I have low carbed for years just to mantain my weight, which is at least 30 pounds over. It wasnt until recently that I started counting ALL carbs, not just the obvious ones in bread, potatoes, etc. That I started losing. I think that makese one of the unlucky extreme carb sensitive types. There is diabetes in the family so maybe there is a connection? I have metabolic syndrome but no diabetes.
What do you think about the concept of having a 'carb day' after every few no carb days?
I weighed myself Saturday morning and no weight loss after a week (5 days) of low carbing (under 20 grams). Amazingly, after having a few carbs on Saturday, some chips, candy, beer, rice (no bread), definately over 100 grams, probably the 'normal? amount- I weighed myself Sunday morning and am down two pounds! Maybe I need SOME carbs SOMETIMES to kick start my metabolism, insulin, whatever?
Thanks for your thoughts!

well it wouldnt work for me. I see carbs as addictive, so to me it would be like giving up smoking, but having cigarettes every few days!! Also, the way low carb diets work is by putting the body into ketosis - using fat instead of sugar for its energy. To chop and change wouldnt really encourage weight loss - not water loss, but inches!

Jo xxx

Your weight from day to day doesn't really tell you anything - you can't possibly gain or lose 2 pounds of fat overnight! The only thing that number tells you is your water weight. Alcohol acts as a diuretic, so it's likely that weight loss is because of the beer. And as Jo said, carbs can be addicting, so you might not even see the negative effects of your carb day until the rest of the week, when you find it harder to turn down the next carby treat.

I don't think a militant LC diet is necessary for everyone, but... you say in your post that you've already experimented with a more moderate LC diet without seeing weight loss.