First day and

[CrispsForBreakfast]

It's my first day on the low carb and I'm just going mad for chips and crisps!

I've read all the information I can find and I just can't find the foods I like. I'm a very fussy eater and my diet mainly consists of high carb foods. E.G potatoes, sandwiches, pasta. I cook from scratch for the family, but its foods such as, cottage pie, lasagna, roast dinners, sausage and mash etc... All high carb foods!

Today I've had
B. 1 sausage ( black farmer) 1 bacon, mushrooms, scrambled egg
L: salad of, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and 15ml of honey and mustard dressing.

And just now...a 25g bag of chicken crisps! I just couldn't help it, I was craving!

I have done cal counting in the past and lost weight but the weight comes off from my bum, arms, face... Everywhere but my fat tummy! This is why I thought low carb would be better for me. But it feels like I'm starving ( craving)

Also, I work part time and have a 15 min break in the morning where I have a bag of crisps and a can of coke zero...what can I eat instead?
And while my family tuck into a roast dinner, what do I eat? ( my normal roast involves half a plate of roasters)

I would really appreciate any help. Thank you.

Pork scratchings or olives cherry toms other raw veg are a good crisp substitute.

For roast dinner just cook a variety of low carb veg and don't have any spuds. Try roast squash or celeriac as a roast spud alternative.

Sorry forgot to say that mashed cauliflower or cauliflower cheese can be a good potato substitute cottage pie topper.
Just make cauliflower cheese with double cream, cream cheese and grated cheddar. Yum!

Make lasagne with courgettes sliced longways and griddled instead of pasta.

Get a couple of small pot trays to make individual servings for you if the whole family don't want low carb food.

Looking at the food you ate it doesn't sound like you're eating enough. When you start out low carbing you will get cravings for carbs, particularly if your previous diet was very high in carbs as it sounds like yours was. The cravings do subside with time, but will perpetuate if you give into them

To help ride it out, you really need to make sure you're eating enough - have a bigger breakfast and make sure you cook in butter (the fat will help you feel fuller for longer). Better than adding the sugary honey and mustard dressing (this will probably have increased your carb cravings), make your own low carb dressing (tsp mustard, tbsp vinegar, 4 tbsp oil) and use plenty on your salad. That salad isn't enough for lunch anyway - I'm not surprise you were feeling hungry and deprived. Add cheese, cold meat, mayo, tuna, avocado etc. go easy on the tomatoes and onions as they can add up in terms of carbs.

You can have mash - substitute mashed swede or cauliflower or celeriac and make sure you add plenty of butter (not milk though - a slug of double cream would be fine). All the things Gin has suggested above sound fab.

You can have cheese as a snack, or cold meat, or hard boiled egg (mashed up with mayo is nice - you need to keep your fat intake up)

As you get into the swing of low carbing you will probably find that actually you don't need a snack, because you blood sugar levels are steady and you can get through to the next full meal without snacking. However, if you are hungry you must eat, and you must keep your fat levels up

Try pork scratchings instead of crisps. I make my own, lovely!

Have celeriac or swede instead of roast potatoes. Celeriac fondant is amazing! I also have swede roasties sprinkled with parmesan ... having that today actually, with my roast chicken.

Keep snacks handy. I have pepperamis, hard boiled eggs, sliced cold meat & babybels for snack attacks.

Up your fat! That is important. I add coconut oil to everything, and butter all my veg and add mayo to all my salads.

Thank you all for answering my questions. I will trying out your suggestions. I woke up this morning feeling really rough, I cooked omelettes with mushrooms and... Real butter for breakfast. It was nice.

I'm scared of fat though! I think I need to educate myself more on this eating plan. Can I ask, if I am not in ketosis will I still lose weight? I think I'm scared that if I go adding mayo and butter to my food and my body is not in full ketosis I will pile the pounds on.

I'll have an afternoon reading the bootcamp threads.

Thanks again

Crisps......you are going to have to be strong and believe in this way of eating if you are not going to fail.

Remove ALL temptations from the house.

No more

Coke
Crisps
Chocolate
Sugar

Set your mind to drinking water water water and sparkling for a treat.

Plan delicious buttery foods for yourself. Enjoy preparing them and when you feel hungry drink a pint of water, paint your nails, have a bath. Distraction techniques.

I am 26lbs down and feel much better for it. We will support you.

Change your name!

Im 2 stone down, eating lots & lots of fat & mayo - it definitely works!