Let's be real, problems.

gingershonobi

Since Jan I've done 2 weeks LCHF

Problems:
Week 1, couldn't poo and felt dizzy
Week 2, poo mostly functioning again until I'm about to board a 16hour flight. Then I got the runs. So had to buy Imodium and spare underwear for the flight.

Now, beginning week 3, a day after landing. Literally not hungry so I'm having 2 meals a day. Unless diet coke counts as a meal then maybe I'm having 9meals a day.

How is it for you?

baconslave

Bless your heart. People generally have varying degrees of low-carb flu, but you seem to having some of the more severe issues. For some people it is hard to transition to the higher fat.

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Keep your electrolyte levels high. And if you still have gastric upset from the fats, back off them a smidge and up them a little at a time. It's typical after a few weeks to not be hungry as you become adapted to the fat in your diet and therefore more easily satisfied.

I didn't much have a bad first week, bit of a headache daily. But the second week. Let's just say I wish I'd had Immodium... but I soon got used to it.

Electrolytes!!! and enjoy not being ravenously hungry all the time. That was my issue in my past (high-carb) life.

Hope it all goes more smoothly for you now. Once we get fat-adapted, the annoying things tend to fall away and we feel better.

Y0NSTER

I'm feeling good, leg cramps are my biggest issue. I keep slipping into ketosis without realizing it (lchf but not really shooting for ketosis) and I get the worst leg cramps. A cup of salty butter broth fixes it quickly.

hotsungirl

daily supplements of potassium, sodium and magnesium - I wouldn't wait for the cramps.

GaleHawkins

gingershonobi wrote: »

Since Jan I've done 2 weeks LCHF

Problems:
Week 1, couldn't poo and felt dizzy
Week 2, poo mostly functioning again until I'm about to board a 16hour flight. Then I got the runs. So had to buy Imodium and spare underwear for the flight.

Now, beginning week 3, a day after landing. Literally not hungry so I'm having 2 meals a day. Unless diet coke counts as a meal then maybe I'm having 9meals a day.

How is it for you?

ginger that sounds a lot like my first month or two. I finally got the fiber thing managed and am fine now. The body is dealing with our new eating lifestyle. Keep up your effort and based on my experience in time everything will smooth out. I was a very sick man and I think my low state of health plus age made it much harder for me but I am glad I did not give up on LCHF when it would have been so easy.

sun_shine765

Go easier on the fibre cause that may back things up as well. I've read where people just eat more and more, and it acts like a rubber stopper!

yturie47

I've been on MFP for the past year. During that time I lost 25 or so lbs just going low calorie and trying to get used to exercising daily. Well it worked for a while and then I slowed down to the point I am afraid sooner or later I will regain what took a lot of work to lose. I just finished reading The Big Fat Surprise: book by Nina Teicholz. I would really like to try something like this. I have noticed during the past year a lack of energy, tremendous Carb cravings and adding sugar to things thinking it was only 15 calories a teaspoon.

I am confused as to how to start, even after reading more in the introduction of this group. For instance I am not sure about calories, do I still count them? Is there a limit to how much fat is OK? Is it a necessary to look for grain fed meat sources I get that the white stuff is to be avoided, but are whole grains needed? I like vegetables and the idea they can be eaten with butter or cheese sauce sounds dandy to me! If anyone can give me a few pointers or reference an easy source to get the basics I would appreciate it. I vaguely recall the Atkins diet from years ago this HFLC program different.

FIT_Goat

yturie47 wrote: »

I am confused as to how to start, even after reading more in the introduction of this group.

Well, ask away. We're not shy.

For instance I am not sure about calories, do I still count them?

I don't. I wouldn't worry about them for the first couple of weeks. If, after you have done this a couple weeks, you aren't happy with the rate you're losing, then you can start counting and watching them.

Is there a limit to how much fat is OK?

For all practical purposes, no. You will get physically disgusted with the idea of consuming more fat well before you consume too much. I've had 800 calories of pure fat in a single sitting without ill effect (aside from the fact that eating more fat right after that was sickening to me). You want to eat fat, it is filling and will reduce your hunger.

That said, if you are counting calories, you'll want to keep your fat around a certain amount in order to hit your calorie goal.

Is it a necessary to look for grain fed meat sources

No. Grain-fed, grass-fed, sake-fed, whatever... it's all good.

