not worth doing unless done to the letter?

[FedoraTheExplora]

I was wondering if it was still possible to lose weight low carbing and having a few treats? Obviously not as fast, but for example if I was on a low calorie diet but I had a bit of chocolate or some haribo/ crisps whatever, it may hinder my progress a little but as long as I had been very good for the rest of the day, it wouldn't make a massive difference. Is this similar to low carb? Or is it that when you have these little treats, because you take your body out of ketosis you've basically wasted your whole day of eating low carb?

Basically I'm finding it easy to eat low carb for mealtimes, but at night I can never resist the call for a couple of squares of chocolate or a few sweets. Don't know if I'm better off switching to a different kind of diet, but the cheese, pesto, chicken skin etc. suits me down to the ground and I don't miss pasta or potatoes much at all..

If it's dark chocolate you'd probably be OK. But it's quite an unforgiving way of eating in terms of only a little bit of sugar can just tip you back our of ketosis etc. If you also limited calories on days when you'd eaten cheaty stuff you might be fine. You might just have to try it and see. I 'spoke' to someone on here ages ago who said she ate low carb/low calorie during the week then pretty much what she wanted at weekends and still lost weight. But I guess everyone's system is different and it might take some experimenting!

Thanks for your help. So maybe I could do a bit of a low carb/ low cal hybird, still stay away from pasta/ potatoes/ bread and have lots of meat without the skin and veg but less butter and fats, don't like mayo or dressings anyway so shouldn't be too hard.. And then allow myself a little treat every now and then? That's sort of what I've been doing anyway since new year and I've lost 7lb so I guess I should just stop beating myself up about my lack of willpower and congratulate myself on how far I'd come from a month ago when I would literally eat everything from morning to night, even if I didn't really want it

I'm doing similar. In the week, we are eating low carb, reasonably high fat and also keeping an eye on calories.

However if I fancy sushi every other weekend, I will have it - in moderation. Instead of getting a huge platter like I used to, I will get 4-6 pieces and then maybe some sashimi.

Same with dessert etc - if I really want dessert on a nice meal out once a month, I will have it, enjoy it and not beat myself up.

I'm still losing weight, but I also find this more sustainable for me. I could go very hardcore and cut out everything, but would then gain quickly once I relaxed.

I'd much rather eat healthily and low carb 90% of the time and treat myself 10% of the time whilst slowly losing weight, than deprive myself and yo-yo.

It's taken me a good 3-4 years to put on this weight, I don't expect it to go overnight.

Yes I think I would prefer a more moderate way with it too, like you are both describing. I have done the hard-core boot camp type thing a few times and have pat plenty of weight but to be honest I'm sick of it and was about to start a thread along those lines myself. I think I've totally sickened myself with boot camp style eating and dread doing it now so a more moderate approach is the way forward. Fedora you've clearly been doing really well so far!! I've been having one 'normal ' piece of fruit so far every day, like a banana or an orange rather than the 'permitted' berries. I just don't want to feel deprived otherwise I will crack and binge on cards as I've done the last couple of times I've attempted serious low carbing. I actually don't really like fatty meat or green vegetables all that much so it's made it more of a challenge .

Pat=lost

Cards=carbs. Bingeing on cards would be interesting!

You sound like you're both doing great! Wish my slip ups were limited to fruit or a pudding every month

I am PMS-ing like a pro this week, so there have been an awful lot of chocolate brownies consumed in the last two days

As long as my calories in are less than out and I'm enjoying the gym, I'm happy.

Can you do some low carb baking? Coconut flour is great. Google mug cake low carb, lots of quick microwave recipes and when I've tried them they're tasty.