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TOTALLY NEW TO LOW CARB / KETO

M

Muzzer

Well-Known Member
Messages
157
Type of diabetes
Type 2
This is my last day on the ND & have my BG under 6 (was in 20's)
I have lost 15% of my body weight (15st 2lbs down to 12st 7.5lbs)
My BMI is now in the healthy range at 24.6
My blood pressure is completely normal and I now take zero medication.

Obviously can't stay on ND and as I understand it, I now need to make a lif style change and keep my T2 under control via low carb or keto diet?


So here are my questions if anyone can help by answering and/or suggesting where I can research for further info:-

1. I don't want to lose anymore weight. How many carbs should I be looking to eat each day?

2. What is the difference between low-carb and keto diets?

3. Am I ok ignoring low carb and eating potatoes, pasta or bread, say, once a week?

4. can I have skimmed milk in my tea?
 
Hi @Muzzer and congratulations on your progress with the Newcastle Diet.

Answers to most of those questions are to do with personal preference. A keto diet is a low-carb diet where you eat few enough carbs and enough fat to put your body into fat burning mode so that it burns fat for energy instead of carbs - called keto as your body will go into ketosis. There’s much debate about what constitutes low carb - some say 130g carbs/day, others far fewer.

Personally I’m eating 20g or less a day but am actively trying to lose weight.

Suggest you have a good look around the Diet Doctor website:

https://www.dietdoctor.com/

There are also a few threads on eating low carb without losing weight in the low carb section on this website.
 
You've been around here long enough to know that the only way you can really answer those questions is self experimentation.

I'm guessing that as you have been severely calorie restricting for 2 months then you will put some weight back on anyway when you re-start normal eating.

As @Goonergal has said above the difference between keto and LCHF is the amount of carbs you eat and whether you are in nutritional ketosis. Again everyone will have a level of carb intake below which they will go into ketosis but that too will be individual to you. The 20g of carbs per day is usually used because almost everyone will be in nutritional ketosis if they only have that amount.

Occasional carbs may be ok but you'll need to check your blood sugar levels after eating. That will also show if your reaction has been changed by your ND trial

You can "have" whatever you want in your tea. If you are fat phobic then skimmed if you aren't then full-fat. Also a good test to see if your reaction to carb intake has changed.

No-one can tell you what the effect of dietary changes will be on your body except your meter.
 
Hi Muzzer,

I strongly suggest that you put as much research into low carbing as you did into setting off on your ND adventure. the research will really pay off.

There are a number of easily preventable pitfalls that unprepared new low carbers can fall into, from dehydration to constipation and electrolyte imbalances. a bit of self education and you can avoid all those and develop a really enjoyable and sustainable longterm way of eating.

the DietDoctor website is a very good starting point, and if you sign up for the free 30 day trial you can access everything on there (and there is a lot) then un-sign before any payment becomes due. The recipes are stonking. :D
 
Goonergal said:
Hi @Muzzer and congratulations on your progress with the Newcastle Diet.

Answers to most of those questions are to do with personal preference. A keto diet is a low-carb diet where you eat few enough carbs and enough fat to put your body into fat burning mode so that it burns fat for energy instead of carbs - called keto as your body will go into ketosis. There’s much debate about what constitutes low carb - some say 130g carbs/day, others far fewer.

Personally I’m eating 20g or less a day but am actively trying to lose weight.

Suggest you have a good look around the Diet Doctor website:

https://www.dietdoctor.com/

There are also a few threads on eating low carb without losing weight in the low carb section on this website.
Click to expand...

Hi Goonergal
Thanks for the congrats and for the reply.
As I understand things then, the difference between low carb diet and keto diet is that a Keto diet is very low carb diet and if you stay low carb <20g per day, there isn't enough for your body to get energy from and so starts burning fat for energy.
But I would have thought that's what a low carb diet also did, which is why I am confused.
 
bulkbiker said:
You've been around here long enough to know that the only way you can really answer those questions is self experimentation.

