Originally Posted by BlueVelvet

From what I've read from quite a few members here, it's less about not being able to settle on a plan and hopping between them out of frustration early on...but more about having settled on the idea of doing low-carb, doing research and finding the plan that best suited them and then following that plan for a while, giving it (reasonably) strict adherence, but then after doing more research on other authors/doctors/specialists who are constantly contributing to the field of low-carb knowledge, they find certain newer avenues that allow them to hone their plans a little more. They're not being antsy or failing to follow a single plan for a decent period of time...rather that as they progress along in their journey of the low-carb WOE, they've picked up more tools from a variety of complimentary sources that enable them to narrow their focus in on the one area in which they think that they could improve.

Hopping around from one plan to another without really committing to anything for long enough to know that you've truly given it a decent try, will only prolong any frustration or boredom you have as your weight loss will probably stall as you keep sending your body mixed messages with the food choices you are currently making. Learning new information and incorporating that into your already established plan, is how you get to a point of having personalised your own WOE to not only make it work for you, but work in the long run.

Originally Posted by cotonpal

Well said. That's what I have done with great success. I settled on low carb nearly 20 years ago and since that time I have tweaked it here and there as I learnt more. You do have to give things a chance to figure out what's working and what isn't or what might need to be adjusted. You also have to be patient and not give up too soon.

Originally Posted by GRB5111

Excellent thread with valuable advice. I, too, started low carb years ago with little knowledge and uncertainty. Over time I became aware of what worked for me and made the necessary corrections to enable this WOE to work better for me. I got to know myself and how to eat for better health. Most importantly, as my health improved, I started to really enjoy the journey. It's truly a journey, as nutritional adjustments never result in immediate results. Enjoying this journey gave me the patience I needed to stay with the foundation of what I established and make minor corrections as I continued to learn and age. At this time, I know what I need to maintain and that's truly enjoyable. You'll experience this as well.

Originally Posted by Benay

Also, hand cramps remind me when I have exceeded my carb limit

Originally Posted by Calianna

Chocolate is surprisingly a relatively decent source of minerals (for a starch and sugar based treat), whereas the cough drops likely have no minerals at all.

You didn't say whether the cake portion was chocolate, or if only the frosting was chocolate - either way, it would have a small percentage of the RDA of potassium in it, as well as most other minerals. Whether it was made from cocoa powder, baking chocolate, or even chocolate chips, it must have had enough potassium to ward off hand cramps for you.

I'm certainly not recommending chocolate cake as some kind of health food, but when it come to treats, the base source of cocoa/chocolate still provides a lot better mineral profile than hard candy, which is nearly devoid of any minerals at all - and hard candy is what most cough drops are, just with a little something added to help soothe the cough.