Cutting out sugar

Budgie

Fuengi said:

@Budgie I'm looking at this as a lifestyle diet rather than a limited time. As such I've been drinking wine and an occasional beer a few times a week. Have tested my Ketone levels regularly and never dropped out of Ketosis. 

Amongst other health improvements I've lost 20lbs in two months - from 14st 6lbs to to 13st. 

That’s where my thinking is with it too. I am trying to eliminate reflux from my life, lose a few pounds and generally feel better and a lifestyle change seems a sensible step. I do quite a bit of hillwalking and reflux is a killer for this. I did think that eliminating pasta, rice, bread, potatoes etc. would be tricky but it really hasn’t been. Early first steps but so far so good I would say!

By the way, thanks for updating the thread, I wouldn’t have seen it otherwise and it’s quite encouraging!

Fuengi

I think it took me a week to get used to it but it's been a doddle since and the food tastes great. Never had a hankering for spinach or peppers before! 

Good luck with it @Budgie ;

Fuengi

Just gone through the three month line on the Ketogenic diet. Never felt better, weight down to 12st 10lb from 14st 6lb, enjoying food more than ever. 

Just been on holiday in France so food and drink was out if routine. Couldn't wait to get back to a large bowl of spinach and cream in my coffee!

Currently reading The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz which explains how the current Western Diet as recommended by NHS (amongst others) is based on flawed, vested interest research by American scientists in the mid 20th century. Well worth a read. 

DiscoStu

I've been using Stevia (the Truvia version) for the last 8 weeks and have lost about 10lbs. I started looking at sugar content after reading this thread and was amazed how much is in a bowl of honey nut corn flakes! Something like 4 teaspoons! I've always been a cereal guy but had no idea that I was starting my days with a huge sugar intake (sugar in tea and coffee too) so no wonder I haven't been able to lose any weight despite being busy all day, I haven't been using my fat reserves to get myself going in the mornings.

I've switched to Shredded Wheat with a light sprinkling of Stevia and it's delicious and almost no sugar. Tea or coffee needs half spoon. I'm forcing myself not to buy chocolate to follow my lunch. That's essentially all I've done and weight has gradually slipped off. I've dropped a jeans size and my shirts now fit better. I'm really surprised/impressed by it all.

Fuengi

Four months in today. Best decision I've made for my overall health and wellbeing in years. 

Top marks from the dentist last week, and from my local GP Surgery the week before. Have spoken with four different NHS practitioners and they have all said it's a very good move. Seems NHS is starting to think again about the food pyramid. 

Have started sports again having had the all clear after my Achilles operation and am keeping up with guys half my age without carbohydrates. 

Would not go back to eating large carb loaded meals now I know how good it feels to eat healthy fat and protein. 

JAYJO

just finished my gastroenteritis diet. Thought i was disappearing through my own backside. Explosive is putting it mildly.
After a few days i thought i had gotten over it but then i got the stomach cramps for another few days. Hardly ate a thing and you should see me now! ssshhhhhmoking!. Ive dropped two dress sizes.

Fuengi

Coming up 6 months of LCHF (low carb healthy fat) and less of a 'diet' than a 'this is how I eat now'. Still losing weight albeit slowly. Still eating whatever I want, whenever I want to. 

So much more comfortable, no more bloated tummy and hunger pangs. No real issues avoiding carbs, even in restaurants there is always something you can choose or adapt. 

Have basically cut out bread, rice, pasta, cakes, sugar and milk. Considering this was basically my diet before making the changes it's been really quite easy. 

Cannot recommend highly enough. 

duotone

DiscoStu said:

I've been using Stevia (the Truvia version) for the last 8 weeks and have lost about 10lbs. I started looking at sugar content after reading this thread and was amazed how much is in a bowl of honey nut corn flakes! Something like 4 teaspoons! I've always been a cereal guy but had no idea that I was starting my days with a huge sugar intake (sugar in tea and coffee too) so no wonder I haven't been able to lose any weight despite being busy all day, I haven't been using my fat reserves to get myself going in the mornings.

