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Low-carb diets

Share advice and experiences of following a low-carb diet.Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Still hungry a lot after two months on low carb

46 replies

Mummysgogetter · 04/10/2022 21:04

To clarify I do eat a lot of fat - have a large salad at lunch with cheese, avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, eggs and leafy greens
same with dinner which can be steak and veg or Greek meatballs and veg etc.

is this normal?

OP posts:
BIWI · 04/10/2022 21:54

It does sound to me like you're just not eating enough. But increase your fat and protein rather than the carbs. You could consider a low carb protein shake? The Fast800 ones are pretty good

Mummysgogetter · 04/10/2022 21:55

BIWI · 04/10/2022 21:52

I think that is a lot! You're basically doing a fair amount every day!

@BIWI okay fair enough - that’s given me food for thought (pun intended 😉) I’m going to try adding in more lean sources of protein such as chicken, beef etc. throughout the day and eat more If I’m hungry without analysing it.

OP posts:
DoodlePug · 04/10/2022 21:55

I should probably have said why I low carb. Its all about auto immune diseases, my family have every one and take plenty of meds to treat symptoms which then cause more issues. I started down that route mid 20s but was able to come off everything with low carb diet and managing stress.

As I said I get bored and feel deprived so I cycle between real low carb and something a bit more mainstream until symptoms come back then back on the low carb.

Your diet sounds like a sensible lower carb one, hope you can address the hunger.

BIWI · 04/10/2022 21:55

... but why lean sources? You need the fat!

Mummysgogetter · 04/10/2022 21:57

DoodlePug · 04/10/2022 21:55

I should probably have said why I low carb. Its all about auto immune diseases, my family have every one and take plenty of meds to treat symptoms which then cause more issues. I started down that route mid 20s but was able to come off everything with low carb diet and managing stress.

As I said I get bored and feel deprived so I cycle between real low carb and something a bit more mainstream until symptoms come back then back on the low carb.

Your diet sounds like a sensible lower carb one, hope you can address the hunger.

Yes @DoodlePug psoriatic arthritis is prevalent in my family as is type 2 diabetes; I know you can’t prevent everything but i want to do the best I can for myself

OP posts:
Mummysgogetter · 04/10/2022 21:59

BIWI · 04/10/2022 21:55

... but why lean sources? You need the fat!

Okay thanks what meat do you suggest buying from the supermarket that is not processed that I can have in my salads ? A lot of packaged meat also contains sugar

OP posts:
FlowerArranger · 04/10/2022 22:07

You don't need to lose weight - but what about your muscles? I would increase lean protein and start working out with weights 4-5 times a week. Try Caroline Girvan, Growingannanas and/or Garagegirl - all free on YouTube.

I buy packets of organic chicken breasts and wild salmon which I pan roast- enough for several meals. Also eat at least 2 eggs most days.

Protein and lots of vegetables, plus small amounts of healthy fats, some fruit and a few unrefined carbs (lentils, quinoa) is what I eat mostly. I do get occasional cravings (ice cream, glass of wine...), but I'm never really hungry.

FusionChefGeoff · 04/10/2022 22:15

Salads I enjoy:

Chicken, avo and streaky bacon
Feta mint and courgette in oily dressing
Tuna Nicoise
Halloumi and roasted Med veg
Hot smoked salmon
Smoked mackerel
Poached salmon with hollandaise / Mayo
Curried chicken (yoghurt and curry powder marinade)

Mummysgogetter · 04/10/2022 22:20

Wow thanks everyone, you’ve been so helpful and given me some really valid advice 🙏

OP posts:
BIWI · 04/10/2022 22:23

Mummysgogetter · 04/10/2022 21:59

Okay thanks what meat do you suggest buying from the supermarket that is not processed that I can have in my salads ? A lot of packaged meat also contains sugar

Well, I wouldn't! I'd be preparing my own!

When I was working, a regular lunch for me - if I wasn't bringing in something from home - would have been bought from either Sainsbury's Local or Pret a Manger, which was next to the office. Typically a ball of mozzarella (full fat) with a tomato and half an avocado, with an olive oil dressing. Sometimes some pesto as well.

Or a pot of hard boiled egg (Pret used to sell those) with some full fat mayo.

BIWI · 04/10/2022 22:24

Oh, and if you have a microwave, the other thing I used to do was a salmon fillet - squeeze half a lemon over it in a small dish, cover with a lid/clingfilm and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Then add a good dollop of mayo and serve it with salad leaves and a vinaigrette dressing.

BIWI · 04/10/2022 22:24

(I mean, if you have a microwave at work!)

Canggu · 04/10/2022 23:45

Since you no longer wish to lose weight, but want to prevent inflammation related diseases , I don't agree with those telling you to eat more meat , more fat.

You have reached a BMI that suits you , you can now focus on an anti-inflammatory diet based on science and not the pseudo-science of Jason Fung.
Feeling hungry is a pretty miserable feeling.

MrsTerryPratchett · 05/10/2022 00:00

Okay thanks what meat do you suggest buying from the supermarket that is not processed that I can have in my salads ? A lot of packaged meat also contains sugar

Roasted pork belly, lamb, fatty fish, chicken legs with skin, duck.

<dribbles>

TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination · 05/10/2022 00:08

@Canggu Jason Fung is not pseudo science. Don't be so rude.

