Any of you people 'foodies'?

[Useless Pretty Boy]

It's just a question that popped into my head. I read all the posts by the extreme low-carbers here; the ones who seem to hate carbohydrate with a passion. They always go on about how they don't feel as hungry any more or how they don't eat as much, blah blah blah.

I wanted to ask if any of you who go the really low carb route actually have any kind of interest in food whatsoever. Or is eating just a chore to you?

I'm asking because I do my best to keep my carbs down, just so I don't have to inject as much insulin. However, despite fitting nicely between the 'typical' and 'liberal' low carb labels in fergus' introductory post to this forum, I've found that on more than one occasion I've been rather severely cudgelled (in what felt like a positively evangelical manner, I might add) for suggesting that it's ok to eat a bowl of pasta while staying inside those limits. General vibe - "Grr! Carbs are evil. How dare you mention their name in this forum?!"

I love food and I love to cook and I just can't imagine putting myself into a position where food loses its appeal from a taste point of view. Feeling hungry is amazing - because it kicks your brain chemicals into ramping up the 'volume' on all the flavours you get to eat. Removing that, as I've noticed some people claim they have is positively alien to me. And I can only imagine my life would gain an impressive tinge of beige were I to go as far as seems to be advocated here.

Does anyone else here get that real love for flavours and food? Or does it just hold no interest for all of you? I ask because I get the feeling that if it's the latter, I'm almost certainly wasting my time here.

 

[sugarless sue]

I can't imagine not enjoying my food!! The secret is ,however, to eat things that you enjoy but try and stick within your personal carb limit.
Although I rarely feel very hungry I do look forward to my meals and yes, I do not eat as much as I used to but I still enjoy what I do eat.
If we do go out for a meal then I pick within my personal limits and don't worry too much if I go 'over ' that one time.

 

[cugila]

Aaah, UPB. To carb or not to carb....?

I reduced all my carb intake drastically but I am still eating most of the things that I used to eat before just in vastlly smaller portion sizes. All my food is tasty and nutritious and like Sue says I also don't feel hungry, I just eat two main meals a day with a small lunch during the day.

I also love food and love cooking. I also love life and if by reducing carbs it can add years to my life then that is what I will do.

We don't live to eat.......we eat to live. There is a difference.

 

[hanadr]

UPB
I'm a good cook and enjoy delicious food. I cook in my own style, lowered carb, based on my Czech heritage. ( our cuisine is fantastic) with influences of English and Italian.
I AM NOT hungry. I do have meat, fish, eggs, cheese, vegetables, the occasional crispbread, butter, cream.
I share my recipes with friends. I have posted some.

 

[Reetpetite]

I too love food - love to cook and love to eat. Even with low-carbing there is no need not to enjoy good food. I love the challenge of finding new recipes to feed myself and my family and friends. Most of the time they don't even realise they are eating low-carb meals - they just enjoy them and I've lost over 2 stone by eating great food - what more could you ask for!

Try reading Karen Barnaby's book - The low-carb gourmet - she has some great recipes for a 'foodie'.

Like the others who have posted - I am rarely hungry and don't have the food cravings I used to have and the great thing is I don't feel deprived. In fact I've just made a Lime and Mascapone Cheesecake which is delicious - unfortunately it's not for me but for a 'non-diabetic' friend who asked me to make it for her husband and grandson who loved it when I served it at a barbeque a couple of weeks ago - oh well at least I got to lick the bowl! Maybe, I'll make one for me this weekend as a special treat!

Rita

 

[Reetpetite]

I too love food - love to cook and love to eat. Even with low-carbing there is no need not to enjoy good food. I love the challenge of finding new recipes to feed myself and my family and friends. Most of the time they don't even realise they are eating low-carb meals - they just enjoy them and I've lost over 2 stone by eating great food - what more could you ask for!

Try reading Karen Barnaby's book - The low-carb gourmet - she has some great recipes for a 'foodie'.

Like the others who have posted - I am rarely hungry and don't have the food cravings I used to have and the great thing is I don't feel deprived. In fact I've just made a Lime and Mascapone Cheesecake which is delicious - unfortunately it's not for me but for a 'non-diabetic' friend who asked me to make it for her husband and grandson who loved it when I served it at a barbeque a couple of weeks ago - oh well at least I got to lick the bowl! Maybe, I'll make one for me this weekend as a special treat!

