I usually have a salad with protein for lunch--same as my colleagues.

Tonight, for dinner, I'm going to have grilled chicken with a side of grilled zucchini--same as my husband.

I'm not eating anything weird. I'm not really eating more meat than other people, and I'm probably eating more vegetables. I'm definitely eating less processed foods and sugar.

People will always be complaining about something! If the only thing they have to complain about is what we eat, then we must be doing pretty darn good with the rest of our lives

WHOFAN: "She hesitated for a moment, not sure if I was being snarky now. When she saw I was completely unfazed and the subject was over, …."

YES..exactly my point..if you dont fight them they are clueless as to where to go next, or how to attack you.

Sometimes they will even say agreeable things, as if trying to understand, so everyone WINS…like "Oh, if it helps you lose weight I guess that's OK"

we can be snarky on the inside, and serene on the outside.

When people are especially mean or rude over little things I say "Thank you for your kindness" "your mother would be so proud of you" quiet shaming works too.

This also proves to me the thinness of enforced "honor diversity" in our culture….I say "Honor Nutritional Diversity"…i.e. LCHF..what works for me may not work for you..so shut the F up.

Just like most physicians, people are basically uneducated in nutrition. It is really hard for them to get the low-fat days of the 70s out of their heads. Not only that, but people have faith in the diet recommendations from the almighty AHA and ADA. The diet recommendations will change some day, but conventional medicine is always way behind the times when it comes to anything but pharmaceuticals.

Instead of getting offended, you can gently educate. I admit, that gets exhausting.

And, I have to admit, when you get attacked by a vegetarian, it can be difficult. I just tell them that they never would have survived with their WOE anytime other than in very recent history.

I don't mention carbs at all. I say I've "cut back on starches and sugars, and I avoid things that spike my blood sugar"

I don't tell them that "cutting back" means pretty much eliminating, and "spiking" is anything that makes my BG rise above 140 (the doc's target is 170).

Madge, your stats are amazing!

It is so true that people seem to believe that nutritional history began in the 70s. My mother has been flirting with the idea of going low-carb, and we had a discussion about it this weekend. She just can't seem to grasp that low-fat anything is the antithesis of the plan. I can't say much, though... I still remember how foreign and inherently wrong it felt to indulge in high-fat foods when I first started, though I'm certainly a convert now.

Lately I've just been telling people that I'm cutting out refined sugars and white flour. My husband nearly said the 'A' word in front of my inlaws yesterday (an old school doctor and former nurse, respectively), which would have lead to all kinds of discussions I don't want to have. It's not that I want to deceive anyone--it's just that this change has been difficult enough. It's so important for me to stay optimistic at this point, or else I'm afraid I could fall back into old (bad) habits. The last thing I need right now is to deal with people constantly trying to 'educate' me 'for my own good'.

My stats don't tell the whole story though! I was actually about 420 lb in 2009. Two years later I had gotten all the way down to 195 and felt pretty darn amazing! I floated there for a while (what a great summer...) and then began the climb back up to 230. So... that 230 should be in there somewhere because that is really my low carb re-commitment weight. The things you know in your head (this is not a diet, it's a way of life... etc) fall away when you are hit with the day to day of life and eating.

I completely understand not mentioning Atkins for fear of lectures from people who obviously know more than you (sarcasm). And now there are a ton of plans out there with more hip "today" names that are basically... Atkins!

I remember when Dr. Atkins died, I was making an attempt at Herbalife shakes (disaster! Money wasted!). On one of those motivational calls, the leader said something derogatory about his death, like it had been brought on by his diet. I jumped in and defended him, telling the truth about how he died because he fell and hit his head on his walk to work. Stupid people... they'll say anything to sell you those shakes.

Telling people you are cutting out refined flour and sugar is a smart way to go. I just tell people I am a carb addict and really can't have any. The thing is, nobody will be able to argue with your success! Some day you will be able to say... well, I've lost 100 pounds, but please, do educate me on what I should be eating... perhaps they'll get the point!

I've rattled on... let my fingers do the walking! Keep up the good work and don't let anyone discourage you.

The stats might not tell the whole story, but that little detour in no way diminishes your accomplishment. Losing weight on low carb is relatively easy (at least compared to other plans)... keeping it off is the real challenge. Being able to catch yourself when things spiraled out of control, and to re-commit the way you have... that's truly amazing, and a huge inspiration!

