Maybe it's a bit early to say but I started quite a strict low carb diet two weeks ago and I am definitely feeling better. I have less pain and general mood is better and have also let 5lb in weight. The diet, or should I say new eating regime, does not mean I'm starving myself in fact quite the opposite as I don't get so hungry. I am really enjoying having eggs and bacon for breakfast at least once a week and am not missing bread, potatoes, rice or pasta yet! The Banting girls website and diet doctor are both good for recipes and I just got Tom Kerridge's Dopomine Diet book which is excellent and on offer at Amazon. I really hope I can manage to stay on this new eating regime and the benefits continue.
Low carb diet helping?: Maybe it's a bit early to... - PMRGCAuk
Low carb diet helping?
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Griggser
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•
Well Done Griggser
I'm cutting down the sugar & keeping carbs low(ish) & I've lost 3nhalf pounds, so happy with that! I'll be giving those Cruise Frocks a Twirl! 👗
Mrs N
I love the word 'frock' as opposed to 'dress' it conjures up glamour from the past! 👗
Mrsd12f• in reply to
So do I!
You've made a great start, Griggser. As they say, 'Nothing succeeds like success', so you are feeling encouraged to keep it up. I am down to 2 mg of pred and I'm well past the 2 stone loss, but am well aware that the last stone is the hardest to lose.
Good luck. Ann x
• in reply toAnnodomini
Hi Ann, I packed on 3stone by the time I was up at 20mg & then sat at 17/18mg for a while, once l started to come down, two stone 'melted away' then l had the Chemo weight loss but that does go back when you start eating again & you do need to eat properly to recover, I reduced to 5mg but still holding that extra stone! I've been back up to 7mg & packed on a few extra unwanted pounds & that's what I'm hoping to move with the lower carbs & the reduced sugar intake!
Well Done on getting to 2mg 🌺
Mrs N
Annodomini• in reply to
2mg after almost six years! Quite a slog, but other people are so much worse. Well done you!
PolywotsitPMRGCAuk team member
Brilliant! More power to your elbow!
I agree. I found switching from a high carb to a high protein breakfast really helpful, and I'm sure has helped me keep weight down as well as being beneficial for PMR and some of the pred side effects.
What did you have for your high protein breakfast? The ubiquitous bacon and eggs? I find the high protein eating concept so difficult to get my head around and after a few weeks of trying (with some success I must admit, stomach felt better and less bloated) I have now reverted to my usual eating habits probably out of sheer laziness.
I was used to having a large bowl of mixed whole grain cereal and milk. I felt I needed something to chew or I'd stay hungry and eat too much. So now I have 1/3 cup raw organic pumpkin seeds, a citrus fruit (orange or clemi) and two fried eggs. I know I should probably boil the eggs, but in fact I do need the calories and use healthy fat, though it probably doesn't stay healthy when heated! And a mug of tea with milk.
Carrot1, I had been having things like scrambled eggs with avocado & cherry toms. Maybe mushroom and scrambled eggs. Asparagus with smoked salmon and lemon butter and a few other things. To be honest as I have now not been feeling so hungry I'm usually just having a glass of Kefir and skipping breakfast. I'm not even finding I need to snack before lunch and although pork scratching scare looked on as a treat I've hardly had any of them. What I was most worried about was eating out, which we do a lot more these days, but I'm finding it ok. Last night for instance the fixed menu meal I attended was roast beef with roast potatoes, boiled potatoes, green beans & mashed parsnip. I had the beef and green beans with a small amount of parsnip. Desert was a choice of ice cream, apple pie and custard or cheese so I took the cheese. Of course beer is a no no but wine and whisky are ok. You can always find a low carb option and perhaps because I'm retired and have the time I don't find it a problem and being able to use butter and cream always helps!
Thanks for those suggestions. Are you in the uk? It's quite difficult to find kefir out here in the sticks. I shall renew my efforts.
Yes I live in Cornwall and agree it's not easy finding Kefir and when you do prepare to be shocked at the price. I made the first batch using the culture and then made the next 3 using 200ml from each batch as a starter. I'll now make the next one using another culture pack and repeat using 200ml from each new batch to start another one. I believe you can do this at least 4 times but don't really understand why you can't keep doing this? I made the Keto garlic bread the other day as we had some friends coming around, it went down a real treat with them asking for the recipe. I've also made Banting cheesey bread which I really like. I sliced it up a froze it so I can just defrost a slice when I feel the urge. I also make full fat Greek yoghurt and have this with walnuts or berries as a desert. My wife made a Banting lemon drizzle cake which I like but she doesn't, I think it's a texture thing.
Of course you should be able to get Kefir online but I was just concerned as its supposed to be stored in the fridge.
Anyway good luck and I hope it helps.
Hi Griggser, I was told that I should avoid foods from the nightshade family with pred. eg tomatoes. Have you heard that? I must admit I do eat them sometimes but I suppose I am more aware.
Now you mention something is coming to my mind about that. If I come across it I'll come back to you, of course the wise ones on here might be able to answer that one?
I gave up the nightshades at one point - all it did was restrict my diet. Made no difference to the PMR at all!
They are meant to be pro-inflammatory. I don't care - life without tomatoes and peppers is nothing...
I think I agree. My brother lives on tomatoes, he has them virtually every meal, as a child his favourite food was tomato sandwiches. I like tomato sandwiches too, but I am not a pizza fan.
That's interesting! 2 fried eggs - on their own? No bread/toast? I've also changed my bowl of bran flakes and soya milk to plain yogurt, a few mixed nuts and a handful of berries. After being brain washed for so many years about fat, I cant bear to get full fat yogurt and have bought the fat free but when you read about low carb diets they always tell you to embrace the fat. So difficult to change the habits of a lifetime.
