hello shutt.
just to add my experience, Ive found through trial and error that adding sugar ( ie shop bought muffin) gives me a headache and a spaced out feeling. Im handling "whole foods" much better.

I got through Atkins on will power for a long time but this is suiting me better.

its all trial and error and watching your personal reactions to things.

Im pretty sure Zuleikaa has mixed CAD and Atkins for a whole summer but had better results not combining ( am I right Zuleikaa, hope so ! )

dont be alarmed if the scale goes up, mine did temporarily , perhaps most do ?

the triglycerides I have no idea. but my BP has gone down a bit on my 4 weeks or so CAD.

Shutt,

Apparently it is very common for people moving from Atkins to CAD to TEMPORARILY gain weight. So, my suggestion is that you not abandon CAD if you see a small gain. Give it a week at least.

To me, the trade-off between Atkins and CAD is that on Atkins, there were no restrictions on how often you could eat - snacking, grazing, etc was allowed as long as the snacks were LC. On CAD - you get the RM ... but no snacks, and the 2 CMs are smaller (based on the sample menus in the CAD book).

I switched about 6 weeks ago ... and I'm still happy that I did. I was worried about not being able to have any snacks, but I find that I simply don't want any, so it's not a problem. In fact, over the last few weeks, I often have days where I skip one of the CMs as well.

Shutt
You can mix CAD and Atkins but the mix should tilt more to CAD. CAs can get stalled on too much Atkins (my opinion and own experience). You being a man (sorry but it's true) you might have fewer problems with this. So of course you can do CAD 4 days and Atkins 3. Just remember you might not get into ketosis though some CADers have better ketosis on CAD than on Atkins.

Though CAD is about adding more carbs it does not necessarily mean you have to add a lot of sugar and refined carbs. You can add complex carbs and fruit to your RM.

It is very normal to gain 2-3 pounds when switching from Atkins to CAD. It should be off within the week. It's also important to average your daily weights to account for fluctuations so that you can see the downward trend.

Triglycerides and cholesterol as well as blood pressure and insulin levels go down with CAD.

An important point to think about. You said eating this much carbs makes you barf literally. If you get tummy upset after eating RM then you are allergic to something you ate and that allergy might be to sugar or wheat. Allergic reactions cause upset tummies and cravings for more, more, more! If that's the case, you need to find and eliminate your allergens or go back to Atkins. If you feel slightly stuffed and satisfied and don't get hungry again for hours then this diet is working for you.

Hope this helped you.

Thanks.

Well I'm up about a pound today; nothing too serious. I think I'll try this for a few more days (unless my weight begins to skyrocket ).

I still use mostly sweets as the carb part of my RM. Can't bring myself to eat anything like bread or pasta yet.

Take a look at a typical day for me (pre CAD):

BF
two tbsp oat bran mixed w/ three tbsp flax meal and a touch of splenda and cream.
one Iso Whey Protein Skake (1.5 carbs)

Lunch
Salad w/iceberg lettuce, spinach, marble cheese, meat (some type of deli sliced meat), and peppercorn ranch dressing
Diet drink

Dinner
Iceberg lettuce salad w/ ranch dressing
two chicken breast
1/4 cup plain yogurt, sweetened with splenda
Diet drink

Snack
sometimes porkrinds, often nothing

Water
2-3 liters throughout the day, mostly in the evening

Supplements
Vit C, Cal/Mag, and Centrum (Protegra) multi

After trying CAD, I am simply adding a few chocolates and some cheesies/chips to my dinner meal and excluding any snacks throughout the day.


shutt

It looks good. A note--some people have no problem with the cereal mix you have, some do. Keep note of your hunger/craving levels. If no hunger/cravings you can keep it in. If so, see if a difference is felt with it out.

Well I'm still up that pound or two today, and I can feel it. I feel a little bloated, and my tummy looks fuller.

I should clear up what I said before; I didn't actually feel like barfing after I ate, I just felt so guilty, I considered a self-induced one (don't worry, I didn't).

Yesterday after my RM I had a little stomach trouble (cramps), but it didn't last long. I didn't have any cravings really.

