I've been trying Atkins for over a year but I keep falling off the plan all the time. I have lots of trouble resisting sweets such as donuts, pies, and such. Every time I do, I feel terrible and guilty.
Today I did the carb addiction test online and was not surprised to see that I answered yes to all the questions. I've been acting like an ostridge with its head in the sand. I figured I owe the Atkins diet and the Protein Power diet hey, I can lick this addiction.
Wrong.
I don't want to start the year with another string of hopeless tries. Does "The Carbohydrate Addict's Lifespan Program" really work? I mean, can I evenually resist sweets?

Hi Lessara -

I have been dabbling with CAD this past month because of the holiday foods a callin....

For me it is much harder than Atkins. The RM causes cravings in me and then i'm out of meals and my snack so I go to bed hungry and with Atkins I don't have to. Also, I take way longer to drink a cup of coffee then 15 minutes and like a diet soda occasionally when it isn't a RM.

It may work for you though?!?! I mean if you are going to cheat, make it not a cheat, remove the guilt, and just eat it within the hour in a balanced meal. Maybe for you knowing that later today or tomorrow you can have a donut or two will get you through.

It is all very personal the foods we can do with or without.

Why don't you give it a try.... it really does seem that all LC plans work if you honestly and truly work them.

Lessara
CAD/CALP works because it controls your insullin levels which in turn controls hunger and the craving for sweets. Read the CAD/CALP overview and general rules and the quotes if you get a chance. They're very helpful for understanding the plan. Also read the thread carb addiction vs carb allergy.

Don't think this WOE requires determination and will power. It doesn't! It does require that you adhere to the plan rules. CAD/CALP controls carbohydrate addiction. It doesn't cure it. If you go off the plan the craving/hunger comes back.

That being said. Prepare yourself for no hunger or cravings as long as you adhere to the plan. Your appetite will go away and you will find yourself refusing treats with no sense of deprivation or loss. You just don't care! That's right. That's what I said. You could care less! Once a day you can have absolutely whatever you want to eat and lose weight.

If you PM me your email I will send you the cheat sheet so you can get started. Get and read the book. It will be invaluable to you.

Good Luck. We'd love to have you join us and become a CADette.

I definately think you should give the CAD a try, Kassie. As you can see by our similar starting weights, we are in the same range, and I also answered yes to every single one of the CAD questions in the quiz. I have been overweight all my life and have tried SO many different programs, pills, and diets. A year ago, I almost decided to get my stomach stapled (like Carnie Wilson), but then hearing about all the possible after effects and dangers scared me out of that one. I have felt bad about my weight all my life, and guilty that I couldn't.. and I mean COULDN'T... stop myself from eating sweets. No matter how dedicated I was to any new diet, how enthusiastic, or how scared about my health problems.. I still couldn't do it, sooner or later, that voice in my head that told me I HAD to eat... won.. and I went right back to my old ways.

I had heard about low-carb diets.. Atkins in particular. and had actually tried it a bit, in the 1970's, when I was a teen. I knew that I wouldn't be able to stick to it, that I would crave sweets too much. When I heard about CAD, it sounded interesting. I got the book and read it over and could really identify with Rachael Heller. At that point, I couldn't imagine NOT eating carbs for breakfast, but I figured I owed it to myself to try it.

So, I stocked up my kitchen with what I needed and started it, the day after Labour Day. I really, really looked forward to my Reward Meals.. and they were big! I didn't worry overly much about balancing them, I basically just had what my family was having for dinner, plus whatever dessert or sweets I was dying for that day.

My first week I lost 8 lbs! I was so excited... then my second week, 2 lbs... still good, but more realistic and it brought me down to earth again. Since that time, I have lost 39.5 lbs, in about 16 weeks. I am really happy with that progress, not that it is such a whopping huge amount, but because of how I feel.

Normally, in any diet I have done, by the second week (or even earlier), I would be finding it really hard. I might be sticking to it, but I would be constantly fighting off the cravings to eat something I shouldn't. With CAD... I haven't had one single day like that, when I felt I just couldn't do it anymore. I KNOW I can stick to this, because my cravings to eat all the crap all day long are just GONE. I still have special treats, and still really enjoy my reward meal.. but I am calmer about it now. I know I can have it every day and I don't get that panicky feeling anymore.

