YES, I know that keeping to lowfat will NOT speed weightloss and that fat is the best ketogenic substance out there but please, hold your judgment. I do Atkins, must do it a different way.

I do not have a gallbladder and have postcholestectomy bile salt problems. This won't mean much to any of you, but for me it means a lowfat diet no matter what. Don't even ask the consequences of eating high fat for me. Too disgusting. Just trust me.

So, I am a low carber and I have to eat low/not no fat diet not by choice. I refuse to go back to highcarb/lowfat eating and have been struggling with this way of doing Atkins for a while now. But this is how I do it.

Calvin Ezrin wrote The Endrocrine Diet which is what I follow.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...=books&n=507846

Basically it is a lowfat/lowcarb plan. The book is wonderful.
I do not see this plan listed as an alternative and I feel it should be.

All low carb veggies are fine.
All lean meats/poultry and fish are allowed.
All HEALTHY nonhydrog/nontrans fats in very limited amounts are fine too.


Here are some of my favorite lc foods that I eat pretty much everyday.

Lettuce (head/romaine)
Greenbeans
Spinach
Mustard greens
(all lc vegs)
Keto Cereal
Egg whites
Chicken or Turkey
Tuna – lowsalt
Cottage Curd
Soy Milk unsweetened 1c

Limited/but allowed:
Mayo
Whipped butter
Ranch

I usually eat anywhere from 20-30 carbs a day, but considering that I'm at goalweight now - I'm maintaining. Yes, I'm hungry throughout the day - BUT I do eat throughout the day - all legal shmeegal low carb/low fat stuff. And I can eat as much of it as I want...I just count my carbs.

NOT as much FUN or as satisfying as regular Atkins, but I have no choice in the matter.

Any support appreciated. Sometimes we have no choice - due to medical reasons...there are many foods I cannot have either that exacerbate the condition:

No irritants or stimulants
--------Caffeine (cocoa, chocolate, coffee/tea etc) and cinnamon and ginger. High fat foods. Artificial sweeteners & fats. Alcohol, carbonated beverages and all spicy foods (chili, black pepper, garlic, curry). Acidic foods: tomato products, citric acid and citrus fruits/juices. Sugars (any “ose” and maltodextrin). Avoid sharp seed/harsh fibers.


I appreciate anyone who can encourage me to stay on track.
Nancy

Hi Nancy,

Well, you've reached your goal weight and now you are maintaining - well done.

If you have to eat this diet you've just got to do it. I suppose the alternative is either getting overweight again or being ill

I've looked at the list of things you are allowed to eat. Not too inspiring I must admit. I see you eat Keto cereal which I belive is textured soya protein. In this case you could eat things made from soy flour like pancakes and so on. Why not experiment with a little low carb baking? It might be fun and give you a better range of choices.

Hang in there. It's worth it.

Wishing you all the best,

Robert

That high fat is the best way to do Atkin's and I don't care what the "book" says about it. I have some fat in the mornings either in the form of sausage or butter in my flaxmeal cereal. I don't slather everything in butter throughout the day like I have read about on here. I figured that one day I was going to reach goal weight and I was going to want to live with a more normal diet even though I realize I will always have to watch the carbs. I don't want it to end up being a high fat diet, just a lower carb diet. You do what is best for you and don't worry about what anyone says or thinks. I believe every body is different and what works for one, might not work at all for another or may even have the opposite effect. I think it's great that you have found a system that works for you whether it is Atkins or anything else. Congrats on getting it all under control.

Nancy,

Depending on how many members are following a certain plan will dictate whether or not a plan gets it's own space on the forum. If there are only one or two following a plan then normally it doesn't get a separate area.

We try to support all members who are low carbin it regardless of which plan they are on. That is the over all purpose of these forums.

Perhaps if others out there are following Calvin Ezrin's plan then we can put up a space for it here.

I am sorry for your health problems, sounds like you have had a rough road so far in finding what you can and can not eat. I admire you for sticking with it, I am sure many would have given up hope.

If there is anything we can do to help just let us know.

Hello again Nancy,

Many people who object to a low fat version of Atkins talk about a phenomenon called 'rabbit starvation'. I've done a little research on this. Here is a quote from a web page devoted to the natural diets of native North Americans.

This trouble is worst, so far as North America is concerned, among those forest Indians who depend at times on rabbits, the leanest animal in the North, and who develop the extreme fat-hunger known as rabbit-starvation. Rabbit eaters, if they have no fat from another source—beaver, moose, fish—will develop diarrhoea in about a week, with headache, lassitude and vague discomfort. If there are enough rabbits, the people eat till their stomachs are distended; but no matter how much they eat they feel unsatisfied. Some think a man will die sooner if he eats continually of fat-free meat than if he eats nothing, but this is a belief on which sufficient evidence for a decision has not been gathered in the North. Deaths from rabbit-starvation, or from the eating of other skinny meat, are rare; for everyone understands the principle, and any possible preventive steps are naturally taken.”

I'm not saying this is a fate which awaits you but just that it is an issue you should know about. From what I can see you do eat some fats anyway.

Good luck,
Robert

THANK YOU THANK YOU all for your VERY supportive responses.
You seem to truly understand and take my word that eating high amounts (not no fat), but high amounts of fat would be very detrimental to my health. And we still agree that high carb/low fat is no way to live either.

Thank you for the inspiration and encouragement - I NEED it some days are easier than others. Wonder what I ate today? Here ya go!

Breakfast, eggwhite omelette with spinach and just a little butter.
Lunch - chicken, salad and just a little parmesan cheese.
snack - a glass of unsweetened soymilk (I add my own sweetener - liquid sweetnlow) warmed up YUM.
Dinner - green beans, tunafish and a lowfat high protein shake.

It is possible. Just takes a little planning. I can have fat, but very low amounts. I eat ALOT of food - large quantities and feel great.

Yes, I can have soy. In fact I love soy, I get all the fiber I need without all those nasty carbs! I do try to stick with as many non-processed foods as possible.

Thanks again...I have also discovered DRY CURD cottage cheese. Now it IS just AWFUL stuff all by itself, but I mix it with some soymilk - some flavored soy protein powder and some sweetener and gosh, what a great treat.

Dropping fat was traumatic. I thought I'd die of starvation, but Ezrin is right...the body will go into ketosis as long as carbohydrates are limited regardless of high or low fat intake. Sure, you go into deeper level of ketosis if you do high fat intake of course, but mild ketosis also results in many of the same benefits/less hungry, maintain weight etc...

Go forth everyone. Find out what works for you.

By the way, Ezrin has written "Your fat can make you thin" also...this is not an unheard of diet...just not easy for people to follow. Believe me if I could butter, bacon and cream myself and do Atkins I would!!!

Big hugs to all, I knew you'd welcome me BACK here.
Now, all I have to do is FIND the LOWFAT ATKINS discussion board again - and HOPE that SOMEONE else will join me in
my eating-style and share experiences I'm so lonely in this all alone.

Nancy

Hi Nancy! I certainly don't envy you for your necessary diet restrictions. It can't be much fun. Best of luck to you; hope you've been healthy on this plan.

FWIW, I think the only reason there are often objections to a low-fat/low-carb combination is that many of the people who want to try it are 'newbies' who don't understand the concepts behind LC, and/or are fat-phobic. Hate to see people stall out or slow their metabolism that way. Adequate fat, of course, is necessary for health and to keep one's appetite in check.

Have a good weekend.

Okay, due to health reasons, I am still lowcarbing/lowER fatting and doing fine. I've now limited myself to

all lean meats
all nonstarch veggies
whey protein shakes (lowfat) yum (no hidden sugars I'm careful) and eggs (they are not high fat when eaten in moderation, 1-3 hardboiled a day.)

I do the best I can and eat a large amount of food believe me.
If I want a little mayo, I have it.
If I want a nut or two fine.

I eat about 10g oatbran when I need it for soluable fiber and regularity - not usually a problem...and yes, I do count my carbs now, loosely but I do - about 10-30 daily...and I continue at or below my goalweight/

I walk/run each day and enjoy good health as long as I stick with this variation of the plan. If I goof and eat something highfat, it causes digestive troubles (no gallbladder) and exacerbates postcholestectomy bile salt troubles along with levator ani syndrome proctalgia fugax - don't ask, just use the web to learn details of these conditions if you must. What it means for me is definately LOW carb and LowER fat as often as possible.

Nothing wrong with eating lean meats, fresh veggies, lc fruits/rarely - nuts-rarely and a little oatbran too...eggs have made my skin glow...gotta eat some fat for heavens and healths sake!

Just checking in.

N Yes, it can be done.

Hi Nancy! Glad you're doing well. I think I'd cry if I couldn't have cheese.

Take care!

Thanks so much for the support and response. I get so very little here on this board because I don't do "traditional" highfat atkins and am of little interest to others...(don't blame them)...

oh, if you knew what cheese DID to my insides, you wouldn't miss it at all. A little is okay - everything in STRICT moderation and that doesn't mean eating alot of something not allowed sometimes either! It means if there is a sprinkling of something on a food, fine, it's fine...we mustn't be neurotic here, the point is, I don't seek out or purposefully add or INDULGE in no no foods. My health is improving.

Oatbran is a wonderful low gi food that is soluable fiber, very filling too...I only use a tablespoon or two in my protein shakes - and am now eating NEXT NUTRITION Gylcerlean protein shakes. Very little carb, lower fat and nice high good quality protein.

I appreciate you and anyone reading this giving me the "permission", the benefit of the doubt that my medical condition does require this form of atkins. Two populations do need this diet. People who have had thier gallbladders removed and have had health consequences from that (not everyone does) and surprise surprise, the large and growing group of bariatric surgery patients. They are advised to follow a low carb high protein LOW FAT diet ---- my views on this surgery are mixed, but I feel for the morbidly obese it could be a life saver.

There will be more high protein low fat products out there soon...GNC says many more are coming from Next proteins and other companies.

I believe that low gi/glycemic load, heavy on the protien and lightER on the fat is the way to go. I start with veggies, add protein and add a little bran....simple.

To miss no no (or eat less of) foods is to say I miss being in pain and discomfort. Never happens. I suffered years and now I dive into chicken and green beans plus a large protein shake for dinner and ENJOY.

N