New to Low Carbing

[CherylAust]

G'day from Australia.
I have only just learnt about Low Carbing, a friend sent me the Aitkins Diet from America. When I started reading the book I thought 'I can do this'.
I haven't officially started it yet but have done some experiments. Eg The first time I low carbed for breakfast I found I wasn't hungery until lunch. I had rice with lunch and found myself hungery 1 hour later. I have also found that having breakfast a little later means I am not hungry until 4pm, I have my dinner then. Late night is usually my problem time and having a couple of pieces of cheese is satisfying.
No longer am I in the kitchen looking for snacks day or night. I know that I have started Ketosis because I have that taste in my mouth and my daughter told me that I have bad breath:eek: . That would be only bad part of the diet. Does anyone have any suggestions of getting rid of the bad breath?:confused:

[doreen T]

The bad breath is from the ketones ... it's a sign that you're in fat-burning mode. Your body gets rid of ketones mostly in the urine ... but also via the bowel and the lungs (ie, your breath) ... It's best to keep your kidneys flushed, by drinking lots and lots of water, that way there'll be fewer ketones having to come out in your breath. Frequent brushing and flossing the teeth is somewhat helpful too.

And, as you're noticing, the ketones also have an appetite-suppressing effect. This can be a double-edged sword. It's great to feel that you're not starving 2 hrs. after you last ate ..... on the other hand, if you don't eat, you run the risk of consuming too few calories in a day ... this slows your metabolism because your body thinks you ARE starving and tries to conserve ... and then it just becomes harder than ever to lose the fat. It happens to me ... and sometimes I have to consciously make the effort to eat something, even just a boiled egg, piece of cheese or a chunk of leftover cold meat etc ... because the clock, not my appetite ... is telling me that it's been a few hours, I'd better eat something.

All the best to you, and I'm looking forward to reading all about your success!

Doreen

[CherylAust]

Doreen,
Thank you for your welcome and advice. I will keep in mind what you said about making sure I am eating enough. I have found that I am eating more than I usually would at a meal. Before snacks consisted of biscuits and cakes, now it is cold meats and cheese.
I am trying to drink more water, but I want to ask about tea. I drink quite a bit of black, unsweetened tea. About 6 cups a day. I add extra water to it to make it weaker. Is this too much? I find it relaxes me, if I want a pick-up I drink coffee, usually once or twice a week.
As for eggs, how many is too much in a day?
I will keep you updated with my results. Thank you again.

Cheryl in Australia

:)

[debbiedobson]

welcome to the board cheryl!:D only you can tell if 6 cups of tea a day is too much for you! caffeine stalls some people. plus tea is a diuretic. you want to be really well hydrated on this eating plan. tea may be robbing you of your hydration! it's also fluid that could have been replaced by water!
how many eggs do you want to eat in a day? i used to eat 2 every morning, plus snack on them as well. i developed really bad pain in my shoulders and hips. when i cut back on the eggs the pain subsided. you'll just have to experiment and see what's best for you!:D