Alright people.....how many of us just can't eat carbs??? The only time I lost any real meaningful weight in my life was when I went on Atkins. While there has been lots of talk about how harmful that diet is to your body, the fact remains that I think my body just refuses to lose any weight until I stop eating carbs.

I'm not advocating eliminating fruits or veggies or all carbs in favor of bacon and real butter, but I think that as long as I eat white rice or pasta, eat breads or any other type of refined carb, my body is gonna hang on to every pound I've got.

So my new years resolution is to eliminate as much refined carbs from my diet that I can, which is hard here in Portugal because almost every dish is served with rice or pasta and every meal comes with bread.

Any one else out there like me??

I am there with you! If I don't cut out white flour products, I am perpetually hungry. I really like the South Beach diet. It focuses on healthy protein, lean. Veggies, fruits and healthy carbs, like whole grain bread, brown rice, whole wheat spaghetti.

Audree

Down with Carbs!!! And by that, I mean down the toilet!!!

If I am off carbs I have no acid reflux, my joints do not hurt, my cholesterol goes down to 188 (milk thistle helps this too), my "liver levels" go down to normal (helps if you stop taking tylenol too) I lose weight, my PCOS gets under control, I feel better, and actually have more energy.

But one bite, even by accident, will set me off for months. (BTW Poncho's beef has sugar in it. I cried when I felt the sugar rush, because I thought a taco salad was a good choice.)

Anyway, I would love to join the Carb Haters Club.

Carbs are the enemy!!

If I am off carbs I have no acid reflux, my joints do not hurt, my cholesterol goes down ... I lose weight.... I feel better, and actually have more energy.

But one bite, even by accident, will set me off for months.

That is TOTALLY me. If I'm low-carbing I NEVER have reflux... otherwise, I'm taking Pepcid every night and sometimes chasing it with Pepto Bismol. Atkins is the only, ONLY diet that's ever worked for me (35 lbs, leaving still 50 lbs to go--back then), but, I don't know if you had the same problem, I get so BORED eating the same things all the time... meat, eggs, cheese, the same low-starch veggies. Once I slip, that's it. Like you said, MONTHS at a time. Atkins is actually not dangerous... I used to think so, until I read the book, and it makes perfect sense. I'm hoping that banding, which pretty much necessitates a low-carb regimen, will be the answer to once and for all getting ALL the weight off and not gaining it back. I absolutely LOVE Atkins and the way it makes me feel, but I just cannot stick to it for a meaningful length of time.

Whilst generally I'm very anti low carb diets I do agree that for some people, their body chemistry just does not cope well with them. And many people lose weight way more easily and successfully on a low carb diet. It makes sense to avoid them in that case - afterall if it were a specific food allergy you'd avoid that food right? So if they dont agree with you, there's plenty else to eat as long as you eat carefully to make sure you get all the nutrients that wholegrains normally provide.

Most females can not stay on Atkins for any length of time without supplements. I have read many low carb books and have taken what I want from most to find my own plan.

In the schwartzbein principal she says the following Vitamins help a woman stay on low carb, and once upon a time I took most of these vitamins and stayed low carb for 3 years straight (guess I should get some vitamins). Now her prices are a bit much for me, so I found basically the same thing at the vitaminshoppe.com.

http://www.schwarzbeinprinciple.com/pgs/shop/suppl_packages/store_suppl_packs.html

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="95%" align=center border=1><TBODY><TR><TD>Ultra Preventive III (UP3) MultiVitamin</TD><TD align=middle>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Calcium & Magnesium</TD><TD align=middle>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Omega Synergy</TD><TD align=middle>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>B Supreme</TD><TD align=middle>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Lipoic Supreme</TD><TD align=middle>3</TD></TR><TR><TD>Chromium Synergy</TD><TD align=middle>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Carnitine Synergy</TD><TD align=middle>3</TD></TR><TR><TD>Glutamine</TD><TD align=middle>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>CoQ10</TD><TD align=middle>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Stellar C</TD><TD align=middle>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>High Gamma/Delta Vitamin E</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Then I read "Thin for Good" by Pescatore, he says you should have some limit to the amount you eat. For my sad state, he says I should have 2 oz Protein for Breakfast 4 oz for lunch and 8 oz for dinner. With 3 cups of veggies thru out the day. (From what I remember.)

I have the Atkins for life book which has a MILLION receipes, and the other books have receipes too. You should be able to find something you like that you can afford. My main staples on low carb are meatloaf, salad, speghetti squash, decaf coffee drinks, and cucumber Soup (I have put the receipe on this site.)

I went to bookcloseouts.com before christmas and bought an Atkins for life Kit for about $6.00 and it is wonderful. I would recommend it.

No boredom, No carbs! We can do it!!!

I'm to be banded on January 15th. My 2 week pre-op diet is 3 Protein shakes a day. Post-op I am allowed protein only for the 1st month. Then the next month I can add one veggie a day. No fruits until month 3 then once a day. I'm not allowed ANY carbs until I have lost 75% of my excess weight.

But man-o-man is it hard for me. I am a TOTAL carb-a-holic!!

I too will join 'Carb Haters'!!! Not so much b/c I 'hate' to eat them. I love macaroni with butter or cheese (another reason I'm fat). I will tell you this; doing Atkins a few times in my life - that is when I 'feel' the best! Off of carbs, I sleep GREAT, I can relax, I don't burp so much and my heart feels good (I have mitral valvue prolapse). I KNOW I am better without them; so it's not something that I'll miss after I get banded.

