Anyone starting today who wants to keep me company?

[hejsvejs]

I'm starting LCHF today. Is there anyone else who is starting now or have recently started this diet who wants to join me so we can support each other?

I need to lose at least 12 kg but would ideally want to lose 17 kg. if possible before summer is here so I don't have to feel self conscious about wearing summery clothes.

I'll keep you company op! I have sort of started low carbing this week but not being terribly strict... Are you following a particular diet at all? I'm thinking of doing the primal diet though I hate the thought of buying another a diet book.

Hello, I've been doing LCHF (very strictly) for 5 or 6 weeks now. Lost close to 8kg. Another 22 (!!) to go.

Happy to keep each other company on our little journeys.

Wow KP, that's an amazing loss - very well done!

Do you mind me asking, have you been following a book or or do you have a target number of grams of carbs per day or anything?

Keeping to 20g net carbs (carbs minus fibre) and tracking using my fitness pal. Total calories for the day are 1500 net, allowing for exercise. And I count everything, a wander to/from shops, walking with DS to the local park etc.

There are a few websites I've looked at for recipe ideas, there's one that has ruled.me in the address. There is another called Ditch The Carbs.

Our menu has been pretty boring, to be honest. I tend to have two proper meals a day and then some snacks.

Breakfast/lunch
Espresso coffee, sometimes with single cream instead of milk
Bacon, eggs, mushroom and spinach
Salmon scrambled eggs (made with 2-3 eggs and cream)
Ham roll ups with cream cheese and cucumber with a boiled egg or two, slice of cheese
Leftovers from dinner

Dinners
180-230g serve of meat, LC sausages or fish with fat left on, served with roasted or steamed veg like broccoli, cauli, sprouts, asparagus, spinach, zucchini, small amount of carrot
Meatballs in creamy sauce served with zucchini pasta
Chicken breast stuffed with ham, spinach and Brie with veg
Mexican-style mince with salad (google for Linda's low carb seasoning mix)
Adapted low carb bolognaise sauce with zucchini pasta
Another side is broc/cauli vegie bake with cheesy cream sauce
Adapted Thai or Indian curries with cauli rice (can buy cheaply pre-done from Asda)

Snacks
Sugar free jelly
Pork scratchings
Sugar free soft drink or squash
Ganache made with double cream and 80% chocolate
'Mousse' made with double cream and 100% cocoa powder. You can also make real mousse with eggs and chocolate but it takes longer and is more of a faff
Slices of ham and cheese
Earl Grey tea

The idea is after a week or so, you shouldn't really be looking for snacks in between meals as the fat helps to keep you feeling full

Measure everything and record accurately. Watch carb content in veg, even the ones I listed contain some carbs. Some version of LC say you can have as many green leafy vegies that you want, but I still prefer to track everything and keep to

That was so long!!

And, after all that, I should say that it's been a lot easier than I expected. I haven't had alcohol or bread in a month. DH bought me some (bloody expensive!) Atkins-branded pasta so I did have 30g of that one night.

If I go to the supermarket I do yearn for the bakery aisle but I'm doing well to avoid. One reason why I do online shopping!

One night I had a decent whack of sweet icing on DH's birthday cake and felt sick for two days after. And I was/am addicted to the stuff.

Lastly, I forgot to say Beef Stroganoff is another great dinner option.

15% fat mince is your friend.

I base my menus around which meats are on offer for my online shopping.

Thanks a million KP. I'm feeling really motivated after reading that - some yummy sounding recipe ideas there too! Will start in earnest tomorrow. I have a lc recipe book which I might dig out tomorrow and go shopping.

So happy to wake up to see replies on this thread.

I'm trying I stick to under 20g carbs too, other than that I won't be counting anything.

I started out really well yesterday, had scrambled eggs for breakfast, Parma ham and egg milk for lunch and then some blue cheese for lunch.

Unfortunately, my bf came around and started saying that it sounds as a fad, stupid diet that is too restrictive and that I'll never manage to stick to it.

He took me to the pub for dinner, I had a chicken breast with spinach and mozzarella and had salad as a side instead of chips. But also had a glass of red wine...

Despite the wine, I had lost 0.6 kg this morning!

Well done on your weight loss KP and best of luck Lady! We can do this!

