LC food in the Shops

[Gagalina]

Hey all,

Since they have a thread like this in the UK forum, I though we could have our own ;-)

I thought it would be useful for any new products that might appear on our supermarket shelves, any special offers for special LC foods, or just suggestions for "normal" food that are quite lc...


Tesco Stoneybatter (Dublin):

Carb Options BBQ Sauce, Ketchup and Mayonnaise

The BBQ Sauce is lovely, its made with sucralose and comes with around 8 carbs per 100 g. About 2.50 for 500 ml.

Lidl:
This is handy if you're travelling. If you go to the cheese section, they have little plastic containers with feta cheese and olives in oil, and feta cheese with chilli in oil. One of my collegues at work had it with him, and soo tasty, going to get me some of that tomorrow. I dont know the carb count, but if its just cheese, olives and oil, it shouldnt be too high.

Lidl:
Cevapcici - these are jugoslawian mince lamb sausages. The are in the frozen food section and come in 1 kg bags, about 1 g of carbs per 100 g and are also very very tasty. Just stick them in the frying pan or grill them - and then try not to eat the whole bag in one go ;-)

Aldi:
Porc sausage
This is a traditional german type of sausage, and it doesn' have to be cooked. You can cut it in cubes and use it in salad, cut it in slices and just have it as a snack, you can put it in soup or fry it. It has about 1g of carbs.

Lidl also has some lovely salamis, I can't each too much of them, and there is a good bit of salt in them, but the are lc and if you put them under the grill and dry them a bit, they are nice and crunchy.

that's it for now, so if you find any intersting foods, please post them so we can all enjoy them ;-)

[Gagalina]

Boots has started on their LC range. They have a few bars and shakes, and i couldnt resist and got hte chocolate shake for 1.25

Per carton it has 0.7 carbs of which only 0.4 are real carbs but the taste was horrible, it was just really really sickly sweet - but at least it didnt have the soya flavour of hte Atkins shakes ;-)

Slimfast also came out with their own LC range, which is apparently low carb and low cal, but at this stage of the day, I was getting a bit tired and just wanted to go home, so didn't spend too much time looking at them, but both, Boots and Slimfast are def. cheaper than the Atkins stuff.

[Gagalina]

ok, i just had a look at the boots website to see if could find more info on the whole range of lc products that they have, and this is what I found from the slimfast description:

Guidelines

To lose weight aim to eat around 1200-1400 calories per day
During the course of the day eat up to 4 products from the Slim.Fast Low Cal Low Carb diet range
Make them part of your day by eating them with for example 75g of lean chicken or fish or low carb fruits, salads and seeds for breakfast or lunch
For your main meal have, for example, 75-100g of lean chicken, fish or meat, 100g wholegrain bread or potatoes and plenty of leafy green or bright red vegetables, like salad, broccoli or red peppers
Drinks: Make sure you drink 1.5-2 litres of water or low calorie drink
(http://www.boots.com/shop/product_details.jsp?productid=1057876&classificationid=1032036&slmRefer=000)

100g of bread or potatoes???? They bring out an lc plan and they havent got a clue!!

I can't find too much info on the Boots range though...

[Dumbletore]

In Supervalue

Avonmore peppercorn sauce in 250 ml Cartons in the meat section only 2.1 carbs per 100ml and tastes lovely with steak and very low in carbs.

Also Moy Park Chicken wings in BBQ sauce very tasty for a snack.

[Gagalina]

I found some shakes from Carb Options in Creamy Vanilla and Dark Chocolate. Both have about 3 net carbs

The dark chocolate drink is sickly sweet so is the creamy vanilla, but somehow actually like the creamy vanilla.

Also saw some LC croissants from Boots and chocolate covered peanuts, also from Boots, but quite high in polyols though.

Holland and Barrett close to the St.Stephen's Green also had some cake mixtures. You just have to add some water and one egg, stick it in the micro for a few minutes - and hey presto you have some cake. It looked quite tasty, but if you go with the 3 or 5 minute cake from the recipe section, you'll probably will get a healthier and tastier cake ;-)

Boots also has some bread mix and packets of soups (tomato and mushroom) which could be handy for work or if you are in the rush.

[Gagalina]

sorry, meant to say the shakes were from carb solutions and not from carb options.

[Broná]

Hi all,

I saw a receipe on Atkins site for Decadant Chocolate cake, it is made with unsweetened chocolate, i have never seen it in Ireland, can you help me out by telling me if and where i can get it? I think it is called unsweetened baking chocolate.

Many thanks,

Broná:)

[Gagalina]

Hi Brona,

I don't know about unsweetened baking chocolate, maybe the Cadbury's Cocoa Powder would be an alternative?

Fat 20.8g
Carbohydrate 10.5g
Protein 23.1g

You could then maybe add some more butter to it to make up for the fact that its powder and not a chocolate bar?

