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??!!!

RatherBe Slinky Kinky has a certain ring to it... When I was 10st, I was getting looks of concern.

Kotinka She's Asperger's, so we have a double whammy with autism and cancer. It makes it very hard for the medical staff to deal with her. She's done really well: every time she saw a needle at the start she would melt down, but she's much better now. She's 10 months into 27 months of chemo. We have a long way to go yet.

I should have been clearer there: you have even more admiration from me when you are looking after your autistic DS. It can be really tough at times. I'm highly suspicious my DS is starting to show Aspie traits too. He's only 2.10 though, so time will tell.

Kinky- I think stress eating is perfectly understandable when as fraught as you must have been and continue to be, but how fabulous it is that you are taking back control to be fitter and healthier. That is brilliant and you are brilliant!

Kinky, no one would blame you for stress eating! Am very much in awe.

Kotinka, I know what you mean about being at home all the time. Wasn't good for me or my weight or self esteem. I only do bits of supply teaching and it does me loads of good. Keeps me out of the fridge too - I have an extremely low boredom threshold!

(((((((group hug)))))))

You are all lovely. I'm going to have to stick to my diet so I can hang out here with you all still . I've felt a bit better today, which is promising, although the weight isn't moving now.

Kinky (it's really odd typing that!) I'm sorry to hear about your daughter. That must be very hard to cope with.

So - CPP1/D2 (making it sound all scientific-like )

Breakfast - scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, cooked in a little butter
Lunch - 2 hard boiled eggs mashed with two griddled rashers of bacon, with mayo
Dinner - smoked cod loin, and a touch of salad cream (in desperation as the fish on its own wasn't really that great!)

I've drunk more coffee than I planned today, mainly because I was interviewing from 9 until 6.30 and kept being brought cups!

Tonight I'm drinking diet tonic water again.

I'm not hungry, which is good. Let's see what the scales say tomorrow. I doubt that there will be much movement, given the 3lbs lost from Monday, but it will be interesting to see.

So BIWI onto CPP1/D3?! Then is it P2?

Envious of your breakfast. I've really cocked up on the shopping front and genuinely have nothing here to eat I'm going on a course today so will have to get something on the way. Having a cuppa tea but soooo hungry!

Have you no eggs? These are definitely my saviour!

Re the breakfst, the smoked salmon is Sainsbury's Basics, and it's salmon trimmings (aka a bit of mush in a packet), but it's OK for cooking with.

And down another 1.5lbs this morning, making a total loss of 4.5lbs so far!

CPP1/D3 is going to be:

B: scrambled eggs and smoked salmon
L: tin tuna with a touch of mayo/salad cream
D: roast chicken (without the trimmings that DH/DS will have)

I'll also cut the coffee back today.

I think I'm eating too much! I do have PMS though, so not totally surprised I feel compelled to eat.

I'm back to my 4lbs total weight loss this week. I've decided to track my carbs/protein etc on www.fitday.com as the site is mentioned in both Rose Elliot and the New Atkins book I'm reading. I don't think I've gone over my carbs, now I've got into the swing of it, but I'm still not sure I'm doing the diet right. I haven't been counting precisely, so might be going over just from sheer quantities consumed!

Just to check: Induction = 20g carbs, a chunk of which should be from green veg/salad veg (green), unlimited protein, up to 4oz cheese a day, unlimited fat (at this point, I'm 6 days in).

Yesterday I was a pig woman and ate:

scrambled egg with cream for breakfast; some chicken with salad leaves and mega mayo for lunch 1 (yes, I know); some salad leaves with about 100g of halloumi for lunch 2; cup of coffee with cream and splenda; spinach, avocado, olives, 4 artichoke bits from a jar of antipasti, smoked mackerel strips, all dressed in olive oil for dinner; some tuna mayo; some scrambled tofu; another couple of handfuls of olives; another coffee with cream and splenda.

That's LOADS. It's like I had my tea and couldn't stop eating.

I weigh slightly less this morning so it obviously hasn't been too detrimental. I'm just going to start measuring things like cream, oil and cheese so I'm not going too mental with it.

