Hi, guys! I am jumping over here from Atkins because I have a feeling it might work better for me. I'm new to this whole idea and I have a few questions:
1. I exercise a lot. I ride my bike to get around, which usually equates to a few hours a day. By the time I get to my RM I feel totally depleted. I feel like I should exercise after my RM to lower my insulin levels a little. Do other people exercise after RM? I usually get kinda sleepy after eating the carbs at my RM and would rather relax, but I feel like I should "do something" or it will all be stored.
2. I've never been a "meal" eater. I've always grazed, snacked, nibbled my way through the day. Little pieces of sugar have kept me going. It's been like a constant blood sugar roller coaster. This plan forces me to eat, then nothing till the next meal. It is admittedly quite the challenge for me, but it's making sense that this has been the missing factor in my inability to lose weight. Even though my calories have been restricted, is it possible that tiny bits of food here and there have been keeping my insulin levels raised? I really feel there is a lot more than just calories in vs calories out, because with my very high level of activity and very low level of calories I simply have not been able to lose any weight. So I am hopeful that maybe this plan will help me.
3. How much can I trust my appetite to guide me? Today I biked for probably 3-4 hours total, and ate just protein/fats/some veggies for my 2 CMs, then for my RM I had a huge salad (my favorite part of the meal) with a chicken breast, followed by some cereal with yogurt, 1/2 banana w peanut butter, some cottage cheese and dried fruit, and a bit of chocolate. I know that's a ton of food, but it was not at all out of control, I was just really, really hungry. My calories for the day are still under 2000, and I could easily eat more (but I won't). I guess I'm just wondering how important it is to keep my RM balanced, or if I can just continue to let my appetite guide me.
4. I kind of like not having a planned RM, but just eating what I want. It's like my only time I can eat what sounds good. Is that ok, or should I try to form more of a "meal" instead of grazing for the hour? I know CALP is more about keeping it balanced, and I have a huge salad with protein to start, followed by a fair amount of carbs.
5. How bad is it to have a low-carb snack, like a hard boiled egg and/or cheese between meals? I know the one plan includes a snack, but I feel like not eating between meals may be my ticket to weight loss. I feel like even though I had a ton of food for my RM tonight, I'm still hungry, would love some more chicken... probably because I burned a lot of calories today. Is this something I should just ignore, or should I eat?

I'm sorry for so many questions. I'm really trying to figure out how to make this work for me.

hi-
ask as many questions as you like- and welcome to this area. I read your other thread on the General area- hi!

First, this is a meal based plan. Other plans have more snacks and distribute the carbs through the day- Protein Power is the one I think of. There you get 3 meals and 2 snacks that includes carbs and protein in a specific amount. Have you read the books?

I find that if I exercise more than 2-3 hours I get very drained. You might want to have your RM in the middle of the day or even in the morning so you have carbs on board for your exercise.

yes, you can have a snack. I don't know what books you have read, but CAD and CALP both talk about a snack that is protein and CM veggies.

I think the Hellers meant that the 60 minutes was a BOUNDARY of how long a meal should be- not an instruction of how long to eat. I plan all my RMs- and eat the plan. I think your RM you described is not balances- to me it is carb heavy- but I do CALP/CAHHP so I balance my RM. I think that if you are feeling sleepy after RM you may be having too many carbs. THis plan is supposed to correct that feeling my limiting the amount and frequency of carb intake.

If you are still hungry and think it is not 'mouth' hunger (just wanting something) sure, try some more protein. Make your RM plan - maybe even plate it and put it out- then eat it. Maybe another veggie in addition to the salad?

This is a YMMV lifestyle- your mileage may vary- we are all trying to figure it out.

HTH and welcome-
E

Thanks!
I have not read Protein Power. I'm not really a fan of "diets" but this CAD thing has aspects that make a lot of sense to me. I think, regardless of very restricted calories, nibbling throughout the day has been keeping my insulin levels too high for me to lose. I always was carrying mints or chocolate around with me because it was like my blood sugar was crashing all the time and I was afraid to be without a source of energy. Switching to real meals is a huge change for me and it feels great. Kinda scary at times, but really good.
I am going to give myself time to eat whatever for my RMs before I start trying to make it perfectly balanced. It's always healthy and starts with a huge protein-y salad. I think I need to have the freedom to try foods I havent been "allowed" to have in a long time before I figure out how to plan it, plate it and balance it more. I choose healthy foods and figure if i need some extra carbs it maybe isn't a big deal because of the exercise. As long as I'm not nibbling on the carbs all day long. I'm usually finished before the 60 min so I'm glad you said that.
Anyway thanks for the warm welcome and offering your input for my 29,000,000 questions.

Carbohydrates are what cause my insulin levels to rise and they are the only things that I make sure to keep in balance and never overeat.

I honestly believe that I am insulin resistant and following the guidelines of the program is what keeps me in control. Of course, it does not hurt that I have always based my meals around meat and vegetables so keeping my carbs balanced, is really easy for me.

I believe limiting protein and vegetables to all of my meals except the one that I get to enjoy and balance the carbs of my choice, is the best way of eating that I could have ever asked for.

CALP has given me control which allows me the freedom to enjoy my meals!

Wishing you a successful journey!