@Mummysgogetter apples are terrible for me. I'm T2, diet controlled. It's ok saying you're not doing keto, don't need to be losing weight, but 'not being hungry' relies on you keeping blood sugars low & being in fat burning mode.

it doesn't matter what % of carbs other people can eat & not trigger their body to use the carbs first for fuel, & be hungry, all that matters is what your threshold is. My carb tolerance is low!! Eating An apple makes my blood sugars high & then because I'm no longer in 'fat burning mode' I'm hungry!

The not being hungry is great, but to be like that you need more fat & fewer carbs

oh & there's nothing in fruit you can't get from a vegetable

fage total full fat (blue) yogurt, frozen raspberries, toasted flaked almonds and a big splash of double cream is a good breakfast.

so are eggs & Mayo -but I don't eat eggs.

plenty of water!!

Canggu · 05/10/2022 00:20

@TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination Jason Fung has a scientific accuracy score of 31% , so whatever he writes/says is less than 1/3 correct, 2/3 bullshit.

BIWI · 06/10/2022 10:39

If you're spouting about accuracy @Canggu then you need to be so in your own posts.

It's Dr Jason Fung's book, The Obesity Code, which gets a score of 31% - not the man himself.

BIWI · 06/10/2022 10:41

Oh, and for those interested, the review of The Obesity Code is by Red Pen Reviews who give the book an overall score of 60%, with a score of 75% for 'healthfulness' (whatever that is!)

So you are guilty of misleading as much as anyone else, @Canggu, by only using some of the statistics there.

Canggu · 07/10/2022 00:40

@BIWI I am a bit confused, a man writes a book with a 31% scientific accuracy, but this doesn't mean the man is 31% accurate? He makes YouTube videos (with ads) based on his science. He earns money based on his science. He created a business model that sells membership based on his science (co-funder of dietdoctor)

Also, I don't know where you work, but at my job, if I get an overall review of 60%, this is quite bad and my job is on the line, and if my kids bring home from school 60% in all their exams, I am not happy. I am again a bit confused at how having an overall score of 60% is a good thing.

I am not misleading anyone, I am talking about the science or more precisely the lack of science behind the carbohydrate-insulin model . It is just not there. Gary Taubes learnt the lesson. He is vocal and loud on the carbs are bad, he even founded an organisation (Nutrition Sciences Initiative) to study and solved the obesity crises, received $40 mil.and used them to fund two different studies with the biggest names in nutritional science, the legendary Christopher Gardner and Kevin Hall .... and theory disproven ... oops:

  1. jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2673150 In this 12-month weight loss diet study, there was no significant difference in weight change between a healthy low-fat diet vs a healthy low-carbohydrate diet, and neither genotype pattern nor baseline insulin secretion was associated with the dietary effects on weight loss.

The 12 month results graph shows no difference between low fat vs low carb. Some lose on both, some gain on both.

2) https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/104/2/324/4564649 Furthermore, the body weight and composition adjustments likely overestimated the EE changes during the KD because much of the weight loss was likely from water rather than loss of metabolically active tissues. The carbohydrate–insulin model predicts a greater rate of body fat loss during the KD period. Our data do not support this prediction .../... it is clear that regulation of adipose tissue fat storage is multifaceted and that insulin does not always play a predominant role (16)..../...

Despite throwing millions of $$$$, the insulin model failed miserably and Taubes' foundation not longer exist after losing its funding. They provided the money, they picked the universities and researchers, and CRASH , big failure on the insulin model. So if despite the science, one keeps arguing and pushing the insulin model, it becomes pseudo science.

Any diet that cuts something (carb, fat, whatever) means people can't buy a big chunk of processed food and have to start eating homemade fresh food, so on this front, this is great. Eat real food, better health. And of course, if someone has an abnormal metabolism of a macro, cutting that macro is also a good idea. If you have PKU and don't metabolise protein normally, cut the proteins. If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes and don't metabolise glucose normally, cut the glucose, but for those with a normal metabolism, it is important to point that low carb comes with some health risk because it increases risk of miscarriage in pregnancy, causes disruption of iron metabolism (you can make mice anaemic if you put them on keto), and a lot, if not the majority of people on keto, eat animal protein three times a day and many will snack on eggs so 4 times a day, and the science says it is not very heathy. Eating a lot (as in every day, and worse, several times a day) of animal protein doesn't seem to be very good for longevity, cancer and so on.

And even without the science, I spend a lot of time in Asia, mainly in Bali. The local women here are so tiny, so slim, so beautiful and they eat white rice (carbs!!!) three times a day. Maybe I should write a book about the Bali Diet. I am pretty sure I can cherry pick enough science to reach 31% .

Still hungry a lot after two months on low carb
BIWI · 07/10/2022 16:51

We could trade papers forever and still not agree!

However, I'm amazed that you can't distinguish between a score for a person and a score for their work. If I submitted an essay and it didn't score well, it doesn't make me any less talented or a person, it just means I didn't do so well for that essay.

And as for 60% - a score of 60% would give you a 2:1 degree at university, so I don't see a problem with that.

But also, to the Red Pen reviewers - they acknowledge themselves that their approach is 'semi-quantitative'. It's based on their own judgements, which they have tried to quantify to make it more structured. I don't have a problem with that, as it does make comparing different books much easier - but we have to acknowledge that there is bound to be a degree of bias in such scores. (And I notice you've ignored the 75% score for healthfulness).

Anyway, all this is derailing @Mummysgogetter's thread - hopefully she will have got what she needs from the info provided.

miloki · 14/10/2022 11:39

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