If you've lost weight eating LCHF, can you tell me a bit about how you did it?

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

And if it improved your health overall--blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.? There's still that little voice in my head that says that I may be losing weight but I'm clogging my arteries while doing it! (I have a significant amount to lose--probably 40 pounds to get back to a healthy weight, but I'm aiming for 50 or so.)

 

I've been doing it for two weeks now, and I'm pleased with the results so far. However, I'm tracking what I eat via SparkPeople (because I really just eat without thinking and can very easily delude myself into thinking I'm doing better than I am), and I feel like I'm having a hard time finding a balance. I went through a phase where I was feeling hungry and deprived, and then I realized I was eating a lot of veggies and not enough protein, and I adjusted and felt better. I also feel more satisfied when I eat more fat, but then my calorie count goes way up (of course). And I've been allowing things like a few corn chips or a piece of higher-carb fruit, and I've still been progressing, but when combined with the carbs from the veggies and dairy, those indulgences can put me into the 50-60 carb grams range.

 

So if you've successfully made a big change like this, can you share your experience? Did you worry about the numbers, or did you just eat as few carbs as you could and not worry about the rest? Did you worry about calories too, or did you find that carbs were all that really mattered for you? Do you have any sense of how few carbs you needed to eat to keep losing? 

 

TIA!

[mlktwins]

:bigear:

[Jeannie in NJ]

7 years ago I lost 60 pounds on low carb.  I had been pre-diabetic and high cholesterol.  After losing the weight, I was no longer pre-diabetic and my cholesterol became normal, my doctor was very pleased.  Over the last couple of years, I fell off the wagon and gained back quite a bit.  Apparently I cannot eat bread, I am just too addicted to it so I just have to cut it out completely.

 

I started low carb again 2 1/2 weeks ago and have lost 11 pounds and feel great.  I mostly eat lots of cheddar cheese, some bacon, heavy cream in my coffee, broccoli, green beans, salads with grilled chicken, blue cheese crumbles, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, onions, etc with some blue cheese dressing.  I also eat some Bocaburgers and some Adkins frozen dinners.  Only a little fruit, mostly berries.  Almonds, walnuts.  Lots of bell pepper, especially the red, orange and yellow, raw they taste sweet so that satisfies my sweet urges.  Also unsalted almonds are sweet so that helps too.

 

Oh forgot, I never had issues with my blood pressure, has always been great and still is eating low carb, high fat.

 

forgot to mention, I do count my calories on Sparkpeople but when I lost the weight before, every couple of weeks I would give myself a day where I ate high calorie and if I was going to for example a birthday party I would have a small piece of cake.  I would then go back to the low carb diet and would often drop several pounds just by switching my calories around (low calorie, around 1200, and then a high calorie day every couple fo weeks).

[LibraryLover]

The thing about a lower carb and good fats diet is that it is sustainable for me. I don't feel deprived, I don't have blood sugar issues (for me it's crankiness), and I can maintain it. Low carb doesn't mean no carbs, ever.   Last summer was emotionally difficult, so I comforted myself with potatoes, corn on the cob, crusty sourdough bread, corn chowder, baked mac & cheese-- just threw all caution for my own body to the wind, and gained nearly 20 lbs in a very few weeks. When I finally made the move, I felt better, and went back. 20 lbs came off so easily.  I've lost about 3 more lbs since then. (I gained a bit of weight between T'giving & Christmas, but it's gone now. Too many gatherings, too much party pie.)

 

Basically I try to eat very healthy foods (food I believe to be healthy, like pastured meats etc., are not necessarily things China Study vegetarians consider healthy. But I feel good, with lots of energy, so it seems healthy for me.)  I also eat greens (and lots of them) daily. Typical foods:

 

Breakfast: eggs, crust-less quiche, plain yogurt with a small amount of fruit. Avocado. Lox with cream cheese. I also eat dinner foods for breakfast- left over chicken, beef, fish etc.

