Hi,

I am considering starting a low carb diet and after reading about the Schwarzbein plan, it seems the most logical choice for me. I bought Atkins' book yesterday (complete impulse buy) and while some of it sounds good, other aspects bother me as I am not out to loose a whole bunch of weight. Unfortunately I currently live in Mexico City so will not be able to buy the book the Schwarzbein Principle. So I have some questions I was hoping you could help me with:

I am 5ft 6in and not sure how much I weigh (don't have a scale) but guess it to be around 125 or 130lbs. So I am not unhappy with my weight although it could be distributed differently!

What does make me miserable is that I am completely addicted to sweets and carbs. My ideal snack would be half a box of Corn Pops. Oh I can see the horror on your faces now I have to eat frequently or have bad headaches, am moody, depressed, lack energy, don't sleep well, the list goes on. I also have a mild form of irritable bowel disease which is what has prompted my search for a new way of eating.

In your experience can these symptoms really be cured by a low carb way of eating? Also how would you recommend that I go about it since I want to break the dependency on sugar but don't want to loose 10 lbs in a week either? Atkins induction period seems too rash for someone who wants to loose body fat but not loose too much weight either. Also because of my IBS I need quite a bit of soluble fiber in my diet (I already take Metamucil).

I would really appreciate your recommendations on how to get started, what to cut out and what can be left in! I know that I will need to experiment and find what works for me. But some positive feedback on the SP would help.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Guerita,
Welcome to the forum. I have been following the Schwarzbein Principle for almost two months (I tried Atkins, couldn't hack it) and I am pleased with the results. I do hope that you can order her book off the internet. You can order from Amazon.com This forum gives an overview of the program but the book gives all of the details and explains the program in full detail. I also started working out with weights which has been a big help in building muscle and friming up the areas where I am losing weight.
Good luck to you!
Maureen

hon, that's not a look of horror on my face...that's familiarity! like looking in a mirror (tho i prefered my sugar as Coke or cookies and my cereal of choice was Frosted Flakes).

Yes, cutting out sugar and flour really does break the addiction and cures all those symptoms. I no longer fall asleep after 4:00 p.m., have better skin, digestion, and moods.

Dr. S. says you won't lose lean body mass weight as long as you eat meat, healthy fats (defined very specifically), and LC veggies until satisfied. Basically, her plan says to eat one small serving of something carbier each meal--a fruit, legumes, high-carb veggies like winter squash or tomatoes. She encourages snacks of nuts, is against aged cheeses, and nixes food additives of any sort. It is, of course, more complex than that (it's a fascinating and long book!), but that's the dietary gist.

It's great you don't have a scale. As long as your clothes continue to fit the same, you're on track.

HTH

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate it. Yes, I would prefer to read the whole plan in the book before starting but I don't want to wait!
The way I figure it is: regardless of which low carb plan you follow, cutting out sugar and refined grains has to be a good thing, right?

Absolutely...so while you wait for the book to arrive...I'm going to give you a few details to get you started:

No white food -- nothing made from white flour or sugar

Unlimited lean meats, butter, cream and non-starchy veggies. No aged cheese - but cream cheese, parmesan, etc. okay

I will assume for the moment that you are sedentary (could be wrong!) the rule would be:
15 g carb (from fibre rich foods, fruit or starchy veg) per meal, 7.5 per snack. If you are active you can double these amounts.

Eat something from each of the following groups at each meal: non-starchy veg, carb (as per guidelines above), protein and fat.

...and do get the book!

Lisa

Until you obtain a book you may find it helpful to look into this group as they send out an e-mail info pak when you join that is very helpful to print out and I keep mine in the kitchen for quick reference.(it refers to the pages in the book for further info)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/schwarzbein

also her web site is: http://www.schwarzbeinprinciple.com/

If you run a search on my posts I recently posted a site with a radio interview of the Dr. that is a bout one hour long.

Keep us posted on how you like the program, it is very helpful and healing. I am sometimes shocked at how I have so much control over my former sweet cravings!

I think I read somewhere a quote by Dr. Atkins (a live chat I believe ) that the induction program may not be necessary for someone with just a few pounds to lose. I never could stay on it and feel good anyway! Of that isn't the only diet in his books.

Thanks rosarugosa! I have joined the yahoo group and downloaded the available documents. They are very helpful.

One more question, in Atkins he talks about only counting carbs that are not from fiber. In the SP, you just count total carbs is that right?

HI Guerita

you sound just like me, 5 6" irritable bowel, carb cravings. ( only difference is I have about 15 lbs to lose!!!!

Since I started doing SP, the irritable bowel thing has lessened a lot. I still get an odd flareup but that is normally when I go a bit mad on the refined carbs. ( eg just once in the last 3 months, I found myself in McDonalds.....boy did I suffer later that day!!!)

I could eat any amount of rubbishy food, and had terrrible cravings. Now I simply eat 2 squares of dark chocolate with a handful of nuts and I am happy.

When you start the plan and get into it, you will realise that the good feelings are SO good, that you won't want to risk going back to the old ways, and felling bad again.

hope this makes sense!!
Clodagh