Anyone on here done a low carb diet?

[Tuerto]

I'm the same, I'm not overweight and I know if I cut out sugar and reduce carbs I can lose a decent amount. Last time I weighed I was 14st 8 I think (last before that I was exactly a stone less) so I've crept on a stone and I'd estimate I'm a little heavier than 14st 8 now and I'm 6ft so there's definitely weight to be lost! I know I'd struggle to run much more than a mile right now so I'm scarily unfit as well but I've got the attitude now of wanting to turn it around. I'm not even 35 yet ��

Crack on Demb, you'll feel so much better, just do your best!

[chris lee]

One of my biggest problems was convenience eating.

I never really cook or prepare meals, so made bad choices all the time. I have improved a lot but what really helped was Huel.

I call it space food, because they say it is so nutritionally complete you can just live of it and still be healthier than 99% of the population.
I would advise using it as part of a balanced diet, eg I have a healthy breakfast, huel for lunch (i would have had greggs or maccies previous) then a healthy meal after work.


this is just a random video review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8DQjF7g8BI

[dembethewarrior]

Crack on Demb, you'll feel so much better, just do your best!

Good luck with it as well mate

[Tuerto]

I did slimming world in 2015. Lost a stone a month for 3 months, then another 3 stone over the next 6 months.

I followed the principle of the plan. But lowered the carbs down even though I was allowed more.

Tended to eat meat and veg for dinner replacing spuds with baked peppers and courgettes. Ate a lot of salmon, chicken breasts, steaks, chilli's but with veg almost all the time rather than rice or other carbs. Also counted my treats and stuck within a weekly allowance.

I did have a curry once a week but a lamb rogan josh as it's less fat and with boiled rice. had whisky with pepsi max to drink rather than beer but did have a few pints on the weekends.

snacked on ham, crab sticks and melon.

Since I stopped trying I've gradually put most of it back on. Having to give up playing football didn't help. So now I am trying to walk more and have set up the exercise bike. But the lure of comfort food and a few tins is too strong.

I'm in a real quandry at the moment on how best to enjoy best of all worlds.

Wow, 6 stone, that's some work. The only thing i really miss is Mr Kiplings apple tarts, i can blast a box of 6 in one sitting. Not into chocolate or crisps.

[Optimistic Nick]

I started clean Keto in February. Basic Rules are: net carbs capped at 20g a day; minimum 120g protein a day; and I consume fat to fill in according to appetite. Plus a lot of water. Alcohol is fine as long as it’s not before food, and the rules above effectively limit it to white wine and clear spirits. I did an entire stag do on vodka soda. There is a lot more to it than that as I’m doing it clean, but honestly it’s simple enough. For one weekend a month I bump carbs back up to 50g a day just because it sort of freaks me out going without some stuff. I did MyFitnessPal for 6-8 weeks but got a feel for it and I have no need to track macros or calories now, I have a good feel for where I am at during the day.

Hands down, it has been the easiest most pleasant way to improve my health ever. I had back surgery about 6 months ago so exercise is still largely forbidden but I lost 20kg in about 3 months (93kg to 73kg- so a big swing as a percentage) and it has stayed off, with limited impact on body muscle and BMR. Plus I feel invincible and am so much more productive. And I’ve not even been given the ok to exercise properly yet!

I expect to put on water weight if I ever relax back up to standard low carb but the fat loss is permanent and it won’t reverse- I went from 25%+ body fat to 19%, and this is without any exercise- I wasn’t even allowed to do press ups for most of the time.

Obviously different things suit different people but I’ve found it a doddle, and I say that as someone who didn’t eat salads, cauliflower, avocado or any of the other staples of the diet before. It’s changed me for the better and it truly is a lifestyle thing not a short term thing. We had a second child and built a side extension during this too, all while lockdown was happening so if a lifestyle is manageable under those circumstances it’s clearly something that is sustainable long term. In fact keto helped me get through lockdown, my mental state and my focus was so much healthier because of it.

[Wash DC Blue]

I started clean Keto in February. Basic Rules are: net carbs capped at 20g a day; minimum 120g protein a day; and I consume fat to fill in according to appetite. Plus a lot of water. Alcohol is fine as long as it’s not before food, and the rules above effectively limit it to white wine and clear spirits. I did an entire stag do on vodka soda. There is a lot more to it than that as I’m doing it clean, but honestly it’s simple enough. For one weekend a month I bump carbs back up to 50g a day just because it sort of freaks me out going without some stuff. I did MyFitnessPal for 6-8 weeks but got a feel for it and I have no need to track macros or calories now, I have a good feel for where I am at during the day.

