Low (No) Carb Diet?!?! I need help :)
 

I just started my own little diet... I'm trying the Atkins kinda thing.. with little or no carbs. How many carbs a day are you allowed? I dont really know the specifics, so for now Im steering clear of all carbs. Can anyone fill me in a little? Do y'all really think this diet works? Thanks for any info you might have!! :D

You might want to check out the Low Carbohydrate Lifestyle forums here, they'd probably be your best bet for info.

I've read Atkins, Sugarbusters, Protein Power, the Zone, etc., - I went low-carb not too long ago and lost a few pounds... however, my hair started falling out at an alarming rate and my period lasted for a month solid... after reading other low-carb support forums I found these symptoms were "normal" (as well as a host of others that I didn't have, thank goodness). Plus, I just plain felt sick eating so much meat and so many eggs... I never really felt "great" or "healthy" even though I was losing weight. :(

I started doing a lot of research on low-carbing and the found that (and I wish I'd bookmarked the studies I read, I'll look for them & post them if I find them) a "lower-carb" diet, but one that is also low in saturated fat is best for weight loss. I'm having faster & healthier success (no awful side effects and I feel great) with keeping my carb intake to around 40% of my total calorie intake per day. When I do eat carbs, it is from whole grains, fruits, veggies (i.e., whole foods, not refined foods). BTW, www.fitday.com is a great place to track fat/carbs/protein intakes per day.

I was pretty active on some low-carb forums when I was going through all of this, and a lot of folks are huge supporters of their low-carb diets. But after reading a couple influential books and studies, and after personally going through such nasty side-effects and then after I gained the weight back (plus some) faster than I'd EVER gained before when I stopped low-carbing... I'm convinced it's just not for me.

Good luck!

I had a friend on the Atkins that lost 45 lbs. really fast. She then hit a plateau and gained it all back. It is possible to lose weight this way, just be careful. I am starting my own diet because I know that whatever I start I will have to continue the rest of my life. God Bless!

Amy