Rita

 

[graham64]

It's just a question that popped into my head. I read all the posts by the extreme low-carbers here; the ones who seem to hate carbohydrate with a passion. They always go on about how they don't feel as hungry any more or how they don't eat as much, blah blah blah.

It's not a matter of hating carbs but more the effect they have on blood glucose, as a T2 I eat to my meter so I adjust my diet to suit, that's why I low carb and the reason why after nearly 18months I'm still not on medication. When you say we don't feel hungry you should have added between meals, big difference. It's a fact LC/HF is more satiating for a longer period than HC/LF hence the need for less snacking between meals.

I wanted to ask if any of you who go the really low carb route actually have any kind of interest in food whatsoever. Or is eating just a chore to you?

I love my food, eating will never be chore, I kicked the low fat “healthy” processed foods into touch, now I use the local butchers and farm shops and get far better and tastier food now. It is a bit more expensive to buy but worth every penny.

I'm asking because I do my best to keep my carbs down, just so I don't have to inject as much insulin. However, despite fitting nicely between the 'typical' and 'liberal' low carb labels in fergus' introductory post to this forum, I've found that on more than one occasion I've been rather severely cudgelled (in what felt like a positively evangelical manner, I might add) for suggesting that it's ok to eat a bowl of pasta while staying inside those limits. General vibe - "Grr! Carbs are evil. How dare you mention their name in this forum?!"

The LC forum is populated by mainly non insulin dependants who can't cover the pasta with increased medication, and have seen the unacceptable high BG levels from pasta.

I love food and I love to cook and I just can't imagine putting myself into a position where food loses its appeal from a taste point of view. Feeling hungry is amazing - because it kicks your brain chemicals into ramping up the 'volume' on all the flavours you get to eat. Removing that, as I've noticed some people claim they have is positively alien to me. And I can only imagine my life would gain an impressive tinge of beige were I to go as far as seems to be advocated here.

As I stated I also enjoy my food and yes I do get hungry, I've got a very nice sirloin for tonight and will savour every last morsel. As I like my steaks medium rare I can assure you no tinge of beige

Does anyone else here get that real love for flavours and food? Or does it just hold no interest for all of you? I ask because I get the feeling that if it's the latter, I'm almost certainly wasting my time here.

Take a look at the food forum and some of the LC recipes plenty of flavours to suit all tastes, do they look like recipes from people who have no interest in food, looks the exact opposite to me.

Graham
 

 

[Spiral]

Before I started to low carb I was constantly ravenous and used to eat large meals and be hungry again an our later. I think it was quantity rather than quality.

Since I cleaned up my act and started low carbing I have found that I'm not hungry between meals rather than not hungry. There was a time I could not make it from breakfast (just after 9) to lunch (usually around 12.30) without needing a snack :? No problem with that now.

Afternoons are a bit different as it is a longer gap between lunch and dinner and I enjoy a snack, usually some lovely nuts. I enjoy every mouthful of the taste and texture of a macadamia or almond.

I have found my tastebuds have changed and I'm not using anywhere near as much salt - it was not a consious effort to reduce this either. I really enjoy my food. I have experimented with lots of new recipies and ingredients and I have been introduced to things I have never eaten before. My diet is more interesting and varied and much higher quality than it has been for years.

Low carb is probably the best dietary change I have ever made. It isn't a hardship to stick to the diet.

 

[AliB]

I don't hate all carbs UPB - just the ones that cause problems.

I daresay that had my diet from birth not followed the path of the 'normal' high-carb, high-sugar Western diet and had been based around mainly good wholesome natural foods, then the occasional foray into chocolate cake, crisps and the like probably would have done little or no harm.

But I followed the trend of cereal for breakfast, sugar in my tea/coffee/chocolate, snacks, sandwiches, toast, bread with everything, biscuits, cake, sweets - oh, the hedonistic pleasure - whatever I wanted, and when I wanted it.

I'm paying the price for it now, of course.

I was born to entertain. I could rustle up anything. Trouble was, most of it revolved around carbs. I could throw a cake together without weighing the ingredients. I could knock up a lasagne for 12 people. I could cater for 50 without batting an eyelid. And I was renowned for my skills.

Knowing the damage I was unwittingly causing to myself and to my family and anyone else who ate my gorgeous cream cakes, and my chocolate trifles, and my rich sweet sticky toffee pudding fills me with horror now.

