How many of you follow a low carb diet?

[Housewife2010]

I've just been looking at lowcarbotopia.blogspot.co.uk.
So many of the diet rules have changed since I was growing up, but I really don't think I could give up my potatoes & enjoy green vegetables. But, I would like to be thin.

I did it for about 3 months, lost about 2 and a half stone but it is extremely restrictive, gave me stomach cramps and ahem upset stomach, hideous breath that my fiancé hated! And made my anxiety disorder much worse (which I've since found out is to do with carbs helping you produce seratonin). Totally not worth it. Slimming world type first us much better and better for you.

It works, there's no denying it. But my god, it's dull. Unless your favourite things are meat, eggs and cheese, in which case you're laughing.

I do good old fashioned calorie counting, and it works perfectly. I still have treats, but in more sensible portion sizes and a bit less often, and I have cut down on the crappy carbs like potatoes, rice, pasta, white bread etc, and I've lost the best part of a stone without really suffering at all.

How does low carbing work if you're veggie (I'm not, but am a potato-addict)

I think it's just even more boring! Presumably it involves lots of things like tofu, eggs, cheese? I would think it's not much fun.

I keep my carb intake low but couldn't go without completely. I have porridge for breakfast in small portion and try to avoid bread but maybe have it at the weekend as a treat. I did it properly about 5 years ago and it worked well but I couldn't keep it up, I was always starving and a bit of a bitch to be honest due to hunger.

I do low carb usually (but not no carb)

I love veg and happily have a lot of protein. The best thing is realigning tastes so I have no desire to eat stodge or sweet stuff.

I don't find it dull at all so it's not a big deal. I also find it gives me more energy not less.

But if you love potatoes might be hard!

Come and join us on one of the low carb threads.

I've been low carbing since Jan 2nd. I've lost nearly 2 stone, I eat a varied diet with loads of veg. I am never hungry. I haven't had a hormonal break out (which I used to get every month) since January, I never get the mid-afternoon energy slump, my IBS symptoms have reduced dramatically.

Lots of benefits - we're over in the Weightloss threads. You do have to give up potatoes though!

2 stone loss sounds very enticing. But, potatoes are my crack! I don't like the idea of cauliflower mash as an alternative & sweet potatoes aren't worthy to share the name! Maybe I need to go cold turkey on potatoes to loosen their power over me.
It's interesting how the diet rules have all changed though. It all used to be fat as the enemy and healthy carbs were good. Now even wholemeal carbs seem to be looked down on & it's all protein.

The rules haven't changed in the low carb world - you'll be pleased to hear.

Fat is fantastic, protein is great & carbs are to be consumed very sparingly. The more highly refined & easily digestible the carb, the less good it is for you.

I've got one of Atkins books from way back in the 60s & it still stands today - if you are a low-carber of course!

I think it must be very difficult as a veggie. I have considered trying it but really struggle to see how I'd get enough calories (other than by eating vast amounts of cheese), without bread, rice, pasta, potatoes etc to bulk out meals. Especially as some of the more restrictive low-carb diets say no root vegetables, pulses, beans etc.

I find the trouble with carbs is that I am never satisfied. Eating carbs (even the good ones) just made me crave more.

I did the veggie version of low carbing and it was cheese, eggs, tofu, cream and nuts. Weight loss was good to start with and then I got stuck at the same weight for weeks.

I can't do it now as I can't process fats.

I am hoping to gradually up my carbs by going back on a slow carb plan. But again I don't think potatoes will be allowed (sorry).

As well as cheese, veggies can eat eggs, nuts, tofu & some of the quorn type products are relatively low carb too.

I lost 7 stone low carbing 5 years ago (Pig 2 twig), have managed to keep most of it off. I tend to regain half a stone very easily just by relaxing on holiday or a few days of celebrating. I know that is the price to pay and I just have to get back on the wagon. It can be boring but you just get into a routine and I never eat bread or cake. I kind of keep that rule and it is okay. I think I realised there is just no easy answer to weight loss and this for me is the lesser of all the other dieting evils. I do eat way too much bacon though.

i follow a paleo style diet, so not much bread, rice, pasta a sugar but potatoes are veg so as long as i eat them with some natural/animal fat and protein its all good! chips = allowed! as long as i make them myself, or know the ingredients....

dropped 1.5st without effort or feeling hungry after a lifetime struggling with diet. never even look at calories. never gained extra weight while preggers - just baby.

