Hi guys,

I have been doing a modified Atkins Induction the past 10 days (20-30G carbs a day, caffeine daily and occasional alcohol) and I have lost 6 pounds and an inch off my hips as well as an inch off each thigh!!! I am so happy!!! I tried on a bathing suit yesterday and I was actually OK with what I saw in the mirror!

Anyhow, in 4 days when my modified Induction is up, I am trying to decide if I should do a modified OWL/Pre Maintenance (add 10-20 grams of carbs each week until the weight loss stops) or switch over to the CAD diet (low or no-carb meals for breakfast and lunch and then a reward meal at dinner).

Have any of you tried anything similar and what were your results? I would like to hear from Atkins turned CAD people about what you experienced, or even LC turned CAD, or just plain CAD dieters that sware by it. I am VERY ready to add carbs yet I don't want to mess up all of this hard work and gain any weight back...I basically want to lose 5-8 more pounds over a period of 1-2 months, but I REALLY miss occasional yummy foods.

I think that my current 30g of carbs a day is too low to keep doing and that I need to add some healthy carbs like fruit and maybe some LC bars and LC ice cream every once in a while to keep me motivated and to add variety. So as I understand CAD, I CANNOT have ANY drinks, snacks, or LC packaged snacks other than during at the reward meal...right? As in, eat the way I have been (veggies and protein) the first 2 meals of the day, don't drink anything but water (or can I have diet rite?, or diet coke?, and I can have coffee within 15 min, right?) and ANYTHING I want during my reward meal...like at a Mexican restaurant, I could for my reward meals eat CHIPS, a Mexican MUDSLIDE (alcoholic ICE CREAM drink), enchiladas with RICE and beans, and DESSERT, as long as it is all within one hour? Seems to good to be true!!!!

Thanks guys,
Lisa

Well it's not supposed to be a binge but a balanced bountiful meal. That meal contains much too much carbs without enough protein and veggies to balance it. It would probably be all right occassionally but not all the time.

Hello,

Thanks for the response!

Is it just me, or does the book make it seem like you can go all out and have all these things, hence the name, "reward meal"? Or are you saying that I hypothetically COULD have all that I mentioned above (rice, mudslide, enchiladas, chips) as long as I balance it, ie by having for instance a healthy chicken salad, a meatball soup, and any other protein I could think of to "balance" it out?

Thanks again!

The book states you should fstart with a salad, then fill your plate with 1/3 protien, 1/3 allowed veggie then 1/3 of carbs wanted. If you want more carbs, then you have to have more protien and veggies in porportion.

So maybe skip the rice (you might find it's really not worth it and detracts form the taste, not adds). Order a salad, or even get a taco salad (don't eat the shell). Then have your enchaladas, beans, and the dessert. If you can get some veggies it would be even better, but I'm not sure many mexican resteraunts have veggies. So the meal would still be unbalanced, but not as bad.

The idea of getting more protien and veggie each time is not only to balance insulin, but to help you fill up on the healthy stuff and not just have an all out carb binge. An occasional unbalanced meal works for some. Many though find they don't want the desserts and refined flours. Instead they feel better physically, and have betetr weight loss, if thier carbs come mostly from fruits, veggies and whole grains with sugars being a "treat"

That really is a super carb heavy meal... It might work for some (people with turbo-metabolism, maybe?), but I know it wouldn't work for me.. The taco salad sounds like a much better choice--at least you would be getting some kind of veggie--even if it's only iceberg and tomato.. Mexican is my absolute fav "eat out" food--and even if I'm super careful about making the best choices, I usually find that my weight will be up the next day.. I normally order the taco salad (and don't eat the shell), or the chicken fajita nachos (and don't eat the nachos).. No dessert, no rice, sometimes a few bites of beans.. And even that will make my weight jump like crazy... Everyone is different though--you might be able to handle it better than some of the rest of us. It's probably going to be one of those things that you just have to try, and see what happens.. I've found (and I think that many others have, too), that I just have to try different things to see how it will affect me...

Regarding the salad starting the meal: Isn't that only for plan D, which I understand is for people that have a high metabolic reistance? (slow to lose weight) It looks like the plan you start with, the Entry Plan, is pretty much 2 simple CM's and a RM, no salad mentioned at beginning of RM.

Also, here is an excerpt from the book, page 122:

"Reward quantities are not limited. Have two desserts if you wish. Have more of whatever you wish."

"Eat anything you want, whether it is low or high in carbohydrates-unless otherwise advised by your physician.

