Okay, I'll post this to get people opinions - I realize there will be criticisms...

all comments welcome.

----------------Atkins Diet/The I love to snack version

Okay, I am not saying this is what everyone should do - but it's where I'm headed right now. Simpler is better. I'm reducing this to postcard size to keep in my purse. May laminate it. Even though I have it memorized. This looks restrictive, but is actually very freeing not to be so "meal oriented" all day. Helps me decide if I'm really hungry or not. Your thoughts welcomed. Not for everyone (some food restrictions/IBS). Like I say - if it's not on the list, I don't even consider it. Skip the not enough cals stuff...story of my life. Never has slowed weight loss for me.

salt restricted/Kiss/snack version

1. Snacks for meals only when hungry.
Dinner another low carb snack or a protein/veg meal.
2. No coffee, alcohol, caffeine, processed foods, sugar, starches, starchy vegetables, citric acid, fruit, no salted fats.
3. Walk daily at least 1 hour.
4. Drink hotwater/cold water continuously throughout the day.

Foods
-All proteins (no organ meats/no immitation seafood)
-Unsalted butter, olive oil, nutbutters, Unsalted or low salt
high fat/aged cheese or natural nutbutters
and coconut milk
-Low carb veggies (count carbs)
Drink only water.

Traveling/emergency –
Low salt canned tuna/sardines
Low or salt free cheese
Homemade nutbutters
Salad with oil
Last resort: Low carb shake or bars

You'll get no critisism from me. KISS version of low carbing is not a bad thing to do, and can often be what it takes to break stalls, re-commit yourself, shake up a slow metabolism...

Just do me a favour? Since you are going to all this good work to keep such excellent records - keep a calorie count too. It gives you one more angle to think about and examine if the results don't come out as planned. Also, spread those veggie carbs out over the day.

I don't normally advocate calorie counting on low carb, but I know for me that at times when I was having trouble losing, that calorie counting sometimes revealed information to me that I needed to know about. Namely - eating too few calories.

Keep us posted on this! If you're like me, you will see the results you want to see in very short order. A KISS version with portion control, ALWAYS works for me.

I guess this is the only part of LC that I don't understand. Why do you have to eat so many calories?

--Kirkwood

Kirkwood you need to eat those calories regardless of LC. Those calories are what your body needs to function. 10 to 12 times your body weight are the calories your body needs to fuel your basal metabolic rate. You actually should have MORE than that, but 10 to 12 times your weight is the minimum you need to ensure everything is running well.

If you'd like more info, try a search on the web for "Basal Metabolic Rate".

Nat

I won' count calories/calories and weight numbers send me right back into the ED hell I used to be in - years of counting and worrying and obsessing, over exercising and experiencing elation that I have 50 cals left for today - or despair because I have gone over my limit/only have 100 cals left for the day ---this is not fun. I used fitday for a long time/but I don't need to know all that information. I trust myself now to make good lowcarb choices.
I eat, I go on with my life, this is success to me. Times when I have counted calories, it works against me. I obsess and worry so much and count everything/takes all the joy out of eating for me. When hungry I eat. When not I don't. This is enough for me. My body is functioning just great too.

I do agree though that portion control should be a part of this diet...I don't count calories, but hey, I know TOO much food on a plate when I see it.


Thanks for the feedback!!! Appreciated.

I think the KISS version of LC works the best, especially for those of us that have issues around food. I know that when I eat more complicated foods, I start to feel more complicated. Keeping it clean and simple keeps me free from worry and anticipation.

But, I also think there has to be a balance. Approaching eating with joy and gratefulness works for me too. I'm not saying the food has to be more complicated - there is great joy in a simple piece of chicken with a simple green salad

Now, if I could only achieve it more often!

Karen

I think the simpler versions of this diet work better as well. The more complex our foods the more complex the computations to determine if we are on track and the harder it is to spot possible difficulties by a scientific method of extraction.

Good Luck

Mike