I've only ever seen sweetened chocolate with various degrees of cocoa powder up to 80% or the diabetic chocolate but they are full of polyols.

hope that helps,

Gagalina

[Broná]

I've never heard of it either, i'll have a good look around, many thanks for your reply.

Broná:)

[Gagalina]

Hi Brona,

its just in the section where you find all the hot chocolate powders in a red/purple tin - I'm addicted to the stuff ;-)


Let us know how you got on because that cake sounds very yummy!!!

[Broná]

Thanks Gagalina,

I will try it with cocoa, have you any idea what Carbquick is? i saw a receipe for Carbquick Pancakes, i'm tired of fries for breakfast.

I find it difficult finding foods over here equal to American receipes, do you?

Broná:)

[Gagalina]

I think Carbquick is a bakemix, similar to the Atkins bakemix?? Maybe you can just substitute them?

I think its getting better over here now with the availability of products. There's carb options in Tesco, Boots has their own range and there are loads of other brands with differnt products in Nature's Way and the other Health Food shops. Apart from not finding all the ingredients, I wish the americans would start using grams ;-) This whole cup thing has me totally confused...

Anybody ever tried "creamed coconut"? It has 6g of carbs per 100 gram and you mix it with hot water to get this type of coconut milk thing. It comes in a block, I found it in the Asian supermarket (Chinese Emporium) behind George street. It smells absolutely lovely, but I've only tried a little bit so far. It might have nice applications for stir fries or deserts.

[Broná]

Hi gagalina,

I do agree that the cup measurement is confusing espicially when you are a newbie to all this.

I went to my local health store here in Wexford to buy Almond Flour, all they had was ground almonds, i suppose it is the same what do you think?

I'd like to try Pancakes, have you tried them yet?

Broná:)

[Gagalina]

Hi Brona,

I use the ground almonds aswell, think the almond flour is just a little bit more ground, but don't think it matters.

What pancakes do you make?

My favorite recipe for eggs is the Mock Danish but in the frying pan, so its more like a pancake/omlett type of thing.

Beat 2 eggs and add 1 crushed splenda tablet, a big spoon of cream cheese and a good dash of cinnamon. Mix it all up until there are little flakes of cream cheese all over.

Heat some butter in a frying pan, add the mixture, let it brown on one side and flip it over. Let it brown on the second side and serve. The cream cheese makes this really nice and fluffy and I love having this for breakfast.

[Broná]

Hi gagalina,

I haven't tried pancakes yet, this is my third week on Atkins and i'm not sure if i can cook your receipe, what do you think?

I introduced a couple of macadamia nuts this week, i love them but a bit salty.

I thought the pancake receipe that i saw somewhere around here was made with Almond flour, could be wrong, i'll have a look again.
I will try your receipe in the morning, will let you know how i got on.

We are at a disadvantage over here with not much choice in low carb, i was thinking of asking my local supermarket to try and get me some items.

I'm a bit tired of fries and veg would like more of a variety maybe something sweet:) have you any receipes or tips?

Many thanks gagalina.

Broná:)

[sol]

Im liking that egg recipie! i have the powderd splenda min, whats a tablet equate to in terms of the powdered stuff?

Im a bit bored with savoury eggs so this could be a goer!

[Gagalina]

Hey Brona,

how did hte pancake go??

You could also try the mock danish for breakfast, there is a big thread about that in the recipe section - I quite like that also.

Or you could make your own lc porridge. I do that whenever I just cant stand to look at eggs anymore ;-)

7g ground linseed
7g ground sesame
7 g ground coconut
14g whey protein powder
7 g ground almond
1 crushed tablet of splenda
a good dash of cinnamon

Mix it all up with some water and nuke it in the microwave for a bit and add some butter - mmhh According to fitday this has just about 2 carbs and its nearly like porridge, but nice and nutty which I love.

Hi Sol,

I think I tablet of splenda is like one teaspoon of sugar or one teaspoon of the granular splenda?

[Broná]

Thanks for the recipe gagalina:)

Re: Whey Protein Powder, what is it and why do you use it?

I will have more questions for you later if you don't mind.

Broná:)

[Gagalina]

Hi Brona,

no worries. I'll write more later, just sooo busy at work at the moment.

[Gagalina]

Hey Brona,

whey is part of milk which is high in protein.

(Dairy source of protein (other than cassein), known for high levels of BCAA's and high nitrogen retention. Made from milk curd, whey protein is the Rolls Royce of proteins because it has a superior amino acid composition (including high levels of leucine, arguably the most important branched chain amino acid), superior biological value (meaning that more of what you eat gets digested and into your system), is very low in lactose (a milk sugar that most adults have difficulty digesting). )

it comes as powder and you can mix it with water or milk to make really nices shakes. Its good for the porridge recipe and as a thickener for soups or sauces and also for baking. I use it quite often, if I'm in a hurry, i just make a shake with cocoa powder and cinnamon and some cream ;-)

The protein powder you can buy in any Health food shop, it comes in different flavours with sweeteners, but I prefer the plain flavour without sweetener.

