What is the something you wish you would have known day one.. (help new people)
ettaterrell
Posts: 887 Member
Ok I've only been doing this going on 6 weeks, in the beginning I had a 2 week stall, (no up no down on scale) I've learned so much and read so much from people on here and I want to help others who are starting out so they dont make mistakes I made, and I'd also like to learn more from people thats been doing this woe for awhile..... So I'll go first:
EAT YOUR FATS... Since i've started this I'm hardly ever hungry (heavy cream, coconut oil, butter, skin on chicken)
get double sodium in diet (keeps away head aches....) I keep dill pickles on hand!
track your food like it's your job....
I'm sure there's more but someone else can take over now....
EAT YOUR FATS... Since i've started this I'm hardly ever hungry (heavy cream, coconut oil, butter, skin on chicken)
get double sodium in diet (keeps away head aches....) I keep dill pickles on hand!
track your food like it's your job....
I'm sure there's more but someone else can take over now....
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Replies
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I wish I had known about toasted coconut flakes. Those and macadamia nuts have got to be the world's best low-carb snacks.
And I wish I knew how to avoid kidney stones. That's a guessing game nobody should have to play.
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I wish I had found Kroger's carbmaster vanilla yogurt sooner. I like it with some dark chocolate and coconut flakes for a treat that actually doesn't trigger more sweet cravings for me.
I also wish I had thought to use less coconut oil, butter and hwc in my bulletproof coffee in the beginning because I was struggling staying in my calorie goal at first. I sort of thought it just had to be made with those specific ratios. Lol
And that I didn't have to hit the fat goal every day. If I wasn't hungry and was under calories, I didn't need to eat more fat to get all the calories in. I could've just had a nicer deficit those days.0 -
I wish I'd have known how bad the first couple of weeks suck! Stick to it and you'll feel amazing!0
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To always have a bag of pork rinds in the house lol0
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Anglyn1, I'm right there with you. I'm on call at work tonight, and have to stay, but forgot to bring extra food. I was running around the nearby grocery store looking for pork rinds. No luck. I think I'm always going to try to have a bag at home and one stashed somewhere at work.0
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If you cannot do without bread like items, there are slightly expensive substitutes or make your own recipes. Chompie's low carb bread, Carbquick (like Bisquick), and then there's Walden Farm's no cal/no carb line of sauces, dressings.0
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1) To use intermittent fasting to fit into my schedule (time saver)
2) Stay consistent as possible by using the same exact packaging food wise and cooking wise (same measurements/cook wear)
3) Low carb gems...like others have mentioned just to use for "cheat" days...coconut manna, baker's chocolate, etc.0 -
Take your starting measurements. I didn't because I was afraid to see the numbers but now I really wish I had. I can fit into jeans that I previously couldn’t, but I'm still curious about how many inches I've actually lost.0
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I was having some of hubby's pork rind yesterday on our way home from a short trip. And couldn't believe how low in carbs they were. Today they will be in my shopping cart for sure.0
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petunia773 wrote: »Take your starting measurements. I didn't because I was afraid to see the numbers but now I really wish I had. I can fit into jeans that I previously couldn’t, but I'm still curious about how many inches I've actually lost.
Definitely this. And take pictures too, I have loads of people telling me that they can see my weight loss but I have no pictures to compare for myself, all of the pictures I can find from when I started 6 months ago I'm wearing a big heavy coat or a jumper to cover my fat, I have to go back 18 months (to when I was bigger than I am now but smaller than I went up to) to compare my size.
Also, this time I researched LCHF properly before I started but I have tried other times and never got off the starting blocks because I was so fixated on finding replacements for my favourites. This time round I accepted that there were things I couldn't eat and concentrated instead on all the things I can still enjoy
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petunia773 wrote: »Take your starting measurements. I didn't because I was afraid to see the numbers but now I really wish I had. I can fit into jeans that I previously couldn’t, but I'm still curious about how many inches I've actually lost.
Definitely this. And take pictures too, I have loads of people telling me that they can see my weight loss but I have no pictures to compare for myself, all of the pictures I can find from when I started 6 months ago I'm wearing a big heavy coat or a jumper to cover my fat, I have to go back 18 months (to when I was bigger than I am now but smaller than I went up to) to compare my size.
Also, this time I researched LCHF properly before I started but I have tried other times and never got off the starting blocks because I was so fixated on finding replacements for my favourites. This time round I accepted that there were things I couldn't eat and concentrated instead on all the things I can still enjoy
Yes! This is soooooooooo helpful! It's really no big deal to not have bread, pasta or muffins. We just often don't know of other ways to eat things. It's totally a mental thing and it can leave you feeling unnecessarily deprived.
