Starting my LCHF journey today

KatP6984 said:

Hi all,

After a long time in denial and some scary bg readings (18.2) I found this site and have spent the last week researching keto and low carb eating. I've weighed up the evidence and decided that for the sake of my Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity and non alcoholic fatty liver disease, it's well worth making the change now. In fact, I'm long overdue.

I've had such an unhealthy diet for so long, so many refined carbs, so much junk. I didn't listen to my body or the doctors when I was diagnosed, but I'm hoping I'm not too late to mitigate things.

What was the thing that helped you guys the most at the start? Even though I just started today I could use some words of wisdom for when the inevitable toast and cake cravings set in.
Thanks for "listening!"

Click to expand...

The thing that helped me most was my meter. (Or rather, at the time, our cat's meter, as he was an insulin dependant T3c. I got my own fast after that though.). I could see the impact I was having just with a change in diet. It was very, very motivational and empowering, to see the difference *I* could make. It also pointed out some of my mistakes, but on the whole.... It was a good way to keep on the straight and narrow. I also looked for things I could still eat which I thoroughly enjoyed, like extra dark chocolate. Forget the complicated, convoluted meals with crazy ingredients and just keep it simple. Bacon and eggs, a salad, just make sure you enjoy whatever's on your plate. There's absolutely no reason you have to eat stuff that tastes like cardboard.

Good luck, and enjoy getting your health back.
Jo

KatP6984 said:

Even though I just started today I could use some words of wisdom for when the inevitable toast and cake cravings set in.
Thanks for "listening!"

Click to expand...

Coffee with double cream.. indulgent and satiating.. use it to replace meals.. or sometimes just a glug of cream straight from the pot can be quite fllling.

Hi and welcome!

yes, getting a meter and adjusting my food intake to reduce the blood glucose rises.
Seeing what you are doing on a meter is invaluable.

Meter is great...I agree with others. Here's some other things that helped me the first few times I went low-carb.

• Eat as much as you want as often as you want if it's low carb while adjusting. I remember eating a dozen eggs one evening.
• Keep busy during the worst times. I used to go for walks while the wife and kids were eating if it was pasta or rice or something else "craveable".
• Drink lots of water. Get plenty of salt and electrolytes too.
• Full-on keto is actually easier (once adapted) than "kinda low carb". It sounds counter-intuitive, but the near total absence of carbs forces the body to use fat instead, while moderately low carb doesn't quite get your body there so you have more hunger and cravings.

It gets easier the longer you do it and the more committed you are to it.

Most of all, just know that it is worth it, and you can do it.

Again it was getting a BG meter for me.

Next it was eggs ( cooked any way), just eggs on their own for Breakfast. I found that often if my Fasting BG was higher than I would like in a morning, it always dropped after my eggy breakfast! I never got any increase in BG for plain eggs, it either stayed level or it dropped.

KatP6984 said:

I've had such an unhealthy diet for so long, so many refined carbs, so much junk."

Click to expand...

I felt this in my bones! Was exactly where you are now just around 7 months ago. Don’t despair! This first step you’re taking is in many ways the hardest part.

I think low carb - then Keto - saved my life. Within 2 weeks I was feeling better and in control. I also started doing IF but that came a little later.

The thing that helped me the most was doing grocery shops (online is easier because you can read nutrition info without anyone fussing around you) and just putting everything that worked and I liked the look of into my basket.

Then I viewed my trolley and tried to adjust quantities etc. based on what I’d need for each meal and every snack for the next 7 days. It was haphazard and mostly in my head but it really worked because essentially I just didn’t buy anything that WOULDN’T work with my diet.

I initially worked to a 50g carb target then after about two weeks doing it and realising it wasn’t hard I made it 20g. Have been doing this now since Feb. Have lost around 43kg and my A1c has dropped down to normal levels.

Mainstream health care protocols move slowly and will take time to catch up. Congratulations! That’s awesome progress.