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-   -   Atkins but not for life? (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=482126)

cotonpal Sun, Mar-10-19 15:42

I believe in radical self honesty. I am a carb addict. I cannot eat carbs in moderation. Whenever I have fooled myself into believing that I can eat just a little, I have failed. I have a mantra - If I want the results I have to create the causes. Maybe you can achieve carbs in moderation but honestly I think it is unlikely especially if you have had problems with carbs in the past. You can't negotiate with your body. You can experiment with what you can tolerate but at the end of the day you have to accept how your body works even if you would prefer it to work in a different way.

Ms Arielle Sun, Mar-10-19 19:07

Quote:
Originally Posted by SheilaQ
Thanks for the replies everyone. I am on day 6 of Atkins and am feeling good, but struggling with the mental concept of never having bread, beer, ice cream again. I am hoping once a hit fat adaption I can have these treats very rarely and get back on track. This would be far in the future, but i need to believe that the plan would be workable for me long term.


Someday YOU CAN HAVE BEER-- in a very limited amount. You can have ice cream -- just a low carb type. You can have bread-- a low carb type. Just not at this stage of the game as your body adjusts to a low carb world and stopping the addiction.

Learn how to make LC pizza dough, using either cauliflower as the base or mozzarella/ almond meal, see the recipes in that department.

I used to be a bread- aholic. I have a shelf, or almost, of bread baking books. I quit cold turkey after reading DANDR and dont miss the bread UNLESS I indulge in carbs..... then the carbaolic rages again and NEEDS bread. Honestly, for a regular bread baker, I have made bread only a few times over the last nearly 20 years.

BREAD is an addiction.

Just keep going as you are, you will get over this addiction. I promise. If you get a craving, something sweet has passed your lips or too many carbs wnt down the hatch... so be mindful.

Hope this helped.

JessAus Sun, Mar-10-19 19:35

I sit somewhere in between the OP question. I don't really count carbs or calories and eat rice, drink wine, have an occasional piece of gluten free bread. (I average around 60g - 80g of carbs a day)

I have been losing about 2kg a month for the last 8 months. I am mindful about quantities and only eat gluten free whole fresh foods.

I have never been a sweet eater though so I don't have a problem with craving sugar. Everyone is different so you may find that you can eat slightly higher carb and lose weight or at goal.

I think the most important thing is to find a woe that works for you long term.

Merpig Sun, Mar-10-19 20:22

Quote:
Originally Posted by Meme#1
Sorry but my thought is no way, no how...........
Ask some who is at goal or close to it and you will find out that going back to that level of carbs will pack the weight right back on.
Between 2006 and 2009 I lot 100+ pounds and have kept it off ever since. But I’ve also been stalled since 2009 though I still have 100 more pounds (minimum) I’d like to lose. Even keeping carbs low didn’t cause any more weight to come off. But I also experimented at higher carbs and at 100+ carbs a day I didn’t lose any weight either, but then again I didn’t gain anything back even at 100+ a day for months in end. So everyone is different. You are still very early in your journey. Really too early to start thinking about beer or ice cream. 😉 Just concentrate on one day at a time. You whole viewpoint may change as you go on.

barb712 Mon, Mar-11-19 13:29

Quote:
Originally Posted by Merpig
... Really too early to start thinking about beer or ice cream. 😉 Just concentrate on one day at a time. You whole viewpoint may change as you go on.



:thup: :thup: :thup: Excellent post!

teaser Mon, Mar-11-19 14:45

If you stay on plan, there may come a time when you don't particularly want to go back to carbs. Cream cheese, pork rinds, bacon, liverwurst etc. are perfectly good celebratory foods. A lot of people won't touch nuts because their moreish--if I ate them every day in maintenance, I'd probably gain weight. So I just buy them occasionally. Low carb ice cream is not a problem for me. If I could eat the same calories but not gain weight--at this point I'd not really want a bagel with cream cheese when I could have just had more cream cheese. When we habituate to a food like bread all our lives, it can take a while to form new habits--but they do form.

Atkins has a built in carb ladder scheme to test the waters and see where you stand both during ongoing weight loss and maintenance. A lot of people find climbing the ladder is a problem, but we've had people here over the years whose experience with that was positive enough that they tended to think just staying at induction levels was a bad idea.



There are all sorts of options, carb cycling schemes, intermittent fasting etc. that might help you tolerate a bit more carbs later on if that's something you want to pursue.

For me personally the big strength of a more ketogenic diet has been in maintenance, not weight loss. I got quite lean a zillion times on a low fat diet, and I think I could probably do that again, if I wasn't already there. Weight I lost on a ketogenic diet tends to stay off, as long as I stay ketogenic.

