Hi guys!

I've noticed many people being on (very) low-carb diets like Atkins, Protein Power etc., but not so many doing CAD or CALP.
I'm doing the diet myself and just wanted to know what my fellow dieters think about this lifestyle. Does it work for you? Are there any disadvantages? Do you find it hard to control your reward meal? It's just little questions like that which interest me. Maybe you didn't like the diet at all. If so, why? I must sound very nosey, sorry. But it would be really great to find some people 'in the same boat' as me!!

Thank you all,
JennyO.

Hi Jenny,

I am new to low carbs and don't know much about the terminology yet -- what is CAD and CALP? How does it work? Is there a book or info somewhere?

Peg

Hi JennyO,

I did CAD (Carbohydrate Addicts Diet) for about 2 weeks and I liked it. The fact that you get a reward meal was great however I did find it hard to handle. When I got to the reward meal at dinner I felt really bad about eating Hi Carbs and it just did not feel right for me and I was not losing as much as I wanted to. I have since switched to the Atkins which at first seems a bit restrictive to some but actually it is not. I am losing more weight and I feel comfortable knowing that I just need to watch my carbs all day. Good Luck in whatever you choose to do.

Brandi

Hi Peg!

CAD stands for 'Carbohydrate Addicts Diet' and CALP is the newer version of the diet, which is supposed to be much more effective.
It is based on a low carb eating plan during the day and one reward meal for dinner. During this meal you can eat whatever you like as long it is consumed within 60 minutes. In the newer book CALP (Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program) this is restricted a little more, which is probably a good thing, since some people really DO eat whatever they want in whatever quantities. Both books are from Richard and Rachel Heller, but if you want to buy one then don't make may mistake: Better buy CALP straight away. Why don't you have a look into the introduction forum. There are so many lovely people there who can tell you alot more about this than I can.


JennyO.

Hi JennyO,
Thanks for the info. Have you been using the CALP diet? Is it working for you? I have a friend who is on the CAD diet (I should have realized that CAD meant Carbohydrate Addicts), and it's working great for her -- she lost 30 pound in 3 months! I have been using Atkins, but have been stuck for a while. I'm a bit afraid to add more carbs right now (I've been at close to 20 for the past 5 weeks) because I'm not really losing much at such a low carb count, and I might gain if I add more carbs. It is tempting to try, though. I don't really miss the starches, but I really miss the vegetables! In the summer I could live on cucumbers, tomatoes, and sweet corn, so I think I will buy the CALP book and maybe give it a try -- if it doesn't work, I can go back to Atkins.

I am on Atkins and I have a question about CAD. This 'reward meal' that ya'll keep talking abut, are you realy allowed to eat ANYTHING you want? I mean can you eat a chocolate cake as a 'reward meal'? Also, I heard that you have to eat this meal in like 60 seconds? or is it 60 minutes?

Tina

No Tina, you could have a SLICE of chocolate cake WITH your reward meal if you wanted to, but not just eat a whole cake as your reward meal. Your reward meal is supposed to be balanced, 1/3 protein, 1/3 low carb veggies, and 1/3 carbs. So you could have a salad, steak and baked potato if you wanted to, and a small dessert. But the key is to keep it balanced so you don't end up with a huge insulin rush. And it has to be eaten within 60 minutes (not seconds - that would be some fast eating!). Their reasoning behind this is that once you start eating carbs, your body releases a flood of insulin. If you're still eating more carbs 70-75 minutes later, your body will release ANOTHER flood of insulin, which is entirely too much.

Hope this helps!

Wendy

Thanks for the info Wendy. Glad to know ya'll aren't getting to eat a whole cake as a meal that just seemed entirely unfair to the rest of us LOL. I'm also glad you get 60 minutes and not 60 seconds...I mean could you imagine "the marathon meal diet: eat anything you want in 60 seconds!"

Hate to bug you again, but what is the point of the reward meal? Is it a "reward" for being good all day or does it help you loss weight faster? I like the baked potato idea, I'd kill for a baked potato covered in butter, cheese and sour cream

Tina

Hi, Tina,

I'm on CAD, too. As I understand their "Lifespan" program, the reward meal is designed to prevent stalling. Sometimes [and I always do this] people will lose weight for the first two or three weeks and then their body adapts to the diet and they stall. The reward meal is supposed to "fool" your body by giving it enough insulin/calories/whatever within that 60 minutes to prevent stalling.

Maybe this is why some people will drop several pounds after "cheating" on their diet. Possibly this is the same principal of "fooling" your body and preventing stalling or a starvation mode. Not sure, just guessing here.

Anyway - that's the "method behind the madness" of the reward meal as I understand it. It seems to work for me and - after adapting to it - I don't have the desire to go overboard on the reward meal.

Good Luck ~
Sandy

That's funny bc I was just thinking the other day about stalling and I was wondering "If I ever go into a stall" I haven't yet **knock on wood** "I think I will try going off the diet for a week and then go back on"

Sounds like my idea might work. Thanks for the info, the CAD diet sounds interesting and I am glad it is working for you. I might give it a try one day.

