Wow, am shocked!

[giraffesandelephants]

I started this low carb high fat way of eating on Monday this week and I have already lost 6lbs! I'm a big girl, 5ft8 and weighing on Monday at 189lbs. My goal is 145lbs, so a whole 44lbs to go! It's really daunting but I have to do it, and I know I can.

Been lurking on this board since Monday and the advice has been wonderful. So thank you very very much!!!!

I am still drinking diet coke, but have cut down from 2litres to 1 litre a day, hoping to cut it down further. I have 2-4 sugar free gum sticks a day, which I know I shouldn't, but want to spare the mothers on the school run my ketosis breath. Ha ha. Am drinking about 2.5 litres of water a day.

I must say that the only thing I am missing is chocolate! I bought one of those ATKINS Chocolate bars which is suitable for all phases, and allow myself a sliver or two after dinner. Do you think this is alright?

I am also eating a lot of cheese (basically with every meal), I have read that this can impede weight loss in some people. Question is, as I am losing weight so well, do you think it will impede mine? Nooooooooo, I can't cut out cheese either!

I need to lose the weight by May as I am going back to the country I was born in, haven't seen my family in close to 6 years, and really don't want them seeing me this big!!

Good luck everyone and thank you!!!!

Bloody hell that's brilliant!

I started yesterday and I'm assured on the boot camp thread that what I ate was low carb enough to lose weight - but I still can't get my head round it iykwim? Yesterday's food was so delicious and filling (especially my dinner of steak with garlic butter, mushrooms cooked in butter, salad and mayo) that I can't truly believe it's going to make me thinner!

Fingers crossed for results like yours!

Good luck! I'm sure it's going to work for you too!

Fab loss!

No idea about the Atkins chocolate bars but I do know a lot of the Atkins stuff is full of additives etc so might be worth checking the ingredients. IF I need a chocolate fix then I have a couple of squares of REALLY dark chocolate (min 85%) which takes the edge off. Hotel Chocolate also do a couple of 100% which are like rocket fuel!

Enjoy the rest of your journey! I have eaten LC for the last 3 years and love it.

well done!

if you can break away from the sweet flavours (diet coke; atkins bars) it will be to your advantage in the longterm, as not only are they full of nasties, if you can get away from the reliance on sweet foods it makes things a lot easier in terms of cravings. whether you do this cold turkey or slowly cutting down as you're doing is up to you, as you will know what works best for you

do be aware also that you won't see that kind of loss every week - but it's still a great initial motivational loss. i wouldn't worry about the cheese - if you find a few weeks down the line that you're eating a bit too much of it you can cut down then, once low carbing is more established. while you're still getting used to it best to just enjoy the foods you can eat and not worry about it

how do you feel in yourself? do you feel energised and de-bloated yet or are you experiencing some carb-fluey type feelings?

I felt awful the first two days. My head still feels a bit "fluffy". I am so much less bloated though.

I've had a headache for two days! And I hit a tired patch around 3 - could have slept then. Perked up after eating though.

Ok, after seeing such brilliant weight loss at the start I have stalled for two days. Nothing I'm eating has changed, my water intake is the same. I have become quite despondent. Do you think that my cheese intake could be stopping the loss? Or was it all water the first few days?

I am going to really cut down my cheese today and hope to heavens it makes a difference!

Any other tips.

My best tip: don't weigh yourself every day! Once a week is good.

peanut butter and celery is good for a sweet treat x

Don't weigh every day - once a week at most. And you haven't stalled! Stalling is no loss for several weeks, not a couple of days.

On a low-carb diet especially, weight loss is not linear, you 'stop losing' for a few days and then suddenly several pounds seem to drop off at once. We call it the Whoosh Fairy . So don't panic, and don't take it as a sign that LC isn't working. It's totally normal. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water, up your fat intake and Step Away From The Scales.

Your initial high weight loss would be due to your body using up all your glycogen stores first, these are bound up with water, from what I can remember.

Once these are depleted your body has to burn more fat ( yay), volume wise it weighs less. So you might be losing less weight as quickly but you will notice yourself getting much thinner for every pound you lose. So if you've any tight clothes keep trying them on to see their fit and note how tightly you can fasten your belt.

Adjust your expectations. A sensible loss to aim for is 1 to 2lb per week. You can't expect to continue at your initial rate of 2lb per day!

Yes, is true what everyone's said. Weight seems to stay the same but your body shape will change if you keep the faith Think it may be to do with fat weighing less than muscle and on this WOE you burn fat. Good luck and keep on, even when the scales stay the same!

Thanks everyone for your replies, will carry on with the way of eating and hope for the best. Unfortunately tumble tumble, I really have to lose the weight before may, and losin 1-2lbs a week wot get me to my goal weight!

Is what was on today's menu alright?

B: 2 rashers bacon and 2 fried eggs
L: I had two small blocks (about finger size) of cheddar cheese and some biltong (it's a South African dried steak meat, much like American beef jerky)
D: 2 scrambled eggs with feta, courgette, spring onion and spinach. Alongside the egg, I had a low carb sausage (think they are called black farmer sausages).

I am low on my veg today, normally it's a lot more than that. I even made my own pizza base last night out of cauliflower and it was delicious! :)

I find that if you boost your exercise alongside, even if it it just more walking or running up and down stairs a few times at home this can keep you losing. Or if you do something more strenuous, that would really work. Lots of people I hear recommend The Shred, which is on YouTube.

However your family will not weigh you. I thought you just wanted to look slim and healthy, as I said fat loss gives dramatic results. Volume wise think of it in terms of a pack of lard per half pound.

anything more than 1-2lb per week is not realistic i'm afraid. the bonus of low carbing though is that because of the de-bloating effect, and also many people see improvements in skin and hair condition, you will look much slimmer, sleeker and glowing at a given weight than you did when you were the same weight but eating carbs. also you will feel more energetic and healthier which affects your mood and will translate to you looking better

many people find that they stay the same weight for a few days or a couple of weeks and then experience a 'whoosh' rather than a steady loss every day or week. you do need to keep the faith

if you are tweaking things just be careful of the amount of processed meat you're having (bacon, biltong and sausage - maybe only one portion of those per day depending on the quantities)

www.google.co.uk/search?q=weight+vs+fat+loss+images&client=opera&hs=Qh0&tbm=isch&source=iu&imgil=czHcYSdbZ2ruYM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcTMxLAeiF0tQJTq3ASh9k7A9AfpiJYtRB4qH_T461BmZOcE5litFg%253B432%253B288%253BtKNGJLSeUYEWmM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Ftechnorati.com%25252Flifestyle%25252Farticle%25252Fwhat-you-eat-matters-fat-loss%25252F&sa=X&ei=e7rTUv3EFKzB7AbN-IDgDg&ved=0CDwQ9QEwBg&biw=1920&bih=972#facrc=&imgdii=&imgrc=czHcYSdbZ2ruYM%253A%3BtKNGJLSeUYEWmM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fscm-l3.technorati.com%252F12%252F01%252F22%252F60539%252F5lb-fat-muscle2-copy.jpg%25253Ft%25253D20120122134917%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ftechnorati.com%252Flifestyle%252Farticle%252Fwhat-you-eat-matters-fat-loss%252F%3B432%3B288

These images give some idea of weight loss versus fat loss.

Eat Green and Blacks 85%, much better for you than that Atkins stuff