Here is one of those "It worked for me" stories. I know that this will be controversial, so if you *must* throw things, please make them soft things, or at least non-staining.

I suffered through a six-month stall before the turn of the year. My ECC was 30, and I ate clean. I had just gone back to school, and while I got a decent amount of walking in, I didn't officially exercise. I lost zip, zero, nada. If I did hardcore induction, I had to get carbs under 20 and fat over 70% to lose, and even then it was only a lb or two. After that, I'd *gain* about half a pound a week. I think my body actually adapted to true LC. With great trepidation, I picked up the BFL book. I knew BFL was good for exercise, but the diet is low-fat and allows things like potatoes and whole wheat bread. I decided to try it, but with only low-glycemic, whole-food type carbs. This meant LC breads, old fashioned oatmeal, apples, grapefruit, berries, cooked barley and the occasional sweet potato. *I also did the BFL workouts.* For six weeks, I ate 6 small meals a day and my nutrient ratios were 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fat. My ECC was anywhere from 150 - 200. In short, it worked. I don't know if it was the change in diet - Atkins does recommend a low-fat reversal diet for bad stalls, though only for a week. A mere week didn't work for me - I tried it. Maybe it was the exercise. Whatever it was, it did work.

The upside - I lost about 12 lbs of fat and gained back about 5 of muscle. I enjoyed some old favorites food-wise (oatmeal), and I discovered a few new LC things, namely cottage cheese with berries. For me, this did not ignite cravings, though I know for some it would. The biggest downside was that even on low-glycemic carbs, my skin breaks out.

Halfway through my 12-week challenge, I switched back to LC. More fat, and an ECC of about 40 - which is still high for many people. I was still doing intense cardio 4x per week, and lifting weights. My first two weeks back on LC were great. I had some trouble getting through my cardio, but I lost 8 lbs in two weeks, and am now losing 1-2 lbs per week.

My heart goes out to people in the midst of long stalls. It's very hard to keep the faith and remain committed. I nearly gave up many times. It seemed so futile to be sticking to my plan and seeing *nothing*. Especially over the holidays, I got very bitter and depressed (but I'm also prone to SAD).

At any rate, I'm offering this not as a recommendation, but simply as part of my own story.

Cheers,

Friday