Please Advise

[SaraS]

I need some help deciding what to do now. I have no idea which way to turn and I am really confused.

I started Atkins on June 14th. I lost 14 lbs in about two weeks. I stalled for about two weeks and then dropped about 10 pounds within a week or so. I stalled again for about four weeks and then dropped 5 1/2 pounds in two days.

From the time I started Atkins through the first stall and the 10 lb weightloss that came right after that , I stayed on Atkins Induction religiously. During the last stall (the month long stall), I followed induction to a T and then right before my 5 1/2 pound weight loss, I cheated. For about a week before the weight loss, I had stuff like Cappuccino, lower carb tortillas, one low carb ice cream bar and a restaurant hamburger with bun and fries. That lasted for a week and I didn't gain any weight. I went back to induction and immediately lost 5 1/2 pounds in two days. And again, I am stuck.

As soon as I got stuck again, I tried several different things. I tried eating like I had been on induction. I tried adding berries in to transition into OWL. I have tried eating next to nothing. I have tried eating only when I was hungry and not any other time. Nothing seems to be working.

I'm not expecting to continually have the 5-10 pound weight loss. What I would be happy with is to stop the stalls and just see a consistent weight loss. I see so many other people that continue to lose weight at 1-2 pounds a week or something like that and I would be happy with that. The stalls have caused me problems of keeping a good outlook about Atkins because I need to see progress to feel good about it. When I stall for weeks at a time, I feel like that next shot of weight loss will never come.

At this point, I am so confused. I have considered moving to OWL, trying South Beach, using Slim Fast, taking rotten diet pills and even not eating to see if something works. I know that not eating is not the solution, but I am about at the end of my rope. All I want is a consistent weight loss. I'm not asking to be thin over night. Can you give me any suggestions?

Here is a sample menu.

B: I will either have two eggs and 2 small sausage links, or a piece of a breakfast casserole (made of eggs/small amount of chopped onion/green pepper/cheese/heavy cream). Other days, I might have a faux french toast (pork rinds/heavy cream/splenda/cinnamon) topped with butter and no-sugar added cinnamon) and a side meat.

L: I'm usually not real hungry, so I usually have some Tuna Salad and 1-2 sticks of Colby Jack Cheese (the individual long stick type that is sold in the individual wrappers). The tuna salad is about 1/2 cup at the most. Made with Hellman's mayo and small bits of onion.

D: chicken or beef with a side salad (2 cups lettuce with shredded cheddar, bacon bits, carb options dressing) and one cup of veggie from the "other" category of induction vegetables.

Water/Diet Coke (I dropped the majority of my weight while drinking Diet Coke. Just in case it was suddenly a staller, I switched to Diet Rite and that did not make a difference).

I don't usually snack. I'm wondering if I should totally reorganize my eating plan so that I don't eat regular meals and just snack throughout the day instead of planned mealtimes.

Please help. I'm this close to not eating at all.

[Atkins_Nutritionist]

I would like to claify things and hopefully get you to see a different side to all this.

If you lose 5-10 pounds in a week or 2, and then stall you are in essence losing 1-2 pounds or more/week on average. This puts you where you want to be as far as the rate of your loss. {Forgive me if the math is slightly off}

No one is ever happy with the rate of their weight loss. The reason for your stall is likely just water/fluid and your body adjusting to the weight you lost.

Have you thought about avoiding the scale for awhile? Monitoring your progress by how you feel and how your cloths fit is a much more "real" way to measure success!

The fact is you are losing and consistently (within your body's ability) losing, I think you are being too hard on yourself!

As far as your meals, have you tried eating 6 small meals/day? Are you taking a multivitamin?

[SaraS]

Thank you so much for your reply.

I do see what you are saying. I guess it just scares me every time it stops. I feel like that is the time when it won't start moving again. I think I assumed that if I was not losing consistently and only losing once a month that something was wrong. After the initial large weightloss and then the stalls, I would only have those extra drops after my time of month. I haven't gained anything before, but only dropped after. I guess it is freaking me out.

