My Low Carb Story

February 15, 2001 was when I first started Low Carb. 

It was the day after my youngest daughter’s 3rd birthday.  We had her party at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  I made her a 2 layer cake decorated with buttercream icing colored pink.  It had the sprinkles that she loves so dearly all over it.  It was rich and delicious, but I had already made up my mind to start low carb eating the next day.  I had bought the book and had been reading it and was really excited to be making a change.  I had reached the point in my life where I was always tired and had ballooned up to my highest weight at that time.  I was ready for a change.

By September of 2001, I had lost 28 lbs.  I was feeling and looking so much better.  I kept the weight off for a year or so, then in 2003 I started a job where I sit most of the day.  I would grab anything I could find for lunch and the weight started coming back.  I gained 5-10 lbs per year until I gained it all back plus some.  My body no longer responds to diet attempts.

Every year around this time, I get that certain euphoric feeling I had when I first started low carb and my mind seems to be made up to try it one more time.  The pounds come off a whole lot slower now, but I must keep trying.  I lose inches now and my clothes feel looser, but the scale discourages me and usually by the weekend, I’ve given up once more.  Hopefully this time I can make it.  I can never give up totally.

So, I’m trying the Carbohydrate Addicts Diet, by Drs. Richard & Rachael Heller.  That allows me to have a treat at one meal, usually dinner.  I had good luck with this last spring.

From The Low Carb Friends website...This diet works because it controls your insulin release, which is related to how you store and use body fat. (See the book for all the scientific references!) You are allowed only three meals and one optional snack on CAD. This is how the insulin releases are controlled. Two of the meals are called “Complementary Meals” (CM’s) and the third is called a “Reward Meal” (RM.) There is no calorie counting, no carbohydrate counting… it is a very simple diet so none of that is necessary. If you follow the rules, everything falls into place.

CM’s are essentially very low carb meals. You divide your plate in half, and ½ your meal is protein, and the other ½ is low carb veggie. Simple. There is a specific list of veggies to choose from, called “crave –reducing” choices. The list is pretty extensive, but it does not include all low carb veggies. You are allowed to eat from this list, and that is all. If it’s not on the list, you don’t eat it. (But rest assured, there’s so much to choose from you won’t feel restricted.) It’s easy and flexible, it just needs to be balanced, protein & veggie. It is very much like an Atkins meal.

The optional snack is the same as the CM, just smaller.

An RM is a flexible meal you can have for your choice of Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner. This makes it easy to plan for events like restaurant meals or parties. For the RM you begin your meal with a salad.  Then you divide your plate into thirds. 1/3 is protein, 1/3 is low carb veggie, and that last 1/3 is ANYTHING YOU WANT. If it fits in that 1/3 balance, you can have it. Potato, Bread, Cake, Cookies, Candy, Noodles, Rice, whatever you feeling like having.

This does not give free license to pig out on carbs. It must be BALANCED. If you want more cake, you also have to take the same portions of chicken and green beans, too.

One more catch: This RM must be completed within a one hour time limit. This has everything to do with controlling the insulin release. This is very important. Also, you are not allowed to snack (aside from the optional complementary snack.) You eat three to four times a day, and that’s it. Believe it or not, this will not be a problem. Your meals should carry you easily to the next meal. It’s all about that insulin control.