After much thought, I decided to overhaul my eating plan. Atkins was getting too restrictive for me, and even staying under 30g of carbs a day wasn't doing it anymore. I upped my fat and lowered my carbs, I lowered my fat and upped my carbs, I re-did a "clean" induction and lost a whopping five pounds, which came right back with friends the minute I slipped up!

Thanks to all of you who gave me the well-meaning advice to do it "right" when I confessed to eating cereal and fruit when I was sick. I know the proper way to re-introduce carbs and I also know I did it "wrong". I spent a span of several months last year upping my carbs by the 5-gram increments directed in the book (which I have read until it's worn out!)and got all the way up to 30-35 grams a day before I started gaining.

Here's my point, since I do have one!

If a plan no longer works and the deprivation makes you go nuts, it might be time to re-evaluate things. I'm not advocating "plan-hopping", but if you've been stuck for months like I was, I see no sense in banging your head against the wall! One size doesn't fit all, no one plan "fits" everyone. I was feeling so deprived by not having certain foods, like grapefruit and apples that instead of ice cream, I'd fantasize about a nice piece of FRUIT!

Since re-vamping my plan to include certain fruits, some dairy, and a bit less fat and calories, I've finally started losing again!

Atkins is a great plan. So are the other lc plans, though. I'm finding it's good to keep an open mind, though.

Good for you for keeping an open mind about finding what works for you! I broke through my body fat stall by upping my carbs and lowering my fats. I miss putting butter on, well... everything, but my grapefruit with breakfast and my yellow mango with lunch were scrumptious! Glad to hear you are finding something that works for you.

Jen

You're the one who has to live with whatever you choose.
None of us are in your house or your body to say what's right for you.

Best wishes on whatever you choose, and may you continue to lose what you need to, to make you happy.

hey potatofree, I am so happy for you to hear that you have starting losing again. I must stay that when I read about how long you've stalled for and everything you've tried I admire your displine. It is easy to stick to what works - and I hope that this new plan works for you.

Potatofree! You go girl. It is all about finding balance and what works for each of us. You are so well informed and willing to listen and try new things. I think that you should follow your heart and your head and find what works for you. I'm proud of all your efforts...I know you are giving it everything you can.

Hi Potatofree, no matter what plan, it HAS to be a way of life that you are comfortable with - we all know that most diets fail because they work for a while but most people then stop and bounce back. Cravings for fruits and nuts and not liking animal fats is exactly why I switched to South Beach - mostly, maybe an Atkinesk version of SBD. When I read that book, I thought it sounds like something I can life with. And that is in the end what counts - " I can't wait to the day when my diet is done and I can have a .... again" won't work!

You are an experienced dieter and probably can work out your own plan - but for beginners who might read this, I would advocate plan switching over making your own plans. It is better to find a plan that best matches your tastes and preferences, and then stick to it to the letter than making a new one of your own until you really know your body and a lot about diets.

I think there's more than one reason a person would switch plans. I, for instance, am thinking of switching to CAD/CALP because I know my husband would join me. I'd rather us both lose slowly (because of the upped carbs) than me lose quickly and him not lose at all. Of course, I haven't been losing much lately anyway.

I agree. That's why I have never done Atkins induction -- I couldn't entirely give up fruit. I have done on-going weight loss all along. If that has slowed me down I'll live with it, because I have been able to happily stick with this in the long run, and that's what counts. I eat at least one serving of fruit (usually berries) a day and in the summer when there is so much good fruit around, I often eat a second serving (a small peach or nectarine or something similar). Fruit can certainly be incorporated into Atkins on-going weight loss. I also occasionally (about once a month or so) eat whole grains such as brown rice. We all need to figure out what works for us. What I like about Atkins is that once you get past induction (which I just skipped!), there is a lot of room for flexibility.

I can't eat any artificial sugar, however, and still lose weight. I think this is probably because I am already at my carb limit from the fruit. Almost all the foods with artificial sugars contain additional carbs. I'd rather eat whole, natural foods anyway, so I don't miss the lowcarb ice creams, candy, etc.

Frecklfluf- Some people lose more slowly on CAD, but I found I actually lost FASTER, after a small initial gain switching between Atkins and CAD. It all depends on how closely you follow the "rules" and what carb selections you make for your reward meal.

I used my fruit and yogurt as part of my carb choices for RM, which I think, made a difference as far as rate of loss is concerned. Some people choose other things like sugar or refined carbs, which makes no sense to me, and some people treat RM as a carb free-for-all. It all has to be factored in. (putting on flame-proof underwear for those CADders who are just unlucky enough to have slow loss regardless...and a disclaimer that I didn't mean THEM! )

Glad you've found what will work for you, PotatoFree. You're a seasoned vet and you seem really conscientious and realistic about your goals and expectations. You are a good example of a plan switch.

The number one issue with switching plans has to be this: being realistic and honest with yourself. The main reasons for stalling out tend to be medications, age, lack of exercise, food sensitivities, and bad habits, like too much of certain staller foods. These factors won't change when you switch plans. People should give themselves a good two to three weeks of *clean* eating on their plan before they fault the plan.

Congrats on your plan switch. I too stalled long and hard (6 brutal months) after quite some time on Atkins. In utter desperation, I tried the BFL diet for 6 weeks (along withthe BFL exercise). Worked like a charm, Muscle went on, fat came off and at the six week mark, I switched back to LC. And hey, now LC works again, too! My overall fat loss for 12 weeks has been about 24 lbs.

Congrats on your progress, and on making it work for YOU!

Cheers,

Friday

Sounds like a Plan!! Let us know how you do!!

Hey, you have to know what works for you. And it has to work longterm, too.
I just got over a bout of pneumonia, and all I felt like eating was ice cream. So I had a few bowls.
You mean the carbs count when you are sick, too?

Knowing what works for your body is a gift. IT can only be learned by trial and error. Congratulations on keeping on going until you found something that you can use.