 

Lunches are salads with lots of veggies, maybe feta cheese, olives, a very few almonds, half an avocado, chicken or tuna salad.  Sometimes I make a quick olive oil, mustard, & balsamic vinegar dressing. I like herbed cream cheese on celery, small amounts of cheese with a couple of slices of apple, & a tbsp of almond butter, cut up chicken. (I roast a chicken once a week and use the meat in a variety of ways- for dinners, snacks, broth etc),

 

Super is soup, grilled or braised meats, fish, poultry etc with a large salad, and veggies. No corn, no rice, no potatoes, no bread. Veggies are sauteed spinach, chards, bok choy, peppers +. When I make soup, I thicken it with a small amount of quinoa rather than rice or potatoes, as quinoa has a high-ish protein count.  Sometimes I add beans, Beans are good for you. Just use less. Add more veggies. A rich, flavorful broth is satisfying and filling.  I make meatloaf without bread crumbs, or very little, and it works fine. I like a more moist meatloaf myself. :)  Eggs hold it together just fine.  Stir fry without rice or noodles.  My version of curries with spinach and paneer etc.

 

I also allow myself carbs I love at times. Carbs are delicious. :)  If I am craving a bagel, I let myself have some bagel. I don't usually eat the whole thing, and I try to make it whole wheat.  Last night, dh and I went to a bistro for drinks (this is harder. There are carbs in alcohol, so count them.) Last night I had red wine, and a piece of delicious crusty boule with a good deal of butter. If I never allowed myself these items, it would be hard to maintain.  If I am planning pasta, I make sure it's really good pasta with a great sauce, and I enjoy it. Some have said that coming off LCHF for a bit can help jump start weight loss when you go back. Just don't binge for a week. A day of carbs won't kill weight loss or control, but days of carbs certainly will, ime.  One omy most favorite splurges is ratatouille with risotto. (Same bistro mentioned above.).  The beauty of a low carb diet when eating out is that if you want to splurge on something special, lobster with butter is HFLC. Just don't have the potato-corn chowder with it. And don't let them put oyster crackers or bread on the table. lol Lamp chops too;  tell them to skip the mashed. :)

 

People debate all the time weather losing weight on LCHF  'diets'  are due to folks eating fewer calories because they are satiated with higher fat foods, so eat less of them. I can accept that hypothesis, but I also know I have lost weight eating quite a lot of fats, especially at the beginning of my experimentation.

 

I think the key is limiting or eliminating all high carb food at first. Rice, pasta, white potatoes, chips, sodas (diet ones as well), popcorn, sweetened yogurts, corn, bananas, juices, (green smoothies are the exception for me, and I make them without fruits. Sounds gross, but I like them. I drink less of these in winter as it makes me feel cold) etc.

 

Look for lists of lower carb veggies and fruits. Drink lots of water. I prefer seltzer water over plain. Don't be afraid of flavoring with some good fats; olive oil, good butter, a little cream in with your sauteed chard etc.

 

As for information about good fats clogging arteries, search for for youtube links and articles by Dr Lustig. He is head of Pediatric Endocrinology at University of San Fransisco. No snake oil salesman. He believes sugar and refined carbs are the killers, not butter etc.

 

ETA: I recently had a physical for my job, and all of my numbers were great. (Although there some is research that suggests that women with slightly elevated cholesterol numbers actually live longer.  Also, it's fat around one's organs which is dangerous. You can be thin on the outside, but have fat around your heart etc.)  <--That according to Lustig and others.

 

[Gretchen in NJ]

I just discovered I cannot eat highly processed wheat either.  About a month ago maybe slightly longer, I had a no so good blood test.  My doc said I was heading into becoming pre-diabetic and that I had very high inflammation.   

 

I went home a through out all of my white bread and pasta.  It hurt since it was all organic.  I went back to eating only one slice of sprouted wheat bread a day, added avocado to my daily diet, and nuts for snacks.  I dropped 5 lbs in two days and another 5 lbs by the end of the week.

 

The redness on my face has almost gone away.  So, I am wondering if I may have a problem with gluten.

 

On the other side, my teenage daughter is gaining weight eating carbs, fruits and veggies with very little protein.  Today, she said that she is going to switch her diet.

