Not A Lifestyle
_jayciemarie_
Posts: 574 Member
I have only followed LCHF for a month. I went from 182.4 to 166.4 in that time. I would say that it does work to lose weight. It has also been fairly simple to follow. A few times I have had cravings, and there were a few nights I drank and then made poor eating choices. With that being said--I don't believe that this will be a "Lifestyle" way of eating. Maybe I am brainwashed that a diet should contain a healthy balance of food. I'm not done following this WOE just yet. I would love to get to a healthy weight and then meet with a nutritionist to help me find a balanced diet that will help me maintain.
I ask this question to those that have been doing this for awhile--how long have you been doing it and/or how long do you plan to follow a LCHF diet?
I ask this question to those that have been doing this for awhile--how long have you been doing it and/or how long do you plan to follow a LCHF diet?
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Hi jaciemarie. Congratulations on your success, you must be so pleased! I think that you will find that many on this board plan to stay on this WOE for life. Many of us, me included, are insulin resistant. This means that carbohydrates will always be the boogie man for us :-). Luckily, if we stay on low-carb way of eating we feel better and are much healthier!0
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I lost all the weight I wanted to in about 8 months. I'm currently well into my second year (and this is meat-only... so super-lack of variety). I plan to do this for life.
If you go back to eating the things that made you sick and fat, why do you think they won't make you sick and fat again? Maybe you'll reverse some of the insulin resistance or other causes, so it will take some time, but it's almost inevitable.0 -
What makes you think this isn't balanced?
A truly balanced diet is one that provides sufficient amounts of all the necessary nutrients, not that fills in completely arbitrary and politically determined quotas. If you run the numbers, you'll actually likely find that this way of eating, if you're relying on whole foods and not the processed crap, beats out the so-called "balanced" SAD.0 -
After 5 days, this is where I was at:
Down 6.6 pounds
Stomach is not as bloated
My digestive system isn't constantly cranky (although it has had its moments)
My wrists don't hurt
The constant ringing/itching in my ears is less
I have more energy (as in, I went for a walk in the park and boxed up another box of books to get rid of yesterday)
My muscles aren't aching
I'm not freezing all the time (just part of the time)
Depression/anxiety is lifting more and more
I'm on Day 10 now
Some people do choose to cycle their carbs and allow more for special events and such and stick to low carb the rest of the time.
Is the ONLY result you're seeing weight loss? Nothing else?
'cause for me, even if I don't lose any more weight, the benefits are definitely worth sticking to it. I might fall off every once in a while (and have!) but keep coming back because this is the way I feel the best.
Use the way you feel to determine how you should eat, not government guidelines that were made up to encourage people to use more agricultural products. You can slowly add in more fruits and veggies to determine the level where you maintain your weight without much effort and use THAT as your balanced diet.0 -
I want to make this a lifestyle change. I'm still at the point where I have cravings and occasionally give into them (things are crap right now and my will power has taken a hit). That said, I always feel awful after having larger amount of carbs than 20g a day. Especially if the carbs are from bread products.
So yes, I plan to make this a lifestyle change. The transition is a little bumpy but I'm getting there slowly.0 -
InADarkRoom wrote: »I want to make this a lifestyle change. I'm still at the point where I have cravings and occasionally give into them (things are crap right now and my will power has taken a hit). That said, I always feel awful after having larger amount of carbs than 20g a day. Especially if the carbs are from bread products.
So yes, I plan to make this a lifestyle change. The transition is a little bumpy but I'm getting there slowly.
Bump bump bump! I've been off and on, but I'm on the 10th day of my streak now. Aiming for at least 30 and then I'm going to try adding dairy back in, because no dairy is killing me. (had to cut dairy out because I was reacting to it)
ETA: I miscounted, I'm on day 90 -
_jayciemarie_ wrote: »I have only followed LCHF for a month. I went from 182.4 to 166.4 in that time. I would say that it does work to lose weight. It has also been fairly simple to follow. A few times I have had cravings, and there were a few nights I drank and then made poor eating choices. With that being said--I don't believe that this will be a "Lifestyle" way of eating. Maybe I am brainwashed that a diet should contain a healthy balance of food. I'm not done following this WOE just yet. I would love to get to a healthy weight and then meet with a nutritionist to help me find a balanced diet that will help me maintain.
I ask this question to those that have been doing this for awhile--how long have you been doing it and/or how long do you plan to follow a LCHF diet?
Are you eating your vegetables? Every day?
I'm not low carb, but I'd say low carb done right is more balanced than the SAD.
Congrats on the loss! Now on to find a maintenance plan that works for you as well.0 -
Yay for 10 @Twibbly !!! Good for you
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I'm around day 5600 or so. I really don't bother counting. Will be forever, because I like not getting sick after I eat - it's much better for my esophagus and teeth.
