Yeppers, I am getting really close to switching too. I am going to re-read CALP and study it so I can make sure I am doing it right. I don't think I was doing Atkins correctly and I've actually gained a couple of pounds. Perhaps Atkins is just too hard. I was making myself miserable.

This past weekend there was no way I could have done Atkins. I was working at a womens prison retreat and we actually feed the women food from the outside. GOOD food. Our husbands and other men from the church were cooking the meals and having them delivered into the prison. Food they would never get to enjoy in the facility....like STEAK and BAKED POTATOES. FRIED CHICKEN, COLE SLAW and POTATO SALAD. We had FRUIT and VEGGIE trays for them to snack on between presentations. We also had PRETZELS and CHEX MIX and MINIATURE CHOCOLATE BARS OF EVERY KIND. This past weekend, awesome though it was, was a disaster of the worst magnitude diet-wise. It would have been easier to be on CALP and fit in a 'reward meal' in that kind of scenario. (Resisting the other stuff is another battle altogether.) *heavy sigh*

To be fair, however, I haven't read Protein Power yet and I FINALLY got to check it out at the library (I've had it on hold forever) and I would like to read it and see what it says.

Here's something you may find interesting: the ladies at the prison KNOW about low-carbing...facts as well as fallacies. We actually got a chance to talk about it.

Hi Carol,

Dont worry,

The CAD book talks about that. I actually go up and down all the time and thats natural... Last week i weighed 83.9 kg and then saturday was 84.5 then sunday was 83.8.. so its really the general pattern that is most important...

IM really tempted to barrage you with a million reasons to do CAD but i wont, its your choice. But i do find it such an easy and fantastic way to lose weight.. One thing i discussed with another person here was that we figured we must be in Ketosis or something like it for about 23 hours a day. I reckon that still allows the body blood sugar and insulin levels plenty of time to balance out and BURN THAT FAT BABY!!!

Hey by the way, Whats it like living in sth Florida?

Bye
Mike

AMEN WOMBAT!! I HEAR YA!!

i couldnt do Atkins either. I lasted 1 day and then binged the next... Ive lost over 30 pounds easily on CAD and have lost my food cravings probably 90% !!

By the way are you an aussie ? (i.e. Wombat)

MIke

So here's a question for you all:
What if I decide NOT to have any carbs with my RM? Do you think that will be okay? Sometimes I just want the meat and a salad, and don't want to add any carbs... Will this cause me to stall, or to lose weight faster? I can't find any definitive answer on this anywhere.

Have any of you tried cutting back the carbs to even less than 1/3 of your RMs?

Looking forward to your responses!
Kate

Hi MNOKAT

I am not sure but i guess if you reduce your carbs you will lose weight faster becuase its the bodys reaction to carbs and the following insulin response which causes weight gain.

The only thing id say is that in my experience the more extreme my diet then the more extreme my bounceback has always been. The no carb solution works for a lot of people but not for me...

My weight loss has slowed as Im about 7kg off my target but because its sustainable with the RM, im content to wait.

Hope that helps

Mike

Hi MNOKAT:

I frequently forgo the extra carbs because I truly don't want them. I find it speeds things up a bit. It's the freedom to know I can have them if I want them that makes this WOE so livable.
I feel proud and content all at the same time when I can say, "No, I actually don't want that cookie, ice cream, candy, noodles, potato..."

Like Mike said, you're more content to wait for the weight loss when you're not suffering or feeling deprived and sorry for yourself.

Enjoy!

Jeannie

Okay, I got lost.........


I don't understand the question. Do you want to clarify?

If breakfast and lunch are your low-carb meals then that is exactly what it means. LOW carb...... not No carb. If you follow the CALP book they have a list of many wonderful acceptable foods for your Low Carb/Complimentary meals of the day.

Personally, I eat a wide variety of non-breakfast types of food for breakfast. You don't have to stick with just eggs and meat. I like grilled salmon and asparagus for breakfast...... things like that.

Libby

I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to be doing greater damage if I skipped the carbs. I guess I've had the "make sure you eat all of your food" mentality for too long. Too much Jenny Craig!!!

I'm on week 2 of this new WOL and I am so happy with it I can't even stand myself! I feel like for the first time ever I actually have the appetite of a normal person! And that is WITH eating a scoop of ice cream with dinner!!! It's absolutely amazing to me that I can walk by my admin's candy dish and not feel tempted to splurge.

