high fat was not necessary - high exercise was not necessary

[Bluetit1802]

Yeah I know you did loose weight.
But the basic thing with LCHF is that you don't need to count calories and that counting calories often stops weight loss.

I think it all about how you manage things. Or at least it was for me. I clearly don't have any genetic or hormonal or thyroid stuff to deal with, but going high fat for me meant just enough fat to lose weight. I imagine some people eat too much fat because they think they can eat as much as they like, but for weight loss you can't do this. Since trying to stop losing I am eating a great deal more fat than I was. I have to or I lose again. It was the same in reverse. Calorie counting helped me lose over 31% of my weight over a period of 9 or 10 months, a steady gradual loss, nothing drastic and nothing more than 2lbs in any one week, often only 1lb. but no plateaux or stalls.

 

[Brunneria]

Just to pipe up again, I am absolutely convinced that the amount of fat/calories that I eat has nothing to do with my weightloss.

Carbs do.
Activity levels do. (I can't be sedentary, or no loss)
But there are other factors which also seem to impact - hormones, stress levels, sleep, water intake.

But I repeat, high fat and high calories do not seem to stop the loss.
On some occasions I can eat nearly 3,000 calories a day for several days (on hol, say - where's the piggy smilie? ), and I'm more likely to lose that week, if I've kept off the carbs and been active.

For me, it is all about the insulin resistance (the hormones seem to do that).

 

[Ali H]

Yes I am watching calories as well so more low carb quite moderate fat and trying to come in below 1600 cals a day. As I said earlier, cals in cals out is utter tosh where I am concerned, I am living proof you can consume less cals than you burn and not lose weight. I did 1200 cals and low carbs at around 100g a day a couple of years ago for my Endo, for 3 months, zilch weight loss, not so much as an ounce.

Ali

 

[Totto]

I think it all about how you manage things. Or at least it was for me. I clearly don't have any genetic or hormonal or thyroid stuff to deal with, but going high fat for me meant just enough fat to lose weight. I imagine some people eat too much fat because they think they can eat as much as they like, but for weight loss you can't do this. Since trying to stop losing I am eating a great deal more fat than I was. I have to or I lose again. It was the same in reverse. Calorie counting helped me lose over 31% of my weight over a period of 9 or 10 months, a steady gradual loss, nothing drastic and nothing more than 2lbs in any one week, often only 1lb. but no plateaux or stalls.

I repeat: On LCHF you don't need to count calories. You may have to cut down on dairy or so but you don't need to count calories. The thing with LCHF is that it helps regulates the hormones, all kinds of hormones, including the hormones that regulates hunger and satiety.

So fine if you lost the weight you needed to loose on calorie restriction but others may not be as lucky as you. The common behaviour of our bodies is to shut off and refuse to budge. No wonder, it can see it's starvation time.

But on LCHF proper you eat when hungry until you are full. You keep the carbs to a minimum and you loose weight if that is needed.

 

[Totto]

Yes I am watching calories as well so more low carb quite moderate fat and trying to come in below 1600 cals a day. As I said earlier, cals in cals out is utter tosh where I am concerned, I am living proof you can consume less cals than you burn and not lose weight. I did 1200 cals and low carbs at around 100g a day a couple of years ago for my Endo, for 3 months, zilch weight loss, not so much as an ounce.

Ali

And that is exactly the point I'm trying to make. If your body is faced with the threat of starvation it will hold on to what fat resources there are and keep them on. Try and up your fat intake and trust your feelings of hunger and satiety. Don't count calories. Cut down on carbs, don't overdo the protein but eat until you are full, then stop. When hungry again, eat. Repeat.

 

[Totto]

Yes I am watching calories as well so more low carb quite moderate fat and trying to come in below 1600 cals a day. As I said earlier, cals in cals out is utter tosh where I am concerned, I am living proof you can consume less cals than you burn and not lose weight. I did 1200 cals and low carbs at around 100g a day a couple of years ago for my Endo, for 3 months, zilch weight loss, not so much as an ounce.

Ali

Yes the cals in- cals out idea is dead. It just doesn't work like that. Engines do but they aren't regulated by hormones.

 

[zand]

@Totto Well I am being brave and not calorie counting now. <30g carbs and as much fat as I can eat. I only started this on Monday, so time will tell with me, but for now I am convinced that this is the way for me personally.

 

[Ali H]

How is it going Zand? I find it so hard to take that leap of faith into eating more!!!!!! When you are my size the mere thought you could gain weight is untenable.

Ali

 

[Totto]

Be brave and trust in yourselves: http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf-saved

 

[zand]

How is it going Zand? I find it so hard to take that leap of faith into eating more!!!!!! When you are my size the mere thought you could gain weight is untenable.