Nobody insists or suggests that you have to do LC forever once you start, but it's disingenuous to suggest it's not sustainable. It's not like people with health issues who don't have a choice also get some magic powers to make it work differently for them than it does anyone else.0 -
I honestly DO feel better. I'm not constantly craving cupcakes and empty calories anymore. I guess I just miss my daily apple, or eating root vegetables. I am insulin resistant and have wondered why I was spinning my wheels for so long and NOT getting anywhere. I don't want to go back to how I was eating. I just want to include things again that now I'm not eating (mostly fruits and vegetables). That is why I want to speak to someone that can help me balance things so that it can have a lower carb diet. I'm thinking 100g a day. I hope I didn't offend anyone.
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Yes, it is a lifestyle, just like vegetarianism or vegan. If you go back to eating crap what is the point? Diets don't work, period, if you want to stay slim and healthy you have to embrace the wholesome foods that are good and satisfying. You can fall off the wagon and go back to gaining weight and feel miserable, or you can live heathy life with good food choices. It's a complete overhaul of the way you think, eat and live. You can eat real food or you can eat food product, pick your poison 0
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_jayciemarie_ wrote: »I honestly DO feel better. I'm not constantly craving cupcakes and empty calories anymore. I guess I just miss my daily apple, or eating root vegetables. I am insulin resistant and have wondered why I was spinning my wheels for so long and NOT getting anywhere. I don't want to go back to how I was eating. I just want to include things again that now I'm not eating (mostly fruits and vegetables). That is why I want to speak to someone that can help me balance things so that it can have a lower carb diet. I'm thinking 100g a day. I hope I didn't offend anyone.
No-one's offended (or I don't think so anyway)! I think it's a reasonable question. I think what you've explained you're planning is perfectly OK. If you go back (if you were doing this, I know I was) to eating pasta, bread, beer, donuts etc, then, as @FIT_Goat suggests, it's likely things will go back to the way they were. But I think gradually increasing your carbs when you are maintaining to a level that is compatible with maintaining, and you are just including a bit more variety in fruit and veg, that should be fine. I'm a long way from a healthy weight but if (no, no, when, i tell you, when) I get there, then I plan to up my carbs to around 50-60g so long as that's compatible with maintaining, so I can have a bit more variety in vegetable department. However, if these additional carbs start to make me want more carbs, then I will go back down, as I do believe the keto diet is fine long term. You are doing well (wish I was 166 lbs!) and I'm sure you will find what works for you. Good luck!
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_jayciemarie_ wrote: »I honestly DO feel better. I'm not constantly craving cupcakes and empty calories anymore. I guess I just miss my daily apple, or eating root vegetables. I am insulin resistant and have wondered why I was spinning my wheels for so long and NOT getting anywhere. I don't want to go back to how I was eating. I just want to include things again that now I'm not eating (mostly fruits and vegetables). That is why I want to speak to someone that can help me balance things so that it can have a lower carb diet. I'm thinking 100g a day. I hope I didn't offend anyone.
100g a day is still low carb. Anyway, try to eat your apple and/or your root vegetables, you will see whether it triggers your cravings or not. In other words, you have to find out your own balance (sustainable in the long run).
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_jayciemarie_ wrote: »I honestly DO feel better. I'm not constantly craving cupcakes and empty calories anymore. I guess I just miss my daily apple, or eating root vegetables. I am insulin resistant and have wondered why I was spinning my wheels for so long and NOT getting anywhere. I don't want to go back to how I was eating. I just want to include things again that now I'm not eating (mostly fruits and vegetables). That is why I want to speak to someone that can help me balance things so that it can have a lower carb diet. I'm thinking 100g a day. I hope I didn't offend anyone.
You're actually better off just finding out on your own what your limits are for those things once you've gotten your health straightened back out. You'll be hard pressed to find a nutritionist that won't look at you like you've grown a second head because you don't eat grains and that you're trying to keep your carbs down.
Right now, focus on what you can have instead of dwelling on what you can't have. Doing that will make things more sustainable, mentally (because that's usually 90% of the issue).
Then, when you get to where you want to be, you can start bringing other foods back in. It's best to do it in a controlled manner -- try including apples for a week and see how you respond. Don't just look at the number on the scale, though, pay attention to how it affects your appetite, mood, energy, etc. Observe whether you have a tolerance limit, too. Can you handle one apple every other day, but every day for more than three days starts setting things off? That's good to know. Then, when you have that information in hand, you can move on to something else, like potatoes. (For what it's worth, the less starchy root vegetables, like carrots, can still be in a very low carb way of eating, but may require some tweaking of the day's stuff and a smaller portion. If you like them enough, it may be a worthwhile treat.)
