What have you eaten today? (Low carb forum)

[jpscloud]

A treat now and then is important I think! I will be having some bread at some point in the holidays.

Chris Van Tulleken is wonderful - I've been watching his you tube videos a lot. Until fairly recently, I fell into the category of people who thought if it was in the shops/restaurants it was surely safe to eat - surely "they" wouldn't sell me something that would harm me, surely that wouldn't be allowed!

Turns out "they" certainly would, it certainly is allowed and there are unscrupulous people profiting from our addictions and illness. What a messed up world! I also like that he is very unassuming.

 

[jpscloud]

Hello all, I will post again later but just want to post about yesterday and this morning - I've been preparing for a fast by going very low carb for a few days (after relatively low carb for months) and fasted from 7pm on Tuesday - almost 38 hours now. My numbers are very good, and I'm feeling great. I have no hunger at all, not obsessing about food or feeling in any way deprived. I haven't even had the waves of "good" hunger that I experienced in my fasting a few years ago.

I do think the preparation this time around is what made the difference. Even thoughts of bread are not triggering at the moment but I am planning to have some in a few days' time as my spring holiday treat so maybe I'm just getting better at delayed gratification!

Hope this isn't too far off topic - I will post later with how I broke my fast!

 

[Annb]

For the past couple of weeks I have been eating only the minimal amount of carbs that are found in vegetables (apart from one carrot 2 days ago and half a swede yesterday plus 2 onions and a few high meat sausages over the last weeks). No RyVita, but the occasional date to cope with a couple of threatening hypos. BG has been OK during the days, but tending to climb towards bedtime and a few of times not fading away during the night. Last week I actually lost weight, but this week I have regained what I lost plus a bit more. It's hard work. It's disheartening.

Just had breakfast of cold salmon, a slice of ham and some pickled cucumber (in ACV). Feeling hungry though but am hoping just to ignore it.

Last Saturday I was talking to a friend I hadn't seen in a long time who is about half the size she was last time I saw her. She has done it by changing to a carnivore diet. I might take some leaves out of her book and only have chicken for my 2nd meal today.

 

[jpscloud]

For the past couple of weeks I have been eating only the minimal amount of carbs that are found in vegetables (apart from one carrot 2 days ago and half a swede yesterday plus 2 onions and a few high meat sausages over the last weeks). No RyVita, but the occasional date to cope with a couple of threatening hypos. BG has been OK during the days, but tending to climb towards bedtime and a few of times not fading away during the night. Last week I actually lost weight, but this week I have regained what I lost plus a bit more. It's hard work. It's disheartening.

Just had breakfast of cold salmon, a slice of ham and some pickled cucumber (in ACV). Feeling hungry though but am hoping just to ignore it.

Last Saturday I was talking to a friend I hadn't seen in a long time who is about half the size she was last time I saw her. She has done it by changing to a carnivore diet. I might take some leaves out of her book and only have chicken for my 2nd meal today.

It is so disheartening, I can so relate. For me knowing that at any time I might go back into denial and undo all the hard work in a fraction of the time it took to get there is awful.

Some of the most respected clinicians (Eric Westman, Jason Fung to name just two) say that it might take a fairly radical change to break a weight plateau, so going carnivore might be just what you need - you've already done the preparation for it by going low carb.

Another recommended change is to try intermittent or extended fasting, but as you're an insulin dependent type 2 that may not be the right thing for you.

I found eating mostly meat the last few days has made a big difference to my hunger (non-existent) and carb cravings - it's as though they're locked up. They're still there, but under control, if that makes sense?

Wanted to give you both a hug and optimistic in the response!

 

[Annb]

It is so disheartening, I can so relate. For me knowing that at any time I might go back into denial and undo all the hard work in a fraction of the time it took to get there is awful.

Some of the most respected clinicians (Eric Westman, Jason Fung to name just two) say that it might take a fairly radical change to break a weight plateau, so going carnivore might be just what you need - you've already done the preparation for it by going low carb.

