Pig2Twig

[raisedbyguineapigs]

Hi,
I'm one week into India Knight and Nerys someones Pig2 Twig low carb diet. I've never done low carb before, but I am 3 stone overweight, and am starting to get joint pains. Im finding it OK so far, but i was reading some articles saying it doesn't really work long term. Anyone had any experience of it? I did look at the Bootcamp, but I'm a bit of a luddite and like a book to browse through

I started a week ago too.
I really like the book. I'm doing ok so far. I've eaten more veg and salad than I usually do and I feel great.
I've lost about 8lbs so far and not felt hungry.

Why wouldn't it work long term? It's a really good and healthy way to lose weight.

Im not sure! I just googled it and came up with some Mumsnet stuff actually with people saying they found it impossible to stick to. This wwas from when the book first came out. I was a bit worried about the first week, as they say if you go off piste even once the weight could come back on. Long term, allowing for the occasional lapse and family special occasion seems better. I do like the book as it does concentrate more on the long term plan and the psychology of overeating.

Whilst low carb diets can be unforgiving when you go off piste, so long as you jump straight back on then any occasional blips are very quickly rectified.

I am surprised to read that people have written that it doesn't work in the long term? I am not completely familiar with that plan but I have followed and had fantastic results with Atkins, obviously as you go further on and become slimmer then eventually any diet would need tweaking.

All I know is that this is the longest time I have stuck to a diet, have had really good results whilst not feeling hungry. Honestly,for me, low calorie, low fat diets have not worked.

No low cal diets don't work for me either. I'm finding this much easier to stick to. The Google stuff I looked at is nearly 10 years old now, so maybe the attitude to low carb is different now. I don't really miss the carbs. The problem may be my husband's he's eating the same stuff as me, but with carbs! So I had bacon eggs and tomatoes for breakfast, and he had a bacon sarnie! He also ate half my pork scratchings! He said he's put on weight. But I did warn him! The kids are fine on it though, they have a bit of rice or pasta with what we have and generally like it.

Yes just do them a carb side, it makes life easier. I'm also the only one doing a diet and I do try to share quite a few meals but sometimes our meal times are different.

I think I have now got to the stage that I am enjoying this slimmer feel so much that the carbs aren't that important, if it's a choice between feeling this good and eating carbs this feeling wins every time.

People often do find low carb hard to follow - for lots of reasons though. Sometimes it's because they just don't have any faith in the science behind it, and they're easily put off by other people who tell them it's dangerous, all that fat, and Atkins died of a heart attack didn't he? (No he didn't - he slipped on the ice).

Sometimes it's just because they won't or can't commit to going without carbs - often it's fruit that they have a problem with.

And in general, it's often because the world isn't made for low carbers! Look at any fast food outlet or coffee shop on the high street - it's all carbs.

But if you're committed to it, know what you're doing, and follow the plan (any plan that you've chosen), then it will work and it can be sustained for as long as you want.

Having read a lot of the science behind it, it's how I choose to eat most of the time. It's not just for weight loss, but it's about avoiding diseases or problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimers.

Yes, and sometimes people just can't break away from the low fat diet mode, it is alien of course, but they try and do low carb and low fat.

Best advice is whatever diet plan you chose read as much as you can to really get to grips with it.

I think a change is afoot, more low carb products in the supermarkets, even some ready meals finding their way onto the shelves (not perfect though) - perhaps one day we will see chicken nuggets coated in ground pork scratchings in McDonald's with a side of celeriac fries. Lol

I know it is annoying I can't eat anything in a cafe, but then again, I've been to loads of things with the DC's these holidays and I'd have had a cake at each one usually while we sat down for a break, but I haven't, and I haven't felt desperate for one. Yes Biwi, I heard that diabetics are being advised to do low carb now. That is my biggest fear, tbh as diabetes runs through my family like the plague. The Pig2Twig forum is hardly used now it seems so I'll do my reading on these low carb threads, although they all seem slightly different. For example, I can have tomatoes and butternut squash once or twice a week, but some say no.

Yes there are loads of different plans - the best thing to do is to read up on them and decide which one best suits you and your situation - and then stick to that one!

Thanks BIWI. I seem to have lost 8lb in 10 days and haven't found it taxing at all, so I think I'll carry on with that. I said I'd go to the cinema with my friend, who is vehemently anti any diets. She wants to go to Pizza But afterwards, which has absolutely nothing low carb apart from the salad bar. I'll have to suggest somewhere else!

I tried this when I first tried low carb and I found it blissfully easy to stick to. My husband liked it too as we had a fry up every weekend - he had toast and I didn't. We also had roast dinners, I just didn't eat the potatoes and carrots. Re eating out in cafés, it was a real eye opener just how much carbohydrate we consume. Costa Coffee et al have no savoury food which isn't carb heavy. Not even salad. Unfortunately my liking for wine undid my best efforts

I know! It's really shocking that there is nothing even particularly healthy, let alone low carb! I've been to coffee shops and just had a coffee with soya milk, and it's been OK. I really need to remember what this week has felt like. Just counting the amount of times I have turned down a cake or biscuits or got out bits of Easter egg for the kids and not eaten any shows the sheer volume of cake, biscuits and chocolate I have shoved down in the past without a second thought. I need to lose weight for my health, but low cal just leaves me with overwhelming cravings. I really hope I can stick to this long term. I love wine too, but hope that an occasional glass after I have completed the first 2 weeks will be OK.

arken Did your DH put on loads of weight? Mine has started putting cream in his coffee! I told him to just do the diet properly with me, since he seems to prefer my food anyway, but he said he needs his carbs as he's a cyclist.

No he didn't but he's a natural skinny minny so can eat and drink whatever he likes and not put on weight I however only need to say the words Sauvignon Blanc and I gain a stone

I'm just about to start Pig2twig for the second time... It did really work I just went bonkers with carbs about a months in, so need to watch out for that this time! Looking for some support out there!

India herself said that she didn't stick to it long term and eats cakes but she goes back to it if she needs a quick fix

Good luck with weight loss, but I have to say the name Pig2Twig is horrible. So anyone overweight is a pig, is that right? And you're aiming for a body like a twig? Sounds pretty fucked up to me.

It's how India and Nerris described themselves as they were/are eggs on legs (again in their own words)