Help with Low Carb/Hight Fat Please?

[73kittycat73]

Hi, I need some help and advice on undertaking a low carb, high fat diet. I have some restrictions (More on that later.) but would really appreciate some help/advice.
For background, I started this year at just over 15 stone (Am 5 ft 6 and 1/2) and in February started a low calorie (1200 a day) diet. I managed to keep this up for a few months and lost 2 stone 3lbs. However, the last few months I just haven't been able to stick to it any more. I will last a few days to a week then cave one night and binge undoing all my hard work.
I've never considered a High fat low carb diet before because I'm a carb addict (I have carbs potatoes/pasta every .) but I would really like to lose another two stone. I have also found out you can have cream on this diet (I love cream! ) and thought this would placate my sweet tooth. I have heard/read nothing but positives for this diet and would like to give it a try, however, I have a lot of restrictions. I'm a right PITA! :p

I'm a type 2 diabetic

I'm vegetarian, I eat a cheese (Cream/philadelphia, Bousin, a little mild chedder.) yogurts, butter, eggs but not cow's milk (I have Alpro Soya milk on my breakfast instead.) I like Linda McCarntneys food. I don't like Quorn.

I like salad (Cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, raddish, beetroot, spring onions, peppers but not celery.)

I like vegetables (Peas, sweetcorn, broccoli, baby carrots, cauliflower, courgette, potatoes, swede, ect.)

I like cashews, peanuts and pistachios.

I like some fruit, Golden Delicious apples, bananas, pears, grapes, raisins.

I eat weetabix with honey and soya milk for breakfast, I don't know if that's low carb?

Is chocolate low carb? (!Clutches at strwas. )

I'm also a Salad Cream addict, have it with all my savory food. Please tell me it's allowed?! (I do also like mayo, Ketchup, Brown sauce, fruit sauce, mint sauce, too.)

Sorry this is so grabbled, just trying to write down anything I think is relevant! I have two other restrictions, I am agoraphobic and do my grocery shopping online either at Sainsburys (98% of the time.) and Asda, so anything I buy needs to be available online. I can also shop online at Holland and Barrett.

The other restriction I have is that I can't do much food prep or cooking (I told you I was a pain in the ass!). I'm OK boiling frozen veg/pasta/tinned potatoes and cooking stuff in the oven, and making a salad.

Is there any hope?! lol I'd really appreciate any help in coming up with a weeks menu. If anyone could point me towards a book, or website, or just gives me advice on here I'd be really grateful!
Thanks for reading!

Every day

Slimming World will be able to help you here. I follow their plan but have speed days as the norm. which cuts out pasta, potatoes, do you eat fish?

I have at one time in my life been agoraphobic, so do feel for you. Slimming World you can register and do it all online.

Shall we start with chocolate? You need to look at dark chocolate - 80% cacao or above preferably. You can melt it on strawberries for a 'sweet' taste.

Grated carrots also sweeten up a meal, e.g. with lentil and mushroom burgers with sweet potato chips.

You can make low carb tomato ketchup out if tomato purée and vinegar and spices.

Salad cream - I'll have to think about that one!

Best to curb the weetabix, btw. Sorry. Certainly reduce your intake if poss.

What is the diet/plan you are lreeaenrly following?

Either way, please please read Michael Moseley’s “8 week blood sugar diet”; it really lets you see how the body reacts to insulin spikes caused by certain foods that will directly retard weight loss and maintain your diabetes.

Sticking to this to the letter can - apparently - reverse T2 diabetes x

Sorry should have asked - is your blood glucose well managed?

Hi, Thanks for the speedy responses! I did try Slimming World online a few years ago. Is there a LCHF diet on there to follow?
As for the diet plan I'm already following, it's just literally 1400 calories a day, I am addicted to Mint Clubs so about 345 cals a day go on that!
I will also check out the Blood Sugar Diet too, does it involve much prep?

I don't know how well my blood sugar is under control, haven't had a blood test this year. I think it's out of sight out of mind with the drs. I take Metformin, Alogliptin and Gliclazide currently.

Oh sorry, I also don't eat fish. (Just checking out the Blood Sugar om Amazon...)

Hi

I’m a T2D, vegetarian, low carber, I’ll do my best to help.

You need to buy, or borrow (most libraries have it) this book. It’s worth every penny and he explains everything really clearly in an easy to read format.