:girl_hug:

I posted about this same subject earlier today on another thread. One of the main reasons we are obese to begin with is we all have an addiction to carbs, which makes it impossible to lose weight. I was on a modified Atkins diet this past summer that my cardiologist told me about. I had a Protein shake every morning for breakfast, and a low carb low fat meals for lunch and supper. I would make chicken soup with no corn or potatoes or Pasta in it. I would put healthy veggies in it like yellow squash, okra, etc. I would eat baked chicken or fish for dinner with something like green Beans and salad. Of course the menu changed somewhat, but I lost 40 lbs doing it. At first, I stayed hungry all the time because of cutting out the carbs. Then, suddenly 1 day the craving for the carbs just went away and I felt satisfied with what I was eating. Then, I started having major gastric problems and started cheating, because everything was just running straight through me anyway, and I didn't gain weight. When I finally got the gastric problem resolved, I continued to crave the carbs again. I have now gained back much of the weight I had lost. I'm still eating carbs because I'm not banded yet. I have my initial consultation with my surgeon this coming Friday and I hope it helps me to get things going with getting banded.

My PCP also told me to buy the book Sugar Busters and it has some great information in it. I think it lets you eat way to many carbs, but it does teach you how to keep you blood sugar levels down, especially if you are diabetic like I am.

Lets all get on the no carb wagon and get this weight off permanently!

Im in! Refined carbs are out for me. I have increased hunger when I eat processed foods. The eating plan for the band is protein first, veggies, carbs if room. I just need to stay in the first two food groups.

Babygotback-I agree South Beach is one of the more balanced plans, I also like carb addicts. Complex carb and protein 2 0f 3 meals then, one time per day you can have equal part meat, veggie and carb.

I'm to be banded on January 15th. My 2 week pre-op diet is 3 Protein shakes a day. Post-op I am allowed protein only for the 1st month. Then the next month I can add one veggie a day. No fruits until month 3 then once a day. I'm not allowed ANY carbs until I have lost 75% of my excess weight.

But man-o-man is it hard for me. I am a TOTAL carb-a-holic!!

Wow lala! You have the most restrictive post-op diet I think I have read here on LBT! I don't know that I could hang in there with that!

Good luck to you carb-hatin' girls! :clap2:

I hear south beach is a healthier alternative to Atkins. I have the book and I even joined the website, but it's hard because here in Portugal there are no "light" products and none of the sugar free candies and stuff to help me out in a pinch. And a lot of the recommended recipes include something that isn't available here.

For now, I'm going to just have my meat, salad, and a veggie with my meals. I'll have a piece of fruit for a snack later, I actually made a list of some Snacks that I thought where healthy.

Salty

Wheat or Integral toasts (I like those thin ones that have sesame seeds on them) with a bit of cheese or ham

Small salad with any 2 toppings I would like and a sensible dressing. (lights are good but check the sugar counts, I usually use olive oil and vinegar since thats what is mostly available here in Portugal)

Nuts (unsalted if I can) - walnuts, almonds, pine nuts,

Beef Jerky - which isn't available here but I think it deserves to be on the list.

Soy chips - which again isn't available here but I ate them when I was at home and I will again when I move back this summer.

In fact some one posted a link here on LBT to an online store that sold carb friendly snacks like soy chips and beef jerkey...it looked really nice but they don't do international shipping...if I find the link again I'll post it here.

Sweet

Any piece of fruit (try to skip the high carb stuff like banana etc.)

Yogurt - watch the low fat ones though a lot of times they take out sugar and add carbs...read the backs...there are soy yogurts available too which are good.

Cottage cheese with fruit (i like pineapple or peach)

low fat milk with a little chocolate powder and sweetener (it's like powdered nesquick but with out the sugar, buy the powdered baking chocolate and add a bit of sweet-n-low, or equal or splenda, what ever non sugar sweetener you like.

Sugar free candies - there are loads of these around, but try to only use these when you really have a craving..we want to try to maintain a healthier eating style and candy is still candy.

So this is my plan for now, plus 4 days a week at the gym. I would love to be down to 80kg by the time we move in July, but I'm gong to have to really work for that, I have had 2 fills and have some restriction, but I don't know if I have hit my sweet spot yet, I may go back for another fill if I don't start losing.

Also, my uncle who found out he was diabetic did the Sugar Busters with some level of success, his blood sugar is in a healthier range now even though he's still a bit chunky....

Good luck to all of you. I simply can't give up my carbs, but I don't see that they have hurt my weight loss either. Everything in moderation.

After being on Atkins for a few yrs and loosing weight I gained a lot back when I quit smoking and my knees about gave out and i kind of gave up on everything. After being banded, just buying anything carby was really hard! We went crazy for a bit before the band with noodles and rice and potatoes ( baked not french fries- couldn't even do that!)- our favorites we hadn't had for awhile and lots of fruit of all kinds - even banannas. After the first bit we tapered off of the noodles and rice and and now we barely touch them again. No white flour, no sugar only splenda, no bread just lo carb tortillas. It is just we both feel better limiting the carbs. More energy clearer heads, better sleep and no heart burn.

Wow lala! You have the most restrictive post-op diet I think I have read here on LBT! I don't know that I could hang in there with that!

Good luck to you carb-hatin' girls! :clap2:

My doctor basically say the same thing. Protein first little veggies and Water until I'm down to goal.:faint: but it is working even tho I have cheated in the past.

I am a firm believer in LC'ng..... like all said before me... feel better, no heartburn, no cravings, lost weight, carbs are triggers for me... LC'ng also helped my PCOS (it straightened out my periods and allowed my body to ovulate, which in turn produced my miracle baby.. who is now 3......

I view the band to be a FORCED committment which is what I need, because what happens with me is that I eat one bite of something and then my appetite goes bonkers and I eat, and eat, and eat..... it is sick really........ but is the exact reason why I have lost over 80lbs 3 separate times since 1999 doing low carb and why I'm once again back to my starting weight.