with the weight loss. Should I only do cardio? or mixed with weights? Grateful for any suggestions!!

Hi Renovating - Well done on the 5kilos!

What does your diet consist of exactly? If it's shakes or meal replacements, I think you'll find at least one active thread around if you search for VLCD.

I am the almost identical height and weight to you. Initially I just want to get down to 12 stone to be merely very overweight rather than obese.

I am thinking of using up some old cambridge diet sachets to get into ketosis and then go very low carb, but keeping it cheap (because we have no money ) with lots of boiled eggs, omlettes and 3 x £10 meat deals.

Probably also use protein shakes for breakfast (again already have in the house).

Exercise wise I like the idea of 0-5k building up to a fortnightly parkrun to keep me motivated. Also I read that the simple kettlebell swing is amazing for changing your body. It must be heavy though. Google 4 hour body kettlebell swing.

Good luck.

Why do't you come and join us in The Low Carb Bootcamp Continues! thread?

You can use spreadsheet to add your weight and progress every week. I am sure you would find lot of usefull information andit is great to have a nice chat with friendly ladies :)

Thanks Bumpop and Eglute. What is VLCD? My diet is indeed meal replacements in the first phase, and then will add the carbs gradually once I have lost 80% of the weight I need to lose.

I will join you in the Bootcamp thread, thanks for the suggestion.

I always wince a bit when I hear about meal replacements. I did the Cambridge diet. Lost a stone and a half in a month. Put on six stones over the next year. Basically I acquired an eating disorder. I have excellent willpower incidentally, that wasn't a factor. It happens to a lot of people (not all though obviously).

Low carbing is a great way of losing weight but it really can be a huge success even if you're not doing it as a low calorie diet. Would you please reconsider doing the low calorie thing just to humour me? I just did a Whole 30, lots of people lose loads of weight on that and keep losing, but basically they eat enough food to be full, reclaim a healthy, positive relationship with food and get great health too.

Good luck with your diet. Sorry to butt in.

Thanks Itstarts! I am not planning to do this diet indefinitely, only until I lose the extra weight - which is a lot by the way. I am not hungry because I am in ketosis and I take lots of supplements (sodium, potassium, magnesium, multivitamin) to avoid feeling tired, weak, etc. It is a supervised by a doctor so I get blood tests frequently to make sure that liver function, thyroid, etc is fine.

I agree that is not ideal but I am obese and need the structure and control to lose the weight. Besides I get really depressed when I see myself in the mirror and I hope that I will have fast results as last time I did it after my last pregnancy. With this pregnancy I gained 30 kilos and now have high cholesterol, achy joints and a closet full of clothes that don't fit at all.

sorry for the massive post. My idea is to gradually move to a healthy normal diet, I hope that I can get there! Thank you for your comment!

BY the way, I do eat two portions (300 gm each) of low carb vegetables a day : )