Hi Im new, this is my first post. I have dabbled with low carb eating for a long time always dropping quite quick when eating low carb then usually binging on bad food after a few weeks. Im now ready for a lifestyle change and quit the binging.

Anyway. I was wondering how people choose what lc diet they want to go on, with so many choices i go into information overload and im confused now as to which one to pick.

Any pointers would be great

Thanks

Hello!
Well, I've tried a few in my time; Atkins first, then Charles Clark, then The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet, Atkins (again), Charles Clark (again).
Each time, I lost weight and regained it when I stopped sticking to the rules.
This leads me to the conclusion that the simpler the rules are, the better chance of success.
In turn, this is bringing me to Paleo as the obvious choice for long termers.
I'm doing Anti X extra healing routine at the moment, as I have 3 key indicators for Syndrome X which need to be brought under control quickly.
I'm definitely leaning towards Paleo for life though.

thanks for the response.
I did the 30 day Paleo challenge nearly two years ago, lasted about 6- weeks and loved it. Had no more cravings for junk food and felt more energized, needed less sleep. The problem was the only time i was losing weight was when i restricted my carbs. Paleo is pretty restricting so to take away my carbs which to me = fruit meant that i was living off meat and veg. I love my meat and veg but i need to lose about 20 kilos so I would be stuck on meat n veg for a long time to lose that kind of weight. My thoughts were to try something like atkins or south beach, then when i lose the weight switch to paleo. I totally agree that paleo is the best for life.... mm so torn between paleo and a low carb diet..lots to think about

thanks again

I started with Atkins, though I've given CAD and The Perfect Health Diet official tryouts in my "stadium." Still with Atkins, but moved into Paleo with dairy for the summer; and dropped another 5 pounds that way.

I've read the books for South Beach and Protein Power, too. I've done extensive online reading on Paleo, and have my eye on Mark Sisson's The Primal Blueprint book. These are all plans that have worked great for different people.

It doesn't matter which plan you choose; as long as you stick with it. It seems to be the nature of low carbing that most people wind up on their own custom program by the time successful Maintenance is reached.

As a former binger myself, let me reassure you that you can get a grip on it with low carb eating.

For me, Atkins explained the science and offered the Carb Ladder; a great way to discover how certain foods affect our bodies and our weight loss. Now that I'm down to the last 15 pounds, it's Paleo principles that seem to help the most.

We all urge that newbies pick a plan and read the book and stick with it! That's because "winging it" doesn't offer a structure that lets you evaluate your progress, or learn anything from the process.

That's when it gets confusing.

We must have been posting simultaneously. I wanted to share more of my experience...

Carbs control insulin which control weight.

That's how it works. That's why cutting carbs, any carbs, works so well. However, people vary greatly from how they move on from "meat & veg."

For instance, some people would find that my summer strategy of adding high fat dairy and mostly low-sugar fruits (berries & melon are my favorites, but I do indulge in cherries & apples, too) would not mean a five pound loss, but a stall or even a gain.

And that might even have been me; this time I tried it AFTER I ditched all grains completely. AND seed oils, too (my latest experiment.) AND while in the past I always ate fruit in isolation, this time I eat always fruit with a meal; a meal that contains plenty of protein and fat!

Other people find fruit triggers binges; yet they can have a flax seed muffin every morning or even, in maintenance, the occasional slice of whole grain bread, without a problem. For me, such things kept me stuck at a higher weight than cutting calories, OR even carbs, could shift in the long term. For continued success, I had to stop looking at carb count and start looking at where those carbs came from.

Don't get stuck in the fallacy that THE PLAN means the same thing as WHAT YOU CAN EAT. The plan can allow grains, or fruit, or both... but it means nothing if your body doesn't get along with these food choices.

No, THE PLAN is a roadmap to guide you to figuring out WHAT YOU CAN EAT. Once you are eating the right things, and sometimes the right combination of things, so much falls into place.

Thanks very much WereBear. I will need to start paying more attention to where my carbs are coming from and how my body responds to them. I guess its all trial and error. Time to start my journal again. Time to find my own "plan" based on what my body responds to.