I'm guessing that as you have been severely calorie restricting for 2 months then you will put some weight back on anyway when you re-start normal eating.

As @Goonergal has said above the difference between keto and LCHF is the amount of carbs you eat and whether you are in nutritional ketosis. Again everyone will have a level of carb intake below which they will go into ketosis but that too will be individual to you. The 20g of carbs per day is usually used because almost everyone will be in nutritional ketosis if they only have that amount.

Occasional carbs may be ok but you'll need to check your blood sugar levels after eating. That will also show if your reaction has been changed by your ND trial

You can "have" whatever you want in your tea. If you are fat phobic then skimmed if you aren't then full-fat. Also a good test to see if your reaction to carb intake has changed.

No-one can tell you what the effect of dietary changes will be on your body except your meter.
Click to expand...
Hi
Thanks for the reply.
I have been around on the ND page only.
I have not looked at low carb diets until now, so I have only been here for a couple of days. This is why I am asking questions.
I honestly don't understand what ketosis IS or the difference between Leto diet and low carb diet. I am trying to figure out what I should be aiming for initially and then adjust accordingly.
I appreciate everybody is different but one can generalise to a degree.
I have been given the website for "thedietdoctor" so I will look there and try to establish which recipes are for me. I don't want to lose anymore weight and will be ok with a few pounds on.
Thanks again
 
Brunneria said:
Hi Muzzer,

I strongly suggest that you put as much research into low carbing as you did into setting off on your ND adventure. the research will really pay off.

There are a number of easily preventable pitfalls that unprepared new low carbers can fall into, from dehydration to constipation and electrolyte imbalances. a bit of self education and you can avoid all those and develop a really enjoyable and sustainable longterm way of eating.

the DietDoctor website is a very good starting point, and if you sign up for the free 30 day trial you can access everything on there (and there is a lot) then un-sign before any payment becomes due. The recipes are stonking. :D
Click to expand...
Thanks Brunneria. I am going to peruse that website. I just don't want to start losing any more weight and not sure what I can and can't eat or what 3% carbs means.
Total novice here
 
Muzzer said:
Hi
Thanks for the reply.
I have been around on the ND page only.
I have not looked at low carb diets until now, so I have only been here for a couple of days. This is why I am asking questions.
I honestly don't understand what ketosis IS or the difference between Leto diet and low carb diet. I am trying to figure out what I should be aiming for initially and then adjust accordingly.
I appreciate everybody is different but one can generalise to a degree.
I have been given the website for "thedietdoctor" so I will look there and try to establish which recipes are for me. I don't want to lose anymore weight and will be ok with a few pounds on.
Thanks again
Click to expand...

Sorry Muzzer I thought you might have read around a bit more.

For a decent explanation of nutritional ketosis wikipedia is your friend

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketosis
 
@Muzzer can I first say really well done. I assume that was over 12 weeks rather than 8. If it was 8 really REALLY well done. Incredible results.
As someone has already suggested experiment. You're going to have to go on weighing and testing. Currently , like @Goonergal , I'm on 20g or less of carbs but I have weight still to lose. I also use keto recipes.
Set a lowish starting figure with your carbs/calorie intake and if you are still losing weight gradually increase your intake until it stops. As far as bread , pasta etc is concerned it is a case of testing and seeing what they do to your BGs. There are always low carb alternatives available e.g. I use oomi noodles for spaghetti or in stir fry. I make low carb bread or there is Hovis lower carb seeded, Bfree seeded , lidl high protein rolls or Tesco high protein bread are all really good. The only thing I haven't managed to make low carb is a Scotch Pie. Keep weighing , keep checking and adjust accordingly - I've been experimenting for 9 years now and I can't see myself stopping. @Chook has been doing ND too and she had fish and chips out of a chippy recently with no ill effect on her BG so she's experimenting too. Have fun with it. Diet Doctor is a great place to start - wealth of info and the recipes are seriously good.
 