I got mine from:

http://www.worldwideshoppingmall.co...ein-isolate.asp

and I just ordered some from http://www.myprotein.co.uk

[Broná]

Hi Gagalina,

Thank's for all the info. I find it a big problem trying to substitute lowcarb here in Ireland. Most of the recipes are American, some foods i haven't even heard of them and can't get them here, do you have the same problem? or have you learned to substitute easily?

When you get a chance can you give me a sample of what you eat?
I'm on my second week of OWL and am VERY CONSTIPATED, i eat my veg and take psysillium husk which has always helped me, i dring loads of water, some nights i have to take senna but don't want to rely on them, did you have that problem?

Do you think it would be safe for me to have a toasted sandwich with Weightwatchers brown sliced bread at this stage, i think it has 7carbs per slice?

Do you have much fat during a day?

Thanks Gagalina,

Broná:)

[Broná]

Sorry Gagalina, forgot to ask you, can we get Dreamfields Pasta over here? if not is there some other brand i could use?

Broná.

[Gagalina]

gggrrrhhh, just lost my post thanks to my lovely pc ;-(

ok, here it goes again: (sorry if its a bit short and rough)

i just learned to substitute - i found the foods I really like and just keep eating them in some sort of variation and I dont get bored ;-)

If you click on the fitday link below my name, you can see all the foods I eat everday, or probably should say the ingredients I eat.

If you click on journal here you can see the meals I make out of the ingredients, but I havent posted in my journal for ages, but I havent really changed what I eat

Generally its:

2 eggs for breakfast (either with cream cheese and cinnamon, or with melted cheddar cheese) or about once a week the nutty porridge

lunch is about 150 g of salad and some sort of meat (chicken, turkey, mince, tuna, salmon) and cheese or some sort of sauce

dinner is basically the same as lunch but instead of hte salad i would have vegetables (broccoli or cauliflower or spinache mostly)

And then I am addicted to whipped cream with cocoa powder - just dont know when to stop ;-( also am really bad with nuts!!

I dont normally get constipated, if I do, i use ground linseed and sprinkle about a table spoon over my dinner and make sure I drink loads of water afterwards - that always helps me.

What do you normally eat on an average day?

Not sure about the bread, I have about a lc slice a month ;-) If you can stop yourself after I slice, it probably should be ok if you restrict your other carbs so you dont go over your limit.

you could try the flax bread. I found it on the site here, but not sure where exactly:

"
I use a small Tupperware bowl, or a small soup bowl.

Two TBS melted butter
Beat in one large egg and a pinch of salt (no need if your butter is salted)
mix in 3 TBS of ground flax and
1/2 tsp of baking powder "

its quite nice - I think I'll have some for breakfast tomorrow...

I think I have a good bit of fat - I just ran a report on fitday, and i eat about 90 g of fat a day... not sure whether that is high or low for lc, but its at about 60-75% where my calories re coming from - sounds a bit scary ;-)

I think Babs (Greanmhar) uses the Dreamfield pasta, but don't know where she gets it from. Here in Dublin we can get Carb Options pasta in Tesco. Where are you from again? Wexford? Maybe check out your local tesco and see if they can get it i for you or try your local health food shop?

[greannmhar]

Hi Brona/Gagalina,
I get the Dreamfields wherever I can - there are 2 UK sites that have it at times (goes out of stock often, so I order mega lots) and a site in Belgium also. If you want the site addresses let me know.
The difficulty for us is the postage, so to make it worth your while you can choose all the LC stuff you want at once. I now bake and cook a lot - I find that much of the ready made stuff is a big let-down in taste and/or creates a huge hole in your bank balance. Add to that the fact that much of the recently hyped LC stuff (like Carb Options) is ridiculously high in carbs and you soon get to be Fanny Craddock in the kitchen!
Babs
PS Dreamfields is one of the exceptions on both taste and carb count - it is just like ordinary pasta, but is a bit on the expensive side in comparison.

[Broná]

Hi Babs,

Yes, please do send the addresses, how much is the pasta?

I'm at a loss trying to substitute foods over here, i'm new to lowcarb.

I'm doing very well and am enjoying lowcarb but would love more variety.

I live in Weford, we have a lot of supermarkets but they dont have lowcarb anything, not that i can see anyway.

Many thanks again Babs,

Broná:)

[greannmhar]

http://www.lowcarbmegastore.com/
http://www.lowcarbshopping.co.uk/default.asp
Here you go, Brona. Both of these have Dreamfields at the moment - it is £2.60 in one and £2.75 in the other. Just buy where the postage best fits what you're ordering. I love the elbows and the penne - the spaghetti is just like the usual, but I have a real gra for mac and cheese :)
I'm lucky to live near the border and manage to get some LC stuff in the shops. However, as I said, it's better to make your own. What kind of stuff do you like? Can/do you cook or are you willing to learn. I have some good recipes accumulated from loads of places and tweaked for me if I knew what you most wanted.
Babs

[Broná]

Hi Babs,

Thank's for all the help. Yes, please send me your recipes, anything and everything:) I am a good cook even if i say so myself:)

I'm still learning Babs and get very confused, maybe i'm a bit stupid but can you help me out with this?
In the book it says about carbs and digestable carbs, for example, if i have 6 cauliflower florets 4.4 total carbs which is 1.5 digestable carbs, does that mean that i'm only ingesting the 1.5 digestable carbs and can have more?