I do take a multi-vitamin, but I read in the Atkins book about extra things I could add so I may try that. And, I have been seriously thinking about changing from three meals a day to 5 or 6 smaller meals a day. Does that help some people? Is my pattern common in some people? I think I assumed that I was doing something wrong.

[SaraS]

Ok, another wierd thing happened so now I'm confused and I have another question. I'm not advocating this in anyway, but I wonder if it is pointing to something.

After that bout with the the mini-stall and dropping 10 pounds and then the longer 4 week stall (then the cheat) and dropping 5 pounds in about two days, I ate really good for a week and the weight stayed the stayed the same. Last night, I had another hamburger with bun and fries, and this morning I was down about a pound and a half.

I'm not advocating this in anyway and I am committed to sticking to the Atkins food choices because I am much happier with these food choices. As a matter of fact, I could tell the difference in the way I felt after eating that stuff versus the good stuff I have been eating on Atkins; I felt bloated and lathergic after eating that and I never feel that way on Atkins. I did a bunch of research on Atkins stalls and I found several web boards where a lot of people who had been experienced these post induction stalls on a regular basis would eat higher amounts of carbs for a day or so and then get back on Atkins. Many of them just chose one meal during one day of the week or whenever they weren't losing anything for a week and then went back to eating according to Atkins. A lot of them said that helped them to stop the stalls and lose weight consistently instead of having a month long stall and then a sudden drop of weight. The only real concern was watching to make sure that they could have the willpower to return to the Atkins regimin and not go off on a prolonged syndrome of eating bad food again.

I'm not looking for this as a solution, but I'm wondering if this means that my body is trying to tell me that I need more carbs (more good Atkins carbs like veggies, berries, etc.) to consistently lose weight instead of the 2-4 week stall and then a drop. Some of the people on the boards I researched were convinced that after a prolonged induction, your body gets used to induction level carbs and stops losing. I rejected moving to OWL because I had about 40 more pounds to lose and I had been in the stall and had heard that OWL would slow you down. Is this possibly what my body is reacting to and really just needing more carbs?

[Diana]

Try upping your calories and Carbs. Some people lose better when they increase calories and carbs

[skinnysomeday]

Originally posted by SaraS


I'm not looking for this as a solution, but I'm wondering if this means that my body is trying to tell me that I need more carbs (more good Atkins carbs like veggies, berries, etc.) to consistently lose weight instead of the 2-4 week stall and then a drop.

You've answered it right there and that's EXACTLY what the Atkins plan says. Induction is 2 weeks and then move to OWL. I think if you did that, you'd be following the plan correctly.

[SaraS]

I think you are probably right. I know that people stay on induction longer because they want to lose more weight quicker and it works for them, but I'm thinking that my body is rejecting a prolonged induction. I planned to stay on induction for at least another 20 lbs, but I guess my body has other ideas. I have a feeling it is time to move to OWL.

[pbptm]

You've done really well this is the way I lose too have you added in exercise?
Give your body a chance the scenic route allows it to become accustomed to your new shape focus on the health benefits. I bet you feel so much better for low carbing. In my opinion that's half the pleasure getting rid of the fat and feeling great

[mmmommmy]

You should be eating every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism up. So, yes, six meals would be good, or 3 meals with snacks in between.

[Atkins_Nutritionist]

Two main points:

If you are losing a lot after your TOM then I think your weight fluctuations are largely due to fluid retention. Exercsie, water and lower salt will help this

Losing weight the day after eating off plan is the wrong way of looking at this. If you were to gain weight from eating off plan, it may take a few days to gain the weight. The weight you actually lost was from the days you followed the plan.

