16 st Low Carbing part 2

[ProfYaffle]

As the first thread is full, I thought I'd start this one to dip a toe in the water and see if anyone else is still around. At the end of the last thread I think a few of us had decided to have the summer off and come back to it in September - so here I am.

Hope a few of the old gang are still around

Thanks

This week I have learned:

Our local Superdrug have expanded their range of Atkins bars - huzzah! I suspect my increased and sustained demand this year may have contributed to their decision.

I cannot be trusted around cashew nuts. I bought some thinking I could just chuck a handful into stir fries every now and then. Nope, I just can't help nibbling - they have to go.

Made the butternut squash and peanut butter soup today - was lovely. I have got a vast panful left though so think I'll have to freeze some.

I'm going to fat fast for a couple of days next week. I know I said it's bad for me psychologically - and it definitely is on a regular basis - but I feel really fat after Xmas. Not sure why as I weigh and measure the same as I did in November but I feel enormous, probably my mind playing tricks but I'm hoping that being good next week will restore my equilibrium.

Funny old game this weight loss malarky.

Hello , this had fallen off my list. Prof soup sounds nice, not sure about peanut butter in it though haha. I made a big pan of butternut, sweet potato and parsnip. Have 4 bags in the freezer.

Im going to get stricter too Pro. I haven't gained anything but seemed to have stalled. Will just go back to basics.

How is everyone else doing. Thread has gone slow. Hope everyone has managed to climb back on after the Christmas break

Just had the call - dh is going for his first op next week. Scary but relieved too as we were starting to worry that he wasn't going to get in til February.

Hi Prof. Poor you. I really feel for you. Are you all organised and ready? Your Mum is coming down isn't she?

Yes, I think we're ready though got to wash some bedding tomorrow. Mum and Dad are coming down this weekend (they live about 250 miles away) and Mum's staying for the week while dh is in hospital. This bit is the 'easy' bit tbh, radiotherapy will be harder. The hospital where he's treated is 1hr 15min drive from us so going every day for 6 weeks will be a major disruption to normal life. But, hey, we're glad to be just getting the treatment. A combination of the Dr's strike and general incompetence meant we were doubting it was actually going ahead

Hope it goes well Pro. So, has everyone else fallen off the wagon? Please come back

Yep fallen off big style but getting slimmer as exercising a lot. This week I am reducing my carbs to get back in the zone by the weekend.

Off to yoga now, will catch up with the thread later.

Well done on the exercise princess. It all helps!!

I'm still here. Dh recovering well but still in hospital atm. I've mostly stuck to low carb but it's very hard at the hospital, I've been surviving on M&S protein pots - didn't have a hot meal from Monday to last night! Interestingly, I realised I'd been eating high protein but low fat (plain boiled eggs, chicken breast etc) and felt awful, really run down. I managed to finally find a packet of pork scratchings and almost instantly felt much better.

Hi. It's been really interesting and informative reading about everyone's low carb adventures. I started low-carbing the second week of Jan at 16st4lbs. I'm now 14st11lbs! It's been amazing. The new pair of trousers I bought at Christmas are now falling off me and I'm on the last hole in the belt.

I've been doing lots more cooking, feeling less hungry for longer; sometimes forgetting to eat; and no longer have cravings or feel the need to snack.

Just wanted to tell the world and to give encouragement to anyone who's thinking of low-carbing.

Interesting that as a type there's a story on the news about there being up to 20 teaspoons of sugar in a hot drink from Starbucks! Shocking.

It is amazing isn't it Bill? It was a total revelation to me when I started.

Has everyone vanished? I'm still KOKO. Dh is now recovered and back at work. It'll probably be a few months before radiotherapy starts so I'm trying to get back on the wagon while I have the chance.

On the food front, after the Butternut Nut Butter soup I've developed a mania for soup with nut butters. Celeriac, leek and cashew is my current favourite. Next I think I'll try mushroom, ginger and almond butter. Oh, and I've just bought The Low Carb Gourmet cookbook, highly recommended. Some great recipes in there.

Hello all.

Having hugely fallen off the Paleo wagon for four (nearly five) months and a lardy, carby 1st of weight regained, I am climbing back on with a view to trying to get a grip of myself.

I had the depo jab and it has turned me into a sugar monster. Obviously, it is totally the injection's fault and nothing it at all to do with me reaching for the biscuits...

I hope everyone is still well and getting on with it okay.

Hi Kinky I'm still here. Have fallen off a few times but haven't gained anything. Really need to get back properly so glad you posted

Kinky. Contraceptives often cause women to want to eat more and be ravenously hungry. If you can get back to lowish carb you should be able to turn it round.

