I don't think there's only one shot. I think that calories do indeed count, but it's much easier to maintain, say, a 1400 calorie diet on lower carb than low fat simply because fat is satiating. Exercise counts too--maybe not running marathons but walking and lifting weights. If you simplify your diet and keep it to whole, real foods--yes, even stuff like potatoes and grass-fed dairy--you can get, if not exactly where you want to be, pretty close.

i also disagree with the one shot theory. sadly, i've been on and off low carb many times over the years and when i get back on track, it always comes off quickly. i do agree with what people said about why it could be slower, age and not eating as cleanly as the first time. when my weight isn't coming off as quickly, if i think about what i'm eating, i can see that i'm still eating a few carbier treats or even deciding a can have a small handful of m&ms and it won't affect anything. ugh! but when i stay on track and eat right, even after 10 years of eating lc, and numerous restarts, the weight still comes off at about the same rate.

I don't believe it.

I lost 50 pounds in 2008-2009, going from 250+ to almost 200. I got discouraged, got sloppy with the diet, and gradually regained to 236. In February 2013 I rededicated myself to the diet, plus eliminated dairy. From February to November 2013 I dropped 50 pounds again, this time getting to 186. I maintained around 190 over the holidays using a general low-carb diet with a few cheats built in.

I tightened up my diet again on February 1, 2014. In 2 1/2 weeks I've dropped another 6 pounds.

I don't think there's just one shot.

I think you will and can still lose weight, I'm on my second attempt. Its slower loss than the first,but I'm older and post menopausal this time. We also latch back onto meals we were perhaps eating at lager stages of the previous diet...so maybe slightly over doing the carbs., forgetting we shouldn't yet be eating tomatoes or nuts or whatever.

I think it's hogwash and poppycock. "But 5, 10, 15 years ago I lost so much easier!" Yeah. It's called getting older. Your body does not function in the same way at 40 that it did at 30. Particularly for women.

Well, I'm on my 4th or 5th major "shot" at low carbing with at least a dozen more minor "shots" in between over the last 40 years. I did my first "Atkins" diet back in the late '70s. I didn't really learn much -- I just ate what my Mom told me to. But I lost 20 lbs down to my goal weight- then went off the diet and gained it back. In my 20's, I lost 70 lbs - down to my goal weight. I remember that last 10 lbs being a lot harder to do than the first 10 lbs. With a few major yo-yoes between then and now (age 50) -- this time around I'm losing at the clip of 2 to 3 lbs a week. Seems to me to be about the same pace as previous attempts. When you have a lot to lose, I think the weight comes off quicker. We'll have to wait and see what happens when I get closer to my goal weight. But that's going to be a while.

I'm on my second shot, about 15 years ago I did LC devotedly and lost 65 pounds. Have put it back on and now that I'm menopausal I am also finding it TREMENDOUSLY difficult. I lost 6 pounds the first several days of induction and have only managed 1 more pound since, and I'm into the third week of very strict induction. Watching carbs like a maniac, tracking every calorie, zero cheats, zero frankenfoods, zero ANY of the things I both know and have read cause difficulties. I can only believe it is a combination of my body seriously fighting this change and age. As Eades said in his post someone linked here, taking up ANYTHING at age 35 versus age 50+ is a whole different ballgame!

That said, I do KNOW this WOE works, so I'm committed to it, just waiting semi-patiently.... okay, IMpatiently!...for my body to get over it's whole "OMG, we're STARVING!" thing and kick it in gear. So my opinion is that yes it IS more difficult the second time around, particularly if age is a factor, but I still don't believe it's impossible. Just much, much harder.

Don't believe it... because I am finding it easier and quicker this time!

It took me about a year in 2012 to lose 60 lbs. Then after months long stall, my mom's long illness and death and other major stresses - I fell off the wagon a bit. Still eating gluten-free, but gained back 22 lbs.

Started back on my diet in February 2nd, lost 12 pounds in 12 days. In total, I have lost 21.4 lbs. in 3 months.

BTW, I am now 60 years old.

I've been reading this thread with great interest, having lost 60 pounds 2 years ago and now regained 25. I am now post menopause, but it's hard to believe that being just 2 years older can make such a difference. I think mostly I am not as stringent as last time, as many others here have said. But perhaps that is good, because as we all know, what you eat to lose weight is what you will need to eat to maintain. So if I can manage to lose slowly, maybe I will have a better shot at maintenance. I think everyone here shares the same story in that we are not giving up!