Pages

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

The one with something worked finally

I'm so happy that finally a diet has worked.  I've tried several diet regimens and everything did'nt seem to work. But now I'm very hopeful that I think finally has given me concrete effects. :)

I'm on ketogenic diet for two weeks now.  The objective is Low Carb-High Fat diet. 

I like this diet because:
~ I can eat and get full until i'm satisfied.
~ The ones that I need to avoid are food that I can easily let go off (well except for the sweets)
~ I don't have to drink anything, food supplement or the like. I just have to count the carbs.

Ketogenic diet requires someone to eat low carb. as a starter and if you really want to lose weight, you have to stay at a 20g. of carbohydrates per day.  How do you count the carbs? Read the label. :) I've learned to always read the label.  Here are some tips that you can read about.  I got this from dietdoctor.com.  For two weeks that i'm on this regimen, I lost about 5 lbs already and I'm so happy that i'm not craving for sweets (chocolates, ice cream) which is very unusual of me. haha. I hope i'd be able to get used to this and stick to the regimen for a long time.  Apparently, i have friends who know about this too and it has become effective on them too. :) i'm excited!

LCHF (Low Carb, High Fat) means you eat less carbohydrates with a higher proportion of fat. The most important point is to minimize your intake of sugar and starches. That way you can eat other delicious foods until you are satisfied – and still lose weight.
A number of recent high quality scientific studies show that LCHF makes it easier to lose weight and control your blood sugar. And that may just be the beginning.

The basics

  • Eat: meat, fish, eggs, vegetables growing above ground and natural fats (like butter).
  • Avoid: sugar and starchy foods (like bread, pasta, rice and potatoes).
Eat when you’re hungry until you are satisfied. It’s that simple. You do not need to count calories or weigh your food. And just forget about industrially produced low fat products.
Real food. Add some good fat (like butter).
There are good scientific reasons why LCHF works. When you avoid sugar and starches your blood sugar stabilizes and the levels of the fat storing hormone insulin drops. This increases your fat burning and make you feel more satiated.

Note for diabetics

  • Avoiding the carbohydrates that raise your blood sugar decreases your need for medication to lower it. Taking the same dose of insulin as before might result in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). You will need to test your blood sugar frequently in the beginning and adapt (lower) your medication. This should ideally be done with the assistance of a knowledgeable physician. If you are healthy or a diabetic treated by diet alone or just with Metformin there is no risk of hypoglycemia.

Dietary advice

Eat all you like

  • Meat: Any type. Beef, pork, game meat, chicken. The fat on the meat is good as well as skin on the chicken. Try to choose organic or grass fed meat if you can.
  • Fish and shellfish: All kinds. Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel or herring are great. Avoid breading.
  • Eggs: All kinds. Boiled, fried, omelettes. Preferably organic eggs.
  • Natural fat, fat sauces: Using butter and cream when you cook can make your food taste better and make you more satiated. Béarnaise, Hollandaise, read on the packages or make it yourself. Coconut fat, olive oil and canola oil are also good options.
  • Vegetables growing above ground: All kinds of cabbage, such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts. Asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, olives, spinach, mushrooms, cucumber, lettuce, avocado, onions, peppers, tomatoes and more.
  • Dairy products: Always select high fat options. Real butter, cream (40% fat), sour cream, fat cheese. Turkish yogurt. Be careful with regular milk and skim milk as it contains a lot of milk sugar. Avoid flavored, sugary and low fat products.
  • Nuts: Good to eat instead of candy in front of the television (preferably in moderation).
  • Berries: Okay in moderation, if you are not a super strict /-sensitive. Good with whipped cream.
Maximum 5 grams of carbohydrate (excluding fiber) per 100 g of food is a basic tip for beginners.

Avoid if you can

  • Sugar: The worst. Soft drinks, candy, juice, sports drinks, chocolate, cakes, buns, pastries, ice cream, breakfast cereals. Preferably avoid sweeteners as well.
  • Starch: Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, french fries, potato chips, porridge, muesli and so on. »Wholemeal products” are just less bad. Moderate amounts of root vegetables may be OK if you’re not too strict with the carbohydrates.
  • Margarine: Industrially imitated butter with unnaturally high content of omega-6 fat. Has no health benefits, tastes bad. Statistically linked to asthma, allergies and other inflammatory diseases.
  • Beer: Liquid bread. Full of malt sugar, unfortunately.
  • Fruit: Very sweet, plenty of sugar. Eat once in a while, treat it as a natural form of candy.

Once in a while

You decide when the time is right. Your weight loss may slow down a bit
  • Alcohol: Dry wine (regular red wine or dry white), whisky, brandy, vodka, drinks without sugar.
  • Dark chocolate: Above 70 % cocoa, preferably just a little.

Drink most days

  • Water
  • Coffee: Try it with full fat cream
  • Tea

No comments: