Karen and Doreen,
Thanks so much for replying. I am going to give PP a go to see how it does. I will post my food intake in my journal and let you know how i do.
I just love this forum as it is so nice to see what other people are doing and what works for some but not for others
sallyd

hi,
I just need someone's opinion. Maybe Doreen, Karen? You two seem to really know so much!
I've been attempting atkins for a while now because i want to be healthier and lose some weight. I'm more concerned about me not wanting to eating chocolate and donuts than actually having sugar cravings, i think sugar cravings arent such a bad thing as long as one is in control and not using food as a stress relief - but i dont want to feel guilty for having some strawberries, raisins, canteloupe etc- and my favorite is papaya, which i know is high in sugar=)

my 10 lbs of extra weight are due to me abusing food. I dont think i have a problem with insulin or excessive cravings or anything like that - i was just stuffing myself with bad foods because of stress.
my problems with food started when i thought i needed to lose weight so i forced myself to exercise and eat mostly low fat - i still ate regular food occasionally and used olive oil, but i felt guilty when i ate pizza or something. during those times i actually GAINED WEIGHT.
I have learned SO MUCH from all of you, from Protein Power, Atkins, etc. I was a vegetarian for a while and reading more about that school of thought which saw cheese as an occasional snack and butter a no no, etc. Luckily i came across www.beyondveg.com and www.westonaprice.org GREAT WEBSITEs! i think i will post these somewhere else on the site to share.
so i think that protein power would be best for me? im on atkins but its a little too stressful for me. imdoing induction supposedly but eating nuts and maybe more carbs than i should (but i think i lost some weight) - and i am feeling more confident about my food choices (still daydream about a stupid donut every so often but i remind myself of how processed and fooey that is)
So im just looking for some advice? this woe is definitely coming more naturally to me, and i could definitely give up papaya for a while till i lose weight, but i just dont think i need this super strict induction? or maybe i do? any insights?
Sorry if this is sort of choppily written! too many thoughts about this!
thanks

Hi all,
I've looked at all the plans out there and continually go back to the Atkins plan. Part of it is that it is versatile (four, four, fourplans in one!) and I also realize that it simply works well with my personality.

Barry Sears (The Zone) has said that eventually all the plans are the same. I think that this website is proof of that. Perhaps the differences are in what elements are weighted more in each approach. The start of this thread had to deal with fruit. I guess that if this is a desirable element and not a clandestine sugar addiction then a plan that incorporates more fruit would be preferable. My thing is fat. It satiates and transports flavour! And yes Atkins does talk about limiting fat eventually, and about choosing good fats; but there is no initial guilt trip over using it. I enjoy high fat products and find it an easy way to remedy any dietary slip ups that occur.

However I agree that there is no good to come from cherry picking parts from various diets. And I think that whatever plan you follow should be virtually memorized. I find that many people who follow Atkins only read the Induction Chapter and have no perspective on what lies ahead. I have a hunch this happens with other plans as well.

Hmmm.. this is sounding a bit more preachy than I intended.

ColinJn


Such a lot of commonsense in your post. A low carb diet ( I use the word diet in its original sense - ones habitual food - and not meaning to lose weight) is not owned by anyone. The underlying chemistry and biological functions of the human being, the nature of insulin and blood sugar balance is not magically altered by switching from one plan to another. The plans do all merge into into one.

Absolutely rust and colin!

Everyone needs a blueprint to start low-carbing. It is an ENORMOUS life change. After the basics are in place - and that is the elimantion of carb-age and understanding why - you start to tailor the plan to your individual needs. What makes you feel good? Raising or lowering fat, carbs or protein. Do dairy products or grains make you feel yucky? Do certain foods make you crave more?

I think all plans should be followed to the letter at first. For both the educational benefits and the feeling of actually sticking to something. That should be everyones first goal. Not fat loss, but learning how to commit to a plan until you make it your own.



Yep! Like reading the dirty bits in the Godfather before actually reading the whole book. The initial stage of Atkins or PP is not Atkins or PP!

Karen

Thanks for all the input. It's really helpfull

Hi all, great thread!

I, too, just recently switched from Atkins to PP. Adkins was easy for me to follow but I stayed in a stall for months and no matter how I tweaked my menus NOTHING happened. My weight never budged....at least it didn't go up! So, I decided to try PP and guess what? I broke my stall!! I lost 2 lbs this week and love that I can have 1/2 a grapefruit in the morning. I missed my fruit! For a snack, if I need one, I'll have 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with blueberries. Very satisfying. I also love peanut butter on celery.

After reading several posts I have come to the conclusion that Adkins is an ideal way to get started LCing but adjustments must be made, a stall is inevitable. PP seems more of a WOE that we can all do. It is also true that once you understand the whole process of LCing the better equipped you are to make the right choices for your body. I still can't believe how great I feel, I don't miss bread, pasta or sugar!

Take care and take care of yourselves!!

What I like about PP

is that it gives you definite guidelines about how much you should be eating in terms of minimal amounts of protein ,fat and carbs.

I didnt realise that I was overeating on Atkins and hit a stall soon after I began induction when I lost 3 and 1/2 lbs . No movement subsequently .

I was ladelling the fats and the protein by the spoonful . He says they are "free foods" but I have come to the opinion that nothing is free if you want to loose weight .

Its free if there is no pressure to loose , and some people dont mind taking their time . I personally would be disappointed if I didnt loose at least 1 lb per week and on Atkins I was'nt loosing this amount .

I agree that Atkins is a good starting point . Just a pity that I misread what "Free Food " meant .


Rob

Yes your experience seems to be a common one here. There is so much information packed in Dr. Atkin's books that people miss the finer points.

The high fat ratio is used to allow easy access to ketosis, which is one of the cornerstones of the diet. HOWEVER in finer print ( and an often overlooked paragraph) Dr. Atkins deals with quantities. His approach is more intuitive than restrictive. He wants you to eat only to the point of the first signs of satiety. This is another very important cornerstone to long term success on any program.

You have to learn to listen and trust yourself. These lessons start very early in Dr. Atkin's program and perhaps a bit too early for some. Perhaps because of his own personality, Dr. Atkins avoids regimentation. This is ironic since he is most often criticized by the ignorant as being too regimented!

Good luck
Colin

Hey Colin ,

I dont know about you , but I thrive on regimens . I wish DANDR would have layed down the rules but it didnt .

My brain doesnt tell me when I'm satisfied , thats why I'm f.a.t !!



So I cant rely on feelings of satiety. I now know from PP that with 20g protein per meal , and some carbs and a blob of fat ,that I will be satisfied . I may have never discovered that on Atkins .

Anyhow I am very pleased with PP . Too much protein as well as fat can disrupt your weight loss as I'm sure you have found out yourself.


good luck with your program

Rob

Yup too much protein and fat will put the breaks on for sure!

I'm glad you found a regimen that works for you.

That's what I like about this site. We can all fine tune things to meet our own needs and still have the support of kindred spirits.

Colin