Hi everybody,

I read the book, Dr. Atkin's New Diet Revolution, back in 1996 and lost approximately 35 lbs. in a few short months prior to getting sick and tired of bacon, eggs & cheese, then quitting the diet all-together. Back then I owned a commercial construction company and the high stress and long hours weren't conducive to following such a regimen.

Then, in the early months of 2015, I was living in New Orleans and cut out carbs for Lent. (No, I'm not Catholic) I wasn't following any specific diet, just severely limiting my carb intake and found it relatively easy to stick with. Living in the "Big Easy," with all the fresh seafood available, I never got bored with any particular food type because of the myriad options available to me. In the days between Lent and Easter I dropped from 260 lbs. to 215 lbs. and felt great! A couple months later I met my current girlfriend and we spent the next several years traveling the states and eating at the finest restaurants at each locale in a deliberate demonstration of “Dining Debauchery.” The only thing we eliminated during that time was fast food and chain restaurants. It was a culinary delight, feasting on anything and everything our hearts desired; carbs, fat and sugar “be damned!”

Well, it's taken nearly five years but as of two weeks ago I was weighing in at 285 lbs. and my clothes were close to busting buttons and ripping out zippers. On January 15, 2020 I again began limiting carbohydrates, not necessarily following a specific diet plan and as of yesterday I am down 20 lbs. This time around, I have every intention to stick with this aberrant low-carb diet of mine until the scale indicates that I'm under 200 lbs. At that point I plan on executing a maintenance plan that will keep me under 200 for the duration… Any tips or advice will be greatly appreciated.

Hello and welcome. You've discovered one of my essential factoids: Marriage (or any love relationship for that matter) is fattening. Luckily, you've happened upon a whole nest of "aberrant" people who believe that low-carb is not only healthy, but also pretty decadent in a culinary sense.

I mean, what New Orleans chef isn't devoted to butter?!

My best advice?

1--Go keto--that is 20 carbs or less. Dr. Westman's Duke Plan is a good one. Easy to find.
2--Cook! If you're a foodie, LC includes all the ingredients that make food taste good.
3--Recruit your loved one. This is NOT a case of "misery loves company" because you'll be having a good time eating together. Just different stuff.
4--Stick around this Forum.

Best wishes.

Thank you Barbara! My girlfriend is doing this with me and we've been shooting for 15 grams of net carbs per day. I suppose I should read some of the more recent literature but most likely won't "find the time" until I stall at some point. Thanks again for your words of encouragement.

Not really necessary, as long as you're aiming for the basics and it's working for you. Of course, we know it's not magic. Just persistence.

As to the literature: there's a boatload of new science supporting low-carbohydrate nutrition. It's great to see it moving out of the "fad" and into the "fact" stage. At the same time, there are endless variations on the theme that make people want to tweak it this way or that-especially if they have to pay money to do it. You don't have to pay anybody to choose what you eat. Duh.

That said, I pay a small subscription to this site. The information and friendship here are priceless, and BONUS! you get to view the site free of advertising.

I also pay a yearly subscription at Dietdoctor.com. This is also a valuable information site--everything from science to recipes--always FREE on the front pages for anyone. My membership helps keep it that way for everyone worldwide.

Be careful doing LC with a sweetheart. I shared my recipe for Flaxseed Muffins with my "boyfriend" and he insisted on getting married.

Tip: get a scale and see what carbs look like for certain vegetables you like, then go free hand with them - use the kitchen scale to check yourself periodically.

Dr westmans Duke plan is just four pages...surely you have time for 4 pages....lol

Hang around here and you are sure to have support as u need it......

good luck !!!

Agree, here it is: https://www.dietdoctor.com/se/wp-co...starch_diet.pdf