Having seen the list of things I can and can’t eat on the Keto meal plan I’m going to have to first clear my cupboards of all the “healthy” food staples I have.
No chickpeas or other legumes, No couscous, no lentils, no bulgar wheat? And as for my favourite fruits ? 😟😟😟all of them are out.
Local food bank or just continue to incorporate them into more healthier dishes packed with more veggies until the cupboards are bare and Im really Keto ready?
hmmm what’s a girl to do 🤔🤔
Well only you can answer that MissAzzee 
If you don't feel ready for going keto, just adjust your menu for now and start to decrease your carbs and up your fat. You will soon get used to eating different fruit and not having so many root vegetables.
You will still find plenty of benefits and feel better for cutting down the carbs
If you haven't already, then take a look at the recipes on DietDoctor, they are mostly really easy to do and the carbs are counted for you and I haven't found one that I really disliked yet, but several that are becoming firm favourites in my house
Thanks lucigret,
I’ve decided to work with what I’ve got and up my fats as I do so. It could be worse as I could have had a cupboard full of cakes, sugar and sweets which would have been me not so long ago so I’m choosing to see the glass as half full rather than half empty.
👍👍👍
Well you have already made some great changes by the sound of things You sound positive and as though you are going to enjoy your weight loss journey. That is what it is all about, make it an adventure and have fun trying out new ideas
Enjoy? Here’s hoping! I’ve given up sugar and feel like I’m in withdrawal lol . I feel sluggish and have a banging headache so much so I had to lie down.? Two hours later? I fell asleep. A nap? Me? That’s a first. I usually spend my days off work in front of the TV and with food. I’m impressed.
Once you've completed induction, you may well find you can introduce a few of those things. Also, there are ways of preparing them which are Keto friendly.
Chickpeas for example can become Hummus
I have reduced gradually over time MissAzzee, and haven’t completely cut out all grains . . . I have just adjusted the amounts and increased the fats.
I was exactly the same all geared up for Keto but used to the healthy options. So decided this week to try cutting the carbs but still incorporating the pulses and fruit and root veg. You Will slowly find a balance. Good luck x
If strict Keto isn’t something you’ll enjoy doing for the rest of your life, then perhaps it’s not the right weight loss approach for you? If you will-power through a couple of months of Keto eating, reach your goal weight and return to your old eating habits, chances are your weight will yo-yo back up. I suggest you find a way that fits what you enjoy eating instead.
LOL - it's a common problem.
Ordinarily I'd say you've taken the right approach (run down your stores and incorporate more fat) but your body seems to be rebelling against this. I was just having a similar conversation over here:
healthunlocked.com/lchf-die...
Scroll down to the exchange with Quitter71.
The basic problem you're running up against is that our bodies respond better to just switching off carbs; if you reduce them gradually, your body tends to just go into starvation mode instead of digging into its fat stores (or dietary fat).
I would seriously recommend doing a full "keto" induction, and follow the instructions to the letter. It's certainly possible to just improvise - there are a few people here who have done it - but the results are unpredictable.
Oh ... just to address PippiRuns point: keto and low-carb are two different things. The keto phase is normally very brief - a couple of weeks - to kick you into fat-burning mode. You then gradually increase your carbs until weight loss starts to slow down. That's your maintenance low-carb level. It's not that this way of eating doesn't suit you - you haven't even tried it yet! - you're just bumping up against a glitch in human physiology that will go away if you ride through it. It's important to point out, I think, that low carb is not a weight loss plan that can't be sustained: it works by allowing your appetite to work properly again, so you no longer have to meter food into your body. It's incredibly liberating.
To address your immediate problem: make sure you're getting enough sodium, potassium, and water. As you drop carbs, your electrolyte balance will drift off (temporarily). A bowl of beef soup (a stock cube in hot water will work in a pinch) is the standard remedy.
As @Simba77 said, there's a bit of a learning curve here, and your body will eventually find a balance. Stick with it for a couple of weeks and you'll wake up one day feeling great.
OMG Many thanks to TheAwfulToad, I’ve just read your response and the exchange your had with quitter71 and both have made me see what’s happening to my body. I really can’t thank you enough.
I especially liked your take on red meat and dairy as I think this is what has made me feel as I do - sick.
Having been a heavy meet eater for many years I reduced this over recent months to only having it occasionally which might be once a month or so . Yesterday I had a fair amount as I thought that was where I had to get my fats from and.... voila.
Reading that I can get my fats from fish and dairy was a relief as that’s what I much prettier eat.
I also have to increase my water intake and am doing that too although I must say drinking it without a “tiny” bit of juice has led to my reduced consumption of this but hey..... I’ll do it.
I still feel bloated and heavy and can’t wait for that feeling to subside. Funny thing is I used to binge eat and I never ever recognised such discomfort but since making changes to my eating pattern (16:8), cooking from whole foods scratch, avoiding sugar and knowing what I’m eating I appear to be more in tune with my body so that’s got to be a good thing.
Thanks once again - you’ve been a big help x
Most people have to experiment a bit to find things they like (ie., things they can stick with) and occasionally we have to work around things we can't eat. You might need to try eating certain things separately to identify the precise source of your discomfort - for example, if you think it's something to do with meat, have a slice of bacon (and nothing else) and see how you feel.
As I mentioned in the other thread, the "steak and eggs" caricature of low-carb is something that's been put around by the media and has absolutely no basis in reality: proper, healthy LCHF is mostly veg, with whatever fat sources you're comfortable with. You do need some animal products, but it's pretty flexible.
Anyway, you sound like you're on the right track with home cooking and proper ingredients! Good luck.
Many thanks
Today’s a little better and I’m focusing on reducing my portions particularly meat as I’m sure this is what contributed to how I was feeling. Exercise was also a little harder as I felt sluggish and really had to push myself thru it - glad I finished it though 😆
This forum is amazing- the support is so appreciated.
Thanks once again x
This is really interesting and maybe explains why I didn’t lose any weight inspite of keeping carbs to under 50g . . . Will have another look at the LCHF induction
Thank you
I cut down on carbs did it for 2 years Followed the body coach diet did the hiit still do them but I piled on the Weight I have since January followed SlimmingWorld and cut out high sugar foods and and have lost 23lbs I might have been doing it wrong as I’m vegetarian but low carb didn’t work for me
Hi Traceymed congrats on the weight loss so far , we’ll done, I’m taking one day at a time ensuring I only eat whole home cooked meals and listening to my body as well. I’ll see how it goes and avoid food which doesn’t agree with me
Thank you and well done again
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