Low-Carb Project v.1.2

Aim of the Study: To determine if a low-carb way of eating, regularly interspersed with the Fat Fast (Atkins) Lean Protein (Stillman), and Calorie Boost days, will lead to increased weight loss when compared to low-carb alone.

Participants: Anyone may try out this modified low-carb way of eating. However, to be a bona fide participant in the study, you must agree to the following:

1) To adhere to the diet - that is, to incorporate a Fat Fast day, Lean Protein day and Calorie Boost days at the prescribed intervals.

2) To post daily using the template provided (see below).

We're being fussy about participants' dedication, because we want this to be as close as possible to a scientific study, and since we can't monitor participants, you have to monitor yourself!

Starting Dates: August 16-23, 2001

The study will end September 20, 2001. Your participation in the study ends 28 days from your start date. Of course you can continue on if you want or drop out any time.

You can join The Study any time you want between August 16-23, 2001. The Study works on a seven day cycle, so choose a start date that will fit in with your life. For example, you may find it difficult if the Fat Fast or Stillman day falls on the weekend.

I will assume that everyone participating in the study is a sincere and dedicated low-carber, so I will not give you any warnings about cheating.

For a true study, you have to keep up your journal on a daily basis. This will help other people involved in the study to get ideas and keep motivated through community spirit—especially for the Fat Fast and Stillman days!

You can do this on your own if you wish and not be included in the study.

If you do decide to cheat, you will not be judged or berated. Your Study Journal will be merged with your Bootcamp/My Journal thread. You can drop out of the study at any time you wish.

The Plan:

Day 1:
Follow your regular (Atkins, Protein Power, Zone, etc) low-carb plan.

Day 2:
Fat Fast. Consume 1000 calories, at least 90% of which are fat. 15 grams of protein are allowed and 10 grams of carbohydrates.

Eat four 250-calorie meals or five 200-calorie meals.

Allowable food: cream cheese, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, avocado, olives, mayo, egg yolks, olive and other oils, chicken skin, whipping cream (liquid or whipped), sour cream, up to five pork rinds.
Optional: up to three cups sugar-free Jello, or up to two teaspoons artificial sweetener, and one cup of lettuce.
Water: five litres or as much as you can.
Recommended: psyllium husks

Day 3:
Calorie Boost. Follow your regular low-carb plan, with the following modifications:

First, absolutely no dairy. Second, eat 13 calories per pound of body weight. 25 grams of carbohydrates are eaten in the form of green vegetables only.

Day 4:
Lean Protein Stillman.
Allowable food: lean meat (trim all fat), homemade or sugarless jerky, poultry without skin, white fish, shellfish, egg whites, baker's (dry curd) cheese, meat and fish broth. Quantities unlimited. Up to 1/2 cup of lowfat ricotta or cottage cheese OR up to 3 oz. tofu (the lowest carb you can get). Lemon/lime juice, herbs, spices, hot sauce, soy sauce, Splenda, etc. in moderation.
Optional: one cup lettuce.
Water: as much as you can.
Recommended: psyllium husks.

Day 5:
Calorie Boost Day, as per Day 3.

Day 6, 7:
Follow your regular low-carb plan, as per Day 1.

If you drink coffee, you can continue drinking it throughout. Watch the diet soda, though, especially on Fat Fast or Stillman days - limit to one per day.

Before you begin:

Have a good food counting book or use the one on this site in the Tools section.

Weigh yourself on your start date and record it. It is also advisable to measure yourself.

Don’t plan to do this if you have events coming up that will throw you off the plan—weddings, vacations, a lot of birthday parties, etc.

Plan what you are going to eat in advance. Figure out what you can eat on Fat Fast and Stillman days, and what you will have to consume on days 3 and 5 to reach 13 times your body weight in calories.

Print this out and keep a copy on your fridge and another one with you.

A few tips:

Buy whole chickens. Remove and roast the skins until crisp for Fat Fast day. Use the breasts for Stillman day and the thighs, wings and legs for the remaining days.

Have egg yolks on Fat Fast days and save the whites for Stillman days.

Journal template for The Low-Carb Project v.1.2.

This template can be copied and pasted into your Project Journal thread.

The Project operates on a 7-day, 4-week cycle. Activity and measurements are optional. Or, you may want to measure yourself at the beginning of the study, and at the end.


Week:
Day:
Today’s Program: i.e., Regular LC, Fat Fast, Stillman’s, Calorie Boost


Foods eaten:


Calories:
Protein:
% of protein:
Fat:
% of fat:
Carbohydrates:
% of carbohydrates:

Activity:

Measurements:

Thoughts:
_________________________________________________

Have a blast!

Rachel & Karen

Okay, if the start date is Thursday, the 16th (thanks for waiting until after my b-day BTW), that would make the fat fast on Friday, and lean protein day on Sunday, correct? Or can we set these 2 days for any day of the week that fits us best (so everyone will be on a different schedule?)

Just wanted to clarify.

Also, will we be posting our journal here for the allotted time (instead of under our regular journal)?

Did that make any sense?

No, your start day can be any day you want between August 16-23, 2001. It gives everyone more flexibility that way. The 7 day cycle has to be followed as outlined above, meaning you can't mix up the days.

And yes, keep your journal here in a separate thread. Same journal rules apply - only one thread per journal. It will be merged into your regular journal when the study is over.