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I wish I had taken "before" photos all along, from 102 pounds heavier 5 years ago, 62 lbs ago last Fall, and 44 lbs ago since starting MFP in the Spring.0
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petunia773 wrote: »Take your starting measurements. I didn't because I was afraid to see the numbers but now I really wish I had. I can fit into jeans that I previously couldn’t, but I'm still curious about how many inches I've actually lost.
This this this!! So wish I had but I did do pics!0 -
How well keto and IF go together and how magical they'd be for me. I wish I'd known about these 10 years ago or even 5 years ago. I might have avoided surgery.0
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I was afraid of adding salt at first so I had the headaches and leg cramps early on. Those leg cramps took a good month to completely get rid of. Ugh.
BPC. Adding coconut oil or butter to coffee seemed really weird at first. It sure makes a tasty breafast though.
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The top 10 things I woulda shoulda coulda.
1. Take before pictures and measurements
2. Figure out my BMR, TDEE and Macros earlier.
3. No, Quinoa is not a better grain substitute for rice.
4. Forget grains.
5. Watch sodium and magnesium levels to avoid leg cramps.
6. Forget protein shakes and just eat real HF LC foods.
7. Forget fruits, that includes apples - douh
8. Weigh food portions and record accurately
9. Read all the links in the LC launch pad
10.Read Dan's and KnitorMiss' Blogs0 -
Watch out for carb creep. Weigh and record faithfully to avoid stalls and frustration. Keeps you honest, as does daily weighing if you can weather the ups and downs. These things really help you see how your body is affected by carbs and also by different macros, even by exercise.0
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slimzandra wrote: »10.Read Dan's and KnitorMiss' Blogs
*blushes* It's kind of funny to make someone's list! Thanks.
For me:- Convenience foods do not equal failure (pepperoni, jerky, beef sticks, cheese, lunchmeat, etc.)
- Pizza tastes better without the crust! Burgers without the bun, too.
- SOOOOO many low carb sweeteners have a higher glycemic index/impact than sugar. Research and test what works FOR YOU.
- Intermittent fasting once adapted can really help manage sugar cravings, even for folks who don't feel like hell when they eat off plan (like me) and so don't have lovely built in reminder system.
- Kombucha and naturally fermented foods (for gut health) are SOOOOO worth the extra few carbs!!!
- Not to be afraid to try new things.
- Unrefined coconut oil is so much more awesome than refined, despite the fact that I hate coconut flavors!
- Cinnamon can drop your blood sugar too low if you're sensitive that way.
- Insulin resistance dictates all - and EVERYONE should be tested!
- Your water and sodium needs change periodically.
- Sugar and junk wasn't nearly as hard to give up as I'd worried it was.
- Vinegar pickles and coconut oil consumed within a few hours of each other have explosive consequences.
- Fat replaces fiber in the bowel movement department.
- There is a low carb variation for just about everything!
- Cauliflower crust is not a decent substitute for pizza. BLECH - and Almond Flour does not automatically have the exact same effect on one's body and blood sugar as almonds...
- Hydration and sodium are huge components to success when strenuously working/working out of doors.
- My scale and tape measure are like flipped magnets - when one moves, the other does not.
- I can improve my bloodwork numbers, even when no other progress feels like it's being made.
- One "off plan choice" does not derail my plan - this is life people - *kitten* happens.
- Each bite you choose can be your new beginning - don't wait for tomorrow.
- Own and accept every choice you make - guilt is far more damaging than any carb or calorie.
- All carbs are NOT created equally. Some are "safer" than others. (Strawberries, I'm talking to you!)
- Stalls are unplanned maintenance. View them as an opportunity rather than a challenge.
- Patience and consistency are key to this eating lifestyle's success. If you can't be consistent and go 4 weeks without changing things up, this lifestyle probably isn't for out.
I'm sure I've got dozens more. Those are off the top of my head!0 -
Thanks, these tips are very helpful to me. I'm in week 3 and feeling amazing. I still need to do my measurements.0
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It gets easier so don't worry so much!0
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I second the sodium! I slacked off on drinking daily boullion broth, and before I knew it the cravings started creeping back in. And sodium before a workout is a must.
Also, even on the days you don't feel like eating much, make sure you still get plenty of sodium, especially in the beginning.
Don't slack off on tracking! I got too cocky with my tracking, figured I didn't need to anymore, that I had a good handle on this WOE, etc. Carbs started creeping back in, and before I knew it I was close to 100g a day. Not a big deal for some, but it was enough to stall me.
Pinterest is great for finding meal ideas and new recipes. I wouldn't have made it past the first month without it.
It's okay if you don't like bulletproof coffee.
And finally, 2 food products I just discovered:
-Werther's sugar-free caramels, cinnamon caramels, and chocolate caramels. They are sweetened with sugar alcohols, which may affect some people, but in tiny amounts (like 1 caramel) they are okay, and so so tasty.