Another recommended change is to try intermittent or extended fasting, but as you're an insulin dependent type 2 that may not be the right thing for you.

I found eating mostly meat the last few days has made a big difference to my hunger (non-existent) and carb cravings - it's as though they're locked up. They're still there, but under control, if that makes sense?

Wanted to give you both a hug and optimistic in the response!

Thank you for that encouraging reply @jpscloud. I am quite happy only to eat animal products (I am a carnivore by nature, I think)) but that raises so many eyebrows and warnings about vitamin and mineral deficiency. However, I have been taking a broad based supplement recently, so maybe I can ignore those warnings for a while.

 

[jpscloud]

I broke my fast at 12.30pm, so it was 42 hours - I had 3 heck sausages with some toasted cheese on top, and a fried tomato.

Strangely, the cravings have come back! I was smugly thinking I was really and truly fat adapted, but apparently not! At least I know I can fast comfortably though, so that's a plus.

 

[shelley262]

@jpscloud I was thinking about fasting - that once you make a decision to fast if committed to it can be easier with a simple rule In choosing not to eat. Once you reintroduce food but try to restrict what you eat it can be much harder as all those triggers and temptations are back! As you say take away the positive s that you can fast you are doing so well. Keep going it's hard as we have to eat we can't just stop eating!

 

[shelley262]

Hungry day - don't know about everyone else but this grey wet and cold weather is definitely leading me to want to eat more!
Breakfast small kefir then two boiled eggs and LC roll
Lunchtime a few bits of cheeses, kimchi and LC seeded crackers, hm bifido yoghurt and some 100% chocolate
Mid pm gave in to a snack (normally try to keep away from snacking) probably as couldn't do any gardening or fence painting! Had a half of a small DGF LC chocolate egg
Dinner hm chilli with LC garlic bread and glass of dry red wine followed by LC chocolate brownie.

 

[sueh21]

Evening all, @shelley262 I know what you mean about the weather and feeling hungry, not very Easter like here, more like stew and dumplings weather!
Yesterday
B Coconut porridge, cinnamon and seeds
L Hummus,avocado and salad
D Slow cooker gammon, red cabbage,green beans and creamy garlic mushrooms
Today
B Yog,blueberries, seeds
L HM pea and ham soup, Ketochef roll,small piece of cheddar
D Gammon, green beans and a chaffle

 

[Rachox]

Breakfast: my usual low carb coconut ‘porridge’ with strawberries washed down with a black coffee.
Late morning: black coffee and a carb killa bar.
Skipped lunch.
Mid afternoon: black coffee and another carb killa bar.
Dinner: cheese and mushroom omelette, not as neat as my usual offering!

 

[filly]

Had a bit of a day so eating very haphazard ....
Coffee and cream
Yogurt and raspberries x 2
Cheese and tomatoes.

 

[MrsA2]

B: some cold chicken and cheese
2 good walks while exploring the NE coast in unexpected sunshine
3 pm lunch in a seafood restaurant ignoring all those eating fish and chips and bread and butter and mushy peas all around us. I had crab pate using just 1/3 of the bread supplied then seafood pot - nothing but fish and shellfish in a wine and garlic broth,
A glass white wine
He had squid with chorizo then seafood risotto and a beer.
When we came out weather had returned to cold rain so curtailed our plans.

This evening, a small chunk of cheese and 2 sqs 70% chocolate

Bg has been fine all day but have nasty headache this evening

 

[ravensmitten]

Visiting family, also diabetic, surprised how low carb the lunch was, egg salad and cheese, dinner too, mince beef with onion on a bed of salad AND the pudding (frozen cream & raspberries thing) seems to be getting the right idea from somewhere now.

Was half expecting to be plyed with pasta and bread, ah go on, it’s a “treat” etc. but no, though, did mention before coming I was currently only eating meat and veg and dairy mainly, they didn’t make the food especially though.

