I'm pretty new to this whole low carb thing: actually, I started yesterday. I haven't really adopted a specific plan, but my boyfriend told me that he went on a diet of meat, salad, fruit, eggs and fat free cottage cheese and couldn't keep weight on. So... I decided to try it: I've eaten fat free cottage cheese with a few strawberries (I figure they don't have much sugar), egg whites with a bit of skim mozzarella, chicken salad with greens and onions and a few tomatoes, vege chicken stir fry, some tuna and low carb protein bars (cause I have to have something sweet.) Everyone is talking about ketosis and all that... I know that I haven't eliminated carbs completely ... so I'm wondering if what I'm doing will work. I want to lose about 15 pounds. Yesterday I ate around 1300 cals. I've been getting headaches and I feel completely drained.

the first, and best, thing you should do is get yourself some books on the various plans. read them through carefully and see which ones fit best with your lifestyle. none of us can tell you if what you're doing will work simply because our bodies are different than yours. the one thing i did learn quickly was that when i "figured" certain foods would be ok because they didn't "seem" to have something i was trying to avoid, i was usually wrong.

don't be surprised if the eating plan that had your boyfriend losing weight left and right doesn't necessarily work as well for you. men have different metabolisms and different body chemistries than women do... my fiance can do a moderate carb diet (basically his only low-carb meal of the day would be dinner, which i cook) and lose 20lbs in a couple of weeks, whereas i can stick dead-on to plan and i have to fight for every little stinking pound.

low-carb also USUALLY isn't about calories. we eat until we're satisfied of certain foods, and generally utilize good healthy fats to keep us full. again, it's something that the books cover very well. also keep in mind that in most cases, the words "fat free" are almost always synonymous with "high carb". manufacturers replace the fat with sugar to make the food taste better.

do your homework and see what you really want to do... no matter which plan you pick, you'll have a good group here to help cheer you on and answer any questions you may have. good luck!