Low carbing keeps my blood sugars at a good level.

Unfortunately I can’t find a good balance to lose weight. I did the first time I low carbed, but since falling off the wagon and climbing back on, I don’t lose weight doing it - but it does control my blood sugars.

You might find it easier if you eat eggs, I don’t.

Because there are carbs in vegetables and we don’t eat carb free protein, it’s much harder to keep your carbs low enough.

Peas, sweet corn, potatoes, etc are all high in carbs.

Fruit, except berries, is too high in carbs.

Weetbix - VERY high in carbs (from memory 55g/100) and honey....no way!

85% chocolate can be eaten in moderation (15g/100).

Mayo can be eaten - it’s best if you make your own, if not find one low in carbs. From memory the Heinz one isn’t too bad? I don’t eat it.

No to ketchup, brown sauce etc...all too high in carbs.

Sainsburys is good as you can see what the carbs per 100g are on pretty much anything.

I don’t eat Linda Mc food, but Cauldron sausages are lower in carbs and their marinated tofu pieces are really low & good protein.

Generally I eat Total Full Fat Greek yogurt with a handful of berries and a sprinkling of almond pieces at lunchtime and either a salad (rocket, pepper, radishes, cucumber, tomatoes etc with blue cheese, or cold sausages or taifun basil tofu (Waitrose) or vegetables (broccoli, courgettes, kale, spinach) with either a cheese sauce or a mushroom sauce or stir fried veg for dinner. Other days I’ll have avocado, cheese, tofu & seeds (Food Dr) for brunch.

There are lots of things you can do with eggs.

You need to get enough fat (much harder as a vegetarian).

Importantly you need to drink water & lots of it. Roughly 3.5 litres per day in your weight range.

BIWI is a complete star and runs the Low Carb Bootcamp. They’re a fantastic bunch and will really help you, it doesn’t matter that they’re on Week 5, you can join in any time, but you need to do week 1 & 2.BOOTCAMP HERE

@73kittycat

I'm a type 2 diabetic

In which case a low carb diet will suit you very well.

I'm vegetarian, I eat a cheese (Cream/philadelphia, Bousin, a little mild chedder.) yogurts, butter, eggs but not cow's milk (I have Alpro Soya milk on my breakfast instead.) I like Linda McCarntneys food. I don't like Quorn.

Doing a low carb diet when you're vegetarian isn't as easy as if you were a meat eater, but it's still eminently doable. And all those foods (apart from Quorn, which you don't like!) are perfect low carb foods.

Check out Rose Elliott's low carb diet and low carb diet recipe book

I like salad (Cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, raddish, beetroot, spring onions, peppers but not celery.)

All perfect low carb food. Even better if you add an oily dressing and/or full fat mayonnaise

I like vegetables (Peas, sweetcorn, broccoli, baby carrots, cauliflower, courgette, potatoes, swede, ect.)

This is a very good thing. However peas, sweetcorn, carrots and potatoes - along with sweet potatoes - are ones you should avoid if you're cutting down your carbs.

I like cashews, peanuts and pistachios.

As a vegetarian, these are a good source of protein and fat - but beware that if you eat too much of them, they can quickly become very carby.

I like some fruit, Golden Delicious apples, bananas, pears, grapes, raisins.

You have to be careful with fruit if you're low carbing. Especially bananas, raisins and grapes. Berries are the best option.

I eat weetabix with honey and soya milk for breakfast, I don't know if that's low carb?

Absolutely not - this is a really high carb breakfast! Anything wheat based is a carbohydrate. And honey is sugar. Avoid like the plague!

Is chocolate low carb? (!Clutches at strwas. grin )

Depends on the chocolate. If you like high cocoa content chocolate then this is OK in moderation. But remember that most chocolate is made with sugar!!!

I'm also a Salad Cream addict, have it with all my savory food. Please tell me it's allowed?! (I do also like mayo, Ketchup, Brown sauce, fruit sauce, mint sauce, too.)

Not really - all those things are sweet. Which means sugar. In small amounts it's OK, but not big dollops with everything.

Sorry this is so grabbled, just trying to write down anything I think is relevant! I have two other restrictions, I am agoraphobic and do my grocery shopping online either at Sainsburys (98% of the time.) and Asda, so anything I buy needs to be available online. I can also shop online at Holland and Barrett.

