LCHF

All that matters weight loss wise is a calorie deficit it doesn't matter (weight wise) what those foods are. if your still eating at a calorie deficit you'll lose weight.

All that matters weight loss wise is a calorie deficit it doesn't matter (weight wise) what those foods are. if your still eating at a calorie deficit you'll lose weight.

this.
ill only add that eating high carb foods after going LCHF for awhile will make you gain alot of water weight, which will make you appear as though you have gained fat when this in fact is not the case

But, that was not the case with me. I reduced my calorie intake but I did not lose weight. On LCHF I am eating a way more than I usually did and I have lost 4 kg in only 2 weeks.
I also have PCOS so maybe I do not tolerate carbs so well.

The PCOS and/or medication could have masked your weight loss. You could still gain on LCHF if you go over your calorie limit for the day or week. As long as you focus on not blowing your calories limit then a treat once in a while won't hurt you.

But, that was not the case with me. I reduced my calorie intake but I did not lose weight. On LCHF I am eating a way more than I usually did and I have lost 4 kg in only 2 weeks.
I also have PCOS so maybe I do not tolerate carbs so well.

1. Join the PCOSis, and the number of low carb/keto groups here. You'll get far more/better information that pertain to your goals.

2. Get your fasting insulin tested. As someone with PCOS, you should always have fasting insulin included in your bloodwork, and you should get bloodwork done regularly. This is important to know if you also have insulin resistance (not all versions of PCOS have insulin resistance).

That said, generally speaking, no, PCOS does not tolerate carbs well. As such, the source of calories matter at least as much as the quantity, even for "just weight loss." If your insulin runs too high, the body will basically act as though it's starving by slowing down bodily processes, before it attempts to burn off fat. With the conventional guidelines of "just eat whatever, just in smaller portions," that typically results in no weight loss, or even weight gain, unless one reduces their intake down to under 1000 calories, forcing the body to finally turn to other sources of fuel solely because it can't slow down anything else without killing itself.

However, starvation isn't the only way to force the insulin down (which is the big factor in prompting the body to use body fat). A low carb, high fat diet is another, and very effective, option. By keeping carbs low (and protein only high enough to all for lean mass repair), you can feed the body adequate food and nutrients, while minimizing the dietary prompts for elevating insulin. This reduces the total amount of insulin and eventually aiding in weight loss.

Also, while that original, drastic weight loss is encouraging, keep in mind that, as someone else mentioned, it's water weight. Fewer carbs means less stored glycogen. Glycogen is heavy, in part because it's a lot of water. When that's used and not replenished, you see big drops in weight. Your weight loss will very likely slow down, and may even stop entirely for a short time, while your body heals itself and starts reducing the amount of insulin it produces. Keep going for at least a month, even if you don't see progress, and make sure to eat enough to fuel your body, but not too much, and the progress will start again once your insulin gets back down to an amount that allows your body to use its body fat.

Perhaps you didn't lose weight before because you weren't creating as much of a deficit as you thought you were. Were you weighing all of your food and tracking what you ate? As others have mentioned, doesn't matter if it's low or high carbs or low or high fat. A calorie deficit is what makes you lose FAT (sometimes muscle if the deficit is too great).Low carbs will make you lose water weight but as soon as the carbs are increase, the water will come back.

Also, more on point -- it might be a good idea to break the cake habit and look into a different treat. You're going to be hard-pressed to find sufficiently low-carb cakes that are comparable to what you're used to, just because of the nature of the cake and one's expectations.

However, that doesn't mean there aren't any goodies to be had. I'm personally partial to cream cheese clouds -- http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/cream_cheese_clouds.html

You might want to also try the other recipes genaw has at -- http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/dessert_recipes.html

There are some recipes there that claim to be cakes, but be warned, they likely won't be anything like conventional cakes. Just keep that in mind.

Also, a number of the things you listed are "forbidden" by virtue of not being low-carb. I recommend doing something like Atkins induction or other structured low-carb/high-fat plan for the first month or so. Part of the process is killing that sweet tooth. Once you start getting used to all the wonderful foods LCHF has to offer, you'll actually very likely start losing your desire to even have that junk food.

I sounded a bit harsh in my previous comment, but I am just so frustrated that many people are not supporting me with this diet, so I am starting to be a little defensive

I do not overeat, I eat when I'm hungry 'till I am not hungry anymore I just make sure to eat a lot of meat, healthy fat and a lot of lot of vegetables. I just want to include LCHF pastries or pizza in my menu once a week, and I don't know if this is good, or will it influence my body weight.

I did my research before I started this, I did all the blood test, My doctor suspected for a while that I am gluten intolerant, because I was constantly bloated and was not able to lose 10 pounds and had problems with my immune system, allergies etc. The tests were ok, but when I cut out carbs, all of the symptoms were gone!