 

 

[Jeannie in NJ]

also I eat eggs fried in olive oil 2 or 3 times a week or sometimes an omelette

[Mommyfaithe]

Ok... I have a question. Are any of you planning on eating lchf forever? Also, are any of you athletes who need to fuel their performance? I know I would not have gotten through this weekend without bananas, figs and sweet potatoes. So, how do you fuel your run or recover after lifting heavy without replacing your glycogen stores? I lost a lot of weight low carb/ moderate fat, but now that I am at goal weight are their health reasons to stay with this eating plan long term?

[jewellsmommy]

And if it improved your health overall--blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.? There's still that little voice in my head that says that I may be losing weight but I'm clogging my arteries while doing it! (I have a significant amount to lose--probably 40 pounds to get back to a healthy weight, but I'm aiming for 50 or so.)

 

I've been doing it for two weeks now, and I'm pleased with the results so far. However, I'm tracking what I eat via SparkPeople (because I really just eat without thinking and can very easily delude myself into thinking I'm doing better than I am), and I feel like I'm having a hard time finding a balance. I went through a phase where I was feeling hungry and deprived, and then I realized I was eating a lot of veggies and not enough protein, and I adjusted and felt better. I also feel more satisfied when I eat more fat, but then my calorie count goes way up (of course). And I've been allowing things like a few corn chips or a piece of higher-carb fruit, and I've still been progressing, but when combined with the carbs from the veggies and dairy, those indulgences can put me into the 50-60 carb grams range.

 

So if you've successfully made a big change like this, can you share your experience? Did you worry about the numbers, or did you just eat as few carbs as you could and not worry about the rest? Did you worry about calories too, or did you find that carbs were all that really mattered for you? Do you have any sense of how few carbs you needed to eat to keep losing? 

 

TIA!

 

I first ate lchf to lose weight and counter my pcos to aid in getting pregnant while I was treating my infertility 11 yrs ago. My obgyn had continue lchf through my pregnancy. 2 wks after dd was born I weighed 10 lbs less than when I had gotten pregnant. Yet, I still had a hard time wrapping my mind around the diet. I went more traditional after that. I bought a grain mill. I did everything whole grain, baked my own bread, only brown rice, steel cut oats, all fruits welcome. We really tried for whole foods. I still slowly gained over the last 11 yrs.

 

Now I am lchf again. I have experimented enough to know that I need to stay low carb. period. I am counting carbs again. I do not count anything else. I use the ketone sticks to gauge my level of fat burning. I am currently staying around 20 a day. When I hit my first goal, I will up a little while watching the color of the sticks to see what # of carbs I can have and still maintain ketosis. I have never had blood pressure problems, but I have insulin resistance. Once I am at my ultimate goal I will allow more deviation, but I plan to always monitor from here out. The last 11 yrs has taught me that my body is not giving much of a choice.

[mamaraby]

I'm not lchf because it makes me seriously ill which is bonus for weight loss, but a rotten way to live my life. I stopped because being nauseous for months on end was enough to clue me in that it was not sustainable. That being said, there a couple of things that the science of diets is pretty clear on:

 

1- If you have weight to lose, and your numbers are out of wack, simply making a change (any change) and losing weight will improve your numbers. You could be low-fat, high carb vegan or you could be lchf...whatever. You could even just count calories or do WW and get the same results. There's nothing magic about any diet.

 

2- The most important thing is not which diet you choose, but whether or not you could live that way for the rest of your life. In other words, adherence. If you can't stick with it, then it would be far better to find something you can stick with. Once you leave your new eating habits behind and return to how you were eating before, things will reverse.

 

There is also some science that indicates that if you're insulin resistant, then something like a low carb diet might be beneficial as a reset, but extended periods of very low carb eating can be counter productive and can loop you back towards insulin resistance. This is somewhat less clearly proven than the first two items, but I mention it because popular media/publishing seem to have latched on to the idea that the only driver to your body's insulin response is carbohydrates which is a gross oversimplification - it's a bit more complicated than that.

 

But really, your best bet is to get your blood work done regularly and monitor your levels on an n=1 basis. It doesn't really matter how it worked for anyone else if your levels are going through the roof or other factors start cropping up to indicate that you aren't thriving. Don't stick your head in the sand, basically.

 

Go with what works best for you and allows you to live the sort of life you most desire. There is no one right way to eat. There's just what works best for you, IYKWIM.

[Ellie]

I followed Atkins. My cholesterol dropped 100 points in two months, and has stayed low.

 

Alas, I have other health issues, and so I don't lose weight on Atkins, but I won't ever go back to heavy carbs. I *like* LCHF. :-)

[LibraryLover]

Anecdotal, but a good friend of mine was about to be put on statins. He was so afraid of the side effects, that he started low carb/good fats as a last chance. Within a very few weeks his numbers were great and didn't need the statins. 4 years later, same deal. 

[Jeannie in NJ]

My body cannot handle much carbs.  When I don't eat them, I feel great, lose weight, lowers blood sugar and cholesterol.  If I even start eating more than 20 or so carbs a day, I feel lousy, gain weight fast and blood sugar is not good.

 

We went over to cousin's tonight picking up subs and salads on the way over.  I got a great grilled chicken salad which they put in with it 2 large multi-grain rolls.   I said I was only going to try a bite, well I ate one entire large one and brought the other one home.  Dh said that he will eat it, if not by tomorrow, I will throw it away (he always is saying he will eat something but doesn't so he will not even remember that it  is here).

I feel so tired , no energy just from eating that roll so I cannot even try to limit myself to one bite.  I am a carb addict .  So I have to forget about eating any bread type carbs, even healthy grains.

[SadieMarie]

I used the book Protein Power to lose weight after my first dd.  I kept if off until getting pregnant with dd #2.  But it was not so much low carb-high fat as low carb-high protein and don't worry about fat.  I had been infertile until I started the diet.  I lost twenty-five pounds and had no adverse health effects and got preggers.  I have also lost weight, after dd #2 with weight watchers.  I think either works if you stick with them.  It just depends on what works best for you as far as following it.

[fraidycat]

Since going grain-free, Primal/Paleo for the sake of my daughter, I've discovered that my body does not handle grain carbs at all. So this will be a long-term thing for me.

 

That said, I am not doing it for weight reasons, have never ever bought into the low-fat fad, always had lots of fat in my diet, and still eat lots of carbs via fruit and veggies. Including white potatoes. I've never counted a calorie in my life, either. And I still lost weight/inches. Enough that I soon have to go shopping for clothes. Blegh! I hate clothes shopping.

 

I can't say for sure with blood results, but yes I would say my health has improved overall in terms of "feeling" healthier and more energetic.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I did not set out to lose weight, but when my son was diagnosed Celiac, we all went LCHF- essentially a paleo diet.  We now eat Paleo about 85% of the time, give or take.  I will make one gluten free dessert per week or so. 

 

I find paleo easy to stick to.  I did not was to just jump to highly processed GF foods, so we just now eat "whole" carbs.  Most of our meals are meat+veggie, but we also will eat cheese products, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.  We basically just cut out processed food. 

 

I went from being on the edge of overweight to being back to the middle of my healthy weight range with no cravings or issues at all.  It was just a family lifestyle change to accommodate my son. 

 

I don't think you have to go all the way to Atkins, I think if you remove the processed carbs/sugar, but keep in the whole fruits, vegetables and unprocessed grains (rice, quinoa, potatoes, millet...) you'd be fine! 

[JustEm]

I've realized that looking at the calories consumed on lchf is a terrible idea. You have to remember that your body metabolizes food differently. Those calories in will be metabolized differently then a lower calorie meal consisting of less fat and little carb. So your body will burn a different number of calories trying to digest different foods so just assume the extra calories will be burned properly (that is if you are wasting good fats and have a good balance of fats and protein.)

 

I eat lchf and have never known the calorie amount. What I know is that I feel great, am losing weight, my numbers are down, and if I eat too many non veggy carbs my stomach feels awful.

[saraha]

I am trying the lchf this week.  I did it a couple of days last week, but then we went away with another family for a long weekend, and there were a lot of carbs in the food the two families shared.  So I am back on the wagon.  I haven't been counting anything, just trying to avoid as many carbs as I can and eating a protein for snacky feelings.  What I am trying to figure out is if is okay to have honey in my hot tea in the morning?  Should I have it alone, or will having a protein with it counteract anything?  I tried looking around on the internet, but it kept leading me back to the same website, or referencing that website.