Another thing that has crossed my mind is the amount of fat that we eat, if we don't eat too much fat in a day will our weight loss be faster as our body fat will be burned, hope you can understand me LOL.
I worry so much about my cholestrol, i'm having it checked this week.

Thanks again Babs, oh almost forgot to ask, have you a recipe for Rhubarb Pie? i have some in my freezer and i love it.

Broná:)

[greannmhar]

Hi Brona,
I'm assuming you've taken the carb count of the cauli froma US book or site - total carbs includes fibre while the nett or digestible carbs are all you have to count for dieting. However, beware, as the fibre is already deducted here and in UK, so if the label says 5 carbs, it's 5 carbs!
Fat consumption is a debatable issue - if you're on Atkins, most purists say you shouldn't cut it back as it helps satiety and has no impact on blood sugar. If, however, you find that your cholesterol goes up by a whopping number and stays up, it might be appropriate to cut back a little. This is a contentious issue and you really need to examine everything as it affects you and the programme you've chosen. I low carb to my own plan and don't worry about fat, but YMMV. I suspect that calories overall DO matter, though, so you need to 'weigh' it all up and decide!
I DO have a recipe for both pastry and crumble - the problem with rhubarb is the ability to get it sweet enough. I mix crushed Splenda tablets (much lower in carbs than granular) and the herb Stevia, which I got from US - this seems to help by a synergistic effect to make it sweeter. I also add ground coriander - absolutely gorgeous spice for rhubarb, so orangey.
I will search out my pastry and crumble recipes and post them tomorrow.
Babs

[Broná]

Hi Babs,

Thank you for the tips, i'm looking forward to you recipes.

I'm doing Atkins, did very well on induction, lost 13lbs, i lost a further 3lbs on first week of OWL, BUT the second week gained 2lbs, figure that one out!!!!!

I didn't cheat and only added two Strawberries, i'm starting to think that calories are very important at this stage although i'm keeping them at around 1000-1200 daily.

I'm having my cholestrol checked this Wednesday, i should have my results back by the following Wednesday, that will be interesting:)
I don't know if i'm doing the right thing but i have cut back on my fat intake until i get cholestrol results.

Thanks Babs.

Broná:)

[greannmhar]

I don't know how you manage Atkins with that number of calories - are you sure you're eating enough? Have you read the book? I know from other people's posts that you are deemed NOT to be doing Atkins if you are this low - eating a good percentage of fat, as high as 70 - 90 % is what is required, plus the requisite amount of vegetables, water etc. Why are you cutting back on fat until you get the cholesterol results? This is unlikely to skew them in time and if you really want to know what low carb is doing you need to stay on it to get a proper picture and be re-tested accordingly.
You will find lots of info on this site and many others regarding the cholesterol controversy - most Atkin's folk find that their cholesterol goes down, not up. If you are worried, maybe a change to South Beach or GI would suit you better, but you need to get the books and follow the programmes, at least to start with.
Babs
PS - will post my crumble/pastry recipes next - there are MILLIONS of fab recipes available on the net. You could spend a dozen lifetimes trying them out and tweaking them to suit you. If you want particular options, use google and then save the sites for later perusal.

[greannmhar]

Crumble recipe:
50 gms Ground Almonds
50 gms Gluten Flour*
50 gms Soy Protein Isolate (H&B shops)
1/2 t salt
6 Splenda tablets, crushed
75 gms Butter

* available only online as far as I know.

Rub the butter into the dry ingredients as you would normal crumble and cover your sweetened, cooked rhubarb. Bake until browned to your taste - about 20 minutes in a medium oven.

To make pastry, use the above mix with the addition of 1 t Baking Powder and some beaten egg/water to bind. Leave out the sweetener if you are using it for savoury stuff. It must be rolled out between two sheets of baking parchment as it is fragile. It's good for custard tart, too, baked blind. I've just read that courgettes with mixed spice and sweetener are a good substitute for apples, so I will be trying that as soon as I get the chance.
Babs

[Broná]

Hi Babs,

Thanks for all the info.

You ask why so little calories, i think it is phycological, i think my mind is back to those bad old days when i could only eat that amount of calories to loose weight, having said that, here is a sample of what i eat, fry for breakfast cooked in olive oil, or Almond pancakes,coffee with cream mid morning, mixed salad with sardines or Tuna or cheese for lunch, brocolli +cauliflower maybe spinach with Salmon Cutlet or Chicken or Pork for dinner, Salmon cooked in olive oil, loads of water, i don't eat after my dinner in the evening, actually i find that i can't finish my dinner sometimes:) Yesterday i had a bowl of Rhubarb stewed with splenda, i also had some today. This week i introduced a couple of Strawberries.

