MY PROGRESS! LCHF and IF vs Eat Well Plate...8lbs lost

[preRR]

Hi all!

I joined a few weeks ago and asked about Low Carb High Fat and Intermittent Fasting compared to the Eat Well Plate. Bthanks agin t all those who advised me.

After years of trying WW and SW which are
both low fat diets I decided to try LCHF and IF after suggestions and after finding out so much about them that makes sense...my main reading/viewing has been Dr Jason Fung and Dr Andrea Eenfedlt (DietDoctor).

So how have I been getting on?...
I'VE LOST 8lbs so far!!!
I haven't felt hungry all that much and my cravings for sweet things have definitely dropped...maybe from my (usually appalling) willpower being given a kick with the shock of having prediabetes and knowing I have to change what I eat but I think more as a result of lowering my carb intake

I haven't suddenly gone extremely low carb. Here's what I've done (and not done) SO FAR...

1) I skip breakfast at most days and when I do have it I have it late so always leaving at least 14 hours of not eating in a 24 hour period.
2) I chucked out the Flora Light and Frylight and bought butter - I now used extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
3) I've cut potatoes/rice/noodles out of most meals...I've still have these but much smaller portions usually at weekends.
4) I've had no pasta or cous cous or cereal.
5) I've had less fruit and stuck to just strawberries.
6) I've had more fish/salmon/chicken plus veg and salads although I ate these a lot anyway - I've cut down peas/sweetcorn/carrots etc. and had more broccoli/cauliflower/aubergine etc.
7) I would love to say I've cut out choc completely but I've failed...however!...I am having A LOT LESS and have lots of choc-free days which for me is amazing!...I literally ate chocolate every single day before reducing carbs. The amount I eat is declining rather than increasing for the first time in a long time.
8) I have cut out Robinsons no added sugar squashes and have just plain water at home. I also have 2-3 cans of Diet Coke a day and I'm still confused about whether diet drinks trick your body into thinking it's having sugar. If my sugar levels don't go down I will make this the next thing to cut out but I find just water difficult.
9) Eating out has been more tricky but I've opted for things I wouldn't usually e.g. Chicken salad instead of chicken burger!
10) I wasn't drinking much alcohol anyway but have been restricting myself to a single gin and slimline tonic once or twice a week. No wine.

I know I still have a long way to go to but I hope I'm on the right track! I feel like I'm making progress and although slower than I probably need to it feels manageable this way for the long term. My total carbs each day had gone from approx. 250-300g per day (maybe even more, I had to try work out what I was eating prior to diagnosis) to 100-150g per day.

Got about 6 more weeks until next blood tests...seems like ages!

 

[Sampat]

Hi all!

I joined a few weeks ago and asked about Low Carb High Fat and Intermittent Fasting compared to the Eat Well Plate. Bthanks agin t all those who advised me.

After years of trying WW and SW which are
both low fat diets I decided to try LCHF and IF after suggestions and after finding out so much about them that makes sense...my main reading/viewing has been Dr Jason Fung and Dr Andrea Eenfedlt (DietDoctor).

So how have I been getting on?...
I'VE LOST 8lbs so far!!!
I haven't felt hungry all that much and my cravings for sweet things have definitely dropped...maybe from my (usually appalling) willpower being given a kick with the shock of having prediabetes and knowing I have to change what I eat but I think more as a result of lowering my carb intake

I haven't suddenly gone extremely low carb. Here's what I've done (and not done) SO FAR...

1) I skip breakfast at most days and when I do have it I have it late so always leaving at least 14 hours of not eating in a 24 hour period.
2) I chucked out the Flora Light and Frylight and bought butter - I now used extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
3) I've cut potatoes/rice/noodles out of most meals...I've still have these but much smaller portions usually at weekends.
4) I've had no pasta or cous cous or cereal.
5) I've had less fruit and stuck to just strawberries.
6) I've had more fish/salmon/chicken plus veg and salads although I ate these a lot anyway - I've cut down peas/sweetcorn/carrots etc. and had more broccoli/cauliflower/aubergine etc.
7) I would love to say I've cut out choc completely but I've failed...however!...I am having A LOT LESS and have lots of choc-free days which for me is amazing!...I literally ate chocolate every single day before reducing carbs. The amount I eat is declining rather than increasing for the first time in a long time.
8) I have cut out Robinsons no added sugar squashes and have just plain water at home. I also have 2-3 cans of Diet Coke a day and I'm still confused about whether diet drinks trick your body into thinking it's having sugar. If my sugar levels don't go down I will make this the next thing to cut out but I find just water difficult.
9) Eating out has been more tricky but I've opted for things I wouldn't usually e.g. Chicken salad instead of chicken burger!
10) I wasn't drinking much alcohol anyway but have been restricting myself to a single gin and slimline tonic once or twice a week. No wine.

I know I still have a long way to go to but I hope I'm on the right track! I feel like I'm making progress and although slower than I probably need to it feels manageable this way for the long term. My total carbs each day had gone from approx. 250-300g per day (maybe even more, I had to try work out what I was eating prior to diagnosis) to 100-150g per day.

Got about 6 more weeks until next blood tests...seems like ages!