I tried to explain it to a friend at work who asked me what happened to motivate me that I can actually stick to this diet (she has seen me start and end many before) I told her that it is nothing that has changed in my motivation or willpower, it is a physical change in my body. I just don't NEED all that stuff anymore. I feel so normal and it is a wonderful feeling.

Today at work, there are all sorts of Christmas goodies... I packed up a couple of the nicest looking ones and I'm bringing them home to have with my dinner, if I am in the mood for them by then. No biggie.. isn't that cool???

I would definately give it a try, Kassie... what have you got to lose?

Great story Vel - congrats for finding the right WOL for you!

Man, does it ever control you cravings! It also suppresses your appetite like nobodies business! I might be an exception, but I could easily go with only one meal per day now (not healthy!) whereas before, I snacked ALL the time, constantly hungry.

Throughout my entire life I have always liked food. I was not overweight until about 2 years ago (the Depo shot ballooned me). If someone was eating something in front of me, I usually began eating myself, even if I wasn't hungry. I believe I have been a carb addict since day one!

If you can do Atkins, you can DEFINITELY do this. UNLESS you have food allergies. If you are allergic to some types of carbs, you will have to watch your RM very carefully, or go to a much stricter carb counting woe. If it is just an addiction (like me), or an addiction with a few allergies (like a few other people here) than CAD might be a great plan for you.

I like to see it as, CAD/CALP people eat things that neither low-carb nor low-fat dieters can and STILL lose weight (or maintain). It is not for everyone, and is not designed for everyone. But the least you can do is try it out and see if you can handle the carbs during the RM.

It is so hard to "cheat" because of the RM. And just think, you see something you really like? Your RM is ALWAYS less than 24 hours away, so you become mentally acceptive of this new woe.

Anyways, let us know what you decide!! Good Luck!

Hello Lessara and welcome.
Like you, Ive been an Atkins follower for a while. Really believe in it, so not losing on it was hard !! But when I tried CAD.... about 6 weeks now.... things started to fall into place.
It seems to suit me better.... and I feel "Balanced" thats the only way I can describe it.

With atkins I was hungry a lot of the time and I think Ive tracked that down to the fact I was eating broccoli at "cm", its these silly little quirks that seem to make the difference for me.

SO. 6 weeks in.... well Ive "only" lost 2 lb in that time. But I have lost 2" and it looks like much more. I feel totally DIFFERENT

I got through Atkins on 100 % willpower. I dont need willpower with this, if it answers your doughnut question !

I could tell straightaway as well. That I felt right, I mean. So what have you got to lose by giving it a go ? Wish you luck.

I went out yesterday and go CALP and have only read the first two chapters. I will be honest, the reward meal makes me nervous. I have an intollerance against eggs, cheese, and wheat. Also tomatoes However I can eat small amounts of it. So I can have eggs one day during the week, cheese alittle at a time. Wheat however is another thing. Alittle wheat makes me get headaches, it really throws my body in a loop.
So I'm keeping wheat out of my meals. Good Idea, don't you think?
What really made my way of eating hard was:
Hmmm I can have this rice cracker for 5 carbs and stop.
Yeah right
One little taste leads almost always to another taste.
It was only when I was bored and reading throught this section of the board that I though, "Hey wait a minute, I'm not the only one!"
After reading the first two chapters, I still can't believe its "Not my fault" I feel its completely lack of will.

I design commercial sites for business, I draw plans using a computer aided program called Autocad. One of our clients is Dunkin Donuts. And the only empty table in my small company is next to my workstation. I can smell the donuts, I could have eaten a large low carb lunch but still want those donuts. And our client leaves donuts sometimes twice a week! Its fustrating. And once I eat the donuts, I want more food. Fustrating!!!!!! I mean its carbs and its wheat!!

So I thank you all for helping me with this. I'm going to finish reading the book and I'm starting as soon as I get the clear picture on what I need to do.