Great advice, ive always though I had to follow a certain lc plan. Never actually considered eating based on how my body responds. So simple but yet so true. Genius

Thanks

In addition to the "pick one that works for you" I offer:

http://www.lowcarb.ca/atkins-diet-and-low-carb-plans/

Yup! The simpler, the better.

For example, I really enjoyed reading the Protein Power Lifeplan. However, Dr. Eades advocates taking lots of supplements and getting hard-to-find items like sardines packed in olive oil, eating grass-fed beef, and getting a special brand of cod liver oil in order to get enough omega-3 fatty acids. I could not stick to this!

I have only one simple rule for myself: 40 grams of carbs or less

That's it! And then there's the no-brainer stuff like no trans-fats, making sure to eat plenty of food before attending social gatherings, and drink water when you're thirsty. Although beneficial, I don't take vitamins. I would have a hard time sticking to a schedule of 10 to 15 of them a day. I also don't go out of my way to eat organic, grass-fed, etc. I think I prefer my WOE that way because I secretly want to prove that people with not a lot of money or who are too busy to go to 5 different grocery stores for specialty items, can eat LC when it's all said and done.

This is the beauty of Atkins....discovering what foods your body can and can not tolerate! Adding foods back in one at a time makes a huge difference. Pain? Yes! Worth it? Yes!!!! I've discovered that I have an intolerance to dairy and need to AT LEAST be careful with cherries. I don't think any other plan has you adding foods back in one at a time to test for allergies/intolerances. This is how the plan is individualized. LOVE IT!!!

Whichever plan you choose, make sure you READ THE BOOK! (or the website, or whatever!) Don't go half-a~~ into any program...make sure you completely understand the do's and don't of eating ON THAT PLAN, the exercise component (if there is one), the time required to plan, etc. You will LOVE low carbing! The cravings DO stop!

Funny how everyone says the "simpler" the better. That was always my problem with Atkins "induction".. it is just way too strict for me. I don't know if it's the hypoglycemia tendencies I have or what..but I'd just crash way too hard and end up binging. When I did my own "modified' plan.. my blood sugar became stable and I was able to start losing weight and just getting energy along with other benefits. If I want a spoonful of natural peanut butter or almond butter..I have it. This isn't allowed on "Atkins". As long as I am in ketosis..losing weight.. feeling good.. it's all I care about rather than what plan I label myself with. I coudn't even get through a week of induction. I've lost 15+lbs since I stopped following rules.

I think it would be more accurate to say that you deviated from the plan and customized it so you could lose weight and still keep the cravings under control. My plan is Atkins too, but I still eat almond butter for times when I'm hungry and need a quick fix. Technically I think it's allowed in one of the "rungs" but that complicates things for me.

On the other hand, I don't go soft on how I eat. Although I limit carb intake and allow myself a certain amount, I never consume fruits (except raspberries), starchy foods, or anything that's really sweet.

I think if we are maintaining a rate of weightloss and not eating as strictly as our plans would dictate but still being serious and committed, that's still okay. It's important to feel settled and "at home" in the new WOE instead of feeling like it's a formal practice where we have to do things just so, otherwise we're doing it completely wrong.

In other words, we should get to the point where the WOE comes naturally and (eventually) doesn't feel like we have to make an extra effort to maintain it.

When you discovered that you could have tried South Beach. It is much more liberal with the carbs in phase 1.

thanks mike d for the link, reading it now

Lots of great advise, thanks everyone. Im swaying more towards Paleo, you dont know what you body has bad reactions too if you dont cut out the food. Paleo is good for seeing how you react to certina foods and definalty changes the taste buds.

i just want the cravings to stop, im sick of feeling like food controls my life. I want to be in control

this is why i picked primal, dieting does not work, as soon as you stop and revert to your old habits you gain weight again

for me it has to be a permanent life style change and therefore what ever system you pick you need to be able to fit it into the way you live, and for me primal does that perfectly