I have decided to stop the shakes and go directly to the all-meat diet. I don't feel good on the shakes, and I am getting used again to the sweet taste, which I feel is a step backwards for me.
I haven't lost any more weight either, so a total of one and a half pound in five days, not exactly what I call such a fast loss that I'll need extra potassium (as per Dr. Eades).
I'll keep on following the other recommendations.

I am doing the 3/1 right now. I have modified a few things to suit myself but I think the suggestions are great. I found the powdered leucine on bodybuilding.com (just powder). If you read up on leucine, makes great sense. I use unflavored 100 whey protein (Biochem - also from bodybuilding.com). I add maybe 1/4 tsp of guar gum to thicken. I ALWAYS do the egg - and sometimes for breakfast, I do 2. I do not worry about salmonella (right or wrong, that's how I feel) - I wash my eggs in very hot water first for several seconds, half minute. I have not used the enova oil - not interested. And have stuck with Coconut Oil. I even add it to my shakes (before I add the ice - it minimizes "clumping") if it is complementary to the flavors I'm using that day. Today I did one with the eggs/cream/protein powder/splenda/about 1.5 T of dark cocoa/coconut oil, ice and Seltzer Water. It was terrific - no exaggeration. I did an "orange creamsicle" with Diet -Rite Orange soda (splenda) yesterday - and will have one today. I am lucky that most of mine are consumed at home - but if at all possible, it would be worth it to get a small blender for work where that is appropriate.

I have been on a long stall - and really am a "slow loser" even though i rarely cheat (and work out) -- I am Insulin Resistant and this just fits the bill. I use my Atkins low carb mindset and cut out the grain, and up the fat. I've lost 4 pounds in as many days - and I have been on Atkins Induction for several weeks so it may or may not just be water.

I think this is a book that is more of a "method" and may not work for those new to LC - or who want an absolute road map. For me, armed with a lot of LC background, I think it's a really good "finesse" using things that clearly work for me!

Also - pay attention to the "ADD POTASSIUM" in my opinion - if you track your foods (Fitday etc) - you may find your potassium low. I was having leg cramps so I took his advice - potassium supplement.

I'll keep you all posted if it keeps working or no.

Heck, I lost three pounds right at the beginning - and that was just the three pounds I had gained just before going on the plan, so would probably have dropped it quickly anyway, and since then nothing. No changes in weight or inches, and I have not even had a little flour.

The funny thing is that since I've been on this plan I've had to get up 1-2 times every night to pee. Normally, while I tend to wake up 5-6 times every night, pretty much every hour on the hour, I almost never have to get up and pee. I'm not drinking any more total fluid intake than normal.

So I keep thinking that I'm going to see a Whoosh! I wake up thinking, "Gee, I peed so many times last night, I'm bound to see a whoosh on the scale today", and yet every day the weight remains the same.

Well I'm one of those who loses so slowly that I am used to that. In my experience (for me) it is a waiting game usually. I have to persevere. I simply have stopped complaining about it because I know if I hang in long enough, I'll blow through another barrier. Is it frustrating? YES! but folks, I'm on a diet! lol. It's not supposed to be the most wonderful thing in the world. It's about discipline and focus and being willing to make sacrificed to re-train you on how to eat ....I just know that Induction is where I need to be - and this is a "finessed induction" with a tool set of LC tools. Keep ya' posted. (PS, my 4 pounds were not all at once -- it's been more of an incremental decline...hope it stays that way but I'm "expecting" a stall any day)

I feel pretty good on the shakes, except for the fact that even now, on day 6, I'm pretty much ravenous all the time. I'm going to stick out the 3-1 at least through tomorrow which will be one full week. The hardest part for me is trying to do this at work. No easy way or place to have a blender, and if I make the shakes at home and bring them in a thermos they are just blah and watery by the time I need them. I've tried gently *cooking* them with eggs to make a sort of custard. This is more filling than the watery shakes, but - probably from the cooked protein powder - has sort of a grainy mouth feel which is not as pleasant as I would like.

If I didn't have to work I think it would be much easier, as the shakes I make at home and drink immediately are very good, though I still have the hunger. If I was steadily dropping weight it would be more of an incentive, but I'm not.

But perhaps for week two I'll consider something like 2 meals and a shake. I don't know yet. Maybe I just need to find some easier way to prepare yummy meals I enjoy to bring in and have for lunch, so that only my breakfast shake would be the icky watery one. But I have been so busy this week I have not had a chance to really think about pre-cooking anything.

What amounts of protein, cream, egg & leucine go into the shakes (my book won't arrive for another 1-2 weeks) and are the amounts fixed or variable?

Debbie, I'm wondering if it is the type of protein powder you're using. Not that I can suggest a better one, I rarely do shakes because they don't satisfy like real food - I think the powdering makes them metabolize too quickly.

