Jan. 2015 Active Low Carbers

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Replies

  • lizpitts
    lizpitts Posts: 67 Member
    I'm Liz and started low carb a week ago. I was already keeping my carbs low-ish (under 100 grams usually) so I haven't had any keto flu (yay). I lost 35 pounds last year in the first 6 months by counting calories. Then I started being always hungry. I'd try to eat lower calorie food to maintain my calorie deficit which led to eating more carbs which made me hungrier. Finally came to my senses and dropped the carbs and upped the fat. I'm so much happier this way. I was able to take my a1c from 7.2 to 5.5 by keeping my carbs around 100 but I need real LCHF to lose the pounds.
    Glad I found this group!
  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
    Right, no one here debates the fact that you can starve yourself to lose weight. We're just saying that it tends to be miserable. You're hungry all the time and have all kinds of other not fun effects. Welcome Liz.
  • lizpitts
    lizpitts Posts: 67 Member
    Exactly. The first couple of months were OK, then the misery set in.
  • I'm Chris...I've fallen off the wagon too many times to count. Here I am at it again rounding out week two. Week one I lost 10 lbs and I'll weigh again Monday morning. Fingers crossed. Best of luck to you all :smile:
  • MzTeequal
    MzTeequal Posts: 13 Member
    Hi I'm MzT. I'm going to be 25 in two weeks and a student (trying to become a barrister) from London, England. My bf introduced me to LCHF diet/keto and I dedicated myself to it wholly a couple of days ago on return from holiday. I'm trying to shift about 15kgs of fat this year. I used to be extremely active in secondary school but since I went to uni the weight piled on. This way of eating is a struggle for me coming from a Ghanaian diet high in carbohydrates combined with the fact I'm a serial snacker (the cravings are REAL I tell you, just after a couple of days). I'm looking forward to the results so I'm praying that's enough to keep me dedicated. It's my turn to have an amazing before and after!
  • annieboomboom
    annieboomboom Posts: 176 Member
    edited January 2015
    what happens when you cannot eat enough of the prescribed fat and protein in a day?

  • annieboomboom
    annieboomboom Posts: 176 Member
    Chris_1974 wrote: »
    I'm Chris...I've fallen off the wagon too many times to count. Here I am at it again rounding out week two. Week one I lost 10 lbs and I'll weigh again Monday morning. Fingers crossed. Best of luck to you all :smile:

    whooo hoo. 10 is grand.
  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
    edited January 2015
    what happens when you cannot eat enough of the prescribed fat and protein in a day?

    If this is just a one day thing, or a once a week thing, it's not a big deal. Your body is capable of handling that without negative consequences. If it is a continuous, daily thing then you're going to eventually end up losing muscle mass as well as fat mass. You'll also be at a higher risk for hormonal disruptions, fatigue, hunger, and possible nutrient deficiencies. Worst of all, there's almost no upside. Yes, you'll lose weight slightly faster but you'll end up with a lower muscle mass, lower TDEE, higher appetite, less energy, and possible health complications (gallstones for example). Many of these make it more likely and much easier to put the weight back on.

    tl;dr? Missing your goals on one day is not a big deal, but they're goals for a reason. Make it a point to eat enough food to fuel your body.
  • MaggieLoo79
    MaggieLoo79 Posts: 288 Member
    Hi! I'm Maggie. I just joined. My doctor just put me on a high protein/lower carb meal plan. I'm looking forward to learning from everyone!
  • Hi Everyone
    My name is Melody ... I have been doing LC for a few years and always fall off the wagon .. I am hoping to get to my first goal weight of 149 before I turn 45 the end of April ..I've lost 8 pounds since I started Jan 1st ..I'm 189 right now please feel free to add me as a friend .. I post my food diary daily and I try to do some type of cardio 5 days a week ... I got really into exercising but then got lazy ... So I'm trying back to get into the swing ...
    Hope to meet some new low carb friends :smile:
  • Mrskringle
    Mrskringle Posts: 1 Member
    Good Morning!,
    I lost 73 pounds 7 years ago doing Atkins over about a year an a half with absolutely no cheats...until.... a summer vacation in Cancun, followed by buying a new home in a new city.... followed by quitting my job to be a SAHM and ultimately followed by a divorce. Over 7 years and with all these changes.. I have managed to gain 60 of the pounds back and completely lost touch with myself. So here I am, 43 years old, a single mom of what seems like every teenage kid within a 20 mile radius (although only I only actually birthed 3 of them), done with with my M.A. (finally!), in my 4th year of teaching these AMAZING special ed students and I finally feel like I'm stable enough to refocus on myself.