I've switched to Shredded Wheat with a light sprinkling of Stevia and it's delicious and almost no sugar. Tea or coffee needs half spoon. I'm forcing myself not to buy chocolate to follow my lunch. That's essentially all I've done and weight has gradually slipped off. I've dropped a jeans size and my shirts now fit better. I'm really surprised/impressed by it all.

Saw/listened to Joe Roan on his podcast talking about Stevia.  He said although he prefers sugar, the health benefits outweigh the difference in taste.

menamestom

Interesting report just out:-

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(18)30135-X/fulltext


Seems reducing carbs too much and replacing with animal protein can reduce life expectancy.   I’m all for cutting out bad carbs (sugar, white bread etc) but good complex carbs are good to have in your diet in the right proportion....

Edit - here’s the quick read

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45195474

bluechargeboy

menamestom said:

Interesting report just out:-

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(18)30135-X/fulltext


Seems reducing carbs too much and replacing with animal protein can reduce life expectancy.   I’m all for cutting out bad carbs (sugar, white bread etc) but good complex carbs are good to have in your diet in the right proportion....

Edit - here’s the quick read

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45195474

I've been looking at that report and my initial thought is that it goes back decades, so I would expect the low-carb cohort to be your fast-food people who eschew vegetables, rather than the modern paleo/keto crowd. Also over that time scale I would expect people following a more plant-based diet (vegetarians in particular) would have been the more health-conscious people.

i.e. there is a difference between "meat" and meat. But maybe I just don't want it to be true!  

TheMarlin

Fuengi said:

...Also my skin has really improved. I suffer a little bit with dry skin, around the eyes and ears - irritable rather than noticeable - but this has gone. 

I'm reading more and more about Ketogenic diets the health benefits are well worth a look. Found out it's used very effectively as a treatment for epilepsy, which I did not know.

Also very good for arthritis. 

menamestom

bluechargeboy said:

menamestom said:

Interesting report just out:-

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(18)30135-X/fulltext


Seems reducing carbs too much and replacing with animal protein can reduce life expectancy.   I’m all for cutting out bad carbs (sugar, white bread etc) but good complex carbs are good to have in your diet in the right proportion....

Edit - here’s the quick read

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45195474

I've been looking at that report and my initial thought is that it goes back decades, so I would expect the low-carb cohort to be your fast-food people who eschew vegetables, rather than the modern paleo/keto crowd. 

I’m not sure the fast-food people to be low carb.  Take a big mac meal, fries, white bun and half a litre of coke minimum,  they are probably the high carb group (which is also bad, especially these processed carbs).

Like any study, it has its limitations, but the findings are interesting.
Personally I’m all for good carbs in the right amount, baked potatoes, brown rice, wholewheat breat etc, but understand some people like to swap this for cocktail sausages, each to their own!  

bluechargeboy

menamestom said:

bluechargeboy said:

I've been looking at that report and my initial thought is that it goes back decades, so I would expect the low-carb cohort to be your fast-food people who eschew vegetables, rather than the modern paleo/keto crowd. 

I’m not sure the fast-food people to be low carb.  Take a big mac meal, fries, white bun and half a litre of coke minimum,  they are probably the high carb group (which is also bad, especially these processed carbs).

Like any study, it has its limitations, but the findings are interesting.
Personally I’m all for good carbs in the right amount, baked potatoes, brown rice, wholewheat breat etc, but understand some people like to swap this for cocktail sausages, each to their own!  

Yes, I thought that after I wrote my comment. I will say that these studies rarely discriminate between processed meats and real meat.

I shall continue to eat lovely real foods at about 30% carbs, enjoy feeling good, and take the 4 year hit at the end. If I stay healthy up until the end I am OK with that!

Fuengi

I was away when that study was published, just caught up with it now.

The 'Low Carb Diets Shorten Life's headline is completely misleading. Why? Well, low carb diets were not studied in this paper.

None of the participant groups had a diet below 37% carb. The number of people who are below 30% carb was 315 and their average intake was 26% which is still nowhere near a low carb or keto diet which is around the 5% mark.

The headlines are all most people hear, and I can't help but think the publication of this study has done it's job in this respect.

Call me cynical but is it just coincidence that a 'miracle diet pill' has just hit the headlines this week? 

