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??!!!

Turkey - yes have tea but go and buy lactofree milk from Supermarket - can allways get it in Tesco and Sainsbury's. It is half the carbs and much lower calories than semi skimmed and far better than cream calorie wise.

I know that a lot of people including Neris and India say don't worry about calories but I think you really need to otherwise weight loss will slow down, also some of the recipes in the pig to twig book are way off in my opinion regarding portion size. There is a moussaka in there that says for 2 - it MUST be a typo as we get 6-8 portions out of it. My friends did this diet and followed the cook book guidelines to portion sizes which mean't they were eating far too much but they still lost weight, a few months in they started cutting back on portion sizes and the weight loss continues.

Well I managed it somehow. I imagine the cream and 'nibbling cheese' may have been a problem.

Water might be an issue as I take a diruetic for a health condition. So while I drink a 2 or 3 litres a day, it comes out quickly. Could take a week off it without any problems, so that might help.

On the scales point, have a new on as DC broke the last one using it as a trampoline! So that should be ok.

Thanks kotinka especially the info about the CCLL. I'm struggling to keep track of the carbs I've eaten at the moment so some of it is guesswork. Can anyone recommend a good carb-counter app so I can plug it into my phone?

I've cut back the protein as I think I was overcompensating for the carbs and just had lots of veg with my roast chicken last night. Also had the celeriac chips which were VERY yummy and dh loved them so that was great.

Have had a ham omelette (sp?) for breakfast and am having veg soup for lunch.

Might do a sausage casserole for dinner.

Morning all, Day 1 for me today, for breakfast I had scrambled eggs (free range) with 1 tbsp soya milk and 2 smoked rashers ...

kotinka - I bought these yesterday Less than 1g of carb for 4 sausages! And I can report that they were very tasty. Had 4 of these (they're skinny sausages not great big fat ones ), with 2 fried eggs for breakfast this morning.

Sadly my weekend off had a really terrible impact, and as of this morning I was 4lbs up again

It was predictable really - a port and cheese evening was never going to be a good idea for a low carber. And it turned out to be just a port and cheese evening - I had sort of hoped that it would be after a main meal. Which meant that I ended up eating bread and crackers as well as grapes and apple.

And then chocolates were served with coffee ...

And then in the morning - we had stayed over and were watching the rugby with them, as one of our friends is a Kiwi, a great fuss was made about how they had bacon sandwiches on such special occasions.

Anyway, back on the wagon, so hopefully I'll see the scales start with a '10' again soon.

(Also provides even more evidence, in case anyone should require it, that you can't cheat on this diet)

Was it just 2 days of low carbing that put on 4lbs BIWI? Dud you enjoy the bread and grapes? I know I would have!

I had a bad day on Saturday. Started at a MN meet at lunch and I carried on with dp well into the evening. I suppose I just thought 'sod it'. A bit annoyed with myself but hey ho. Have been too scared to weigh myself to see what damage that day did

I have definitely been relaxing a bit in general which I know is not good. Since I found out that wine wasn't as full of carbs as I thought I've been having a couple of glasses a night (but still staying at 20-30 carbs). Have a feeling it will impact on my weight loss - we'll see. Will weigh in on Friday this week with everyone else rather than Wednesday -to give me a chance to lose the pizza and wine weight-

It ended up being three really, seeing as we'd been out on Friday as well. But, hey ho, that's how it rolls.

Its life though innit?! The problem with this diet is that it is all or nothing, there is no half measure and no balancing it out, and it is hard to manage when going out and doing things.

I fell out of ketosis at the weekend, but there was nothing I could have done at that time. Back in again hopefully by now, and certainly back on the low carb wagon.

That's true.

I tried to start phase one of the Harcombe Diet again yesterday, but I couldn't face not having a coffee today, so I did succomb, but otherwise, generally low carbing anyway. I don't really see the point of introducing brown rice for these first few days, given that it's high carb, and as I'm used to not eating rice I can manage without.

Yesterday was:

B - bacon and eggs
L - slice veal escalope (a treat from Waitrose!), with buttered baby Brussels sprouts, natural yoghurt for pudding
D - mince and onions with carrots, buttered garlic spinach and peas

Today has been:

B - 4 Waitrose chipolatas (as linked to above) with 2 fried eggs
L - breast of lamb with onions (gorgeous Simon Hopkinson recipe that I made loads of at the weekend), with celery and leftover spinach

Not sure what tonight will be. I have my Chinese class until 9 and don't get home till around 9.30. I've made a beef casserole for DH and DS2, so if there's any of that left, I'll have that.

Nice nosh BIWI.

Am back in ketosis, which was quick this time, less than 2 days, am hoping for a loss of Friday but think I may be in that plateau phase.

One of my issues, I think, is that carbs don't make me feel grotty! Nor do I suffer withdrawal from it when I start a low carb regime. No idea why!

Anyway, reasonably back on track now. Last night had leftover mince and onions/carrots. Only problem was I cooked a handful of peas to add to it, forgetting that I'd already mixed the previous night's peas into the mince - so it was probably much carbier than I had intended.

nowt wrong with peas

I like a good pea ;)

you are so right
I've got a whole new box.
You will be keen to know that today I was ++

Well today I am 10.13 1/4, so only 1 1/4 pounds off where I was last Friday.

I'm glad the scales are at least starting with a 10!

Let's see what tomorrow brings, and if I can manage to get back to 10.12. We have no social commitments this weekend, so hopefully there will be no more self-sabotage.

Oh, and I'm definitely in ketosis (don't need to pee on a stick!), as I'm just not hungry. Dinner last night was two hard boiled eggs, followed by some natural yoghurt - that was all that I fancied.

well done biwi.

i went off lcing fri sat sun last week, i note my weight on a calander and i am 1lb down from last week.

i have no car, so have a 5 mile round trip on bike today with work, so that should help, just in a bit of a pickle becuase i haven't prepared anything for dinner for work.

i have a stash of tuna cans at work and helmans but thats not enough sustenance and i hate it now. might pop to tesco express and get me some cheese and tomato - oooh ementhal....yum

Well done BIWI on your 10 something. Custy too on your loss. I am very hopeful for a loss, I have a feeling it will be minor, but, we started this on September 2nd, and I have nearly lost a stone in just over a month. And that is good.

Trawled for the last list, ready for tomorrow...

StickThemWithThePointyEnd - weight lost so far: 9lbs
RatherBeOnThePiste - weight lost so far: 11lbs
BIWI - weight lost so far: 6.5 lbs
Pie - weight lost so far: 0lbs
Eggy - weight lost so far: 0lbs
Snapespeare - weight loss so far 6lbs
Spamspamspam - weight loss so far 5 lbs
Alison222 weight loss so far 5lbs
FBB weight loss so far 3lb
kotinka weight loss so far 20lb
Gincognito -weight lost so far: 2lbs

i constantly battle with weight, i find it really easy to eat well at meal times, but its the snacking that gets me!! i normally eat porridge for breakfast and a salad for lunch, but then i seem to go wild in the afternoon, then dont eat after 7 in the evening...
does anyone have any tips on how to stop snacking or healthy snacks??

my mum decided to stop eating gluten to lose weight, shes lost almost 2 stone becasue of it!! so anyone who has a weak point with bread, pasta, pizza, etc, maybe a good idea? because there are so many gluten free alternatives! and they dont bloat you!!