Starting a low carb diet - anyone interested in going for it with me?!

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

I did this very successfully indeed for about 6 weeks in the run up to the summer break. I have been trying to lose weight for a while and was doing OK but then reached a plateau which was when I decided to try something new. And I easily lost a stone doing this.

It was hard in the beginning, for about the first week, then I sort of settled in to it and it just became how it was. And I like the rules of it, because you just can't cheat on it. But it was sometimes hard juggling what the family were going to eat.

I have been cutting down since Tuesday, but will be going for it completely on Monday 5th. I want to lose a stone. Is anyone interested??!!!

You could tempt me (perhaps). I need to try low carb but not sure I can stick to it.

It was really successful
What I like is the rules, there are things you can't have, that's the end of it. Last time I decided I would commit to a month, but actually went on for longer. Getting through the first week was the hardest as your body adapts, but then after that it was OK.

I would be very interested to know what people are eating on a low carb diet.

......and the rules are (apart from the obvious i.e no bread, pasta, rice, potato etc)?

yes the obvious and a few more....

bread
crackers etc
rice
pasta
potato / potato products
lentils/ beans etc
chocolate
booze except for spirits eg gin
any sugar
some fruits like banana / dried fruit
root veg
nuts or seeds

I am going to do this - I am currently wearing a pair of trousers at work I can barely button up.

I want to lose 2 stone by Christmas - I weighed myself a week ago and was 11 stone 13 . I am 6 feet tall so it isn't huge, but I would like to get down to my fighting weight of 10 stone.

I never used to be this fat - I don't know what bloody happened (yes I do, rosé wine and panini).

I have got the Dukan book, so am going to try a version of that, I have done it before and it does work well, but I keep away from the yoghurt (when I first tried it I ate about 5 muller lights a day, thinking I could, and it didn't work ).

I am going to start on Monday as well - can't start a diet on a Friday

Brilliant! And yes you could lose two stone by Christmas... and definitely never start a diet on a Friday, anyway I need to have a full on curry tonight as my carb farewell

And yes - add yogurt to the no no list, forgot that...
But I will be very interested to hear what you do eat!

I have got the dukan book (it is very boring) and also have logged on the dukan website. It says that I can lose 2 stone by 3rd December.

I am going to have

Lunch - salmon, tuna, chicken or turkey with hard boiled eggs for lunch (easy during the week as we have a deli at my work subsidised canteen and they sell all this stuff. They also sell apple crumble )

Dinner - omelette, or chicken breast, salade nicoise. Or chilli/bolognese but with shredded cabbage instead of pasta/rice. Homemade curry with brocolli instead of rice. Steak and chillis.

800 litres of water/diet coke to fill me up.

I have done it before and it does work. I have just eaten so much this summer - need to get rid of it before Christmas.

I am going to have a curry (peshwari naan hmmmmmm) tonight as well and start with a vegeance on Monday.

Depends how strict you want to be ie ketogenic or moderate carbs - comments below:

lentils / beans etc - these also contain protein, and if you are doing moderate carb not no carb you might decide ok in moderation
chocolate - less carbs in 85% chocolate, again you might decide on that as a treat
booze except for spirits eg gin , even gin contains carbs!
some fruits like banana / dried fruit - all fruit contains carbs
root veg - the carb content varies, and might not be that high, again you might decide ok in moderation
nuts or seeds, again when dieting the portion size would be small and hence the carbs would be quite low.
dairy - contains carbs, amounts vary, lowest carb is greek yoghurt and cottage cheese.

You can't cut carbs out completely I'm sure so I suppose it's about a very low carb diet. I think this is what I did before and it did work. I cut lots out completely and cut right down on other things.

For me it is as much about finding out what people do eat as much as celebrating any weight lost

I won't eat fruit and starchy veg - as decreed by Dukan I will follow the pure protein/protein and veg days alternately. I am lucky in that I can eat cabbage, green veg and cauliflower until it comes out my ears, so use cabbage etc to replace pulses, potato, rice and pasta.

