On another thread, Nat says:



Does this apply to PPLP? I have read the PPLP book and it states to keep at 30-40 carbs until you get to within 20 lbs or so of your goal weight, then increase over time.

So then, where does this logic fall into the whole scheme of things? Are the various plans that drastically different? And if this logic applies to other plans, then perhaps you can still loose weight on more carbs???

Now I'm confused.

I think this is one of those things that varies much from individual to individual. Reading these boards, some people write that they can never go over 30, even 20 carbs. Others zip along on 60. (I once lost weight very easily on an old Weight Watchers plan that was about 80 carbs a day. I was younger and I walked an hour a day then.)

Schwartzbein gives a chart of how many carbs are needed, depending on how overweight the person is and how much s/he exercises. The slimmer and more active you are, the more carbs you can tolerate.

One always hears that "I can't eat carbs. I have such a slow metabolism." Well, yes. I have a slow metabolism because I'm very overweight and don't exercise! Once the weight starts coming off -- when muscle turns into fat -- the metabolism will speed up. So it is under one's own control to a certain extent.

Bottom line: only your body knows what you can tolerate. The Atkins idea -- add 5 carbs back in each week and see where you stop losing, and also tracking how you feel -- is a good one.

Finally, there are carbs and there are carbs. Bread? Some people have a wheat allergy. Fruit? Some people can't tolerate it or it's a trigger. Potatoes? For some it's no problem, for others it is. More experimenting is needed here.

Experiment and tell us what works for you. We can all learn from each other

Too many times I get hung up on the "facts" and forget that because everyone is an individual that it will be different for everyone.

If I start craving more fruits and veggies then I'll begin to slowly add more carbs, right now I'm doing okay with the levels, but there are times where I really really want more veggies! I like the adding 5 carbs a week thing, I'll give that a try sometime.

Thanks again!

I hope you'll let us know the results of your experiment. I certainly think it's worth doing. On the fruits and vegetables, I think it would ideal if we could get to the place where we listen to what our bodies are saying -- and they're not saying "chocolate!" I know once I felt a sudden, desperate need for...peas. I have never craved peas in my life! I ate a half-cup, felt fine. It didn't make me want to buy out the candy machine in the basement of my apartment buildilng. I figured I needed something in those peas!

I read a book once long ago on nutrition for women -- thin women, normal women, healthy women -- and they suggested doing an experiment of: 2 or 3 days without any carbs, then adding them in at 9 a day, starting with salad veggies, and really paying attention to how you feel. Stop on the day you feel bloated or in any way uncomfortable, and drop back to the next level.

That's really what Atkins is saying, so maybe there's something to it!