A New Year - a new me?

[Rosie Jones]

Hi All

What a wonderful community, thanks for welcoming me in! I'm Rosie, I have 50kgs to lose and have tried various diets over many, many years. I got motivated this time last year, started a low fat diet, lost 10kgs in the first half of the year and then promptly put it all back on :-(

I've always been overweight, but now that I'm in my forties it's impacting on my health and with a family history of diabetes, I know it's probably only a matter of time. I'm on medication for high blood pressure, my body aches and so on. I'm sure much of this is nothing new to some of you.

Anyway, I've bought the Atkins book, and with your help I hope to do things differently in 2008 and achieve my weight loss goals.

One query if I may? I'm a lover of fine wine and I wonder, after the induction period, will I be able to drink wine while following a LC lifestyle and still lose weight.

Thanks again Everybody,
Rosie

[jojoamethyst]

Hi Rosie
You might find your appetite for wine diminishes but maybe not. Ask l2b!! :) A bit of a joke once you get to know us all - l2 loves her wine!!
Red wine is relatively low in carbs and may be included in my humble opinion but while there is alcohol in your system, you won't burn fat :(
Anyway welcome :)

[Rosie Jones]

Thank you for that, Jo Jo. I'll await advice from my fellow wine lovers!

[Moonie]

Hi Rosie welcome to the forum and good luck for the new year/new you..

After induction the occasional glass of wine is fine, but like Jo said while you have alcohol in the system you won't burn fat as your body will use the alcohol for energy first..

here is an article on low carb and alcohol

http://www.low-carb.com/article-03.html

[Sherrie]

Welcome Rosie :)

With a family history of diabetes it sounds like low carb would be a good choice, it is also meant to help with blood pressure but it won't with every body. I remember there was one lady here that had high blood pressure no matter what but for most people low carb will help.

Yep wine is probably the best choice for alcohol. You should be able to have it occasionally, some may even get away with a glass for dinner each night but it will most likely slow things down later as you get closer to goal. It really depends on the individual I think.

Two things important to remember is that alcohol will delay fat burning as your body will make a preference to burn the alcohol instead of your body fat for as long as it is in your system. This can also be issue for other calories that you eat with it because if the body is busy using alcohol for fuel, what is it doing with the other calories you are eating? Though with that said, low carb food sits in the stomach longer so I imagine that would be worse on a high carb diet.

Another issue is that alcohol can impair judgment as well as may stimulate appetite causing some people to eat more then they usually would, which is counterproductive.

At the same time you want to be able to make this diet a lifestyle so see how you go.

Are you on avapro? Some side effects of avapro are body aches amongst other things and these side effects are increased if you drink alcohol.

[DOINGIT]

Welcome....
You will find this is the happy house of houmorous Homo sapiens which literally means (Latin: "wise man" or "knowing man") and we have a great deal of fun - support and if you need to ever vent then feel free as we all have to do that every so often.

I strongly suggest you create a diary as that keeps your information in one place and easy to find and referr to. It is interesting after a few months to read your earlier posts and see how far you have travelled.

[Rosie Jones]

Thanks for these tips guys, I really appreciate your wonderful support. I'm feeling more motivated already!

[Alies]

Welcome Rosie.:)

I was looking at your thread title and thought it should have said, "A New Year - A New Me!"

I'm not a drinker, so can't really comment on any effects alcohol has, but my blood pressure came down very quickly and my family (mother, brothers and sister) are all controlling their blood sugar levels by medication.

I'm off to find out whose blood pressure didn't come down after sticking religiously to low-carb.:confused: (I might need some help locating it, Sherrie.:D)

[Rosie Jones]

Hi Annelies

Thanks for your vote of confidence! I have had to go on medication to control my blood pressure, but it's my dream to come off it one day. So I'd love to know more about other members' experiences with this as well :-)

[Sherrie]

It was Anne :)

[Prothvar]

Welcome along Rosie :)

I usually go for vodka and diet softdrinks, not much of a wine-o myself :D :p

[Alies]

It was Anne :)I am currently trawling through Anne's diary and in my opinion she wasn't eating enough and not getting enough fat.:( Didn't a few of the ladies on that horrid american woman's diet have heart palpitations?

[Sherrie]

Yes they did but I think that was from their electrolytes/dehydration. I used to nag her to eat more too. Did she have heart palpitations?

[Alies]

Not that I know of...I was just making a connection between lack of sustenance and problems with the heart (then, by association, blood pressure.):)

[Malcolm]

Welcome Rosie to a forum where everyone is friendly and (as Bron says) all the men are wise ;).

Wine is a fine part of a low carb lifestyle (IMO) - any dry wine (red or white) is pretty low in carbs, but as some of the others have said it may slow your weight loss, both fat burning and (possibly) food choices post alcohol. I suggest you abstain for a while, and then when you are well established in the weight loss phase, try a glass with dinner every so often, and see how you respond. As for liver and brain damage from moderate alcohol consumption - this is a myth, in fact you are far more likely to damage your liver with a high carb, teetotal diet.

As Sherrie says, most people experience great results with low carb and blood pressure, so much so that you should work with your doctor as you may be able to reduce your medication fairly quickly (and you don't want low blood pressure symptoms complicating your adjustment to your new way of life). As for aches and pains low carb in itself should cut some of the inflammation related pains but it would help if you took some fish oil supplements and minimise omega 6 fats (throw out the margarine!).

Cheers,

Malcolm

[Sherrie]

and (as Bron says) all the men are wise ;).



LOL news to me :p

[Alies]

pfft I'm not even going to bother to find that reference. lol

[Malcolm]

pfft I'm not even going to bother to find that reference. lol

It's in this thread!

[Moonie]

You will find this is the happy house of houmorous (Homo sapiens) which literally means (Latin: "wise man" or "knowing man") LOL!! good try malcolm, she meant man as in mankind, Lol!! not man as in the weaker sex LOL!!!

[Malcolm]

Well, you say that, and I know it's a breach of the code, but I think we all know what she really meant!:p

Feel free to refer to me as "Oh Wise One" from now on.:cool:

[Moonie]

LOL!!!

[Sherrie]

LOL!! good try malcolm, she meant man as in mankind, Lol!! not man as in the weaker sex LOL!!!

That's right, men are the weaker sex :p

[Alies]

And what does any of that have to do with Rosie's introduction?:confused:lol

[Moonie]

And what does any of that have to do with Rosie's introduction?:confused:lol
LOL!! Annelies,you know we go off in a competely different direction occasionally when one comment leads to another, I'm sure Rosie won't mind...

[DOINGIT]

Nah Rosie won't mind... just means she is now "inducted" and one of us very sane people

[Sherrie]

Hello Rosie, how are you going?

[Rubyroo]

Hi Rosie,
welcome! I'm a newbie as well and i'm also on atkins. Have long have you been on it now? I found it took me a could of weeks to adjust to the new way of eating, but now i'm loving it!
Good Luck :)