I want to know what the acronyms are, all the CPP stuff??

CPP1 = Cunning Plan, Phase 1!

It sounds like a lot of food, but it is all low carb, is it not?

And in induction all your carbs should be coming from salad/veg. Have a good read of Atkins again to check out what you can/can't have during induction.

Kinky - that does sound a lot but if it's all the right stuff then it shouldn't cause a gain. And your appetite should regulate itself. After a week or so, you should find that you get less ravenous. Sometimes I forget to eat (and I am NOT that type of girl!)

Another lb down today to 10st 11.5 - but had a few glasses of wine last night so need to drink lots of water today to fend off dehydration. Manged not to eat too many canapes and had meat and cheese for my dinner when I got in at 11.

Had scrambled eggs and salmon for breakfast this morning - snap BIWI! - Lunch, not sure, might be something salad based. Dinner will be veg and other stuff in the fridge, bit of stir fried kale - DH is working late so only myself to fend for.

Have a good day folks.

kotinka - I feel absolutely fine. Not tired, despite a very long day yesterday - interviewing from 9 - 6.30 and then off to a 2 hour Chinese class in the evening!

No headaches thankfully. (Actually another reason why I'm glad to have kept coffee for the moment - the worst withdrawal I ever had was from caffeine).

Quick check question - just had a 4 egg and ham omelette for lunch. My Dad nearly fell over at how many eggs. Am obviously very full, but lo carbing so I thought this was ok. Too many eggs?

0.9g carbs per egg? That should be fine (but I'm a novice ).

Because The two books I've got allow for cheese, eggs, ect, that all have carb content during induction. It's about 12g of 20g carbs as veg? I don't think I'm managing that amount though - that's a lot of salad! I had half a big bag of leaves with lunch, approx 60g, which is only 1. something grams of carbs.

This is so complicated!

All I'm eating is protein foods: cheese (now limited), eggs, fish (tuna, mackerel, prawns, salmon), little chicken, tofu (lots) and then: lots of salad leaves, beansprouts, courgette, with double cream, mayo, soy milk, protein shake, little soy sauce.

I do really appreciate advice and direction. I'm starting to settle more to this and I want to do it right!

Thanks Kinky. I eat porridge with water or shredded wheat with skimmed milk (only zero sugar cereals you can get) for breakfast (sort of following the Zoe Harcombe plan which allows carbs as long as they are not mixed with Fats/Protein in the same meal), but the rest of the time I am following low carb, almost atkins but do eat carrots etc, (just not potatoes).

I've checked the egg. 1 large one is actually 0.4g carbs, so even better!

I'm starting to wonder if I'm not eating enough protein with each meal. I had 26g at breakfast and 28.5g with lunch. On the vege diet - which is what I started off doing - she says to aim for 80g a day, but I'm wondering if that is enough.

Tell me when you get bored of me prattling on...

ALittleHouse I live for the day I forget to eat .

Kinky - prattle all you like lovely!!
Hope CPP1D3 has gone well It seems to be working a treat though already!

I had nothing at all to eat this morning, not even eggs I need to be much better organised. In my fridge were lots of things like mustards etc, a bottle of gin (too early even by my standards) loads of milk, flora spread and some carrots. It was weepworthy. I had two cups of tea and then got some cheese/ham on the way to my course. I was so hungry, I felt completely hollow!

More organised now though, and have a big food shop coming tomorrow.

CPP1D3 not going too badly, although I thought it was going to be a huge fail - I was so busy this morning I rushed off for my meeting and forgot to take my lunch with me! So I stood and watched everyone else tucking in to sandwiches, crisps and cakes - then went for coffee with some friends afterwards at a patisserie and watched them stuff eclairs down their throats!

The great joy, though, is that I wasn't hungry so it didn't really tempt me.

But I didn't succumb. I've had my boiled eggs just now, mashed with curry paste and a bit of salad cream, and will have roast chicken later.

Is it CPP2D1 tomorrow?!