Eating the Low-Carb Way: your place to share

[TSSleepy]

TSSleepy - thank you SO much for sharing your info! I have really been wondering about what kind of weight loss I might expect. I think I too am going to keep some kind of fitness/health/fat loss journal. 35 lbs in 48 days is VERY encouraging!!! I'm going to check out your youtube video now.

I should point out that "your mileage may vary".

It works great for me, because it's obvious (in retrospect) that I've been insulin resistant/glucose intolerant (or whatever the buzz word of the year is) for decades.

1) Family history of type2 diabetes and obesity, both maternal and paternal.
2) I had "fatty liver" by my 20's with liver inflammation, high ALT (116U/L), and high triglycerides (157mg/dL). Probably earlier, but no one ever looked. Back then, they still thought it was fat instead of carbs that caused this.
3) I was pre-diabetic by my 20's with high fasting blood glucose (100mg/dL). Probably earlier, but no one ever looked.

My energy levels and overall health are vastly improved on a very carbohydrate-restricted diet (<40g/day). I got new labs taken this week and am eager to see what changes I have made to my body chemistry.

Also, I'd say the first 10-13 pounds of my weight loss was just water. You shed a lot of water when you really cut back your carbs because glucose is stored as glycogen and glycogen is "packaged" in water molecules. Two days eating >100g carbs and that 10-13 pounds would be right back on me in the form of water retention. That's not to say losing water is bad! My blood pressure dropped about 10% from that alone.

So when you switch to low carb, you shed that water, which can lead to dehydration and constipation if you're not careful the first couple weeks. But after a couple weeks, your body settles in and life gets much better (if you were glucose intolerant/insulin resistant, and if your body runs well on fatty acids/ketones for fuel). Everyone is different. And men tend to respond better to low carb than women.

YouTube has a huge community of people who chronicle their diet and weight-loss struggles in video diaries. By searching around, you can find a collection of people who have similar health constraints and issues as yourself and build a nice little "virtual support group".

It also really helps to watch yourself shrink on video. When I look in the mirror, my mind has developed a blind eye to my size. But when I see myself on video...it makes me really realize how big I was (but also how much progress I've made).

Any day that I get the urge to eat pizza, I just re-watch my introduction video and have some meat and cheese instead, lol.

[MoneyGal]

It's all good. I know I won't have the same results. I'll see what I get...AND it will be interesting (and useful!) for me to find out what works FOR ME.

[DreamStalker]

Today we had a lunch presentation and they ordered pizza for everyone. I abstained of course.

I have not had pizza in over a year now. I still miss it but having been on low carb for so long it is not that difficult to abstain even in a room full of it.

Nevertheless, at the risk of triggering hidden mines of the mind, I'm going to try making a low-carb pizza (meatzza) this weekend.
http://freetheanimal.com/2009/09/meat-c ... eatza.html

Doesn't look like you have to measure anything out ... just mix some ingredients together, cook, then eat.

My kind of recipe

[DoriC]

DS, just have to ask, so what did you eat instead?

[timbalionguy]

DS, thanks for the 'Meatza' recipes!

[ycartf]

I started the day after Christmas eating no more sugary junk food. About two weeks into it, I then cut back all breads, starches, carbs. I have lost right at 28 pounds since I started this (started out at 325 - 6'2") and am really enjoying the increased energy. I would probably have a greater weight loss if it was not for snacking all the time (as I have gotten out of the three big meals routine).

In a typical day, I might have about 4 eggs and at least half a pound of sausage for breakfast (sometimes I just eat a cup or so of cottage cheese).

For lunch I have some kind of non-starchy vegetables (usually a broccoli/cauliflower/carrots mix) and about a half pound of chicken OR I will just eat a lot of fixings for a sandwich without the bread (green leaf lettuce, cheese, turkey, tomato slices, pickle - dipped in regular mustard).

For supper I have something similar to the lunch of veggies and chicken, sometimes pan-frying a hamburger steak.

I snack constantly on string cheese, nuts, cottage cheese, sliced lunch meat, and the occasional pork rinds if I get to wanting something "crunchy."

I take 2-3 doses of Metamucil (sugar-free one) throughout the day for ensuring there is enough fiber.

I really don't measure much of anything or keep a running log. If I am hungry, I eat. I feel satisfied longer with this intake, especially the breakfast of eggs and sausage. Sometimes when I eat that I tend to snack through lunch rather than eating a meal. I do exercise at least 30 minutes (of aerobic exercise) at least 4-5 times a week. I am loving this!

[JohnBFisher]

... Today we had a lunch presentation and they ordered pizza for everyone. I abstained of course. ...

