Does anyone here eat Low Carb High Fat?

[JessReplanted]

Juicing did not work for me, but I know that I have to do something about this body. :p I also know that I have an issue with carbs (o.k., let's just call it an addiction.) Anyway, has LCHF worked for anyone here?

[freeindeed]

I do Atkins and it works for me. I lost 35 lbs. and have kept it off for almost two years now. I'll be eating this way forever.:)

[amy g.]

It absolutely works here.

 

Less hunger, lose weight, more energy, more mental clarity, more emotional stability.

 

There are no downsides for us.

[teachermom2834]

Yes. It is the only thing that works for me.

 

I was a serious carb addict. My mom let us eat cookies for breakfast and sent Little Debbies to school for lunch. It took a long time to break that cycle in adulthood but it can be done.

 

I was about 180 when I married (straight out of my mom's house). I've maintained in the 137-141 range for over a year now.

 

I truly did lose the cravings.

[Ellie]

Lots of us. :-)

 

Sadly, I don't lose weight on Atkins, but it keeps my cholesterol admirably low.

[AdventureMoms]

Works extremely well here. More energy, fewer cravings, losing weight, never hungry, and lots of good food!

 

I'm doing Atkins induction at this moment. I've been doing Paleo and did about half of a Whole 30 (which is basically really strict Paleo). They all work as far as the benefits, I'm just trying to figure out what I can maintain the best. I got a bit off track (ie started eating way too many carbs) and stopped losing weight, so I'm trying the Atkins thing now to get me going again. I've lost about 25lbs and would like to lose another 40. My DW has also been reducing carbs, though somewhat informally, and she has lost even more weight than I have, dropped 3 pants sizes and looks and feels great.

 

The only downside is that there are foods that I miss. However, doughnuts are not healthy foods on ANY diet. And I cannot eat them in moderation, so I need to NOT EAT THEM if I'm going to lose weight, lol. I don't miss bread or rice or anything like that, much to my surprise.

 

By way of warning, the first week can be hard (cravings, exhaustion, headaches, etc as your body gets used to using fat as a fuel source instead of carbs, and you get used to making different choices). I was blindsided by that a bit. After a week though I felt amazingly great. Even though I still backtrack sometimes, I know this is a lifestyle change for me, not just a diet!

[Chocolate Rose]

Yes, I've been eating this way since February.

I have no carb cravings. If I could eat carbs, I would eat them because I remember how very, very tasty they were. But, I don't have a problem resisting them at all.

I just had blood work done yesterday and all my cholesterol readings are great. Amazing. I eat a ton of fat.

This is the way I have to eat for the rest of my life (unless a miracle happens).

[klmama]

When you say you don't eat carbs, do you mean grains or do you mean veggies and fruit, too?

[Stacy in NJ]

Here's a great site to get you started if you need a little support. The New Atkins books is also terrific.

 

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

 

This is the site of a Swedish doctor who treats patients with obesity, diabetes, and metobolic disorders. He specializes in LCHF.

[*Jen*]

It absolutely works here.

 

Less hunger, lose weight, more energy, more mental clarity, more emotional stability.

 

There are no downsides for us.

 

:iagree: I've lost almost 20 lbs of the 30lbs I need to lose without working out. I'm not hungry, I have so much more energy, and the mental ability to keep up with my kids all days.

 

When I have days that I slip and eat too many carbs I feel bad, am sluggish for a day or two, and overall it makes me not want to eat the carbs again.

[marbel]

It is slowly working for me. But I still eat a few carbs from whole grains, because if I don't, I get dizzy. My husband dropped 20 pounds in the blink of an eye, just from stopping pasta and bread. I lost 6 over the course of a couple of months. (I am post-menopause, which I understand makes losing harder.)

 

I don't miss the pasta, bread and cereal so much, but do miss sweets. We do keep 85% dark chocolate around and probably eat too much of it. It is surprisingly high in fiber!

 

One good thing I have noticed: when I limit my carbs I don't have feeding frenzies anymore. Know what I mean? Maybe no one else ever does this. I'd just want to eat and would just search the pantry and fridge for something, anything, but nothing would satisfy so I'd keep eating. That was the carbs talking.

 

Worth giving it a try!