Maybe i'm eating more calories than i think, not sure.

What do you think of my daily eating?

I haven't eaten eggs for ages as they did not agree with me, since Atkins i have no bother with them at all BUT feel they might raise my cholestrol.

Thanks for all the info, oh by the way i almost forgot to mention, i can only go online a few evenings in the week so if i dont post back straight away you will understand why.

Broná:)

[greannmhar]

Your menu looks good to me - and likely to be more calories than you said, which is fine for Atkins.
Eggs are officially no longer implicated in the raising of cholesterol, so if you like them, eat up! Do a search on google for the info if you want to see for yourself.
Good luck with the health tests - let us know how you get on.
Babs

[Broná]

Hi Babs,

Just a quick note to let you know i had my cholestrol blood done today, should have results next week.

What do you think of this!!!!! The nurse at surgery does all blood tests not Dr's, i told her i was on Atkins, her reply was "Take my advice and dont tell your Dr they dont believe in Atkins it's too dangerous" without getting into too much of a debate with her i replied by saying that iv'e never felt better, i told her i no longer take Neium for Acid Reflux, i no longer have bloating, i'm sleeping better, my IBS is fine, i have no mood swings which at one stage i thought i was depressed, my blood sugar is fine, the constant burning under left ribcage is gone, i lived with that problem daily, i am supposed to go into hospital for three days to have scan done for the ribcage problem which i think now was related to Pancreas and carb overloading, as i've eplained i no longer have that problem:(

I know for sure that i won't win with my Dr but that is another days work.
I told her that if my cholestrol is up i cant really blame Atkins as i'm only on it four weeks, it will be interesting to see.
Will let you know.

Broná:)

[greannmhar]

Hi Brona,
Well, unfortunately, that's what you'll get from the established medical community. As a diabetic, that's also what I get, with even more dire warnings! But I am feeling better now than I have for years, while controlling my diabetes without any medication, so I just let them rant. My bloodwork speaks for itself - my cholesterol initially went DOWN, then went up marginally, but even one of the docs at the surgery said it was nothing to worry about as the ratios were good (he didn't know about my LC!).
Be sure to ask for ALL the figures for your results, LDL, HDL, Trig - get a printout, they can't refuse under freedom of information. Then you can post them here and someone will be able to interpret them for you.
We all have to take charge of our health and do the research for ourselves - that's not to say we ignore our doctors, just that we have to see beyond the prejudice against Atkins and LC to the truth as it affects us. There are many more vested interests involved in this issue, including drug companies and food producers. The truth may be out there, but it can be very hard to identify - you just have to take your menu and make your own INFORMED choice.
Babs

[Broná]

Hi Babs,

I'm finding this very strange!!!!!! As you know i had my cholestrol test done last Wednesday, it usually takes 7-10 days to get results, i got a phone call from the secretary at my Dr's surgery telling me that my Dr wants to see me on Monday as my results are back and my cholestrol is high, it is 8.0.
The last test i had done some months ago was 6.0, not so bad for me.

I dont understand how my results came back within two days as they have to go to Waterford City Lab, i'm wondering if the nurse that took my blood told my Dr that i was doing Atkins, remember she told me not to tell the Dr as she will go mad about it as they think Atkins is dangerous!!

I know i'm going to get a lecture, i dont think Atkins is the cause of this as i'm only on the diet four weeks, maybe it is the eggs because i haven't eaten eggs for a few years, will let you know how i got on.

Broná:)

[greannmhar]

Hi Brona - have you checked out the cholesterol thread on the main board here? Before you agree to meds, it might be worth doing more research and asking for a recheck in another 3 months to see if it improves. I don't think it's eggs - dietary cholesterol in the form of eggs has been shown NOT to raise chol levels, as many Atkinners will testify.
Babs

[Broná]

Thanks Babs, will have a look at that thread.

I have a friend that is going to London net week, she said if i needed anything lowcarb she would get it for me, she knows how limited items are here where i live, if you get a chance can you tell me what items i need that you know we cant get here, for eg, can she buy Dreamfields Pasta and where?
I know a lot of lowcarb items you can only buy online, the problem is i haven't got a credit card, also what is the best lowcarb cookbook?

I can get soy flour and almond flour and a few other things in my local health store, if you get a chance i'd appreciate it.

Broná:)

[greannmhar]

The best lowcarb cookbook is the net!!!!! There are so many great recipe sites available that NO book can match up. I save the recipes I find to a folder on my desktop and try out something different at least once a week.
Unfortunately, I don't think that Dreamfields is available in the shops in UK, nor is gluten flour. If anyone knows otherwise, they will let you know. Ground almonds (an absolute staple for LC) is available everywhere, as are linseeds and other nuts you can chop or grind yourself. Most other stuff is just frankenfood, like LC choc bars, so if you want those there is bound to be more choice in big stores. I would be careful about those - some of them are revolting, not to mention outrageously expensive. Hopefully someone else can make a recommendation for you - low carb Rolos are quite nice, probably the best to my mind but can be bought here, too.
If you want to order online, I'm sure you could send a cheque or a money order - that's the best option IMO.
Babs

[Broná]

Thank's Babs for the help and info.

