Alexandra Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Atkins makes me feel like throwing dishes at loved ones but I would love to know about a method that would help with my overwhelming carb cravings. I have heard that Atkins can help with this. I am feeling somewhat stressed right now so sometimes I attribute it to that but then sometimes I wonder if overeating carbs CAUSE stress.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflowerlady Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I am a definite carbaholic and have lost 25 pounds since June by following Atkins. So the answer is yes.:) Atkins is difficult during the first couple of weeks because your body is adjusting. I tried two other times before this and quit after day three. This time I stuck it out and I am glad I did. Are you doing Atkins right now? How long have you been doing it? Try checking out this site. www.lowcarbfriends.com There is a lot of good info and support there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicki Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I too am a caroholic. I have done Atkins successfully in the past and lost over 50 pounds and kept if off for several years. It does get easier after the first couple of weeks. Remember Atkins is not no carbs. Unfortunately, once I hit menopause my body changed and I started gaining weight. I have gained a lot of it back. I feel much better when I am eating low carb and exercising. God bless, Vicki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 anyone with a normal metabolism, no medical condition, etc., can loose weight as long as calories in < calories expended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lighthouseacademy Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Also, paying attention to WHAT carbs are going in. So, don't eat white flour, white rice, white potatoes with no skin, or sugar etc. Eating whole grains, especially sprouted, will not have the same effect of the white pure starch carbs. Also, eating plenty of fresh fruits and veggies. The more veggies you eat, especially a nice salad, the more nutrients go in and the less you will want to eat overall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBre Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 (edited) anyone with a normal metabolism, no medical condition, etc., can loose weight as long as calories in < calories expended. :iagree: Carbs are energy. We need balance and moderation, not deprivation. In fact, I'm going to make a banana smoothie right now! Edited October 22, 2008 by BabyBre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri in MI Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 WW rewards you for eating healthy and doesn't restrict certain foods. It fits better with "real life". For example, some raw fresh veggies are 0 points, so if you eat a lot of veggies, you still some points left for other foods, if you're still hungry after eating all those veggies. Or you can save your points up during the week for a special carb splurge. But the healthier you eat, the better you do. You learn to eat healthy in the long run and you don't have to tell yourself that you many never again, as long as you live have another piece of chocolate. My hubby & I did Atkins years ago - he lost a lot of weight, but gained it back. I lost 1/2 pound and had a headache for a week and went crazy figuring out how to cook so differently. WW does require some adjustments to, but they were more doable to me and made sense. My dh lost 21 pounds on WW and I lost 4 in 4 weeks. He really restricted himself and I had a few binges in there. Hope this helps. Regarding carb cravings, the less I have, the less I want. If I make sure I get protein with my carbs at every meal and snack, I crave carbs less and feel more satisfied. Blessings, Sherri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I need carbs - protein does not fill me up! I lost 30 lbs. last year by exercising and eating a set menu every day. It was great! I never had to think about food and I had my planned carbs so I was full. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBre Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I need carbs - protein does not fill me up! I lost 30 lbs. last year by exercising and eating a set menu every day. It was great! I never had to think about food and I had my planned carbs so I was full. Awesome, cath! I did the same: Lost 25 lbs last year with exercise and calorie planning. You can use a weekly menu with a premade shopping list (find them on the internet) to make it really easy, or track your calories (which you can also do on the internet). It's a lifestyle change that has benefitted our whole family and after 1.5 years, it's just second nature now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 The bulk of my calories come from carbs and I am down almost 110#s. You don't have to give up carbs to lose weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christy B Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 The bulk of my calories come from carbs and I am down almost 110#s. You don't have to give up carbs to lose weight. This carb-lover would really like to know how you managed that! :lurk5: Details, woman! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 FYI, stress and lack of sleep make your body want carbs moremoremore! (Ask me how I know :glare:) Your body goes into survival mode and tries to force you to load up on energy. It's funny, I know this, and I've been taking a supplement blend for various reasons, but one of the effects is to decrease appetite and reduce the hunger for carbs. It was really working for me, and I was making myself get more sleep. Well, about a month ago, my work situation got really, REALLY stressful, and I started staying up until the wee hours trying to work again, dealing with monster amounts of stress, and I'd find myself roaming around the house all day, not quite hungry but still dying for food to stuff in my mouth. That's when I realized that I was feeling exactly the way I used to before I started taking better care of myself. I'm trying to get back on track, because I need to lose weight too, and I'd forgotten how bad it felt to live this way :( I'm taking 200 mg of 5HTP and some glutamine (I can't recall the dosage, I'll look it up if you need it) per day. The 5HTP alone reduces my desire for carbs, but the glutamine really puts a killer whammy on it. My main reasons for taking the supplement blend are more mood-oriented, but all these things are related--stress and cortisol levels, depression and anger, cravings for carbs, etc. For more specific info, read The Mood Cure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in C-ville Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 The bulk of my calories come from carbs and I am down almost 110#s. You don't have to give up carbs to lose weight. WOW! JEAN! That is amazing! Congratulations! I knew you were losing weight, but I had no idea how much. Do you feel like you have so much more energy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in C-ville Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I "eat clean." Here's the link: http://www.eatcleandiet.com/BLOG.aspx. I like it b/c it's REAL food and that gal who wrote the book is a REAL mom who hit a crisis at 40 and decided enough was enough. It's good basic nutrition - nothing unusual. Well, there are some different ingredients that were new for us - quinoa, agave nectar, etc. My weight loss is nothing live Quiver's, so I'm curious to hear her plan. It's a "way of life" for me, not just a diet to to lose weigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Sure. Eat less than you burn! Doesnt matter what you eat if you eat less. That's how Weight Watchers works. I tried high protein/low carb and I get so irritable and actually depressed. However, the "eat less" regime also leaves me hungry a lot which i find unpleasant. What I have done is just cut out sugar- all normal sugar, including honey etc. I use stevia in my tea/coffee. Then I just eat a normal diet, including enjoying butter on my toast,cream in my soup and whole raw milk. I am not even trying to lose weight but I have, and I am not cutting out bread or potatoes or anything. Its not even hard, because without the sugar highs and lows I don't crave sugar. However I do get hungry- not surprising since so many of my calories came from sugar. But when I am hungry, I eat something, I dont let my blood sugar drop. I am also careful to eat plenty of protein- but I dont measure it or anything. I just try and eat protein with every meal and eat nuts for snacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Just a thought...if you crave wheat products rather than Carbs in general get a check for coeliac disease. One of mine was totally addicted to wheat products, guess who was the coeliac! Incidentally in order to make things easier we have ALL come off gluten grains and i feel much better for it, more energy, less brain fog AND I've lost weight! Mind you maybe that is because we simply do not have as much baking. With no gluten grains it is easier to snack on fruit! Willow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 WOW! JEAN! That is amazing! Congratulations! I knew you were losing weight, but I had no idea how much. Do you feel like you have so much more energy? Yes, way more energy! I feel better now than I did at 30. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 This carb-lover would really like to know how you managed that! :lurk5: Details, woman! I base my meals around a good starch, such as a baked potato or brown rice and then add in veggies, beans/lentils and fruit. I typically only eat whole unprocessed foods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Spark people! (I guess it's only one word - sparkpeople.com) This carbaholic lost 15 lbs on it without feeling deprived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Some people are just carb enthusiasts. For them, the Dr. McDougall program may be helpful. He bases his meal suggestions around lots of healthy starches, and then adds veggies and fruit around them. He has a 12 day meal plan with recipes on his site. Ginger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love2read Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 See if your library has "The Beck Diet." It's not a diet, but a program to train yourself to think like a thin person and can be used with any diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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