One Month!

Somehow I managed not to publish the last post when I finished it. So this one comes the same day, but really that was a week ago. I’m visiting family this week which can be challenging if one is eating strangely. Fortunately, my mom has been following Atkins – though feeling a little sluggish – so I’ve gotten the be the one giving dietary advice for a change. “More fat! More salt!”

I’ve passed the one month mark and I’m feeling great! Hanging out with little kids and their high carb snacks presents lots of temptations. They’re getting the same high sugar, high carb diet that most American kids are. I’m biting my tongue to avoid going off about carbohydrates, and to keep from snagging a cookie or a handful of Goldfish myself. I did eat 4 Goldfish one day, but only after reading the label to be sure it wouldn’t blow my plan.

I had some shopping to do yesterday for an upcoming family wedding so I hit the mall food court for lunch. I was after 1:00, which is significant in itself – I used to be an 11:30 lunch eater. I easily avoided the pseudo-Chinese and Japanese restaurants with their breaded meats and sugary sauces. I skipped several chain fast foods, being tired of burgers without buns. Fortunately there was a “GreatWraps Cafe” with fabulous mediterranean options. I got the Gyro above with tzatziki sauce, cucumbers, and feta. I ate it with a fork and tossed the heavy pita. It was wonderful! This diet really isn’t much of a diet. Skipping Goldfish is a pretty easy sacrifice when such a delicious lunch is the prize.

Update: I meant to add that I discovered that my home scale is utterly out of whack. I stepped on a commercially certified scale and weighed 35 lbs less then I hoped! That’s a nice problem to have, but clearly I didn’t lose 35 lbs in a week. It’s nice to know I hadn’t gained as much as I feared in the previous 6 mos., but I really don’t know how much I’ve lost in the past month. I’m guessing about 10 lbs., not the fifteen I wrote last week. Looks like I need a new scale when I get home.

Happy So Far!

I’ve completed three weeks of LCHF and I’m very pleased! I’ve lost 15 pounds and I’m feeling really good. I don’t get very excited about 15 pounds, because I have a lot more to lose, and a big part of the 15 lbs. is related to water retention. I can gain back 15 pounds without even trying, so the real test is what happens next.

I like the way LCHF makes me feel. My energy levels are good. I don’t feel like running a marathon or anything (nor do I ever expect to feel like doing that!) But I’m certainly well past the initial slump of dumping the carbs in my diet. Most significantly, I haven’t had a single bout of low blood sugar – the kind that makes me run to the fridge and eat everything in sight. That’s very good news!

Overall, I’m very content with my eating options. I recently found a new recipe for sausage and peppers, that may now be my favorite dinner! I’m a little tired of cream in and on everything, so I’ve had a little less of that this week. Romaine lettuce has become my chief bread substitute and I’m good with that. I’ve had both beef and chicken tacos – with real cheese on top!

I’m not craving sugar and flour like I expected to. I do still want to graze in the evenings, though. I’m trying to find good alternatives so that I don’t have to contemplate being utterly deprived of dessert or snacks for the remainder of my life!

I’ve tried several recipes that use almond flour instead of white flour. I hated the almond flour baked donuts and the almond flour crust I used under low carb ice cream cups. But last night I made these mini-cheesecakes and they’re amazing! The almond flour crust, with added vanilla protein powder is really good. And how do you beat cheesecake?!

I had dinner at a friend’s home last week, which was a challenge. I told her I was eating this strange diet, but it’s hard to people to ‘get’ how radical this is. The salad with tuna and sliced eggs was great. Everything else was pretty carb heavy, including quinoa with two kinds of raisins, which she assured me was all protein. Well, actually, quinoa is 70% carbs. I avoided the raisins, of course and I didn’t eat much quinoa, fortunately. There was a lot of fruit – I nibbled on the berries and had one slice of pear. There’s always bread, which is easily enough avoided. I hate to clear out a host’s salad bowl and ask, “What are you going to eat?” I had some cheese and a slice of roasted pork loin when I got home!

Restaurants are easier. Friends may look at my plate strangely, but there are more options and I don’t have to find a way to politely refuse the beautiful dishes they’ve created for me. I’m looking forward to eating out tonight for a meal I don’t have to plan, cook, or clean up after!

Going LCHF

I recently discovered the Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) movement. I’d been “Carb Cycling” for a couple of weeks and was finding the low carb days pretty easy. So I decided to do some reading about low carb diets. I tried this several years ago, but found the “Induction” phase of Atkins way too restriction, exhausting, and miserable. It didn’t last long.

I soon found dietdoctor.com and Gary Taubes work, including Why we Get Fat and What to Do About It. I devoured the book in a week and was converted! I started eating LCHF the next week.

I realized that in my previous flirting with Atkins, I hadn’t eaten enough fat, much less bouillon. This time around getting adjusted has been much easier. With the addition of cream, bacon, and butter, I don’t feel deprived at all. Check out the links on the right for some sites to get you started.

I plan for this blog to be a record of my experience more than a primer on how to follow the LCHF lifestyle. I welcome your comments – especially if you’re an experienced LCHF-er and see me making a major error!