Actually I meant that on some days protein is the larger source of calories, and on other days, carbs, but since carbs are rouutinely making up less than 50% of my calories on a regular basis, this is low by the official party line of the food pyramid.

Kaplods, we do agree on the point that being too heavy is a serious health risk, so any diet that leads to weight loss has to be an improvement over the previous lifestyle. We're all different, and I'm glad you've found something that works for you.

I'm OLDER than most of you, I think, but the Atkins diet has been around for a long time. I went on it after I had my last child, who is now an adult. I gained 55 pounds or so with that pregnancy, which had me up close to 200 pounds. My baby weighed 9lbs 14 oz and I lost six pounds when I had him. Go figure...???? Anyway, I went on Atkins for a couple of reasons - I had never been much of a fruit & veggie lover; I LOVED meat; and I loved the idea of being able to eat all I wanted. I've always had a pretty big appetitite. I ate huge cheeseburgers, ordered the king-sized prime rib when we went out to eat and snarfled down every last ounce of it, had four or five eggs scrambled with cheese for breakfast and darned near a full pound of bacon or Jones (no filler) breakfast sausages. I literally ate my way down to 135 pounds. Felt fine, no problem with cholesteral, no problem with blood pressure (high BP runs in my family), no problem with anything. I stayed on Atkins and maintained at 135 pounds for seven years. Then I ate a hot fudge sundae one day - after all, I hadn't had ice cream, never mind hot fudge in SEVEN years! That hot fudge sundae led to a carbohydrate binge like you wouldn't believe. I ate more candy bars, pastries, doughnuts, spaghetti, French bread, Italian bread, Swedish bread, Poruguese bread....well...came up for air about a month and a half later weighing 173 pounds.
And, as far as I'm concerned, THAT'S what's wrong with Atkins, or any diet that restricts carbs...sooner or later, you just can't do it anymore. No matter how long you force yourself to stay on it, sooner or later you *slip* and it's all over. AND, as soon as you're off it, the pounds pile right back on with a vengeance.
Now, I think about all the meat I was eating and practically feel nauseated. I couldn't do it again to save my life. NOW, I'm eating low cal, high fiber, low fat...lots and lots of fresh veggies, lean meats, drinking lots and lots of water, and EXERCISING I'm losing more slowly, but I feel SO much better, and feel like I really CAN eat this way forever without feeling deprived. AND, if I really want a hot fudge sundae, I could always just eat that for the day and nothing else. Not saying it's a great idea, but if I really and truly wanted one, I could have one without ending up on a binge.
I just don't think Atkins is good for the long haul. If you can use it to lose and then successfully switch to something else for maintenance, it might be fine, but I don't think that switching is something that we binge eaters handle too well.
So that's MY two cents or a quarter on the subject.

TTFN

Ella

*standing behind kaplods and nodding* Yeah. Everything she said!

I personally wouldn't carb restrict as much as an Atkins diet (or any low-carb diet, esp. during induction phase) would require, I do agree that Americans in general eat too many carbs & particularly refined carbs.

That being said, I can see how low-carb diets can be VERY motivating, since that induction phase your body drops a whole lot of water (which results in 5-10 pounds the first two weeks.) However, I personally think it's a bit too crazy when natural, wholesome and healthful foods like fruits and certain vegetables are cut out just because it has too many carbs.

I also think it's crazy when foods that are traditionally high in carbs are being modified to be low-carbs, so don't get me started on all those low-carb breads & cereals!

And then, there are the folks who think no-carbs is a free pass to eat all the fats they want. Ugh! I can't even begin to describe an ex-coworker of mine who ordered a gross looking one-pound cheeseburger - lettuce-wrapped and without ketchup, of course.

So for me, calorie counting & budgeting works best, though I try to keep my refined carbs under control while getting in more veggies & lean proteins, but nothing is REALLY off limits - 'cause frankly, I don't have that kind of self-control. But everyone's different, some works best with a low-carb diet, others with low-fat, etc. there's no one-size-fits-all.

I tend to believe everything in moderation (even moderation), but I'm really starting to notice how I am truly "carb-addicted," (and as badly addicted as I am, my husband is 50 times worse). I doubt that I could stick with a very low carb diet in the long term, but I'm also finally coming to terms with the fact that I have to be very careful with carbs, even the "good" ones. I don't believe everyone is like my husband and I, and in fact I realized very young that when it came to food, I was very different from most people. Even after I would eat until my stomache hurt, I would still feel driven to eat. I never felt satisfied, and watching others eat, when I wasn't supposed to was pure torture. I've felt that way for as long as I can remember. Reducing carbs, and eliminating processed and low fiber carbs, has relieved the food drive more than I imagined possible. I'm not saying that I'm now "normal," but I think I'm beginning to understand the concept of "satisfied" (as opposed to uncomfortably full), for the first time ever.

The statistics for long-term weight loss success for people the size of my husband and I are not very encouraging... even with extreme measures like weight loss surgery. So I agree that if low or lower carb dieting helps a person lose the weight, it should be at least considered. Of all the types of dieting I've tried, I believe that I dismissed lower carb diets, far too easily as as an unhealthy fad.

I read recently that a recent study suggested that extremely obese people have more success on low carb diets than on others, so it's something to consider. A lot more research on low and lower carb diets, needs to be done to determine the long-term health effects. It disturbs me that I have to "experiment" on myself this way, but having lived with 35 years of morbid obesity, I have very little to lose (except hopefully an eventual total loss of around 260 lbs).

Colleen, what exactly do you mean by "low carb"? What would be a typical menu for you in a day? I know someone who I believe has the same issues as you so wanted to maybe mention this. She used to be around 400 lbs and went to around 260 or so from surgery. Obviously something chemically is different for people like you and her when it comes to food so maybe you require a different approach. You do sound like you've tried everything so I'm glad to hear you've found something that is working for you. Please keep us posted about you and your DH's progress. I'm really hoping the best for you!

I wouldn't call my diet low carb, I just try to stop at between 100 and 150. So calories from carbs are generally between 450 and 650, and my average calorie total would be around 1800 calories give or take. I eat "whole foods," which means fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, and whole grains such as brown rice, cracked wheat, occasionally whole wheat bread, oatmeal, quinoa.... I keep portions of whole grains down to about 2 servings a day, and use fruits and veggies for the remainder of my carbs.

Today I slept late, so I made brunch for my husband and I of lean taco seasoned beef (with two small homemade whole wheat tortillas) with a bit of brick cheese and salsa and raw veggies. For snacks, I had an apple with an oz of sugar free dark chocolate. 1/4 cup sunflower seeds. And for dinner, huevos rancheros and raw veggies with South Beach ranch dressing. I had a no sugar added frozen fruit and juice bar, and a couple of rye crackers with cream cheese and nori (10 calorie sheets of seaweed used for making sushi. I like the flavor, so I folded the seaweed like paper and placed it on the cream cheese. The cream cheese softens the nori a bit and really brings out the flavor) and about 1/2 cup canned beets.

The big thing for me seems to be avoiding high glycemic carbs, they tend to prompt a binge. I even have to watch "good" carbs, because I can easily overdo. In general, I'm more moderate carb than low carb, but once I hit my 100 grams, if I am still hungry, I try to snack on protein and low calorie veggies.

WLS, at least gastric bypass, isn't an option for me, because I have autoimmune disease and other health issues that make me very prone to infection, electrolyte imbalance, and other possible complications. I might consider lap band if I can't keep my eating under control, but so far this has been almost too easy (I'm waiting for the magic to wear off)

Oh, and a large orange (I try to get at least one citrus fruit in each day).
I don't know if today would be considered typical, as I didn't have my dairy or large salad. The head of dark green leaf lettuce I bought froze in the freezer, and hubby drank the last of the milk. I should have had one of my low fat yogurt, but I'm still a bit choked up with a respiratory infection and I just can't stomache dairy when I'm congested or have a sore throat (the cheese didn't really count since it was only a couple shreds).

Wow, ellabella, what a story!!!!!

I definitely eat some carbs because I want to avoid exactly that kind of thing! I've never done Atkins, but I've known others who also report a problem once they tried to eat carbs again.

Jay

I tried south beach and atkins about 2 1/2 years ago and lost about 10 lbs each time before giving in and eating carbs. But it wasn't the cookies or chips I missed.... I missed eating fruit. I couldn't believe that I wasn't allowed to eat carrots, either. I was discouraged when I would eat an apple and gain a pound! I don't know about anyone else, but I also felt like I was eating all the time - I could easily eat two chicken breasts for dinner and be hungry an hour later because I simply was not eating any carbs, and carbs help fill you up and give you a feeling of satisfaction.

Your body needs carbs for energy, but carbs also contribute to the production of seratonin in the brain. Just recently I read an article about how low-carb dieters put themselves at risk for depression because of the lack of carb-producing seratonin (http://psychologytoday.com/articles/...06-000014.html).

What also deterred me from the atkins lifestyle is having a genetic protein in my blood that causes my blood to be "stickier" than others - meaning I am at greater risk for blood clot and heart disease. Any diet that had me eat cheese, meat, eggs, etc all the time was not the right one for me. HOWEVER, like someone mentioned, I do believe low carb (that is also low fat) diets are wonderful for women with PCOS and insulin resistance.

I am much like a previous poster, where I have cut out 95% of my processed sugar intake (I sneak a cookie every other day or so!), and my carb count is usually between 100 and 150 each day, but those carbs come from vegetables, fruits and whole grains. I took a nutrition class in college and it was so interesting to see how each food group contributes to important functions in the body. Why deprive my body of whole foods that contribute to the healthy functioning of my body?

I would definitely say my mood and attitude were affected when I had tried extremely low carb diets, and I warned my husband about not restricting his carbs too much (he's grumpy enough), though mostly because he is diabetic and taking diabetic meds. He is eating fewer carbs than I am, but more than Atkins weight loss phase allows. I have found the 100 - 150 g range to be very effective for me, and choosing carbs from fruits, veggies, and whole grains has helped alot. I also use the Volumetrics and glycemic index concepts to help me to feel satisfied longer on less food. I make healthy soups almost every week.

I think I've finally found something that works well for me, and it's my own "rules" influenced by 35 years of dieting and finding what doesn't works for me the hard way, influenced by many diet resources I've read, including Weight Watchers Core, South Beach, the carb-counting diabetic diet sheets my husband was given when he was first diagnosed, Volumetrics, "whole" and "clean" food diets, and the Glycemic index.

It sounds confusing, but I think we sometimes get bogged down by the rules of programs we're drawn to, but don't feel we can follow as written. Every diet out there was created by somebody, and none of them are "magic," so there's absolutely nothing wrong with tweaking our program until we find what works for us, and if that happens to be a program that's out there, or one of our own choosing or following a program with a few "personal exemptions" so be it. If you're going to break out on your own, though, it definitely helps ot have a nutrition background or see a dietician to make sure your diet is reasonable (I hate to use the world balanced, because it means so many different things to different people).

I will say that customizing your own diet makes it difficult to explain to others when they ask "what diet" you're on when they've noticed you're losing weight.

I've halfheartedly tried the atkins and south beach diets for a few days but just couldnt keep it up. I got way too hungry to survive the induction phase; my blood sugar feels like its dropping and I get weak and very cranky. I feel awful and immediately give up for some satisfying carbs. On the other hand, when I eat too many carbs I do start getting bingy and will eat lots of healthy, whole - but still lots - of carbs.

However, I'm not really very disciplined and continuously change my planned meals so no specific diet plan has ever worked for me.

What works best for me is being able to eat pretty much what I want - totally within reason of course ( I do usually, though not always, keep it healthy) - for a few days and then just cut back on my eating (which in turn cuts down my appetite) for the next few days. I then get hungry (though I'm eating around 1600 calories that still keeps me hungry) and need to be more satisfied for a few days, at which point I cut back to try to lose again.