    Recommitted to Atkins on January 1, 2015 and am down 7 pounds in under 3 weeks. It seems so clear to me now..... I know this works for me, I know I feel better when I'm eating this way, what took me so long to get back on the wagon? Anyhow, here I am. Ready to go.... again.
  • Hi,
    I'm Nicky. I lost 2 stone in 3 months 2 years ago through LCHF and, though not at my goal weight, was pretty happy with the results. Life being what it is I fell back into old habits and the weight has crept back on. I finally got back on the scale last week and I've gained back 20 of the 28 lbs I lost so here I am back to basics.
    I'm not really following any prescribed plan, I keep my carbs under 40 and aim for around 1200 calories a day. I've cut out processed sugar ( use honey for sweetness occasionally) and avoid bread ( my total weakness!) pasta and potatoes.
    This time round I have bought coconut flour and coconut oil for those times when I crave a little cakey something or other.
    My big test comes this week as I'm away for work all week, very tempting to indulge however everyone's stories are so encouraging and I really want to succeed so joined this group. Happy to accept friend requests but I'll likely read more than I post :)
  • Hello - Theresa here. Just starting nutritional ketosis (Lchf). Have watched a lot of YouTube inspiring me to make these changes. I've yoyo'd all my life and tried practically every diet known to man. My latest was the Hcg diet - lost but it was trying to find that carb balance that sabotaged my losses. So, now that I'm keeping the carbs down to 17 g...I know that I have to increase my healthy fats up - 120 g and proteins will be around 50. Looking to start the Bone Broth recipe this week as well. This time, I'm expecting this to be a way of living for me. Best wishes to everyone. Stay positive and remember our bodies are different so, not a one-fit regimen for all. :smiley:
  • fantasticelastic
    fantasticelastic Posts: 52 Member
    Hi Im Mary and Im just crawling out of a carb filled twin 5 year olds birthday weekend !! IM a mother of four. 8, 7 and my twin boys who just turned 5 :)
    I was a surrogate for my sil last oct and am the heaviest Iv ever been at 165 :(
    Im a stay at home mum and teach Yoga part time. Really need to get back to 126.
    I did lc 3 years ago and found it fantastic.
    Starting anew again after the weekend. Very hard to keep away from chocolate cake, buns and choc marshmallows :/
    Great to meet such a nice group.
    Going to go back and read everyones posts now :)
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    Could have sworn I answered this post the other day but can't find it for the life of me.

    I'm Carly, 38, have PCOS, hypothyroid, and other related conditions. I'm finally getting treatment enough for everything that feeling human is on the radar.

    While I did Atkins for a while when my daughter was little (she's 14 now and was 1-2 then), it worked great until I figured out how far I could cheat and stay in ketosis. Once I figured that out, it was a downhill slide.

    I am on Day 5 of LCHF and am loving it. I've had a few headaches, but since I have mineral, salt, fat, and water logged myself, I've managed to head most of them off so far. I'm running out of ideas for how to do this well on an extremely short budget.

    My heaviest weight was between 335 (recorded) and 350 (estimated). I use 335 for my calculations. I've lost roughly 80 pounds since then (highest numbers were around 2006-2007 from what I remember. Pictures on my profile are from 2008 I think.). I also during that time separated, divorced, gave up primary custody of my daughter (long long explanation there), have entered into a long term relationship, and finally found the strength to find myself (before I pushed to end the divorce).

    As I said, I have a number of PCOS related health conditions, though the argument of which came first, the chicken or the egg plays here, too. Regardless, I'm finally surfacing from more than a decade of living my life in a fog. I found an excellent endocrinologist not afraid to go off book and treat my symptoms carefully rather than rely strictly on bloodwork, for which I thank him so much.

    I was still having episodes of what I jokingly called my food-narcolepsy, where every time I would eat, no matter what, I would nod off or pass out slightly without warning. Usually it only lasted seconds. At home it could last minutes. Regardless, no one could answer why. Blood sugar was fine, as was blood pressure, and everything else they could think to check... Seems it was oddly tied to insulin that didn't show as bad on bloodwork. Treating with Metformin, supplementing the thyroid, PCOS, and other miscellaneous issues, combining that with LCHF and I am finally out of that daily fog.

    I just need to figure out the best ways to manage LCHF on an extremely short budget and in a high stress life. Looking forward to everything.

