Dottie
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Hello from PanamaThis is a whole new way of eating for me, although I have always preferred meat/protein to veges - except for the high-starch foods like potatoes, spaghetti, beans, etc. (I suspect I have a food sensitivity to starches, therefore the craving I sometimes have.) I am just beginning a carnivore eating plan.
Before I moved to Panama in September of 2004, I usually ate a low-fat, higher carb diet....including fat-free cheeses, ice cream, salad dressings, diet drinks, etc...most of what I now know to be "plastic." I ate some chicken but no beef because of the antibiotics and hormones in it. No fried foods. I exercised regularly and stayed slim and fit. But about a year before moving, I had to quit jogging because of pain in my legs.
Here the availability of fat-free foods is slim. I started eating beef because it is grass fed. ..but it is very lean and tough as a boot, so ground beef is the best choice. I pretty much went off of any kind of planned diet. I spent roughly 2-1/2 stress-filled years remodeling and enlarging a house, getting almost no exercise, and also dealing with a marriage that got even worse after we came here. (My husband returned to the US a few months ago and gratefully, he is now my ex.) So during the last few years after moving to Panama, I've packed on an extra 15 to 20 lbs.
Now my house is finished, except for upkeep of it and the yard. I also have nine adopted street dogs who get a raw diet, which is time consuming to mix. But I have a full-time employee, so I have more time now. For exercise I walk up a mountain. It takes about 40 minutes up and 30 down. Great exercise, but I didn't lose any weight. Just a few days ago, I started researching the Atkins diet on the internet and have started on it. (I don't have the book, and it costs a small fortune to ship things here.)
I can eat enough protein with no problem, but my dilemma is how to get enough fat. Even the ground beef is quite lean. I don't want to overdo cheeses, and I'm unclear about whether cream is okay, and if so, how much. I buy raw unpasteurized milk from a nearby dairy and skim off the cream. Now I am not drinking the milk, only using the cream. (I give the milk to my employee.) I make butter from the cream, but I wonder if it's permissible to use a lot of cream in my coffee?
I will welcome any suggestions, and I am glad to be a part of this group.
Hugs,
Dottie
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jeff
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Welcome aboard, Dottie.
In my experience, cream is fine. If you are trying to lose, be careful about not overdoing it, though. I think any amount is fine as long as it doesn't put your total calories too high. Same goes for butter. Cream and butter are great ways to get your fat up if your meat is too lean. If you eat nuts, macadamias are very high fat, without much protein or carbs.
I hope this helps. Looking forward to hearing more from you and getting to know you better. Enjoy the ride!
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Heather
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Nice to meet you! 
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Dottie
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Thanks for the welcome. I started the diet a week ago and I've lost two lbs. Until a couple of days ago I was eating quite a few almonds and walnuts - until I read we should not eat those in the induction phase. For a few days I was consuming quite a bit of cream, too. Now I'm cutting back to 3 oz. in my first big mug of coffee in the mornings. I haven't given up coffee, although doing so is recommended for the first two weeks. (We have GREAT coffee here in Panama, not that weak sissy stuff they serve in the US.)
Dottie
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Kristelle
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Try and get some animal fat, if possible. Egg yolk is good too.
And while exercise is healthy, it will do nothing to help you lose weight. The body always compensates. Think of it as a thermostat. More energy out, you need more energy in so you eat more.
Best of luck.
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Dottie
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Thanks. One meat that does have fat here is pork chops - they leave a big chunk about an inch thick or more around the edges. That's what I had for dinner tonight, plus a salad with homemade mayonnaise dressing. (This is the first time I've made mayonnaise, and it turned out pretty good.)
Dottie
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