I'll join youhejsvejs. Low carb is the only thing that really works for me for a number of reasons.
I feel slimmer within a couple of days, it stabilises my blood sugars so I don't get crazy cravings and after a while I find my appetite is naturally suppressed so it's easier to do some intermittent fasting alongside. I've had great success in the past with it ......
However, I now find myself with at least two stone to lose, possibly three and I know I need to get my head down and get on with it.
The only thing is, I have a horrible lurgy cold/cough and it's driving me insane. The coughing is relentless and the only thing that's giving any relief is a lozenge. Damn it! The plan is to start and my fridge is already stocked and ready to go!

And that's fabulous motivation KP, thanks for sharing. I'll be fully operational once I've shifted this cough.

Also trying low carbing, on day three now and it's going ok so far - I need to look at some breakfast ideas though as my default is pastries toast
Starting couch to 5k too, I will get fit!

Hi Isee and Holy!

I've tried low carb in the past too and it's always worked really well for me, so I'm hopeful!

Isee, can you se if you can find sugar free lozenges?

Scrambled eggs is my default breakfast. Or just a bulletproof coffee?

C25K sounds like a good idea, might try that too!

I'm just having a bulletproof coffee :)

I'm going to pop into Boots later and see if I can find anything remotely sugar free that will offer some relief.

I'm annoyed because I'm in the zone and I want to start!

'Evening, all.

Today's food:
Breakfast: Earl Grey tea
Lunch: Streaky bacon, two eggs, cheese, mushrooms and spinach
Dinner: adapted meatballs and tomato sauce with Slim noodles and courgetti
Snacks: Pork scratchings, sugar free jelly (might add some double cream)

No exercise, I'm feeling a bit jarred today after starting C25K last night - suspect running on a treadmill was not great for me. Need to improve my running style.

Total net carbs for the day was about 17, will be 19 if I have cream with the jelly.

Isee, I hope you found some at boots so you can get started properly!

KP, I don't think you're meant to do C25K more than every other day anyway so rest today was good.

Today I've had:

Lunch: Cooked chicken and a slice of Brie
Afternoon snack: Hot chocolate (25g butter, an egg and a teaspoon of plain cocoa powder, no sweetener) and a teaspoon of blue cheese
Dinner: Home made burgers with mayo, swede chips and rocket leaves.

That sounds like a great dinner - would you mind sharing your recipe?

The burgers were just mince with added salt and pepper shaped into burgers and then fried in butter.

And I followed this recipe for the chips (didn't manage to get them crispy unfortunately but still good) ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2013/05/08/Low-carb-French-Fries

Thanks :)

Today's food:

Breakfast: Americano coffee
Lunch: streaky bacon, two eggs, mushrooms and spinach
Dinner: roast chicken with skin, roast broccoli, cauli and asparagus served with a dollop of Hellmann's mayo
Snacks: slice of Gouda cheese, coffee, can of sugar free ginger beer, ganache made with double cream and 80% bittersweet chocolate

Net carbs of around 10g

Exercise was a couple of hours walking around town with DS. I'm going to be out of action for a few days doing proper exercise because I fell over in the street chasing DS from running in front of a car (fun times all 'round) and have really hurt my knee.

I ordered some ketostix of Amazon the other day and got them this morning. I'm in ketosis! Super happy.

I've lost 2.1 kg since I started, I realise it's mainly water but I'm still pleased.

watching with interest

im low carbing but not strictly,though i dont eat crisps.pasta,potatoes etc anymore

god those ketosis sticks are addictive,im addicted though many LC dont recommend them

Yeah, ketostix can be a bit addictive!

Today's food:
Breakfast: tea
Brunch: poached eggs, smoked salmon and spinach
Dinner: nice sausages, broc, asparagus, cauli and a couple of tblsp of pecorino and basil dip from waitrose.
Snacks: a few nibs of 80% chocolate, small pack of pork scratchings and I might have some sugarfree jelly later.

Activity: working at a cafe for 7 hours!!

Weighed myself this morning, I've lost another half kg or so, yay! Not sure it will stay off, especially as tomorrow will be a non-Keto day, but we'll see.

Well done on the weight loss!

Why do some low carbers not recommend ketostix?

Definitely addicted, I've used three today

They aren't necessarily a good indicator. You can get darker (or lighter) results depending on whether you are dehydrated or have been drinking a lot.

If you take a test immediately after a meal it's misleading as it doesn't reflect that meal, but rather whatever you ate when you made that wee.

they also only show excess ketones and as your body gets better at processing them (or something like that) you might get lighter results but still be in ketosis.

This info is what I remember from a couple of articles I've read over the last month.