I have only been eating twice a day - LC lunch, usually a salad with some grilled chicken and bleu cheese salad dressing (I still can't believe that I am actually eating Bleu cheese dressing!), and then a sensible dinner. I've never been a breakfast person, so it's a relief to me that we don't have to eat it! But my question is this... I know that on Atkins, you are supposed to eat 6 times a day (or something ridiculous like that). I'm never hungry 6 times a day! Do you find it more difficult to lose the weight eating fewer times? Has anyone done both plans?

Thanks again for your responses!!!
Kate

It is NOT more difficult to lose while eating only twice or three times a day. CAD recommends only eating 3 times a day, 4 at most if you really need a snack. This keeps the insulin from being released all the time. This is why you aren't tempted by the boss' candy dish!

I know exactly what you mean, I'm hardly ever tempted by the cookie jar anymore, and that's a miracle. (Every once in a while I am tempted, I admit. Usually when under stress.)

Well, hope you enjoy this WOE as much as I do. I'm soooo happy with it! I feel in control for the first time in my life. 5 weeks of control is just more than I could have ever hoped for!

Congrats on your great beginning!

Jeannie

Sorry to disappoint you, Mike, but alas, I am an American (a Texas Aggie no less! *gasp!* ) who was born overseas in Germany.

I picked Wombat because they are kind of cute And because at the time I joined this site the name I would have picked was taken. I was doing some research on Australian politics during this time (the resolution on the Republic) and it seemed to work well enough. And finally I guess it could be a tribute to a penfriend I had ages ago from Melbourne (North Sunshine) Victoria

When I had my first stall I discovered that it was caused by not eating enough. I tended to skip breakfast and only eat twice a day. As odd as it may seem, I found that I began to loose weight again after I UPPED my calorie intake by eating breakfast. So these days I usually eat breakfast.

Just something to be aware of, although I know we are all different.

Keep up the good work!
Libby

This whole thread is so useful! Now I'm convinced to switch to CAD. Thanks to everyone for your comments!

Mike - South Florida is great. I've only been here just under 2 years and feel like I should have been born & raised here! I was going to ask about Australia, but then read on and found you're from Texas!

Libbie - what I meant by my comment on the low-carb breakfast is, the book gave examples that only included eggs & bacon, which is nearly no carbs, unless they count the .6 in an egg! I'm pretty flexible and enjoy unusual breakfasts, too, so that's not a problem. I just thought it was an inconsistency in the book.

I switched from Atkins to CALP 9/16. The first week I lost 1/2 pound. That was good. The second week I lost 1 pound. That was good, too. But Sunday night we ate out and for the very first time since starting low-carb 7/16 I had too many carbs. They had the nicest popover muffins, a lovely Italian egg-custard dessert (I think it was called pancetta?), and I had wine. Normally I could balance all that, but the entree had a high-carb veggie. I didn't eat too much of it, but I did eat some, which messed up the 1/3-1/3-1/3 balance. I was also hungry and had cravings. I increased my lunch portions and started adding a small protein snack in the late afternoon and I'm not hungry anymore.

I'm back to my regular meals today and should be able to make it up, but it was really discouraging to step on the scale this morning. Since I switched from Atkins (where I lost 8, gained back 3 between 7/16 and 9/16, with no cheating), I am starting to lose a bit, but I'm still not back to the total of 8 that was so tenuously in my grasp. I haven't seen any change in size at all.

i can see why you'd be discouraged! What a bummer to be that resistant to weight loss.

I really can't believe that you aren't even seeing size change or the clothes getting bigger.

I haven't a clue why it's taking so long for you to see results.

Did you see a weight gain after eating out? I didn't pick that up from your entry. I have found that if I do eat out, I usually see an increase in weight of around 2 lbs, but that it goes off in a few days. I attribute this to hidden carbs (what do they put in that sauce?) and too much salt in the restaurant foods. So I drink lots after I eat out, like in the following days.

Have you been seen by a Doctor to have your thyroid checked? This may seem silly, since you are not hugely overweight, but since it's such a slow weight loss for you, I'd consider this.

I'm still plugging along and losing slow, but sure. I'll take whatever I can get, as I am definitely less weight than I was 2 months ago.

Good luck, dear. I hope this gets moving. I also hope a mentor sees your entry and maybe can offer some help.

Jeannie