New Thread for Lo Carbers/non-carbers, etc

[WhereamI]

Old lo-carb thread was 'too big' and wouldn't let me post this. It's for a almond meal pancake - I find one is really filling (I have it with total yoghurt and blueberries) and leave the mix in the fridge to have another next day.

Ingredients:
?1 cup almond flour
?2 eggs
?1/4 cup water (for puffier pancakes, you can use sparkling water)
?2 T oil
?1/4 teaspoon salt
?1 T sweetener
Preparation:
Mix ingredients together and cook as you would other pancakes. I like to use a nonstick pan with a little oil. The only real difference is that they won't "bubble" on top the same way as regular pancakes. Flip them when the underside is brown.

Yield: Six 4-inch pancakes

Nutritional Information: Each pancake has 1 gram effective carbohydrate, plus 2 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein, and 155 calories.

Oh Sal, sorry that you are struggling . Have you got a spreadsheet showing trends? I find that very helpful; particularly seeing the weekly average moving down all the time even if there are spikes each week. I also flag when period arrives too.

Another lb down this morning to 10 6.75 - joint lowest weight so far. I am finding this too easy at the moment. I know that seems really really stupid but I've never successfully dieted in my life. I managed to 'eat healthily' ie low fat for about 10 days and then stay the same and given up. I have only ever properly lost weight through stress, illness or serious amounts of exercise.

I was shredding but can't be arsed at the moment. So this is all low carbers.

So this is a revelation to me. I am a bit scared by it TBH. Which is stupid. I suppose if it's really this easy then there is no excuse for me to be overweight ever again. Hmmm, will have to think about the implications of that for my pea-brain...

ps Sal, sorry if my musings seem smug in comparison to your struggles. Really not meant like that! I promise. Just that losing weight can be a bit of a head fuck too!

Well I think I've lost a lb I know I know.... need to wait for a week to be sure I'm losing.

I spent ages trying to convince myself I liked flax 'bread'.... but I didn't. It is the devils poo. So I don't bother with it anymore.

I bought a tub of Splenda in Asda a few years back. Does it go out of date?

"Just that losing weight can be a bit of a head fuck too!"

Can't it just! I remember the first time I did Atkins I felt amazing. I had never been able to lose weight like that before. Even better when I started buying smaller sizes and even a pair of trousers (normally wear jeans 'cos my arse looks crap in trousers).

I am hoping against hope it works this time too and that 'golden shot' theory isn't true

FBB great!

I am bloated today, my entire protein intake yesterday consisted of sausages. Dp did me a nice Valentine's day meal but it was not the clean proteins I have promised myself. Drank wine too, second night running. So my weight has spiked a couple of pounds, am going to drink loads of water today (must fill bottle) and try and get rid of it again.

No lunch with me today either as I normally bring the LC bits of leftover dinner, but the V-day meal was definitely 'reward meal only'; so I need to go and buy something virtuous. Struggling a bit as under these circs I would normally buy a fry-up but think that won't help the bloating. It's going to be a boring cheese salad I think.

where are you guys buying the atkins shakes from? I fancy the idea of those.

Hello ladies! :)

Might I push in here with the intention of staying but with some questions first....

I have been dieting since 5th Jan, started off low fat with carbs and have gradually moved away from carbs, initially just cutting out pasta, bread, rice, potatoes but have found myself erring heavily towards protein.
I have been glugging water, 3-4 litres per day on top of tea/coffee/green tea, which has become a habit and makes me feel better. (I have never been one to drink much since childhood - mother took me to the doctor a couple of times as I could get by with a cup of squash every couple of days )

I have lost 25lbs in this time :) 'only' 51 to go.

A typical day is this:

Low fat cottage cheese for breakfast (think this might be bad?)

Egg/lean ham salad for lunch

Lean meat and veg for dinner

Snacks are cooked chicken or ham but tbh, the water seems to keep snacky feelings at bay.

As I am heading this way, how can I tweak this to low carb?
Will the change cause me to gain before I start losing on a new plan?