Tina

Tina, sorry I didn't mean to give the impression that I'm on CAD. I'm on Atkins, but I have the CAD book too, that's why I know about it. I decided to go with Atkins because I have so much to lose and it's a stricter program, which I really need right now. Eventually, as I get closer to my goal weight, I might switch over to CAD and see if it works for me. I'm still deciding on that one. As far as I know, CAD works very well for some people, and not so well for others. I guess it's a very individual thing, how our bodies deal with carbs.

I've also heard about people "cheating" when they're stalled, and it jump starts their weight loss again. Although, I don't think I'd go a whole week off the program, maybe just a meal or two in one day. If you go a whole week, you'd probably gain. Just MHO of course.

LOL about the "anything you can eat in 60 seconds!". Can you say indigestion?

Wendy

Hi Jenny,
I have been on Cad / CALP for a year now and am not having trouble with this WOE at all. I haven't lost any more weight, but I feel soooooo much better than I did a year ago.
My cholesterol is doing funky things right now but other than that I got a clean bill of health at my annual physical 1 month ago.
I need to get into ketosis again and am struggling to do that so that the weight will start moving again, but I will accomplish that in time.
In the meantime I am still eating the CAD way and trying to do what I need to do to accomplish my goal.
I would love to be able to chat with you sometime, look in my profile and you will find my IM screen and Yahoo screen and if you have either of them add me to your list and lets talk CAD

Helen (LadyRltr)[COLOR=seagreen]

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I follow CAD also.

I've found alot of succees on it. I was one it before, and this time around have lost (as of this morning) 19 pounds in 2 months.
I found Atkins a little restrictive, and find CAD to be a little easier. There are certain foods that I would miss otherwise.

Although I'm starting to lose my interest in carbs more and more.
Who knows, I may end up inadvertantly following Atkins!

Chris

First of all; I found this site today, and I'm already learning more and more.

For example, I look at this thread to find out what CALP was.

I thought I was on CAD....come to find out I'm on CALP...and I didn't even know it! I have all 3 of the Heller's books. I found that no single book had "everything" in it...that's how they get you to buy all of them

Anyways....CALP is the most recent, and is more specific (I like that term more than restrictive).

It all comes down to finding a WOL that works for you. I've even done CAD before; but, I've always found excuses to cheat. Now, I'm finally doing it exactly as written; and I'm having no trouble whatsoever sticking to it.

It is so wonderful to be able to have "anything" you want to eat in any given day. No, you can't have spaghetti, potatoes, pie, ice cream and macaroni and cheese all in the same day. It takes planning, and a balanced Reward Meal is a part of that planning.

But, converting to any new WOL takes planning. For example, today is the Super Bowl. We're having tacos for dinner...a special treat...I get to have "football food"...and I"m not breaking my diet one iota. And, I'm going to a wedding in a month. I've already spoken to the bride about the food. I know that the food will still be out when the cake is cut; so I can have my protein, and a salad, and have room for a piece of cake...within that important 60 minute time frame....

I look at the reward meal this way; there are so many wonderful foods out there......and a lot of "temptations". It's nice to be able to indulge in those foods on a daily basis. When I did Atkins, I never thought I could do CAD/CALP because I didn't think I could resist the temptations/cravings I knew I would have.

I had cravings on Atkins because, even though it was low carb; some meals had more carbs, enough to release insulin (in me)...it's the insulin that creates the cravings. By eating low carb 2 meals a day; you don't release the insulin, hence, no cravings. For me, I generally eat no more than 5 carbs at each of my low carb meals.

I find there are 3 very different "food feelings": true hunger, "wanting something" (but having the ability to not have it), and true cravings. On CALP, I sometimes "want something". When that happens, I make plans to have it at my Reward Meal in the next day or two. But I never have true cravings....where I just can't help myself.

Just my input , but for me I love CALP!!I know I am not loosing quickly but I am sticking with it and that's a big one!! Many years ago I did Atkins and lost quicker but after aboue 3 mon. I couldn't stick to it. I have been CALPing since Agu2001 and lost about 5 lbs per mo. Not great...but a steady loss. More importently(SP???)
I do not feel deprived for any food because as someone (Scotty?) said "you can have whatever you want with planning"
Eating the reward meal is crutial and bindging on it is not a problem. If you eat your salad, then balance the rest of it 1/3 protien,1/3 low carb veg. and 1/3 carb-you can have all youwant. I start with regular size portions and if I'm still really hungry just havea little more of everything.- and it must be of all three portions not just the ones you want. Dessert can also be workd into the carb 1/3.Usually if I have a complex carb or non calorie reducing vegetable as my1/3 carb I eat less and am not wishing for something later.
I know I should watch the hidden carbs closer and then the losses would be quicker, but for me having something I can live with for the long haul is more important.