Either this is the best diet ever or I'm doing it wrong!?

[bibbetybobbityboo]

Decided to use the six week holidays to get into good habits generally. That includes eating better and exercising more. After a bit of reading I think low carb is a sensible way to go for me. I eat masses of carbs normally. Bread with every meal plus potatoes, massive helpings of white pasta etc. I'm not going hardcore about it as that is always a sure fire way to make me fail. I've got about 2 and a half stones that could do with shifting but really I just want to feel better and have more energy. So I went out this morning to stock up on the right stuff. So far today I have had deli meats and cheese for breakfast/brunch after shopping. Then I have just made a delicious lunch of scrambled eggs with broccoli and asparagus cooked in a bit of garlic butter and some blue cheese mixed though it all. To stave off any sweet cravings I had a small helping of melon with some Greek yoghurt after. I've also drunk plenty of water. Later I'm planning creamy tarragon chicken with green beans and I'll do some rice for the others to go with it. Looking forward to it already! So have I totally misunderstood this or can I genuinely eat such delicious food and be healthier?!

Yep - you really can eat all this and more.

That said - you do genuinely need to count your carbs at least for the first few weeks and watch your calories too. Eating low carb will automatically reduce the calories you eat, but it easy to go a bit mad and eat more than you need.

For the first few days you will be hungry, but this will ease off.

Many people think that you don't need to watch calories while low carbing - but for weight loss, it is my experience that it is important to keep an eye on it. But we are talking less than 2,000 cals rather than surviving on 1000.

Just watch the melon, you are better off with a very small serving of berries

Most people don't need to watch calories until they get towards the end of their weight loss journey but you do need to learn to stop when you feel full. the food is much more satisfying and you will have got used to needing a lot with eating so many carbs. You should have a good loss this week but it will slow down. that said, its a good, steady drop and its easy to live with. Makes you feel great and gives you good skin too.

Have you looked at the foodlists on the main low carb page? If you stick with those you wont need to count anything!

Be sure to drink your water! Weight loss slows up if you don't.

Thanks for the tips. I can't believe I've gone all day and had no bread, pasta or potatoes and no cakes, biscuits or chocolate and i genuinely haven't really missed them, what I have had has been so delicious. Just goes to show. I'm betting tomorrow isn't such an easy ride but a great start and nice to feel full without being massively bloated after dinner this evening!

So far today I have had:

deli meats and cheese for breakfast/brunch after shopping.
Watch out - some meats have added sugars and nitrates. Some cheeses can be quite high in carbs.

Then I have just made a delicious lunch of scrambled eggs with broccoli and asparagus cooked in a bit of garlic butter and some blue cheese mixed though it all.

Sounds good. Just watch the cheese, too much stalls some people.

To stave off any sweet cravings I had a small helping of melon with some Greek yoghurt after.

Did you have any sweet cravings? I would def eat berries before melon. Keep an eye on the carb count of your yoghurt, they vary widely.

I've also drunk plenty of water.
How much?

Later I'm planning creamy tarragon chicken with green beans.
Not the lowest carb veg IIRC. Broccoli, cabbage and cauli are my favs for cooked veg. More dairy here.

I would just watch your carb count. I couldn't eat that much carb / dairy in a day and lose, but I am close to target and carb sensitive. You might be fine. Good luck :)

I'm following the dissident's diet by Dawn Waldron. She encourages a carb day once a week just because it can get hard to do no/low carb all the time when friends invite you out for a curry or whatever.she also encourages you to check which carbs cause cravings or change your fat burning so you know which you can eat moderately when you reach your target.

Anyway, today I have had

Three slices of bacon with mushrooms

A roast chicken thigh with skin on and salad with mayonnaise (full fat - less carbs than low fat)

Homemade beef casserole with broccoli, green beans and cauliflower

Handful of berries with double cream

A couple of squares of 85% chocolate (if I had had more berries I would have dropped the chocolate)

Plus tea and coffee with full fat milk

I eat like that most of the time except for the carb day (last time I had chicken with chip shop chips and did I enjoy them!) I then go on a strict low carb day the next day just to get back on track (part of the diet). No dairy that day but veg and a reasonable amount of meat or fish.

I have lost 12lb in 7 weeks.