Hands down, it has been the easiest most pleasant way to improve my health ever. I had back surgery about 6 months ago so exercise is still largely forbidden but I lost 20kg in about 3 months (93kg to 73kg- so a big swing as a percentage) and it has stayed off, with limited impact on body muscle and BMR. Plus I feel invincible and am so much more productive. And I’ve not even been given the ok to exercise properly yet!

I expect to put on water weight if I ever relax back up to standard low carb but the fat loss is permanent and it won’t reverse- I went from 25%+ body fat to 19%, and this is without any exercise- I wasn’t even allowed to do press ups for most of the time.

Obviously different things suit different people but I’ve found it a doddle, and I say that as someone who didn’t eat salads, cauliflower, avocado or any of the other staples of the diet before. It’s changed me for the better and it truly is a lifestyle thing not a short term thing. We had a second child and built a side extension during this too, all while lockdown was happening so if a lifestyle is manageable under those circumstances it’s clearly something that is sustainable long term. In fact keto helped me get through lockdown, my mental state and my focus was so much healthier because of it.

Good Skills Nick.
Congratulations!!

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Love eating fish, i'm lucky in that my mother made me eat whatever was put in front of me, so i'm open to almost anything! The amount of garbage i put away was ridiculous.

I am the same, too much beer and chocolate for me. I just can't have a small amount of chocolate, its either a massive bag of chocolate buttons or none at all. Trying to teach myself a bit of discipline and seems to be working, at least while I am motivated.

[Tuerto]

I am the same, too much beer and chocolate for me. I just can't have a small amount of chocolate, its either a massive bag of chocolate buttons or none at all. Trying to teach myself a bit of discipline and seems to be working, at least while I am motivated.

Cake with me, can blast a whole pack of mr kiplings in one hit-no problem.

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Cake with me, can blast a whole pack of mr kiplings in one hit-no problem.

My best mate has to buy a pack of donuts eat 1 or 2 and then chuck the rest in the pack in the bin, or he will immediately polish off all 5.

[Tuerto]

My best mate has to buy a pack of donuts eat 1 or 2 and then chuck the rest in the pack in the bin, or he will immediately polish off all 5.

I know that feeling. It was sugar with me. I'm a plasterer, so it's physical work, i'd go most of the day not eating, just drinking copious amounts of coffee, sugar levels would drop off and i'd buy a whole lot of shit on the way home and scoff the lot. I sort of thought that i could justify it after not eating much all day-then i'd have my tea (or whatever it's called now) at about 7ish. Doesn't work. Metabolism slowed right down and the result was a little dumpling (me)

[dembethewarrior]

I started clean Keto in February. Basic Rules are: net carbs capped at 20g a day; minimum 120g protein a day; and I consume fat to fill in according to appetite. Plus a lot of water. Alcohol is fine as long as it’s not before food, and the rules above effectively limit it to white wine and clear spirits. I did an entire stag do on vodka soda. There is a lot more to it than that as I’m doing it clean, but honestly it’s simple enough. For one weekend a month I bump carbs back up to 50g a day just because it sort of freaks me out going without some stuff. I did MyFitnessPal for 6-8 weeks but got a feel for it and I have no need to track macros or calories now, I have a good feel for where I am at during the day.

Hands down, it has been the easiest most pleasant way to improve my health ever. I had back surgery about 6 months ago so exercise is still largely forbidden but I lost 20kg in about 3 months (93kg to 73kg- so a big swing as a percentage) and it has stayed off, with limited impact on body muscle and BMR. Plus I feel invincible and am so much more productive. And I’ve not even been given the ok to exercise properly yet!

I expect to put on water weight if I ever relax back up to standard low carb but the fat loss is permanent and it won’t reverse- I went from 25%+ body fat to 19%, and this is without any exercise- I wasn’t even allowed to do press ups for most of the time.

Obviously different things suit different people but I’ve found it a doddle, and I say that as someone who didn’t eat salads, cauliflower, avocado or any of the other staples of the diet before. It’s changed me for the better and it truly is a lifestyle thing not a short term thing. We had a second child and built a side extension during this too, all while lockdown was happening so if a lifestyle is manageable under those circumstances it’s clearly something that is sustainable long term. In fact keto helped me get through lockdown, my mental state and my focus was so much healthier because of it.

Reminder to self to PM later.

[blue lewj]

13lb in a month is great going. A lot harder to lose than put on as we all known. The problem with any diet is that you have to maintain it.

If you're eating super low carb then there have to be permanent or close to permanent changes to maintain the losses. If you simply go back to how you were eating before, as most do, then the weight goes back on.

