I've been a low carber for about four months now. I had lost around 25 pounds on a low-cal/low fat diet prior to starting the low carb WOE. It was the hardest diet I had ever been on, after a lifetime of dieting. The weight just wouldn't come off, so I started taking an ECA stack. That at least brought me to a normal rate of weight loss. I got within 5 pounds of my goal, and then began to lose my "discipline". I managed to maintain my weight, but only by continuing to take the ECA stack and exercising, while eating the sorriest diet imaginable. I pretty much lived on bread, vegetables and no- or low-fat candy. I decided to adopt the low-carb WOE to try to dig myself out of the hole I was in. It was my intention from the start to make it a WOL, but it's been a tough and frustrating experience. I began with Atkins. I lost a pound, and then I gained 7! I was eating those evil Advantage Bars, Atkins Shakes, and a slew of other supposedly "legal" foods. It took me far too long to realize that one size definitely does not fit all when it comes to low carb eating. I have spent the last four months gaining and losing the same 4 pounds over and over again, and I've never even been able to get back to my starting weight, much less lose the final 5 pounds I wanted to drop. I tried the fat fast. I tried the meat fast. Reading the book on one low-carb plan simply wasn't enough. It's taken me what seems like an eternity to learn what foods I can tolerate, and I'm still not done. I eat no artificial sweeteners, no caffeine, take supplements, and drink my water. I've gradually given up one dairy food after another, processed meats, nuts, and I finally decided to go on the Neanderthin diet. It seems to me that I'm better off working from the bottom up rather than the top down. Perhaps I can lose what I want to lose with Neanderthin, without the fruit and nuts, and then can gradually start adding foods back. Through all of this, I've maintained my resolve to stick with it. I still suffer from food cravings, but nothing like what used to plague me, and I know I'm so much healthier than I was, even if I weigh more. Even when I've given in to those cravings, it's been with "legal" candy bars, or one of the foods I should stay away from but are low carb, like nuts. Has anyone else had an experience like mine? I'm so grateful I found this website because it's given me a wealth of information with which to arm myself. Is my problem because I was on low-fat/low cal for so long and that I'm a lifelong yo-yo dieter? Is my metabolism permanently screwed up, or will it ever even out again, and if so, how long will it take? Thanks for any feedback.

Julie