Hi guys, my first post, glad to find the site but very disappointed in the Yellow Pages...are there so few places in Oz to buy low carb products?

Hi Rob, welcome!

I suspect the Oz entries in the Yellow Pages are so sparse because people don't think to add things.

What sort of products are you looking for? I actually use very little in the way of LC products; mostly sticking to meat, fish, cheese, cream, vegies etc. Although today I finally bought some LC bread - 5.1 useable carbs per slice. Makes a nice change to have a slice drowned in butter and Vegemite.

If they have GNC stores in Melbourne I believe they carry some Atkins stuff.

Have a good look around the rest of the site, here, mate. The orange bar at the top of the screen has some useful info - especially "Low Carb Tips."

And do think about starting up a journal here. A good way to keep track of things (if you wish) and/or just to write down your thoughts. Lots of folk will visit to encourage or to just plain visit.

You have started brilliantly - keep up the good work!

Rosebud

Cheers Rosebud. I have actually found myself that it has not been much of a problem just eating the natural foods allowed on the diet. The only semi-exception is that when I used to eat Snickers bars in the old days, it would be good to have something of a similar texture and shape. I do end up feeling a bit denied without something like that.

Rob, you may be interested in this recipe for homemade recipe for P-nut/choco power bars.
I know you can get whey protein powders from health food shops here - I've never looked for them specifically so can't help you with brands etc.

I think there are more recipes here somewhere for homemade bars. If you're interested, you can look under Sweet Treats in the Kitchen: Recipes section, or use the "search" function. You'll find recipes for some yummy looking stuff, if not actual bars.
Yeah, I know, it's not like picking up a Snickers bar, but at least this stuff won't make you fat.

Low carb bars do exist here (I know a couple of Sydney folk have seen them, and Melbourne is just as good as Sydney, right? ), but they have "hidden carbs," or sugar alcohols, and many people find them to be "stallers." For info on the sugar alcohols (maltitol etc) see "The truth about low carb sweeteners info" at the right of the screen. It might make you feel a bit better!

Cheers mate.

Roz

Hey there,

I'm in Melbourne too, and I thought I'd let you know you can get protein bars with only 3 carbs at a health food shop on Elizabeth St in the City. Can't remember the name of the shop, sorry! They have blueberry and apple cinnamon Myoplex low carb bars, they cost about $7 and I dont know about the blueberry but the apple cinnamon tastes awful!!

There's also a couple of GNC stores in the city, one across from the town hall and one in Melbourne central, they sell protein shake powder.

HTH

Hey, i see your from Brisbane like me. Where did u get your atkins bread from ??

Luv Patty

Hi Patty (are you really Pattyboy or Patty girl? ),

I've just added the bread to the Yellow Pages - remiss of me not to do so sooner!

The LC bread is Country Life "Alpha Life." It's not super low carb; the useable carbs are 5.1 per slice. Still it's nice to have some Vege toast now and then.
I get it from Coles Fairfield Gardens. I know it's not found in all supermarkets - definitely none in the West End Coles.
It's not stored with the other breads. It's in a freezer section where they have various unusual breads.

Nice to have you here, Patty. Have a look around at the rest of the forum. And think seriously about starting up a journal here. I've found mine to very helpful, not just to keep track of things, but to "receive" visitors who offer support and lots of fun.

Cheers.

Rosebud

Hi Girls,

I haven't been in here for a few months and haven't weighed myself for months - my last entry in my written diary was June 7th!

I lost 5 and a half kilo from January this year to then and my husband, 10 kilo. He has kept it off but I feel I might have put some back on, but I'm too scared to get back on those scales!

We weren't seriously low-carbing, up to 60g a day. I was scared off a bit by a lot of the bad press low-carbing was getting, but hey, we've stayed off all of the white stuff (occasionally have a bread roll and every morning have one slice of soy/linseed toast), and we've never felt better. No more of that bloated feeling and what comes with it!

I'm going to come back in here a lot more because I need the inspiration.

By the way, I'm from Eildon in country Victoria and it's so beautiful here today.

All the best with your LC-ing.

Alaine

Hi Rob, I am from Melbourne too.

Depending on where you are, check the phone book for your nearest GNC store. They sell the best Whey Protein Powder--Designer, and their protein bars. They also have Atkins Advantage bars, Atkins Shake Mix, Pancake mix, muffin mix and a couple of other Atkins products.

I am about to order Empower Foods FibreX low carb cereal from Great Earth Discount Shop in the city as well as their Chocolate Rush muffin mix. The ingredients are very very clean and are gluten free as well.

If you are near Bentleigh there is a shop called USA foods and you can get Bakers unsweetened chocolate and Jell-O Chocolate and Vanilla instant pudding mix.

I tend to eat very clean--with the exception of GNC bake mix a couple of times a week with my pumpkin muffins and pancakes. About 20g carbs a day and 90g protein a day.

But...

if you are missing Snickers (my old weakness) I now make up once a month a copy of Reece's Peanut Butter Cups. I will only give you half the recipe as they are VERY addictive

2tbl chopped nuts, 1/4 cup butter, 15oz Darrell Lea Splenda chocolate, unless you have 1/2 square of Bakers unsweetened, 2tbl Splenda (1tbl if using DL choc), 3tsp cream and 1/8 cup Sanitarium Peanut Butter.

Melt butter, chocolate and Splenda in microwave SLOWLY. Stir in cream and PB. Put about 6 mini cupcakes in a mini muffin tin and evenly divide chopped nuts in bottom of each. Then pour choc mix evenly between papers. Freeze until firm. Must store in freezer, but boy they are sooooo good. 10g usable carbs and 10g protein.

Dale