-Tyson lightly breaded chicken tenders. Much lower in carbs than regular chicken tenders, and fried on the stove top in some coconut oil are just plain delicious. They are breaded with flour so if you're trying to be grain free they're a no-go, but if you're like me and can have grains in small amounts it's 7 carbs for one 3-oz. tender, and they're pretty huge. Two is a pretty hearty meal.
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daylitemag wrote: »
Probably not. It seems to require some genetic predisposition. I'm still scheduled to talk to the doc about possible causes, but I suspect chocolate and almonds. I ate a LOT, and they're high in oxalate.0 -
Nephrolithiasis/kidney stones...ironically is an adverse drug reaction typical of many meds that cause metabolic acidosis, such as Topiramate, zonisamide, acetazolamide, etc. (not listing meds causing kidney stone that do NOT produce metabolic acidosis). There has got to be a correlation with metabolic acidosis obviously. I would speculate that the kidneys overcompensate for electrolyte losses to provoke kidney stones (I.e.kidneys absorb too much minerals due to how easily electrolytes are excreted while on keto).0
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Don't over eat protein! It caused me to stall.0
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That low carb or keto is not actually a magic weight loss bullet. There is science behind it. You can't just gorge on fat, as you still need to have some sort of calorie deficit if fat loss is your aim. But that low carb and keto are the best ways to get there if done properly and consistently, and that the health benefits can be those other than just fat loss.0
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Ditto the above. (especially pictures & Magnesium Citrate)
I wish I had known that one teaspoon of pure white sugar is only 4.2 grams. So, I was only looking at the carb count, I didn't care so much about the sugar, because it was just another carb. BUT its not, it spikes your blood glucose, then the insulin comes in. Now when I see 4 grams of sugar, I think of a teaspoon of sugar, and put it down. The biggest place they put the sugar in is condiments and sausages (off the top of my head).
@slimzandra ~ you're too kind. My objective with the blogs is to help newbies. I hope I help them.
I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
Keto / The Recipe Water Fasting / E.A.S.Y. Exercise Program
Current weight: 194.9, 119 pounds down, 16 to go. 13.75 months on diet
It's Ketogenic or Bariatric Surgery! How I Found the Ketogenic Diet
Previous Discussions on the LCD & Keto Groups
Blog #10 Keto: Abbreviations, Acronyms & Terminology Used on the LCD & Keto Discussion Groups Updated
DittoDan's Keto Sub Groups Blog
Blog #13 DittoDan's Milestone's, First's And Good Changes Since Starting the Ketogenic Diet Updated
DittoDan's Keto Blogs
How I got Off of Diabetic Prescriptions Drugs Since I Started Keto Updated
Blog #11 Really Good Keto Websites0 -
This has been a great help! Thanks to all of you for the insight.0
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Ditto the above. (especially pictures & Magnesium Citrate)
I wish I had known that one teaspoon of pure white sugar is only 4.2 grams. So, I was only looking at the carb count, I didn't care so much about the sugar, because it was just another carb. BUT its not, it spikes your blood glucose, then the insulin comes in. Now when I see 4 grams of sugar, I think of a teaspoon of sugar, and put it down. The biggest place they put the sugar in is condiments and sausages (off the top of my head).
@slimzandra ~ you're too kind. My objective with the blogs is to help newbies. I hope I help them.
I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
Keto / The Recipe Water Fasting / E.A.S.Y. Exercise Program
Current weight: 194.9, 119 pounds down, 16 to go. 13.75 months on diet
It's Ketogenic or Bariatric Surgery! How I Found the Ketogenic Diet
Previous Discussions on the LCD & Keto Groups
Blog #10 Keto: Abbreviations, Acronyms & Terminology Used on the LCD & Keto Discussion Groups Updated
DittoDan's Keto Sub Groups Blog
Blog #13 DittoDan's Milestone's, First's And Good Changes Since Starting the Ketogenic Diet Updated
DittoDan's Keto Blogs
How I got Off of Diabetic Prescriptions Drugs Since I Started Keto Updated
Blog #11 Really Good Keto Websites
So true! I am always surprised with how common it is to find sugar in packaged meats! I buy a lot of sausages because they are just so easy and darn tasty! It's kinda hard to find them with 0 carbs. One I do really like is Ole Smoky Moonshine brand!
the White Lightning and Apple Pie Moonshine are 0 carbs and super yummy!
Edited to say the brand is actually Wamplers. They have a variety of Ole Smoky Moonshine in different flavors.0 -
I wish I would have known that artificial sweeteners can trigger cravings the same way sugar does (for me anyway). It would have made the first couple of months a lot easier to deal with....0
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