[AdventureMoms]

When you say you don't eat carbs, do you mean grains or do you mean veggies and fruit, too?

 

Who are you asking? I don't think anyone said that they actually DON'T eat carbs, that would be pretty hard.

 

Personally, I don't eat grains, sugars (honey and maple syrup are sugars), or drink milk. Those are long term restrictions. Right now I don't eat fruit or starchy vegetables, but I eat a lot of green vegetables. Long term I intend to eat more fruits, also, but for the moment I'm being very restrictive for awhile to get rid of the sugar cravings.

[AdventureMoms]

It is slowly working for me. But I still eat a few carbs from whole grains, because if I don't, I get dizzy. My husband dropped 20 pounds in the blink of an eye, just from stopping pasta and bread. I lost 6 over the course of a couple of months. (I am post-menopause, which I understand makes losing harder.)

 

I don't miss the pasta, bread and cereal so much, but do miss sweets. We do keep 85% dark chocolate around and probably eat too much of it. It is surprisingly high in fiber!

 

One good thing I have noticed: when I limit my carbs I don't have feeding frenzies anymore. Know what I mean? Maybe no one else ever does this. I'd just want to eat and would just search the pantry and fridge for something, anything, but nothing would satisfy so I'd keep eating. That was the carbs talking.

 

Worth giving it a try!

 

Oh I did the feeding frenzies. Then when nothing satisfied me, I'd go to the store and get something very carby and eat that for awhile... Yeah, that's why I'm doing low-carb in a nutshell. It keeps me from going nutso.

Edited August 16, 2012 by AdventureMoms

[Greta]

Anyway, has LCHF worked for anyone here?

 

YES!

 

This is me on the "normal" amount of carbohydrates:

 

Reactive hypoglycemia

IBS

15 pounds overweight

Weak immune system, where something like the common cold makes me sick for a week, followed by secondary infections that keep me sick for a month

Moody, irritable

"Brain fog"

Acne

Irregular sleep patterns

Exercise is very taxing, and cannot seem to build or keep any muscle mass

 

This is me on low-carb, high-fat:

 

Normal, steady blood sugar levels

IBS symptoms disappear

Maintain my optimum weight easily

Immune system is stronger (a cold will last three days instead of a week, no secondary infections)

Steady moods

Mental clarity (well, relatively speaking, anyway :lol: )

Clearer skin

Deeper, more restful sleep

I can actually maintain some muscle tone!

 

So as you can see, it's kind of a no-brainer for me. I don't have "before and after" numbers to compare regarding cholesterol levels, but I can tell you that on low-carb my numbers are perfectly healthy (high HDL, low triglycerides).

 

Here are some of my favorite resources:

 

http://www.proteinpower.com/

 

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Without-Bread-Low-Carbohydrate-Diet/dp/0658001701/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345127865&sr=8-1&keywords=life+without+bread

 

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/

 

http://holdthetoast.com/

 

And I don't know how to link this, but if you go to the iTunes store, look up Jimmy Moore's podcasts. I listen to them while I go for my daily walk. Great information and motivation!

[Greta]

One good thing I have noticed: when I limit my carbs I don't have feeding frenzies anymore. Know what I mean? Maybe no one else ever does this. I'd just want to eat and would just search the pantry and fridge for something, anything, but nothing would satisfy so I'd keep eating. That was the carbs talking.

 

 

Oh, I know exactly what you mean! I forgot to mention this in my list of ways that my body responds to low-carb, but I've experienced the same thing. My appetite overall is reduced when I go low-carb (so much so that I have to be careful not to go too low and lose too much weight) and the intense cravings and desire to binge are gone.

[teachermom2834]

"feeding frenzies" resonates with me as well. I did that for so many years. I would go through the fridge and cupboards looking for something to "hit the spot". By the time I satisfied that craving I had eaten a really unreasonable amount of food. Yet, I was always hungry.

 

That was the carbs talking. When I have that feeling now I can always trace it to having indulged in carbs.

 

There is alot to be said for the mental peace that comes from putting things like "feeding frenzies" behind you.

 

Good luck!

[CalicoKat]

Yes & no. I have high cholesterol so I have to focus on the healthy fats & proteins. I dropped 20 lbs in 3 months and I'm still going down.