When it comes to being able to enjoy carbohydrates--I don't enjoy a couple of potato chips, or a slice of pizza, or a cookie. I enjoy the whole bag, the whole pie, the whole jar, smaller portions I just find sort of frustrating.

Meme#1 Mon, Mar-11-19 17:11

Some get mad that I say eating carbs again would pack it back on but she is trying to get down to 160lbs for goal.
Maintaining that weight I don't think can include a lot of carbs.
Somebody saying they eat 100g per day but they're 100 lbs heavier than she is now is no comparison because she would be gaining weight to eat that many carbs.

Something has to give either way, cut the carbs or cut the fat, can't have it both ways.

SheilaQ Mon, Mar-11-19 18:21

I guess u know something about trying to get to 160,
Meme, looks like our stats r similar, but u r ahead on the journey. May I ask how tall you are and how long you’ve been living LC?

Today is day 7 for me so halfway there on technical induction. My plan is to keep at <20 but add in almond flour in a week so I can try some of the bread substitutes. Sadly, cloud bread is not the best. I also tried the cauliflower pizza crust last night and it’s not for me. I’m going to make this work for me, just haven’t figured out exactly how yet. 🙂 this last week I had most days at around 7g carbs even with a ton of salad, so there is room to play a bit on OWL and still b under 20.

This has been an interesting discussion, thanks all.

lcbkk Mon, Mar-11-19 19:16

Quote:
Originally Posted by SheilaQ
Thanks for the replies everyone. I am on day 6 of Atkins and am feeling good, but struggling with the mental concept of never having bread, beer, ice cream again. I am hoping once a hit fat adaption I can have these treats very rarely and get back on track. This would be far in the future, but i need to believe that the plan would be workable for me long term.


When you are fat adapted you won't have cravings for that stuff. Food can taste good but primarily becomes fuel that we use to run our body, and nothing more.

Merpig Mon, Mar-11-19 21:17

Did you make the cauliflower pizza crust yourself? I’ve tried that and it was pretty horrible. But just recently I discovered, at my local natural foods market, a cauliflower crust from a company called Cali’Flour. It’s pretty much just cauliflower and mozzarella cheese and some spices. An entire crust is only 12g total carbs (or 6g net carbs) and it’s really good! I put a couple tbsp of no sugar/sweetener marinara sauce on top with some shredded cheese and it was a real treat.

CityGirl8 Tue, Mar-12-19 11:19

I've heard people really rave about Fat Head Pizza. I haven't tried it because I don't really miss pizza, but everyone seems to love it. No cauliflower involved.

Also, Carolyn Ketchum's website All Day I Dream About Food has some great recipes for things like flatbread, scones, and cheesy skillet bread (one of my favorites of hers). She's really an expert at low-carb baking.

As for whether you'll eventually be able to add back significant carbs, you can see that people here disagree. I think a lot of that has to do with variations in metabolisms and how seriously deranged each persons metabolism is. If it helps you stick to the diet now, then there's no reason not to hold out hope that you're one of those many people who could lose or maintain at a much higher carb intake. Six months or a year from now, when you've reached your goal, you'll have a lot more information about what your personal tolerance is and how to experiment with it.

Ms Arielle Tue, Mar-12-19 12:21

Teaser wrote--
Quote:
--at this point I'd not really want a bagel with cream cheese when I could have just had more cream cheese.


Ain't that the truth!!!!!

Cant remember the last time I ate a bagel.....dont miss making home made breads either......)

Ms Arielle Tue, Mar-12-19 12:22

Quote:
Originally Posted by Meme#1
Some get mad that I say eating carbs again would pack it back on but she is trying to get down to 160lbs for goal.
Maintaining that weight I don't think can include a lot of carbs.
Somebody saying they eat 100g per day but they're 100 lbs heavier than she is now is no comparison because she would be gaining weight to eat that many carbs.

Something has to give either way, cut the carbs or cut the fat, can't have it both ways.


Or increase the exercise!!

Meme#1 Tue, Mar-12-19 12:30

Exercise? I've read on here time after time that exercise is good for toning the body but it's not going to create the type of fat loss that we want without changing what is going in the mouth, but diet can do that alone without the excersise.

WyoDiva Tue, Mar-12-19 13:24

Quote:
Originally Posted by SheilaQ
Thanks for the replies everyone. I am on day 6 of Atkins and am feeling good, but struggling with the mental concept of never having bread, beer, ice cream again. I am hoping once a hit fat adaption I can have these treats very rarely and get back on track. This would be far in the future, but i need to believe that the plan would be workable for me long term.
Just do it for today. You can do it for today. ;)


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