Carrot1, no bread. I also don't eat sandwiches at lunch nor the second bowl of cereal I used to have at bedtime. I miss the pasta and pizza meals which were so easy to prepare. When I make my famous bean vegetable soup barley (not pearled) is the preferred grain. I do have special treats of scones and cookies (we have a baker in the family) but can tolerate these as I eat so little wheat otherwise. When I do have bread it is almost always an organic rye type. I like milk products with a little fat - 2% usually. I also have a tablespoon of hemp oil at breakfast as it's supposed to have a good balance of omega fats. An occasional treat is a bowl of rolled oats at bedtime. I'm vegetarian so no bacon 
Get most of my calories from nuts now, I guess, or root vegetables like sweet potatoes, which I guess many people who are trying for low carb and low calorie diets avoid. If I avoided those I'd be a mere skeleton by now! But white potatoes are also seldom in our meals now.
Hi Griggser, I too have started low carb since nothing else was helping me to reduce weight gained with pred etc.
Have not lost any weight yet but interestingly my waist is shrinking
I love this way of eating and the recipes on dietdoctor are so tasty and filling. I'm not hungry in between and only take a couple of spoons of greek yoghurt with my pills on waking. I used to munch my way through a big bowl of fruit watching tv at night and now i really don't want anything. Also have no desire for anything sweet which is quite incredible for me!
I noticed less pain and generally feeling a lot better. Managing to reduce pred now down to 9 going to 8 nxt week.all good so far and I'm a happy bunny.
Take care and keep us updated
Ursi
Hi all..I went the low carb route a couple years prior to my diagnosis last year and successfully lost 48 lbs in 5 mints pretty painlessky. Actually loved the effect of insulin stabilization which helps cravings and ginger pains, when diagnosed did only gain a few pounds despite the 60 MG and slow taoer..,until month 3 where I allowed myself to cheat..not tons but didn't maintain the carb watch I used to gained 20 ...on new years made resolution to go back to low carb lifestyle (cheat days allowed 1 or 20th me a week if I want.,,and have lost 12 already... so I highlyou endorse the approach both in how I feel and results.
Fluffydog5 I think it can be tough changing your eating habits of a lifetime but for me at only week 3 I'm feeling so much better I'm really hoping I can keep it up. Certainly I don't have those cravings for cakes and biscuits nor for even the much beloved Cornish pasty!! I jumped on the scales again today and the weight is still coming off so absolute bonus as that is not the main reason for adopting the low carb way of life. I also find it interesting to use the myfitness App to log what I eat everyday as you can see what nutrients you've had. You have to be a bit aware though as depending exactly what you log can make a big difference. I put tomato soup in and had a carb reading of around 25 but when I changed to homemade soup, which it was, the carb count was only 12. I'm trying to be between 50 and 100 carbs a day.
I'm going to buy that Dopamine Diet book by Tom Kerridge - looks like there are some great low carb recipes in it.
It was on offer on Amazon for £6.99 which I think is great value. I have no connection to Tom!!!
Just bought it!! Thanks Griggser!
That is great news. I have been following gluten free diet for 6 months now and feel amazing, no pain at all. I am slowly weaning of Prednisone and down to 3 mg per day. I do lots of exercise, dancing and rising my bike. Take care xx
Well done so far Griggser, low carbs doesn't mean zero carbs. I'm now on 5 mg pred and have lost 43 lbs in 10 months and counting. Another 20th lbs would be good.
Try yellow fish with a big blob of butter, or a kipper for brekkers. Makes a nice change. Then there's mushroom omelette with big rashers of bacon (Danish) of course not that thin weird stuff from over the pond.
Also try the Full English once in a while. Just leave out the toast and marmalade.
Must not tempt you any more when you are on pred. Just keep it going and good luck.
piglette• in reply to
What is yellow fish?
• in reply topiglette
Usually cod or more commonly haddock which has been smoked. Delicious!
Hmmm! As a former resident of Arbroath - smoked haddock was never yellow, smokies are off-white from the smokehouse 
If it is yellow it is dyed - to cover up the fact it may not have been smoked for long enough. And heaven knows what is in the dye...
Smokies and a poached egg - the most delicious component of a Scottish breakfast. They can be bought and delivered by post.
Griggser• in reply to
Thanks PontesburySapper. Some good ideas there. I've found that if I have a glass of Kefir in the morning I don't look for any breakfast but have a decent lunch. I tried green beans with ham and poached eggs with a lemon butter sauce which is yum. I've been trying out some of Tom Kerridge's recipes from his Dopamine diet book and they are very good. I like the recipes on diet doctor.com as well. Certainly doesn't feel like I'm dieting, more a change of eating regime. It seems the word diet has been hijacked for someone trying to lose weight rather than what they eat! Any way my main objective is to try and help with the inflammation and in turn reduce the pain in my hips and shoulders. Losing weight is a benefit and so is the mood change. I've lost another 2lb this week and have not felt hungry at all, still having the pork scratchings as well. I haven't had any potatoes, bread, rice or pasta since starting on this route but there are alternatives you can make. I tried a mooli for the time ever as. Potato replacement in a lamb shank hot pot and it was fine. The sheperds pie with cauliflower mash was a great success. It does help that my wife is being extremely supportive and is eating all these new recipes, although sometimes I do have to add some potatoes to her meal!
This is a great low-carb cookbook. Apologies if I am not supposed to recommend - I am not related to the authors or anything like that.
amazon.co.uk/Neris-Indias-I...
Thanks for the tip I've ordered one 😀
If anyone is interested - there is a blog with many of Bee's recipes on it so you can have a gander and see if it is worth it for you.
If you register go to the forums and scroll down a bit to find Bee's Recipe Bit and even further down there are classified recipe posts.
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