Hi cincin2009,

I may have to die of jealousy!!! Living here in Germany, we have pretty much the world's best beer (although my DH swears by his fave Czech brew), but, for me, it does not really mix too well with low-carbing...

Well, let's put it this way: it sure slows things down!!! However, despite my predilection for the amber nectar, I have been able to lose weight Groves' style.

What I have discovered in the meantime, though - thanks to this forum and the fantastic input you read here - is that what really causes instant weight gain for me is not necessarily the beer by itself, but beer combined with wheat. I am now doing my very best to stay away from wheat products and beer, in order to keep my weight stable over the winter.

Over the summer, I got sloppy whilst in the UK, staying with family, friends and then camping for 10 days, and had way too much beer and way too many foods with wheat in them. The result was that I put 2kg back on again in just a few weeks - GRRRR. I am now hovering between 64kg and 65.5kg, trying to get down a bit again... But, somehow - maybe it's something to do with the winter weather here in Europe - I am just not motivated right now to get into major weight loss mode... I am just treading water, trying not to gain!!!

I am now at the point where I am finding it pretty easy to stay away from wheat products and am slowly but surely adding new things to my menu, getting out old recipes from my almost-vegetarian days (hummus, for example, or various bean dishes), and experimenting with wheat-free baking.

But I have had more trouble staying away from the beer lately... Oh well, maybe it is just a case of not changing too many things at once...

However, your experience does give me hope!!! It would seem that your "trick" was to be almost gluten-free (there is gluten in beer, of course, but no wheat gluten), which meant you could still lose weight and drink beer!!!

When I first read your post, I thought, "Humph, I bet she's about 20 and therefore her metabolism is still revved up" - so I was well surprised to read in your profile that you are actually 2 years older than me!!!

On the beer: do you drink "regular" beer - i.e. with some kind of gluten grains in it - or have you actually found a gluten-free beer in Oz?

Thanks for posting your experiences: most enlightening!!!

amanda

But it just about sums the situation up.
I sometimes wonder if online support groups for those with medical conditions, such as Celiac, MS, Diabetes don't end up doing more harm than good. They seem to propagate this HERD mentality and come to celebrate and glory in the number of medications, treatments, consultants, etc they enjoy.

They seem to spend all their time being martyrs to their particular condition and if anyone comes in to say well perhaps as you have an inflammatory condition it may be a smart move to measure your anti inflammatory status and correct any deficiency's, then you always see the same hysterical reaction.

They so enjoy the invalid role lifestyle that anyone pointing out the bl**ding obvious gets banned asp. Try pointing out the celiacs that they require 2000iu/d extra D3 to raise status the same 10ng as non celiacs. Waste of time, you can't help people who enjoy being part of a cult and disability is now cult status for many on these forums.

I have to agree with you on that one. I see it everywhere. Recently I dropped in on a group of about 8 middle aged people at church and they were discussing their statins, happily comparing names and doses and symptoms. I wondered how many poor children are priced out of insured well-child visits from those 8 statin consumers.

It's why I, like Peter, am a leetle uncomfortable that Dr. K seems so right, as well as so weird, so often.

i feel fortunate to not have problems w dairy and i eat plenty; today-latte w 1/2 & 1/2, smoothie w base of cottage cheese and buttermilk, and just now made a cauli-cheese soup w cream cheese and gouda. i usually have meat for evening meal.
i culture my own buttermilk from whole milk any my yogurt from 1/2 & 1/2 (best yogurt ever!!).
when i'm working, i carry along some yogurt and maybe some cheese and cherry tomatoes....maybe some almonds. just snacks mostly. and i usually have 2 short lattes in a day.
and yes, dairy is totally great for increasing the fat w/o having to drink it, which causes me horrible bloating and acid.

i have given up dairy in the past but discovered that it was not the culprit.

i repeat; i love barry!!

Oh the deep fry is BIG in small rural towns. They even drop prime steaks in it to brown before throwing them on the grill. Im originally from the city where they really do have chefs and not "fry cooks". As i dont eat out, Im hoping that really was the only pub that practices such horrors....by the size of most of the townsfolk...doubt it.
Did I mention that I was basically outcast by friends for L.Cing. The more weight i lost the more they glared and tried to push potatoes, bread n junk food at me....now Im thin, they think Im anorexic and unbalanced. I just broke contact with them altogether in the end...Im the only one of them not taking statins, bood pressure pills, insulin and spending hours in specialist surgerys....IRONIC.....I was in a much worse condition than them pre low carb....Lucky i have my beer and 2 dogs eh? What a lonely road low carb is for an Aussie!

For a country so down on low carb diets, the aussies cant produce enough low carb beer. 3g per "stubbie" or small bottle. The best thing is....its full strength and selling like hotcakes. Theres new brands coming out every other week and thy now have it on tap at the locals.....Im sure with its popularity, you wont be waiting long for it to hit your shores.




I may have to die of jealousy!!! Living here in Germany, we have pretty much the world's best beer (although my DH swears by his fave Czech brew), but, for me, it does not really mix too well with low-carbing...

Well, let's put it this way: it sure slows things down!!! However, despite my predilection for the amber nectar, I have been able to lose weight Groves' style.

What I have discovered in the meantime, though - thanks to this forum and the fantastic input you read here - is that what really causes instant weight gain for me is not necessarily the beer by itself, but beer combined with wheat. I am now doing my very best to stay away from wheat products and beer, in order to keep my weight stable over the winter.

