I got rid of sugar, artificial sweeteners & grains & something odd happened
 

I just finished my 7th week and have dropped about 20 lbs so far from 322 to 302. My goal is 235. I tried super low carb, but I found really missed green veggies and tomato based dishes. I'm well below 80 carbs most days but I'm not anywhere near being in ketosis. I have put butter, steak, cheese and eggs back into my diet and given up all grains, sugars and artificial sweeteners. I count calories but not carbs directly. I have no "cheat" days.

I, like most of you, have dieted numerous times in the past and with the current low carb scenario unlike my low fat diets in the past where I was hungry all the time and had to fight myself the weird thing I have noticed this time is that I'm not craving stuff anymore, especially in the evening. In past diets it was an exhausting battle of the wills with my appetite, but these days after I get to around 1600-1800 calories in I'm good. This is strange territory.

Giving up artificial sweeteners was more of a battle for me than giving up carbs but I went cold turkey and it's worked out. I do wonder if this will have to be a complete dietary lifestyle change forever or can you ever go back to grains (I love sourdough bread and pasta) once you lose the weight. I suspect it's forever.

I hope I don't blaspheme by saying this, but way down the line, in the future, after you lose the weight and you're maintaining, if your body tolerates it, I say yes, you can have a slice or two of sourdough bread or cup of pasta al dente once or twice a week and still stay under 80 g and maintain your weight. I just wouldn't have them at the same meal/on the same day. I kind of lost my interest for pasta and bread after doing low carb for the past 4-5 months. I can't believe that's me saying that. But I confess I have a few chunks of potato or a half cup of rice every now and then and I haven't exploded yet. :) You just need to observe carefully, be honest with yourself and see if you can fit it into your WOE without any ill effect (e.g., weight gain, energy crashes, or appetite triggers).

Meanwhile, congrats on the weight loss and onward ho! :)

I wondered that as well, but when I finally arrived I realized the cravings for grains and sweets were gone. I make whole grain sourdough waffles, have an occasional roll or corn tortilla, some sushi or ice cream, but it's something I can take or leave -- not an obsession or a craving. Haven't had a pancake, donut, chocolate, bagel or plate of pasta in years. I have found other foods I like now that I really seldom or never ate before and they're way more nutrient dense and satisfying.

For me, consuming any of the food items that previously led me to my carb addicted state would start up the process again. Maybe now I feel with everything under control I can eat like a "normal" person, not! The key here is that the definition of "normal" in the context of eating has been so distorted by the medical community, the USDA, and food manufacturers that there is no such thing other than what enables one to sustain good health. I've accomplished too much in experiencing the many benefits of good health to put it all in jeopardy. No, for me, this is a way of life. Why would I ever want to screw this up???

Glad to see you are still around MonkeyG - I've decided myself to abandon the idea of eating grains again but only for today and in lieu of further evidence that some kind of them may be of some benefit. Like you with atrificual sweeteners, I gave them up cold turkey and really don't crave them any longer - the craving stopped quickly as I found other suitable things to eat. I use lots of shreded lettuce in place of rice in stir fry and shirataki noodle for rice noodle substitue in Pho and stuff.

There's a limit to how much I can trust myself around low carb treats, unless I'm following a strict enough ketogenic diet. I can get all my protein from peanuts, cheese, and nuts, as long as I don't go over my protein for too many days, and I won't binge. A serving or two of sweet potato, and I'll binge on the same cheese that I've been having an ounce or two of as part of my daily diet for a month or more.

I'm still too new to this WOE to notice patterns with all foods, but it gets clearer as time goes on. Some I do consider trigger foods or gateway drugs, as I call them. Can't have a little without having a lot - and then I'm still wondering what I'm going to eat next. Off the list for me.

What's pleasantly shocking about low carb, as your OP title suggests, is that this way of eating is a natural appetite suppressant. My carb cravings have become for chopped raw salads with dressing or pickled vegetables. When you're fat adapted, if you're hungry or craving things, those things tend to be mostly protein and fat. And clear lines are drawn between hunger and satiety. In plain English, you don't get hungry so much and when you're full, you know it and put your food down and save it for later. What a concept!

I am new to this WOE, Atkins phase 2 week 2, and I am a chocoholic. I was buying the low carb Atkins brand "treats" for something sweet after dinner. I would have one serving a day and be satisfied. Once going into phase 2 I found I was craving sweets earlier and earlier each day. I didn't cave in to eating them, just found myself googling recipes to make it carb friendly. I think it totally threw me out of ketosis as I hadn't lost any weight after a week. So now I've been two days without any sweet, its been difficult for sure, but I really didn't crave chocolate today. I'm hoping it gets easier, and reading everyones experiences with giving up sweets cold turkey I think I can do it!

Me too, or I was in the beginning and at first the cravings were overwhelming. I gave in to a few sugar-free chocolates and Reece's cups then graduated to darker and darker chocolate, finally Baker's cooking chocolate. I don't even think about sweets anymore, but it takes time. Bacon is your friend :yum:

I'm too much of a hedonist to give up artificial sweeteners, but you're right, it's strange territory at first. For me and a lot of folks here, there was almost a 'mourning' period. All of the sudden, you're not eating to amuse yourself, sooth yourself and/or get that sugar/gluten opioid high.

I've been in maintenance for a decade and a half now, and I'm cautious about eating not-so-ideal foods. I don't like calling them 'cheats'. Anything with gluten is out. I didn't want to believe that I had a problem with it, but I do. I LOVE zucchini noodles and shirataki is decent, so I don't miss real pasta. I miss good bread, but it's more like I just miss the idea of it. There's no way it's worth the bodily consequences I suffer afterward.

I eat starchier veggies and some rice here and there, but I save it for dinner time. Once or twice a year, I'll have ice cream, but that doesn't come in the house... and I pay the price if I eat anything sugary. I'll get too sleepy, and it's too hard to stop at one bite, one small piece, etc. I just bought myself an ice cream maker so I can make my own LC ice cream. ;)

Congrats on your success so far. :thup: