Low-carb diets support thread

durham_mim

Padstow - is the real reason for your not eating because you are dragged down by your situation, are you feeling depressed? Is this the reason for your lack of appetite?

I really feel you need to confide in somebody, is there anyone you can do this with? If not continue posting on here or feel free to pm me. Let us know how you are feeling, and we will be a listening ear. Quite often when we are feeling like this it is not advice we need but a shoulder to cry on. It will do you good just to share your troubles, please don't bottle it all up.

Lots of Hugs
DM

SHEILA54

durham_mim wrote: »

B: Flax pancakes, raspberries & blueberries & lf cream
L: 3 chicken drumsticks & salad. Peanuts
Sausage, Mashed swede, broccoli, & sprouts. Low carb raspberry crumble & lf cream


Like you Padstow I don't have a lot of money to spend on food. My OH had to take a salary reduction in April, which I don't mind because he was originally faced with losing his job altogether. Also I still have children at home so I am not just buying for myself. Whilst I have chosen to low carb I cannot impose it on the rest of the family. I would/do feel guilty at buy the best bits of meat/fish etc for myself whilst the family have cheaper stuff, it is their choice but I still feel uncomfortable and selfish. Since I started low carbing sticking to budget has been difficult. I have always sought out bargains but it is still a struggle. I was brought up in a family of four by a single parent on benefits. There were times when we didn't have food in the house . This experience has taught me to use money wisely and be frugal whenever I can. To make matters harder, I have Chronic Lyme Disease, which leaves me with limited energy. I cannot keep popping out to shops whenever I hear there is an offer on as I don't have enough energy for this. Also low carb food takes more preparation, more preparation = more energy used, more prep means more washing up and so it goes on. Not only do I have to manage money, I have to manage my energy too. There are times when I just cannot prepare a meal hence the reason I have been having oatcakes & cheese. I am now trying to avoid these but I know there will be times when that is all I can manage.


I appreciate all the information, chat & support on this thread I am learning so much. I have however, been discouraged by some comments and so do not post has often. I have put my food for today in with this post but inwardly I am expecting an onslaught because it is not low carb enough. Quite often what is meant as support comes across as criticism and it would be a shame if people are put off low carbing/this thread altogether.

That is sad. With your illness it can be hard so just try to do what you can and don't worry. Use the suggestions for the good days and maybe try to double up with recipes so that you have something in hand for the bad days?

I also buy veg when it is cheap, look for bargains and buy bulk packs of fish for the freezer. However, I do try to eat free range eggs (£1 for 6 in Iceland) and organic beef / mince. I don't like the idea of my meat, which I now eat rarely, having hormones etc added. I also buy a free range chicken from Tesco, up to 2kg for £6, each week and use it over a few days

murphydog999

Flippin heck, go away for a few days and it's all kicking off!!

Lets not forget how much work and advice Edwardia does/gives - has given - on this thread. It's very easy on a website to incorrectly read peoples intonations and the way they speak/write, and it's very easy to take things the wrong way.

I can see the point with keeping 'low-carb' advice, 'low-carb,' but it's not like we are all sheep following the likes of WW, or similar, there are so many variations that it's whatever works for you.

Mercy is spot-on with saying, that if you are posting higher carb food menus, then it needs to be explained why (we have had this with durham mins menus until she explained). There is enough confusion about food that anyone new, or thinking of joining the great and good, would be even more flummoxed if there wasn't a reasonable explanation.

If you are having trials and tribulations (and who doesn't!) it may unwittingly come across in your writing, and if people reading are unaware, it can be misconstrued. So, if it's a case of 'bearing all' so we all 'get-it' (like elantan has, which has helped with suggestons, and now padstow has had to) then I would suggest it's best to offload - I'm sure we can take it

No hidden agendas, just good-old tried and tested advice.

SHEILA54

Well said :T

How is the moving going?

Gray_Malkin

durham_mim wrote: »

Padstow - is the real reason for your not eating because you are dragged down by your situation, are you feeling depressed? Is this the reason for your lack of appetite?

I really feel you need to confide in somebody, is there anyone you can do this with? If not continue posting on here or feel free to pm me. Let us know how you are feeling, and we will be a listening ear. Quite often when we are feeling like this it is not advice we need but a shoulder to cry on. It will do you good just to share your troubles, please don't bottle it all up.

Lots of Hugs
DM

Good post durham-mim - I was thinking the same. i know whenever I'm stressed/depressed it affects my metabolism and appetite.

As for meal ideas - a few years ago I went through a very bad patch money-wise and invented a dish out of necessity one night. All I had in was a couple of cold sausages, some tomatoes and an onion. I sliced everything thinly and layered in an oven dish with a few herbs. It made a tasty and filling meal for 2 of us, so much so that I made it several more times - sprinkling grated cheese on top if I had any. Depending on the quality of the sausages, I think that would be reasonably low carb. Maybe exchange the sausage for something like peppers to make it vegetarian?
I'm not saying it's a high-protein well-balanced meal, but it's something decent to chew on until the next meal arrives.

Good luck

Triker

durham_mim wrote: »

B: Flax pancakes, raspberries & blueberries & lf cream
L: 3 chicken drumsticks & salad. Peanuts
Sausage, Mashed swede, broccoli, & sprouts. Low carb raspberry crumble & lf cream
To make matters harder, I have Chronic Lyme Disease , which leaves me with limited energy. .

Me too hun, well I prefer to say I'm recovering.....always recovering....:D;).

I am on Paleo as much as my 'version' allows. Mainly as Dr Sarah Myhill, a Chronic Fatigue and Lyme specialist advocates it for us types.:)

http://www.drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Stone_Age_Diet_-_this_is_a_diet_which_we_all_should_follow

I've found that my Paleo maintains me at a functioning (ish) level, much better than before.

Anyway just wanted to waft by and wave at a fellow Lymey...too many of us about unfortunately, continued good luck in recovering and coping friend. x

Triker

Can I just add that my Pressure cooker is fantastic, especially for cooking the cheaper cuts of meat down very quickly and making them meltingly soft.

I have this one Kuhn Rikon I use it to cook stews, chicken pieces or whole, pork joints for pulled pork, squash and veg to cook down quickly. Plus soups, alsorts really.

Its energy saving, both the ones we pay for and my own which is limited, time saving, just brill really.

I also am very lucky enough to have a thermomix but I'll be honest I have'nt used it quite so much lately and will be looking forward to getting to grips with it again.

murphydog999

SHEILA54 wrote: »

How is the moving going?

:wall: - Enough said!

daska

I suspect that part of the reason for the bickering is that there is no official definition of 'low carb'. Edwardia and I do what I suspect a lot of people would class as extremely low carb due to diabetes/risk, Sheila aims closer to 50 and others are more moderate still. And I'm sure I saw a study which classed anything below 150g/day as low carb. It sure is confusing for a group that needs to offer support to all comers.

Mercy is right, in my view, to suggest that people give an indication of what level / type of low carb they are aiming for and what dietary restrictions they have to contend with. And to that end I've edited my sig to put Primal+dairy <20 to indicate that I'm closest to Primal but I still eat dairy and I aim at 20g/day.

I can't afford organic everything so my splurge is decent free-range eggs - the farm isn't technically organic but conforms quite closely - and raw milk/cream. I spend best part of £10/week just on these. As to the rest: my meat/fish comes out of the whoopsied cabinet or is whatever is on offer. Romaine lettuce and rocket are grown in the tub outside my back door. I make my own butter from whoopsied cream and my own mayo from a mix of EVOO and the cheap stuff - whatever's on offer. I shop around as much as I can and buy in bulk if it gives a good discount e.g. I have 60 boxes of redbush tea on top of my kitchen cabinet at the moment because it was 75% off and I had a credit built up at approved food, at a box each per week my SIL and myself will drink that over the next few months. I also have quite a lot of tuna left from when it was 10p/can.

daska

Triker wrote: »

I also am very lucky enough to have a thermomix but I'll be honest I have'nt used it quite so much lately and will be looking forward to getting to grips with it again.

So do I

I don't use it quite as much as I did but it still get's an outing almost every day. I use it to steam fish and veg etc. and also to hard-boil eggs and make mayo (I recommend quirky jo's recipe). The recipe for butter chicken I put up the other day is a TM one. But low carb is a far cry from the days of making the best cheese sauce ever in 7 minutes flat LOL.

We need a low-carb TM blog