Refreshing and shows how easy (and natural) it is to think cynically based on past experiences if don’t keep on top of that, even though I know from my own personal experience of change that people and things and ideas are always in a state of flux rather than a fixed thing, (although some more than others I guess) it’s only right to afford others the same luxury in my mind.

Doesn’t mean of course that people can get away with whatever of course, and depends on the situation, just how they are met, and expectations I mean.

Hard to explain lol

 

[LivingLightly]

Those duck eggs look tasty. Are the shells thicker than hen's eggs?

They are!
Also, the eggs are larger than hen's eggs, the yolks are bigger and more firm in consistency even if soft boiled, and the whites are slightly different in consistency as well.

Well, I suppose that's to be expected @Antje77. After all domesticated ducks are larger than chickens.
I've not come across duck's eggs as yet, so we have that pleasure to look forward to.

We were once given some goose eggs and they were seriously large. I'd hoped to poach them for breakfast, but found the shells really tough and difficult to crack open, so ended up boiling them instead. They tasted richer than hen's eggs and made rather nice omelettes.

At the other end of the scale, we've been given quail's eggs in the past and I can certainly vouch for the flavour of those too.

All the above are diabetic friendly of course and very nutritious.

 

[LivingLightly]

Evening all

Today:

B: Two poached eggs topped with a knob of butter, avocado and three crevettes seasoned with black pepper.
Water to swallow tablet.
Espresso.

L: Walnut and mushroom nut roast made with onions, eggs and flax 'egg', (no breadcrumbs) garlic, vegetable stock and rosemary.
Vegetarian gravy
Steamed Brussels sprouts with toasted slivered almonds smothered with butter.
Carrots cut on the diagonal, onions and apple peel sautéed in butter.
Water to drink.
Skipped pud.

D: Seafood salad made with mussels and brown shrimps, lettuce, Romano peppers, celery, baby plum tomatoes, Kalamata olives, flat-leaf parsley and salad onions, with a dollop of home-made aioli for dipping, topped with roasted macadamia nuts..
Water to wash down tablets.

 

[Annb]

Back to bacon and egg for breakfast. That seems to sustain me better during the day than anything else.

2nd meal will be cold pork slices, out of the freezer and maybe some cheese.

My evening meal yeserday was just poached chicken thighs. I would have roasted them but my oven needs cleaning after a spill of cake mixture from a Victoria sponge I was making (that's today's job). I poached them and finished them in a frying pan with butter. I was hungry and BG was in the 4's so that should have been fine. However, it still rose to 10.0 by bedtime. 10.7 this morning. That's on no carbs at all - apart from half a dozen chunks of pickled cucumber yesterday morning - and insulin before breakfast and 2nd meal.

 

[Antje77]

I was hungry and BG was in the 4's so that should have been fine. However, it still rose to 10.0 by bedtime. 10.7 this morning. That's on no carbs at all

Many people find that if they eat very low carb, they have to dose for some of the protein. Protein gives a much slower rise than carbs, so the insulin will have to be taken (much) later.
How much insulin, and how much later needs careful experimenting of course.

 

[Annb]

Many people find that if they eat very low carb, they have to dose for some of the protein. Protein gives a much slower rise than carbs, so the insulin will have to be taken (much) later.
How much insulin, and how much later needs careful experimenting of course.

I didn't know that Antje. Explains some things.

 

[Antje77]

I didn't know that Antje. Explains some things.

Glad it explains some things!
The more tools you have the better you can regulate your BG.
I'm still amazed by how much you've managed to improve over the past couple of years, despite not getting much help from your diabetes nurse. A while back, I think you would have been happy with seeing only a 10 after eating!

 

[Annb]

Glad it explains some things!
The more tools you have the better you can regulate your BG.
I'm still amazed by how much you've managed to improve over the past couple of years, despite not getting much help from your diabetes nurse. A while back, I think you would have been happy with seeing only a 10 after eating!

You are so right. And to keep it at 10 I would have had to take a huge amount of insulin. Yesterday I only took about 8 units of Humalog - that's 52 units less than I would have taken a year or so back.