I know that LC is for me, but I'm having a really difficult time settling on one plan. I'm feeling serious information overload! I don't want to pick an inappropriate plan and end up disappointed or worse. I am hoping that there are folks out there who have sampled several plans without too much trauma.

So, how many tries before you found the plan that was right for you?

When I first did it in the 1970's, there WAS ONLY Atkins. After I went back to carbs and gained it all + back, I went back to Atkins. The others are derivations of Atkins - even if they don't admit it - with some differences.

I tried CAD (carb. addicts diet) but I couldn't handle the 'reward meals' where starches and sugars may be part of the dinner. So I keep pretty well to Atkins. Why don't you look around the journals and see what people of your starting weight are using and how they are doing on it. (Be sure it's a person who STICKS with the plan).

There is also a section called "which low carb plan is right for you'. I'll go and get the URL & be back to post it here. It will help you decide for yourself. Here it is: just click on the underlined word here. The topic is to the right of this page, beside your first post, in the Quick Links list.

Above all, it MUST be an eating plan you feel you can stick with.

All the best.

most of us who have lost a bit and been around for a year are always shifting our programs a bit. You might start on Atkins, read Neanderthin and get convinced that dairy and AS is bad for you, try that for awhile, go back to dairy, read Schwarzbein after a year and try that... I've also heard of people who have quite a bit to lose who lost with more "liberal carb" programs (like CAD), then stalled out in a major way and switched down to PP and got fat moving again.

Every program is okay, and it's okay to switch. Just stick to that program exactly for awhile, and don't mix and match until you have some experience.

I think eventually, we all end up with a personalized program anyway.

Start TODAY, whatever you do. Don't use "deciding" as another excuse to put off your new life!

Thanks for the input!

Tofi, I have read the "Which Plan is Right for Me" area. It is incredibly helpful, but it almost feels like I have too many options.

Razzle, you have a point - I should jump in, but I'm afraid of not being successful with the plan I choose and feeling like a failure, again. I guess there are no guanrantees.

hi Dahlia,

It took Thomas Edison 15 years to invent the lightbulb In his personal journals, he wrote that he never considered the first 14 years as failures. Instead, he considered that for 14 yrs he was successful at discovering ways how NOT to make a lightbulb.

Yes there are many LC plans out there. They're not one size fits all. But each time you try a plan, if it doesn't work .. well, YOU haven't been a failure. You'll have been successful at learning what doesn't work for you. That knowledge will serve you well in the future .. especially if you consider low-carbing as a lifetime way of eating, and not just a quick fix.

It's all about progress .. not perfection.

Happy low-carbing

Doreen

Forgot to add ...

Have a look at your local library. It's very likely they'll have copies of the popular low-carb plans. That way, you can borrow the book for a couple of weeks, try it .. and if it doesn't work, or you find it impossible to live with, then take it back. Nothing will be lost, but lots of knowledge gained If you decide a program is THE one for you, then you can purchase your own copy to have forever and ever

Doreen

Hi Dahlia! How many plans for me? One - my own. I think it's a matter of knowing yourself - what will work for you and what won't. Some people need strict instructions to follow. But there's no way that would work for me. I have to be able to feel like I can have a lot of choices and that I'm not "on a strict diet." I *did* make sure that I read some books and understood the science, though. I also make sure I accurately keep track of what I eat on fitday.com . The most important thing is that you just try your best to make good choices - don't worry about making mistakes. They will happen, and you just have to move on. Good luck!

Everyone here is so incredibly wonderful and giving!

Doreen, you are right, perfectionism is a big problem for me. This morning, I decided to just jump into the LC WOL.

Kristine, I am seriously considering following my own plan. It's a relief to read that doing your own program has worked for you. All the authors seem to agree on the basics; I will simply modify from there.

Go for it - I think it's more important to help yourself avoid obvious trouble than to follow a program to the letter (as long as you have a plan lined up in your head.) ie, get rid of the carby food in the house, make sure you have good low-carb snacks around all the time, etc. Once you get into a routine, you don't need to have someone else tell you what to eat.

"My own plan" is really Protein Power, pretty much, with beer a couple times a week.

Don't worry, if you're having problems, we'll all help you out. It's probably a good idea if you make your fitday stuff public and post the link, *or* keep track of your food on a journal here. That way, if you have questions, we can take a look. Good luck!