Hi all!

I am fairly new here and I have posted some ?'s about the CAD diet, specifically about the RM. I am just finishing up a modified Atkins Induction and still deciding between switching over to CAD or upping my carbs by 10 per day. I have been reading the CAD book (not CALP, whatever that is) and I feel pretty well-informed. I am at a point where I either want to try CAD or toss the book aside until a later time when I feel like re-visiting it.

Regarding my previous ? a few days ago, I understand about how I can't go all out and be a big piggie during my RM, so thank you to all that responded. I figure I will still be quite happy having, for example at a Mex. restauarant, a few chips, a yummy blended alc. drink and a few bites of rice/beans along with a high protein main dish and lots of veggies. I think this would still be a reward for me after these last 16 days of barely any carbs!

OK this is what is freaking me out about CAD...by the way, before I go on, I want to say that I am REALLY hoping I can make CAD work for me because it is my preferred choice as I am so intrigued by the reward meal. I am not dissing this WOE in any way...I just need to know the answer to this ? before I make the committment. OK...how many of you can still have 3-4 Splenda drinks during the day with your CM's (ie a coffee with cream and Splenda, one Diet Rite and 30 ounces of tea with Splenda), and still get results, even though the book says to avoid sweeteners all day until the RM? I know it sounds trivial but I really feel that I need those drinks to get me through the day. You have no idea how much I look forward to my Diet Rite after my morning of teaching!! For example, I sip my iced tea all day long (from 7:30am-12, then 3-8pm), which I always put Splenda and lemon in. Would that be OK on CAD?

I think I can easily do this diet and be VERY happy with the freedom at the RM I have as long as I do everything in moderation. Let me know your thoughts on the Splenda drinks!

Thanks,
Lisa

You can always give it a try and see how it works. Some people can take AS outside of reward meals, some can only with protien, and some can't at all. You'll have to eb the one who decides.

Rememebr to people switching from Atkins to CAD sometimes gain a little weight initially as your body readjusts to the extra carbs. This is usually gone after a bit. If you gain at first, or don't lose for a bit, don't get discouraged. It could just be from the diet change, not the splenda or that the plan isn't working for you.

Hi Lisa:
Please go ahead and do whatever you want to do. You can call it CAD or Lisa's way or whatever. You don't need our permission to eat and drink what you are going to eat and drink. The books (BTW, CALP is Carbohydrate Addicts Life Plan. CAHHP is Carbohydrate Addicts Healthy Heart Program) are guides developed by the Hellers. But they are not Lisa, and you can do whatever you think will work best for you.
Good luck!
E

Being new to this board, I am simply trying to get personal opinions about CAD before I try it. It's this simple: anyone who wants to help me out, please tell me if you have had Splenda daily outside of the reward meal and if you still have still had success with the CAD diet. It's that simple. The book states that it is important to avoid sweeteners, and all I want to know is if this is really the case. I KNOW that everyone is different, and blah blah but I just want helpful people to give me an opinion. If you don't want to be helpful then don't bother responding.
Thanks!

Being new to the board, maybe you haven't read enough posts to notice that while we often have differences of opinions we are still kind to each other while we exchange ideas. Maybe you are frustrated, but maybe you could pull it in just a bit. People are trying to be helpful.

Deb

Sorry, you're right!
I think I took Enomarb's comments personally, and now that I read it again I think I was being too sensitive. It is really heard to understand the tone of a person's message when you don't see them in person. I took it as if she was stating that I couldn't figure out on my own that I can modify...with the permssion comment. I know I don't need permission. What I do need is people letting me know that I might be safe with sweeteners throughout the day...I don't want to gain back any of the weight I worked hard to get off!

Lisa

In general very few people on CAD/CALP can tolerate AS during the day without gaining weight or overdoingl at RM.

I'm glad you didn't mean to hurt feelings. It's so nice to come to a forum where people get along and really care about each other's problems and successes.

Getting back to the Splenda...I don't have first hand experience, which is what I know you're looking for, but I really don't think it's going to work out for you to be sipping on splenda the day through. The whole point of CAD is to keep the glucose levels low all day until the RM. Even though the AS's have no sugar, because of the sweetness, most CA's bodies react to it the same. The safest thing you could do is keep it to CM and RM meals only.

The absolute only real way you're going to know what you want to know is to do it and see what happens. Maybe do it for RM, gradually add to CM and then see if you can get away with it in between, but honestly, I think it flies against the program too much to have it all day long.

Deb

I just saw this thread AFTER posting my question about Splenda. I still wonder if anyone has any info, since Like Lisa, I really look forward to my Splenda fix... and I'm really curious since as i said, Splenda came on the market AFTER the Hellers books! So I wonder, then, if there is any difference between Splenda and the other sweeteners in terms of its effect on weight loss when doing CAD or CALP....
Chana

Just wanted to let you know that if you search for Diet Coke, you will get some threads about drinking AS and such things as diet rite (splenda sweetened). Seems that some drink up to 100 oz. and others can't even drink 1 can.

I tried for a long time to be able to have a diet Pepsi with my lunch CM, but it invariably stalled my weight loss. So, I have finally given up on that idea and I only have diet pop with my RM now. I do however have one packet of splenda in my morning weekday coffee, which is drank in under 15 minutes. I would be very wary of having any more splenda outside of my RM, just because it says in the book that having the sweet taste can set off insulin production, the same as sugar. If that is true, then it would be the same for splenda as for any other sweetner, I would assume. But, really .. there is no other way to know for sure if YOU need to limit it, other than to try it. The best way would be to have a clean start to CAD, without any sweetners for a few weeks to see how you do, then to gradually add it back and see how it affects you. If you just have it right off, you won't really know if a stall is because of the splenda or because of the switch to CAD.

It is hard to give it up, believe me, I know! But I drink a LOT more water now that I don't have the other drinks, so that has to be good for me.

Good luck!

I really haven't been doing this long enough to truely answer your question. That's why I haven't replied. I did CAD in 2000 and I lost 25 lbs in 5 mths having a Dt Dr Pepper every morning. But now I was trying that and I was hungrier during the day, so I have water in the morning with my breakfast. I do have a Dite Rite w/ splenda with my lunch though. It doesn't make me hungry, but I don't know if its stalling me or not. I seem to be hung at the same number every morning. My TOM (time of the month) is coming next week and I hoping that's why I am stalled. If I don't dropped after my period comes... I am thinking I will have the give up my one Dite Rite a day

Jill

Hi there. Regarding Splenda in Diet Rite. What you should be concerned about is not the splenda, but the CAFFEINE in diet drinks such as cola's and tea and etc. Whe caffeine enters your body it makes your liver release stored glucose(sugar) which then is released into your blood stream. This along with a release of adrenaline is what gives you that caffeine energy rush. So, if you want to do this right, no caffeine. (Unfortunately) Good luck!

[QUOTE=bluedelfin]Hi there. Regarding Splenda in Diet Rite. What you should be concerned about is not the splenda, but the CAFFEINE in diet drinks such as cola's and tea and etc. [QUOTE]

There is no caffenine in Diet Rite

I didn't specifically talk about Diet Rite, I just mentioned cola's and tea's as she said that she sips iced tea throughout the morning, so unless that is caffeine free...