Hope you guys following Lytham's Challenge are all still full of beans (in moderation, of course ). I noticed that some of you who started early, and are now approaching week 3, are enthused by some quite impressive initial weight loss. While it's great to see that downwards movement on the scales, it's worth remembering that some of this (half a kilo, possibly more) is "water weight" - the loss of excess water held in various places. Most people lose more than is really good for them while one's body makes a rapid adjustment to the new diet.
Therefore, your weight loss will slow down somewhat, and may even stop, as you body re-establishes water homeostasis at the correct setpoint.
Not trying to rain on anybody's parade here. Just pointing out that it pays to be realistic and keep focused on the long view. Stick with it and the pounds will start to drop away.
Incidentally: if you've read some of the arguments on the internet suggesting that low-carb diets work by causing nothing more than water loss ... well, let me know if you see any wizened, prune-like LCHF adherents stumbling around
Anybody having sugar withdrawal symptoms?
Written by
TheAwfulToad
Ambassador
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Well, chocolate is a big part of my life, so I'm feeling the loss. Also scared if I fall off this diet (it's Not a way of life... yet) I shall go back to eating more than is good for me. Other than the choc I eat pretty healthily.
Just make sure you eat until you're full and listen to your appetite re. fat, I think you'll be fine. If it helps, chocolate can come back into your diet when you feel that you don't need chocolate
If you are in the UK, get your hands on Montezuma's Absolute Black. 100% chocolate. You can safely eat it on low carb, because it's a beast, and a tiny piece is all you will want - and if somehow you could eat a whole 100g bar, it's still only 8g of carbs and practically no sugars. It's very different from even 90% chocolate. It will also tell you if you if it's chocolate you are addicted to, or the sugar within it.
One bar lasted me months. I would nibble a little of this bitter treat, and my body would pulse with a shock of joy. But a tiny piece is enough, the rest went back in the cupboard.
If you find it is not to your taste, you can use it as an ingredient.
Thanks, I'll look out for it, but I have a strong suspicion it's the sugar within... lol.
I have found that to stay hydrated I've had to massively up my salt intake. I never used much salt anyway so each morning I measure out a teaspoon of salt and add it to *everything*. I did start with two teaspoons but couldn't get down all of it.
I guess extreme caloric restriction will, because it'll force your body to burn through glycogen. The standard calorie-counted, low-fat, high-glycemic-load diet will not - you'll get a transient weight loss (some of which will be water) and then your glycogen stores will go right back up to their 100%-full state as your body recalibrates its power consumption to match the food that it's getting.
One of the reasons that carbs eventually trigger runaway weight gain is that your glycogen storage is essentially taken offline in this manner; if it's pinned at 100%, then by definition it can't absorb any more energy, so excess carbs have nowhere else to go except through the lipogenesis pathway.
Low-carb tends to cause additional water loss over and above that associated with a temporary glycogen rundown (it eventually stabilizes out at an optimal ~50%). That additional loss is driven by the shifting electrolyte balance. Most people who have been on high-carb diets for a very long period have elevated blood pressure, partly as a result of abnormally-high blood volume and abnormal sodium retention (that's why diuretics were, or used to be, the first-line treatment for high BP). As you switch to a healthy diet, this corrects itself, so people on blood pressure medication are usually advised to stop taking it when they drop the carbs.
I like your point of being realistic. Seems my water weight is totally gone that's why my weight is not moving much. I'm on Keto / LCHF for long. I cannot go zero carbs.
I have to have some comfort food which I restrict most of the days. Thankfully, I'm not addicted to sugar (cane sugar) or chocolates or any baked sweets. Only thing I miss is sandwiches.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
). I noticed that some of you who started early, and are now approaching week 3, are enthused by some quite impressive initial weight loss. While it's great to see that downwards movement on the scales, it's worth remembering that some of this (half a kilo, possibly more) is "water weight" - the loss of excess water held in various places. Most people lose more than is really good for them while one's body makes a rapid adjustment to the new diet.
Weight loss slow- I don’t think I’m doing it right