    Thanks, Carly
  • Hi:) I'm Natalia and I just started low-ish carb again 2 weeks ago. I lost 30lbs in 2013, then i got pregnant again. My little one is now almost 4m old and unfortunately I'm heavier than ever :( I lost complete control and used to binge on sweets so I'm cutting those out completely as well as grains/starches but I'm not limiting vegetables and I eat fruit in moderation.
    I have about 50lbs to lose!
    I'm looking for friends that'll support and motivate me! Feel free to add me
  • KeithF6250
    KeithF6250 Posts: 321 Member
    Hello, I'm Keith, retired, 68, diagnosed as T2 about 4 months ago. I've been logging my food intake on MFP for about 3 months using it as a tool to reduce weight and control blood glucose. I lost about 40 pounds in that time and as of my last lab work a few weeks ago the numbers are all going in the right direction.

    I've been lurking on this group for about a month and found it to be a great source of info. I thought it is time I participated a bit more actively.
  • Reneallen234
    Reneallen234 Posts: 1 Member
    Hi I am Rhonda, Reneallen234. Recomitting to the Low Carb Lifestyle. 45 years old
    and want to get rid of ak least 100 lbs this year!
  • tanengre
    tanengre Posts: 11 Member
    Diana here in DFW area. My doctor suggested cutting down on carbs to prevent going on insulin. So, I just joined this group to see suggestions on ways to cut out carbs. My husband does the cooking at our house and the one meal we have together is loaded with carbs...in fact everything he cooked last evening was carbs. The only vegetable he likes is corn, so we have rice and corn, pasta and corn, potatoes and corn and then usually throw in some kind of bread for good measure every single night. I looked at the cheese enchiladas, Spanish rice and refried beans last evening and just shook my head. Ended up eating a salad and sardines. So, as you can see, I need lots of help.
  • My name is Heidi, I live in the Colorado Springs, Co area. I have been low carb for the past three years. I do eat carbs on occasion but stick to low for the most part. When I do I stay away from whites and gluten (tummy reasons). No sugar (tummy reasons). I am back to my 4-5 protein shakes during the day and 4-6oz protein and veggie dinner at night, trying to lose 36lbs by my June birthday. I would love to have support/motivation to get back into the groove after the holidays and especially now that I am done with my masters degree and can work on exercising instead of school!
  • CanadaEh1
    CanadaEh1 Posts: 31 Member
    Hi, I'm Elizabeth. I just joined the group in January, so I can learn how to "do" low carb and then apply it to my lifestyle. I don't have a thyroid that functions, and have severe hypoglycemia and other health issues. I read that low carb is supposed to help, particularly with weight loss and my thyroid issues. I may have to be on the upper side of low carb due to my severe hypoglycemia; but I figure I will learn as I go. Thanks for letting me join. :)
  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
    tanengre wrote: »
    The only vegetable he likes is corn, so we have rice and corn, pasta and corn, potatoes and corn and then usually throw in some kind of bread for good measure every single night. I looked at the cheese enchiladas, Spanish rice and refried beans last evening and just shook my head. Ended up eating a salad and sardines. So, as you can see, I need lots of help.

    Wow... That is not a low carb friendly menu. Lol

    Welcome to the group. A year from now, you will wonder how you lived on food like this.
  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
    joeporta wrote: »
    Hi I'm Conor - I started 'trying' to cut down on carbs this week! I believe my main problem is bread and biscuits which I would eat during the day.

    The breads were always my problem too. I used to make bread, bagels, rolls, etc. all the time. It was hard, at first. After a while, I did lose the desire for them.
  • SlimSpirit
    SlimSpirit Posts: 4 Member
    Hi everyone! I'm so glad this thread was started. I started the low carb lifestyle at the beginning of this month and would love to add friends doing the same thing. I'm not much of a "forum poster", but I log my food every day and my diary is open. :)
    I try to stay under or around 20 net carbs per day.
  • volfan22
    volfan22 Posts: 149 Member
    Hi everyone, I'm Stephanie (or Stef for short) - I have been LCHF since June 9, 2014. I have lost a total of 42 lbs and until this past Saturday I had not cheated once. I live in Louisiana - and it's Mardi Gras season - so I had a small piece of King Cake to celebrate - no harm - I'm now back to my normal eating habits. :)

    I enjoy everyone's stories and while I'm no expert - I'm here if you need me. I don't log, like the original poster - I'm just such a creature of habit - my logs are boring. LOL