Eating 6 small meals may help and you should make sure you are eating adequate calories

[MAMZELLE]

Must add my 2 cents. Firstly I want to say that
you're weight loss is fantastic, if i'm reading it
correctly [I've always assumed that the first
number is what everyone is on the date posted
6/14?, and the middle number what you're at now
and the third number is goal?] If this is correct,
do you know how great that is? I just want to
confirm that I've always been reading the stats
correctly only because you're so upset and
frustrated, after what looks like such a great
accomplishment... 29 lbs in a little over a 2
months? Am I right? [I'm TERRIBLE at even
simple math lol] Not everyone can do that, Sara,
and they stall much sooner! It's only a little over
two months since you started and in all the many
years I've been doing this I didn't lose that fast,
even with less weight to lose so I hope that will
make you feel a little better.

Even though you may be seeing others lose more,
you can't go by other people and remember men
lose much faster so don't even compare to them
at all. I know you're frustration because I've been
going through the same frustration just trying to
lose 10 or 15 because they say even ten pounds
off makes a better health situation with high
sugar which is an even worse situation.... and
taking much slower.

I have always told people [friends, and those on
here] what the nutritionist says above and I'm
glad to now see it confirmed. The weight you're
seeing on the scale is [or could be] from the
dieting and what you've eaten between one and
two weeks ago... it's usually delayed.

Maybe when people see a loss after 'reversing'
[eating carbs to 'jump start' which is what I call
it] it IS from their previous dieting and not the
carbs they just ate the days before. And the
carbs eaten will show up next week as a gain or
not show at all if going right back to lower
carbs. I don't know, and it all frustrates me too,
but I'll let you know what happened to me
recently...

I hadn't lost a single ounce and was just easing
into induction but even that was a drastic
difference in the way I WAS eating and always in
the past even that small initial carb reduction
started showing on the scale right away but this
latest time it wasn't even when I DID reach full
induction eating, so I assumed it was my high
sugar which IS supposed to halt everything, and I
thought there was no loss at all when having high
sugar so I didn't panic and knew even if no
weight loss, my being back on atkins was the
best and only thing to do for the sugar so I was
able to live with that albeit unhappily, and just
kept plugging along anyway.

I heard about Dreamfields pasta, and pasta being
the thing I miss most in the world, I started
investigating [my fiancee looked it up on the net
and came up with this site accidently and that's
how I got here] and I was reading everyone's
posts about their experiences with Dreamfields
and talking at great length and hearing all the
success stories, my concentrating mostly on
diabetic's experience with it, but also everyone
else's as well.

I finally decided to take the plunge after a couple
of weeks talking to people [including privately to
Mendosa, if you've heard his name]. To make a
long story short, my fiancee who's in Ca. sent me
9 lbs of it in all varieties lol..... and I was very
scared but did eat it every single day for either a
week or two weeks [have it written down but not
in front of me now] and I suddenly dropped 5 lbs
at ONCE, after all that time NOTHING, maybe
weeks or a couple of MONTHS, not sure, but a
long time!

I don't consider that reversing and eating a gang
of carbs because 2 oz of dreamfields is only 5
NET carbs [although I don't do 'net' carbing, but
with this I did and I even ate a little OVER the 2
oz. every day but not a 'lot' more]. And my
keto-diastix [including sugar along with ketones]
stayed the same... I was purplish though not dark,
and sugar was negative!

The stix aren't totally accurate, but believe me...
when there is sugar and ESPECIALLY from
something so carb dense as pasta... it DOES
show and would have. But only 5 carbs I felt
was safe to try and the stix kept saying at least
the darker 'pink' and the sugar negative so I kept
going and the 5 lbs came off with bacon & eggs
mornings and ALWAYS pasta at night with a
LITTLE ragu's carb options either a little sausage/
red sauce, or alfredo for flavoring but both with
mostly olive oil to play it safe, and parmisian
cheese.

I only stopped the pasta as an experiment to see
if I would continue losing and i didn't. I didn't
lose another ounce when I stopped and didn't go
back to the pasta because I was still scared to,
though I really shouldn't have been, but not
taking my blood sugar [a long story as to why] I
figured I really didn't know what the story was
THERE, but I'm told that if the stix were negative,
most people aren't above 180 in sugar and I can't
do more food wise than I was already doing on
Atkins, and my sugar was much higher other
times so if it even MIGHT be below 180 and the
stix were still ABSOLUTELY negative the pasta
didn't seem to be having a drastic effect at
least.