Today I will try a bagel and some fruit instead of the junk food; I think I am overdoing it on the junk food front, and just using this CAD thing as an excuse to gorge on sweets.

shutt

Shutt I know what you mean about the sweets. I guess just being overweight and then being a lowcarber, this is the first time I've ever had permission to eat them. I really had planned on being so healthy and having my favorite sushi and here I am everyday having ding dongs.

I guess after a while it will become normal to me and I'll seek other foods. I have absolutely no desire to have a piece of bread. I had potatoes once in soup and find them gross now. The one thing I have so enjoyed in having catsup on my breadless burger.

Did you have cravings while doing Atkins?

I would get cravings in the evening; I just felt like I had to be chewing on something. Pork rinds helped a little, but for the most part I just downed lots of water.

I have been guilty of eating too many foods with maltitol, especially at first. I ate a lot of protein bars, chocolate bars, ice cream, etc. I think I just began to get addicted to the sugar substitutes. I went a full 4 1/2 months with NO sugar whatsoever, not even ketchup or BBQ sauce.

I think its better in the long run to have some real sugar instead of pumping my body full of the sugar alcohols; I just don't know when to stop after my RM...good thing for that hour limit!

Today its salad and hot wings with a whole grain bagel (w/cream cheese), and some plain yogurt. Maybe a smartie or three. Hopefully its more agreeable to my tummy than yesterday.

Still CADing....for now.

shutt

Hey Zule,

I thought I read in CALP that you can have a snack but it must be on the craving reducing list. I rarely snack because I am just not hungry. I have gained 1 pound since switching to Atkins, this it normal right? I wanted to give up yesterday(I was pretty cranky ) but I didn't. When I feel really down I have realized I want something sweet for two reasons...I get an "I don't care attitude" and I just want to feel better. I hung in there and today was much better.

thanks!

Nems
Yes, you can have a snack if you want/need it but it must be a CS. And it's perfectly normal to gain a pound or to when switching to CAD. For one thing carbohydrates hold more water. For another, until your body gets acclimated it's going to be wondering what you're doing to it and hold on to its weight. Give it time. You're body is also going through some withdrawal symptoms right now.

Shutt and Nems
CAD is about listening to your body and how it feels and what it wants. Overdoing it at RM when you first start is normal and should taper after a while. We call it the kid in the candy/sweet shop syndrome. Start trying to think of what you really want for your RM and target on that. Listening to your body also means being aware of food sensitivities that can cause swelling, nausea, bloated, cramped stomaches and headaches and avoiding or limiting those foods.

When you find the right balance for your own particular body chemistry (and every CA's can be different) then you will find peace, energy, and weight loss.

Today I seem to have loss the pound that I gained yesterday. I had a musili (I don't know how you spell it) bagel and a cup of plain yogurt as part of my RM with no ill effects.

I feel much better today, so I think I'll do the bagel thing again. It's possible that the sweets were causing my stomach cramps. I'll try some again in a couple of days just to see how my body reacts.

Thanks for all your help.

Closer and closer to CAD acceptance.........

shutt

Thanks Zuleika for all your help. I thought about what I really want for my RM and its JUNK FOOD ALL THE TIME!
Just Kidding.

Have a great evening.

I did the bagel and yogurt thing last night (with a handful of smarties) with some salad and meatloaf (ground beef, egg, sour cream, soy sauce, hot sauce, pork rinds, parmasan cheese, spices, LC ketchup, topped with marble cheese). I actually didn't eat lunch, as I had a late breakfast and wasn't hungry.

Anyway, down almost a pound today, and almost back to my pre-CAD weight. No tummy troubles either. In a couple of days, I'll attempt some pizza. Any suggestions on how much I should limit myself, or just eat until i'm satisfied? I'll still do the salad thing of course.

Last time I had pizza, I gained two pounds. It will be interesting to see if I gain this time or if doing CAD will help.

shutt

hey shutt that's awesome you're doing so well. That will be great if you can pizza on this diet and lose.

Shutt
It looks like sugar is the culprit with you. Now you know. When you want a sweet at RM try a small portion or something with AS. I'm glad your tummy is feeling better.

As to pizza. Have a salad before hand for balance and then have as much pizza as you want to be satisfied. Watch the sodium content. Some people can gain 3 pounds the next day on Pizza Hut due to the sodium in their pizzas.

You've also found another secret of CAD now that your tummys better and you're avoiding a trigger/allergen. You're not hungry as often.