any advice? I'm picking up the books this afternoon.

TIA!

You will most likely have an initial weight gain, but don't fret it will subside. Try your best to control the sizes of RM carbs, that was/is difficult for me. Have Fun.

Thank you Amy!

which phase of Atkins are you coming from? How many daily carbs do you have? I have about 50 to 75 per day on CAD (but that's just me)

I am coming from maintenance, but I have slipped the last few weeks and am trying to refocus. I never followed the phases properly, and have always stayed between 20-30 carbs a day, with many *treats*

OK - was that 30 grams before or after you add in the treats? (it's ok, I like my treats, too! but they do have this awful tendency to count)

also, I'm looking at where you are and how far you have come - congratulations! Ongoing maintenance can be pretty difficult.

You might find that, by restricting carbs to a single meal, that you have ONE meal a day where you can more-or-less eat with friends. Or, you might find that going back to phase 1 of Atkins is easier for you (especially if the treat thing has gotten outta control).

I have a lot of sympathy - I did CAD very successfully for a couple of years and then went back to school - the stress, and the treats in the cafeteria have had their way with me, and I've put back on 10+ pounds (after an initial 30 lb weight loss). I've actually been eyeing the South Beach plan, too.

30ish before treats. I've really started to focus on everything I can't have. My daytime meals are ok, but I stuggle in the evenings.

Thank you for your compliment too, it's sometimes hard to remember how far I've come.

ps. South Beach was actually the first low carb diet I tried. I found that my cravings were out of control and that my carb intake was not limited enough with SBD.

Interesting about SB - especially since the fattier stuff seems to have a lot more "staying power" for me. I esp like cheese and butter - not in massive quantities, mind you, but a little bit with just about every meal. I don't think the lf cheeses would be the same. this has been my big hesitation on SB.

get the CAD book(s) (I actually have the CA Lifespan Program book). I did the Zone years ago, but relied too heavily on soy, got some negative effects (not weight related). I started CAD on my doc's recommendation. It worked well. Soy might be great for some, but it apparently is not one of my better friends. It might be fine for you to include it.

If evenings are your issue, you might find that you can postpone your treats to a single meal, but that you need a real clear plan on how much you are going to eat. I find that if I have the smallish salad as a beginning to my dinner (as the book recommends), that it bulks up the belly a little and makes the rest of the meal seem bigger. Plus, I like to have a small amount of carb with dinner (maybe a small potato, or a roll), and then finish w/ fresh fruit and plain yogurt (full fat).

Thanks Vicki I stopped at the library today and they only had CALP in. I checked it out, and will start on it tonight.

Very discouraging to see almost 100 views to my post, and only 2 people took the time to help and to welcome me...

Hey Sweetie!! Welcome aboard. Trust me I just viewed your post now.
I had a huge headache earlier.

I was surprised to see your name on the board! Hey now we can watch our menus together. My recommedation is to keep your CM's very LC...follow the list of CAD allowable foods. What works for me is eating Protein (from meat) and LC veggies. Also it's a good idea to start the RM with a salad...I have to remember that too.

Well, hun...again WELCOME!!

Hugs,

D.

I keep trying to come up with some more tips but hmmm, nothing. It's alot easier to answer questions, so ask away.

I agree with Divina, stay away from all LC products, at least for CMs.

I will bump up the cheat sheet for you, there are good tips on there, and also read the tips and stallers thread - I believe it's a sticky.

Hiya D! I'll be bombarding your journal with Q's I'm sure.

Thanks for bumping the cheat sheet info ect up for me Amy!