# My 2nd Week of Low Carb Diet



## JTI (Jul 25, 2016)

Just a follow up. 

It is the end of the second week. My lantus is down to 30 a night and I am injecting NOTHING for my meals. I haven't injected any humalog now for 7 days ( I used to inject 60 units each meal).  I still take 2 metformin.  My weight is down a further 2.4kg - bringing my total loss to 5.1kg in two weeks.  I won't be surprised if this week I lose less weight. 

Despite constantly lowering my lantus (from 80 originally), I have woken up to hypos three days in a row - so I keep adjusting lower. My fasting sugar levels have remained between 3.8 and 4.3 and my post dinner/before bed sugars have been between 4.7 and 7.1. 

I am averaging about 1000-1300 calories a day. I am actually wanting to start the 8 week blood sugar diet, so this is my 'practice'.  Going down to 800 for 8 weeks will be easier (after my holiday). 

I want to encourage those wanting to reduce portions - IT CAN BE DONE.  I used to have massive portions and easily 1500 calories in one meal.  I previously thought it inconceivable (and torture) that I would have small portions of food with no carbs - but it took just 5 days (and a lot of hunger) to adjust.


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## Martin Canty (Jul 25, 2016)

That's fantastic, great progress....

Yes there is very significant weight loss on LCHF as much of the weight is retained water (the scales always tell me if I consumed too many carbs the previous day(s))....


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## HOBIE (Jul 27, 2016)

Good news JTI


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## bilbie (Jul 28, 2016)

well done. I remember the first week of LC well, it was horrible.  I didn't restrict myself with calories, either. I ate anything but sugars and starches.
I was starving hungry for 2 days, then it stopped. Then I was 'carb flu' for the rest of the week.
I think the first week of LC is glossed over, like the birth part of having kids.


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## PinkGrapefruit (Aug 21, 2016)

How many carbs a day is low carbs?


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## Marsbartoastie (Aug 21, 2016)

What an excellent start.  Good work JTI.


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## bilbie (Aug 22, 2016)

PinkGrapefruit said:


> How many carbs a day is low carbs?


LC is generally considered under 130g a day, for a 2,000 cal diet. Some people need to go as low as 20g a day, but generally around 50g will work for most people's insulin resistance. It is important to add dietary fats to replace most of the sugar and starch calories.

an introduction to low carb
https://www.verywell.com/low-carb-diets-4014695 

what to expect the first week, besides being hungry for the first 2 days, then it stops
https://www.verywell.com/getting-through-the-first-week-2242037

you may not need to go this low, but it will help kick start
http://au.atkins.com/new-atkins/the-program/phase-1-induction.html


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## PinkGrapefruit (Aug 22, 2016)

Gosh that is low. I'm getting under 100g of carbs a day - maybe as low as 50g on some days. I couldn't give an exact figure, so that is a slight guesstimate.


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## grovesy (Aug 22, 2016)

I personally could not go that low, I have been doing mostly about the 120-130, that works for me!


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## JTI (Aug 22, 2016)

I do not deliberately 'count' my carbs but just use common sense with what I think is low carb. I plug my food into myfitnesspal and see afterwards. I had a quick look - I am between 20-40g carbs per day, occasionally it goes up to about 60g. It is usually around 35g a day. For me, it is more about eating foods that do not raise my sugar level.


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## Lilian (Aug 22, 2016)

I think it also depends on whether you need to lose weight or not.    If you do not need to lose weight then go to the amount of carbs that keep your sugars down.    If you need to lose weight as well then the carbs need to be kept quite low so that your body's fuel becomes fat burning rather than carb burning.   It will then use your stored fat when it needs energy.   The more fat you have the less hungry you will be because the body has always got food on hand so to speak.   That is why you feed it higher fat.   Like if you have water retention it helps to drink plenty water to encourage the body to release it.


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## PinkGrapefruit (Aug 22, 2016)

JTI,

Could you give an overview of a typical breakfast lunch and dinner to get the 20-40 carbs per day.


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## Marsbartoastie (Aug 22, 2016)

PinkGrapefruit said:


> JTI,
> 
> Could you give an overview of a typical breakfast lunch and dinner to get the 20-40 carbs per day.