I don't know...this is why I am skeptical...it seems like experiences here lean more toward "balanced" along with [I]occasional treats, whereas the book makes it sound as if you can just go nuts and have dessert after dessert, as long as your meal is balanced. So according to the book, I could just go hog-wild on a 1/2 pound burger with cheese and a side of veggies and fries, and then top it all off with a piece of chocolate cake and a fruity alcoholic drink? That would be balanced but FULL of carbs. (the bun, fries, sugar in the cake and sugar in the fruity drink---yet there is a lot of protein and fiber as well).

Interesting. This diet seems too good to be true when you read the book. Real life people here on this CAD board seem to watch what they eat much more closely.

Hmmmmmm....

Well, Here is the difference I have found. the CAD book is not as strict as the CALP plan. I think many of what the others have said is from the CALP book. My first lc plan was CAD I did is by the book except I did have an occasional diet soda etc during the day. I didn't limit my coffee to 15min either...I lost weight and felt great. I got to a goal weight of about 125. I have been doing atkins for about a year and have struggled many times with staying with the program. Lately I have been doing ok and wsome weight is coming off. I have read the other posts and have tried the new CALP but feel alittle more constricted with the new program..HOWEVER. I am two years older and now find that if I do go all out in a reward meal I feel groggy and headachy the next day. Almost like a hangover...SO I am going to adjust and balance better. After you start the CAD you often lose that "WOW I can have this now" compulsion and just relax and know that if you don't have it today you CAN have it tommorrow. There is a whole lifetime of eating and no need to "eat it now for tomorrow you start a diet"

I too worried about cravings...but with limiting your af and drinking water I didn't have cravings and I craved water more than ever. So I think that is good advice for any plan
Sorry to be so long winded Good luck. It worked for me I know it will again.

Hi Pre3Teach,

Thanks so much for the reply. I guess that makes sense...and the CALP book is newer and is the "life plan" version, right? OK, well that clears up some of my confusion. Thanks for telling me about the occasional diet soda and the longer than 15 min. coffee deal, and that it didn't really slow you down. It's good to hear that CAD worked for you...are you considering coming off Atkins and trying CAD again? I am doing a modifed Induction/OWL right now and I sometimes get very bored of it. I drank some blended mudslides (alcoholic, sugary drink) on Sat. night and I felt so darn guilty that I did...it's like, if I were on CAD I wouldn't have felt like I had to beat myself up for having some fun. Then again, having that much liberty to eat/drink "whatever" once a day scares me too...

Wow...you must have a lot of patience to teach pre3. I teach 3-5 graders and I can barely handle 3rd grade (but I do enjoy their innocence and love for learning very much)!!! I have a 2 year-old that I love dearly but that sometimes drives me nuts, so the fact that you can handle multiple preschoolers must mean you are special. Also, Happy Birthday and good luck with your 100 Day Challenge!!!

Lisa

I have the CAD book and can't find those quotes (not saying that they aren't in there) but I think they might have been taken out of context. From what I have read of the book, they do say you can have what you want and how much you want as long you follow the rules. Those being the balance 1/3 protein, 1/3 good veggies, and 1/3 reward. Obviously, the stay within one hour thing. It does say you can have more reward...but you have to include the other 2/3 of stuff too in balance....so more of all the other good parts too. It also illudes to being able to drink and not count it as part of the reward, but does clearly state it later that alcohol (while not always carb containing) will produce an insulin release and should therefore be counted as part of the reward.

Hope this helps!!!

I think it might help your to peruse a few journals and take a look at what we eat on a daily basis. I have posted mine daily for over a year and Tracy (Vel's journal) has too. Many others that you might see in this forum have links to their journals as well and keep a daily log. I don't have any Atkins to CAD experience. I just couldn't tolerate Atkins. Always felt bad. I love CAD and though I am a very slow loser, I'm not doing battle with myself everyday. I am finally finding some peace with food.

As for the Mexican dinner......I usually enjoy the chips/salsa...order a fajita and eat the meat and veggies without the tortilla. I skip the beans and rice. Just don't find them much of an addition. Sometimes I have a dessert. That might be the drink for you.

The other thing is that you will be physically unable to eat as much as you mentioned at one meal. You will be too full to finish that much food. Another benefit of CAD. I frequently have a long list of food, but most times I've just had a bit of this and that....not full portions. Ocassionally we all push it a bit, but not on a regular basis. I just fix dinner and eat. It's truly wonderful.

Good luck,
Deb