so, you want to lose about 25 lbs... same here. i've stayed between 135 and 145 for just about my whole life til i quit smoking 6 years ago. from that point on, the pounds began to pile on,
first 5, then 10, then 20 and finally, close to 30.
i have always adored eating and never really had a weight problem as i spent lots of time substituting cigarettes for food. of course that all changed when i quit.
anyway, this plan seems to work well for alot of folks as far as losing unwanted fat is concerned. for me, it took years to put on 30 lbs and i have a feeling that it won't take near that long to take it off thanks to this way of eating.
i do believe 100 % in what you say concerning the incorporation of fruits (since when are they bad for you???), root vegetables (full of nutrients for your healthy body), grains, etc. when you get to the weight you're comfortable with.
what NOT to do is pig out like we probably did before gaining the weight in the first place!
i love pasta... i can have 2 to 3 full plates of fettucini alfredo along with a caesar salad and loaf of hot french bread dipped in olive oild and balsamic vinegar. if i eat that much every day, not counting my other meals and snacks, i'm going to gain.
that's a no brainer! but, if i have such a meal once or twice a week and keep watch on my portions (weighing, measuring), i'm going to maintain my weight. unless you have some metabolic or physical problem that causes you to pile on fat like there's no tomorrow, eating just about anything you want (whole, natural, unprocessed foods) in strict moderation should keep you where you want to stay.
of course, i'm speaking for myself and not for those that have had serious weight problems for reasons OTHER than constantly eating & stuffing themselves like i did.... if it tasted good, i'd go for quantity!
for those folks, the low carb/high fat way of eating is probably their only way to a healthier body and they may just have to stay true to this diet for the rest of their lives to keep things in check.
in a nutshell, we're all different and there's nothing wrong with trying different options to find what suits you best. if you want to incorporate the weight watchers mentality with the atkins way, more power to you... makes perfect sense to me