 

Doing lots of greens & healthy proteins (chicken & fish), lower fats.

[justamouse]

I started on July 28th, and as of now I've dropped 4 dress sizes and have stabilized my hypoglycemia to the point where I can fast for 24 hours without having a crash.

 

At this point I eat no fruit, and only fermented dairy.

 

I have no brain fog, no afternoon slumps where I MUST sleep, energy throughout the day, and the crazy part is that not only do I not need an afternoon coffee (though I love it) for the first time ever if I drink it too late, I'll be up all night. Before LCHF, I used to be able to drink it and fall asleep immediately. Not anymore.

Edited August 16, 2012 by justamouse

[justamouse]

Yes, I've been eating this way since February.

I have no carb cravings. If I could eat carbs, I would eat them because I remember how very, very tasty they were. But, I don't have a problem resisting them at all.

I just had blood work done yesterday and all my cholesterol readings are great. Amazing. I eat a ton of fat.

This is the way I have to eat for the rest of my life (unless a miracle happens).

 

That is so great! I've yet to go in for a physical, but I'm interested to see where my cholesterol is-esp as before it was pretty high.

 

I also have no problem resisting carbs *any more*. Last night we had a Hershey's chocolate birthday cake in the house, and I really didn't have a problem not having any.

 

I *could* have had a peach with some heavy cream, but I still have more weight to lose.

 

This is also the way I'll have to eat for the rest of m life. I'm ok with that.

[Stayseeliz]

I eat this way but I try to do a "whole food low carb" way of eating. I don't eat processed foods and stay away from splenda, aspartame, etc. We use stevia and eat lots of grass fed meat and organic veggies. I've lost 20 lbs since June and I'm nursing when it's typically very hard to me to lose weight.

[marbel]

BTW I have a friend who has lost 100 pounds and enjoys a very high fat diet. Full-fat dairy, meat, bacon, butter, eggs. Lots of veggies, too. She went from morbidly obese with lots of "old-age" (for lack of a better term) symptoms (arthritis, others I can't remember, typical problems of older people) to being healthy, participating in walking activities (like 5K races but for walkers), going to the gym, etc.

 

It took her a while, of course. But it's a remarkable transformation. Oh, and she did this in her mid-50s!

Edited August 16, 2012 by marbel

[luvnlattes]

I started trying to follow Paleo after being inspired by Justamouse's post on a different thread. She mentioned a 3:00 slump and I had those daily. I would be so tired and really need a cup of coffee. About an hour later I would really need some kind of carbs....chips, crackers, anything crunchy like that.

 

So I subscribed to Mark's Daily Apple and started eliminating carbs. I'm not hard core and I should probably eliminate more but I've cut out all bread, rice, pasta, and cereal. I've lost about 6 pounds in the past month and would really like to lose 5-10 more. Plus, all my afternoon cravings and exhaustion went away. When dinner time comes around I'm ready to go make something rather than just wanting to sit on the couch and order out!

[Munchkins_mama]

I just started HFLC and I'm hoping it helps with the low energy levels and that last 10 lbs. We've been high fat for a couple years, but also high carb and that's just a bad thing. I dropped all added sugars and am trying to drop most carbs. We'll see if I survive this first week then time will tell how it works for me.

 

My husband is trying some crazy low carb, low fat bodybuilding diet to lean down. He is a heavy weight lifter but has a bit of a belly. He basically gets to eat chicken breast, broccoli, and skim milk. Blech! I'd rather stay a little squishy and eat butter, whole milk, and steaks if that's what it comes down to. :tongue_smilie:

[JumpyTheFrog]

My husband is trying some crazy low carb, low fat bodybuilding diet to lean down.

 

Do you know what they call a low-fat paleo diet? The "faileo" diet. To get enough calories on a low-fat, low-carb diet, a person has to eat too much protein. Let's say a person is eating 1,200 calories per day, with 50 g of carbs and 20 g of fat. That means they'd have to eat 205 g of protein! That's a ridiculous amount for almost everybody.

[justLisa]

I have been eating this way for about 5 years now. I have sort of fallen off and gone more veg for a couple short periods, but that never ends well.

 

I eat a little fruit but not a ton. I don't really care for lots of fruit. I eat mostly berries. I eat any vegetables and go easy on the starchy ones.