[Jeannie in NJ]

okay so I posted about eating that large multigrain roll yesterday.  Well I gained 1 1/2 pounds ( I know the bread did not weigh 1 1/2 pounds but that is still what I gained).  I have a horrible headache this morning.  Bread is like poison to me, I have to remember that.  The weight will be gone by tomorrow, I know that as I have done this before.

 

p.s. I am with you SparklyUnicorn on the cheese. I love cheese.  When I was in college many years ago, I ate lots of cheese and was quite thin and had tons of energy.

[shawthorne44]

I loved Atkins, but I couldn't lose more than 10 pounds on it.  Apparently, if you eat enough fat your body can live off that, rather than your stores.  I guess I loved Atkins too much.  Sausage deserves to be its own food group.  

 

Right now I am doing lowish carbs ~ 40-60, and high protein.  I found I had to add in Dietary Fiber chewables too, otherwise I sometimes don't feel full.  The carbs are coming from veggies, which I am learning to appreciate.  

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Thanks for sharing, everyone. This has helped me think through my approach. I find that I have a hard time eating enough vegetables (except for mixed greens, which I have every day), and if I feel like I'm getting enough veggies, my carb count is up in 40-60 range. I guess I'm not accounting for the fiber though. Do most people think in terms of "net carbs" or just "carbs," I wonder? 

 

I'm going to try to worry less about the calories for now, I think. When I've done this in the past, I've taken the approach of just eating as low-carb as possible (only carbs from dairy or vegetables), and I've lost weight quickly and easily but never managed to last beyond a month before I fell off the wagon. This time I'm really committed, because things cannot go on the way they have been, but I'm losing more slowly--which I'm FINE with if it means I'm motivated to keep going long term. I've lost 5-6 pounds in just over two weeks, and that includes a cheat day and a few non-LCHF dinner nights. I just wanted to get a general idea of how others have been successful to reality-check my methods and expectations. 

 

As for long term, I expect for this to pretty much be the way I continue to eat for the rest of my life. I have a significant issue with gluten. I don't think I have celiac, but gluten gives me terrible, terrible reflux (scary and dangerous) and digestive issues (annoying!), so I'll be avoiding it with the exception of special occasions and rare indulgences. Most grain-based foods make me feel sluggish and bloated, and when I'm eating primarily meat/vegetables/fruit/dairy/good fats, I have lots of energy, my head feels clearer, etc. When I've reached my goal weight, I expect I'll be able to add sugar or grain-based carbs back in in limited amounts (I miss oatmeal!)--I'll see how I feel and how that works for my body when I get there. But assuming my health is good on this sort of diet, I envision sticking to it for the long haul because it's how I feel the best. 

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

I always felt like crud if I ate something high carb after being low carb for awhile. 

 

I love making cheese chips.  Problem is my family loves them too so if I make them they want some.  And then it's more work for me.  So then I avoid them.  LOL

 

They should make their own darn cheese chips don't you think?!  :laugh:

 

Ooh, I just finally made these successfully yesterday! They were SO good, except it turned out I was having an allergic reaction to the Romano cheese, so I'll have to try again with cheddar or Parmesan instead. The kids loved them too, and I taught DD how to make them. It's win/win!

[shukriyya]

I have a hard time keeping weight on on a grain-free hf diet and that's not even lc as I eat yams, spuds and the occasional dried fruit. Been grain-free hf for about 8 years now due to ongoing digestive issues. Every four or five months I'll crave a thickly buttered baguette with Black Forest ham or a croissant with butter and jam. Often I go ahead and have it and it's delicious but it's usually enough to keep me going for the next 4-5 months :lol:

[Mommyfaithe]

Ok..one more....I am grain free, bean free, sugar free of all sorts even coconut :-) I am alcohol, soy and nightshade free....BUT, I eat lots of fruit, veggies and dried fruit...and sweet potatoes, bananas etc to fuel my runs etc. I feel dead without them! But, I also eat lots of good fat...coconut oil, avocados, olive oil, ghee sometimes. I am mostly Whole 30/ auto immune paleo. I lost most of my weight this way without realizing it.