Ali

What size are you Ali? I was 18 stones 9 lbs at my heaviest. I'm now 16 stones 1 lb. I have lost a bit of weight since Monday.

 

[Brunneria]

The thing with LCHF though is that you may not eat more.
You eat to your appetite.
Sometimes that is very little. Sometimes it's more, and sometimes it's a lot.

I'm one of the people who might as well have had a black hole instead of my stomach.
For decades.
I still have a good appetite, and an almost phobia about hypos and hunger pangs - decades of cal control and permanent hunger did that to me.

To start with I found eating FAT scary and intimidating. But you know, you do get butter/cheese/steak/creamed out. There IS a limit when your body says 'enough'. It may take a few days, but then you hit a wall when suddenly you aren't craving. Or planning the next slice of cheese. Or worried about control. And, frankly you don't want that half Brie in the fridge.

That's the point when i naturally started to listen to my body, for maybe the first time ever.
And I started forgetting to snack - because I was actually satiated by my meals.

It came as quite a surprise - and it took a while. Not overnight. Maybe in my (extreme) case it took a week or two, but it did happen. And it was such a relief.

After a year, I snack maybe twice a week, usually when my next meal will be late.

For me, escaping the diet/calorie mindset has been marvellous, but my goodness, it takes carb control. It only takes a smidge over my personal carb capacity, and The Hunger comes back.

 

[JTL]

Someone just said they are on very low fruit but eat a banana a day.
I probably eat three bananas a year.
A banana a day and I'd probably be hospitalised!

 

[Ali H]

Can't say I am hungry or need to eat more than my typical 1600 cals on this way of eating. not a snacker and rarely stray from my 3 meals a day. I am a similar size to you at your heaviest Zand but don't look it. I am not finding low carbing difficult tbh and think nothing of doing cauli rice or celeriac roasties, it's fine. But the weight won't shift, not an ounce.

Ali

 

[Totto]

Can't say I am hungry or need to eat more than my typical 1600 cals on this way of eating. not a snacker and rarely stray from my 3 meals a day. I am a similar size to you at your heaviest Zand but don't look it. I am not finding low carbing difficult tbh and think nothing of doing cauli rice or celeriac roasties, it's fine. But the weight won't shift, not an ounce.

Ali

Thyroid then. So common and they tell us Well you are in range so thyroid is ruled out but Oh so wrong they are. I gained 25 kilo+ on low thyroid hormones alone with all the test well in range and lost them all once I started to (self)medicate.

 

[Daphne917]

I have lost weight since doing low carb full fat but it may also have been helped by the fact that, after a number of years of not making up it's mind, I had a definate diagnosis of under active thyroid and started medication. Previous to that my metabolism would shut down if I went low cal and I found it very difficult, if not impossible, to lose weight. I feel for people such as Zand and Brunneria who are still struggling through no fault of their own.

 

[Ali H]

Always suspected thyroid but as you say, out of range. Recent one was 3.83 I think but UK rules out below 5, some countries below 4. What do you take?

Ali

 

[Daphne917]

I'm currently on 50mg of Levothyroxin per day and my levels are tested annually. Previous to that whenever it was tested it was either under or over which meant there was no consistent reading so they could not prescribe any medication.

 

[forge]

Someone just said they are on very low fruit but eat a banana a day.
I probably eat three bananas a year.
A banana a day and I'd probably be hospitalised!

Thanks @JACKTHELAD that was me I was given the option try a banana per day or go on meds for potassium. It fixed the problem but now I am chasing night time leg cramps that have disappeared when I got slack and did not eat my bananas.

On GPs advice I am cutting back now on the banana per day to see if I can maintain potassium and not get cramps,

 

[forge]

G'day all thanks for all the congratz.

I am a sample size of one so you should not take much notice of anything I say.

What is great though is that sample size of one is being expanded by the experiences in all these posts please keep them up.

I worked for years with a bloke who claimed that it was proven that eating was the only cause of obesity because no fat people came out of wartime concentration camps.

What we should all be striving for is good health not weight loss - weight loss can be part of achieving good health but we should make sure we keep our eye on the ball - the ball is good health. Diet success is good health not weight loss. Cosmetically weight loss is a bonus.

Please keep posting your experiences, it is all interesting reading and if it helps one reader then it was worth posting.

 

[JTL]

Thanks @JACKTHELAD that was me I was given the option try a banana per day or go on meds for potassium. It fixed the problem but now I am chasing night time leg cramps that have disappeared when I got slack and did not eat my bananas.

On GPs advice I am cutting back now on the banana per day to see if I can maintain potassium and not get cramps,

I think I'll do a Googly about potassium cos I'm thinking now .... where am I getting mine from.
You sound positive and enthusiastic which has to be good medicine in itself.
All the very best in your journey.