You feel that I hate carbs with a passion. Well, maybe you are right. But I don't want to be Diabetic- do you?

Because of my gluten intolerance I also come in contact with many others with gluten intolerance and Celiac Disease. The range of health issues that they all suffer with because of gluten is enough to put anyone off it.

We just assume that ill-health is 'normal'. Why? Because everyone around us has it? The fact that there are still pockets of people around the World who do not get sick has to tell us something!

The state has taken away our independence. I know of people who would rather be sick and rely on the state to prop them up and pay their rent and who would never dream of giving up their constant supply of stodgy carbs than take responsibility for their own health and at least try and get well.

I love food. But like Ken said - I don't live to eat - I now eat to live.

What I do enjoy now is the challenge of producing a gorgeous tasty meal that is both low-carb and extremely delicious - and if it is quick to make, even better.

How about gently sauteed trout with lemon and coriander sauce served with buttered green beans, or mixed vegetable and chicken stir fry, or M&S 93% pork sausages served with creamed cauliflower cheese and sauteed cabbage and onion with balsamic vinegar?

All good, all natural, and extremely delicious - and barely a carb in sight.

 

[AliB]

By the way - talking about gluten, did anyone see the report in the Daily Mail about the stowaways found at Calais inside a tanker of gluten bound for Wrexham?

So, not content with already having upped the amount of gluten in grains through hybridisation, etc., from about 2% to at least 13% are they now adding even more to it??? No wonder people are sick. (A friend of ours - whilst she appears to cope ok with other brands, gets sick when she eats Brace's bread - goodness knows what they put in that!)

Gluten is the latin word for glue. Some of the strongest glues are made from it. What the heck is it doing to our insides??!

Maybe it was destined for a glue factory - but then again perhaps it was on its way to a bakery.......

 

[Spiral]

And another thing...

If we didn't enjoy our food, we would not be sticking to the diet. This is the story of "diets" everywhere, especially to lose weight. If you feel deprived you just don't have the motivation to stick to it and you have justification to cheat.

But that isn't why we low carb, this is a pattern of eating for the rest of our lives.

I have already restricted my diet on one previous occasion, in 1985 I went vegetarian. I have known many people to look at me with pity and say that they used to be a vegetarian. I have also fed people who had no idea that I was a vegetarian until after all the food had been eaten.

Point is, if you restrict your diet and then expect a meal to look the same at it used to, only without the things you have excluded you will get bored. Most of the people I know who tell me they used to be a vegetarian got bored with tomato based sauces and lentils or were trying to replicate a meat and 2 veg meal. You have to see food differently, and that means being creative and innovative so that it looks nice and tatses nice.

 

[byatt]

Like others have said, I have reduced carbs because of the effect it has on my BG levels.

But I am a foodie...love food...I just don't have pasta, potatoes or rice with my meals anymore...at first I missed them, it seemed so strange not adding them to my plate, but now, I have fab meals without them...really look forward to my dinner especially! Cook vegetables in a variety of ways, and have lots of fish...which I love.

 

[fergus]

Me too.
I've never eaten a better, more delicious, more satisfying diet than I do now. All I've left behind is the stuff that doesn't really deserve to be called food - empty, nutrition free, addictive and harmful starch and sugar.
To not be hungry has nothing to do with not enjoying food - I relish every mouthful. It has everything to do with the body being properly nourished with all the elements necessary for good health. I'm more and more convinced that uncontrollable hunger is simply a symptom that the body needs nutrition unavailable from carbohydrates and urges us to keep eating until we get it.
I cook every day - fresh meat, fresh vegetables, cream, cheese, nuts, (some) fruit, wine, everything I could ever want.
We are all foodies!

fergus

 

[yipster29]

yep and me!!
Love my meals probably more than I ever did, certainly notice the taste more and my tastes have changed substantially in only 6 months to loving some things I thought were 'bland' before but now my taste buds have recovered from the carbs!
I'm also inbetween typical and liberal but never touch the 'bad' carbs and have never felt better.

I'm a foodie completely!! (and also a wine-y!! :wink: such a result there's no carbs in red... )

Cath

 

[Doczoc]

Total foodie here. I'm often accused of being a 'ponce' by colleagues because of my refined palette LOL

As for hating carbs, not me, I love them. I'm a carb addict!!! Trouble is they are killing me.

