Virgin LC post-it

[Pally]

Hi, this is my first time and I'm new to the LC world so please be gentle with me. I have read Atkins' New Diet revolution and tried the induction diet which resulted in a quick loss of 2 kg which I am quickly regaining since going back on regular diet club program three days ago.
During the induction diet I experienced sleep of a sort I have not enjoyed since my children were born and energy beyond any current living memory. Why then did I stop? The desire for breakfast cereal, and bread, and then chocolate tea cakes, brownies and home made banana cake. If it was carbohydrate and not pinned down, I have eaten it in the last three days. I get so hungry, and I skip meals because I have scoffed too many biscuits. Classic symptoms you say. You should have seen the nap I fell into this after noon as my energy lagged. And the sugar craved hunt through the cupboards when I woke up looking for an accompaniment to my cup of tea.
On the LC induction diet I was never hungry. And despite continuing with diet club my growing realisation today has been that my path is along the LC highway and tomorrow I resume my journey. Wish me luck. :wave:

[Andy Davies]

Hi Pally, and welcome.

I do wish you luck.

You have learned a few interesting things recently, not least the dangerous pull of carbs. But it sounds as if you have made up your own mind about the value of low-carbing for you. This is a very important step. If you choose to continue along this path, we will help you with support and sometimes advice, if you need it.

Each member is entitled to start up a journal in the "Bootcamp/Journal" section of this site. Mnay prople find this helpful, as the journals are more widely read than our UK section, and you will find support and often friendship on the way to losing weight by posting your daily menus there, and getting feedback. The best way to get help is to ask for it. This may sound silly to say, but often people read journal entries without stopping to comment, unless they see a cry for help there.

OK. Let's hear from you again, either there or here, to say how you have been doing the past couple of days.

Andy

[Atriana]

Congratulations on resuming your journey. Many people describe feeling better when they eat low carb. Starting a journal is a great tool for staying motivated. Good luck!

[Ken]

Hi Pally,

Just to repeat what Andy said, you will always get help and encouragement from people on the forums (I should know ;) ) all you have to do is ask!.

A journal is a good idea as you can look back over your journey to check on any problems you may be encountering due to food intolerance etc.

Another good idea that a lot of us follow is to complete a daily record of the foods you eat using www.fitday.com . This is a free (although you have to register) site and helps to keep a record of you daily intake of Carbs, Fat, Protein etc.

I look forward to checking on your progress.

GOOD LUCK

Speak soon,
Ken

[Pally]

Wow - thanks for such a great response. Your suggestions are excellent and I will get started on them tonight after my dinner guests leave. Yeah - I've had to make a baked orange cheesecake today without licking my fingers. How hard is that?
OK - I am now on day three of my new induction diet, I figured I would start right at the very beginning again. I bought my Ketostix without question on day 1 and have been testing throughout every day since, waiting to witness the inevitable change to purple. BUT, I have yet to witness anything beyond an indicator of trace ketones. Should I be in Ketosis yet? Am I too eager? Am I eating too much cheese? Why do I still feel better already without the carbs?

When is it normal to see the stick change to purple? It would be useful to hear/read other peoples experiences to be able to gauge whether I am hysterically frustrated or simply doing everything right and waiting for my metabolism to affect the change.

On the other hand, the weight I was so quickly putting back on has already reveresed and the damage has been undone which is a relief. Does the total amount of calories ingested affect the ketostick reading?

I am truly a greenhorn. :confused:

Pally

[doreen T]

Well done on resisting that orange cheesecake!

As for the ketone sticks, don't fret ... a trace reading means you are producing ketones. Rejoice! A darker reading is not a sign that you are "more" in ketosis ... it's more likely to mean that you need to drink more water .. the ketones are becoming concetrated, and you need to flush them out. Many low-carbers never read above trace ... and successfully shed unwanted lbs of fat. Click on Low Carb Tips from the orange menu bar at the top of the page ... and read the article Ketosis and Ketone Test Strips .. that should answer many questions for you.

Continued low-carb success to you!

Doreen

[Andy Davies]

Hi Pally,

Only two things to add to that. Firstly, Fat Mobilizing Substance (whose presence is indicated by the presence of ketosis) can start being produced as little as 6 hours after the commencement of a low-carb way of eating. This could explain why you "aleady feel good", and have "so quickly reversed the weight gain".

Secon point is this. Officially, British cheese contains no carbs ( although I still think cheese has to be treated with some circumspection. It should not make any difference that you eat a lot of cheese (I do so myself, as well). But, having said that, I have found cheese, taken in combination with some other foods, can stifle weight loss. This seems to vary from person to person, so it is not worth reciting a list: it would probably be wrong for you. So the final answer is this. Go ahead and eat cheese without restraint. If you find weight loss is not going as planned on the days that you do so, check out the cheese, and maybe the combination of foods you are eating it with.

Let me know if you need more detail about how to do this.

Andy

[Pally]

Thank you - you have all really helped. I would like to know more about the cheese thing, I think I have replaced biscuits with camembert (and they say dieting is tough!). Let me know which combinations affect you - I will be able to eliminate their applicability to me based on whether we eat similar other foods.

I'm off bootcamp - where every greenhorn learns to survive in an alien carbohydrate-driven world.

Cheers, Pally :wave:

[fiona]

It has been interesting reading this thread. Everything I would have said has already been said ... and more!

You are doing well - getting the support you need to continue Low-carbing. If health, energy levels and hunger pangs are better then that itself is the proof of the pudding - just continue.
Take care

[Andy Davies]

Fiona, what are you doing posting at this hour? I thought you were a "one hour before midnight" sleeper!

Do you realise we were actually both online together, for a change?

Best wishes,

Andy

[fiona]

Hi Andy
Been busy and kept finding excuses for not coming here - partly 'cos I had a little blip and was slightly ashamed - but yesterday my goal was to stay here for an hour and I didn't get round to it until the early hours of the morning ... (had to have a rest at 5pm which turned into a rather longer sleep!).

Take care

[Andy Davies]

And we all thought it was this new relationship keeping you away...

As I have already said elsewhere, it's great to have you back.

Andy.