Hi Always . I am very pleased to have some company.

Had my first paleo day yesterday and already feel so much better for it as I was massively overdoing the carbs. I'm bracing myself for carb flu this week, but I'm not too low with them so hoping to ease into it rather than feeling like death warmed up. I'm increasing my exercise gradually too: I've basically been a human potato since Christmas.

Kinky you and me both do Paleo. I find it easier as I like fruit and more veg and don't miss dairy anymore. I have started having coconut cream (from the tin) mixed with vanilla and also eating banana icecream as a treat. Just frozen banana whipped until it turns into icecream. Amazing! I'm also loving co yo yoghurt. I use it in place of cream cheese. The flavoured ones are nice too.

I'm going to look for the co yo yogurt .

Massive headache today. I've stuck to it though in spite of several offers of cake. I never get offered cake until I start a healthy eating plan. It was everywhere today!!

Not nice having a headache Kinky. I have been doing paleo mostly so don't get many symptoms but today I have been suffering from horrible feelings of agitation and being hyper. Its my body getting used to having no sugar after having loads yesterday. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

today

cups of tea with coconut milk

ham, spring onion, pepper and rocket omelette fried in coconut oil

homemade beef stew with tons of veg for dinner

apple slice with peanut butter

2 oatcakes

I feel as though I need carbs so bad just to even out my body right now but am not going to do it. Its hard isn't it when you have not been doing it properly for awhile.

I might be a bit of an imposter as I'm more low-er carbing but I'm hoping you'll have me anyway. I had gestational diabetes in my last pregnancy (ds now 13 weeks) and it was so restrictive I want to try and delay the inevitable onset of type 2 so I had been cutting out carbs. But I've been having as yet unexplained abdo pains since his arrival so in case it's gallstones I'm also going low fat, and just in case it's lactose intolerance I've massively reduced dairy (😔 I'm starting to sound like one of those women). Might be none of those things but the upshot is I mainly eat lean protein, eggs, fruit and veg, nuts and small portions of complex carbs with one or 2 meals a day. So far I've lost 18 kg since pre pregnancy. Hoping to keep it going as I still have masses to lose-size 20 now. But I'm wearing clothes that haven't fitted for years and have just bought my first joules item of clothing (wouldn't have fitted before) 😊

Hi Nocoffee . I'm lower carb too. I'm paleo so no dairy or grains for me but fruit and veg. I do sometimes have a couple of oatcakes if I'm feeling very flaky though.
Sounds like your doing really well. What are the abdominal pains like?

Hi always. Thanks, progress is slow since I'm still breastfeeding so it's nice to have it acknowledged. I've not really got to grips with paleo but it sounds closest to what I'm doing. Not sure what I'd eat if I gave up grains too.
As for the pains-I'd have sworn it was gallstones (I'm a dr) but I had something similar after my 1st child and an uss but none found. They went away for 2 years then reappeared after ds2. It's mainly epigastric, sudden onset often in small hours of the night but doesn't wake me. They're dull/tight, constant, non-radiating, not changed by position, recently associated with but not relieved by vomiting. No really obvious dietary triggers. Could be all manner of things (hiatus hernia/ulcer/simple indigestion) but like most medics since it doesn't appear life threatening I'm trying to manage/ignore it. I'll see if a few changes solve it-and they're pretty good changes to be making. Hmm, That was an overly thorough description😳

Haha. Very good description. I get this very occasionally and usually after I have eaten something very rich like cream. Only has happened about 3 times in 15 years. I think I read that it could be caused by either too much fat or going without much fat and then having something very rich causing the gallbladder to contract. (Could be talking through my arse though). Its like a labour pain but in the upper stomach. I try to not have too much fat now which is why I don't do low carb. There seems to be a lot of fat involved in very low carb diets.

I tend to avoid grains as they can bring on my ibs but I eat like you otherwise. I make a lovely granola which is just seeds, nuts, dried fruit and coconut shavings. I mix it all together with a little honey or maple and put it in the oven on very very low for a long time to bake. When its done and cool I break it up into chunks and put it in an airtight bottle/jar thingy. Served it with coconut milk or almond milk and fresh berries. Very yummy. Lunch is something like meat/fish with mixed salad leaves and walnut balsalmic dressing. Omlette, corgetti or butternut squash noodles with tomato, olive, rocket and garlic sauce with a dash of rich olive oil: homemade soup with some herby almond loaf (no flour). Dinner...chicken and garlic oil (little oil) with salad and sweet potato oven chips, shepherds pie with swede and sweet potato mash, fish and veg with sauce.....