Then in the last two weeks I did just lose another
3 lbs without the pasta [which I keep telling
myself I'm going to try again but haven't.... if not
for my sugar I wouldn't have even stopped eating
it, and feel I should try it again but this time not
without taking my blood sugar so I'm
procrastinating].

But like I said, that 5 lb loss could have been
finally showing from before the pasta, but that
was so long that I had started Atkins and losing
nothing, it seemed too much of a coincidence
that it would finally show WITH the pasta.

I felt it was a good thing to use to try to "jump
start" it though, because it WAS only five carb
grams, and I had to see also, if I could have pasta
in my life and it seemed safe to try after hearing
what was happening to other diabetics... their
BLOOD sugar was NOT going up from it.

Who knows, maybe it was that it was such a
different substance than I was eating on atkins,
that was suddenly introduced that it DID jump
start it even with not much carbs. I don't know
but eating some carbs always did jump start for
me and I never got carried away and did go right
back on the diet strictly after a little of them in
the past, but am afraid to do that with my sugar
being what it is so I really am not free to reverse
even a little anymore. I'd be scared to death, but
assuming you're not diabetic, it's the SAFEST
thing you can do but just for one shot like you
described... on ONE day and try it with the GOOD
carbs first... more of THEM. I used to do it with
the thing I liked most, either ice cream or
eggplant parmisian with all that SAUCE so it was
a lot of carbs for ME because I cut out tomatoe
products completely when on atkins... but that's
just one shot [especially the ice cream lol] and it
worked sometimes and sometimes not, just don't
lead yourself into a binge, make sure that won't
happen to YOU, because after all you've
accomplished that would be a crime.

Since weight loss IS supposed to be delayed, it is
hard to tell what is and isn't having an effect,
which adds to the frustration, so I do know what
you're going through, but remember we ALL go
through it at some time or other and your stall
was later than some so don't be discouraged.

.....and don't touch PILLS! Now we have
atkins, pills are a thing of the PAST and so
archaic along with being dangerous and would
totally screw up your entire system which would
take so long to remedy afterwards! That is the
LAST thing you should do... along with giving up
and going off this. DON'T. Eat a little carbs only
ONCE if you have to and see what happens at
least that won't do much damage even if it
doesn't work but try to live your life and not think
about it all the time and when NOT looking that's
when a loss shows lol..... it's like ''a watched pot
that never boils''! :-)

[SaraS]

Mamzelle,

Thank you so much for your post. That was so nice. I've read so many internet boards with people talking about this and talked to several people personally who had done Atkins for a long time and they all told me that it broke their stall. I do agree that my weight loss has been good, I'm not trying to minimize it at all, I am proud of myself. And don't worry, I wouldn't even think about taking the weight loss junk off the shelf. The only thing I started using was the Atkins approved supplements to see if there is any difference.

The reason I am trying to figure this out is that I just know my patience level and I am better off if I see a small weight loss consistently versus four weeks of nothing and then a whoosh. I don't know the true answer. I honestly don't know what to think.

I have decided to up my carbs and calories as suggested and move to OWL and see how it goes from here. I'm not advocating anything that I did, but I would probably do it again if I end up in a four week stall. I cheated several times two weeks ago and each time, it never showed up as a gain. Only a loss. The only thing I can figure out is that it is a combination of the two: eating on Atkins and using one meal one time a week during the stall to get the loss going again. I might be wrong, I probably am, but the other answer just doesn't make sense to me.

