thinking of going betwen atkins and CAD
 

Any advice? Bad idea? Some days this woe is going perfect and I love the whole low carb thing and then there are other days when I am dying to have a piece of fruit and well... bread. I would love your input! Thanks.

Suggestion:

One or the other. Either is effective for some people.

The reason I don't think mixing works that well is that cheating on Atkins makes you retain water that makes your weight fluctuate whenever you eat more carbs. This takes 2-3 days to catch up and then start again.

I tried CAD around the holidays and it didn't work for me. I am a real snacker and the 3 meals only didn't work for me.

Why not read about CAD and try it for two weeks and see how your body reacts. You are allowed to always come back....

Amy,

I have to agree with Lisa. There are quite a few things that are ok on Atkins that won't fly on CAD - such as nuts and avacados outside of a RM. Also on CAD, snacks just don't work. In either plan, you need to get in a groove and going back and forth would probably just not work well - for your body or for your mind.

Lila

Well
 

I am doing this...but i am Atkins with only CAD foods and no snacks....I know confusing but basically what I am doing is CAD with somedays with no RM

The reason I am doing this is because while I do Atkins/low carb really well while working when I am off with family I really enjoy that RM. It seems to be doing well for me.

I just make sure that I avoid nuts, avacdos and cream and I have also been avoiding sugar at RM's...as far as desert or sweetened regular Coke but this is just what i am trying

Atkins strong and true definetely works fastest for me....also keep in mine that I am in that last 10 pound stretch so losing a little slower is not a bad idea right now for me.

Just my 2 cents worth :wave:

deep thoughts...
 

I've been trying this out the last couple of weeks doing Atkins Mon - Fri and CAD on Sat and Sun. I jumped up 3 pounds from yesterday to today and it's probably cause of all the watermelon I had with my dinner last night - hot wings (no breading), ranch dressing and lot's of water. Don't know if it's the greatest idea, but I do like the reward meal. I don't have any cravings for candy, chocolate, chips, bread or pasta so I've been good about staying away from those. But I do love my fruits and diet coke.

I just figure that as long as I'm staying away from all the bad stuff and having some Veggies and some occasional fruit I know I'm still eating heathier then I used to.

:o My basic rule is to eat only things that I buy fresh and will eventually expire (meat, veggies and fruit) - no boxed or canned items. Isn't this what we're all (Atkins and CAD) striving for in the end anyway? :daze:

I chose to try CAD after being on Atkins since end of February. My husband suggested CAD as a way of allowing us to eat more normally at dinner that we share together and have flexability to eat out on weekends, socialize, etc. He also felt at age 53 and in menopause that I was pushing my luck healthwise. So I put CAD to the test.

This is my 12th day on CAD and I believe its what I will continue doing because I'm still losing weight and I am still getting all the positive feelings of Atkins. I'm not having a problem keeping my RM balanced and I'm not overeating. I really think I have Atkins to thank for that. Atkins helped sort out my chemistry and weaned me off the junk food so now at my RM it feels like a treat just to have a potatoe or some fruit. My idea of a "treat" changed thanks to Atkins. I was worried that the carbs eaten at my RM may start me craving carbs again, but that hasn't happened. I don't see the RM as a chance to gorge on junk, but simply to provide myself with foods I don't eat during the other meals. Yogurt, fruit, grains are good foods that my body can use. So for me this plan is working but I wouldn't flip back and forth from Atkins to CAD, etc. but I do think Atkins was a good place to start to just change unhealthy eating habits.

People like the Hellers and Dr. Atkins gave us a lot of knowledge but at the end of the day we must all sort out that information and find out what works for us as individuals. Finding a way of eating and living that works for the long term is not a One Size Fits All kind of thing. It may take a little trial and error before a plan works that you can live with. Good luck with yours.

Some of us here use Atkins from time to time. But we do it CAD style... Meaning that you still have your CAD meals(no snacks and a 60 minute time limit)and keep regular CM meals where you have less than 4 grams of carbs and then your RM would still be as low carb as possible, but you could add in nuts and the other things that Atkins allows while avoiding the refined carbs. I'm not sure if I made much sense in that description or not, but I hope I did.

It does work well mixing the two programs that way and can help jumpstart weight loss when it is slow.

So, Cindi.. Just to clarify... do you have 2 Craving Reducing meals which are strict Atkins Induction type meals, NO snacks at all between meals, and then a 60 minute Reward Meal which is still on the low carb side? In other words, your RM includes nuts and other "treats" allowed in Atkins?

I just finished reading the CAD book with a view to switching at some point and wondering how people find it.

This is my very first post as a CALP for only 5 days. I was under the impression that you could have snacks provided they were like your CM's. I have a hard time lasting from lunch to dinner (which we tend to eat very late) and usually have a small CM snack late afternoon. So far I have had much success even with the snack. Also, in the book, my guideline #3 says Eat only craving-reducing foods at all other meals and snacks. :roll:

Hope I'm doing this right (both the plan and the posting!) :q:

Share- I think the difference is between the CAD and CALP plan-both are by the Hellers, but CAD has 4 different options only one of which allows for a complimentary snack. Another difference is that some of the CAD options do not require a salad befor RM as CALP does. There are a few differences, but you should stick with your CALP plan and do follow the book as closely as you can, especially in the beginning-Good luck and nice to meet you!

If its working .. dont fix it :)

I just finished reading the CALP book and it is not as strict as I thought about meals and snacks. :) They encourage you to eat your craving reducing meals and snacks when you are hungry and not eat when you are not hungry. So, if you need a snack to tide you over, do it! Just keep it lowcarb.

I am on Atkins but I was out of town this past two days and I knew that I would be sorely tempted to eat carbs so I applied the CALP Reward Meal principles and kept the carbs in balance and I am thrilled to say that the bread I ate at Carabas with my chicken entree did not spark a flood of cravings! Woohoo! LOL! That makes me soooo happy!

I am not entirely decided about where I will go from here. I am praying and asking God to show me what I can eat. I LOVE not feeling like I have to eat all day long. I LOVE not having cravings and I LOVE losing weight! I don't want to do anything to mess it up.

CALP looks great and I can almost cry to think that I would be able to enjoy all the foods I love in the proper timing and in the proper balance. I'm just going to take this one step at a time. :)

Be Blessed! Kelly