 

I try to make meals LCHF and just have a side dish that whomever feels the need can have them. I make sourdough bread and keep that on hand and I am ok with anyone having a piece with butter.

 

I eat a LOT of bacon. It's almost embarrassing.

 

My cholesterol and blood pressure are on the very low end and I've never had a health problem.

 

Before that is another story. I was very overweight from the time I got pregnant, and before that struggled with an eating disorder from the time I was a teen.

 

This way of eating also keeps my mood in balance. I don't have the irritability.

[justLisa]

I just started HFLC and I'm hoping it helps with the low energy levels and that last 10 lbs. We've been high fat for a couple years, but also high carb and that's just a bad thing. I dropped all added sugars and am trying to drop most carbs. We'll see if I survive this first week then time will tell how it works for me.

 

My husband is trying some crazy low carb, low fat bodybuilding diet to lean down. He is a heavy weight lifter but has a bit of a belly. He basically gets to eat chicken breast, broccoli, and skim milk. Blech! I'd rather stay a little squishy and eat butter, whole milk, and steaks if that's what it comes down to. :tongue_smilie:

I did the bodybuilding thing like that, except the diet. I got down to about 10% bodyfat and I looked like a ripped piece of barbed wire. I never did the low fat thing. I was bound and determined you could do it without that scary bodybuilding diet so I did.

 

I lift weights. I hate exercising or moving very fast so I try to avoid those types of activities. I run sprints once a week, maybe twice for 20 minutes. Then I lift 3 days a week. I like being strong, but not having enough fat makes me unable.

[JessReplanted]

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

 

I definitely have mood swings and irritability issues - along with wild cravings.

 

I'm going to give this a try. Bacon may become my new best friend. ;)

[AdventureMoms]

My brother did that diet too - he ate chicken breasts and salad (no dressing) so I'm assuming it's about the same thing. He lost a ton of weight, but then started eating more food and gained it all back. Apparently plain chicken and plain lettuce is not sustainable, lol.

[AdventureMoms]

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

 

I definitely have mood swings and irritability issues - along with wild cravings.

 

I'm going to give this a try. Bacon may become my new best friend. ;)

 

Bacon is an excellent friend. :D Good luck!

[Just Beachy]

Mmmmm.... bacon! I, too, eat an obscene amount. Of course, I am having to make up for not allowing myself to have any for the last 25 years or so.

 

OP, I am in my 4th week of eating this way. The first two days the carb and sugar cravings were pretty bad, but I stuck with it and am so glad I did. Because other than the headache, I felt better overall. Now, I really do feel good, and peopleare also starting to comment on my weight loss. Now, I still have a long way to go, but I sincerely feel this is a way of eating that I can maintain long term.

 

Give it a try. It is pretty easy and straight forward.

 

:) Beachy

[Soror]

Like lisamarie I have ate lchf off and on for several years. Right now I'm higher carb because I'm pregnant.

[Chocolate Rose]

When you say you don't eat carbs, do you mean grains or do you mean veggies and fruit, too?

 

I'm eating very few carbs. I do my best to keep it under 30 grams a day. That means no grains at all. I also don't eat any fruit right now. At some point, I'm hoping to be able to occasionally eat fruit, but I don't ever see it being a big part of my diet.

As far as vegetables go, I'm pretty much only eating cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, and sometimes a green salad. Vegetables do have carbs (some more than others) and I have to limit them. Definitely stay away from veggies that grow under ground. Also, peas and corn have a lot of carbs.

 

I use cream instead of milk (milk has more carbs). I use butter and full-fat sour cream and cream cheese. I also use coconut oil and occasionally olive oil.

 

I think that it's a lot easier to begin this way of eating by just giving up carbs completely rather than trying to ease into by cutting back on carbs. Cutting back prolongs the torture. If you just quit, the cravings go away quickly.

[Scrub Jay]

:lurk5:

 

OK, I realize popcorn isn't low carb... :tongue_smilie:

[Momma4Boys]

I sooo need to try this but...do I have to give up my coffee & my vodka (not together :001_smile:) I love my nightly vodka...would it have to go bye-bye :sad:

[Scrub Jay]

We might be getting very frugal once baby #2 comes so that makes me wonder what on earth I will be eating. Eggs are cheap but a lot of low carb foods (not even talking about the convenience foods) are up there. Much cheaper to bake my own bread and make simple pasta casseroles. Hrtm.

