Hi All,

I'm looking to lose some serious inches get healthy and am really drawn to LCHF. (Finally got off my buns and have been reading some good reads on why carbs/grains/starches are the devil!) I find myself attracted to this method bc Diabetes, types 1 & 2, can be found running rampant throughout my family from my lovely elders to VERY HEAVY SET aunts and uncles. (to be fair I'm heavy but have since slimmed down from 200 to 176 and as I research low carb, I see that the way to continue to lose and then maintain without being perpetually hungry is to really keep carbs out)

As I continue to read, get familiar, learn the science/logic (or lack there of with "conventional wisdom") I thought I'd ask some LCHF pro's for their advice, instead of trying to reinvent the wheel myself!

I'm wondering:

1- did you find its better to go hard on LCHF, deal with induction flu right off the bat and move on OR ease in to it? (I'm usually a "go hard or go home" person but also know that doesn't always serve to be the best way)

I took the plunge and went straight into it. I didn't get the "flu".

2- what's your stance on dairy? I've read differing opinions from "our ancestors didn't eat it, we shouldn't either" to, "if it's high fat then have at it". Dairy doesn't bother me tummy/allergy-wise, I don't have much short of sour cream with my salsa chicken or a slice of melted cheese on an egg in the morning, but I do enjoy it!

I eat it, full fat cheese, full fat yogurt, butter, cream, etc

3- what's your stance on Quinoa/beans/legumes? Some say they have lots of protein so it's not so bad. Other reading suggests "NO! It's grain, or it's starch, it's not something to have regularly or at all!"

I don't touch the legumes and I don't miss them either

4- what did you do to help deal with carb cravings? My house doesn't have much in the way for carbs, but as I get rid of them entirely (ie donating unused bag of rice to shelters and what not) I wonder what do people do to help with carb cravings? Drink water? Eat something? Take up cross-stitching?

I donated my rice, pasta, crackers, canned beans, etc, too. The high fat in the diet provides satiety - bacon is a god send for me. So is salami, prosciutto, mortadella, etc. and nuts, like macadamia, almonds, Brazil. I also treat myself with a few pieces of extra dark chocolate Lindt every night. Once in a while, I also eat berries.

5- what got you through induction flu, through carb cravings, through the transition to loving LCHF?

No flu experienced for me.

6- what do you set your carb/fat/protein macros to?

10 carb, 20 protein, 70 fat

7- any other advice? Advice on food? On shopping? On handling people who can't keep their noses in their own business and say things like, "What's this health kick? The body NEEDS grains!" (shy of pretending to be on the phone or intermittent deafness)

Ask them what they would like for you to say in the eulogy at their funeral.

Thanks everyone; have a wonderful Saturday! (hopefully you won't have to dress up and shovel snow today like I do!)

(Feel free to add me as well!)

My answers in the box above, and I will accept if you send me an invite, my food diary is open to friends.

1- did you find its better to go hard on LCHF, deal with induction flu right off the bat and move on OR ease in to it? (I'm usually a "go hard or go home" person but also know that doesn't always serve to be the best way)

I dropped down to 100g cold, but have eased into lower numbers (yeah, my carb number is higher than most people's on here, I sit between 75 and 100g typically).

2- what's your stance on dairy? I've read differing opinions from "our ancestors didn't eat it, we shouldn't either" to, "if it's high fat then have at it". Dairy doesn't bother me tummy/allergy-wise, I don't have much short of sour cream with my salsa chicken or a slice of melted cheese on an egg in the morning, but I do enjoy it!

I think it largely depends on your ancestry. A lot of people with herding ancestry can handle milk, while a lot of people without that background can't. It's known there's a mutation that allows some people to produce lactase beyond infancy. If you have that kind of background, and you don't have gluten intolerance (gluten and casein intolerance often go hand in hand), then you're probably okay. Like anything, see if it affects you and go from there.