Well that's the theory. Whether I can keep it up until Christmas is another story!

I will allow myself minimal amounts of cheese - not too much though (I try and keep off dairy anyway).

I haven't got a sweet tooth really, my weakness is starchy carb, such as crisps, chips, cheesy pasta etc.

I think the most crucial thing to give up when on a diet is booze. Like forever says all alcohol has carbs.

I am maintaining now so eat starchy veg, low carb fruit, dairy (provided not sweetened with sugar etc), and pulses. Def ate less of these when I was trying to lose weight. Find weight loss best with less 300g dairy.

If it helps - breakfast - 2 egg omelette & 100g natural yoghurt with oatbran
Lunch - salad and tin of tuna/mackeral/sardines and 100g yoghurt
Dinner - lean protein and veg.

Snacks - apples! Maybe 25g of nuts.

Forever do you think the oatbran helped at all? I bought some, made a revolting galette and never used it again. Do you just have a teaspoon of it in a yoghurt?

I think it helps you stay regular.... also have psyllium husk in case things get bad!

Need some fibre in your diet, has been shown to help weight loss, helps you feel full. Yes add 10g to yoghurt every time I have, am used to it now, add interesting texture. Revolting any other way!

Those galettes were something else! I gave them to the cats (who turned their noses up).

I am trying to follow a low carb diet. I will join you please for mutual support and dirt ideas.

I am getting in the dukan zone - sat here with glass of rosé (well, it is friday) and waiting to go out to an Indian.

I am going to take a photo of myself looking appalling (in these jeans then) and put it on the fridge in order to motivate me

I am finding this all really interesting! We know what to do, it is going to be how to actually manage! But we will be FINE and EVEN MORE GORGEOUS!!!

I have got the dukan book but this is also a useful site mydukandiet.com/

There is also a good blog written by mumsnetter Custardo (will find a link if I can) which is pure ketosis low carbing (more like Atkins diet) with some good recipoes. Custy lost 4 stone on that diet iirc (think it is linked elsehwre within diet topic).

Is everyone going to weigh in and report on Monday?

We always eat out at the weekends - that is going to be hard.

I know I can always choose steak and salad, but what about the wine and bREAD!

Also ratherbeonthepiste your name reminds me that we are planning to go skiing in january (for the first time in 6 years for me). So could do with getting a bit fitter as well, so am hopefully going to start running this month.

ItAintHalfHotHun You lucky lucky person!! I absolutely love skiing. Where are you going? The moment you put your skis back on you will be home again! You just don't forget. When I went back to it after a couple of years off when the children were too tiny, I had a day of lessons designed for people returning to skiing, and they were brilliant. Money well spent..

Well please come to our very lovely Couch to 5K thread if you need that kind of running support. Lots of us started in january, but there are always new people joining. It has been very supportive, and now there is a bunch of us on there starting the shred on Monday here it is! Come and have a look!

And I fear you will be saying goodbye to the wine

I tried Dukan and found it too hard core to maintain. I'm building up to a low fat/low(ish) carb version......after the weekend.

I'll join you, have started a new exercise regime today and chased the first session with a huge portion of deep fried sausages and chips

Fab Ivy - that's the spirit. I recognise you from the blanket threads recently. Bless you for all of that x

And orienteerer / it needs to work for us individually iyswim? So do your thing!

Well I enjoyed curry and beer tonight to wave the carbs goodbye. And it was lovely.

rather (I am itainthalfhothun btw, was under a namechange) I am hoping to go to Zell am See in Austria, have been before and it's wonderful. Would love to go to Zermatt again but the prices are terrible. I know skiing is expensive anyway, but I can't afford that! I used to be addicted but have a DP who loathes snow so has taken me years to persuade him!

I will have a look at 5k thread - I used to run when I lived in devon (on beaches) but when I moved I couldn't get used to running on roads, got shin splints and I hated it. But recently found out that loads of people run by the canal, would love to get back into it, running was addictive.

Love the way everyone is determined to start a diet - but on Monday only after a weekend of carb loading!