I'd be interested in this too JTI.  I'd like to tighten up my carb intake, but I think I'd be very hard pressed to get it anywhere near 40g per day.


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## Martin Canty (Aug 22, 2016)

Marsbartoastie said:


> but I think I'd be very hard pressed to get it anywhere near 40g per day.


It's a mindset thing, it took me a while to work out but in the end, once I started VLCHF, it is actually quite easy. The one thing to help is to look at just what vegetables you are eating.


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## JTI (Aug 23, 2016)

Here is one random day.

*Item followed by      kcal     Carbs g 
Breakfast*
Sainsbury's - Natural Cottage Cheese, 100 g  107kcal  4g carbs
Raw - Cucumber, 0.4 medium  3kcal  1g carbs
*Total  110kcal  5*

*Lunch  * 
Sainsbury's - Baby Plum Tomato, 100 g  20kcal  3g carbs
Sainsbury's Beef Mince 5% Fat - Minced Beef, 125 g  208kcal  1g carbs
Carrots Cooked - Carrots, 20 grams  8kcal  2g carbs
Radishes, raw, 0.5 cup slices  9kcal  2g carbs
*Total  245kcal  8g carbs*

*Dinner  * 

Generic - Cauliflower, Riced, 2 cup (107g)  54kcal  10g carbs
Chipotle - Adobo Marinated Steak, 6 oz  285kcal  0g carbs

*Total  339kcal  10g carbs*

*Snacks  * 

Nut - Brazil - Whole - Unsalted, 1 nut  31kcal  1g carbs
Generic - Walnut, 1 Whole, 0.75 walnut  20kcal  0g carbs
Generic - One Almond - Raw, 3 almond  21kcal  1g carbs
Hazelnut - Hazelnut, 1 nuts (14 g)  9kcal  0g carbs
*Total  72kcal  2g carbs*

*Grand Total  766kcal  25g carbs*


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## JTI (Aug 23, 2016)

Here is another random day - this was very very low carbs - hope it helps.  I want to make it clear I am not outright counting every last carb in my mouth. I tend to eat what I eat and then plug it into myfitnesspal and then see. I didn't plan to go this low in carbs, it just so happened that this day was very low. I don't religious stick to the 800 calories either - but as long as I am + or - 100 calories I am fine. 

*Breakfast *
Walls - Unsmoked Bacon Rasher, 1 slice  51Kcal  0g Carbs
Egg, whole, cooked, fried, 2 large  180 Kcal  1 g Carbs
*Total  231* Kcal*  1* g Carbs

*Lunch  * 
Princes - Mackerel Fillet In A Rich Tomato Sauce, 125 g Container 182 Kcal  2 g Carbs
2 egg plain omelette with spinach  140 Kcal  2 g Carbs
*Total  322* Kcal*  4* g Carbs

*Dinner  * 
Sainsbury's Taste the Difference - Free Range Woodland British Chicken Thigh Fillets, Skinless and Boneless, 130 g  300 Kcal  0 g Carbs
Sainsburys - Fine Beans, Tenderstem Broccoli & Baby Corn, 160 g 43 Kcal  6 g Carbs
*Total  343* Kcal*  6* g Carbs

*Grand Total 896Kcal 11g Carbs*


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## JTI (Aug 23, 2016)

Here is another day where carbs were 35g in the day. One thing I must say - cottage cheese with onion and chives has less carbs than the natural one and tastes so delicious - it reminds me of Boursin.  Also this day we were out and about in town so ate out. I still can't figure out where the 1g of carbs in black coffee comes from. 