I'm not ideal weight but I know what to do to eat better and get the weight loss benefits, it is just difficult to do it in a world that seems more geared to food than ever. Have we as a nation ever eaten more takeaways? Just eat anyone?

What I would say though is that a body is definitely formed in the main in the kitchen. I prefer the Myfitnesspal route with calorie tracking.
Tell yourself you can't have something and you want it. At least with calorie tracking you can maybe skip a meal before something calorific or have a lesser portion (weighed out if possible) to keep track.

[blue lewj]

Accountability can be a very good too.

You don't want to lose face so it forces you to forego that slice of cake or extra kebab you are craving in order to show your losses off.
It is the reason your weight watchers and Slimming World's of this world work.
People mistakingly think they have some magic formula and they need to get back to them to lose but they just dress up eating less crap and eating more healthy stuff in their books with accountability and weighing in front of people being the factor that makes people stick to it.

[Optimistic Nick]

13lb in a month is great going. A lot harder to lose than put on as we all known. The problem with any diet is that you have to maintain it.

If you're eating super low carb then there have to be permanent or close to permanent changes to maintain the losses. If you simply go back to how you were eating before, as most do, then the weight goes back on.

I'm not ideal weight but I know what to do to eat better and get the weight loss benefits, it is just difficult to do it in a world that seems more geared to food than ever. Have we as a nation ever eaten more takeaways? Just eat anyone?

What I would say though is that a body is definitely formed in the main in the kitchen. I prefer the Myfitnesspal route with calorie tracking.
Tell yourself you can't have something and you want it. At least with calorie tracking you can maybe skip a meal before something calorific or have a lesser portion (weighed out if possible) to keep track.

I agree and disagree. I certainly agree with bodies being formed in the kitchen - and that so easy! All you have to do is not do something i.e. eat and drink crap/sugar, rather than actively do something like going for a run every morning.


And doing MFP, regardless of the type of lifestyle you are aiming for, is eye-opening. The calories in a plain wrap for example are bonkers. It is a bit of a pain to use if you prepare your own meals rather than have ready-made, but it is worth it. Before I adjusted my diet I was doing a hell of a lot of accidental intermittent fasting by missing breakfast on busy mornings and eating late lunches, followed by 1000+ calories after 9pm.

But I disagree that weight loss will reverse once a macro-based diet stops and you return to a "normal" diet. Weight is too crude a measure of health to be honest. I have NEVER wanted to lose weight. Just fat. My body could be fine at 93kg, just depends on what the KGs are made up of. Similarly I can be unhealthy at 73kg - it all depends. My target is actually 77kg, with some additional leg and shoulder muscle making up the difference. But I could stop Keto today and return to a standard high-carb diet. The weight would only come back on if I eat more calories than I burn. If I switch back to a standard macro mix but with the same calories my weight would stay the same (other than water weight) and it doesn't mean I would put more fat on provided my protein and activity is sufficient. And that is all I really care about. I actually think I am more likely to over-consume calories on my current diet because it involves a huge amount of fat (more than 75% of my calories come from fat). Get my olive oil wrong by a tablespoon and that can swing it quite a bit.

Keto is basically an exercise in mastering your insulin spikes. Get on top of that and keep your hunger in check through lots (and lots) of lovely good fats, and you are sorted. For what it is worth, super low carb/keto is sustainable indefinitely for me, I have no need or desire to switch back and I cannot over-emphasise the mental health aspect of the diet too. Regardless, I am pretty sure I am done with bread, cake and similar foods for good.

[Optimistic Nick]

Just to add to the point above: I think the problem with WW and similar diets is that they seem to focus calorie restriction and weight loss. Which is really easy: eat fewer calories than you burn and your body eats itself thus shedding weight. Done. The problem is that if your body attacks muscle rather than fat, you lower your basal metabolic rate ie. the amount of calories you need to keep the machine running. So yes - if you used to have a 2000 calorie diet and a 1800 BMR, you would have been putting on weight. If you drop to a 1500 calorie diet you will lose weight, but if this loss is muscle not fat then your BMR may drop to 1600. So you lose your weight and say "great, now I can go back to my 1800 maintenance", and because your diet wiped out muscle mass you are suddenly over-eating vs your new 1600 BMR.

I am not saying it is deliberate or anything so cynical, but I don't know many people who have done Weightwatchers just once, it seems to be a yo-yo thing. My family all do that sort of dieting, my wife included. It seems like a lot of pain and effort to achieve not a lot, to be honest. I've gently suggested keto, but they simply refuse to believe that a high fat diet can result in fat loss! So my fridge will fill up with "diet" foods next week because my wife is going on a diet again, which seem to be foods that were once normal; had the natural fat removed; and replaced with sugar or some chemicals to compensate, all because everyone thinks that fat is bad but sugar is fine.