That said, dairy with lactose is a pretty huge insulin spiker, and a lot of dairy products have a lot of carbs, so watch out for that. Aside from that, yogurt, kefir, sour cream, and other fermented/cultured products are great for the gut bacteria (just watch for the added sugar and other crap), butter has a ton of nutrients in it, and things like cheeses are great sources of fat, too.

3- what's your stance on Quinoa/beans/legumes? Some say they have lots of protein so it's not so bad. Other reading suggests "NO! It's grain, or it's starch, it's not something to have regularly or at all!"

I don't eat beans/legumes/grains because a) I follow the Primal eating framework, b) I don't like legumes anyway, and c) my body doesn't like gluten. That said, they're still heavy carb foods, so regardless of your stance on gluten, phytates, and the other reasons people have for avoiding them, that's still something to keep in mind.

4- what did you do to help deal with carb cravings? My house doesn't have much in the way for carbs, but as I get rid of them entirely (ie donating unused bag of rice to shelters and what not) I wonder what do people do to help with carb cravings? Drink water? Eat something? Take up cross-stitching?

Eat more fat. That's really one of the best ways to handle it, especially when you're first starting. Also, don't start your day with carbs. Opt for a high-fat and maybe some protein for breakfast. I've found that I do much better when I start with eggs and bacon or a variation of Bulletproof Coffee than I do with something like cereal or oatmeal.

5- what got you through induction flu, through carb cravings, through the transition to loving LCHF?

Bacon, butter, and everything else that we've been taught all these years to avoid. Embracing the fat is liberating.

6- what do you set your carb/fat/protein macros to?

Carbs - I roughly based mine off Mark Sisson's "carb curve" and tweaked from there. So, I set it at whatever value gets me 75-100g. That's then my limit (when I track).

Protein - .5-1g/lb of lean body mass is the formula I generally use. It comes out to about 150g for when I'm actively weight lifting, but I try to keep it over 100g regularly.

Fat - The rest of my calorie allotment. Yeah, it comes out to like 60% or more, and potentially even over 100g.

7- any other advice? Advice on food? On shopping? On handling people who can't keep their noses in their own business and say things like, "What's this health kick? The body NEEDS grains!" (shy of pretending to be on the phone or intermittent deafness)

Regarding the "needs grains" thing - a simple response is to ask what, exactly, it is that we need and get from grains that we can't get from other sources (hint - nothing). The body can also run just fine on no dietary carbs if the food sources are right. It'll be fine on most LCer's 20-50g.

Regarding those who scoff at fat and think you'll die of a heart attack before your next birthday - the Inuit do just fine on a nearly animal-only diet. I recommend getting your lipids checked before starting, and periodically throughout, too, so you can show them how they improved.

On fiber - most of the fiber from grain is the dietary equivalent of packing peanuts - they're filler and serve no purpose except to make our stools big and fluffy. We can get adequate amounts of good fiber (what our gut flora can make use of) from vegetables, fruit, and other non-grain sources.

Then there's also this option for thwarting the naysayers - simply state that you've chosen your diet, because you feel better on it and have been able to lose weight. Assuming you don't already look at about the right weight (or what they perceive to be the right weight), most people can't argue with that. If you're at the size where the people around you would react with "but you don't need to lose anything!" you can stick with the "feeling better" part and perhaps say you want to stay at a healthy weight without having to obsess over food amounts and whatever.

Shop on the outside of the store (except when going after nuts or other bulk foods that would qualify as "perimeter foods" but aren't actually kept at the perimeter), don't bother too much with replacement products.

Embrace butter, lard, bacon grease, tallow, and other saturated fats. The body actually does need saturated fats (and cholesterol), so don't be afraid to use and cook with them. Coconut oil is also a great one, because it's medium-chain (which is basically human rocket fuel). Try to get organic or better yet, pastured sourced fats, since the fat is often where environmental toxins and whatnot are stored. Organic and pastured help reduce the amounts found in your foods.