question re low calorie high fat fasting diet

[rosyG]

Could anyone give me details of a low cal high fat diet that is effective please. I have to ensure I have enough potassium in food ( for cardiac reasons) but could limit the hours in a day for eating- i e not fast for 24 hours

[Hidden]

Supplements. They are the way ahead. Take a potassium tablet & read the leaflet. As for low carb high fat, don’t eat potatoes, rice, pasta, bread etc. No sugar at all. Fill your plate with green veg & cauli with butter, add a big blob of meat or fish. It’s quite hard going low carb immediately, so wholewheat carbs like spelt, rye & buckwheat are a good interim step. Cheese is your friend. Ditto cream & Greek yoghurt. Fruit less so with the exception of berries. Snacks are a bit of a pain. But hey, that’s bearable a) for the smaller ar$e, b) for the cream.

[rosyG in reply to Hidden]

Thank you that’s really helpful. Are tomatoes ok as they are high in potassium

[ChubbieChops Visitor in reply to rosyG]

Tomatoes are fine - google 'carbs in tomatoes' or whatever food you want to check. I bought a book on LCHF diet which explains all the science behind this diet and also has lots of delicious meals so I'd suggest you look for such a book. I'm not sure if I have got the wrong end of the stick, but it seems several people seem to think that you do LCHF and 16:8 fasting at the same time. You don't have to do this but I have found that some mornings I'm just not hungry so I don't have breakfast first thing so you may end up doing some variation of fasting as well.

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone]

Hello and welcome, rosyG

I'm not sure what you're asking about. Many members follow a low carbohydrate high fat plan. Maybe that's what you're thinking about. These posts explain how this is helpful

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

phcuk.org/wp-content/upload...

As for your potassium levels, I suggest you ask your cardiac team for specific guidance. You can also search for foods rich in potassium: they would be compatible with the low carb high fat approach.

This Welcome Newbies post explains how the forum works and how to find your way around healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... I recommend joining a weekly weigh-in on the day of your choice, and using the Daily Diary to share your meal plans.

Please also read this information about online privacy/security, especially as your post is unlocked healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

I look forward to seeing you at one of the weigh-in teams in the next few days

[rosyG in reply to BridgeGirl]

thank you- very helpful

[rosyG]

Thank you- the link didn't work- could you tell me the rough details please?

[Diane2]

rosyG I have restricted emanuel from replying as we do not allow promotion of commercial products on here

[Coco51]

You might like to try an app called Carbs &Cals. It's free and can be an aid for those with diabetes . I entered my height and age and a few other details and it came up with the number of calories plus grams of carbs, grams of fats and grams of proteins and fibre I need daily. You can then use it to track what you eat. You can enter the name of a food and if it's on their list it comes up all counted with various portion sizes to choose. The pain is entering all the values for your favourite recipes, but once it's done it's there.

I always try to go over the daily limit on fats a bit, but under on carbs. I have lost a stone over a year gradually, and never felt hungry.

I put in lots of high potassium and magnesium foods. E.g Increasing nuts and seeds, making my own seeded bread. Make my own muesli with 50% nuts and seeds 50%oats. Still eat fish, eggs, meat and cheese. Still eat fruit but less of it and usually earlier in the day . Eat even more veg than before and at least 2 vegetarian days a week if poss. Plenty of olive oil. Less milk - high carb. Butter ok. Some dark chocolate too. About 3-4 slices of bread a day, or some brown rice works for me. Cutting out all carbs other than veg makes me feel weird and constipated.

Rules are: No snacks, they keep your blood sugar up. Don't eat when not hungry. Later breakfast, earlier evening meal so there's 14 hour fast . Eat till you're full - then stop and no seconds!

It has brought my Hb1ac number down from 44 to 39.

So that is good. Hope that might give you some ideas.

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to Coco51]

Good morning, JanetMayne, and welcome to the weight loss forum

Thanks for your advice and support to rosyG. It's good to hear how successful you've been and must be very satisfying to see figures going in the right direction. We usually recommend taking your calorie range from the NHS BMI calculator but, of course, when following a low carb high fat approach, counting calories isn't necessary, which is another bonus.

You'd be very welcome to join in the life of this forum as you continue with your weight loss: I know your support would be appreciated. I recommend joining a weekly weigh-in for the great group support, and using the Daily Diary to share your meal plans. This Welcome Newbies post will help you find your way around healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Please also see our information about online privacy/security, especially if your username may identify you healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Wishing you a happy and successful 2020

[Veeee in reply to BridgeGirl]

I am also a vegetarian. I have given up eating eggs as well.

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to Veeee]

Hello and welcome to the forum, Veeee

That does limit your options but I assume you're used to dealing with that way of eating.

You may find these useful

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

phcuk.org/wp-content/upload...

Please refer to the Welcome Newbies post I have given the link for, above, to see how the forum works. A good starting point is joining a weekly weigh-in and sharing your meal plans on the Daily Diary.

I hope we'll see you around

[Coco51 in reply to BridgeGirl]

Hello. And thank you. I didn't realise I had joined another forum! I just reacted to the post of someone I follow in another forum! I eat according to advice I was given attending an NHS anti-diabetes course prescribed by my GP. I eat more or less what I want but the tracking gives me a bit of focus. I know it might not be for everyone but I do not worry about calories and will look at the links.

Can you advise me about changing a user name without "disappearing"? Can the name on past posts change in line with the new user name? Or does your old identity become "hidden" and you start again.? Would hate to lose some online "friends"

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to Coco51]

You're welcome I hear good things about the diabetes prevention courses.

When you change your username, your old posts all change to that name so your identity continues: you'll just need to let your friends know who you are as they may think a strange woman is being very familiar

Take your time thinking about who you want to be as I understand you can only change twice. It's a while since I changed from my less than anonymous name and all went smoothly.

