Starting out on the fast 800

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  • posted by richard56
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    I though it would be useful to record progress here on the journey that I started on 1 May. I had previously given myself 3/4 weeks to eliminate the obvious carbs from my diet so gradually cut out bread, rice, pasta and potatoes and actually lost around 12lbs just doing this. Also started exercising again after a 25 year break through a GP referal to a program.

    So at the measure in on the morning of 1 May I was

    weight 15st 2.5lbs
    waist 44″
    I also took a blood glucose reading using an AgaMatrix device a couple of days earlier which was 6.7mml/L.

    8 May readings were

    weight 14st 10.25lbs
    waist 42″
    BG 4.8mml/L

    Very happy with weight and waist but drawing no conclusions from the BG as I am sure that they were not taken at the same time.

    So far no problems – hopefully the preparation will put me in good stead. I actually like eating from a mix of recipes from this site and the book and from other sources (Tom Kerridge Dopamine Diet book is great if planning something more dinner party like). However, I dont stick 100% to 800 cals a day some over some under but over the first week averaged 776cals and 30g carbs.

    Will post ups and downs here most likely weekly but if anything more significant happens more regularly. Best wishes and good luck to eveyone else undertaking this journey to wellbeing.

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    Good luck Richard

  • posted by richard56
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    Thanks for the encouragement sunshine-girl

    End of week 2 and this mornings numbers were:

    weight 14st 6lbs
    waist 44″ – no change
    BG 4.8mml/L

    Pretty happy with progress so far. I keep a spreadsheet record of my daily intake and in week 2 it averaged out at 800cals and 39g of carbs – bit higher than week 1 but OK. This did include two meals out one lunch and one dinner. The lunch was a chicken and bacon salad with minimal dressing (always get it on the side) which I estimated at 260cals and 6g carb and dinner was at a favourite Thai place where i had fishcakes, dim sum, seafood soup, stir fried seafood/peppers/onion/green beans and Chinese leaves with 2 small glasses of wine which I estimated at 1020cals and 61g carb. The dinner was roughly something I would have oredered previously but omitting rice/noodles and it made me fell really full. I know now that I would have been satisfied with less – probably the fish cakes and dim sum and it would have been less than 800 cals and 50g carb.

    The only disappointment for me was the 2 glasses of wine which is the only alcohol I have had in the 2 weeks which is a big change from 4/5/6 pints of Guinness 4/5 times a week. Over the remaining 6 weeks I will aim to cut out alcohol completely.

    I think that it is important if your goal is to be a change of your eating/drinking habits of a lifetime that you build into the principles of low carb diet some “days off”. Whether this is a meal out a couple of pints or whatever it happens to be so long as you plan the remainder sensibly and the days off don’t become the norm again it must be good for overall mindset and relationships.

    Keep the faith

    Richard

  • posted by richard56
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    Well week 3 completed and like many others something of a slowdown in weight loss. Almost certainly a mixture of poorer planning and hence increased calories and carbs together with beer and takeaway on Saturday night. Average over the week was 882 cals and 50g of carb and I do try to count everything even down to the number of nuts consumed.

    weight 14st 4.25lbs
    waist 42″
    BG 3.4mml/L this seemed very low so redid today and it was 5.6.

    Time to regather and get back on track.

    Richard

  • posted by Mixnmatch
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    2 inches off the waist measurement is great, visceral fat loss often doesn’t result in much weight loss, just a reduction in measurements so it sounds like that is where it is going from which is great news.

  • posted by richard56
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    Hi Mixnmatch, I hope so. I know that I should be patient and let the change in eating habits do its thing but it is nice to see results. I do foresee a problem looming as it looks like I could be spending 6 months away living in a hotel…. If anyone has some tips on how to deal with this I would be grateful otherwise I can see myself on a diet of steak and salad and omelettes.

    richard

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    Hi Richard, you are doing so well. I have just spent a week on a luxury all inclusive as much as you can eat 24 hours a day (well 20 hours as the buffet shut at 2am and reopened at 6am). I ate in the same restaurant most of the time, during the day I would go to the buffet and eat a massive salad with chicken or ham. In the evening I went to the maitre d’ and told him I couldn’t eat carbs due to a digestive problem, I pointed out clearly what I couldn’t have, but told him I had tried just leaving the carbs but I was coming away still hungry. They made sure that my plate arrived with no carbs but extra meat and veg. It worked very well as I had committed to the plan and they helped me not to starve to death. Worth a try if you are eating in the same place every night. Pick the most diet friendly recipe and ask them to adjust it for you, they are always very helpful. That was except for the 3 star Michelin restaurant which served me 3 slices of lamb with one piece of pak choy then brought out rice, Bombay potatoes and naan bread, I told them I couldn’t eat it and they basically said ‘tough that is what comes with it’ even though I had told them in advance and they said they would do me chick peas and mashed aubergine with a lentil dahl. Anyway that’s another story, cant get it right all the time.

  • posted by richard56
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    Hi sunshine-girl, thanks for tip re letting the restaurant know in advance that I cannot have (a bit strong but if it works hey) carbohydrate such as potatoes, bread, pasta and rice. Hopefully, they will take the same attitude otherwise I will be leaving a lot on the plate. I think my real concern is that it is likely that I will be in the same place for anything between 3 and 6 months and it will be the repetition of the same meals. Breakfasts should be OK and for lunch I can have salads/soups if necessary I can always buy my own Greek yoghurt and berries.

    I have read many posts on here where people have had issues with constipation. I have had fewer movements probably as much to do with volume being eaten but if it lasts for a couple of days my go to remedy has been to eat a couple of large pickled onions (preferably homemade with quite a lot of chilli). Don’t whether it is the onion, vinegar or pickling spices but it seems to do the trick for me.

    Richard

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