The Pretty Extraordinary Low Carb Diet Thread

[QueenStromba]

A continuation of The Rather Amazing Low Carb Diet Thread.

GerOrf - Do you like spreadsheets? If so, start a weightloss chart. I do and it really helps take the pressure off of you have a 'bad' number. You can also get all techy and do weekly averages and all sorts. I think looking at one day's weightloss in isolation isn't very helpful, but I can't weigh just once a week. This way I can see the downward trend and daily variations are bit less annoying.

Agree with it being water retention and/or period. I have to drink tons of water to keep on track with this WoE.

I am 1lb up this morning but my lightest Monday for a while. Have a massive lunch at friend's house = managed to avoid the roasties but did have a piece of chocolate cake and 2 crackers with my cheese. I was so stuffed I didn't have any dinner though so swings and roundabouts really.

B: a few almonds - I'm still not hungry
L: not sure yet, probably salad of some sort
D: chicken salad, might do spicy griddled chicken and a youghurt and herb dip to liven it up a bit.

Well, I managed to lose 4lb on my first week which I'm quite pleased with, I did far too much booze over the weekend and had a terrible hangover on Sunday. I managed to avoid the cards though which is great as I normally crave chips when hungover. Adding my stats now

Custy - target weight 9:3, current weight 9:7.2
RatherBeOnThePiste - target weight 9:13, current weight 10:4
BIWI - target weight 9.00, current weight 10.12
kotinka - Start 266lbs, Target 154lbs, Current 229lbs (37lbs loss)
Cardoon?
goingmadinthecountry?
Febes - weight lost so far 5 st 9lbs 13st 9lbs this week
countessbabycham - weight lost so far 3 lbs
QueenStromba - weight lost so far 46.5 lbs
fluffy123 - weight lost so far 56 lbs GOAL
mejon - weight loss so far - 31 lbs - goal weight = no idea!
smokinaces - weight loss so far 27.5 lbs
Rillyrillygoodlooking - weight loss so far 2kg
wantanewname - weight loss so far 9.5lbs
WentworthMillerMad - weight loss so far 21lbs
FreeButtonBee - target weight 9:10, weight loss so far 3.5lbs
supersalstrawberry - weight loss so far 2lb, goal 17lb
Spamspamspam ?
OneLieIn - weight loss so far 4lbs
openyerlugholes - target 9.6, current 10.8
Getorfmoiland - starting weight 12.3, target weight 9.13, current weight 10.12
CointreauVersial - starting weight 9.9, target 9.0 (-ish), currently 9.5
DizzyDancing - weight to lose, 6 st
BornToShopForcedToWork - TW 9st, CW 13.2st - 6lbs lost so far
AngryFeet - Current weight 13st 11.75lb, goal weight 9st
PostBellumBugsy - lost 1 stone since Christmas. 1 more stone to go.
Flipflopflap- Weight loss so far 4lb, goal 1st in total.

The advice to avoid eggs has long since been disproven, butterfly. You can eat as many as you want! They are a great low carb food, containing protein and fat as well as vitamins.

GOML - don't be despondent. One thing I have learnt over the years is that weight loss isn't linear. Being good on day one does not always mean that the scales are you friend the next day!

And, sadly, 'bad' behaviour will impact on the scales.

The overall pattern of loss is what you should be aiming for.

On the low carb site that I use, one piece of advice was to weigh daily but to take the average reading for the week.

Daily weighing keeps me focused, but you do have to accept that the scales will go up as well as down - and sometimes for no apparent reason.

For example - last week, I was really shocked to see the scales drop right down to 10.11 on Tuesday - by Saturday they were up to 10.13! But the overall loss for the week was 1lb. Not massive, but still a loss.

This morning, the scales were already showing another pound down.

You do have to take the longer view!

So I am on Day 6 of going low carb/eliminating wheat - I've read wheat belly and the Diet Trap book. However, I only have half a stone to lose and I have put on 3lbs during the last 6 days and I don't put on weight easily. I've suffered bloating and stomach pains - never normally get it! After day 3 I stopped oats thinking that was the culprit. Today I had yoghurt and hazlenuts for breakfast and had stomach pains after that.

I'm not feeling hungry, no carb cravings (but don't suffer from those normally). I think I may be eating too little as I feel faint and light headed but stomach pains make me not want to eat and I have no appetite! Not sure what to have as a snack as worried about yoghurt, nuts and dairy in general.

I think may go back to my normal diet at least I got no bloating and didn't put on weight! Wheat belly saying you lose 1lb a day on this diet!

Chestnutx3, if you are losing 7lbs in a week, that will not be fat. The human body is not designed to lose fat that quickly. In the early stages of the diet, low-carbing encourages the loss of any water retention.
Make sure you drink lots. Are you eating plenty of vegetables at meals? If you are suddently bloating & have tummy pains, are you eating way more dairy products than you are used to?

