I feel in many ways like you. As a child and in High school, I wasn't obsessing about food all day. I was a skinny kid, normal weight teen. Not super skinny then, but not fat either. I am tired of thinking about food all the time and just want to be free of its grip. My weight has swung up and down from the 120's to the 170's since 1986 and I am so tired of it. I am currently 152.6 (average) and miserable. Frequently eating does not work for me either, I can't stop eating. I want to be skinny again by spring. In fact, Failure is no longer an option for me, I feel like a prisoner in my own fat!

Hi D-
welcome. Please post on the Hour Power thread, and let us know how we can help. For lots of people, these plans really help eliminate cravings and constantly thinking of food.
E

Thanks Emomarb,
You are the weight I want to be (again). I will check out that board. I made it through on one meal today, plus a few small nibbles. Funny, I was a lot less hungry than eating 3 squares plus snacks. I think this may work, I'll keep you posted.

I never skip meals. I hardly ever eat before noon because I'm not hungry then. To me, a meal is eating when your body's hunger tells you to eat. That's usually two meals per day for me, sometimes one.

I've lost weight like crazy and feel fantastic! Everybody's different. Honor the difference and eat when you're hungry, not because of hands on a clock.

The only thing that worked for me previously was CAD, but I always experienced euphoria and stimulation right after the RM and a very moody and sometimes headachy sugar crash about 2 - 3 hours after my RM. CAD put me on a MAJOR mood roller coaster. I wish it worked for me because it sure killed my nighttime cravings!

and yes, I was following the plan VERY legally!

Part of the reason I have read so much over the years about this WOE is because I do not think that one plan fits everyone. I also think elements of each low carb plan can be accepted into our lifestyle eating plan, but we have to be honest with our self about what is working and what is not.

We have to keep in mind our activity load verses our food consumption. If you wake at 10 am each morning because you are up until midnight each day then skipping a morning meal is probably no big deal. However if you wake up at 7 am and burn it at both end until 3 pm and wonder why you are ravenous in the afternoon and must consume whatever you get your hands on then you are not doing your body in favors by not eating breakfast in my HO. Chemistry is a big part of why we do and do not maintain proper weight. Also our insulin regulation and other hormone issues play a big part of the stability of our weight...not learning to listen to your body and ignoring signs that say EAT now is the reason most of us are in the a metabolic crisis to begin with...everyone is different and must find what works for them..

For example I know my DH is tall and relatively slim and in shape (170 lbs at 6'1). He has a labor intensive job for half the day and always has been somewhat active, but does no regular exercise. He eats a BIG bowl of ice cream or cereal with full fat milk EVERY night before bed, and I mean EVERY night. But what I notice about him is the rest of the day he eats almost CAD style. Very little or NOTHING in the morning, big lunch, with LOTS of protein and veggies. Eats lots of protein and veggies thru the day and little carbs, though he doesn't eliminate them, just keeps them within reason (like a total of 3-4 servings a day). However he eats ALOT of protein, tuna, steak, hamburger, chicken, or what ever, and he always chows on it first. No one taught him this, he just does it...lucky him, he came well disciplined lol...

I have a friend who has been a dancer all her life. She eats little to no meat, mostly chicken and fish, and when she does and only twice a day. However she eats whole grains and lots of them all day. She also eats lots of veggies and fruit and is a serious observer of fat intake. She is 5'7 and about 130 pounds dripping wet, and all of it solid muscle.

My sister in law and her hubby live south beach like it is a religion, and it works for them...however they exercise faithfully every day, both cardio and resistance.

I have learned that for me protein with lots of veggies and healthy fats and two pieces of fruits a day is the ticket. I have found that circuit training that focuses mostly on resistance and moves comfortably but not too fast or slow is good exercise for me...I hate cardio, always have and always will. With cardio alone my weight stalls, I have to weight train...I am the typical carnivore type...

Anyway I have read CAD and am confused by it due to all the questions they do not answer with more information like:
1. How much is too much saturated fat? I eat sat fat and find it lowers both my insulin and cholesterol, so I am not sure how they can say what they do. Can it be for a reward meal or never? (Their charts are confusing to me)Also coconut fat is an excellent fat but they have it on their no eat fat list...
2. Why do they not recommend whey protein when it is a superior protein? I know because of glutamate but the truth is some athletes find whey protein helps them keep their muscle tissue intact...and some people have no trouble with glutamates at all..this to me is like throwing the baby out with the bath water..if a whey shake in the morning keeps you on track that is better than nothing...
3. No sugar substitues at all? This is almost impossible to live for me because I love chocolate... Also I have to have some coffee or tea, in the morning and one packet of sugar sub has never stalled me. Buckets of sugars subs do...so there obviously must be a level that is ok and one that is not...that is why Atkins came up with a REAL number of carbs per day and why other carbless doctors do as well...a number helps you be realistic and accountable...every person I have known who stalls does so because they exceed that number and start thinking they can over consume sugar subs or assume they are a free food...they are not, they are carbs and have to be portioned and controlled (I know we hate those words)

I will say though that the reward meal is how I cheat once a month...I love sushi and there is an all you can eat place here in town. I start with a big salad and have them put a couple of scoops of spicy tuna on the top of it...then I eat the rice and other sushi things to my heart's desire for no more than an hour...I never stall with this plan and I do not get off track..BUT I do it no more than once every 4 weeks...I do drink alot of water the next day to flush out the soy sauce that seems to bloat me but I believe that is because of the wheat in the soy sauce...I try to remember to bring my own wheat free type but I forget sometimes :>

Bottom line if your body says you need breakfast eat it...but listen to your body and give it the right thing...

Kellie

Hi Kellie-
good questions. The book you are using is the Heller's oldet. I recommend you lok at CA Healthy Heart Program and see what they say in there. About the AS- they are not the only people who belive that they can stimulate insulin release. It is a YMMV issue. I also like chocolate, but eat the real stuff and have my coffee black or with a bit of cream.
HTH

Actually I read CAD years ago, but just this last week picked up there 7 Day Low Carb Rescue and Recovery book from the dollar store...that is part of the reason I was in this area of the forum (I usually hang in the recipe section or the power protein, or thyroid forum)

I have not read their life time plan book though and will check it out when I have some time to digest it...thanks for the suggestion...

I do not do regular chocolate. I do not like the taste of dark chocolate and I have no discipline with milk chocolate...so I keep it far from me when I am trying to be good..

Kellie

I don't get hungry until around 3:00pm, but I really only need to eat one meal a day (my hour power meal). I find I lose weight very fast like this. However, once I have something to eat I get REALLY hungry and grouchy so it's best for me to eat one meal a day.