Lost the weight, why add carbs back?

BCSF · 07-08-2009, 12:30 AM

Hi All. I'm new to LCFriends and happy to have found you. I started PP last November and have actually really enjoyed losing my excess poundage. I have never felt hungry on this plan, I am back exercising and feeling like I was almost a kid again. I have been at the intervention stage for a while now doing 20 to 30 grams of carbs a day and adequate protein. I don't seem to be losing weight anymore having held pretty steady for the past 6 weeks or so. I am now adding in some fresh fruit each day ( about 5 to 10 gms of carb) and watching if the weight increases. My question though is this. My energy levels are good and I feel great so why do I want to add back these carbs? I don't seem to want to eat more as my diet quite satisfies me, and it is carbs or at least my abuse of them, that made me overweight in the first place. Am I putting my health at risk by staying at a low carb level? I quite see the logic in following this 'paleo' diet. Know what I mean?

fshagan · 07-15-2009, 11:20 AM

The "Protein Power Life Plan" book describes a bit more about the transition phase to maintenance than the original book does.

There is no reason you have to add carbs back in, especially if you have stabilized and are no longer losing weight.

But most people want to add a few more foods, like the sweeter fruits, back into their diet. The concept that Dr. Eades uses is that if your insulin is under control, you won't gain weight even if the carb level rises a little. But its that "a little" part of the equation that I'm worried about.

I'm not to goal yet, so I'll be sticking with 30 carbs a day or less for the next few months. But I am worried that if I go back to "a little" more carbs, I'll binge and be back where I started. Not sure I want to take that chance. I'm considering myself a "carboholic" now.

Still, I'm looking forward to a cruise vacation we're planning for early 2010, and I'll relax my standards a bit for that. I'm encouraged to read that once stabilized and on plan (and not diabetic), you can have the occasional "feast" and not gain weight. I'm thinking there's a half a chocolate souffle in my future!

07-08-2009, 12:30 AM	#1
BCSF Junior LCF Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada Posts: 1 Gallery: BCSF Stats: 227/165/175 WOE: Protein Power Start Date: November, 2008	Lost the weight, why add carbs back? Hi All. I'm new to LCFriends and happy to have found you. I started PP last November and have actually really enjoyed losing my excess poundage. I have never felt hungry on this plan, I am back exercising and feeling like I was almost a kid again. I have been at the intervention stage for a while now doing 20 to 30 grams of carbs a day and adequate protein. I don't seem to be losing weight anymore having held pretty steady for the past 6 weeks or so. I am now adding in some fresh fruit each day ( about 5 to 10 gms of carb) and watching if the weight increases. My question though is this. My energy levels are good and I feel great so why do I want to add back these carbs? I don't seem to want to eat more as my diet quite satisfies me, and it is carbs or at least my abuse of them, that made me overweight in the first place. Am I putting my health at risk by staying at a low carb level? I quite see the logic in following this 'paleo' diet. Know what I mean?

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07-15-2009, 11:20 AM	#2
fshagan Junior LCF Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: CA Posts: 22 Gallery: fshagan WOE: Protein Power	The "Protein Power Life Plan" book describes a bit more about the transition phase to maintenance than the original book does. There is no reason you have to add carbs back in, especially if you have stabilized and are no longer losing weight. But most people want to add a few more foods, like the sweeter fruits, back into their diet. The concept that Dr. Eades uses is that if your insulin is under control, you won't gain weight even if the carb level rises a little. But its that "a little" part of the equation that I'm worried about. I'm not to goal yet, so I'll be sticking with 30 carbs a day or less for the next few months. But I am worried that if I go back to "a little" more carbs, I'll binge and be back where I started. Not sure I want to take that chance. I'm considering myself a "carboholic" now. Still, I'm looking forward to a cruise vacation we're planning for early 2010, and I'll relax my standards a bit for that. I'm encouraged to read that once stabilized and on plan (and not diabetic), you can have the occasional "feast" and not gain weight. I'm thinking there's a half a chocolate souffle in my future!