Hi, everyone

I am actually not a newbie here. I have been involved in the beginning of this board, about 2 years ago or so, when we were on e-groups. Maybe someone remembers Sam, tamarian should. Anyway, whatever. The reason i am back is i think i am loosing faith in this whole thing, at least for myself. Have you guys heard of people that just could not get it to work and went to the other side?
Let me explain. I am a major advocate of LC and i think i read every book and website out there that has anything to do with Diet and Nutrition. It has become a real second profession and since i am currently thinking of radically switching careers, getting my dietitian certification is a serious option. The only problem with it is that through my whole life i have NOT lost a single pound on LC. I do beleive though that it all makes a lot of sence and this is the healthiest lifestile there is and i am planning to raise my children this way. However i have lost over 60 lb on the low-fat/low carb/low everything diet. Granted, i practically staved myself and ate apples and dry cottage cheese. I worked out 7 days a week and was very fit, but tired. I screwed up my health to the extend of loosing feel in my arms and legs (too low fat seems to kill nerves, it turnes out.) and was a nasty angry person all the time. This is when i found low carb (about 3 years ago) as a means of maintaining weight without living in the gym and starvation. I have gained a little, but got healthier, which was more important.
Married life is catching up with me and i seem to have gained a few. I need to drop those annoying 6 lb. But every time i go on a severe, restricted LC i seem to gain weight. I stop after gaining 2 lb and go to the low fat/low carb (lettuce with tuna, skim yoghurt type of deal) and drop some weight. But i can't go like that for long, i get irritable and low energy (no brainer). I seem to have developed total intolerance to hunger after my 60 lb loss on starvation diet. I just don't know how to get it all to work for myself when i counsel my friends and relatives and have at least 3 total success stories (all of them were seriously overweight though, 6 lb give or take did not matter). I stopped taking all diet sodas and artificial sweeteners. I only eat meat and eggs with spinach and lettuce salads. I never once could get into the ketosis, no matter how hard i would try. I would increase fat intake and that only makes me retain water and gain weight. I drink water like a camel and take all the nesessary supplements.
Anyway this is already too long, i have to stop now. I trully believe that it works for a lot of people, but does it work for everyone? Maybe it's a wrong place to ask, because they already left? I want to emphasize, i am not trying to be negative here and would do anything i can to encourage those that made it work. I am just a little lost.

Any opinions are welcome.

Cheers.

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hi -- nice to meet ya! I'm sure the older people will be thrilled to see you.

I don't think six pounds one way or the other matters for anyone, no matter their starting weight. If you change your eating patterns now and feel sick, your body is giving you valuable feedback. Why do you think you "need" to lose six pounds? Seems to me like your body has found a comfortable weight, you look good...why not relax and enjoy having found a way to eat that works for you and makes you feel healthy? It's as simple as changing the number of your goal.

How about finding new challenges for yourself that aren't directly about body-changing? Why the dietician certificate? Why not shoot for med school? Or decide to climb K2...or whatever sounds like fun and a long, difficult project. Losing the thrill of accomplishment that comes with weight loss or body-building leaves a lack in our lives--a lack of praise, a lack of feeling the accomplishment acutely--but sounds like you're done, you've gotten the reward, you're slim. It's time to enjoy it and relax about the weight.

And if you can't relax...maybe it'd be helpful to talk to a professional who knows about eating disorders and body dysmorphia... If you can't find happiness and satisfaction with what you've done, get help in finding how to find it. Best of luck to you.

I hear ya. It may be a little obsessive. But I want to loose the 6lb because i know that i can be at that weight and feel good. I've been there already and i like the way i look when i'm there. I can get there again if i restrict calories. I was just trying to do it by means of Atkins or other LC plan and it did not work.
I heard of people that had to start eating carbs to stop weight loss. I guess it's rare.
I was just having trouble advocating something that i can't get to work myself.

Hi Sam, it's great to hear from you!!

For those who don't know, Sam and I corresponded through eScribe or Atkinsboards, before we decided it would be a good idea to start a Vancouver mailing list for low-carbers.

Sam, the last 5-6 lbs are always the hardest, even for those who lost hundreds. What makes it even more difficult, is losing after a low-calorie plan, since your metabolism is at it's weakest.

Following a low-fat, low-calorie plan, nothing would work for a while until your body feels unstarved to exit it's "conservation mode". One thing the got my attention was "severe restricted LC", which can mean many things to many people, but at the end, it doesn't sound pleasant or enjoyable

An excellent place here to check is the bootcamp/journal sections, where you can see how various members tailor their lc method to their needs and see how it works for them. And if you feel like it, start your own, so we can check on your method and possibly come up with some hints.

Stick around, it's great to hear from you again.

Wa'il

Well, Sam it looks like you've been at this a lot longer than I but since you wrote, I can't resist the siren call to give my opinion!!! It sounds like you really appreciate all the health benefits of keeping stable blood sugars with the LC lifestyle and would like to try to continue. I have two things to suggest: Perhaps you need to try a different approach to LCing... maybe chicken and fish and eliminate all that meat (suggested in Eades book Protein Power) and I've read where some people do a bit better by upping their carbs a bit with veggies and selected fruits and spacing them out carefully throughout the day. Particularly if you are very active. I would be careful in your "zest" to lose those pounds that you are eating ENOUGH protein. Starving your body is never the answer no matter what diet your on.

The other thing I suggest you check out is Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution book. You may not be diabetic but you could have severe insulin resistance and would benefit from truly maintaining a steady blood sugar. (He advocates a LC approach)

And lastly... (oops that makes three ) I hate to mention it... but speaking from experience as we ahem age, out metabolism slows down and your set point will be lower. I'm sure you know the answer to this one... weight lifting to increase LBM and basal metabolism.

Good luck and hope this response got you thinking. I'm sure with a bit of reading and thinking you'll think of an appropriate strategy!