Hello, been lurking here a few days, I re-started CAD (after a 15 YEAR gap!) because my cravings were bordering on eating-disordered compulsive eating after the last 2 weeks... I scored extreme on the scale in CAD.
My only issue is I'm basically vegetarian (not up for conversion on that thanks, not looking to promote it either
), but for sanity's sake I'm allowing one can of tuna a week, though I do eat organic dairy and free-range eggs as needed. Oh, and I can't eat any nuts, or too much soya, for serious medical reasons!
1 day in and my cravings have
already vanished, the eating-machine I'd turned into since the festive season started has ended, I'm working tonight (care assistant) so thought I'd join, say hello.
I'm doing old-style CAD and making my RM less balanced because as a veggie, all I have for the CMs is eggs and cheese, and veg, so I don't want to scarf them all down in my RM.
My plan, so far:
~ wakeup, have some hot water and walk the dog
~ an hour later, have 100ml (3.9g carb) single cream in 2 coffees, finish that in 15 minutes
~ 3 hours later, have my RM, usually home-made soup with non-CM veg like carrots, broccoli, onion & potato, then a main, eg lentil dhal and rice, or avocado and a bread roll with tomatoes, then a dessert (slice of cheesecake or toasted fruit bread) & green tea with skimmed milk, maybe finish with a little 85% dark chocolate
~ supper (CM) is 75g cheese and celery & cucumber, with a smidge of onion & bit of mayo, or grilled mushrooms, or 2 eggs scrambled with butter, mushrooms and CM veg, or tuna and veg one night a week, maybe a spoonful of single cream in some green tea as well - I'm keeping carbs for that meal <8g
Because of my lifestyle & preferences I THINK this will work for me, I ran a long time eating just one meal/day and did great, but it ended when I'd have an apple before bed (sugar hit) or "something light" at breakfast... with carbs.
Like the "typical carb addict" described in CAD, I can wake and go a
long time (actively too) before needing to eat, I can handle long periods without any food at all, without impairment, and I'm not scared of an empty stomach - tried the "6 small meals" thing ONCE and it nearly drove me crazy!!
I used CAD in 1995 or 6 to break a temporary compulsive-eating thing I had going on after crash dieting for some modelling work I was offered, it worked in just five days then I kind of forgot about it, maintained fluctuating between 126 and 140lbs for years, started to gain in earnest when I hit 39... combo of age and self-indulgence to be honest.
I'd been calorie counting the last few months and got down 20lbs, went off it at the end of November '11 for my first married Xmas (I'm 41, it's kind of a big deal!) and then found the snacking was getting out of control... remembered CAD, remembered it WORKED, here I am!
At first it was going to be a 7-day plan but when I worked out the RM & CM that fit with my lifestyle, and then felt so GOOD already within just 2 days, decided I'm going to try for a few months.
Other stuff I have going on is, I'm not more sensitive to simple sugars than to high-bran cereal, ie my body treats any carb like any other carb, so the past 2 RMs I've had, while one had cake and one had white bread, have been totally satisfying - for example I'm looking at being awake another 10 - 12 hours today after my RM and I can totally face that without panicking, I still feel full from what I ate 4 hours ago.
Every day I want to get a minimum of 5 portions of veg & 1 of fruit, the soup I start with helps there so I can have starches & pulses for most of the main RM meal.
I've read lots of threads on this forum (not every single post) up to about 18 pages back, loved Eno's posts & lots of the others too, so that's me, hello!
Editing to add, because my day is mainly about the RM, I'm also calorie-counting to be at around 1700 - 1800 calories in a day for the whole lot... bit of a kludge and not pure CAD but that's a compromise I'm willing to make as a non-tofu eating vegetarian and also with the choices re timing, RM, etc...
Another edit to add, what I love most right now is the way it's nearly the end of my shift and I've lost inches SINCE I woke up... only Day 2 and yet UNLIKE most WOE's I've ever tried (including normal eating at slim weight, and eating few calories than I have so far today, for days on end) I
don't slowly expand as the day goes by... okay it's mainly because I'm having my RM early, but it's still amazing!
Going to make one final edit!
To say that, I may or may not post often, but whatever happens I will update this thread in around a month to say whether this plan has worked for me, what (if anything) I've changed, and so on... CAD & CALP seem to be somewhat open to interpretation and mine combines a few elements that might make it interesting to other vegetarians who want to do a low-carb/intermittant fasting crossover as well. I love reading people's experiences so will try to give something back in that way... 'kay, I'm done for now!