VOLUME 30 LOSE IT! 17
ADVICE
BY RUTH MARCUS, CLINICAL NUTRITIONISTPH
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I’ve been doing
LCHF for three
months and
have lost hardly
any weight. I’m
feeling despondent and don’t
know what to do.I’m sorry to
hear that you’re
struggling!
Please don’t feel
disheartened.
Having an LCHF plateau is very
common. Here are a few tips:- Make sure you’re eating
sufficient calories, but don’t
overindulge on high-fat foods
such as cream and butter. These
are healthy fats and there to be
enjoyed, but when consumed in
excess, they can stall weight loss. - Keep track of what you’re
eating. It’s easy to exceed your
daily carb limit without realising it;
there are many hidden carbs and
sugars. Read labels carefully and
be conscientious when eating out
at restaurants. Salad dressings and
sauces are often laden with sugar.
When in doubt, eat your meal
plain or with a drizzle of lemon
butter or olive oil and vinegar. - Ensure that your electrolytes
are in balance. Add salt to your
food, eat a variety of leafy green
vegetables and be sure to stay
hydrated. - Limit the amount of cheese and
nuts you eat to see if that is what’s
holding you back.
5. Track your progress – not only
with your scale but also by taking
your measurements: hips, waist
and thighs, for example. If you’ve
started exercising more frequently,
you might be gaining muscle while
still losing some fat.
6. Weight loss is not linear – the
scale will sometimes go up or
won’t budge for days or weeks.
If you’re a woman, the weight
gain might be a result of your
hormones. Gaining a couple of
kilograms during a menstrual
cycle for example is frustrating
but completely normal. The most
important thing is to keep an eye
on the general tendency and to
be consistent.
I’ve been
following the
LCHF lifestyle for
six months. I am
now fairly close
to my goal weight and my blood
pressure and blood glucose
levels have normalised. I want to
continue eating this way, but I
was hoping to add back a few ofmy favourite foods such as fruit,
wild rice and red wine. If I stop
doing LCHF will I gain back all
the weight?In short, no. As
long as you don’t
go back to the
unhealthy habits
that made you
gain the weight in the first place.
Having said that, you shouldn’t see
LCHF as a quick fix or a diet that
you do for a few months and then
forget about – that’s why we prefer
to refer to it as a lifestyle.
Many people decide to adopt
a more liberal approach to eating
carbs once they reach their weight
goals. This is perfectly fine – if
done in a controlled manner.
Ensure that you exercise portion
control and keep sugar intake to
a minimum. When reintroducing
carbs, I recommend doing it slowly
and keeping an eye on how your
body reacts to them. You’ll initially
gain back some water weight –
this isn’t fat, and you have nothing
to be concerned about. To keep
the extra weight off, be vigilant! QKEEP TRACK OF
WHAT YOU’RE EATING