How have I only just realised how great low-carb is?!

That's quite interesting, I am considering low-carb myself to boost weight-loss as if I don't see early results I tend to give up. Were you a big carb-eater before? They are currently over 50% of my daily intake, not sure how easily I could reduce them...

I have been dieting and detoxing and praying and starving and binge eating for about 8 years now.. And I have just come to the realisation that low-carb is absolutely heaven-sent. I don't know why I have over-looked this so much in the past! I can eat MAYONNAISE! What diet lets you eat mayonnaise? It started off as Paleo but I found it was way too expensive for me, and it seemed crazy trying to buy separate food for me and my daughter. I have saved £13 this week on groceries by going low-carb, and I have lost 2.3 KG / 5.07 LBS in just one week! Okay I know most of that is water but seriously I'm on such a high! I even ate Doritos and still managed to lose weight. I'm eating between 40-50g of carbs a day just to lose weight, and then when I hit my target, I can up that to 150g for maintenance, which is a ton of food. I can mix my diet up so much too with this which is what I like about it. I am eating tons of meat, vegetables, fruits, high-fat dairy etc. and the best part is I can "cheat" and not put on weight, I'm even baking a caramel chocolate cake with low-carbs! Who couldn't love this lifestyle?!

Just wanted to show my low-carb appreciation!! (Also I'm looking for new friends please, I didn't log on for a really long time and I seem to lost most of mine :sad: )

Unfortunately, my guess is that you will be skipping from diet to diet until you really do take the time to get the CICO figured out. The only thing special about low carb is that it lowers the number of calories going in (just like any other diet). That's it. Nothing more exciting about it than that.

The truth medicine to lose and maintain is found here:

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

Calories in vs. calories out trumps all "fad" diets.

I too have been one to bounce around from diet to diet. I had lost a lot of weight when I was a teenager but gained it all back plus more in my early 20"s. I've tried "low-cal" and weight watchers before (multiple times). I've paid for the nutri-system diet too... Nothing worked, I felt that I was starving myself and never really felt satisfied with my meals. A few weeks ago, my boss introduced me to a miracle eating plan! A plan where I'm never hungry, Most meals are easy to prepare (You still have one homemade meal per day), I can still snack AND I don't have to exercise! This all sounded too good to be true. I figured I didn't have anything to lose except for the weight so I gave it a shot. In my first week I lost 9.6 lbs and 6 inches! I was beyond amazed, It's been almost 2 weeks and I've already lost a full pant size! I feel great, I'm never hungry and I'm not having food cravings! I only eat about 40-45 carbs per day and I intake a lot of protein, this eating plan puts your body into a state of ketosis (your body's fat burning state). This has worked for me so far. I'd say if low-carb is working for you like it's working for me, keep it up! Best of luck to you on your weight loss journey!

CICO is an awfully simplistic approach to a very complex subject. Bottom line CICO works. However, taking into consideration the variety of personal experiences where low-carb has *saved peoples lives*, it's awfully critical of you to dismiss OP's discovery.
When I low carb I experience a significant decrease in mood swings, hunger pangs and obsessive thoughts because my body doesn't like the blood-sugar roller coaster eating too many carbs has to offer.

Good for you, OP, for finding something that works for you!!!

Unfortunately, my guess is that you will be skipping from diet to diet until you really do take the time to get the CICO figured out. The only thing special about low carb is that it lowers the number of calories going in (just like any other diet). That's it. Nothing more exciting about it than that.

The truth medicine to lose and maintain is found here:

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

Calories in vs. calories out trumps all "fad" diets.

Hi, I'm anti-fad diet, but I'll say this:

When I went to medical school, we reviewed the atkins diet, and it definitely works. The key, though, is actually following the diet - you really must limit your carb intake to the recommended levels to put your body into ketosis. It's also not recommended for people who are extreme exercisers (marathoners, bodybuilders).

If you "just" want to limit starches, then you'll have to do calories in-calories out... but those things are pretty calorie-laden, so cutting back will put you on good ground.

Do whatever is working for you, as long as you're being responsible and taking care of yourself! :-D

(edited to correct ridiculous spelling mistakes)

I'm trying Carbohydrate Addict's. 4 carbs or less for breakfast and lunch, and whatever for dinner (as long as it's eaten within one hour). I FEEL good, but've only lost 7 lbs in a month

Yeah, loving the low carb too, although I do wonder how quickly some of that water weight will go back on once I relax the carb intake a little, as I see myself maintaining my weight on a moderate carb/ protein/ fat diet when I lose the unwanted pounds I wish to. I was a big carb eater before, usually decent complex carbs, so I imagine on moderate carb I will regain about half the water weight I lost. Ah, something to worry about down the line

By the way, I don't see how CICO (calories in, calories out) invalidates a low carb approach, as the way I see it low carb is simply a good way to maintain a calorie deficit as most peoples calorie intakes will drop by cutting out a decent portion of carbs, most of which are filler foods anyway in my opinion (added sugar, bread, and also grains to an extent). Also, dismissing low carb as a fad is a tad facetious in my opinion, as it is simply one of three very basic diet types (high carb/moderate protein/low fat, moderate carb/moderate protein/moderate fat, and low carb/moderate protein/high fat), and hardly a fad.

Also my personal opinion and experience after dabbling in low carb for almost 2 months now (with all the progress indicated in my below ticker), is that controlling the balance between carbs and fat in your diet (your bodies 2 main energy sources), is a very effective way of moderating and maintaining your intake without suffering from deprivation and requiring copious amounts of willpower to make it through each day without slipping.

Its also my personal belief that if more people understood the power of this dietary lever, they would probably have the most valuable tool they could have, to maintain any weight loss, as well as to manipulate their weight should/ when they need to. Also, I say that as someone who lost 70lbs the high carb/ moderate protein/ low fat way, and kept it off for about 7 years. Somehow I think I shall be keeping the regained 38lbs of that 70lbs loss off, once I lose it this time

I'm trying Carbohydrate Addict's. 4 carbs or less for breakfast and lunch, and whatever for dinner (as long as it's eaten within one hour). I FEEL good, but've only lost 7 lbs in a month

Perhaps its that "whatever" for dinner thats holding you back...

Low carb works for me because eating carbs makes me hungry, while eating protein and fat makes me feel full.