Karen

Heheh, I just was about to delete my last post when yours popped up. I re-read and answered my own questions...

Thanks though!

I should think that having a 'study journal' doesn't necessarily preclude keeping up your regular journal also, assuming you want to keep up two journals! Some people might want to keep track of their food here, but keep thoughts and meditations with their regular journal. Just remember, to be a full-fledged participant in this study, you need to keep an up-to-date 'study journal.'

Rachel

Hi Karen, I am probably asking the obvious but under what thread do we post our reply for the study journal?? Sandi

You create a thread in the Group Journals and Projects Forum.

Karen

1. 25g carbs from GREEN vegetables??? So no cauliflower, daikon, yellow-skinned zucchini, mushrooms, radishes, bell or hot peppers of any colour other than green?

2. 25g carbs from VEGETABLES only??? So no coffee, salad dressings, mustard, soy sauce, worcestershire, eggs, tofu, sausage, ham, bacon, raw brazil nuts or fresh coconuts, sesame seeds, avocado (a fruit), liver, clams, mussels, oysters, etc??

3. 25g carbs only? Is this TOTAL carbs, or effective carbs??

Thanks in advance, as I really, really want to do this exactly. I want so much to be successful at breaking this horrid 8 month long stall.

Doreen

I've been assuming
a) strictly leafy green vegetables as a carb source (other than the incidentals in my coffee coffee coffee of course, cuz I refuse to give it up)
b) meat (grilled, fried or roasted) plain
c) fat (ghee, oils, etc.)
d) water

Didn't think at all about the fiber carbs in the veg... net or gross 25?

Sounds a lot like the MEAT & WATER fast thing we used to do (alternating with FAT FAST) on the Lowcarb-List. Or maybe the (incredibly boring and strict) Texas Elimination Diet... Hmmmmm.

I'm on calorie boost tomorrow, so some clarification would be great (tho, wasn't Karen PACKING in the wee hours this morning, Doreen?). Oh No!

Yes, so Rachel, as a co-conspirator, may want to take on this one.

Wa'il

That would be about 6 heads of lettuce and three bags of spinach. It ain't gonna happen to THIS intestinal tract!!!!!! .... I'm planning broccoli, zucchini (green, not yellow) scallions, green peppers, celery and cucumber. Next wek I might have chard, asparagus and/or green beans. And spinach and lettuce too. Maybe some kale or collard greens, mesclun mix and Nappa cabbage too. Probably safest to stick to 25 total carbs, fiber and all.

Doreen

Oh, dear, I think Karen and I must be assuming different things about this one. As you know, we got the idea from Stina's notes from talking to her friend, and this point wasn't very clear (obviously not your fault, Stina!). Unfortunately, Karen and I didn't spend much time on the veggie thing when we tidied up the plan! Help, Karen, where are you!

OK, my assumption is this:

--25 effective carbs, to be made up in the form of veggies only: that is, no nuts, avocadoes (I think I cheated on my first Cal Boost), tofu, protein powders, fruit, etc. PLUS reasonable amounts of coffee (we can't give that up!) and seasonings. That's about 5 cups of brocolli, cauliflower, green beans, etc. About three big servings (for me, anyway).

--I, personally, don't think there's anything particularly special about the colour green, as long as the veg is low carb. So veggies include all the usual low carb veggies, with the exception of starchy veg, which we don't eat anyway. Spag squash and other 'sort of starchy' veggies would be no no's.

--None of us are willing to give up coffee, so I'd say that coffee and seasonings are OK in moderation. Maybe an egg or two, since they're so low carb? I wouldn't want to go over 30 carbs for the day, all told.

OK, that's MY interpretation, and that's what I did (well, TRIED to do) yesterday. I suppose it doesn't really matter what we decide, though, as long as there's some sort of consensus, so we're all doing the same thing. What do others say? Karen....?

Rachel

I so wish I had received more information...and now I have been unable to reach her to get the fine details as well. Sorry everyone

I think I posted the 25 green vegetable carbs and perhaps I made that too set in stone. When talking with her, the main thing was eliminating dairy for those days. She said she ate 25 carbs, all from green veggies. I don't believe she meant that we could only eat green vegatables (for one she was talking about a spinach and bacon quiche she made for those days). When the low carb study was posted, I just assumed it was *tweeked* to perfection and never even thought about the fact that it was me who started the 25 green veggie carbs.

I am sorry if this has all gotten a bit confusing for everyone and the main concept is still exceptional. I think we just need to figure out the small details so we can all gather and complete this correctly.

I too agree with the premise that we should choose the lowest carb veggies possible, and perhaps their "green-ness" can be in terms of freshness. It make sense to avoid the higher carb veggies like tomatoes, carrots, mature onions. The lower carb veggies are also the better fiber bargain ..

Doreen

Please don't be embarrassed, Stina, it's your inspiration and hard work that got us all started! As I mentioned earlier, the fine details are probably less important than all of us doing the same thing for the sake of the study's consistency.

Shall we agree on 25 carbs (after fibre) from fresh, low-carb veggies, plus, say 5 'discretionary' carbs from coffee, eggs, seasonings, etc.? I agree with Doreen that 25 carbs from lettuce and cabbage alone is probably a bit much to ask.

Too bad Karen isn't around to be part of this discussion .... Karen? We need you! What do the rest of you think, shall we agree on this, at least until we hear from Karen?

Rachel