A lie detector test for your decaf:

http://www.spoonsisters.com/Merchan...Product_Count=3

It's in his recent blog post on the book.

Deirdra - you can use:

1 -3 scoops of Protein Powder (as long as it is at least 15 grams, contains no more than 2-3 carbs per scoop) - and does not contain any nutrasweet/aspartame. People under 130 lbs (who is that?? lol) use 1 scoop, 131 - 180 use 2, and over 180 use three. I'm wondering if some of the folks who are "hungry" are using enough protein.
He highly recommends whey, unless you are allergic. Also, using an egg is "suggested" but highly recommended for women.
I packet of Splenda (if you are not using other sugar free flavorings etc - use judgement)
2 T heavy cream (he suggests organic if possible of course) or premium coconut oil
2500 mg leucine (i ordered it powdered, but you can open capsules)
2500 mg D-Ribose (OPTIONAL) -- you need to read up on this in the book.
Approx 1 c of ice cubes.
3/4 cup water (unless you are using other liquid - cold decaf coffee, diet soda, club soda, etc)

This is on his website also.

There are several recipes -- plus there are a ton under "egg creams" on the Atkins threads. Just use common sense on adding liquid and ice. I think this is where people are getting it too watery. If I were making it to take to work, I def would not use the ice. It would melt and make it watery. I also add a pinch of guar gum (has a tiny bit of carb - less than 1 certainly).

Hope this helps

Also, if you like Coconut Oil (the slight coconut taste - like Nutiva brand) I would add a T (before you add ice so it doesn't clump) -- but use it only when coconut is a complementary flavor (like with chocolate/cocoa maybe). Using the egg and adding coconut oil increases the fat content a bit - and keeps you full longer. Also don't wait too long in between. (i've been learning along the way here!)

I think it's really the recipe as given, and maybe that's how the Eades like their shakes, but even the ones made in the blender at home and drunk immediately have been a little more watery than I would like, so yesterday I made some changes.

One - I am using raw heavy cream, which is wonderful tasting, but it only stays fresh a short time compared to the ulta-pasturized kind you see in supermarkets, so yesterday I had taken what was left of my heavy cream and put it into ice cube trays and frozen it!

So when I made my last shake of the day last night I used only a 1/2 cup of water, used 2 heavy cream frozen cubes, and only three ice cubes. This made a shake that was only about half the volume of the ones made by following the book, but it was far richer, creamier and more satisfying in taste. Though I was still hungry afterwards.

I've read/skimmed the blog (much of his story already covered in Thin So Fast) and his responses to comments twice but can't find a clear explanation - was it a commenter who spelled it out? The blog did lead me to read the reviews on amazon.com. Most of the glowing comments come from those who got free copies. Based on comments on here and amazon I think I'll cancel my pre-order - I don't need meal plans with no guidelines, recipes, and unsubstantiated information.

I read "6 week cure" over the weekend and am interested but not yet on board. I am right in the target range--menopausal with a slowly expanding waistline after years of successful lc--so this may be right for me. On the other hand, this thread contains a flock of canaries down the coal shaft! I think I'll wait and see how this works out for you beta-testers before I go back to the bad old days of liquid protein shakes.

However, I am persuaded by his description of the liver's role in weight gain and how, over the years, even healthy livers can need a reboot. I have added Source Naturals' Liver Guard to my supplement regime (along with every variation of valerian/meletonin/tryptophan, etc., known to man). It contains all of Eades's recommended liver support ingredients with a few others.

I started the 3/1 on Saturday. I've not been hungry after the first couple days. So far I am down 5lbs, but I know at least 2 of that was pms bloat, so that would have come off anyway. I'm gonna stick out the full 2 weeks. I needed to go through an 'induction' again. I've been really sloppy this year.

I haven't been around here for a while, either.

In the comments on the blog, Dr. Eades said you didn't need to add extra leucine if the protein powder you are using provides at least 8-12 g a day.

Just following up on our earlier discussion on, 'wow! there's really not that much fat in the first two weeks, is there?' Which I think I kind of started.

I guess what had me confused was the earlier chapters talked so much about how great saturated fat was, and then the description of weeks 1 and 2 just jumps in without kind of describing it.

I finally read ahead to weeks 3 and 4, and Eades repeatedly says that these weeks purposely have *more* fat and *more* calories, while keeping carbohydrate very restricted. So I went, "ohhhhhh". It's supposed to be that way - somehow I felt like he accidentally missed the fact it was so low fat.

I suppose I am still not having the greatest day today since my husband addressed me as "Ms. Grumpy Grumperton" today. And he's never done that before.

I just had a cup of bullion (which we're allowed or a dill pickle for the salt). It felt so good to have something salty and hot.

We're both still losing weight and still committed to sticking with this crazy shake thing. I've been reading up on more recipes for the shakes though - hopefully that will help.

Also, very interested in the ideas earlier in this thread for thickening the shakes. Will have to try those too.