Oh my email is kass.tony~verizon.net , Zuleikaa

Hi! I'm also one that can't eat just one without eating it all... and then finding something else later. But I also have a hard time with Atkins, try as I might I just can't avoid carbs to that extreme. But I also know I need some sort of lowcarb to lose weight.

I started CALP a few weeks or so ago, and I couldn't believe my loss of appetite and cravings, I lost 3 pounds.. .and I don't have much to lose. Then a book I had reserved at the library came in and it said if I only ate 2 servings of carbs at each meal and ate it with protein I wouldn't be hungry either... neat! I tried it for a few days until I found my self scarfing down carbs... wasn't so neat for me.

CAD was just plain easier, no counting anything... and of course worked better. Went back on it yesterday and it just started working for me right away. Husband came home with apple pie and doritos (two things I always have a hard time controlling, period) and he asked me if I could leave HIM some this time! ha ha. Ya know what? I haven't had any, I haven't wanted any! I haven't touched any! Weird.

And as a matter of fact, I took out 4 chicken slices for breakfast (along with celery & tomatoe) and had to put half back, I actually got full. Weird. Ha ha

Good luck, I hope it works as well for you! If I can give you one piece of advice from this, is that even when you have a bad day or even a week, it's just easy to get right back on it, like I just did.

Moi

Do any of you exercise in the morning? I'm worried about being light headed if I don't have any carbs in the morning.
Also is yogurt allowed? I find I can have a cup of yogurt (no berries, alittle vanilla, and a pkg of splenda) before I exercise, I used to have oatmeal and that gave me such cravings!

Kassie
Most CADers find that there is enough insulin/carbs left from RM in their system to fuel a rigorous exercise routine. I don't think you will have a problem. You can't have yogurt. You can only have what's on the list. If it isn't on the list, you can't have it except at RM.

Kassie,

I tried Atkins for quite some time, and eventually 'ran out of steam'. Workouts were quite hard, energy levels declined, and I was losing hair.

I didn't score particularly high on the addicts test, but this woe just fits me like a glove. The blood sugars are rock stable, I have plenty of energy for my workouts. I can eat regular meals with family and friends. My biggest surprise is that I don't feel like going out of control at the RM. I eat carbs, but they don't have the power over me that they aways did before.

I find that I can workout without being too concerned about the timing of eating around the workouts. I usually workout after work, but I don't need a snack to stay strong.

Best wishes & keep us posted.

Lila

eating enough at RM is the key for me. After RM i can go till next day and i have been having them aT LUNCH. i EAT in the evening not because i am hungry but because i think i should eat something. But i am going to stop that and eat when i am hungry.

i am full after rm, my cravings a zero and i have no desire to eat starchy foods outside rm, well i have no space for them, i make sure of that.

The only time i am not happy is when i eat what i do not want . But usually i seek what i will really appreciate. The funniest thing happened on friday. I had carrot cake for dessert. I usually love it. after i ate it i was so unimpressed. I would have enjoyed grapes better. Today i had one of my favorite chocolates for dessert and i just didin't want the whole thing and i didn't.

I have read the whole book this past weekend and am ready to start. Just a few things,

1. They actually say you don't have to eat breakfast. Is this right?! I mean don't we eat breakfast to get our metabolism working?

2. Also, can I have a half a wasa cracker which has 2.5 carbs, which is less than 4. Or should I keep all obvious carbs (breads and such) for my RM? My problem is I'm intollerant to eggs, cheese and wheat. So I can't have eggs more than one time a week (According to CALP, I shouldn't have them at all) so breakfasts are very hard. I usually have my leftovers from dinner for lunch so that leaves very little for breakfast. I'm a mother of two and money is tight. Suggestions would be great.
(I feel this is why I cheat at breakfast time )

Other than these questions I feel confident on the program. Actually I found the people who told their stories to be very comforting I truely believe low carbing is the answer for me , I just hate being ruled by cravings!

So.... if breakfast time is your hardest... make breakfast your RM.

You still will have 2 meals and a snack for later?