 

[Sampat]

Well done. Good to read posts like yours which encourage me to keep on the right track. I have a similar diet to yours and yesterday had test results of 5.9 which both my GP and I are very happy with.

I was a chocoholic my whole life till my prediabetes diagnosis. I still have chocolate every day, three squares of 70% +or 80% after lunch and 2 squares of the same after dinner. Now I cannot stand the sickly sweet taste of the bars I used to devour. You might want to try to re-educate your taste buds by trying it. Also I have completely cut fruit juices of all types from my diet (I am lucky in that I never drank Cola of any kind) and water is my drink with meals. I allow myself a glass of red wine with dinner at weekends or when I go out.

 

[AndBreathe]

Hi all!

I joined a few weeks ago and asked about Low Carb High Fat and Intermittent Fasting compared to the Eat Well Plate. Bthanks agin t all those who advised me.

After years of trying WW and SW which are
both low fat diets I decided to try LCHF and IF after suggestions and after finding out so much about them that makes sense...my main reading/viewing has been Dr Jason Fung and Dr Andrea Eenfedlt (DietDoctor).

So how have I been getting on?...
I'VE LOST 8lbs so far!!!
I haven't felt hungry all that much and my cravings for sweet things have definitely dropped...maybe from my (usually appalling) willpower being given a kick with the shock of having prediabetes and knowing I have to change what I eat but I think more as a result of lowering my carb intake

I haven't suddenly gone extremely low carb. Here's what I've done (and not done) SO FAR...

1) I skip breakfast at most days and when I do have it I have it late so always leaving at least 14 hours of not eating in a 24 hour period.
2) I chucked out the Flora Light and Frylight and bought butter - I now used extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
3) I've cut potatoes/rice/noodles out of most meals...I've still have these but much smaller portions usually at weekends.
4) I've had no pasta or cous cous or cereal.
5) I've had less fruit and stuck to just strawberries.
6) I've had more fish/salmon/chicken plus veg and salads although I ate these a lot anyway - I've cut down peas/sweetcorn/carrots etc. and had more broccoli/cauliflower/aubergine etc.
7) I would love to say I've cut out choc completely but I've failed...however!...I am having A LOT LESS and have lots of choc-free days which for me is amazing!...I literally ate chocolate every single day before reducing carbs. The amount I eat is declining rather than increasing for the first time in a long time.
8) I have cut out Robinsons no added sugar squashes and have just plain water at home. I also have 2-3 cans of Diet Coke a day and I'm still confused about whether diet drinks trick your body into thinking it's having sugar. If my sugar levels don't go down I will make this the next thing to cut out but I find just water difficult.
9) Eating out has been more tricky but I've opted for things I wouldn't usually e.g. Chicken salad instead of chicken burger!
10) I wasn't drinking much alcohol anyway but have been restricting myself to a single gin and slimline tonic once or twice a week. No wine.

I know I still have a long way to go to but I hope I'm on the right track! I feel like I'm making progress and although slower than I probably need to it feels manageable this way for the long term. My total carbs each day had gone from approx. 250-300g per day (maybe even more, I had to try work out what I was eating prior to diagnosis) to 100-150g per day.

Got about 6 more weeks until next blood tests...seems like ages!

Well done on all those changes PreRR. What impact have they had on your blood scores? Do you test at home?

 

[Kristin251]

Very well done! I don't care for plain water either. I used to like a lemon squeeze in it but now I just drink seltzer water. I like the fizz without the sweet and it is refreshing. My stomach does not tolerate artificial sweeteners. Maybe try seltzer? It comes in many favors.
Good luck on your next test!

 

[Kyi]

IMO EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) is too expensive to use as a cooking oil. A little drizzled over food will have all its nutritional value where as using it in cooking loses some of the health benefits. On the whole your change to diet is a good one. you have not mentioned anything about the fats other than olive oil and coconut oil. There are other ways to increase the fats. Nuts and avocados. Also there is nothing on the dairy you are eating. Watch your B range vitamins, D and Calcium as these help digest fats. Its one of the reasons why I add red meat into my diet. Ive also added linseeds/flax seeds into my diet to increase the fiber and nutrients. Well done for the changes so far. Keep up the good work.

 

[zand]

Very well done! That's an impressive amount of changes in a short time. Great weight loss too

 

[preRR]

I was a chocoholic my whole life till my prediabetes diagnosis. I still have chocolate every day, three squares of 70% +or 80% after lunch and 2 squares of the same after dinner. Now I cannot stand the sickly sweet taste of the bars I used to devour. You might want to try to re-educate your taste buds by trying it.

 

[preRR]

This is really encouraging I'm going to try dark chocolate! Maybe someone will buy me a dark chocolate Easter Egg to start me off! (A small one!)

 

[preRR]

Well done on all those changes PreRR. What impact have they had on your blood scores? Do you test at home?

Thanks!
I don't know about my bloods yet...that's my worry! I've only had one test via my GP and the follow up was not with a diabetic nurse. I have the same tests again mid-May and after them have to see the diabetic nurse. I don't test at home but have been reading about it...so may well start...especiall to see which foods increase my sugars more as there seems to be a lot of variation among everyone!

