Helios' Introduction

[Helios]

Hello, my name is Stefan and I'm a 25 year old man from Sweden.

I have eaten the low carb way three weeks now, my blood sugar is stable and I have no cravings from carbs anymore.
However I have not felt any ketosois syndromes whatsoever, I have not cheated with carbs, I'm eating very strict.

What did happen to me is that I have since day 4 of the start got urticaria (confirmed by my doctor) that won't go away. It's 24/7 and sits on the sides of my back, my chest and the back of my neck. Maybe this is my body's way to telling me that I'm in ketosis? It's very annoying that's for sure.

I weigh myself once a week, and my first result was -2kgs (most likely water). Since then nothing has happened, and I see no different image in the mirror three weeks since the start. I'm determined to keep going, but what's troubling me is the rashes.

I might be eating too much food at my meals, maybe I don't give my body any reason to use the bodyfat when my energy intake is so large every time. I always eat until fullness and that usually last me long enough to only eat about two times a day. I know it's recommended to eat several small meals, however it feels like you should listen to the body's signals when it's hungry, and I'm only hungry twice a day. My biggest concern is my rashes, tho.

I'll have to try food elimination to see what it is that I can't eat as frequently as I'm used to, I have never had a rash before in my life until I started low carb. I guess it's something that I have increased in volumes that my body cannot tolerate, like more eggs, or more butter, heavy cream etc...

Good to meat you all,
Helios

[Georgiana]

Re: Helios' Introduction

Welcome, Stefan!

Maybe this is my body's way to telling me that I'm in ketosis?

Urticaria is definitely not a symptom of ketosis.

I weigh myself once a week, and my first result was -2kgs (most likely water). Since then nothing has happened

Could you post a menu with quantities and net carbs for all foods and drinks? Maybe there's something we can spot there.

I always eat until fullness and that usually last me long enough to only eat about two times a day.

Are you eating until you are satisfied or until you are stuffed? Are you finishing everything on your plate just because it's there? You might want to stop eating before you are full, wait 20 minutes and see if you are still hungry. If you are, then eat some more. If not, eat later.

[Helios]

Re: Helios' Introduction

Thank you Georgiana.

Typical meals that I really enjoy are:

1. Spinach soup
Maybe 200-300 grams of spinach (1,5carbs/100g) butter in the pan (to not have the spinach get stuck in the bottom), maybe 10-20 gram (0,8 carbs/100g) A full can of coconut milk 400ml (3 carbs/100 gram), a tad of olive oil and spices if needed.

2. Sautéed reindeer/elk/lamb/deer
240grams of game meat (0 carbs/ 100 gram) fried in butter, A few small "trees" of broccoli (3 carbs/100 gram) and about 2 dl of heavy cream (3 carbs/100gram), a tad of olive oil and spices (white pepper-very important )

3. Standard bacon & eggs (not that often)
Bacon 140grams (1 carb /100grams) and a couple of eggs, maybe 3.

4. Cheeseburger
Hamburger meat (3 carbs / 100gram) and cheese (we call it "cream cheese" here, it tastes like cream. It's like regular cheese but quite fat, 38% (about 1-2 carbs /100grams)

Once in awhile I enjoy beef liver, and when I do, it's usually 100-200 grams and I include it in the sautéed game meat meal.

Also, chicken (about 1,5 carbs / 100 grams) perhaps 300 grams at a time, and then often included in the sautéed game meat meal.

I don't eat fish that often, but that is something that's about to change, I like fish.

When I eat red meat, I often eat it plain, zero carb-style. Fried very rare in butter and just spices on top, if needed.

All my food ingredients are organic, except for the meats.

I only drink tap water, black strong coffee and green tea with coconut oil.


Basically, I have a quite a large appetite, but I eat until satisfaction, I never force any food down. I might be using more butter than mentioned sometimes, but it's always about more of the fats if something stands out from the above.

I am not sure about how many gram of carbohydrates I eat per day, but I checked in some online tool that energy-wise I eat about 90% fat, 5% carbs and 5%protein...

[Georgiana]

Re: Helios' Introduction

A full can of coconut milk

Coconut milk is not an Induction food. It can be added back in OWL Rung 3 (nuts and seeds).

chicken (about 1,5 carbs / 100 grams)

Why does your chicken have 1.5 net carbs per 100 grams?

Hamburger meat (3 carbs / 100gram)

What are the ingredients? 3 net carbs per 100 grams is a lot for hamburgers.

just spices on top

Spices have carbs:

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/main-atkins-diet-forum/81795-carb-counts-spices.html

I only drink tap water

How many liters?

I checked in some online tool that energy-wise I eat about 90% fat, 5% carbs and 5%protein...

That's waaaay off for Atkins. At least for Induction, the ratios are roughly 60-70% fat, 5-10% carbohydrate, 25-30% protein.

For good nutrition, it's best to eat close to 20 net carbs. Net carbs are total carbs minus dietary fiber, in general. However, on European labels, the carbohydrates on the label are already net carbs, so you don't need to subtract fiber.

Over half of your daily net carbs should come from vegetables.

I would suggest you read the 2002 edition of Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution. It explains how to follow Atkins correctly and why it works the way it works. You should be able to order the book from Amazon.com.

[Georgiana]

Re: Helios' Introduction

To track your foods, a good tool is

FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal

It follows the American way of showing nutritional information, so there you will need to deduct fiber.

[blueberrylady]

Re: Helios' Introduction

Welcome to the ADBB, Stefan!

It sounds like you are dedicated and that's a good way to start as it will help keep you on track. Your diet needs more veggies and no coconut oil yet, but other than that, you're doing fine. I hope you soon get rid of the rash!

[Georgiana]

Re: Helios' Introduction

Nyna, did you mean coconut milk, not oil? The oil is acceptable on Induction.

[Helios]

Re: Helios' Introduction

Thank you for your help.
I have the Atkins book as an e-book.
I am now reducing my fat intake and upping carbs and protein to adjust the misbalance.

Why the meat I mentioned have carbs at all is that every producer here seem to add some kind of crap to it. For instance every hamburger made by any producer has potato starch. All chicken is tenderized, and that seems to mean that they paint it with some kind of glucose juice. I have not found any piece of chicken that is not "tenderized" this way and have glucose as an ingredient.

I drink several liters of water a day. I don't count but I would estimate at east 3 litres a day.

I have a wild idea, but could the lack of omega-3 be a possible reason to my rashes? I'm gonna eat fish more often to see if anything improves...

Thank you,
Stefan

[Georgiana]

Re: Helios' Introduction

For instance every hamburger made by any producer has potato starch.

In Germany, ready-made hamburgers have starches, too. You can buy ground beef instead and make your own hamburgers.

All chicken is tenderized

Can't you find a whole chicken that's not tenderized? Or drumsticks? Or chicken breast? I'm pretty sure that's not the case and not all chicken sold is 1.5% sugar. Look for raw stuff, that's not semi-prepared.

I have the Atkins book as an e-book.

It's not complete. In all the e-books I've seen, a few chapters were missing.

[imagood1]

Re: Helios' Introduction

Good luck - once you tweak a few things you should do well.