There isn't any great difference between all the ways of eating which are to do with ketosis.
Ketosis is fat burning - you would probably do it even if not low carbing for some part of the day or night, but to lose weight most people need to have longer periods of ketosis.
It might be easiest to get the answers to most of your questions if you can find a copy of Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution - there are free downloads on line, but I use the 2002 edition these days which gives a detailed explanation of how to go from low carb to maintaining weight. You do need to add in your maintenance of control over BG levels, but a bit of experimentation with different amounts of carbs and different meals should soon sort that out.
 
maglil55 said:
@Muzzer can I first say really well done. I assume that was over 12 weeks rather than 8. If it was 8 really REALLY well done. Incredible results.
As someone has already suggested experiment. You're going to have to go on weighing and testing. Currently , like @Goonergal , I'm on 20g or less of carbs but I have weight still to lose. I also use keto recipes.
Set a lowish starting figure with your carbs/calorie intake and if you are still losing weight gradually increase your intake until it stops. As far as bread , pasta etc is concerned it is a case of testing and seeing what they do to your BGs. There are always low carb alternatives available e.g. I use oomi noodles for spaghetti or in stir fry. I make low carb bread or there is Hovis lower carb seeded, Bfree seeded , lidl high protein rolls or Tesco high protein bread are all really good. The only thing I haven't managed to make low carb is a Scotch Pie. Keep weighing , keep checking and adjust accordingly - I've been experimenting for 9 years now and I can't see myself stopping. @Chook has been doing ND too and she had fish and chips out of a chippy recently with no ill effect on her BG so she's experimenting too. Have fun with it. Diet Doctor is a great place to start - wealth of info and the recipes are seriously good.
Click to expand...
maglil55 - yes, 8 weeks and thank you.
Some really good and encouraging info there, thank you so much for your help
 
"New Atkins for a New You" is a good book consider skipping “Phase 1” and starting with “Phase 2”, consider ND to your phase 1.

Another option is to keep to the ND for 2 or 3 days a week and for the other days "eat to your meter" when you test before and 2h after each meal, not having any meal to increase your BG by more than 2. You have two issues
  • Never eating anything that peaks your BG
  • And not putting the weight back on
 
Resurgam said:
There isn't any great difference between all the ways of eating which are to do with ketosis.
Ketosis is fat burning - you would probably do it even if not low carbing for some part of the day or night, but to lose weight most people need to have longer periods of ketosis.
It might be easiest to get the answers to most of your questions if you can find a copy of Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution - there are free downloads on line, but I use the 2002 edition these days which gives a detailed explanation of how to go from low carb to maintaining weight. You do need to add in your maintenance of control over BG levels, but a bit of experimentation with different amounts of carbs and different meals should soon sort that out.
Click to expand...
Resurgram thank you
I am beginning to get an inkling and feel much less lost due to everyone's contributions and direction.
Looks like I have some work to do!
ringi said:
"New Atkins for a New You" is a good book consider skipping “Phase 1” and starting with “Phase 2”, consider ND to your phase 1.

Another option is to keep to the ND for 2 or 3 days a week and for the other days "eat to your meter" when you test before and 2h after each meal, not having any meal to increase your BG by more than 2. You have two issues
  • Never eating anything that peaks your BG
  • And not putting the weight back on
Click to expand...
thanks ringi
 
Hi @Muzzer, very well done on reaching 15% weight loss. Your 4 questions have been answered. I can't say anything about potatoes, but if you are going to have pasta or bread here's my thoughts. Maybe try Lidl high protein roles, many on this site love em, Cook the pasta the night before, put in the fridge, reheat and see if you get a spike (from a reasonable portion); or try a lower than standard pasta version such as:
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/webapp.../explore-asian-organic-edamame-spaghetti-200g

Also available at Holland and Barratt, this version is 11 g / 100 g:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/sh...en-free-edamame-mung-bean-fettuccine-60021842
 
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