I saw Jimmy Moore of la Vida Loca on diet doctor.com..he had lost 180 in 04..got famous, gained >100 but he never said how much, while writing his new books, etc..like all of us he let life get in the way of what worked, but he said in a video on the diet dr site that he lost that 80+ he gained..it was prolly well over 100 gained, never would say, he was looking really fat again…and he admitted he NOW count ALL carbs, had to really stick to a super low carb plan.

He said traditional low carb wasn't working so he now counts ALL carbs not just net, staying under 15 I think…and he claims to have lost >100..he looks great again.

Funny how we won't admit to a gain accurately but will flaunt the real number LOST…my WW coach used to chide us for whining and crying over a 1/4 lb gain…but poo-poo-ing a 1/4 lb loss as nothing.
she was right.

Weird. Here I thought he was an expert on clarity.

Read a book on WW Jean N….she swipes the diet front he clinic she went to..made it into a real business, and get all the credit.

I wonder hope the clinic felt? they must had had success with their patients? No matter..she did it the American way and tok action,and has helped millions, take nothing from her…

MARKETING is all, no matter how great the clinic diet was, getting the word out to the masses is the issue,and even on the web..best product/idea/group in the world get's no light until people can find you. I diverge

After a few years of WW growing fame Jean had to do a photo shoot..she had slid off her own diet and was stuck with an extra 20+ pounds that was shwoping up i the pics..she had t run out and buy a very tight girdle and shove herself in it, but she again recommitted to her own methof=ds and lost it.

we are human, but we can easily find excuses to stray, if we want.

What i HATE are these ignorant 20something men and women who see a video by Dr.Perlmutter, Dr. Lustig, or any expert who studies decades to learn and share, but these dolts make comments like' "He's so old, and lousy hair cut (true, of a woman author) and they have wrinkles, and fat..he can teach me nothing!" Unbelievable. the dolts will never age themselves, eh??

I am STUNNED by the sheer mindlessness of these men..they will follow ANY buff 28 yr old with a bodybuilder website as the GOD to making their body the same… ignoring the fact of genetics, body type etc. sad. no respect for wisdom in our current culture and obsession with flat abs

I'd have told her that cheese is a healthy food, particularly for females, because it furnishes protein, calcium and a whole range of other nutrients, without the sugar load which is found in milk.

Here's something which states that 9 out of 10 American women don't eat the required amount of calcium.

http://www.healthyeating.org/Milk-D...-in-Cheese.aspx

You could also point out that eating a good low-carb diet is far more nutritious than eating a low-fat diet, because of the wider range of foods which are able to be eaten and the lack of nutritionally void extras. Don't let her off with talking nonsense!

People eat every day. Some of them thinks that makes them experts.

That's what I finally had to do, too. My limit is 20, but on many days I'm below 15. Not subtracting fiber has helped a lot with dangerous carb creep.



My scale is very old (1950), but pretty accurate. Not being digital helps me not exaggerate either gains or losses - I can't count anything smaller than a pound. A few ounces either way are significant on an infant, but not on a 170 lb. adult!

I agree that not wanting to admit gains is pretty common. I changed my weight on my profile when I gained 10 pounds, but I haven't changed it since gaining another 5. I keep hoping that 5 will disappear!

The naysayers are everywhere. In 2011 when I started Atkins I had a co-worker tell me "when you lose weight your are actually burning muscle not fat". Where do they get their info,?

When somebody asks me why I'm not having dessert, I tell them I'm allergic to sugar. For some reason, if I call it an allergy, they seem to leave me alone. That also works now for bread and rice and pasta. I'm allergic.

Sadly, because I've been eating the Atkins way since 1972, I became adept at hiding what I was eating or eating in large groups where nobody notices what I'm eating. Also, timing is everything. Since being in ketosis makes me not hungry, I can wait to eat in private. I don't want to argue with anybody and have to justify my WOE.

With intrusive family, I just tell them I'm going to do what I want and eat what I want. Now that I'm 70 and healthier than most of them, I consider that I'm living proof that I'm doing something right. I don't argue with them. Sometimes my sister will ask me to eat, and I just say, "I'm fasting today." What's she going to do?

When people visit and I'm cooking for them, I serve the food they're eating, walk in and out of the kitchen, serve drinks, prepare more plates and then eat the portion of the meal I can eat.

I've become adept at walking away.