Fuengi

Thought I'd do an end of year update for anyone thinking of changing their diet in the new year.

 Started a Ketogenic diet in February. I suppose the most significant change is that I have dropped weight from 14st 6lbs to 12st 1lb (today), but there have been several other beneficial health changes which I have detailed above. I've been reading the science on nutrition since starting this (and feeling all the benefits) and I'm convinced that - for me - it is the best solution to eating well and staying healthy and the nutritional science we have would back that up. For reference I'm a 48-year-old male.

Sticking to this diet (when I say diet, I really mean it in the food selection sense) is really easy, even for a sweet tooth like myself. The only thing that occasionally kicks me out of Keto is alcohol, but it doesn't always. Also, because my body has become more Keto adapted and I'm doing lots of exercise I go back in to Keto pretty fast – within a day or two.

There are so many benefits I'm not going to go into them all again here, look through the thread or DM me if you're interested. I was trying to think what, if any negatives there had been and have come up with three.

 1. Perception of family and friends and eating out / eating with others.

The older generation (in my family) seem to be unable to grasp the concept of Carbs / Protein / Fat. Usually I just ask for no potatoes and just eat what everyone else is eating. Eating at restaurants can be a little bit restricting but it's not every day so sometimes I'll just put the low carb diet to one side.

2. I feel dreadful if I do eat carbs.

Last week I took my son Christmas shopping and we went for a pizza afterwoods. I ordered a chicken salad (not a great Ketogenic meal - too low in fat) which was served with two dough bread pieces, croutons and a very sugary dressing. I felt like shit after eating this - I did nibble on a little bit of the dough bread - and came out in sweats. I guess my body is just now not used to processing refined carbs. My mouth gets all inflamed and my cheeks feel (but don’t appear) swollen.

3. Gallbladder.

Not really a negative in the long run, but definitely a side effect. A good few months into the diet - around July I think - I started getting discomfort in my upper right side of my rib cage for about a week. It wasn't painful, but definite, consistent discomfort, sort of felt like a really bloated area and slightly tender to touch.

Did a bit of research and apparently it is a common issue with low carb diets. With a low fat diet (generally high carb diets are low fat) the gallbladder sort of stops working as its job is to produce bile to help the body to digest fatty foods.

Switching back to high fat kicked it on again, but much of what is in it after a long period of disuse may have hardened and can lead to gallstones. After a week of discomfort I took the decision to just go to Jiu Jitsu, wrestle a 15st man for half an hour and see what happened. Funnily enough it seemed to cure it. Absolutely no discomfort or pain since and I guess my gallbladder is now fully operation (as it should be!). I’m assuming the wrestling dislodged or squeezed out the hardening.

 

To sum up, given a choice there is absolutely no way I would go back to eating a high carbohydrate diet over high fat. In ten months this diet, coupled with regular exercise, has completely transformed what it is like to live in my body.    

 

DiscoStu

My girlfriend didn't like the taste of Stevia so for convenience I've moved over to her preferred choice of Candarel Sugarly. 0 calories, tastes almost like sugar, but is chemical rather than natural.
Still, I've managed to lose a bit more weight and last week, for the first time in about 5 years, I weighed under 12 stone. I'm a couple of pounds over 12 stone again but seeing the 11 on the scales (even if just for one day) was brilliant! I seem to be leveling out at just over 12 stone which is far better than the 13.5 stone I was not so long ago.

MrBump

My wife and I have been mostly following the Blood Sugar diet/lifestyle shift since we came back from holiday in October.  I came home about 107kg (I know, fat bastard...), and I'm about 101 now.  

Moreover, this doesn't feel like a diet - and as others have attested, I feel generally better in myself.  I don't do the "white" carbs any more - instead of potatoes, rice and pasta I'll replace them with more tastily prepared greens (not being afraid of butter/cream or spices), and a little extra meat.  And pulses.  Bulgar wheat is yummy when tarted up, and curried lentils are a thing of wonder.

When I was growing up, the thing was to have loads of the cheap stuff on your place (mostly potatoes) and little of the expensive stuff.  Cutting out large chunks of the carbs hasn't really been a struggle at all.