Online shopping is probably easier, as you can resist temptation more - and you an also easily check out the nutritional content of foods. Sainsbury's website is particularly helpful in terms of listing out the ingredients/nutrition of all the foods they sell.

The other restriction I have is that I can't do much food prep or cooking (I told you I was a pain in the ass!). I'm OK boiling frozen veg/pasta/tinned potatoes and cooking stuff in the oven, and making a salad.

Not really a problem - but you'll have to know the paste and tinned potatoes on the head!

^Is there any hope?! lol I'd really appreciate any help in coming up with a weeks menu. If anyone could point me towards a book, or website, or just gives me advice on here I'd be really grateful!
Thanks for reading!^

Yes there's lots of hope for you! Why not check out the Low Carb Bootcamp here on MN? It's totally free! We're in week 5 now (of 10) but you can join at any time. And if you look for the Low Carb Bootcamp topic you'll find loads of information about low carbing as well as lots of lovely recipes.

Good luck

You take all those meds and you aren’t monitoring your own BG with a meter? That’s really not good. What was your last HbA1c? When was it done?

My BG is well managed, no drugs at all, on a low carb diet.

LOL at the cross post with BIWI

Google 'Blood sugar diet'.

And look at DietDoctor.com, in particular their Diabetes section.

www.dietdoctor.com/diabetes

I'm not sure I agree with the use of the word 'reversing' DM, but you can certainly bring yourself in to remission with sufficient weight loss.

V best of luck

It does not sound like you know what 'carbs' are - everything starchy gets turned in to sugar in your blood stream, whether it's sugar or honey or pasta or rye bread or rice or sweet corn.

There is no such thing as a NO carb diet as most plant based foods will contain carbohydrates to some extent. Carbs are not 'evil' in their own right but most people leading sedentary lifestyle don't need additional carbs, and certainly no empty ones (the ones that give your calories, increase your blood sugar and insulin levels and don't give you anything else).

If you are a professional Tour de France cyclist or dig ditches with nothing but a spade all day long, then ignore me: you need carbs

Thank you all for your help, I found this book through clicking through from The Blood Sugar Diet:
The Fast Diet Recipe Book: 150 Delicious, Calorie-controlled Meals to Make Your Fasting Days Easy
Although fasting rather than LCHF! I tried the two day fasting a few years ago so thought I would give it another shot with (Hopefully) tastier recipes (Tried a meal replacement product before, it was foul! :p ). Thanks again for all the help.

Wow, lots more replies! Thank you so much, will read them over now and keep them in mind.

Please don't attempt fasting until you have started monitoring your blood glucose levels, as you've already been diagnosed Type 2.

Fasting is a very foolish thing to start if you're a diabetic who isn't looking after their condition. I can't believe you aren't monitoring yourself!

Doesn`t fasting cause your body to shut down and hang onto every calorie just in case you will not see food for a long time?

Hi @73KittyCat73

This

^The Blood Sugar Diet:
The Fast Diet Recipe Book: 150 Delicious, Calorie-controlled Meals to Make Your Fasting Days Easy^

is a bit too aggressive from the off.

The 8 week blood sugar diet is also aggressive; it limits your intake to 800cals per day. BUTTTTT it also means you are evenly spacing meals, eating good fats and good carbs and how supplementing with vitamins can allow for a managed drop in blood sugar.

The weight loss is the bonus bit on the side.

I suppose it depends if your core motivation is trying to get your blood sugar right down and weight loss is a bonus or the reverse.

Either way a Mediterranean diet beckons methinks.

OP, there are plenty of handy little blood glucose monitors online in the £15-20 price range, and I'd urge you also to book a fasting blood test with your GP surgery so you get an idea where you are.

Your GP surgery should also signpost you to a Type 2 group or clinic.

When you get the hang of your body's glucose patterns over the day, as you note what you eat, it'll become easier to eat well and lose weight whilst staying fit, healthy and fully-charged. Don't forget the calcium.

Doesn`t fasting cause your body to shut down and hang onto every calorie just in case you will not see food for a long time?

No, it's not quite as simple as that.
There are profound metabolic advantages with fasting but as PP have said when you are diabetic and on medication/insulin you have to be VERY careful with fasting.

Lots of health boards offer carbohydrate counting classes for diabetics - maybe that would be a safe place to start??
Having said that, if you ditched the obvious junk food you'd make a huge improvement to your diet

Here you go love

www.bbc.com/food/diets/crash_diet_test