Ultimate Weight Loss Diet?

Ok - controversial mode here. I'm probably about two stone overweight and I know one of the risk factors for Heart Disease is being overweight. I don't have diabetes, have BP 155/95 (on pills) and Cholesterol is 8.2 (I'm currently not on statin) so I decided to do some weightloss but my way (After reading a lot of books). So - rather than doing low fat, I decided to do low carbohydrate (including complex carbs) but also introduce a lot more natural saturated fat into the diet for energy.

So - typical breakfast - Coffee and plain croissant (daily carb intake) or chunk of cheese and slice of 'proper' ham including fatty bit.

Lunch - Greek Salad, avocado, beetroot, roasted vegetables, with either grilled chicken or two boiled eggs or cheese (from local deli)

Dinner - Best quality Fatty steak or pork chops or roast chicken with either broccoli, green beans - remember to each fat / skin. Afterwards, blueberries / raspberries with whipped cream (did it myself so no sugar in there).

At weekends for lunch, I'd have big chunk of cheese (proper deli stuff) and a slice of proper deli off the bone ham (fat included).

Snacks would be unsalted brazil nuts, walnuts, dried prunes but didn't seem to eat a huge amount of these.

I'd also drink wine - probably about 3/4 bottle, 4 times a week (in evening), 2 x coffee's per day and water (no beer). No fizzy drinks / artificial sweeteners.

I wouldn't touch bread, potatoes, rice, ready meals, pizza, fast food, anything reduced fat or anything with more than about 5g carbs / 100g.

If I ate out - I'd have steak with vegetables with cream / brandy / peppercorn sauce but no desert. Would have starter instead e.g. pate or prawns (again, no bread).

After trying this for four weeks, I'd lost 10lbs, BP down to 140/80 but I don't know what my cholesterol is (which is a bit frustrating). I found I wasn't hungry at all and as I had some carbs in there - so didn't fall foul of nasty breath of Atkins.

I'm now debating how to move on. Do I go back to the low fat foods I was on before (and found I had to eat a lot more to fill me up but was cheaper) or keep with what I'm doing which fills me up (I wake up actually not feeling hungry)?

[Aliwally]

Hi Architect 1337,

You don't mention exercise! I lost 2 and a half stone, but couldn't have done it without exercise as well as diet. My BP came right down and I was able to come off medication when I lost weight.

Have you ever considered testing your own cholesterol levels as per home monitoring? I know this is not recommended by HEART UK, but I have found it invaluable in my home experimenting.

Sorry, this has not answered your question!

[Hidden]

Hi - this was a blog not a question - but that's ok :-).

No real exercise in this. I am active e.g. work in London so walk a lot but no gym etc. Approx 30 mins a day walking (tube to office - that sort of thing) but I've done this anyway before trying this way of eating so I've not changed that.

[Aliwally]

When I lost my weight I avoided all junk food and refined carbs. I am not fanatical about low fat but I try and avoid too much cheese, mainly because I love it and one bite leads to another. In the same way, I can't snack except on fruit. I also never ate white sliced bread (still don't, except for occasional bacon sandwich).

I was also surprised by how many empty calories in a glass of wine so try and avoid during the working week, saving it for weekend.

Declaration of interest, only been in a Lloyds Phamacy once on holiday and didn't buy anything! Not advertising home monitors.!

[Hidden]

OK - sold! Will have to start looking into these cholesterol monitors. Good point about the wine though...

[DakCB-UK]

Why lots of saturated fats rather than poly- or mono-unsaturateds?

I'd do whatever works for you, but some cholesterol test seems like a key extra part of information.

[Vanessabates]

Love it! The food is delicious and really natural. Perfect died for me.

[Vanessabates]

Sorry DIET!

[sandybrown]

Waist to height ratio is what we need to look for now days. We have to look at how to reduce the waist size.

Is it food intake control or exercise we need to reduce the waist size?