[amy g.]

I said there were no drawbacks for us.....oops. I forgot about the cost.

 

I know you can do low carb on the cheap, but we don't.

 

We eat whole foods and it is expensive.

[justLisa]

I sooo need to try this but...do I have to give up my coffee & my vodka (not together :001_smile:) I love my nightly vodka...would it have to go bye-bye :sad:

 

Nope. And trust me, as a regular drinker I am in check with it and don't plan to give it up anytime soon.:

 

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/low-carb-alcohol/#axzz23m0lF7A3

[i.love.lucy]

It absolutely works here.

 

Less hunger, lose weight, more energy, more mental clarity, more emotional stability.

 

There are no downsides for us.

:iagree: I'm down almost 18 pounds. This month. :001_huh: I lost 10 in the first 2 weeks, then stalled for about a week, and now it's coming off great again.

The issue I have is that I'm not able to get everyone else in my family on board 100%. DH is slowly starting to be interested. It's hard to buy and prepare food to suit everyone.

:iagree:My hubby is a big eater, and not that big on veggies. To fill him up it'd be like 2 steaks and sprig of brocolli please. Can't do the cost of it. He doesn't realize it but I am limiting his carbs greatly though. The kids I am not really, although my tween needs to be careful with her choices. She has my genes. :glare:

[kitten18]

It absolutely works here.

 

Less hunger, lose weight, more energy, more mental clarity, more emotional stability.

 

There are no downsides for us.

:iagree:

 

Oh I did the feeding frenzies. Then when nothing satisfied me, I'd go to the store and get something very carby and eat that for awhile... Yeah, that's why I'm doing low-carb in a nutshell. It keeps me from going nutso.

I completely agree. When I eat carbs I feel *crazy*, I absolutely cannot control my cravings.

 

 

ETA - There is A LOT of Type2 diabetes in my family. I hope to avoid that by getting my insulin issues under control now.

[AdventureMoms]

I said there were no drawbacks for us.....oops. I forgot about the cost.

 

I know you can do low carb on the cheap, but we don't.

 

We eat whole foods and it is expensive.

 

Yeah, that is an issue here too. It is not cheap. Worth it, but not cheap!!

 

I coupon, and a lot of coupons are for carby foods, so I've cut back a lot on food couponing! (i still do it for toiletries and household items and the occasional food item - we get a lot of lettuce coupons and cheese and butter and sometimes tomatoes...)

[Soror]

Fwiw I made Elana's Pantry Paleo Bread today and it is about 7g total carb-3.5 net per slice for those that want something made with whole foods and gluten free(I followed the recipe but subbed honey for the agave). I like the taste as well. I haven't had bread in ages and was craving toast like crazy.

[AdventureMoms]

I sooo need to try this but...do I have to give up my coffee & my vodka (not together :001_smile:) I love my nightly vodka...would it have to go bye-bye :sad:

 

 

Nope! Coffee is carb-free. Some low carb diets ban alcohol but vodka is actually low-carb so I'd keep it if it is important to you. The issue with alcohol is often the stuff you mix it with, lol. Creamer is usually high in carbs, but heavy cream is fine. You can use an artificial sweetener if you want too, Xylitol or Stevia are more natural alternatives. My DW is a flavored coffee addict and I'm working on some flavored "creamers" for her. Just tried a mint mocha one that I sent with her to work this morning.

[freeindeed]

Nope! Coffee is carb-free. Some low carb diets ban alcohol but vodka is actually low-carb so I'd keep it if it is important to you. The issue with alcohol is often the stuff you mix it with, lol. Creamer is usually high in carbs, but heavy cream is fine. You can use an artificial sweetener if you want too, Xylitol or Stevia are more natural alternatives. My DW is a flavored coffee addict and I'm working on some flavored "creamers" for her. Just tried a mint mocha one that I sent with her to work this morning.

 

Torani and Da Vinci make delicious sugar free coffee syrups. I use them to flavor my coffee and low carb baked goods. You can order from the companies online or from Amazon. I also buy them in my local Sam's Club and Wal Mart stores.