Oh God I'm tired! Is that normal to be this tired? My body seems unable to function without the white stuff.

Does anyone else remember being dog tired like this? I wouldn't mind but I have a session with a personal trainer tonight and she's likely to kill me.

It's really not easy is it? No matter how yummy the allowed food is. My brain and body are currently screaming for carbs.

I remember being very tired when starting on this

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Guys, I have modified the fake bounty recipe. Tell me what you think:

As well as melting a block of creamed coconut, I have added a couple of blobs of butter and some dessicated coconut (6.4 carbs/100g, 21g of fibre). I think it makes it a bit more substantial, hopefully ups the fibre, and makes the texture on the tongue less sticky.

Do you think the addition of the dessicated coconut makes it ok carb-wise?

Ps having salmon and feta bake tonight from IPD cookbook. It is seriously good!

BS Might have to take a look at that salmon and feta bake - sounds lovely.

Not really hungry today which is a result. GOing to pick up a new bike this evening and then home for dinner. Feeling v PMT-y. My boobs are really really painful. It hurts to walk in an enthusiastic manner. Ouch.

0oh, speaking of cocoa - Tesco have Green and Blacks on 2 for £3.25 until the 6th of March.

Thanks for the advice over eggs everyone
Think I may start tomorrow!!

I'm having people over for dinner soon, and they are all foodies. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good low carb dessert? I will do a cheese platter, and try and stick to that, but I don't think I can avoid doing a dessert - and want to make one that I can enjoy too!

What about a tiramisu made with muffin in a minute instead of sponge fingers, brandy as the booze and sweetened with truvia?

How carby would be that? Sounds interesting!

A muffin in a minute has about 3g of carbs - you'd probably get 2-3 servings worth from each one and the mascarpone and double cream mix will have about 3g per hundred so even if you have 200g of mascarpone/cream per serving you're still only looking at 7g.

Beryl, like the modifications to the fake bounty. Will give that a go, as I sometimes find it a bit claggy.
Queen - where can I find the muffin in a minute recipe?

5g melted butter
1 egg
30g ground linseed/flaxseed - I buy the seeds in tesco and grind them in a coffee grinder
0.5 tsp baking powder
1-2 tsp sugar equivalent - I use stevia powder
Flavouring of your choice - I like to use a couple of teaspoons of cocoa powder, cinnamon and ginger are also quite nice.

Mix the dry ingredients thouroughly in a coffee mug then beat the egg with the butter, add it to the dry ingredients and mix well. Microwave for 60 seconds on full. They're good with butter, quark, clotted cream, mascarpone etc.

Thx Queen - will give that a go too.

Thanks everyone - I never know when I am due on, but just had a look at my posts on the Tuesday weigh-in thread which I am on, and on 23 Jan I am there going 'put 2lb on overnight, bloody bastards, am ordering Exante diet tomorrow'

So it is definitely my period I reckon.

I also definitely do not drink enough water - I am going to make a real effort to drink 2L a day. I also drink a couple of cans of diet coke a day so should cut that out.

I am not at all hungry tonight. Have just had a slice of ham and some cheese and some hartley 10cal jelly.

I am racking my brains thinking of a low carb pudding. I did initially thing of oeufs a la neige but then thought (a) they may well be made of egg but they also have a ton of sugar and (b) they are revolting.

What I meant to say is that my posts on 23 Jan said I was on as well.

Butterfly - if you like an egg, try boiled egg with asparagus to dip instead of toast soldiers. My weekend breakfast treat.

BIWI - probably too late for this evening, but my fave low-carb dessert is Delai's apple & almond pudding - I used to cook it for my coeliac friend, then realised it could be easily adapted to low-carb. OK, it has fruit in it, so not mega-mega low, but is so nice the average carb-eaters will have no idea it's low-carb:

Stew some bramleys with Splenda to taste; place in an oven-proof dish. Cream together butter (110g) and Splenda (8 level tblsp) until fluffy; beat in 2 large eggs. Then fold in ground almonds (110g). Pour the topping onto the apples and put in the oven at 180c for 45-60 minutes, until browned and risen.

You can always have just a spoonful of the apple..... Lashings of cream, of course.

Anyway, today I have eaten:

Breakfast - greek yogurt/blueberries/almonds
Lunch - smoked salmon pate with veggie sticks
Dinner - Nigella's Thai Crumbled Beef in lettuce wraps

DH commented about how much less bloated he is after only a week.

Delai? Delia, of course.

Wow you guys talk a lot !

Just received my Amazon order with my Dr Briffa book and Wheat Belly. Also ordered an exercise log so good to go !

Tried to be carb free today and didn't do too badly until I got home with the eggs I'd bought for an omelette for tea and my 2 yr old dropped them on the floor and smashed the lot . Ended up having a sandwich .

Tomorrow's another day!