Over the summer, I got sloppy whilst in the UK, staying with family, friends and then camping for 10 days, and had way too much beer and way too many foods with wheat in them. The result was that I put 2kg back on again in just a few weeks - GRRRR. I am now hovering between 64kg and 65.5kg, trying to get down a bit again... But, somehow - maybe it's something to do with the winter weather here in Europe - I am just not motivated right now to get into major weight loss mode... I am just treading water, trying not to gain!!!

I am now at the point where I am finding it pretty easy to stay away from wheat products and am slowly but surely adding new things to my menu, getting out old recipes from my almost-vegetarian days (hummus, for example, or various bean dishes), and experimenting with wheat-free baking.

But I have had more trouble staying away from the beer lately... Oh well, maybe it is just a case of not changing too many things at once...

However, your experience does give me hope!!! It would seem that your "trick" was to be almost gluten-free (there is gluten in beer, of course, but no wheat gluten), which meant you could still lose weight and drink beer!!!

When I first read your post, I thought, "Humph, I bet she's about 20 and therefore her metabolism is still revved up" - so I was well surprised to read in your profile that you are actually 2 years older than me!!!

On the beer: do you drink "regular" beer - i.e. with some kind of gluten grains in it - or have you actually found a gluten-free beer in Oz?

Thanks for posting your experiences: most enlightening!!!

amanda[/QUOTE]

But, the question is: is the LC beer drinkable? How much is in a "stubbie", just out of curiosity? A small bottle in Europe would be 330mls, thereabouts.

And the other problem the Germans would have is that they are very proud of their "purity law of 1516" (as in the date, i.e. several hundred years ago!!!), which states that only hops, malt barley and water can go into beer. I remember drinking some American beer out of a bottle in a bar once, "Rolling Rock" or "Red Rock" or something and was horrified to read on the label that one of the ingredients was rice!!!

Mind you, even here in Germany, you can buy all these beer mixes these days, which the youngsters go for, like the horrific mixes that people used to drink with syrups when I was a lass. When I was a lass, those that couldn't drink "real" beer would have "lager and black" (lager with a shot of blackcurrant syrup - yeurch!!!) or "lager and lime" (ditto, but with lime-flavoured syrup). Now you see these six-packs with all these funny flavours already added... No sirree, not for me!!!

I'll keep you posted, though, if I do see any low-carb beer lurking in the supermarkets...

amanda

I'm very sorry to hear that you ended up being ostracized for your way of eating. That is terrible!!! I do hope you'll make contact with some new people who are somewhat more tolerant.

That said, I try to keep my WOE fairly secret and don't broadcast it too much. Generally, you just get people looking at you very weirdly if you say you don't really eat carbs or sweet things much.

amanda

This just came in on one of my Google Alerts:

http://www.foodbev.com/report/how-a...healthy-in-2010

amanda

When people give me a hard time about my diet I just say that I am allergic to a lot of carby foods, which is true. If they don't believe me, I show them a picture of me when I was eating wheat, then they usually shut up. NObody usually argues that I should be eating cake.

LOW CARB BEER & LOW CARB OUTCAST

I found all the "blondes" (natural blonde, naked blonde, bondi blonde, pure naked blonde) tasted like malted beery wine?...if that makes any sense, but then i stumbled upon Hahn's Super Dry. Quite a malty, gutsy lager without the low carb taste.
Now unlike folk living in Germany, I dont quite know the ins and outs of good beer analysis.....I just drink it. Us aussies are good at that, however, the popularity of this stuff is amazing. Folk usually drink it because they love it....having no clue whatsoever as to what a "carb" is....I was sneaky enough to incorporate it into a low carb diet....or I just wouldnt have dieted full stop. I would rather have died of my maladies than quit beer! They cant bring out new brands quickly enough. Maybe due to the fact that it doesnt bloat us all up for being such beer pigs.

LOW CARB OUTCAST

As for being treated as leper by friends for L.C.ing....I still see them from time to time, I just dont eat with them....unless I bring the prawns or chicken wings.....I would even fetch them a beer to wash down their statins, blood pressure pills and have a cold beer on hand for recovery of that insulin shot......I've even given one of them all my fat clothes!

Ha Ha Ha Ha Hee Hee Heee (evil laugh), well, you gotta keep your sense of humor after all.

ps Amanda
A stubbie is usally 375mls, however theyre shrinking.......bugger! The low carb beers come in 330mls or thereabouts. There is no laws here to disclose ingredients on bottles or cartons of stubbies. There is however mandatory food labelling (kjs, fat, carbs, salt etc.) that now seems to have extended to beer only. Though not wines or spirits.
Jeez, those "beer mixers" sound deadly horrible, a little like our "alcopops"....spirits mixed every coloured sweet fizzy syrupy soda one could dream up. Theyre huge with the young ones.
Have you heard of "Jagermeifter"....from germany, my second favourite bevvy. Sipped a small shot or three every night for a year now....thats about when it became available here. They say its good for us because its herbal. Thats good enough for me...I just love it. I dont know its carb count but it never affected my weight loss.
Germany comes up with all the good stuff....

hi all!!
im glad that i've found you all!!

could u post me some menus?

i'm on BG's too!

i've lost 20lbs so far!

pstt, have been drinking sugary milky coffee too.. (sometimes!!)

i really need support!

Can I ask which Barry Groves book people prefer? I think there are a few and I would like to check out the "best" one first. Oh, and who is this Dr. Kwasniewski I always see referenced? Thanks!

Hi!

For weight loss advice, get:

"Natural Health and Weight Loss".

His other book is a more general rant about health issues, not just weight loss and low-carbing.

The other book, "Eat fat, get thin" is the oldest of all of them and probably not worth getting any more because the research quoted is not going to be exactly up to date.

amanda