*Breakfast*
Sainsburys - Cottage Cheese With Onion and Chives, 100 g  106Kcal  3g Carbs
Raw - Cucumber, 0.4 medium  3 Kcal  1 g Carbs
Juiced - Parsley, 1 Bunch  25 Kcal  7 g Carbs
Lemon juice, raw, 1 lemon yields  10 Kcal  3 g Carbs

*Total  144* Kcal  *14* g Carbs

*Lunch*
Pret A Manager - Tuna Nicoise Salad, 1 pkg  174 Kcal  4 g Carbs
Costa - Medium Black Coffee (Americano), 1 medium cup  8 Kcal  1 g Carbs

*Total  182*Kcal  *5* g Carbs

*Dinner*
Sainsbury's - Mixed Vegtable Stir Fry, 325 grams  142 Kcal  14g Carbs
Sainsbury's Taste the Difference - Free Range Woodland British Chicken Thigh Fillets, Skinless and Boneless, 130 g  300Kcal  0 g Carbs

*Total  442* Kcal  *14* g Carbs

*Snacks*
Hazelnut - Hazelnut, 1 nuts (14 g)  9 Kcal  0 g Carbs
Generic - Walnut, 1 Whole, 0.75 walnut  20 Kcal  0 g Carbs
Nut - Brazil - Whole - Unsalted, 1 nut  31 Kcal 1 g Carbs
Sainsbury's - Toasted Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds, 5 g 30 Kcal 1 g Carbs
Generic - One Almond - Raw, 1 almond  7 Kcal  0 g Carbs
*Total 97* Kcal  *2* g Carbs

*Grand Total 865Kcal 35g Carbs*


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## Marsbartoastie (Aug 23, 2016)

Thanks JTI.  You've reminded me that I could be making better use of eggs.  You're turning in amazingly low carb counts...congratulations.


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## PinkGrapefruit (Aug 23, 2016)

JTI

Thank you so much for sharing your meals, that helps give a really good insight.

I love the sound of a spinach omlette.

I am having one or two slices of wholemeal a day, and a small portion of pasta, rice, or potato. I think if I cut those out I would be on the <50 carbs range.

I was going I try some of those zero carb noodles, they sound promising.

My biggest challenge is to try and work an ultra low carb diet into my families diet.


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## JTI (Aug 23, 2016)

It wasn't in my samples above but I love courgetti now. My family would eat spaghetti bolognaise, and I would eat the bolognaise with courgetti. Courgetti and cauliflower rice really help with feeling like you are eating normally!! I have to look into the zero carb noodle thing.


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## PinkGrapefruit (Aug 23, 2016)

I have seen the barenaked noodles for sale in Morrisons recently, but they are quite expensive (£2.99 a packet from memory). They also do a rice which is the same product in a rice shape.

By all accounts you need to wash the water they are contained in off them to get rid of a manky flavour. Then they taste of nothing and just have a weird texture.

What the hoo, a zero cal standby for the cupboard is good in my book.

I tried some GF waitrose Couscous recently, 30g carbs per hundred grams. I cooked 100 grams and mixed it with chargrilled veg and lime juice, coriander and chilli. Made three large portions and total carbs maybe 15 per serving.


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## Mark Parrott (Aug 24, 2016)

Great recipe ideas there.  My typical day is:
Breakfast: 1 slice ham, 1 slice cheese & scrambled eggs

Lunch: Tuna mustard mayo with gherkins & tomatoes

Dinner: 2 pork chops with roasted Mediterranean vegetables

Total carbs: Don't know, never worked it out but must be pretty low.


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## Mark Parrott (Aug 24, 2016)

I tried Slim Rice from Holland & Barrett.  It was disgusting.


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## Marsbartoastie (Aug 24, 2016)

JTI said:


> It wasn't in my samples above but I love courgetti now. My family would eat spaghetti bolognaise, and I would eat the bolognaise with courgetti. Courgetti and cauliflower rice really help with feeling like you are eating normally!! I have to look into the zero carb noodle thing.


I have to advise you _against _the zero carb noodles.  When I first embarked on my 'get healthy challenge' I bought a plastic noodle press online and followed these instructions to make my own: 



.  Making them was a right fanny on and the noodles themselves serve only one purpose...to act as a filler.  I now realise that there are better ways to achieve fullness and eating 'real food' wins every time and is far more sustainable in the long term.  

Over the course of the last couple of years I've learned a great deal.  Something that should have been obvious was that people who have a 'normal' relationship with food accept that feeling hungry at times is natural and acceptable.  It's been a steep learning curve for me...but I'm getting there.  Happy to have you on board JTI.


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