I just wrote the same thing in someone else's journal. I was thinking of doing atkins 4 days a week and trying an rm a couple days a week. When I did strict atkins I didn't seem to lose weight after a while, but people who cheated seemed to lose more than I did. It seemed that in order to continue your weight loss on Atkins that you would have to cheat to kick start your body, but I was thinking about the same thing between ketosis and insulin issues. I really would hate to give up RM's though.

What I think would be good, is if a person wanted to combine Atkins (SKD) with CAD/CALP, would be to do Atkins until you felt like you need to do an RM, then for that day do CAD/CALP… or do one for a certain amount of days then switch to the other. I think my first idea would work though, because both diet plans work and I think sometimes the reason regular LC quits working is because, what I am learning is we need to up our leptin levels which go down when we diet or loss fat. Then we need to up them for a bit, then do LC again until the levels go down again… Say do LC for the week and then do CAD/CALP on weekends… This is what I have been thinking about doing myself… That’s my input on this idea anyway…

My feelings are that when you balance the RM, yes, it makes it more nutritional, but it also prevents a person from over eating the carb. I found when I balance the meal, I can't eat too many carbs, because it makes me very full... most of the carb servings, I have found to be about equal to the same in value... well, true one may be 24 carbs, and another 34, but it doesn't go up much from there. But maybe that is just me and what I chose to eat...

Those were my exact thoughts as well. How many days does it usually take to get into ketosis? I belive 2-4. In my case, I was always able to drop a few lbs during that time. As soon as I was back in full ketosis, my body started screaming for carbs. Since I refused to give them to it (or so I thought...), my 'hunger' became almost out of control and I made up the number of carbs in form of almost excessive amounts of LC foods! Took me awhile to figure out that phenomenon! So, why not - if so desired - DO the Atkins Plan for as many days as the body allows and then instead of a huge binge, swith to CAD/CALP for those 'craving days' in order to get the same amount of carbs in a much smaller amount of food.... But - keep in mind that one of the most wonderful 'side effects' of CALP is the fact that we all get some sense of control and the cravings disappear altogether. That in itself is worth a million. In summary: I guess it is left to each individual to experiment until he/she found the way that works for her/him! It has been said many times, we all react very differently and every single LC Plan HAS to be a customized one. The best way to find out is to try!! I am getting there, a little more each day, and I know a lot of you are also! So, keep up the good work, keep the challenges and questions coming and we all shall succeed!!!

Hear! Hear! Tiggerlou...

One of the things you have to watch/control on switching is the foods that are allowed on Atkins and not on CAD/CALP. If you control for those foods, you should not get cravings on Atkins and keeping the RM veggies for one meal on Atkins, i.e. broccoli, nuts, AS desserts, spaghetti squash, should satisfy most of the carb cravings your body has.

So, I was wondering...

For those of you who use a combination of Atkins and CAD/CALP, do you subtract the fiber from the carbohydrate count when you are doing CAD?

I have done this because of the habit I got into doing Atkins, but the CAD book doesn't say anything about this. I wonder if this is part of the reason for my frequent stalls.

Don't do it.
If you do then some things become legal that obviously stall like broccoli and some nuts. I would just follow the CAD or CALP list of veggies depending on your program. The carb rule is mostly for other things outside the list. CAs react to so many things on an individual basis and using net carbs might have an additive affect.

You know Zule could be right... I think some people respond to the soluble fiber in those veggies. Even though it is said that it has a negative affect, I think it may not be that way for some people, like it is for some people with sugar alcohols, it affects some and not others…

I agree with Zule. I was eating nuts for about 2 weeks, I mean a lot of nuts, instead of the veggies and meat that I was supposed to be having during CM's. They totally stalled me out. I quit eating them last week and the scale is moving!!

Have come to the realization that the list must be followed to a T or else it just doesn't work. (At least for me.)

Of course, the other problem with nuts is that they are loaded with calories. I have noticed that the portion sizes that the Hellers use in sample CM menus is quite small (2-egg omlette, not 3) and I suspect that the calorie count is also quite low ... it's another reason that we can get away with eating a large RM.

Very interesting thread. I have been on Atkins for 6 weeks now and have lost only 10 lbs. Haven't budged for 2-3 weeks now. Guess I'll go take a look at what plan is right for you. Thanks

I'm a little nervous about this but I think I am about ready to make the switch

Welcome to CAD, Sandy. Atkins was good training for this program. You just have to go by the list. If it's not on the list, you can't have it except at Reward Meal.

I'm so glad I found you guys...

I have tried Atkins on-and-off for two years now.. I lose spectacularly (30 pounds on one occasion, and 20 pounds just recently) but have not been able to maintain the lower weight.

It seems that once I get off the Atkins, the uncontrolloable ravenous appetite comes back with a vengence, and I gain all the weight back.

On my own, I realized that Atkins was part of the solution, but not the whole solution and formulated my own plan. It was

1. No eating after 6 PM

2. Simple carbs (fruits/rice krispie squares) in the morning only (aka reward meal at breakfast)

3. workout every day (I play a lot of golf, or practice for it)

Well, to my amazement, this seems a lot like CAD.. so, this is my new religion!

I hope to make this thw way I eat for a lifetime. I weighed myself this morning and found I had already lost 1.5 lbs.

Cheers!