Yeah, I've gotten so I am proactive about this type of thing. As a diabetic I need to stay away from Pizza. So, when people note there is going to be a working lunch, I just ask if there will be a salad or something more healthy. It often gets an awkard silence, but the health risk is too high for me to ignore it. I was shocked one time (early in my learning how to manage diabetes) to discover a couple slices of pizza pushed my blood glucose WAY over 200. Some foods impact my blood sugar more than others. Pizza is a definite "no go" for me.

If I don't have the chance to ask, and am feeling weak I either ask if there is a local cafeteria or lunch counter where I can get something better. If I am fine, I will usually just skip lunch. Though I do not use insulin, I find my blood sugars can crash more than they once did. So, if I start to get "weak", I try to have something to elevate my blood sugar - without spiking it.

[JeffH]

Today we had a lunch presentation and they ordered pizza for everyone. I abstained of course.

I have not had pizza in over a year now. I still miss it but having been on low carb for so long it is not that difficult to abstain even in a room full of it.

Nevertheless, at the risk of triggering hidden mines of the mind, I'm going to try making a low-carb pizza (meatzza) this weekend.
http://freetheanimal.com/2009/09/meat-c ... eatza.html

Doesn't look like you have to measure anything out ... just mix some ingredients together, cook, then eat.

My kind of recipe

Thanks for posting that. Fixed a Meatza for dinner tonight and it was great! Easy to fix also.

JeffH

[DreamStalker]

DS, just have to ask, so what did you eat instead?

Well, we were given prior notice.

My options were :

1) Be weird and bring my own healthy salad with chunks of chicken breast and avocado.

or ...

2) Be weirder and use a fork to scrape off and eat pizza toppings and throw away the crusts.

I chose number 1.

I went to Whole Foods today and got ingredients for meatza ... will give it a shot Sunday afternoon.

[Muse-Inc]

My former office often worked thru lunch or even dinner or even more hateful weekends and usually brought in meals...I always asked for low-carb options, we usually had it delivered so I could peruse menus and make choices. I also kept a stash of emergency low-carb food, cans of chicken-salmon, frz stuff that would do when they ordered from places where there were no good low-carb options.

[DreamStalker]

Ok, here are some pics of this evening experiment into making a weapon of vegan destruction

Yesterday I went to Whole Foods and got 1 lb of ground buffalo and 1 lb of ground grass-fed beef (the darker one in pic is the buffalo).
I smeared some coconut oil onto pan just in case it was needed to prevent from sticking to non-stick pan. (I don't think it was needed ).
After flattening out meat crust, I smeared some egg wash over top and put it into oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.


When it came out of oven, it had shrunk as expected so I moved it over to smaller pan.
Then I smeared on some organic tomato garlic sauce and layered it with the organic cheddar and mozzarella.
Added a bunch of fresh oregano and then all the veggies (as you can see, any vegan would wolf this down ).
Topped off with the organic Italian cheese blend and put back in oven at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.
I then placed on top rack and upped the temperature to high broil for about 10 more minutes



When it cam out it looked and smelled just like a veggie pizza.
Mmmmm .... well, it didn't really taste like pizza without the real crust but it was just as good.


The coconut oil was not necessary and I should have added twice as much of the tomato garlic sauce. Unless you want to eat it like a cave man/woman, it is best to eat with a fork. It did burn the roof of my mouth just like real pizza.

The 2lbs of meat was barely enough to make a 1/4 inch thick meat crust. I think this would work well as a deep-dish type next time.

Over all it turned out well and I'm sure it will kill any vegan dead.

[Muse-Inc]

DS, that looks so yummy! Will add it to next week's menu and try it.

[Catnapper]

When my kids were young I used to make what I called Meatza Loaf. Similar idea. I put chopped peppers, onion, garlic and herbs in ground beef, then rolled it flat. Covered that with mozzarella cheese and rolled it up like a jellyroll or pinwheel. Then I baked it like a meat loaf with tomato sauce on top. It had the flavor of pizza, but was a meat dish with melting cheese in a roll. Very good. Back then I served it with salad and pasta.

That was more than 30 years ago. Probably would still be good.

Catnapper - Joanie

[DoriC]

DS, That looks picture perfect! Just curious, how many meals does that make?

[DreamStalker]

DS, That looks picture perfect! Just curious, how many meals does that make?

Thanks Dori.

How many meals?

Hmmm .... well, as many as it takes to finish it all. I don't measure out servings.

I guess what I mean is that a serving for me is variable. I eat as much as I want when I want. When eating low-carb, there are basically no swings in insulin to worry about. I'm never ravenously hungry. I'm able to eat slower than my dogs now. I can nibble and then leave it alone or I can give myself a heaping helping if I have not eaten all day.

If it helps you get an idea of the size though. the finished pie was about 12" X 16" and the thickness was about the same as an average pizza loaded with toppings.