What I'm learning from my little Atkins/South Beach hybrid experiment. (or, how I can sometimes sound like an infomercial)

So I've been low-carbing it this week. I lost quiet a bit of weight last year, and then in August my weightloss just... stopped. Then I started gaining, and then losing, the same 5 pounds again. and again. and again. Drove. Me. NUTS!!! So I decided it was time to try something new. I'd been working out for 45-60 minutes a day, plus counting my calories fairly regularly, but it obviously wasn't cutting it any more. I couldn't bring myself to get back into a steadier consistancy of calorie counting, and I *knew* carbs were messing me up. I would have "carb binges" where I would eat multiple servings of spaghetti, or a piece of toast for myself... plus however much of my kids' toast was left when they were done with their breakfasts (which was often a lot). Having a breadmachine didn't help much either. And I loooooove rice. I would justify my overconsumption with "Well, at least they're all whole wheat/whole grain!"

But a binge is a binge. And I was binging.

So I decided to go cold turkey, and severely restrict my carb intake to see how it made me feel and what it did for my weight.

And it's felt good!

Now, to dispel a common myth right off: Atkins and South Beach are not NO carb, they're LOW carb. I AM still eating carbs, and will continue to increase my carb intake as I get closer to my final goal weight (only 8lbs to go now!). I'm doing a 1 week Induction period (the Atkins version, which is basically identical to SB), rather than a 2 week Induction, since I'm already so close. Induction is where you limit your carb intake to 20grams of NET carbs (Grams of Total Carbs - Grams of Fiber = Net Carbs. example Food Item has 6g carb and 2g fiber, for a Net Carb total of 4g). At least 15 of those 20 carbs have to come from vegetables. LOTS of green salads over here, which is totally fine, since I LOVE salads, so they're already a part of my regular eating habit, but now I'm having them with chicken and veggies on top, instead of beans and raisins.

I've also increased the fat intake in my diet, and that, above all else, has been eye opening. I can eat fat and lose weight! It makes me feel full! I realized that I'd gotten perhaps a too hyper-focused on "good carbs", that I wasn't realizing that I was a bit out of balance on them. A bowl of oatmeal (not instant) with some raisins and almond milk was a yummy breakfast, and I'd feel full for a while, but would still be craving food again within an hour or so, even though I knew I wasn't actually hungry. Whereas this morning I had a two egg omelette with a bit of shredded cheese, and some sauteed zucchini and onions, all cooked up in a bit of olive oil, and not only did I feel full and satisfied, but I also actually had to *force* myself to eat my mid-morning snack (1/2 blackberries mashed into 2 tbs. of full-fat cream cheese. Yuuuuuum!)

Now, please don't think I'm ripping on carbs. And I realize I've probably swung to the opposite extreme from over-eating carbs to under-eating them. But it's temporary. Basically, I'm re-teaching myself how to eat carbs. It is not my intention to forever swear off oatmeal (my fave breakfast food!), or bread, or pasta; but when I add them back into my diet I'll be having a bit of fat with it. Maybe some whole milk instead of almond milk on my oatmeal, or have a slice or two of canadian bacon on the side. Maybe a small bit of pasta next to my broiled chicken and steamed veggies, instead of having it be the star of the show. I'm re-learning moderation, and letting go of the guilt I always associated with eating anything that was "fatty". My body has obviously been needing it. (the good kind, of course! I'm not eating sticks of butter over here ;)

I don't intend to stick with Atkins or South Beach for the rest of my life (and it certainly isn't for everyone!), but I do hope to stick to the lessons I'm learning from it. :)

(and incase your wondering, the difference between the two, as I see it, is Atkins generally recommends more full-fat foods than South Beach, which recommends reduced-fat foods in some cases, like cheeses. South Beach also allows you to add whole grains back into your diet far sooner than Atkins does, so while I'm doing the Atkins-style Induction, and will be following it's guidlines for increasing my carb intake post-Induction, I'll be reintroducing the carbs in the order SB recommends, which will allow me to eat beans and whole grains a lot sooner. We'll see how it goes. :)

And even if you don't ever go low-carb yourself, you might want to still look into the cookbooks! George has been loving what I've been serving for dinner this week. :-9