Low Carbohydrate and Healthy Fat living is about health first and weight loss or what I prefer ‘weight normalisation’ second.
Some people who start LCHF lose significant amounts of weight quickly and some struggle, but the common theme is that they feel better, more alive, less lethargic, better clarity of thought (particularly the people with diabetes) and a feeling of ‘control’ once again.
I had a patient teasingly ‘have a go’ at me recently. :p
I saw her 2 months earlier, gave her my LCHF spiel and she returned for review. She explained that she was ‘upset’ with me. I said why?
Her response. (P – patient, GF – me)
P. “I tried to do the Low Carb for a few weeks and ended up going to your clinic Diabetes & Health Research Centre for more advice.”
GF. “How did that go?”
P. “They were good and very helpful. I’ve had 2 visits.” (I know this sounds like a sell but keep reading smile emoticon
GF. “So what’s the problem?”
P. “All that arthritic pain I’ve had for 20 years has largely gone.”
GF. “So what’s the problem?”
P. “I’ve lost 3 kg in weight.”
GF. “So what’s the problem?”
P. “I’ve come down 3 cm in waist circumference.”
GF. “So what’s the problem?” (There’s a recurring response here from a dumbfounded surgeon by now)
P. “My blood pressure is down.”
GF. “So what’s the problem?”
P. “I have been able to reduce my diabetes medication (insulin) by half with better blood glucose control.”
GF. “So what’s the problem?” (Perplexed surgeon now. And here it comes….)
.
.
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P. “My husband has lost more weight than me!!!”
Those of you who know me personally will be able to work out my reply. 🙂
Women tend to lose the weight slower than men.
It may be worthwhile checking a few hormone levels including thyroid function.
A number of people think that LCHF means a lot of fat and if you are still having a moderate carb load then that makes it harder to shift the weight.
It is about replacing that pile of carbs with smaller portions of energy dense healthy fats.
Portion size and not eating because of habit plays a huge role.
Eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full.