I have dieted for... forever and had a lot of success w low fat/low cal years ago. I came to low carb after reading Good Calories Bad Calories because it's a scientific explanation of why low fat doesn't work for many people. It rang a BIG bell for me, so I decided I needed to try low carb.
Until eating low carb I was ALWAYS hungry. Hungry after dinner, hungry before meals, hard to stop during meals, worrying about my next meal. That went away w low carb (probably better control of blood sugar & insulin release, although all my testing has always been normal). Just getting the hunger thing under control for me is worth living this way - I feel normal around food.
I am losing weight - not fast, but pretty steadily, and in a way I feel I can live with forever.
The long term eating plan (at maintenance) will include whole grains and fruits, but never in free-for-all portions. Bread will be a special treat. Cakes and desserts will be extremely rare. Candy won't be part of my life. Nor will potatoes, or pasta again, except as a special treat. Can I live this way? Yes. I've done low carb for over 5 months now, including a 3 week vacation to the US, and I live in Paris of all places (bread galore, pastries to take your breath away, etc).
The truth is for me to manage my weight forever into the future NO MATTER WHAT APPROACH I USE I'll need to use restraint and consistent monitoring. I know from years of effort and success (and failure) that I am not going to be able to weigh what I want to without paying attention to my eating (and exercise). But you know what? That's true for 95% of all people (and probably 100% of us on 3FC). Maintenance is a long hard slog - day in, day out. There is no point where you can just go and eat it all without paying attention. The only question is what will you pay attention to? Not putting butter on your potato? Or not putting the potato on your plate?
For me, this is the first plan I've ever been on that I have felt really at peace with my eating choices and control, and feel I can eat this way forever without feeling like I'm suffering. Special occaisions and treats will occur with whatever diet you choose - it's the daily eating plan that you need to be able to live with.
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