I get that the white stuff is to be avoided, but are whole grains needed?

Whole grains are absolutely unnecessary for health and [generally] are to be avoided on a low carb diet. Don't eat them. Eat vegetables for carbs instead.

I like vegetables and the idea they can be eaten with butter or cheese sauce sounds dandy to me! If anyone can give me a few pointers or reference an easy source to get the basics I would appreciate it. I vaguely recall the Atkins diet from years ago this HFLC program different.

This diet is similar to the induction phase of Atkins. Vegetables with butter, cheese, or cheese sauce are fantastic.

I think I covered all your questions. If not, just ask.

tru2one

FIT_Goat wrote: »

I think I covered all your questions. If not, just ask.

Well put, as always.

yturie47

Wow, amazing information to the point! Thanks so much!

Dragonwolf

gingershonobi wrote: »

Since Jan I've done 2 weeks LCHF

Problems:
Week 1, couldn't poo and felt dizzy
Week 2, poo mostly functioning again until I'm about to board a 16hour flight. Then I got the runs. So had to buy Imodium and spare underwear for the flight.

Now, beginning week 3, a day after landing. Literally not hungry so I'm having 2 meals a day. Unless diet coke counts as a meal then maybe I'm having 9meals a day.

How is it for you?

Without seeing your diary, it's hard telling, but those symptoms are also indicative of too much protein and too little fat. The timeline is also part of the "induction" or "adaptation" phase, where it's common to have a slew of crap going on. The dark before the dawn thing.

Make sure you're not overdoing it on the protein -- it should be 15-20% or so of your calories (thereabouts) -- and make sure you're getting enough fat (50-80%). It may take some time to adjust to the higher amount of fat, though, which is normal. In which case, it's useful to increase your carbs temporarily in order to decrease your fats, and take a slower approach. Don't rely on protein as fuel, and never go low carb, low fat, high protein. That will cause problems. If you decrease your fat, increase carbs. They're the fuel sources. Balance them as necessary.

As for problems. My biggest problem is sticking with it through emotional turmoil and when my husband comes up with higher carb stuff to have with dinner (he needs the higher carbs right now), or when my in-laws insist on going to a carb-fest restaurant when we go out to dinner together. Buttered Jasmine rice, for whatever reason, has tasted like heaven on a fork to me, lately. I could eat it by the cupful. Chocolate peanut butter ice cream is comfort food to me with no equal -- I can deal with it by not keeping it around and making low carb stuff that's similar, but there's no match when it's an emotional thing and not just a "I could go for that" thing.

As for physiological issues, for me it's just the aftermath of coming back to low carb after a time of higher carbs. Refined and starchy carbs are a headache/inflammation trigger for me, and I also get the withdrawal headache. My GI tract is actually happier on LCHF than on higher carb levels.

Dragonwolf

yturie47 wrote: »

I am confused as to how to start, even after reading more in the introduction of this group. For instance I am not sure about calories, do I still count them? Is there a limit to how much fat is OK? Is it a necessary to look for grain fed meat sources I get that the white stuff is to be avoided, but are whole grains needed? I like vegetables and the idea they can be eaten with butter or cheese sauce sounds dandy to me! If anyone can give me a few pointers or reference an easy source to get the basics I would appreciate it. I vaguely recall the Atkins diet from years ago this HFLC program different.

Where to start? Eat more fat and fewer carbs.

The simplest approach is this:

- Base your meals around a fatty meat and any vegetable that grows above ground.
- Cook foods in butter, coconut oil, tallow, lard, or ghee, or add these or olive or avocado oil to foods at the table.
- Don't avoid sodium (you don't have to go totally bonkers, but the lower your carbs, the more you need around 3-5g in the beginning).

That will get you at least 90% of the way there. Beyond that, it's just tweaking for your individual needs and preferences.

Grass-fed meat is favored in many circles over grain-fed, due to the nutritional content differences and due to the way US farming is run. Don't sweat it if you can't afford it, though. LCHF using grain fed meat is still better than low fat, high carb. Make the changes that are more drastic, first (in your case, switching to LCHF), then you can work on the little tweaks/optimization stuff.

Grains are not needed and are generally avoided on LCHF, for a number of reasons -- the most basic of which being because they're a dense source of starchy carbs and will jack up your carb count in an instant. Don't feel bad for avoiding grains, whole or otherwise.