[ivandobsky]

I'm using MyFitnessPal to track what I eat, I can't speak highly enough of it. It's free and allows you to calorie count effectively and reliably. I've not cut out carbs or anything like that and I'm down about 8kg in month and a bit. I think it's sustainable too, which is important.

Well done on losing the weight you have, hope you keep it off and lose more too!

I used to have that app. Probably safe now but I won't use it again on principle.

MyFitnessPal: In February 2018, the diet and exercise service MyFitnessPal suffered a data breach. The incident exposed 144 million unique email addresses alongside usernames, IP addresses and passwords stored as SHA-1 and bcrypt hashes (the former for earlier accounts, the latter for newer accounts). In 2019, the data appeared listed for sale on a dark web marketplace (along with several other large breaches) and subsequently began circulating more broadly. The data was provided to HIBP by a source who requested it to be attributed to "BenjaminBlue@exploit.im".

Compromised data: Email addresses, IP addresses, Passwords, Usernames

[CCFCC3PO]

I'm talking very low, around the 30 gram a day mark? I've been doing it for a month with exercise (which can be difficult without the carb to feed from) and i've lost 13 lbs. It's a bit of a **** because it involves a fair bit of lean meat and natural fats (fish, nuts, eggs) but it's working. I'm not counting the fats and the protein, just judging it. The carbs and fibre i am counting, it's sort of Keto but a bit more relaxed as i'm not going down the route of pretending to substitute food-Broccoli is broccoli! Anyone else tried this?

Good work losing 13 lbs. That weight loss will slow down, of course, and that is when it is difficult to stick with the diet.

I once went from 15st to 12st 3. Basically through eating less and less. Wasn't really exercising apart from the odd walk. My main issue was trying to get below 12st, and I couldn't get there - even after starting to exercise. After a few months at 12st 3, I started creeping back up. Not sure where I am now after this lockdown malarkey, I am missing the gym and am eating a little bit more than before. I'll cut back on what I am eating thanks to your prompt. Don't really want to step on the scales, it could be brutal.

I never bother with named diets, just cut back on what I eat.

[CCFCC3PO]

I used to have that app. Probably safe now but I won't use it again on principle.

MyFitnessPal: In February 2018, the diet and exercise service MyFitnessPal suffered a data breach. The incident exposed 144 million unique email addresses alongside usernames, IP addresses and passwords stored as SHA-1 and bcrypt hashes (the former for earlier accounts, the latter for newer accounts). In 2019, the data appeared listed for sale on a dark web marketplace (along with several other large breaches) and subsequently began circulating more broadly. The data was provided to HIBP by a source who requested it to be attributed to "BenjaminBlue@exploit.im".

Compromised data: Email addresses, IP addresses, Passwords, Usernames

Yeah, they got mine. I checked it on "I've Been Pwned" or something like that

[Tuerto]

Good work losing 13 lbs. That weight loss will slow down, of course, and that is when it is difficult to stick with the diet.

I once went from 15st to 12st 3. Basically through eating less and less. Wasn't really exercising apart from the odd walk. My main issue was trying to get below 12st, and I couldn't get there - even after starting to exercise. After a few months at 12st 3, I started creeping back up. Not sure where I am now after this lockdown malarkey, I am missing the gym and am eating a little bit more than before. I'll cut back on what I am eating thanks to your prompt. Don't really want to step on the scales, it could be brutal.

I never bother with named diets, just cut back on what I eat.

Cheers-I'm not as dedicated as Nick, it just doesn't suit my character to count everything and weigh etc (Apologies to Nick if he's not doing that) I've just knocked the carbs on the head really.

[Harry Paget Flashman]

I was 12 st 3 when i started, probably doesn't sound much, although i'm not a big bloke. I'm 5ft 7 and i should be around the 10st 12-11st range where i feel a lot better. My stomach was expanding at a rate and if i didn't sort it, then it would've only got worse.

I'm about the same dap as you 5'8" and was pushing 12 stone which is big for me.

Been doing slimming world with the wife for the last 5 weeks and lost 9lb. Eating plenty just not crap and finally doing a bit of exercise.

Want to get to 10st 10lb the weight I was when I was 25.

