Flightbag,
I was doing WW and other low-fat balanced diets since I was 14 and have gone through the whole yo-yoing. I started LCing in Jan 2002 and even though I fell off the wagon a few times it is by far the best alternative for me. I started with Atkins which I found too strict and went to GO diet (which allows more carbs plus encourages yogurt, kefir, and buttermilk and other dairy). I liked that but wanted to experiment so I tried CALP (the plan with the reward meal
). I liked this one but unfortunately for me, I couldn't handle the reward meal even when I followed it to the letter and it triggered carb cravings for me. Due to family issues the beginning of this year I went off for a few months and restarted at the end of Jan with GO diet again. And I haven't strayed once and I love it!
I can tell you what works for me with LCing better than LF - it's the cravings. I am a compulsive eater so it's very easy for me to go into a binge (which is why CALP, while a great plan, didn't work for me). With both Atkins and now GO diet, my cravings for sweets and carbs are under control and I'm able to restrict myself to the sweets/carbs allowed with LCing. And I feel absolutely no hunger and no deprivation (drowning my salad in full-fat ranch dressing, in other words, instead of that watery non-fat stuff, does a lot for the deprivation factor
). I don't weigh myself, but I know I definately lost a lot of inches. This time around, for some reason, I'm feeling much less hungry than the first time I did GO diet and my body is working with me so i'm losing a lot of inches again (about 2 1/2 inches in the waist in a period of about 1 1/2 months but I haven't measured myself lately).
Hope that helps a little. I also went through the dilemma about LC vs LFF and reached the conclusion that health-wise (given my history of binging and compulsive eating) LCing was far more worth it.
And I agree with Pokey 100% - nobody says you have to do Atkins only or that only Atkins works. Looking at other alternatives is always a good idea.
Tam