 

I plan to stay this way, but wonder if I am sabotaging my efforts with my carbs up around 100-150 a day...hmmmmmm....

[Ellie]

Thanks for sharing, everyone. This has helped me think through my approach. I find that I have a hard time eating enough vegetables (except for mixed greens, which I have every day), and if I feel like I'm getting enough veggies, my carb count is up in 40-60 range. I guess I'm not accounting for the fiber though. Do most people think in terms of "net carbs" or just "carbs," I wonder? 

 

I'm going to try to worry less about the calories for now, I think. When I've done this in the past, I've taken the approach of just eating as low-carb as possible (only carbs from dairy or vegetables), and I've lost weight quickly and easily but never managed to last beyond a month before I fell off the wagon. This time I'm really committed, because things cannot go on the way they have been, but I'm losing more slowly--which I'm FINE with if it means I'm motivated to keep going long term. I've lost 5-6 pounds in just over two weeks, and that includes a cheat day and a few non-LCHF dinner nights. I just wanted to get a general idea of how others have been successful to reality-check my methods and expectations. 

 

As for long term, I expect for this to pretty much be the way I continue to eat for the rest of my life. I have a significant issue with gluten. I don't think I have celiac, but gluten gives me terrible, terrible reflux (scary and dangerous) and digestive issues (annoying!), so I'll be avoiding it with the exception of special occasions and rare indulgences. Most grain-based foods make me feel sluggish and bloated, and when I'm eating primarily meat/vegetables/fruit/dairy/good fats, I have lots of energy, my head feels clearer, etc. When I've reached my goal weight, I expect I'll be able to add sugar or grain-based carbs back in in limited amounts (I miss oatmeal!)--I'll see how I feel and how that works for my body when I get there. But assuming my health is good on this sort of diet, I envision sticking to it for the long haul because it's how I feel the best. 

 

Have you read the Atkins book? That explains it all. :-)

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Have you read the Atkins book? That explains it all. :-)

 

I read it awhile back, and I've read the South Beach book as well, but I was hoping for (and received) for some real-world experiences as well.

[shawthorne44]

As someone who has always pretty much hated all the healthy vegetables.  I can completely recommend

 

Baked or fried Radishes.   Sounds weird, I know.  But cooking completely removes the radish heat.  Makes them taste like another kind of potato.  Trick seems to be to grate them, and then cook until translucent.  

 

Mashed Cauliflower.  Starting with frozen seems to work best.  Just dump the bag in a corning ware, and heat for 20 minutes.  The water inside the cauliflower cooks it as it evaporates.  Then dump in the food processor and grind for a long time.  Trick seems to be to start with dry overcooked cauliflower.  

 

eta: I only started to worry about dietary fiber when I ... uh... could tell I wasn't getting enough.  Then I read that fiber, like protein helps you feel full.  

[Chocolate Rose]

I've been doing LCHF for a little over 2 years now. I started because after getting some blood test results, my A1C was ridiculously high. I immediately stopped eating all carbs and started researching. LCHF seemed the best direction to go in. After having a second set of labs done to confirm the readings on the first set, I was diagnosed as diabetic. I know that I will be eating LCHF for the rest of my life (unless some miracle cure is found). The good thing about LCHF for me is that it is sustainable. I don't have cravings and I love the foods that I can eat. The first year weight-wise was great. I continued to maintain a 125 pound weight loss. Then,last year, I was put on a medication that actually caused me to gain weight. Now that I'm off of it, I'm hoping to get these pounds off. I've stuck with between 20 and 30 grams of carbs per day since beginning this woe. I'm to the point that I can't even imagine eating carbs again. I eat primarily protein and fat and occasionally some veggies. My labs have been great.

[Ellie]

I read it awhile back, and I've read the South Beach book as well, but I was hoping for (and received) for some real-world experiences as well.

 

We have lots of that :-) but the question you were asking on what to do next is covered in the book and isn't necessarily an experienctial thing (adding in carbs as you progress). :-)