[Lisa Rae]

Sara,

Look at it this way..if you eat on plan..at induction leels for weeks and have no loss..then you cheat and your body loses some lbs..then instead of assuming a chet caused a loss..maybe it's more that 20 carbs keeps your body from losing. Know what I mean? So instead of thinking a cheat will help you lose..start thinking that a higher carb level of good carbs will give you a small but consistant loss overall

I an tell you this..it can be hard reading the boards with people eating lower then 20 carbs..and keeping calories very low..to not get sucked in. I personally stayed at induction levewls for 3 months. The loss at first was great..but the last 3-4 week of my induction level of carbs got me zero loss. ONce I re-evaluated my thinking..and upped my carbs by the book (floowing the carb ladder) I not only found out my ccl was much higher then I assumed (30-35 carbs for me for owl) but my loss picked way back up! The trick is to not follow what others do to lose fast..but to do what Atkins wrote and to lose it consistantly

[SaraS]

I agree with you. And your post made me realize something. After what happened, I'm more likely to believe that it is my body telling me to up the carbs and calories but to do it with the good carbs. I think the mental block I am going through stems from a fear of adding more food (even if it is good food) because I felt safe during the induction style of eating. I think I am just scared that adding in more good carbs will cause me to gain weight. It might not make sense, but I think I am still battling with the issue of trusting that the plan will guide me in the right direction.

After I read your post, I went back to fitday and looked at my account. I hadn't been entering foods into fitday during the stall, but started doing it again after the recent cheat and I did find that I am not getting enough calories. I only had 600 calories the other day and that was even with a cheat food. My poor body is probably wondering what the heck I am up to. When I saw that figure, it dawned on me that I was afraid to eat more. During induction I had been consistently between 1400-1500 calories and lost weight fine. But then I hit the normal post induction stall and I think I started punishing myself by blaming my eating for the stall even though I had never cheated during induction. Quite a wake-up. It never dawned on me that that is what I was doing.

Thank you so much for your reply.

[MAMZELLE]

You're both so right. I get such a flat feeling that I don't want to put any food in my stomach to ruin it. It really is
like an addiction, we eventually don't want to eat and ruin anything, and with me it goes one step further because I'm
so afraid of my sugar along with getting into the scale thing, which wasn't even an important issue to me before but
now im on the scale constantly after preaching to everyone not to be obsessed with it [and SAID "listen to what I
say.... not what I DO lol], but I'm also 'afraid' to eat, but I do when I'm hungry but so little food satisfies me... and that
has come down to once a day but I force twice a day and try to nibble [which is how i've always eaten anyway
before] but I make sure to have meat or chicken with a vegetable [which I had for breakfast today at 2 pm this
afternoon lol and haven't eaten since until seeing your posts to remind me, so thanks lol] and usually either eggs or
tuna or the Crown Prince skinless & boneless sardines in olive oil Hmmmm, other days for breakfast and meat &
vegetable at night and after a large amount of homemade chicken soup that I made, I've been snacking on that
inbeteen but even forgot about that too today, so that's just what I went to heat up, at least it has lots of cabbage & celery in it and I put pork rinds in and parmisian. [Can't cook into it what I'd really LIKE to... onions, parsnips, carrots etc., but tons of fresh dill, parsley and jar seasonings] I DO eat when I'm hungry but not
hungry often enough and this is the problem with apetite supression, though a GREAT problem if remembering and
making it our business to eat! I just don't know what to eat anymore. I have tons of stuff in the freezer, but am out
of lettuce, and most salad materials, eggs, cream cheese, hard cheeses, all perishables like that [I buy from 6 to 10 dozen eggs at a time, 7 lbs of bacon, 7 chedders lol and so on, but it does run out eventualy] and everyday I say I'm going to have food DELIVERED [too hot out] but am so busy doing things that I keep putting the ordeal off... so that's making it hard, but have TONS
of tuna [always buy it by the cases, plural!] but sometimes the same things over & over aren't enticing anymore,
although I DO love these kinds of foods and always basically lived on them anyway since finding atkins so early on,
but there used to be OTHER things inbetween, even healthy things that I can't even eat now.... GOOD carbs or 'not so
bad' ones that i'm not even allowed to have. And I used to always eat out all the time which made eating so simple
and automatic, so when not, it's easy not to be bothered preparing things [I need a live-in cook lol]. I saw your other
post on the other thread Sara [magnesium] and intend to respond]. But everything you've both said is SO TRUE! I
almost ate my dreamfields pasta again after a couple of months not eating it [after reading your posts] but am still
afraid and shouldn't be.... but it's just my sugar. It was fine last time [lost the 5 lbs] but just can't ring myself to eat it
and this would be a perfect time. Afraid to take my blood sugar though, that's why.