I do eat eggs, tofu, quorn etc as well, but the problem is making decent-sized filling meals out of those things plus vegetables, as they tend to be quite low-calorie. I guess that's not a bad thing if you're actually trying to lose weight, but if you want to eat a 'normal' amount it can be difficult.

I don't eat enormous slabs of meat ephiny, so I tend to bulk out my meals with vegetables.

So, I'll have a couple of strips of bacon accompanied by braised cabbage & courgette in a cream & mustard sauce.

Or, celeriac & cauliflower mash with a couple of slices of corned beef and a side serving of spinach

Or avocado, lettuce & celery salad with chopped egg or ham

Or, celery filled with peanut butter or cream cheese

Or leek & broccoli bake with blue cheese & flax crumble on top

I can't afford to eat loads of meat, so I use it sparingly. I'm sure the same could be done with tofu & quorn. I think there are other veggies on the low carb thread.

Thanks for the ideas! Yes it quite possibly can be done with a bit of imagination, I was just thinking of the meals I usually eat minus the carby part and thinking they would never fill me up :) Makes me realise how reliant I am on bread/pasta for the bulk of my diet!

I did BIWI's low carb bootcamp and managed over 3 weeks. I found the first week really difficult but didn't feel hungry at all and lost 5lbs and 2inches off of my waist.

I am no longer following it, but my diet has become much lower in carbs and sugar and I am drinking more water and adding more veg to my diet.

My reasons for not continuing are:

I was getting more constipated, I suffer with this a bit, but on the diet, despite all the water I was drinking I was going 6-8days without a poo! This tends to make a person a bit grumpy :o

Also, much as I was glad to not need or crave sugar or carby foods I felt sad I couldn't have them and if I did then I instantly felt guilty. Food was not enjoyable anymore and I was becoming obsessed with what I was eating - this was not how I wanted to live.

I was lucky enough that I was doing this more for vanity than health, so have the luxury of saying actually, I don't want to do this. I know that if I ever want to drop the weight then this works though :o

For all the low carbers out there - what was your reason for going low carb? Was it to lose weight or any other reason?

www.amazon.co.uk/The-CarbLovers-Diet-Ellen-Kunes/dp/0600623254/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337096026&sr=1-1 I was thinking of trying this book.

www.amazon.co.uk/The-CarbLovers-Diet-Ellen-Kunes/dp/0600623254/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337096026&sr=1-1

I think I did start to lose some weight about 7 months after having ds2.

Then I found I liked the other effects. Like feeling more energetic and not bloated.

I don't have to think about it much and feel like I can eat what I want. Now what I want just happens to be low carb.

My favourite food is all the protein-y / veg stuff you are meant to eat so not too hard.

I low carb for lots of reasons. Initially it is the weight loss, but also because I feel so much better on it.

My IBS calms down
My hormonal breakouts disappear
My skin looks better
My energy levels stop peaking & dipping
The brain fog disappears
I stop obsessing about food

Everytime I go back to it, I wonder why I stopped eating that way. I feel so much better on it.

i gave up potato, bread, rice, cereal, all baked stuff basically, all grains except occasional oats, over a year ago and have tons more energy and it maintains my weight. It took about 4 months to get rid of the cravings but was worth it. I can look at /handle those foods now, and not feel anything. Not a single twinge. I rarely have fruit because it's sugary carbs, but still have veg.

For me and DH it's a way of life now... bread and potatoes are occasional treats on the weekend, not part of everyday life. Rice and pasta are boring I think. Chips are nice but they're an occasional treat like chocolate, that way you appreciate them more.

We follow a modified Dukan kind of thing... well, really it's Dukan but with 4 or 5 nights a week