Broná:)

[Broná]

Hi Babs,

Went to my Dr today about my high cholestrol results.
She said i looked great and noticed the weight loss, took my blood pressure which was fine, i then told her i was on Atkins four weeks, i was surprised that she didn't react, she said, well its certainly working for you, i asked her what her opinion was on Atkins, she couldn't give me a straight answer all she said was do it in moderation!!!!!! she did say that the diet did not raise my cholestrol not in four weeks, it must have been creeping up slowly.

She wants me to take Lipitor again, i told her they had side effects and that i did lower it in the past by natural means, she is afraid of heart disease.

She wants me to have it checked again in 6 weeks time.

Just thought i'd let you know.

Broná:)

[Broná]

Forgot to ask Babs, is it ok to have some applesauce as in stewed apple.

I've read that it is lower in carbs than the actual apple!!!!!!

This is my third week on OWL, do you think it will be ok for me?

Broná.

[greannmhar]

Good to hear you got a reprieve on the Lipitor - here's hoping it goes down.
Never heard that about apples - can't see how having it as a sauce would change the carbs. I've read that sweetened stewed courgettes with cinnamon taste very like apple - a lot lower in carbs. Might be worth a try - even to stretch a very small amount of real apple.
Babs

[Broná]

Hi Babs,

Re: Applesauce, it is on page 499 Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution Book Carbohydrate Gram Counter, it says 1 medium Apple 17.3 digestable carbs and 60g Applesauce 6.2 digestable carbs, i was just wondering because i miss fruits so much, i have a few Strawberries and Blueberries but i miss Oranges Apples etc etc:)

Thanks for all the help Babs,

Broná:)

[greannmhar]

Brona, if you use one apple to make your apple sauce, the end result of apple sauce will have 17.3 carbs, regardless - and that's assuming you don't sweeten it.
Possibly 60 gms apple sauce has a large quantity of water (proportionally) in it, but only 60 gms of it will hardly do much for you, one way or another - not worth its weight in carbs :) You'd probably need about 200gms to have anything worth eating, unless it was to accompany a slice of pork or something. But it's up to you if you want to fit it in to your allowance.
Babs

[Broná]

Thanks Babs for your reply:)

No i dont think i will bother with the Apple!

Broná:)

[greannmhar]

Brona - this is good news about the apple! I just found a tin (375gms) of apple slices by John West in my local Safeways (NI) - no juice or sugar, just apple. And WOW, only 5 carbs per 100gms! I used about 50 gms today in a serving of chicken curry (home made). It was well worth 2.5 carbs, as I used to love fruity curries in the old days.
I plan to use the rest mixed with courgettes for apple crumble base tomorrow or Friday - will report back. I hope you can find this - you could add it into loads of things, or have a few wee slices on your LC porridge/cereal. They were sweet enough as they were, so no need for any sweetener. I must buy up the rest of the tins in case it vanishes. Too far for you to travel though :D
Babs

[Broná]

You are so luck to have many choices Babs, i have never seen tinned Apple, i can get most other fruit in its own juice but im not sure what the carb count is, i must check the carb count, i miss fruit so much, i like Mango, i think it is low enough in carb but maybe it is not suited to Atkins.

Forgot to ask, i have a box of Lindseeds (flaxseeds) and bottle of Lindseed oil, which is better?

Thanks Babs.

Broná:)

[greannmhar]

You might be surprised about the apple - try a big supermarket like Tesco or even Dunnes - John West is a common brand.
I use linseeds ground up in a coffee maker to make a type of porridge with ground almonds and bran - yum! Also good in LC bread or muffins. Never tried the oil, but it's supposed to be good. Can't imagine just glugging it, though :O
Babs

[Broná]

Babs, i'm mad at myself, guess what i've done? correct, cheated.

Two days ago i helped my son and wife move to new appartment, i hurt my back so had to take meds and of course felt sorry for myself, had a cream cake and packet of crisps and bar of chocolate.

This morning i was up 2lbs, i exected that, what should i do to correct what i've done? will i just carry on or should i go back to induction, please say NO:)

Stupid stupid woman :help:

Broná:)

[greannmhar]

Don't beat yourself up, Brona, just get back on the wagon and drink loadsa water. I let myself break out now and again too - it's only water weight and will go shortly. It's physiologically impossible to put on 2lbs fat overnight.
And forget induction if you don't want it - I never went on it in the first place and lost all my weight, almost 3 stones, eating up to 60 carbs a day :) I'm stalled now, though, even at 30 carbs, so may go back to the 60 again and cut calories/up exercise to kick start loss. But I'm easy - life is for living and I didn't get to this weight overnight so it doesn't have to vanish overnight either.
Babs

[Broná]

Hi Babs,

Thanks so much for your encouragement i'm grateful.

