I think the point everyone misses on this diet is that, although it is a lifestyle change, there will not always be a severe restriction on carbs. You're not supposed to be in ketosis for life. There are 4 phases, each one adding carbs, and for the last phase you add carbs in until you find your limit.
Exactly correct Pam. You add back carbs into your diet until you stop losing weight. That’s your tolerance limit, exceed it and you’ll gain, stay below it and you’ll lose.
Robert,
Glad to hear about your success so far. Remember you’re addressing a metabolic problem. This is why Dr. Atkins suggests no caffeine or alcohol. Both of these substances do not contain high carbs but will upset the metabolic balance you are trying to achieve. I’m not that strict with my caffeine intake but booze destroys my maintenance program. As a rule I don’t drink but I went to a party two years ago and had two regular sized Jack Daniels and water. It screwed me up so bad, I gained twelve pounds and it took me six months to lose them again. Needless to say I have not indulged in adult beverages since.
The most difficult craving to lose is SWEETS. I still get cravings after all my years of living low carb.
CARB SOLUTIONS makes a couple of great products to help with these cravings.
Protein bars are available in the following flavors: peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and chocolate, hazelnut toffee and my favorite, chocolate fudge almond. Each bar contains two grams of carbs and they are all very good.
Keep them in the refrigerator and eat them cold for the best taste. Heavy cream, water and sugar substitute make an ok milk mock-up to wash down those chocolate fudge almond bars.
Protein shakes are available in creamy vanilla or rich chocolate. They are available either as a liquid or in powder form. The powders are less expensive than many of the protein mixes available in GNC and they taste better too. Mix equal parts water and heavy whipping cream in a blender. Add a sugar substitute and two scoops of shake mix (4 grams of carbs = chocolate, 2 grams = vanilla) and blend with a little crushed ice. Makes a great shake.
If your blender has an ice crusher button, forget the water and replace with ice, crushed to the consistency used for snow cones. Add the sugar substitute and slowly add the heavy cream (40% fat, is best) until the mixture begins to blend smoothly (it’s kind of like pulse-churning). Crack an egg into the mixture and it will get really smooth. Slowly add scoops of shake mix until it churns smoothly. The consistency can be either as thick as a Wendy’s shake or more firm like melting ice cream. Of course you can always put it in the freezer and have it another time.
I have a protein bar every morning and a shake at night. I try to bike about 5 miles a day because it just makes me feel better. If I don’t ride a particular day, I skip the shake that night. That’s my motivation, I want the shake so I ride. Oh yeah, after always having your closet filled with size 42 jeans it’s damn nice seeing that ‘waist 34’ label on the Levis hanging there now. That’s my motivation.
I ignore all the nay-sayers. They each have their own litany of credentials except one: they are not now nor have they ever been, FAT. When a diet doctor or weight-loss professional is successful, they lose a client and that isn’t good for business. So they demonize Dr. Atkins because failure feeds their profession. I will be eternally grateful to the person who turned me on to low carb and allowed me to enjoy the last ten years with a confident discipline I never had prior.
Keep up the good work and you will be very pleased with yourself.
Regards,
-Gary
