I already 'snuck' over....
 

selfcare...I already 'snuck' and posted a 'did you ever consider CAD' post in the thread within the General category called "higher carbs=higher loss". I think we ALL need to be challenged and consider our own personal needs, and perhaps CAD is just what they needed, and didn't know it! I feel strongly about CAD (as it is much easier for me to live with vs Atkins); I know some are TOO tempted and not self controlled to be given a 5 minute window to eat ANY carb they want every day...but for many, it sure beats abstinence!!

:lol: Good idea, Selfcare! I think there are probably plenty of people that try Atkins and find it a bit hard - this might easier for those folks, who knows?

Oh, Way2goal - you posted the same time as me! ;)

Good for you posting on the appropriate thread. I am sure that won't be too threatening and maybe you have helped someone over there.

have you ever noticed how protective people are over thier plans? Some would rather quit than try another. (the one size fits all mentality.

I am willing to try anything to see what works for me!!!
Right now I am really enjoying CAD and spring and being able to get out more!!!

Karen - I've noticed!!! It's really weird, but you can't even criticize another's way of eating - even a little bit! :agree:

Did any of you have a good experience on Atkins/Protein Power/General low carb plans? I have tried them many times, and it's always a similar story for me. At first I feel great, and my hunger is quieted and I like being able to eat any time I get hungry (unlike with CAD). And I usually drop several pounds, like one a day for a while. But then the weight loss slows and I usually gain back a pound or two. Then I start feeling irritable and craving carbs and I just do not want any more fat or protein. These feelings keep building and building until finally I can't take it, and I do something like eat several pieces of fruit and make a huge bowl of popcorn. Then for the next phase I feel really unbalanced for a while, like my body is making up for the lop-sided eating, until I gain back all the weight I lost (and maybe a few extra pounds as well) until I finally feel normal again. And this pattern seems very consistent, no matter what level of carb intake I aim for - and the same thing happened when I tried The Zone. CAD is the only plan (so far) that really seems to work for me.

I have a dickens of a time sticking to Atkins longterm too. I always make low-carb treats and I tend to snack on 'em through the day and keep the insulin going. I have had days where I seem to graze on the hour. I also like the freedom to eat whenever, and I do throw in Atkins days here and there, but the structure of CALP is the best for me, when I'm serious about losing weight. I don't eat as often and it's easier to cut calories.

Hey it's Amy, I haven't posted for a while. I have to admit something. I only maintain when I am cading, because I can't control my rms, so I saw a book called "fit for life" that says you should eat nothing but fruit in the morning to kick start your metabolism and you'll lose weight. Well, nothing could be further from the truth, and now I feel guilty for trying something else. Anybody got any suggestions on how to control the rms. If so, I would appreciate any advice. Thanks for reading this. Amy.

ps: I'm not going to abandon cad again. I love the woe

I think for me, for my reward meal I plan to just have a little thing from each food group. Each piece of equal size . (besides my salad) then I am going to walk away!!!!!
Run away if I have to!!!!! LOL
Rivers

I tried CAD last week to see how I liked it...prior to CAD I had been on Six Week Body Make Over, and used to eating 5-6 meals a day...extremely low fat...carb at each meal with protein... I had gotten accustomed to the plan but it lacked flexibility and I began to think that for maintenance I could not continue that... So I thought I would try and sample CAD for a week to see how my body wold react... Well I maintained my weight loss and even lost my appetite, however, I used the reward meal to have some sweets...too many sweets...the last couple of days were not balanced...well that threw me into a true 5 day binge... Please I felt awful afterwards, but I did learn something... That CAD works if you follow it the correct way, healthy carbs at the reward meal, and an occasional treat every once and a while... I think this would be great for maintenance for me or for special occasions until I get the weight off...but as far as weight loss, I noticed I lost 2 pounds and gained it back when I added the sweets... I have heard of some very low carbers using this to maintain when they go on vacation, etc... For me, my body needs less carbs to lose weight, even on 6WBMO, the good carb (fruits, yams, brown rice)...created a 3-4 week stall...so I am going to try induction and see how that goes, although I am like some of you who have tried Atkins, I get sick of eating hugh amounts of protein after a while, and the high fat also eventually turns my stomach...I need something with more moderation, so after induction I'm just going to do my own plan and try to get fats in but good fats...and at least a fruit every day because otherwise I feel deprived...with an occasional CAD meal as I said for special occasions...