As a newbie, I still do not know what to eat, and I wonder If I can enjoy in some of the LCHF cakes without feeling guilty. Simple as that.

simple answer is yes. no need to feel guilty as long as its not something that happens every day. thats one of the big points of calorie counting, that anything is fine in moderation

For me, it's not possible to increase carbs & not gain weight.

You'll have to work out what works for you as everyone's a little different.

Here's the short answer:

I'm pretty sure that if you eat high fat & increase the ratio of carbs to more than you can personally metabolize, the combination will increase your caloric consumption & the result it additional weight.

:drinker:

edited for grammatical errors

Also, more on point -- it might be a good idea to break the cake habit and look into a different treat. You're going to be hard-pressed to find sufficiently low-carb cakes that are comparable to what you're used to, just because of the nature of the cake and one's expectations.

However, that doesn't mean there aren't any goodies to be had. I'm personally partial to cream cheese clouds -- http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/cream_cheese_clouds.html

You might want to also try the other recipes genaw has at -- http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/dessert_recipes.html

There are some recipes there that claim to be cakes, but be warned, they likely won't be anything like conventional cakes. Just keep that in mind.

Also, a number of the things you listed are "forbidden" by virtue of not being low-carb. I recommend doing something like Atkins induction or other structured low-carb/high-fat plan for the first month or so. Part of the process is killing that sweet tooth. Once you start getting used to all the wonderful foods LCHF has to offer, you'll actually very likely start losing your desire to even have that junk food.

I'm over a year LCHF and find this post to be VERY true. I've only recently lost my taste for substitute foods. They just don't compare :laugh: and I've decided are not worth it to me. That's not to say that up until last week I wasn't still trying to find a reasonable facsimile so that I could have a good ol' sammie :ohwell: let's just say it didn't work out as I'd hoped.

Instead, I focus on what I *can* safely eat without resorting to 'Frankenstein-ing' recipes in the kitchen. :drinker:

The main forums isn't very supportive of anything that even hints at something other than calories in, calories out, and you'll end up with a lot of noise regarding that. It's really best to find the specialty diet groups and join them for such discussions and resources in general.

on behalf of someone who does follow low-carb, and who ALSO has absolutely zero success on a calories in < calories out, let me apologize for those who insist that "it's all about the calories". if that were true, we wouldn't be restricted to only eating certain items which we've defined as "food". humans would realistically be able to consume and gain nutrition from any substance capable of burning, since all a calorie is is a unit of heat. let me also apologize for those who insist that your lack of weight loss was somehow your fault... too many people refuse to understand that for as complex as the human body is, there are way too many things that can affect weight loss AND weight gain.

to answer your original question regarding sweet treats, i'll echo dragonwolf's comments. the point of low carb eating is to change how you approach food. if all you're looking for is a series of substitutions, you're not retraining your body to eliminate the foods that cause you to gain weight in the first place. killing that sweet tooth/cake tooth/candy craving is key, because it ensures you're that much less likely to go back to the full-sugar versions of those foods later on.

one thing i've also found is that the longer i stay on low-carb, things that otherwise wouldn't taste sweet, do. i've been able to savor a 99% square of dark chocolate and pick up on the subtle underlying sweetness that everyone else would spit out. i don't bother adding sugar to heavy cream if it's getting whipped because it just doesn't need it anymore.

however, if you do want to indulge in things like specially-made low carb cakes on rare, special occassions, as long as you keep the carb levels within your own personal tolerance (and don't go faceplanting into the whole thing ), you should be fine. but you'll have to determine what levels you can tolerate and what you can't.

it's not all about the calories. but it IS all about how our bodies handle food.

The main forums isn't very supportive of anything that even hints at something other than calories in, calories out, and you'll end up with a lot of noise regarding that. It's really best to find the specialty diet groups and join them for such discussions and resources in general.

Much of those responses do not understand POCS; they are knee-jerk responses to the average joe who thinks atkins/keto is magic and that everyone should and can do it. You are one of the exceptions in which it truly is your magic solution and I wish you luck in your new lifestyle.

That being said, you'll find more relevant advice looking at POCS and Keto groups/forums. You can even run a search for POCS or Keto desserts and come up with some very interesting options.

"Your weight loss will very likely slow down, and may even stop entirely for a short time, while your body heals itself and starts reducing the amount of insulin it produces. Keep going for at least a month, even if you don't see progress, and make sure to eat enough to fuel your body, but not too much, and the progress will start again once your insulin gets back down to an amount that allows your body to use its body fat."


This is what I have been having problems with as a type 2 diabetic. I lost 20lbs from Jan to March on low carb alone but have been stuck in an annoying plateau since then and it is now 17 weeks, sigh. I wish I could find someone to tell me if that is what is happening (my body healing itself) or what is going on. It just seems like an awfully long time for a plateau.