It takes more than naive talk of going back to a "balanced" diet to offend us.
This was just our way of saying "yeah, you are still brainwashed." 0 -
I plan on upping my carbs to around 50-75 once the weight is lost, but no more, or adding a 100 carb day once a week. I have added back some berries. I eat lots of veggies. You dont have to give up veg. See how you feel when you do. I don't feel great in heavy ketosis (20 or less for me) but I feel good around 30-50. When I feel cravings sneaking up, I drop back down to 20 for a while. It's a do-able WOL, if you feel good on it. I will be having carbs on my birthday though 0
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I have been eating low carb (paleo) on and off since I was about 20. I have lost over 70lbs total.
Whenever I go back to eating SAD, I gain weight.
That doesn't mean I don't "cheat" or go over my carb limit... it just means that I try to eat healthier, most of the time.
The SAD is not sustainable. It makes people sick and unhealthy.
In the end you just need to find out what is sustainable to you, and choose to make it your lifestyle.
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Congrats on your success so far! For me, the more research and information I gain, plus not only weight loss, but the way I feel makes it worth it for me to continue basically forever. I don't have huge weight loss goals (less than 10 lbs), but as a full time working mom, this just works for me. Sugar and carbs are a huge trigger for me to feel like crap and I don't sleep well. I have no energy when I eat carbs and instead of being productive on the weekends all I want to do is watch tv. There are so many NSV's to keep me going. I also don't only believe in this WOE, but I also don't eat anything processed, GMO foods or things like that. All of my grandparents and my father have passed away from cancer and that terrifies me. Sugar feeds cancer. I want to be around for a loooooong time and see my daughter grow up and be healthy for her as well as myself.
I've found ways to make my food enjoyable and if I "splurge" I make sure it's worth it. If I really want sushi rolls, then I eat it, then go back to LCHF the next day. I put goat cheese on almost everything because I love it and makes my meat go down easier. For me, I've had to let go of the "all or nothing" thinking about food. Like if I'm not being good, I'm being bad. It is about balance, but I've learned that my body feels better this way. And that I can eat cake, but I know I will have a sugar hangover for the next 24 hours or more.
Personally, for me it just took time to get used to this and get over the brainwashing. And experimenting with my food to make it as enjoyable as possible. Pinterest is my life line!0 -
I also forgot to mention....from the book Well Fed....they have a chart that shows any nutrient that you get from grain you CAN get from vegetables. And like a normal amount of vegetables, not if you ate a bucket of them. So you really don't need grains. Also look up "grain brain" and documentaries like "King corn", "food matters" and "forks over knives"....they will change your life! 0
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_jayciemarie_ wrote: »I honestly DO feel better. I'm not constantly craving cupcakes and empty calories anymore. I guess I just miss my daily apple, or eating root vegetables. I am insulin resistant and have wondered why I was spinning my wheels for so long and NOT getting anywhere. I don't want to go back to how I was eating. I just want to include things again that now I'm not eating (mostly fruits and vegetables). That is why I want to speak to someone that can help me balance things so that it can have a lower carb diet. I'm thinking 100g a day. I hope I didn't offend anyone.
No, hon, no offense taken at all.
There are a lot of sub-20g people (keto) on here. That doesn't mean that's the only size tire they make.
I myself, now that I've been adapted for about a year and am close to maintenance, have upped my to 40g net for the time being. That's still pretty restrictive for some people, but I feel like I'm getting away with murder, so to speak. lol I'm happy with it. And many days I don't even reach 40.
If you can fit in some more variety in veggies and fruits and still feel well good and healthy at 100g, then maybe that's your sweet spot. If you consistently stay below that level, you will see improvements with insulin resistance and your health in general. Within low-carb, there are an infinite number of ways to go about it. I eat a little less fat and a little more protein than most, because that's what my body runs best. "Low-carb" is a guideline. It's the frame of your house. You can decorate it's interior how best fits your body and health.
I've eaten LCHF for a year, and I intend to do it forever. Yeah, I'm going to have an occasional cheat for a really special occasion (like my anniversary and birthday), but my life is so full and rich with my improved health, I don't want to go back. I'm pretty sure I'm going to try to stay ketogenic for the long haul. I just don't want bread or pasta or sweets any more. And if I get teh itch for something chocolatey and sweet, there are on-plan (and absolutely delicious) recipes I can whip out. I love how I eat. I look forward to meal time. I love my new lifestyle.
LCHF doesn't have to be as restrictive as keto. You should find your happy place within it. I've found mine. We all have to do a little experimenting to get there.
Congrats on your progress so far.
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Once I'm at maintenance I'm going Paleo and adding in some legumes and sweet potatoes. I'll let you know how it goes. That's my plan for life!0
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For me this is definitely a lifestyle. I am a carb/sugar addict and there is no such thing as moderation/balance for me or I would never have gotten obese to begin with. I can't imagine going back to the stuff that almost killed me.0
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I've been eating this way for at least three years now and I imagine I'll continue to eat this way for the rest of my life. I keep my carbs under 50g and I eat vegetables everyday and usually fruit as well. I also eat higher carb whole foods like bananas, black beans and potatoes on occasion and fit them in just fine.
If I wasn't eating a satisfying amount of fruits and vegetables I wouldn't want to sustain a low carb diet either. My goal is to eat as many carbs as I can while still maintaining the benefits of low carb -- which luckily enough under 50g allows for any produce I want as long as I'm mindful. I understand where you're coming from but fruit and vegetables fit if they're a priority.
Best wishes working out the balance that works for you because you're absolutely right in that you need to enjoy and feel good about the way you eat for it to be sustainable. 0 -
Everyone has to find their happy place. I've found mine through LCHF and am in for life! I feel it's completely sustainable and don't miss any foods anymore. Everyone is different though, and that's okay. I just know that I won't ever go back to eating the foods that make me feel like crap!0
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I've been hanging around 50g of carbs a day for 4 months and lost about 25 pounds. I've experienced a lot of different, unexpected health benefits. I'm finding that this is entirely sustainable and don't have a problem with grabbing a caramel or eating carrots or grabbing some sushi when the mood strikes. I get chocolate every morning in my primal coffee, love my wasabi almonds every day. I may raise or lower my carbs on occasion to meet so health goals but low carb is my way of life now. No regrets.
The most difficult problem I have is not preaching to everyone about it. lol0 -
SlimBride2Be wrote: »Once I'm at maintenance I'm going Paleo and adding in some legumes and sweet potatoes. I'll let you know how it goes. That's my plan for life!
You might want to check out the WAPF guidelines for handling legumes. Paleo generally excludes them due to the anti-nutrients in them (lectins, phytates, etc), but following the WAPF guidelines for preparing them can deactivate a fair bit of them for the most part.I also forgot to mention....from the book Well Fed....they have a chart that shows any nutrient that you get from grain you CAN get from vegetables. And like a normal amount of vegetables, not if you ate a bucket of them. So you really don't need grains. Also look up "grain brain" and documentaries like "King corn", "food matters" and "forks over knives"....they will change your life!
Oh please not Forks Over Knives. That's such a horrible documentary.
A far better one is The Perfect Human Diet.0 -
This is a lot of great information. I am a sugar addict and going lchf has been the best decision of my life. I finally understand what it means to eat until you are satisfied INSTEAD of full. Like most on here I'm concerned with blood work in the long scheme of things. At 39 I'm no longer someone that can afford to create health concerns. I've seen a lot of debate on here about cholesterol numbers. I will eventually find a good balance. For now...I need to get through month two.
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Thanks for the Paleo info. Even as I was typing I wasn't sure legumes were okay! As it happens I don't particularly like them and didn't eat them in the old days much so no loss there.0
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^^ Same here, I love being 'satsified' and just automatically knowing when to stop! Who knew, my body always had the wisdom. Fellow sugar addict here. I plan on eating LCHF for life, but I am allowing room for the very infrequent slip up, like birthday cake. Just doing what is sustainable right now, which is 50-100 carbs daily. So if I want an apple or banana, you'd better believe I'm going to have one. Today I want dark chocolate, so I'm going to allot enough in my carb total to have it. I always aim for lower carbs though, and hopefully with more frequent cooking I'll find it easier. I think that is the key to making it work for life; finding your balance.0
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_jayciemarie_ wrote: »This is a lot of great information. I am a sugar addict and going lchf has been the best decision of my life. I finally understand what it means to eat until you are satisfied INSTEAD of full. Like most on here I'm concerned with blood work in the long scheme of things. At 39 I'm no longer someone that can afford to create health concerns. I've seen a lot of debate on here about cholesterol numbers. I will eventually find a good balance. For now...I need to get through month two.
If you're eating a lot of saturated fat, that's potentially a valid concern, but you can stay low-carb without a lot of saturated fat intake or even animal fat intake if that's a concern.
My goal from the beginning was to make this diet sustainable for the long term, and that meant only eating what I like (i.e., not forcing myself to make extreme changes) and eating what improves my measurable health markers.
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I'm not missing pasta, bread ,rice, potatoes etc., but am planning to increase carbs a bit over the summer (at <16 now) cause of fresh produce in my garden. Still will try to stay <50 I think. My downfall is baked goodies & I think I won't be able to add them without binge frenzy. (Don't know what I'll do at son's wedding in July).0
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