Hope you guys don't mind me posting here...I like this thread...

I am on maintenance, and have been on CALP for 21 months (but who's counting - LOL) and love it.
I think that a week is not enough to give CAD or CALP a try. I think it takes longer than that to get your body issues with insulin corrected. Plus, if you do the weight average the daily fluctuations change. The key is BALANCE in the RM. It is not a carb fest, a permission slip to binge, or a signal to lose your mind. It is a meal with carbs, protein, vegies and a salad. If it is balanced and moderate, you will feel bettter. Maybe at first you have to take 4 bowls and put salad in one, vegies in one, protein in one and the carb of your choice in one. Notice the carb is only in one! You can really balance and see what you are eating this way. Planning is the key- plan what you are going to have for your RM. have lots of protein and vegies in the house.If eating out is too hard, eat home. You need to make a commitment to this plan for it to work. It really is livable and really works.
I usually don't get on a soapbox like this, but it sounds like people want some ideas. HTH-
E

Cool, Eno. This is obviously a plan that works beautifully for you! :)

We don't mind you posting here at all Skeeweeaka. I think a moderate carb approach is a good one and including fruit is great too, as well as a variety of veggies. I like to do it in the parameters of CALP, however. I never use CALP as an excuse to eat sugary or white flour type things at RM. It would send me on a 5 day binge too, unfortunately! I have low-carb treats, fruit and potato or starchy veggies. When I do CALP properly (and often I fall off plan and do moderate low-carb Atkins-style, but don't lose weight, as I eat too frequently), I do lose weight.

HTH too! :wave:

Wow, Enomarb, that is so impressive that you have been doing CALP for so long and have maintained your weight loss - even past your original goal by quite a bit! I am hopeful that I can make CALP a long-term woe for me too, so it's really encouraging to hear from people who have done it for a long time like you have. And I liked the idea of the four bowls. That gets right back to basics and is a good visual image to help think about balance. And I also really appreciate your perspective that one week is not enough time to really see if CALP is a workable woe. Someone may spend that whole first week just reacting to what they had been doing previously. I'm looking for a livable, healthy way of eating that works for me and gives me good energy. How have you adjusted CALP now that you are maintaining instead of losing?

And Skeeweeaka, it's great to hear from others, so feel free to post anytime! So far I have found this to be a really friendly and supportive place and I'm so happy that I found my way here. It sounds like you are still working out a good way for you to eat. It's taken me a long time too, with much experimenting and learning from plans that didn't work, or that worked for a while and then stopped working, etc. But I totally agree with Sue, that if I ate too much sugary foods for my carbs I wouldn't feel balanced. One thing that really helped me was to keep a journal of all my food intake, supplements, exercise, weight, energy, etc. It really helped me pinpoint what made me feel good and what didn't.

Thinking of switching to CAD
 

Hi... I'm new at this, and just joined this forum on Monday. I have been on Atkins for a week now, and the first couple of days went by pretty good, but I was craving sweets so bad that I did have a couple of 2c Carb bars and also tried the indulge bar by Atkins. Tastes just like o-henry. I found that even though I still was within my limits, I felt like I had a sugar withdrawal or insullin release. I think I'm going to try to go without artificial sweetened foods for the next couple of days and see if that helps. I will try to keep on atkins for another week or so, just to get my sugar addiction under control, and see how it goes, but I know from past yo-yo dieting that I'm not as strong as I used to be. I just turned 48, and my goal would be to look great and thin at 50. I tried CAD before, but used my rm as an excuse to binge, and in the end I was eating so much candy, and carbs for dessert that I would end up with serious gut ache. I really agree with Enomarb, that the reward meal isn't a permission slip to go nuts and eat the carb cupboard dry, like what I did. I'm going to give it another try, and be more sensible about the reward meals this time. I haven't read the other CAD book, but am going to get it and read up on this new plan. I just know from trying atkins twice before, that it's just too restricted. I am starting to get sick of meat and salad all the time, so have made some good veggie dishes, and my favourite stuffed mushrooms. It's so good to hear other people who are successful at the CAD plan, as that's the plan that would suit me alot better. I just need to be more sensibile about it. Reading everyone's stories is going to help me stay focued this time "hopefully".... :help: