Since I’ve been doing this since 2003, there have been slip-ups 😀

I think the key is to stay alert and catch bad habits quickly. For me, it turned out be as much about health as it is about excess weight. Carb count always mattered more than calories when it came to my success, but as time moved on, I discovered whole categories of food just had to be eliminated, like gluten and high fiber veggies.

Maintenance turns out to be the most individual of all stages, I think. We all start out from high carb SAD, and just cutting those carbs way back will give good results. But I think this also allows our bodies to heal, and then, there are all these twists to be discovered, like what is the right exercise for us. Mine is simply going for a nature walk or even bouncing on a mini-trampoline when the weather is bad.

Food sensitivities can turn out to be important even if we successfully lose the weight. Carb cravings get lower the LESS we indulge in carbs. Likewise, a problematic food can announce itself with cravings, instead of hunger.

That’s an important distinction. When I have a satisfying meal, I’m good for hours and I don’t want to eat! When I have a “sensible dinner” that is low carb and healthy, yet I find myself prowling the kitchen or wishing for a dessert thing, I have come to see that as a sign that something in that dinner is not working for me.