My sister, BTW, told me when I started the diet, that she has done a low carb diet during the week with carbs only at the weekend since her boys were born (the youngest is 10). She is a size 8! Wish she had told me that ten years ago!

I'm exhausted today and could murder a bar of chocolate! Resisted so far. Had berries and yoghurt for breakfast with coffee and cream. Then salad leaves, cucumber, chorizo slices, feta cheese and ceased dressing for lunch. About a litre ish or water so far. Going to try and muster up the energy to go for a walk soon. Thinking maybe a cauliflower cheese bake thingy for dinner later. Too tired to think about it!

More water. More fat which is non-dairy. Check you're not lacking in salt.

Well done for resisting the chocolate!

Thanks, feeling a bit better after a walk and a snack. Today is looking like coming in at around 36g of carbs compared to yesterday's 83g and only around 1500 calories. I know I probably need to reduce my dairy but for the time being not having bread, biscuits, crisps and chocolate every day washed down with a bottle of coke is challenging enough so once I've got used to eating as I am I will try to reduce my dairy a bit then. If I do it all at once I will almost definitely fail. No bread, chocolate or cheese... 2 out of 3 ain't bad

Absolutely!

I moved to THD from the Slimming World original plan so I had a gradual easing in :)

Day three and still feeling ok. Started today with two slices of bacon and two poached eggs. Still feeling a bit peckish though. Will drink some more water. Scales are saying 2lbs lighter today. That's the water right? I swear my stomach looks a bit flatter already too. I'm guessing that's because I haven't got the bloating that carbs normally give me. All good motivation though

53g today and still about 1500 calories. Felt a bit rubbish earlier but had a lie down, a gallon of water and a piece of cheese and felt much better. Getting a bit fed up of drinking water now, would love a nice cold lemonade or fruit juice. I'm on holiday next week so will stick to principles generally but allow myself the odd treat I think.

Woohoo 12st 10 today down from 13st 1 :)

Well done always a mini landmark moving into a different stone

Water can get boring! I like soda water or Cranberry juice Lite is very low in carbs.

You can also make lots of yummy things with almond flour, pancakes, muffins etc

I've bought some of the cranberry juice and some tonic water, thanks!

I went for lunch at a friends yesterday so had a bit of a cheat day. She made little homemade pizzas and we had Eton mess for pudding. Was good for breakfast and dinner though. Except for sneaking 1 thorntons choc at the end of the day which amazingly I didn't enjoy and didn't eat any more! Stepped onto the scales tentatively this morning and I'm another lb down! Inputed yesterday on mfp and I'm only slightly over carb target and still under calories. Still not ideal I know but I'm flabbergasted!

Now off on hols today so need to try not to go too far off track!

You are doing really well bibbety. Essmum mentions a type of cheat day which I find very good for motivation and for allowing you to plan your treats and enjoy them.

I actually like Essmum sisters woe too.

Sorry this may already be out there, but can anyone recommend any recipe books for low carb?

HI all,

Need some support, have been doing low carb just like OP for 2 weeks - I am following the pig to twig. Lost 4 lb in the first week but have put it all back on in the second. I am not cheating! the only 'cheat' was some leftover peas & corn that my sister whizzed into some soup. Feeling really down this morning and feel like chucking it all in. Have about 2 stone to lose.

Have you actually read the IPD book Ninipops? Are you drinking your water? Did you get weighed just after the soup?

The book tells you to go right to the end of the two week P1 for a reason. Your weight bounces about until you get established burning fat so you get a better idea if you wait. The initial loss is mostly water anyway. The real fat loss comes later. Be sure to take some measurements. I wish I'd taken more as its more reliable on a LC plan than scales. Seeing your size going down even when the scales are being unfriendly is a huge help!

I know you wouldn't have had much carb in the soup but LC doesn't do cheating! Even a bit of a cheat can cause a big regain of water. If you stick at it that water will go again over the next few days.

Have a look at some of the ideas on the Boot Camp threads on here. The plans are very similar except that IPD doesn't allow yoghurt until P2.

Hi miffy,

Weighed about 2 days after the soup. Have been drinking water - started with 2l a day but was peeing far too much so cut it to 1.5 but come to think of it I didn't manage that some days (3 small kids!) so maybe that might be it. really want this to work. Have a big family event mid Oct and would like to be noticeably smaller. Sick of being the 'fat' sister.

Oh and yes I have the book & the recipe book.