Have you ever tried the pasta, Lisa? [I know you haven't Sara, but should]. Have either of you used Smart Balance when on this, guess nobody does, that's why I can't get an answer. With the pasta, the Ragu carb options sauses didn't affect me at ALL so they too are great. I'm surprised I'm not hearing much about it through these threads [only on the Dreamfield's threads]. Could it be that people are AFRAID to try it or actually don't know about it? Boy, if I didn't have the sugar problem I STILL wouldn't be afraid to eat it every day like I did. I think it's PERFECT to try on a stall. It knocked five immediate pounds off me at ONCE like I said above, and am dying to eat it again [have so much of it AND the sauces here] and I think about it every single day. You guys really should try it.

[Lisa Rae]

Mamz,

OT here..but wanted to respond. I totally understand not only the fear to eat..but also the whole scale addiction! I have gotten to the place several times where I basically am starving myself to see the scale move. Recently while talking to another long-time low-carber..I realized I needed to make some changes. First..I eat 4-6 meals a day..PERIOD! I have worked too dang hard to start compulsivly not eating..or not loving myself enough to eat what my body needs. If that means I eat a hard boiled egg ...great..if I need a salad..then I have it. The only thing I won't do..and this is a very personal choice..is eat any products. I have in the past had low-carb tortillas, pasta..etc. but have come to realize..it has to be about more then just my carb and calorie count at the end of the day. I now eat zero products. One of my favorite sayings is "don't take old bad habits..and simply make them new low-carb bad habits" and for me..that means eating products that are just versions of stuff that I have had control issues with in the past.

As for the scale..I had gotten to weighing abut 1-2 times a month for almost a year. When My goal was geting close..I started to weight more and ore often. Once I hit goal..I became toally obsesed with the scale. Weighing 4 or more times a day. Did weighing that often make me maintane..or lose..or even gain..Nope! But it did effect my good moods many mornings. I could be up 1/2 lb and my whole day was shot!

So..a few weeks ago I started a Challenge. The title is T.G.I.F.O (aka Thank God It's Friday ONLY!) it's a group of wonderful gals..all doing their own program and with diffrent amounts to lose. Only basic criteria is we ONLY weigh on Friday! the first week was horrible..I thought about the scale cnstantly..but did it. The second week was so much easier...and now..week 3 ..I feel much more in control. I welcome anyone who wants to try and focus on thigns other then the number on a scale to come and join! We'd love to have you both..and anyone else who reads this.

[SaraS]

I can still tell that I have this major fear of eating in general. Although my fear has not turned into the "classic" eating disorder of bulemia or anorexia, I'm pretty sure that with the damage that I have done with all the weight, I've got one. I let food control my happiness. I just never realized the extent of it it until now.

I'm almost in tears right now just realizing it, but even though it makes me sad, it is a good thing to at least identify that it is a problem for me. It means I can do something about it. I honestly figured that once the weight started coming off, everything would be 100% better automatically, but I'm realizing that it's going to take more time and a lot more of an understanding of why I had been eating the way that I had.

I'm still scared and I'm still obsessed with the scale, but, like you suggested, I'm going to eat smaller meals throughout the day with the required food and the right amount of calories (still having a problem with that). I'm going to have to work on the scale thing.

You have no idea, but your posts have helped me a lot.

[SaraS]

Mamzelle,

I haven't tried the pasta yet. I probably will, but I want to wait until I get to the grain rung. I think I still have some issues to work out with myself before I go back to eating any amount of pasta. That was probably my biggest downfall. The good thing is, I don't really have any cravings for it anymore, I'm just not sure I trust myself around it yet. I could eat a ton of pasta in one sitting when I wasn't doing Atkins. I will try it again someday.

