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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Low carb for those of us who aren't hardcore enough for Bootcamp/Atkins induction etc

679 replies

QueenStromba · 06/07/2012 22:02

This is a thread for anyone who wants to eat fewer carbs but has either failed on plans than start out really low carb or just doesn't want to eat very low carb for whatever reason. I'm of the opinion that the high carb diet recommended by the government is the cause of obesity and related diseases and that any reduction in carbs will boost health.

While the Bootcamp threads are fantastic, I think a lot of people find it difficult to dive straight into eating very low levels of carbs which leads to giving up by day five. I did this myself when I first tried low carbing last April. I wasn't even trying to eat induction level carbs, just cut out the obviously high carb elements of my diet (rice, potatoes, pasta, bread etc) and I still nearly killed my housemates. It was about six months before I tried low carbing again and I went about it in a completely different way and have ended up eating induction level carbs through preference.

First I cut down my carb portions slightly in each meal, waited a week or two then cut down the portions even further so I was only eating about half the starch element that I had been in each meal. The next thing I did was completely remove the starch from one meal - I think it was breakfast I did first. I had been eating a poached egg on a slice of toast with a slice or two of lean bacon and some mushrooms or spinach - all I did was cut out the slice of toast and replace it with more veg or an extra egg depending on how hungry I was feeling. Once I was happy with that I started on dinner. Instead of rice I had cauliflower rice, instead of potato mash I had cauliflower, swede or celeriac mash and instead of noodles/pasta I had either shirataki noodles or thin ribbons of courgette. For the first while I still mixed in half a small portion of e.g. rice with my cauliflower rice. I normally made enough dinner to have leftovers for lunch the next day. I lost really well on that without worrying about how many carbs were in veg and I still had milk in my tea and berries with yoghurt. I also had a couple of beers a week and the odd slice of cake or whatever. I only went very low carb after doing a lot of reading and deciding that eating a diet very low in carbs and high in fat (including saturated fat) is the healthiest diet for us.

OP posts:
Badvoc · 25/07/2012 18:12

Hmmm...I see.
Have just had salad and smallish jacket potato.
Then I ruined it by having some strawberries with vanilla ice cream! :)
Oh well.
MIght have to rethink the milk thing then...is skimmed milk any better re carbs?
Glad I can have GF pasta albeit not that often, ditto jacket potatoes...I love new potatoes too.
Bro and sil and dn are coming for tea tomorrow so I need ideas...doing a salad and was going to roast a chicken too and perhaps do some potato wedges in the oven too....they will be happy with fruit and ice cream for desert.

Badvoc · 25/07/2012 18:12

Am also very glad you can have whipped cream...I love the stuff!

Badvoc · 25/07/2012 18:15

Ok have ordered some lo salt.
And some meatballs...yum yum.
I don't really like fish but will try.

colette · 25/07/2012 18:17

Thanks QS - sorry to hear about your gmother. Will cut wine down , know I should cut it out- really crave carbs when I have had a drink.

QueenStromba · 25/07/2012 18:37

Badvoc - according to Harcombe you should probably have the strawberries with cream rather than ice cream (I've not actually read the book so I'm not sure).

Instead of the salad and jacket potato you should have the salad with some protein and fat. My favourite is bacon, stilton, avocado, spinach and olive oil.

Skimmed milk is worse than full fat because you'll normally end up putting more in your tea/coffee than you would with full fat to give it the same consistency and so end up consuming far more milk sugar. Double cream is far better - I end up only putting about 7ml of the stuff in a cup of tea rather than 30ml of milk.

For tomorrow just have roast chicken and salad or green veg with berries and cream for dessert. Just give the potatoes and ice cream to your DB and DSIL.

OP posts:
CrunchyFrog · 25/07/2012 18:39

Hi, joining if that's ok?

I've lost lots of weight (6 stone since Jan 2011) but am still a 31" waist (38-31-35) so I am working on the waist/ hip ratio reduction. I think low carb is the best way to do it. I found MFP caused weight gain because I was saving up calories to eat shit and was obsessing about food again, which I had successfully stopped doing. I'd like a stone off, to get to about 9.5 stone, but more importantly, the good waist/hip thing.

I'm on day 3 but fucked up yesterday with a peshwarj naan and poppadoms. Today I had a 3 egg omelette with ham, mushrooms, cheese and olives for breakfast. Then a latte at 3pm, and have just had grilled salmon with broccoli, cauliflower and the courgette thing talked about up thread, which I was surprised to enjoy! I have brazil nuts to snack on. Yesterday was the omelette in the morning, but then the curry night. Monday, same breakfast then massive chicken salad (loads of greenery, olives and capers, mushrooms etc - delish) and raspberries and cream!

How am I doing?

Badvoc · 25/07/2012 19:47

Will be reading the john briffa book with interest tonight!
Thanks for all the info queen

Pompano · 25/07/2012 20:44

Can I join?

Trying to keep it brief.
I believe that certain carbs are 'addictive' - maybe not to everyone but certainly for me. I'm gaining weight quite quickly this last 6 months, and my cravings for sugar and cakes, biscuits, bread etc are getting out of control. I think the only way I can get my food intake under control is to reduce my carbs.
I'm not going hardcore at first. I've done that before and felt like I was going mad and even got a bit depressed. I'm going to get rid of wheat and sugar asap. I'll work on reducing rice and potatoes but only when I've dealt with the wheat/sugar. I cut wheat out for about two weeks just before Christmas and I looked better, felt better, and noticed certain physical symptoms cleared up. (IBS and heartburn disappeared). Then Christmas came around and the mince pies got me.
I'm scared of how strong these cravings are and how much I'm overeating, nearly every day.
I've got Briffa on Kindle, I've also got Gary Taubes. Going to watch Dr Lustig's videos about sugar tomorrow.

Anyway this is me now - 6st overweight. I'm obese. I've got high BP. I'm extremely unfit. I look and feel awful. I feel depressed every time I look in the mirror. I've got to do something about this.

Does anyone have any advice for dealing with the cravings in the early days?They seem to completely control me Blush

Pompano · 25/07/2012 20:46

CrunchyFrog Congratulations on your weight loss! Your food sounds good to me.

Badvoc · 25/07/2012 20:47

A,awaiting delivery of my new weighing scale..lsoightly dreading it too as I will know exactly how bad it is :(
I haven't craved bread which has amazed me tbh, but have been looking longingly at biscuits etc and actually had a dream about sausage rolls last night :)

Pompano · 25/07/2012 20:52

Further to my question about cravings, it's ok, I've just read back two pages and seen some great tips about how to deal with them in the early days. I'd already read the first two pages of the thread and jumped in and posted before I'd finished it all...catching up now.

Pompano · 25/07/2012 21:28

Badvoc if I can ever come here and post about not craving bread I'll do a dance! Funny you dreaming about sausage rolls Grin

FunnyLittleFrog · 25/07/2012 22:05

Another frog here!

Inspired by other threads I have been doing my own (slightly soft) version of low-carbing for a couple of months.

I have lost half a stone since I started (from 10 stone to 9 and a half). I don't have much more weight to lose - ideally another half stone. But for me it's not just a weight thing anyway - one of the main motivations is that I just want to feel well! Bread and wheat make me ill - bloated, tired and hazy. It took me a long time to work out what was causing the problem. My 'wheat belly' (must read the book!) has really shrunk and have a ton more energy. Skin is better too - suffer with psoriasis and spots, both have cleared up.

Has to be said that I am not overly strict and do allow myself the odd lapse (usually wine or beer!) but I reckon if I stick to this way of eating 95% of the time I'll keep seeing results.

I used to love pizza and chips, lasagne and garlic bread, chip butties... bit of a carb addict. I now love eating meat, fish, nuts and vegetables. I honestly don't miss pasta and bread and even cake and biscuits have lost their appeal.

Last night I made 'pasta' ribbons by using the peeler to make ribbons of carrot, peppers and courgette. I fried these in butter and garlic and added squid rings and prawns and black pepper. Will keep experimenting. Got to try the cauli rice next.

Thanks to everyone here for sharing ideas and links to books and blogs - really inspirational. I'll keep looking in!

QueenStromba · 25/07/2012 22:11

So one of the other problems with alcohol is that sometimes it can make you eat something carby even if you didn't particularly want to. I met my DP for a couple of drinks after work, the plan was for me to have steak and veg for dinner and him to have fish fingers and chips. When we got home I didn't think I was hungry and so couldn't be bothered to make food for me but when my DP's food was ready I ended up piggling some. I'm going to feel particularly awful in an hour or two due to the wheat in the fish fingers but I'm not going to beat myself up about it because there lies the path to ruin. The moral of the story is don't go to the pub unless you have a whack it in the microwave/oven meal planned.

OP posts:
pregnantpause · 25/07/2012 22:27

Pompano- I am appalled at my cravings, I didn't even know how badly I'm addicted until today - passing my dc a cookie earlier and I licked it- that's right, licked it, I just couldn't control the urge. It's a reflection of how much carbs and sugar have played a part in my weight gain.
I'm proud that I didn't snaffle the cookie altogether though Blush

Pompano · 25/07/2012 22:42

ouch PP ! But yes well done that you didn't actually eat it.

How long do the cravings last? I think I should just make myself into a hermit for a few weeks because I was horrible shouty and snappy last time Blush

colette · 25/07/2012 22:47

pp Grin at licking the cookie but also Sad because I know exactly what you mean.

Pompano · 26/07/2012 08:35

Just reporting in - Preparation Day.
Got weighed and Shock 15st 3lbs. I'm not a tall person. That's heavy.
I've checked the kitchen contents and there's nothing sugary - I'm lucky in that way I now live alone so only have to stock up for me.
There's some pasta in the fridge that I will eat today and some crabcakes that also contain wheat. If anyone has a great salmon or crab fishcake recipe that is wheat free, please share it.
And then tomorrow I'll be starting properly. My intention today is to not gorge myself on anything and not eat any sugar.

Have a good day everyone.

Badvoc · 26/07/2012 09:25

I managed to read a few chapters of briffas book last night...what he says really makes sense to me re: wheat and dairy.
Not sure I can go without potatoes or GF pasta forever but will try to limit them and eat more meat and eggs...luckily I love eggs :)
Not sure what to do re: milk either...I only have a small amount in 2 cups of coffee per day but is that too much?
Can't drink black coffee...tried. Just can't.
My scales haven't arrived yet so not sure what I weight but last time (6 months ago) I was 11st 12oz so I am guessing I am now at least 12 st :(
Also....fruit...hmmm...I do enjoy an apple! I also love berries so that's good and nectarines...I guess I should limit those too?
Pom...could you use GF flour? I use it for cakes/pancakes etc and it's fine...not sure re: carbs though...will check...

Sprogged · 26/07/2012 09:36

FunnyLittleFrog your pasta ribbons sound lovely. I'm gonna have to get a note book and start writing stuff down, there's some great recipes on here.

Would have got a chicken for the fab QS's recipe for pate and stock but lovely MIL keeps buying us stuff reduced in the Morrisons along from her. She got us a ton of double cream, eggs and a massive celeriac, so boiling the eggs and celeriac and some potato for dh, slicing them up and covering them with big slices of chorizo, pouring double cream all over it and sticking it in the oven for 1/2 an hour/45 minutes. Saying that, just had salmon and butter scrambled eggs with a creamy coffee so think it'll be a late lunch again today.

Before when I was hungry for lunch I would get panicky and irritated and have to have something right now. On this though not had lunch til 2 or 3 this week and not been bothered at all.

I'll be having a stock cube later though.

Sprogged · 26/07/2012 09:42

Pompano for fish cakes what about mashing salmon up with boiled celeriac and some peas/veg if you fancy, an egg or two to bind it and frying it in butter?

QueenStromba · 26/07/2012 10:02

These thai fishcakes are rather nice.

OP posts:
obrigada · 26/07/2012 10:52

Morning, started low carbing today, 2 boiled eggs, grated cheese and a dollop of mayo for brekkie. Really need to shift some weight, feel very sluggish these days.

Badvoc · 26/07/2012 11:16

He'd 2 coffees so far and an apple.
Family coming for lunch so am doing...
Roast chicken
Crunchy bacon
Salad
Berries and cream/ice cream
I think they will like it and more importantly dh and I can eat it without having too many carbs...
Will have any leftover chicken for tea/ or meatballs and tomato sauce!
Does that sound ok queen?
I think I like briffas ideas as you can have butter/mayo/oil on things and on harcombe you can't.
I think I will limit myself to 1 portion of GF pasta per week and 1 lot of new potatoes with skins on per week. Also try to eat berries rather than other fruit.
I have always thought that low cal eating is not healthy...all the Marg and aspartame in things...really not good for you.
I also like what he says re: excercise...nice to know I don't have to go mad and that even if I did it wouldn't help!! (thinks back to all these hours wasted in high impact aerobics classes!)

FunnyLittleFrog · 26/07/2012 13:14

It's an eye-opener, this way of eating, it really is. People on diets at work having WW crackers and WW biscuits and being all irritable and I'm tucking into salmon, chicken, avocado, cheese, olives, great salads with oily dressings... and actually losing weight and feeling well. I can even have cream ffs!

It's hard to get into because we were brought up to see butter, meat, eggs and cheese as 'bad' for us (the cause of my DG's heart problems apparently Hmm) while carbs were 'healthy'.

I am coming to the conclusion that we have all been shafted royally by the big food corporations. They made us fat and now offer 'solutions' to the problem that are only making us fatter. Do WW want us to actually lose weight? No, because then their business would fail. 'Diet' drinks not only make us more hungry (and can make us ill) but they give us license to have more treats because we had a healthy drink.

They made their money by getting people addicted to fags in the 20th century. Now it's food. I have heard it argued that fags are actually less damaging than obesity to the population as a whole.

Low carb is a political statement as well as a healthy way to eat. It's saying NO to the manipulative food corps who are trying to make us look and feel crap so we end up buying more 'diet' crap.

Over and out with the rant! Off to have a boiled egg. Grin

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