I have dug my Atkins books out but everyone seems to be against Atkins nowadays.

I am keen to lose as much of the 3 and a bit stone I need to before the end of June when we are going on holiday. I am quite overweight.

Many thanks to anyone who can help. :)

What plans are you all following? I assume there are a couple of different plans going on here?

Well Atkins is not a high-protein diet, it's supposed to be a high-fat low-carb diet. The point being that fat will be burned for fuel if you don't give it the easy option of carbohydrate.

So no low-fat or lean foods. Go for the natural version - I know it goes against all received wisdom! Reduced fat versions often have thickeners added. Just check labels on food you buy - anything with 0% carbs, eat freely, anything with less than 3% eat in moderation, anything more than that avoid or eat very small amounts of. Even veg such as carrots carry carbohydrate. Stick to green leafy veg as much as possible.

It does sound crazy, going for the higher fat versions of things when we have it drummed into us that fat is bad.

Should there also be no calorie counting going on either?

Not if you are doing Atkins no, just carbohydrate. WHen you've been doing it for a while and weight loss is stalling I know there is an argument that you need to take calories into account a bit more. Take your basal calorie need and then add a certain % and try not to exceed it. Combined with avoiding carbs. But by then you should be eating a more balanced diet with a little more carbs and a little less fat.

I know, I know..... it freaks a lot of people out at first

FBB - nice to hear you're buzzing with success - it's great to see the sacrifices pay off.

Sal - be strong! You've lost more weight than most of us could dream of, so don't be hard on yourself.

Hi Lady, well done on your weight loss so far. I think you need to decide if you are doing the traditional "calorie-counting" type of diet (i.e. low fat) or whether you want to do the low-carb thing (not necessarily Atkins, there are loads of similar diets around; a lot of us are doing India and Neris's Pig to Twig).

I'm not sure trying to do both at once will work; as Orm says, if they take the fat out of a food, they generally put something else in, usually a carb. I love low-carbing because I'd rather give up spuds, pasta and sugar than give up cheese, butter and red meat!

All you linseed/flaxseed doubters - the only thing I have cooked with it was a savoury pancake, with loads of grated cheese in it (I think I posted the recipe on page 2 or 3). It was absolutely scrummy, no hint of badger's arse or anything else, thank you!

Hmm.

I haven't had bread etc for a while now and I'm okay with it.

I also have a copy of the Pig to Twig book.... have so many books!

The main problem I encounter when doing low-fat/calorie counting is I just can't hit the recommended minimum calories per day. I think this might be why my weight loss has stalled. :(

Anyway other peoples' experiences might help me decide - if I do the pig/twig one, what do you think the chances are of me losing most of what I want to lose by 28th June?

(Am 16st5 and 5'10'' - I am going for 13st which is a few pounds over ideal but will put my BMI handy for 25)

CV - you have almost convinced me to give the linseed a try. I am still dubious but the idea of pancakes is v v tempting...

CV I used to sprinkle flax seed on my cereal anyway so am used to the taste of badger's snatch- ho, ho.

I use it with the almond flour for pancakes and they were lush too!

Is soya flour any good?

Is Miso soup low carb?

Ahhhh that explains thinks- last night I had roasted celariac too- I kept waking myself up it was horrendous, never again!

Uh-oh.... the scales madness has started I threw my old ones out a few years back when I started to get obsessed and swore to just go by how my clothes fitted and waist measurement. I have been on my new ones about 8 times so far with and without clothes and now it looks as if I have lost 4 lbs

I am a strict first thing in the morning after a wee weigher. I don't like to weigh later in the day because I drink loads of water which I like to think messes up my true weight. Obv it's not the crap I sometimes succumb to!

But then I am out of the house all day so less temptation to hop on again. Can you get your DH on side? Get him to hide them during the day and only release under pre-agreed circumstances?

Sal :) - Did it come of quickly to begin with? I need the initial surge to spur me on.

12.5 is my dream weight, but to go for nearer 13 makes it seem less daunting. This way it's 3.5 to lose rather than 4, give or take a few pounds. :)