I started off good today so fingers crossed.
Besides hurting my back i think i was getting a bit bored with my menu's to be honest. I was never a big lover of veg, so eating Brocolli and Cauliflower daily was not very exiting:) I tried to change that by cooking them in a stir fry, i'm even tired of Salads, did you feel like that?

I can't believe that you lost weight without doing induction, good for you.
I lost 13lbs on induction, i know a lot of that was fluid, then i lost 2lbs on the 3rd week and then stalled for 2 weeks until i made the boob this week.

I know i'm not eating enough carbs, i stuck with just increasing the five carbs, this is my 5th week on Atkins, i won't give up, i dont want to ever go back because i feel so well and my stomache problems are solved.

Any suggestions on the above? and many thanks for all your help, its very much appreciated.

Broná:)

[greannmhar]

I have gone off veg a lot lately, too Brona. I have started using more of the unusual kinds, like baby corn and zucchini. It's nice to sprinkle them a selection of chopped veg with olive oil, salt and black pepper, then bake in a hot oven until slightly blackened.
I loooooooooove spuds and miss them more than anything - but I do allow myself to have some every fortnight or so. I wish there was a decent LC sub for them.
I tried the apple slice/zucchini mix in a crumble and it was gorgeous - what a great way to get a veg! I might try all zucchini next time and use some SF apple drink for flavour - the texture is brilliant. Husband loved it too and he is not LC.
Babs

[Broná]

Hi Babs,

What do you have for breakfast-lunch-dinner?

I miss orange juice in the morning.

Re: Sugar free Jelly, i can get Birds Sugar Free, is that ok for me?

Thanks Babs,

Broná:)

[connokra]

hey broná,
i went on atkins around a year ago and lost around 2 stone. i used to use that sugar free jelly quite alot to stop myself heading for the biscuits and i don't think it ever stopped me losing any weight so hopefully it should be fine for you too(and it's really tasty!!!). i've gone through a nasty time since then and have put loads back on but i'm determined to lose it again
:)

[Broná]

Hi Connokra,

Thank you for your reply:) I don't know how many times i lost and gained weight in the past, a lot of the problem was that i was hungry on Low Fat diets, i find this WOE great because i'm full and satisfied all the time, sometimes i do get a craving for chip shop Fish&Chips:) maybe down the road i can have a treat like that although i suppose it would be dangerous to do that.

Good luck this time and i hope you will stick with this WOE.

Thanks for the tip about the jelly, i sometimes have it with a little cream.

Broná:)

[connokra]

i have those cravings too... in fact i'm having one right now!!! nice to know i'm not the only one who misses these things. if you're going to make those jellies the only thing i'd say to you is that it has that aspartame stuff in it. some people find that aspartame can stall weight loss but it never stopped me, i think it's pretty much an individual thing for everyone. so just make sure you don't eat too much when starting to use it.

[Broná]

Thank you Connokra for your reply,

I will remember what you said about the Jelly.

Good luck and i hope you are doing well.

Broná:)

[connokra]

i think i'm doing well so far, it's been almost 2 weeks and i haven't even had one slice of bread, and considering how much i used to live on the o'briens chicken and bacon triple deckers i think that's quite an achievement!

and i hope your doing well too, remember that no matter how high a mountain is, it can always be climbed with small steps that are careful and confident

[Broná]

Hi again:)


I wish you well too, i'm very happy with how i'm doing, sometimes get a bit boared with the food because we have not got a great choice here in Ireland BUT will keep ploding on.

Broná:)

[veda]

I'm on my second week of OWL and am VERY CONSTIPATED, i eat my veg and take psysillium husk which has always helped me, i dring loads of water, some nights i have to take senna but don't want to rely on them, did you have that problem?

Broná:)

Hey Broná,

just thought I might chime in here! I'm not sure if you're still having the constipation problems but I did too for a long while.

My cure was to start taking a Magnesium supplement - actually the Holland & Barrett calcium-magnesium-zinc ones. This has helped me dramatically, but I have to be religious about taking them every day, even two days without taking them and I'll know about it.

I'm not sure of the exact details of why magnesium helps, but I read somewhere that it stimulates the muscles/nerves and this helps your digestive system and bowels to be more active. I also read that, actually, constipation can be an indicator of magnesium deficiency. I don't stand over these explanations though, they could be wrong! I just know that this helped me a lot.

All the best,
veda

[Broná]

Thank you Veda,

Constpation so so, good days bad days:) I can't really blame Atkins as i've always suffered from it. I take psyllium husk it has always worked for me but now it's a bit slow, i do drink loads of water, you have to when taking psyllium husk.

Thank you for the tip Veda.

Broná:)

[sol]

I got a mild case of bloody piles last week from constipation :( but generally couple of celery stick and lettuce leaves a day normally keeps me in good stead.