[AdventureMoms]

Torani and Da Vinci make delicious sugar free coffee syrups. I use them to flavor my coffee and low carb baked goods. You can order from the companies online or from Amazon. I also buy them in my local Sam's Club and Wal Mart stores.

 

I'll have to look into that. Thanks!

[marbel]

Nope! Coffee is carb-free. Some low carb diets ban alcohol but vodka is actually low-carb so I'd keep it if it is important to you. The issue with alcohol is often the stuff you mix it with, lol. Creamer is usually high in carbs, but heavy cream is fine. You can use an artificial sweetener if you want too, Xylitol or Stevia are more natural alternatives. My DW is a flavored coffee addict and I'm working on some flavored "creamers" for her. Just tried a mint mocha one that I sent with her to work this morning.

 

Oh, I used to love those sweetened creamers. For a while I made my own, using half and half, vanilla, and a little bit of sugar. I despise sugar substitutes of any kind, even stevia and xylitol. Eventually I weaned myself off the sugar too. Now I don't like my coffee sweet at all. When I ordered an old favorite mocha at Starbucks a few months ago, I was disgusted by the sweetness.

[justamouse]

Nope. And trust me, as a regular drinker I am in check with it and don't plan to give it up anytime soon.:

 

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/low-carb-alcohol/#axzz23m0lF7A3

 

Ohh halleluja, I've got a few bottles of black label whisky (Johnny Walker and Woodford Reserve) I've been dying to tap.

[Munchkins_mama]

Nope! Coffee is carb-free. Some low carb diets ban alcohol but vodka is actually low-carb so I'd keep it if it is important to you. The issue with alcohol is often the stuff you mix it with, lol. Creamer is usually high in carbs, but heavy cream is fine. You can use an artificial sweetener if you want too, Xylitol or Stevia are more natural alternatives. My DW is a flavored coffee addict and I'm working on some flavored "creamers" for her. Just tried a mint mocha one that I sent with her to work this morning.

 

I make my own coffee creamer. I'm not sure how it is for low carb, since I just started that and haven't done a whole lot of research.

 

One can of full fat coconut milk ( Thai Kitchen Organic coconut milk is best) and 1/4 cup of sucanat. I warm it on the stove until it is all dissolved then store it in the fridge. It tastes like a toasted cocoanut creamer. Yummmmmmm... You can also add vanilla, or cocoa powder, peppermint oil, etc. The coconut milk thickens up nicely to the same consistency of carp creamer.

[Momma4Boys]

Nope! Coffee is carb-free. Some low carb diets ban alcohol but vodka is actually low-carb so I'd keep it if it is important to you. The issue with alcohol is often the stuff you mix it with, lol. Creamer is usually high in carbs, but heavy cream is fine. You can use an artificial sweetener if you want too, Xylitol or Stevia are more natural alternatives. My DW is a flavored coffee addict and I'm working on some flavored "creamers" for her. Just tried a mint mocha one that I sent with her to work this morning.

 

That is AWESOME! I only put olive juice in my vodka (dirty martini girl here) and my coffee I could easily use heavy cream and I have stevia drops that are chocolate flavored - only takes 4 drops.

 

Now - the only drawback I am seeing is the cost...I have 4 sons and a dh - that spells grocery budget disaster!

[Momma4Boys]

So I need to go the store...How do you meal plan for this kind of diet? Do you do chicken one night, pork the next, etc? Does anyone have a rotating meal plan already put together? The idea of this kind of diet is so counter-intuitive to anything I've ever known that meal planning is overwhelming me...

[justLisa]

See I don't spend a terrible amount. I mean, I probably spend an obscene amount of money on food to some but not MORE than when we eat any other way.

 

We eat fewer times a day eating this way. My noddle/bread lover is always wanting something, but if I feed him something high fat and protein like eggs, fruit and greek yogurt he's good for hours.

 

We pretty much do some kind of meat thing, some kind of veggie thing. I make a lot of soup. I do not buy all organic though I avoid processed stuff. I buy from bulk and shop at one hundred different stores buying on sale.

 

And Costco. I love Costco. I can buy a half gallon of heavy cream for cheap. And cheese.