[JustGail]

I was doing my morning research as I do every morning to see if there is anything new in the low carb world. I focused on eating out today because we will be leaving for a 10 day vacation this Friday. I researched several of the low carb menus and I was pleased to see that so many restaurants have added a rather extensive low carb menu. I was relieved because who doesn't want to eat out when they are vacationing? After looking at three restaurants I knew it would be easy for me to stay on the diet and enjoy vacationing just like before. Ruby Tuesdays has even added the Baja Bob drinks to their menu. I was so happy. Then to read on....the critics. You can't have this fat and you can't have these calories and you can't have booze...what's up with this? It seems to me that the critics are taking what is supposed to be an easy diet and making it just as hard to follow as the low cal diet. My doctor told me to watch carbs...only carbs. He said not to worry about fat or calories. He said to leave it up to him to watch my cholesterol and other fat related illnesses. He knows I have struggled with this weight for many, many years. He has never pressured me to lose the weight...he knows I have tried. I even went through the diet pill phase. He thinks this diet would be easy for me to fit around my lifestyle because it doesn't take a lot of planning. You know what you can eat and what you can't eat. I am going to trust the restaurants menus simply because I know what I should or should not be eating. Is there anyone here that adheres to all of the criticism and avoids restaurants because of how they break down good food/bad food? There's so many critics out there that simply don't want this low carb diet to live a long life. They want it to die out, so they find reasons for it not to work. Am I the only one that gets angry when they read the criticism? It's alomost as if low carbers have become the new "minority" and the critics are scared we will soon be ruling the world.

Whew!! That felt good. I just had to blow off some steam.

Ladies, please keep posting how you are doing and what you are eating and where you are eating out and how good the food was or was not. So many of us depend on your input to keep us going.

Back to the housework...UGHHHHH!!!

Gail

[dottiejon]

Hi gail!

I am having a "blowing off some steam" kind of day, too! Not food related, but it sure pushed my buttons and I was thinking CARB-CITY! But I'm pulling myself together, I have some "planned" cheat food around-you know, not the best choice in the world, but not the worst either? So I got into the pistacios...but ended up with celery and alouette cheese dip.

It's really hard to get into the LC vs. LowFat debate with people. I find they've either tried it and understand, or they don't. One thing that has helped me with the negative vibes, and with doubts and being unsure myself in the beginning especially, was to read, read, read. I must have read every LC plan around. Some are kind of technical about the way we process glucose and all that, but it helps to keep you focused.

Even though I'm not doing "perfect" Atkins, (I drink coffee, half and half, diet soda) I have learned tons from reading (in particular) Protein Power, Carb Addicts, and Schwartzbein. Other ones I liked were Fat Flush, the Goddess Diet, and South Beach. But the bottom line for me is to keep the carbs low. Keep it simple. Eat real food. Meat, veggies, eggs, a little cheese.

And it's funny, I find eating out the easiest part of this WOE> just have some meat, fish, chicken, whatever. A big salad, a vegetable. DONE. But I do like to try cooking different things from the recipe sections here and at other LC sites.

Nice to see you, hang in there!

dottie

[JustGail]

This has been the most difficult day of my diet. I've been loyal for two weeks...no urge to "cheat". I am so gorged on salad. I feel like rabbit. I reckon it's because I am broke and I can't go buy the groceries I need to prepare foods other than meat and salad. I want to make some italian food with eggplant. I want to make tacos on low carb tortillas. I want something besides salad. I'm not going to give into my cravings. I ate the chicken and salad for supper and I'm full. I'm just bored with it right now. Tomorrow is payday so things will look better. I also have to get a root canal tomorrow so I won't be thinking about food. The real test for me will be vacation. I hope and pray I am strong enough to stay on program. :::sigh::: Days like today make me respect those of you that have lost a lot of weight so much more. You all deserve a medal. Hopefully, one of these days I will be one of you.

Have a good night.

Gail

[nasus40]

Gail. Many people are total fanatics about the low carb woe. my feeling is if you are losing and seing thingsd go the right way and have a doctor behind you then stick with what you are doing. I just do not go over board with the woe. I eat my vegetable oil as I can not afford the olive oil and many other things that purists think is bad. I am NOT a fanatic and I do not go over board with not eating and I am happy!! things are working well for me so let it go at that. and let it go with those fanatics.