It's quite easy when you get in the swing of it although I'll struggle when back in work and Greggs in the services tempts me in all the time.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

No chips , kebabs , curry , chinese , pizzas

Salad , tuna , healthy breakfast

Walk everywhere

The end

[Optimistic Nick]

Cheers-I'm not as dedicated as Nick, it just doesn't suit my character to count everything and weigh etc (Apologies to Nick if he's not doing that) I've just knocked the carbs on the head really.

Nothing to apologise for! I did measure things obsessively for a good 6 weeks. It did suit my character, I love data and measuring improvement. But I have maybe 12 staple evening meals, 6 lunches and 3 breakfasts on rotation now, and I know the calorie content and macros pretty well for all of them and I have a good feel for other stuff too. Plus - I don't mind if I go over on calories a bit on any given day (carbs is another matter but that just wouldn't happen). Avoiding the carbs and mentally checking in the macros just becomes second nature after a bit. So I stopped measuring it all ages ago because life is too short, and measuring at this point wouldn't really serve a purpose.

[Tuerto]

Nothing to apologise for! I did measure things obsessively for a good 6 weeks. It did suit my character, I love data and measuring improvement. But I have maybe 12 staple evening meals, 6 lunches and 3 breakfasts on rotation now, and I know the calorie content and macros pretty well for all of them and I have a good feel for other stuff too. Plus - I don't mind if I go over on calories a bit on any given day (carbs is another matter but that just wouldn't happen). Avoiding the carbs and mentally checking in the macros just becomes second nature after a bit. So I stopped measuring it all ages ago because life is too short, and measuring at this point wouldn't really serve a purpose.

Cheers, Nick. Am i getting this right-The fibre cancels out the Carb? If i have 10 of fibre and twelve of carb that means only 2 of carb?

[Optimistic Nick]

Cheers, Nick. Am i getting this right-The fibre cancels out the Carb? If i have 10 of fibre and twelve of carb that means only 2 of carb?

Yes, your calculation is right. 2 is your "net carbs" and that is the figure you want to manage. Basically fibre is carbohydrate that you cannot metabolise, so it doesn't count. So yes if a food has 12g of total carbs of which 10g is fibre, then your net carbs are 2g. Fibre is important to the diet actually, as a lot of the roughage in a standard diet comes with the carbs, finding high fibre low carb foods is key.

However - a lot of the guidance on calculating net carbs that you will find on the internet is US-based and is not applicable in the UK. In the US, standard nutrition information shows total carbs (12g), and the 10g of fibre separately. So to get to net carbs in the US you would have to do the calculation you show above. But in the UK, the carbohydrate figure shown in nutritional info is already net of fibre. Fibre is stated separately on the label in the UK, but it has already been deducted from the carbohydrate figure. So in your example, the 12g wouldn't appear anywhere on the label here. It would just show 2g of carbs and separately, 10g of fibre. This does cause a lot of confusion in the UK, as people here follow US guidance and in your example would mentally deduct the 10g of fibre from the 2g of carbs and decide they have -8g of net carbs. That is of course impossible. So for Keto - just follow the carbs figure shown on the label, and track fibre separately to try to get enough. Chia seeds and similar things do help with the fibre.

[Tuerto]

Yes, your calculation is right. 2 is your "net carbs" and that is the figure you want to manage. Basically fibre is carbohydrate that you cannot metabolise, so it doesn't count. So yes if a food has 12g of total carbs of which 10g is fibre, then your net carbs are 2g. Fibre is important to the diet actually, as a lot of the roughage in a standard diet comes with the carbs, finding high fibre low carb foods is key.

However - a lot of the guidance on calculating net carbs that you will find on the internet is US-based and is not applicable in the UK. In the US, standard nutrition information shows total carbs (12g), and the 10g of fibre separately. So to get to net carbs in the US you would have to do the calculation you show above. But in the UK, the carbohydrate figure shown in nutritional info is already net of fibre. Fibre is stated separately on the label in the UK, but it has already been deducted from the carbohydrate figure. So in your example, the 12g wouldn't appear anywhere on the label here. It would just show 2g of carbs and separately, 10g of fibre. This does cause a lot of confusion in the UK, as people here follow US guidance and in your example would mentally deduct the 10g of fibre from the 2g of carbs and decide they have -8g of net carbs. That is of course impossible. So for Keto - just follow the carbs figure shown on the label, and track fibre separately to try to get enough. Chia seeds and similar things do help with the fibre.

Cheers, that makes complete sense. I've been on Google and it's an absolute minefield. Depending what you read. I'm either doing everything right or everything wrong! Suppose the answer is to trust yourself and how your body feels. It's working well at the moment, and I haven't got to scientific, that would spin me out and probably put me on the righteous path of Mr Kipling.