    Be blessed and cheers to a successful 2015 - whatever you're aiming for!
  • Buttercupxxx
    Buttercupxxx Posts: 24 Member
    I have been on MFP for a couple years. Started fresh last November. I started on the Atkins way of eating. Lost 10 up front and have kept it off- need to loose another 7 for my fist goal, then another 20 by May. I am mentoring half of my friend base. I log often to encourage them. I'm looking for friends....someone like myself who will hold ME accountable;to the same way of eating. I don't hide anything- I ate pasta today! .....but I do ask for a picture/ and an open diary. Thanks <3
  • jampoppy
    jampoppy Posts: 4 Member
    Hi I'm Jamie! I am new to myfitnesspal...I am a widowed mama of 2 beautiful babies (11 & 2) and I want to be a healthy role model for them. I would LOVE to have some low-carbing pals to help me on my journey and hold me accountable and I can do the same in return! So far I have lost 17 pounds total-I have MANY MANY more to go and that's ok-I didn't get this way overnight-so I can't expect to be at goal weight instantly!
  • cathy120861
    cathy120861 Posts: 265 Member
    Good morning, Low Carb Pals,

    I am Cathy, 53, been on MFP a few weeks now. Last May i was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. At that time i weighed just over 200 pounds (i am about 5'1"). Two days later i went to the obstetrician with my daughter, and saw my first grandchild's heartbeat. And i had this horrible image of my grandchild playing outside, while i watched from inside, tethered to an oxygen tank. That picture changed everything for me.

    I lost about 25 pounds in 2014 simply by eating more healthily and exercising more. Then, at the beginning of this year, i found a nutritionist who started me on a plan of eating 50 net carbs (carbs minus fiber) a day and 1400 calories. A couple of days ago, she moved me down to 35 net carbs and 1300 calories. The idea is that i move down slowly, until i get closer to my goal weight, and then begin to move up slowly until i get to my maintenance number. I lost 7 pounds in January without feeling deprived (actually, i feel much more energetic) so i am very enthusiastic about this plan.

    My daughter is due today, so as soon as she goes into labor, (and the snow ends!) i am going to fly down to help her take care of the new baby! and by the time Baby can run, i am going to be so fit and healthy, that i can run and play right with her!
  • RenaTX
    RenaTX Posts: 345 Member
    Hi I'm Rena

    I just started trying LCHF as a way to back on the ball of things. When life gets very stressful I tend to neglect something and this time the something was my weightloss. I'm in the process of trying to sell my house and living in my parent's rental for now while my new house is supposed to be built. It sounds all exciting and should be that's not who I am. I worry. I worry about the future and the house I'm selling for me was my security blanket so this is stressful to me for many reasons. That in itself is another story.

    Anyways I'm very newbie here. I once did Atkins but got very tired of it. Last week I decided to try LCHF but not really as a way to lose weight but a way not to keep gaining. I had fallen into the bad routine of eating ice cream every single night because I craved it. It was very hard to give up . I still find myself salivating at the idea of some carmel cone ice cream.

    Anyways I'm not as bad now. I found with LCHF that I feel good. Better than I have in a long time and my cravings are pretty much gone. I'm not constantly hungry or maybe I should say I'm not constantly looking to eat.

    So after I found how I felt I slowly decided to try tracking again and it's been pretty easy. So since last week I've gone from 219.8 to 216.4. Probably water weight but I'll take it.

    I'm still trying to figure if it's the calorie deficit which will work or if ketosis is working. I bought to urine test strips and I've been showing to be high in the ketosis but now I recently found that this may not be a good thing as I thought it was.

    Either way I have been dropping on the scale and if it's just calorie deficit that's fine. If it's both then that might be awesome because I'm thinking if I'm burning fat and in calorie deficit then maybe a win - win?

    The most important thing to me is I feel good on this. Hard to explain . Even my husband mentioned he was feeling good after I had him eating salads for three days for lunch LOL. Not intentional but we had been working on our house and trying to not spend more money by going out to eat so it was picnic style for us for a while.




  • angieshubin
    angieshubin Posts: 99 Member
    Hello, I'm Angie. I can't remember when I joined but it has been a while. I've been doing the LCHF for a while off and on. Probably a year and I usually kept my carbs just below 100. Recently I've gone down to keeping them under 50. (Usually between 35 and 50.) I've started working out again after some hip and back injuries. Feels good to be active again! Love how I feel now days :)

    I poke around on here everyday but not very good at logging in on the weekends.
    I'd love more friends and support. Feel free to add me. Happy Low Carbing to you all!