[peadar]

Somebody mentioned a long time ago about unsweetened chocolate. You can get that in North America only through Kraft foods. So if anyone is taking a trip that way, it's called BAKER'S chocolate. You can get unsweetened and semi-sweet.
I grew up with that with my mum's baking. Too bad you can't get it here but maybe it's time for us all to try and get Kraft foods over here. It's great chocolate although not as great as the Irish chocolate (which is loaded with sugar).

Peadar

[Broná]

Thank you Peadar, that is good info about the chocolate.

I bought Boots Chocolate, Diabetics can eat it also but it run right through me, never again:)

Broná:)

[peadar]

Constipation is a big problem.

The Atkin's diet only allows such a small amount of carbs which is one of the main reasons people are so constipated to begin with. Such a small amount is unnecessary.

You can lose fat without cutting out so many carbs. I eat between 100-125 grams carbs a day and since the end of January have lost on average, 3 pounds a week.

If the total consumption of your daily food intake has less that 25% of it as carbs, you will burn fat. That's 25%, not 25 grams.

Lack of exercise is also one of the main reasons people get so constipated. You've got to move to move, if you know what I mean.

A good colon therapist may also be the solution. I know one who is professional and skilled in that field. Be careful, there are a lot of cowboys and cowgirls out there.

There's something better than psyllium husks too, if you're interested let me know.


Peadar

[aofe]

Hi everyone,

Nice to know that i am not the only one having problems with constipation. Bought the H and B magnesium calcium zinc chelated stuff, whatever chelated means. Has not really worked. Do i have to take it with every meal or just all three at one meal? Instructions not too clear.

I have lost most of my weight but cannot get down from 62+ to 59kilos. Lost most of my weight within six weeks last august but cannot shift the last bit. Am sticking to induction most of the time but still it just wont shift. Am a mother of three kids (6 years to 18 months) so am very active. Work out a couple times a week and go walking.

Has anyone any tips. Feeling fed up again with the chicken, steak, burger dinner. Any ideas for some breakfast apart from rashers, saussages and eggs.

Thanks,

Aoife :help:

[peadar]

Hi Aofe,

Chelated simply means that the mineral is made more bioavailable for the body to break it down and use it in a more efficient manner. It's usually the best way to go.

The whole thing about induction and lowering your carbs will only assist in your appetite but shifting the weight is another matter.

You have to know your resting metabolic rate which you can find out at this site: http://www.ultimatedietsecrets.com/ch4calcs.html

This will tell you by your weight and age how many calories you need to eat in order to maintain your weight. What you'll be tempted to do is eat less calories, however what you need to do is monitor what you eat (both carbs and calories) then figure out how much physical activity you need to engage in, in order to burn so many calories so that over a given period of days or weeks, you will be able to burn so many pounds.

This will work for you and you will be burning fat not lean body mass which is critical.

You can monitor specifically what you eat through Fitday which is free. I use the Performance Diet because I use it on my computer and not through the internet, but whatever will work for you. This is the only way to know exactly how many calories you are eating and if you're eating more than your RMR, then there's part of the problem right there. Once you have the information then you can deal with it with knowledge in hand.

I understand what you mean about being sick of eating the same thing for breakfast. Don't feel trapped by this but enjoy your food. Some people would shoot me for this advice but alternate your meals, ie. buy some low carb bread, butter up a couple of slices, fry up some bacon, tomato and lettuce with mayo and enjoy. Don't feel that every meal has to be total grease only.

The secret is to ensure that your carb percentage at the end of the day is less than 25% of all your food intake. Believe me, you will lose. So many people are hung up about carbs but it is the energy in (calories) and energy out (calories) which is the main issue. If you burn more than you take in, then you will lose weight.

I hope this helps. Don't give up. Boy I wish I weighed 62 kilos. I applaud you for all your hard work.

Peadar

[veda]

[QUOTE=aofe]I have lost most of my weight but cannot get down from 62+ to 59kilos. Lost most of my weight within six weeks last august but cannot shift the last bit. Am sticking to induction most of the time but still it just wont shift. Am a mother of three kids (6 years to 18 months) so am very active. Work out a couple times a week and go walking.

Has anyone any tips. Feeling fed up again with the chicken, steak, burger dinner. Any ideas for some breakfast apart from rashers, saussages and eggs.QUOTE]

Make sure you're eating lots of vegetables along with the meat things you listed. I've gradually gotten really good at eating my veggies since starting Atkins. I never would have eaten broccoli or spinach or asparagus before this! Also, make sure you're eating enough. I find that cutting back too much on the calories is counter-productive. Slowly-but-surely works out better in the long run. I'm not sure I like the idea of being on induction when you are so near to goal, maybe you could think about moving up the ladder.

My favourite breakfast is spinach/ham/feta egg bake. It's a variation of the "Slice of Mushroom Heaven" recipe in Dana Carpender's book - I can't handle mushrooms so I changed it to suit myself. The amount makes 6 (generous) portions which keep in the fridge. I don't have the details handy, but I'll come back and post the recipe later.