[Coco51 in reply to BridgeGirl]

Fab! Thank you.

[Veeee in reply to Coco51]

Please can you share some tips and advice. Also some quick and easy meal ideas. I would like to control my HBA1C

Many thanks

[Coco51 in reply to Veeee]

Well ...I just saw your comment above since I wrote this. I do eat eggs and fish... not much good for you. But the minestrone is good.

My main tip is eat well! And leave gaps between meals to get properly hungry. If I don't want breakfast I sometimes skip and have an early lunch.

Tip two is to plan meals so there's always the stuff ready to cook. And make too much and freeze the rest so you have meals ready. I don't crave desserts luckily but like berries and Greek yogurt. But I do have a bit of a cheese addiction!

My veggie meals are mushroom stroganoff, browned sliced onion mushrooms and peppers with some sweet paprika, herbs, a glug of white wine. Simmer for 5 or ten mins, add sour cream and serve on brown rice. Sprinkle over some sunflower seeds if you like.

Aubergine Parmigiana is layers of thick tomato red-wine sauce and browned aubergines and mozzarella topped with parmesan and baked.

Spiced veg crumble is a quick veg curry, chopped carrot onion celery courgette with green peas, browned with spices - coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli, simmer 20 min with coconut milk and tomatoes, till thickish. With a crumble topping - no sugar - flour, oats, pumpkin seeds, butter and some olive oil. Bake 25 mins at 180c.

My my favourite quick lunch is mashed avocado on seeded toast with poached egg/s and cherry tomatoes. Another is mushrooms fried with some olive oil, soy sauce, herbs then mixed with little bit of cream cheese (makes it more filling) on toast.

A quick supper is a pack of spinach -150gr per person or more- wilted 5 mins and mixed with some cream cheese, (maybe half a small tub of cr cheese - light or full fat) Put smoked haddock on top with sliced tomatoes on top of that plus a layer of grated parmesan cheese. (You can soften some leeks in olive oil before wilting the spinach but you did say quick and this takes longer!)

15-20 minutes in the oven at 180c till fish cooked and top crispy ish.

I also make Minestrone with fresh veg and cooked pulses. That's chopped carrots, courgettes, onion, potato, green beans and cabbage (or anything else you have) softened in olive oil. Add veg or chicken stock and simmer for an hour, add a tin or two of canellini beans cook 10 mins more and serve with parmesan.

Not exactly quick but simple and goes on for a day or two or can be frozen!

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Veeee]

Hello Veeee

If you don’t eat meat or eggs you will need to keep a careful eye on your nutrition

The Vegan Society has information you may find helpful vegansociety.com/

[rosyG in reply to Coco51]

Excellent. Thank you so much.

[TheAwfulToad Visitor]

As mentioned above, you're probably looking for a low-carbohydrate low-fat diet (LCHF).

Hidden 's description is succinct.

In my experience it's actually easier to go "cold turkey" than to attempt a slow transition, but YMMV. Feel free to experiment with that; if it doesn't work one way, try the other, but do give it a chance. There is an adjustment period (2-5 days) where you'll feel slightly rough. It's not "lack of carbs" as such - it's just your body making some radical recalibrations to run on fat, and while it does that, you won't be firing on all cylinders. Before you know it you'll be back to normal (most people say "better than normal").

As for potassium, supplements ought to work. Supplements doesn't work very well in general, but for potassium it ought to be just fine - although as BridgeGirl said, you'll probably want to double-check this with your doctors.

In reality it's pretty hard to eat too little potassium, especially on LCHF. If you're eating plenty of greens and the occasional avocado, you ought to be fine. Make some good beef stock (from bones and veg) and drink some as a "snack".

On the other hand, if you're taking drugs that interfere with electrolyte balance (eg., diuretics) it doesn't really matter how much potassium is in your diet; it'll be off regardless. The best solution would be to get off those drugs as soon as possible. Bear in mind also that the LCHF transition will cause temporary dehydration, so if you are taking diuretics, get your doctor to keep a close eye on you while you make the switch.

Incidentally, there is an LCHF group if you're interested:

healthunlocked.com/lchf-diet

[Hidden in reply to TheAwfulToad]

Rosy - just to clarify, the low carb high fat is generally high in potassium as vegetables feature highly. Some hard core people don’t eat tomatoes as they have natural sugars in them but frankly i think that’s a bit mad. BUT not everyone can absorb nutrients from food, it’s a form of anaemia. If you have been diagnosed as low in potassium that may well be the case for you, so even if you ate dozens of tomatoes, you would not feel the benefit. Life is too short to spend 5 years discovering this.

[rosyG in reply to TheAwfulToad]

Brilliant advice. Thank you

[Lytham 3 stone]

Hello, this might be of interest to you x

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

[rosyG in reply to Lytham]

Thank you

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to rosyG]

And this healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Lots of success stories from people reducing carbohydrates and info on the forum The Awful Toad suggests healthunlocked.com/lchf-diet

[Noosat Visitor]

A good, healthy slimming meal is easy, if you look at the Mayo Diet. On dinner plate, half covered with dark green vegetable, one quarter with non-processed carb, and last quarter protein, the size of a pack of cards. In cooking use olive oil, Cut sugar completely out of diet.

[S11m]

Hi, rosyG , welcome.

Bananas are high in potassium - but they are also calorific. Do you also need or take magnesium?

If you "slim smart" weight loss is not so hard! It is not all about motivation and masochism.

Some of us here find that what works is a combination of The Low Carbohydrate, High-Fat (LCHF) diet (see the forum here on Health Unlocked) and Not Snacking All Day AKA Intermittent Fasting (IF). I hope that this FAQ will answer most of your questions - if not, please come back to me:

healthunlocked.com/fasting-...