The FastDay Forum

My problems with LCHF are (a) I just don't like meat/chicken/fish all that much (b) it is fiendishly difficult to do if you are out and about and have not had time to prepare food to take with you (c) I get constipated (a) I miss fruit terribly and bread quite a lot. Any ideas?

I found that you can't mix it recently, we had a week off work and busy doing jobs at home, red hot weather, and couldn't be bothered or didn't have time to cook. We lived on baggettes, and sandwiches for most of the time. Boy did I get a shock when I weighed myself, never again.

Chris x

That is the way it goes. Note that you gain 2-5lbs of water when you reintroduce carbs after having been in ketosis. The reason is that when you start using glycogen instead of ketones as the main fuel for your body, you retain water. This is also the reason why you lose the same amount in a day or two when you remove carbs from your diet. If I remember correctly glycogen mass is made up one third glucose and two parts water and one typically has just over a pound of glucose in ones muscles.

Yes Dom Dom, it was down to water, it didn't take long to disappear thank goodness when I reverted to my normal woe.

Chris x

My problems with LCHF are (a) I just don't like meat/chicken/fish all that much (b) it is fiendishly difficult to do if you are out and about and have not had time to prepare food to take with you (c) I get constipated (a) I miss fruit terribly and bread quite a lot. Any ideas?

Have a look at Fatdog's thread there is a lot of info on there might interest you.

Chris x

I found that you can't mix it recently, we had a week off work and busy doing jobs at home, red hot weather, and couldn't be bothered or didn't have time to cook. We lived on baggettes, and sandwiches for most of the time. Boy did I get a shock when I weighed myself, never again.

Chris x

This, in my book, is the proof of why "all in moderation" works better than anything else, assuming that we don't have a condition that dictates otherwise.

On my non-fasting days, I eat whatever I fancy. When I stopped fasting for 5 weeks, I was eating mainly sandwiches, pastries, pizza and kebabs with pittas. And I didn't put on any weight at all!!!

My guess is that if I was eating low carb together with 5:2, my scales would be a scary place to be.

A book about coconut oil?

I can't remember the link on the forum, and haven't done a search which you could do, but I bought
"The Coconut Miracle" by Bruce Fife. Available from Amazon.....

Very intesting read about Fats in general as well.

I found that you can't mix it recently, we had a week off work and busy doing jobs at home, red hot weather, and couldn't be bothered or didn't have time to cook. We lived on baggettes, and sandwiches for most of the time. Boy did I get a shock when I weighed myself, never again.

Chris x

This, in my book, is the proof of why "all in moderation" works better than anything else, assuming that we don't have a condition that dictates otherwise.

On my non-fasting days, I eat whatever I fancy. When I stopped fasting for 5 weeks, I was eating mainly sandwiches, pastries, pizza and kebabs with pittas. And I didn't put on any weight at all!!!

My guess is that if I was eating low carb together with 5:2, my scales would be a scary place to be.

What is the definition of moderation in this context?

I choose to fast instead of strict low carb so I can enjoy more carbs. It is particularly appealing that there seems to be significant health benefits with fasting as well. I think 5:2 is easier to stick to.

Also, I would wager a substantial amount of money that you would not gain weight over time if you ate <20 grams of carbs per day and fasted two days per week. It would be quite a feat to gain weight doing that.

All in moderation means to eat a little of everything. Protein, fat, carbs, everything but not in vast quantities and not exclude something unless you have to or you don't like it.
If you eat this way and fast, when the time comes and you can't fast, you will maintain your weight easily while if you fast and do low carb, when the time comes that you have to eat carbs, you will most certainly gain weight.

I think that somehow you misunderstood what I wrote, I am pro fasting and pro carbs.

I think TLM that our bodies must react differently to foods. All I can go on is for years I did low fat diets and put weight on. Two years ago I changed my woe and lost just over 5 stone. Something must be working right and my med stats are good even though I still have weight to lose. I am going to have a food allergy test just to see if I am intolerant of anything.
(excuse spelling). I have stopped having cow dairy and feel better for it.My skin is smooth and my eyes bright and I feel great, that's good enough for me. I still have some carbs like rice but I watch my portions. It seems to be wheat stuff and sugar I feel is doing the damage.

Chris x

My problems with LCHF are (a) I just don't like meat/chicken/fish all that much (b) it is fiendishly difficult to do if you are out and about and have not had time to prepare food to take with you (c) I get constipated (a) I miss fruit terribly and bread quite a lot. Any ideas?

In LCHF you don't eat that much meat really. The emphasis is on the fat as spare protein can be converted to glucose and that hampers ketosis. Do you like eggs and cheese? I adore cheese so its heaven for me! Nothing quicker and easier than a cheese omelette. I find eating out easier from a low carb point of view. I can't eat gluten so low carb is a breeze compared to finding gluten free stuff. I carry a packet of nuts as an emergency snack if I don't know where I'll be eating and I keep packs of cheese snacks such as Babybel in the fridge to put in my bag.

With regard to constipation, its never been a problem for me even though I do low carb and take fairly hefty doses of codeine! Do you drink plenty and eat lots of leafy greens?

Yes, we are all different and we certainly react differently to food. Like, many people say that carbs makes them hungry. I can vouch that there is nothing that fills me up more than a bowl of pasta.

When it comes to constipation, I recently discovered that when it decides to visit because one has changed their eating style, solutions like eating more greens and drinking more water are pretty much useless.

One important thing to bear in mind - you cannot cheat on low carb. If you try LCHF you must be prepared to cut out almost all carbs. High fat plus carbs will pack weight on!

I second these experiences. Cheating on LCHF punishes you quite hard.

That's the problem in terms of sustainability. I do well on LCHF - enjoy the food and lose weight. But I find it impossible to keep to it as a permanent WOL. I'll go on holiday or have visitors, fall off the wagon, and bang, the weight's piled on again.

Thats the beauty of combining it with 5:2, as DomDom says it gives you the chance of having carbs if your treat is carby like cake or biscuits or chocs just watch your portions. I haven't got a sweet tooth but 5:2 will allow me to have something I fancy so long as I don't go over the top and its a treat not a regular every day food.That way you are in the land of the living but not having enough to make a difference.

Chris x

Out of curiosity, are we talking about ALL carbs? Because it seems that many people say "carbs" but mean "sugar and flour".

[Betsysgr8]

Out of curiosity, are we talking about ALL carbs? Because it seems that many people say "carbs" but mean "sugar and flour".

When referring to "low-carb" generally it means: No sugar, flour, grains, rice, potatoes and nearly all root vegetables, corn, etc.
The quantity of carbs that a low-carber consumes is on an individual basis. For instance, I don't prepare anything that will cause a significant blood glucose spike as my BF is pre-diabetic and we refuse to put him on metformin when a diet change and a bit of walking will do the same thing.