Questions about CAD
 

1) Don't you get hungry during the day, what with those tiny complementary meals? As I understand it the meals are limited to 4 - 6 ounces of protein and 2 - 3 cups of vegetables.

2) Do you have to watch your amounts of food during the reward meal or can you eat as much as you want as long as it is balanced between carbs, vegetables and protein?

3) Does it seem to you that the authors of CAD are trying to be low fat AND low carb at the same time?

4) Do you lose weight as dramatically as on Atkins? Can you lose, say a pound or two each week?

The most important point first. If CAD/CALP is a program that suits your body chemistry and you are a carbohydrate addict as the Hellers define, then you do not get hungry on this plan. You do not miss snacking.

Portion sizes for protein are cooked weights. Therefore you can have 5-6 ounces of raw weight protein. That's a good amount of protein. And the two cups of veggies, you don't really have to count lettuce in that two cups so you could have a huge salad. The amounts in CAD are suggested portion sizes. They also say to eat in the amounts you need to satisfy you.

2. The answer here is it depends. The size of the RM depends on the CA's particular body chemistry. Some can have huge unbalanced RMs and lose weight. Some need the RMs to be balanced but they can still be large. Some balance their plate but don't count dessert in that balance. Some need to have salad first, some rarely have salad. Some need to practice portion control, not small portions but average portions. It can also depend on the CAs activity level.

3. Yes. I think the Hellers were very aware and leery of attacks by the medical establishment and so said their program could include all the dietary recommendations easily. As you read their text, however, there is really no limit on the amount of fat you use but you are not encouraged to go overboard either.

4. Again, it depends. A lot of CAs lose 1-2 pounds a week easily. Some lose 3. Some only lose half a pound. Like Atkins, it depends on the person's body chemistry fit with that particular WOE and the person's metabolism and activity level. Some lose on CAD/CALP that couldn't lose on any other program/diet.

Re: Questions about CAD
 

It's quite the opposite, actually. I find myself hardly ever hungry, and when I am hungry, it is usually in the morning and it is the "Stomach is empty, give me food!" hungry. Honestly, I never count or measure or weigh my CMs. I just eat the allowed foods, and I really only eat it because I know going the whole day with one meal is not good for you. Honestly, I am seriously NEVER hungry. And there are no cravings, either.



Well, technically, you can eat as much as you want as long as it is balanced. But when balancing it, you get SOOO full that the only way you can eat that much is if you force yourself. You can do the same in any diet program, but will feel disgusting and gross afterwards, merely because your stomach is not meant to hold such a huge amount of food. So, as with any way of eating, common sense plays a role in how much food you should eat.



I never got that out of the book at all. They covered their bases, as should be expected, when they said a low fat version CAN be incorporated. But it is not necessary, and we all know that fat is not the problem, so there is no real reason to cut the fat.



I think Zuliekaa covered this one pretty well. It is a matter of your own body chemistry, and this plan is not for everyone. This is for carb ADDICTS, and one of the benefits is the weight loss. When switching from a plan like Atkins to CAD, one can expect a few pounds gained, but it goes down. I went from a low fat diet to this low -carb plan and lost 8 pounds almost immediately. I have been steadily averaging about 1.4 lbs per week since then.

Although it is not all that similar to Atkins, it is a low-carb plan, so I know I am an avid supporter of Atkins. However, I find that the easiest plan to live with *if your body allows it* is CAD. It is SOO convenient and weight loss is acheived by burning the fat and not body, but not through ketosis. It works, just in different ways.