As for the methylcellulose, that stuff put me in so much pain. Just a lot of lower abdominal pain. It is not constant, but it occurs when you are ready to have a bowel movement and I felt like I was going to pass out! Those fiber pills are so much better. No pain at all. If you decide to try them, just look for Metamucil or a generic brand that is a fiber supplement. My generic bottle compares it to Metamucil and lists the amount of psyllum husk as .52g.

[Lisa Rae]

Sara,

a HUGE part of low-carbing for life..is identifying the stuff that got us big to begin with! What a huge accomplishment you've made..looking at your old life..and wanting to improve! Wonderful!!

Most of us came here with some sort of food addictions or compulsions. Let's face it..it we had a good relationship with food..we wouldn't need a food program.

So..make a plan for yourself. Small things to work on. 4-6 meals a day is a great place to start IMHO. Learning to live to eat vs. eating to live takes time and a plan. It won't just happen by osmosis (unfortunatly!) LOL Eating small meals througout the day will get you used to not overeating and not undereating..but consistantly feeding your body in order to be healthy and lose healthy.

Hang in..and if you ever need anyone to talk too...don't hesitate to e-mail me

[MAMZELLE]

Yes, I understand sara, and also agree with you ...and lisa. If you don't need it, by all means don't touch it yet, but know now that thank God it's out there instead of the regular stuff. Maybe that's why I've waited so long to eat more with 9 more boxes of it right in the house and haven't touched it even knowing i can.... don't remember any 'cravings' for it again YET since I ate it every day for a week or two because that's what I ALWAYS miss most, but then got tired of it. I had my 'dose' and seems that was enough for a while....along with the fact that old habits die hard, and i'm still afraid but according to my last results [suddenly losing the only 5 lbs WITH it when before it I lost nothing], there's still the 'stigma' in my MIND about pasta being an absolute no-no but isn't anymore. This was staggering to me. Pasta is alsy MY biggest down fall up there right on top with ice cream [and many in second place] so I know what you mean and of course don't force it. But just think, for the rest of our lives now, in the future, we have pasta that we actually CAN eat without putting on weight! I still can't believe it. So it's something to look forward to, if there's no effect from it, which there wasn't.

Oh, and remember I was only suggesting it becuase you said you were thinking of ADDING more carbs, and thought this would be perfect experiment for that..... although it DIDN'T count as more carbs for me. It was as though I had added NOTHING! So thought it might be good for you to try, but it might not haven't even worked for purposes of MORE carbs! It's only 5 per 2oz, no more than many other foods, like adding 5 gms more of vegs, etc. But if you think you'll binge on it, then wait till you're desperate for pasta. THEN it's the only safe one to eat.

I didn't just try it right away either..... I investigated it about a month or even MORE and that's how I found this site..... looking up dreamfields on the net and talked to so many people and mostly diabetics for whom it didn't effect their sugar at all, and also Mendosa privately in email, also a diabetic [mendosa.com] and everything he said along with everyone else, their blood sugar results, finally convinced me and then after all that I finally tried it and it does work. I am always very hesitant with EVERYTHING because I'm on this diet stripped down to the bone and allow nothing else in, but that's the one exception after seeing it with my own eyes.

I've also always been someone with a terrible metabolism, and now even worse with high sugar added to it which was stopping me cold, and the reason I really want to lose in the first place, so I'm the best berometer anyone could find. Sheeesh, so if it works for ME [which I NEVER thought it would] it would work for anyone. Just bear that in mind if the time ever comes down the road. You seem so desperate so thought it might do for you what it did for me. I couldn't lose an OUNCE, and this somehow shook everything up to 9 lbs lost so far, [with NO excercise at all, not even physically 'active'] so for me, that 9 is the equivelant of everyone else's 20 or 30 lbs. Again... merely information to consider for the future if and when you move on to further levels if not wanting to do it now. You'll never have to eat that other poison, the real stuff again. And you can't tell the difference between the two at ALL :-) [I used to eat the same amounts as you.... I was the worst, and it was pasta that always gave me my 15-20 lb. gains more than anything else..... and ice cream lol]