Calories

[Soniaweightloss]

Hi everyone sorry for all the questions 🙈

I’m on low Keto diet trying to aim for less than 20 grams carbs just downloaded a app to see how many carbs I’m having and it’s got a calorie allowance in it! I’m going to be over on calories 😪

I know I haven’t managed to get any veggies in today 😓 really struggling

[TheAwfulToad Ambassador]

Ignore the calories, and the calorie target. It's meaningless.

Have a look here for some good veg recipes:

healthunlocked.com/lchf-die...

Getting more veg onto your plate definitely involves a steep learning curve when you start LCHF, but do make an effort to learn new recipes, otherwise you'll just find your meals are boring, and you'll start to lose interest. If in doubt, just add a bit of salad from a bag. And learn how to make proper dressings - it makes a huge difference!

Don't worry if you get things a bit wrong at the start. Fix it and carry on

[Soniaweightloss in reply to TheAwfulToad]

Thank you 😊

I will try hard to get veg and salad in to my diet maybe that’s why I got fat in the first place

Thank you for your support

[BridgeGirl]

Your screen shows where the carbs are, in those cashews. Do you like other nuts?

The DietDoctor site that you've been given the link for shows which are highest and lowest in carbs in each food group so take your time exploring that whole site. Here's the link for nuts dietdoctor.com/low-carb/nuts

Don't get anxious or cross with yourself. You're just starting out. Stick with it and use all the advice you can get. That's how we all made the change

[Soniaweightloss in reply to BridgeGirl]

Hi thank you for your reply.

I was more worried about the calories 🙈

I like most nuts so will look and see what ones are better choice.

I have noticed I’m not hungry though do I only eat when I get hungry?

My leg muscles have aches today x

[BridgeGirl in reply to Soniaweightloss]

Yes, you eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full. That's not always easy if you're working and fancy a lamb chop in the middle of a meeting or on the train home, but I'm sure you'll fall into a pattern that works for you.

Don't worry about calories, really.

Regarding your aching muscles, I know people can have some odd symptoms in the first few days, often because you need to increase your salt intake. I'll tag TheAwfulToad and he'll out you on the right path

[Subtle_badger in reply to Soniaweightloss]

I'm trying low carb (though not as low as you!) and I am getting calf cramps - the sort that wake me nearly screaming at 3am. I am supplementing with salt, magnesium, calcium and (just started) potassium which seem to help.

Google "keto flu" and what for TheAwfulToad to join with more suggestions.

[Subtle_badger]

I hate the way these apps put you on a diet without you asking them to. I had a similar thing with a different app, I started logging my food and exercise, put in my current weight and my goal and suddenly it's telling me how much I should eat each day. I followed it for two weeks before putting my mind into gear!

It also amuses me that the makers of that app are proud that they don't promote any specific diet, because they apparently don't realise that calories in/calories out/ignore macronutrients is a specific diet.

Yeah, turn off the kcal limit, or set it through the roof so you are never bothered with it again.

[ChubbieChops]

Throw the calories out the window - they are irrelevant. There is a section in The Diet Doctor which gives you meal plans which is a great way to get going with a low carb way of cooking. This website also has low carb recipes

carbdodging.com/about/

Is it really important to eat lots of low carb veg as otherwise you may have difficulty having a poo! Also drink lots of water - lots. That will also help with the poo situation and headaches as you can get dehydrated much more easily. You pee more on a low carb diet and in doing so, lose more salts which contributes to leg cramps.

An immediate way to get more salt into you, which may help with cramps, is to have what the Diet Doctor calls half a bouillon cube. I assume a stock cube is similar. It suggests having half a bouillon cube dissolved in hot water. I had bought low salt stock cubes!! so I added a bit less than a teaspoon of seasalt. It made quite a tasty drink actually. I find it also helps if I'm feeling a bit headachey.

Your body will adapt though and it is so worth sticking with this way of eating. Good luck and enjoy your food!

[RaggedClown in reply to ChubbieChops]

I keep a jar of Bovril around for moments like this. Makes for a very tasty drink on a cold winter's day.

[ChubbieChops in reply to RaggedClown]

I did wonder about Bovril. Are there any carbs in it? Today I decided I didn't want any carbs at all as I was fasting. So I just put less than a teaspoon of sea salt in hot water - I didn't want it to taste like sea water!! It was surprisingly drinkable

[bigleg]

As others have stated, do not worry about the calories. The fats are high in calories, but satiating so we find that following the low carb/keto lifestyle, because the diet is based on nutrient dense foods, we eat a lot less than when following the 'still official guidelines' that are loaded with addictive carby foods. On the muscle aches, this is a helpful page: dietdoctor.com/low-carb/ket.... A good fix also is massaging the calf muscles with magnesium oil.

Someone mentioned the cashew nuts. Have you seen the diet doctor Nut guide - dietdoctor.com/low-carb/nuts? It is quite surprising just how variable the carb content of nuts is and cashew nuts are top of the carb list at 22g carbs/100g.

[BridgeGirl in reply to bigleg]

Thanks for that link about muscle aches - I hadn't spotted that page

[Hidden]

I would stop the cashew nuts as 10g carb is a lot off your carb allowance and put in vegetables. Vegetables are an important part of keto. Dont worry about the calories they arent as important as the carb total. As you will still lose weight. But you need the vegetables to get your vitamins etc x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Also look on dietdoctor.com at menues you can eat a lot for 20g carb with their meals and get everything you need 😊