After nearly five years of dieting my way down to goal -- Atkins for the first 75, low fat/low cal to goal -- I've sinced gained 10 back. After switching up my diet after Atkins I really felt better adding in carbs but find it takes every bit of me to hang on to this way of eating since I am hungry (physically) daily and find myself succumbing to a binge - therefore setting me back. I feel like this WOE could be the answer for me --- but I'm scared and skeptical which I suppose is normal. If this works for me -- keeps my hunger at bey and allows me to eat the foods I so love to eat I'd be a happy chick!! Please tell me this will work - I'm in the severely addicted range and have almost finished the book.....

gmmd, good luck, and welcome! I've seen you around the forums before. Congratulations on your awesome weight loss.

I love CAD. I feel satisfied both physically and emotionally. For me, it really, really reduces that "constant hunger" feeling. I think I love that part best of all.

Wishing you great success on this plan!

Gayle,

You have done a wonderful job of getting your weight down. If you can lose 75 lbs. on Atkins then you should have no trouble losing 10 lbs. with CAD.

I hope this plan works for you as well as it does for me!

Thanks so much ladies!! I'll have to admit I'm a little scared?? I really want to make sure I know all the details of this before I get started. I'm a little afraid of the RM part and will need to exercise some control.

I have some questions if you don't mind.


What would happen if at the reward meal say you didn't have veggies to balance out? Do you absolutely have to have equal thirds??

Also, if you drink coffee can I use the SF coffeemate? Not sure if I can do black coffee - or will it be better to use a dash of milk or cream?

Thanks so much!

I hope this works for you as well as it has for some of us! It's hard to let go of being so precise when you're used to counting every carb or point or calorie; but that's what makes this so much a way of life.

About the RM: I know it's hard to believe that binging isn't an issue, but I still can't believe it hasn't been for me. But for me, I find that if I have that salad before the meal, then eat my protein, (sometimes I just have a larger salad if I don't want other veggies), by the time I get to carb time (usually I have dessert - I love not being deprived!), that I am almost full and I cannot eat the huge helpings like I used to. Something's different, because I used to keep eating sweets until I was sick. Now I'm just too full to eat a quart of ice cream! I wasn't a huge salad eater before; I have finally realized that if I keep a couple bags of prepared lettuce (I love the 7 lettuce variety or spring mix) available, add some of my favorite dressing, that that is good enough for me right now. I don't always have the time to chop away at making some wonderful salad with a lot of ingredients. Then, when it comes to RM, I just vaguely eyeball the thirds part. If I eat the salad, and I tend to drink iced tea w/Splenda at this time too, I just am not pigging out like I used to.

For me personally, I have unknowingly dropped down to a cup of coffee (with cream or coconut oil - don't use coffee mate) for breakfast, a small cm sometime in the day, and then I can eat with my family. It took me awhile to get used to coffee without 2 sweeteners and coffeemate, but it's now not an issue. I enjoy it the way it is now.

I'm trying to find a happy medium of eating correctly without making my food choices something to dream about all day (I speak from experience here!). Without getting too uptight about everything, I have settled into a routine where I seem to be averaging a loss of 2# a week. Not stellar necessarily, but it's not a struggle either!

Determine to try this, and then make it your own. Start with the basic plan for a couple of weeks, then tweak as you see fit if necessary. I hope this works for you!

CKMom, Glendora and Hoppinn, I can't thank you enough for your encouragement. I may make this Sunday/Monday the day to start. I will use plain cream then in my coffee. I use to do this but have since become used to the sugar free coffeemate stuff. No biggie - black I don't think I can handle though. I'm kind of excited and sure hope this can release me from this vicious hunger then binge cycle I've been on. I've been trying to exercise some impulse control when it comes to bingeing - but somehow it's just too overwhelming. That's why I was so intrigued to read the first chapter of the CAD book......Thanks again girls!!

hi-
I have seen you around too- welcome!

IMHO, you need the veggies. You need to plan. You need the protein- and it is different from the other plans. No carbs other than RM- period. If you check our menus most of us don't eat low carb frankenfoods- we eat lots of real food- including real carbs. Make the RM a meal, not a binge, and you will be off to a great start. Please read the CALP book too- and come and post A LOT.
let us know how we can help-
E

Thanks Eno. I have the CAD book - and am just about through it. You recommend reading CALP (not sure what it stands for - Carb. Addicts Life Plan?).....I'm guessing.

So again - it's equal parts protein - veg - carb (whatever kind) am I correct? So for example, you could have a piece of steak, side of veggies, then a potato? But the potato would be your carb correct? Which would mean not a piece of cake or whatever too am I right on that? (sorry to ask dumb questions). If I chose to have cake I'd have to eat more protein and veggies???

hi-
that's right. And on CALP I'd also start with a salad. If I have a salad, steak, veggies and a potato I'd be very full and satisfied!
There is a "CHEAT SHEET" thread- it is halpful.

Welcome from me too! My current stats don't show this, but previously, I lost almost 75 lbs. on CALP and kept it off for almost 4 years. I have never found anything else that worked as well for me (I'd had done weight watchers, counting calories, counting fat grams, stillman diet years ago).

It gives me a wonderful sense of peace when I'm eating in balance as I put it...no cravings, and actual satisfaction from what I am eating. That goes away when I eat anything I want..then, nothing satisfies and I'm wanting something (even if not physically hungry) all the time.

I do recommend reading CALP and not making the mistake I've made in the past - skimping on the veggies (raw is even better). I think the fiber, the crunch "stuff" helps with satiation (and in other parts functioning more smoothly).

At first, you may find using 3 small bowls (or salad plates) to see that your thirds are truly that, may make it easier for you until you are used to just looking at your plate/meal and seeing that it is all in equal portions.

Hey,
Another RM idea... If I really want that potato, I will eat half, then half a piece of cake. I always TRY to have salad and a veggie with protein at the RM so I don't feel like binging on the carbs.

Now if I could just get myself back on track!

Thanks so much......I'm getting geared up and will start either Sunday or Monday....

Does anyone know where the cad summer edition went. I got cut off from it and it was my fave bc they all ate one meal day like I do on CAD.

Hi Gayle,

I just wanted to add my 2 cents....this plan does work, if your patient and balance correctly. I had to think of my RM's like a regular low-carb meal, with just a small treat. I always did ok as long as I incuded a big salad and plenty of protein. If I skipped one of those two in my RM, I could feel it and I wouldn't lose.

The thing I loved about CALP was that my cravings and binges really do go away. It is CRAZY...cause I am the cheating queen. I am back on regular low-carb because I am planning on using CALP as maintaining my weight. But I do crave foods more now that I left CALP, and CALP made eating so easy cause I never thought about food. In fact, when my late night binges start becoming out of control and I am doing it more than 2 nights in a row, I jump back on CALP because I can regain control of my eating.

It's a very freeing feeling. I feel sane and more like a normal person when I'm doing CALP, because I'm not constantly thinking about what tp eat all day.

Good luck, Gayle.

Welcome here.

Having read only the CAD book myself, I have rigidly followed the advice of others at this forum to carefully check the balance of the reward meal (RM): 1/3 low carb vegetables, 1/3 protein, 1/3 carbohydrates, always preceeded by 2 cups of salad.

A reward meal should be a very healthy and balanced meal and not a binge.

If you stick to these rules, you'll be pleasantly suprised with the results.

Good luck Sunday or Monday!