Any Low Carb Experts?

[middleagedspread]

I seem to have got in a mess.
I embraced low carbing last summer (read the Briffa book) & seemed to do quite well.
Christmas was a disaster diet wise but in last last couple of months I've been trying again.
So far I've put on 61b.
I start off with good intentions but by the end of the day I'm so hungry that I eat the low carb meal then polish off biscuits, choc etc.
The diet seems so restrictive.
Can you advise which recipe book would be useful & also suggest where I might find some meal ideas?
TIA.

Not an expert but generally live by a low carb diet...

If you are getting hungry then maybe you are just not eating enough in general....fill up on green veg and salads. Drink plenty of water too.

Whether you are doing a strict high protein diet or just making low GI choices, if you dont eat regularly enough, you will be at risk of random snacking due to blood sugar dropping and making you crave sweet foods.

If you need a sweet treat try greek youghurt with a sweetner or whole fruit that is in the lower GI range - raspberries, blueberries etc (not fruit yogurt as these are always high in sugar as made with puree) or sprinkle plain granola on yougurt?

Avoid dried fruit as this conentrates the sugars too much...so although they are 'healthy' they dont help so much.

Make sure snacks have some protein with them if possible, and this maintains the blood sugar better for longer and you are less likely to get sugar cravings.

As a last resort, Atkins choccie bars are low carb, high protein, very dense and filling, but sweet - expensive but may kill a chocolate craving without ruining a low carb day.

Personally I cant drink a cup of tea without a bisuit (its too wet without one!!) so find its best to not drink tea to avoid associated craving for biscuits....works for me!

Most high protein diets will basically advise you to just keep going and eventually you will lose the sweet tooth anyway...........unless its permanent lifestyle choice to never have pudding again, you might not be too keen on that , so use reasonable alternatives to take the craving away.

Good luck...keep going it will be worth it.

Thanks so much.
I seem to be surviving on ham, eggs, cheese, avocado & mayo.
I am having the greek yoghurt & berries for breakfast.
It seems I need to up my snacks.
I suppose it's a different way of eating..for years I've controlled my weight by only having 3 meals a day (high fibre, low fat) & trying to get used to being hungry.
The Atkins choc bars sound useful, I could have one at 4pm then I wouldn't get in the 'sod it, I've ruined today I'll start tomorrow' routine.
Thanks again.

Oh gosh, sorry tickletumble, I'm probably going to contradict lots of what you've just said - am not an expert either though OP!

Bit hard to fathom where it's going wrong without knowing what you're actually eating (apart from biscuits!) but, general rules would be:

• are you eating enough fat? Your diet should be high in fat, with moderate protein intake, not the other way round. Fat will not only fill you up but also help you lose the weight faster. You must eat fat.

• avoid avoid avoid sweeteners! Do not sweeten your yoghurt with that stuff or eat those blasted Atkins bars (except in dire emergency when there is literally NOTHING else available (which is unlikely IMO).

• lots of water. What seems like hunger is often thirst.

Am a bit concerned that you find it restrictive... apart from snacking while out and about (i.e. when you'd usually pick up a sandwich/crisps etc) it shouldn't be restrictive. It does require a bit of planning though.

I'd strongly recommend the Bootcamp threads - loads and loads of advice there! Sorry am on phone so can't link but come and find us!

BIWI is. She deserves a medal.

She spends loads of time reading and helping out us bootcampers. Check out the bootcamp threads in big and slim

I always try to have some carrots/cauliflower/broccoli ready to eat (washed, peeled) in the fridge, that way if I need to binge or top up lunch/dinner I will have some or even with yogurt as a dip. Carrots in particular are great fillers.

Carrots are high carb

Would it be really dull to tell you what I'm eating & then you can comment?

Middle - head to the week10 bootcamp thread. Lots of lovely knowledgeable ladies on there who would be more than happy to help

Will try & find, thanks .

(And thank you cat!)

Actually, I take issue with that, ednatate. If you are low carbing properly then you are very, very unlikely to be hungry between meals, and therefore you won't have that desperate need to snack all the time. It therefore means that willpower/determination is much less needed than when you're trying to diet by controlling your calories.

And the Dukan Diet, IMVVVHO, is not really a low carb plan at all. And it advocates eating a lot of artificial ingredients and processed foods which cannot be good for you.

.... although I notice with the exception of one, that all edunatate's posts have been deleted, so I'm assuming that he/she is trying to advertise Dukan by stealth

I lost a couple of stone through low carbing.

IME, you need to eat more than you're used to! carbs fill you up in a cheap way, so to replace them you do need more protein and veg. I used to eat huge bowls of salad and raw veg etc. I didn't worry too much about fat, as long as it wasn't processed. so I ate nuts as I found them a good snack.

I find the feelings of extreme hunger are worse in the first five days. Once I'm past those, my body normally to hunger. In fact, It's as if my hunger clock is reset and I only get hungry when really hungry.

I restarted my low carbing yesterday after an easter of eating lots of bread. I was really grumpy, had a headache, upset stomach, tired. I ate normally, just without the extra bread but with extra fruit.

This morning I woke at 7 without feeling groggy or hungry, stomach flatter already. energy levels better already.