As for flavours that's what spices and herbs are for!!! The only thing I miss is bread. Rice pasta and potaoes offer very little flavour or nutrients come to that! I eat well, just needs a little more imagination, you get out what you put into it I'm afraid. Like all cooking. If you are used to eating lots of processed foods then I can see why moving to a low carb diet would be difficult, if you are a genuine foody, it's a breeze.

As for the hunger thing, my carb addiction made me a food addict. Being CONSTANTLY hungry isn't a healthy way of being, carbs made me that way. Now I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm satiated. I actually leave food on the plate! Never done that in my life until now. Funnily enough all my thin mates do that all the time, they're lucky that carbs don't have the same effect on them as me! I still enjoy food, I still ADORE food, but my relationship to it has changed. Now I'm in control of it, it doesn't control me.

 

[AliB]

Going back to this, I feel that a lot of the problems people have when they change their diet is in ditching the habits.

Many of the foods we eat are as a result of deeply entrenched lifetime habits.

It's programmed into us from a very young age that breakfast means cereal - probably triggered by John Harvey Kellogg and his 'healthy' Cornflakes.

Porridge has been a breakfast staple for centuries, yes, but before the advent of cereal people would eat all sorts of things to 'break' their 'fast'. Herrings and kippers were an age old 'break-fast' for many, eggs of course, bacon, sweetbreads, chitterlings (yuk - offal of different kinds was quite a staple, especially in poorer societies).

At the end of the day it is just another meal. If you wanted to eat the same food for breakfast, dinner and tea, there is nothing to stop you doing that (and there are many around the World who do). We only eat the Western diet because that is the habit that has been 'bred' into us.

Particularly over the last fifty or sixty years the diet has changed and now contains far more carbohydrate than it ever has. As Michael Pollan said - don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognise as food, and don't eat anything with unpronounceable ingredients. The best way of doing that is to stick to REAL food and make things yourself.

I love food - I just don't love the 'foodlike substances' that people are led to believe are food.

 

[Verve09]

I fully agree with all the other posts. I love cooking, experimenting with new foods and eating my dishes. Like others have mentioned, it's challenging finding meals that are low/zero-carb. Before I began low-carbing, my diet was seriously restricted and quite honestly, boring! I was petrified of fat and only had a few set meals I could eat regularly. Now, however, I'm enjoying a much more varied diet and selection of food. Everything I eat is natural and tastes fantastic.

Plus, as Cath mentioned, red wine can work in the low-carb diet - how can that be bad?!

Best of luck with it.

 

[Patch]

This is the weirdest thread ever. Who here DOESN'T love every single thing about food???

I do.

That's the reason I weight 17st. (6'2").

There is NO association between love of food and lo-carbing. If I ate in accordance with my love of food, I'd be even heavier! (and I have been up to 20st at one point).

Food used to rule my life - I saw that as a negative thing, and found that lo-carbing stopped that. If you see your love of food as a positive (and can control your intake) - good on ya.

Seems to me like the more a of a "foodie" you are, the better you get on with lo-carbing. By that I mean only foodies would invest the time and energy trying, and creating, new lo-carb recipes. It's the poeople that rely on ready meals and sandwiches that don't get on with lo-carbing.

Good food in general, is labourious...

 

[Doczoc]

What he said +1

 

[gbswales]

Interesting all of the articles I read are from people who "love finding new ways to cook things" - cooking for me has always rather spoiled the pleasure of eating. I used to love cooking dinner parties for friends but rarely enjoyed the food myself, The real problem for low carbing comes with not loving cooking, not wanting to experiment etc. Dont get me wrong I love trying new things and if there were a chinese and indian low carb take away near me or a supermarket full of low carb meals I can pop in the oven I would find it very easy and enjoyable.

I am managing in my own way but after a month I would be lying if I were to say I enjoyed it. At first I thought "great" everyone says snack on nuts, butter and fat is ok, mince, ham and other meats are ok - though less enthusiasm for the healthier vegetables I am afraid. However it only took me a short time to fathom out that the only nuts I REALLY like are no good - cashews, that there is little use for butter without bread and to remind myself that while I like some nice quality (or minced rubbish too) meats - I dont actually like too much of them

The craving I have is for sweet things - I bought some 85% cocoa chocolate but it had no satisfying taste despite being very expensive - and that is another thing - if I buy all the things that are low carb I can see my budget going to pieces over the months.

I keep going forward but my perserverance rate is poor