 

[preRR]

Very well done! I don't care for plain water either. I used to like a lemon squeeze in it but now I just drink seltzer water. I like the fizz without the sweet and it is refreshing. My stomach does not tolerate artificial sweeteners. Maybe try seltzer? It comes in many favors.
Good luck on your next test!

Oooh what is seltzer?...I haven't heard of this

 

[preRR]

IMO EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) is too expensive to use as a cooking oil. A little drizzled over food will have all its nutritional value where as using it in cooking loses some of the health benefits. On the whole your change to diet is a good one. you have not mentioned anything about the fats other than olive oil and coconut oil. There are other ways to increase the fats. Nuts and avocados. Also there is nothing on the dairy you are eating. Watch your B range vitamins, D and Calcium as these help digest fats. Its one of the reasons why I add red meat into my diet. Ive also added linseeds/flax seeds into my diet to increase the fiber and nutrients. Well done for the changes so far. Keep up the good work.

Thanks for all the extra tips!
I forgot to mention dairy! I'm not a big lover but I have been eating more cheese than usual and I've been having walnuts for snacks but haven't felt like snacking all that much compared to normal! I've also been converting back to the things WW and SW got me out of - things like keeping the skin on chicken, rind on bacon, etc. I'l usually have beef mince once or twice a week so I'll continue with that too....just without the potatoes/pasta etc!

 

[AndBreathe]

Thanks!
I don't know about my bloods yet...that's my worry! I've only had one test via my GP and the follow up was not with a diabetic nurse. I have the same tests again mid-May and after them have to see the diabetic nurse. I don't test at home but have been reading about it...so may well start...especiall to see which foods increase my sugars more as there seems to be a lot of variation among everyone!

Managing what we eat, combined with the immediate feedback of self testing is a very powerful mix in getting to grips with diabetes. I consider my self testing to have been an investment in my future wellbeing.

 

[preRR]

Very well done! That's an impressive amount of changes in a short time. Great weight loss too

Thanks, I'm quite determined but it's all so new to me....so hope I can stick with the changes and make even more!
I forgot to say I've also lost 3cm on my waist! (my waistline is where pretty much all my excess sits, not in proportion to the rest of my body at all...often get asked when my baby is due )

 

[SunnyExpat]

Thanks!
I don't know about my bloods yet...that's my worry! I've only had one test via my GP and the follow up was not with a diabetic nurse. I have the same tests again mid-May and after them have to see the diabetic nurse. I don't test at home but have been reading about it...so may well start...especiall to see which foods increase my sugars more as there seems to be a lot of variation among everyone!

Self testing is the only way to be sure what effect any particular food has on you.
I was fortunate, in that my doctor prescribed me a meter, after I talked to him about changing my diet, and he realised I was seriously going to make changes. I'm still prescribed strips on a continuing basis, after I have brought my diabetes under control, and am back in the 'normal' range, and proved I used them effectively.
If you need to, it is worth self funding one.

 

[Kyi]

Thanks for all the extra tips!
I forgot to mention dairy! I'm not a big lover but I have been eating more cheese than usual and I've been having walnuts for snacks but haven't felt like snacking all that much compared to normal! I've also been converting back to the things WW and SW got me out of - things like keeping the skin on chicken, rind on bacon, etc. I'l usually have beef mince once or twice a week so I'll continue with that too....just without the potatoes/pasta etc!

Celeriac or cauliflower mash makes a great shepherd's/cottage pie for your mince

 

[Robbity]

And it's probably worth buying good quality higher (e.g.15%) fat mince rather than the very lean stuff.

Testing your response to your food will keep you going in the right direction - so it's definitely worth getting a meter. Look into the SD Codefree which many people here use - meters themselves are relatively cheap, but the Codefree strips are much cheaper than most other brands and the test strips will be the main cost. They're available from Amazon and eBay.

Robbity

 

[SunnyExpat]

And it's probably worth buying good quality higher (e.g.15%) fat mince rather than the very lean stuff.

Testing your response to your food will keep you going in the right direction - so it's definitely worth getting a meter. Look into the SD Codefree which many people here use - meters themselves are relatively cheap, but the Codefree strips are much cheaper than most other brands and the test strips will be the main cost. They're available from Amazon and eBay.

Robbity

The only high quality, high fat mince would be one you mince yourself.
High fat mince is every manky offcut from the remnants of the carcass they can't present in the shop as meat.

 

[Kyi]

Ive said goodbye to the eat well plate too. Got my checkup today on the LC diet I have dropped my sugar Hb1AC from 9.4 to 7.5% lost 20lb I only aim to lose 1-2lb a week) and have good cholesterol readings in the last 2 months. On the eat well plate I did not lose anything and my sugars and cholesterol went up.

 

[Kyi]

This is really encouraging I'm going to try dark chocolate! Maybe someone will buy me a dark chocolate Easter Egg to start me off! (A small one!)

Chocologic No Added Sugar Dark Chocolate 80G Tesco sell it and I assume other places too. It has the lowest CARBS Ive seen at 2.5g for 4 small pieces. I have tried it and it tastes like chocolate.