HI EVERYONE. I STARTED CAD/CALP ON FEB 5 AFTER BEING ON ATKINS FOR 5 WEEKS AND LOSING 7 POUNDS. I WAS JUST SICK OF EATING ALL THAT PROTEIN. I DID NOT FEEL RIGHT. AND I MISSED MY CARBS. WELL, I HAVE TO ADMIT, I DEFINITELY ABUSED MY REWARD MEALS THE FIRST WEEK. WAY WAY OVERBOARD. SO I GUESS THIS WEEK IS REALLY MY STARTING POINT, SINCE I THINK I GAINED BACK THE ATKINS WEIGHT.
ANYWAY, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, WHAT WOULD I COUNT A LOW CARB BAR AS IF I WANT THAT AS A KIND OF DESSERT? I ALWAYS WANT SOMETHING SWEET AFTER DINNER AND I FIGURE THIS WILL SATSFY ME. IS IT CONSIDERED MY 1/3 CARB AREA? OR PROTEIN? WHAT IF I WANTED THE DIET JELLO WITH SOME WHIPPED CREAM? WHAT DOES THAT COUNT AS?I THINK THESE DESSERTS WOULD BE BETTER THAN THE ICECREAM SUNDAE I HAD THE FIRST WEEK. BUT IT WAS GOOD.
ALSO, WHAT ABOUT PIZZA? HOW CAN I FIT THAT IN? WHAT DO YOU COUNT IT AS? IS A CALZONE BETTER TO HAVE?
THANKS FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME!

I am not the one to give you any answers, as I just have begun the CALP and I must confess, I just had 2 bad days and really messed up.

However, I too, am confused of what to eat for the reward meals............so I plan to check back in and see what kind of answers you do get. Someone will repond who is much more experienced than myself.

I am told to read the book over and over. So, I will begin again today with reading it.

Hang in there !
Jo Ann in TEXAS

I know for me the Reward Meal was a bit confusing in the beginning. I had read Carbohydrate Addict's Diet first and kinda felt like I could have anything I wanted in any quantity I wanted. But then read the Carbohydrate Lifespan Book and discovered that what the Reward Meal should consist of was divided into 1/3's.

You should eat in equal proportions: 1/3 Protein, 1/3 Craving Reducing Vegetables, 1/3 Carbohydrate Rich Food. On the side have about a 2 cup size salad. Within those 1/3's you can eat anything you'd like! If you want 2nd helpings, you have to eat those 2nd helpings in equal proportions. You can't just have 2nds of Protein w/o eating the carbs and veggies too.

You can have any desert you want as long as you can fit it into the 1/3 Carbohydrate area of your meal. You don't have to measure, but eyeball it to see if it is an equal proportion to your Protien and Veggie.

I hope this helps, and reading and reading the book will help too!
Good luck!!!

Yes................that did help alot! Do you use a normal dinner plate and eyeball it inot 1/3's? My problem is forcing a salad down. I am not a big salad eater. I think I am able to eat a low carb veggie instead of a salad...on the CALP? Right?

Jo Ann in TEXAS

YES JOANNE, YOU CAN EAT THE LOW CARB VEGGIE. WHAT IF YOU HAVE A REALLY GOOD SALAD DRESSING? WOULD THAT HELP? I LOVE THE MARIES BLEU CHEESE DRESSING. I ALSO BOUGHT THOSE HEAVY PLASTIC COMPARTMENT DISHES. THIS KIND OF HELPS ME OUT A LITTLE. I PUT ME PROTEIN AND CARBS IN THE SMALLER SECTIONS AND MY VEGGIES OR SALAD IN THE LARGER SECTION. THEN YOU CAN REFILL IT. IT KIND OF KEEPS ME IN CHECK. ALSO I HAVE BEEN DRINKING LOTS OF WATER. I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I GET VERY DISCOURAGED WHEN THE SCALE STAYS THE SAME THOUGH. BUT I DON'T FEEL LIKE I'M ON A DIET, SO I CAN STICK WITH IT.
GOOD LUCK AND KEEP IN TOUCH. MAYBE WE CAN HELP EACHOTHER OUT. I NEED ALL THE SUPPORT I CAN GET!

........................the divided plastic dish is a GREAT idea. I will see if I have any of those under the cabinet?

I have had about 3 bad days in a row. I had out of town company and they just left today, so I should be able to get back on TRACK tomorrow!

Thanks for the help and the encouragement! Remember, you have such little to lose, you should not expect to lose as some of the others do. So, don't get discouraged. OK?

Jo Ann in TEXAS

I generally just eyeball my portions as suggested in CALP. I try to make sure that if desert is the carbohydrate that I truly want with my Reward Meal, that I have it ready ahead of time and cut the portion to match my 1/3 portions. That way I don't cheat afterward by cutting bigger portions and I have a great desert to look forward to.

I have one of those divided dishes and I think I'll use that to freeze a dish so that on those nights that I don't have anything planned, I'm still guaranteed a properly portioned Reward Meal.

My parents took us out for dinner tonight and I sorta blew it in the "overkill carb" area. But tomorrow is another day with another chance to jump right back on track. I don't feel as if I've blown some diet since I don't think about it as a diet, but as a way of eating that's healthier for my body.

I love this forum and am starting to feel that I'm among friends!

Lisa