[Partisan Hack]

Thank you. I think I can honestly say I'm off of refined sugar and flour for life. I had terrible cravings for them the first few days -- now I couldn't care less about them. I also bought some "Carb Solution" bars today at the store and they are great!! Not only are they a tasty snack but they include a nutritional suppliment as well. Have you tried any of the low carb food products? I saw Cake mix on the Atkins site.

[bluefish]

Be VERY CAREFUL with the "Low Carb" bars (including Atkins). Consumer Labs found that most of the Protein bars have a significant amount of hidden carbs. I knew this to be true before I read the report because every time I used them, they kicked me out of ketosis. Most of the bars truly are junk. I can't recall the substance (glycerin? - used to make them "moist"), but while not classified as a sugar, can trigger an insulin response nonetheless. Unfortunately, many of the supplement manufactureres are rather unscrupulous. I don't advocate government intervention, but I do advocate serious research.

[hellinahandcart]

I lost 40 pounds on it a year ago, and I've only gained back about five, so it definitely worked for me. It will ALL come back if you go back to eating as many carbs as you did before going on the diet (this happened to my brothers). I think what worked for me was avoiding the flour-based carbohydrates almost completely even after I was off maintenance. I hardly ever eat bread or pasta anymore, and they used to be staples in my diet. Potatoes, though, I do eat and I don't feel any guilt about them.

I stopped losing weight altogether after about five months on the diet, and I just took that to be a sign from my body that I simply wasn't ALLOWED to lose more than 40 pounds in one year, so I gave it a rest. Fortunately, without a lot of sacrifice, I haven't gained very much back. I'm probably going back on induction for a while after Christmas because I'd still like to lose another 20.

If you get the leg cramps, drink more water and have a baked potato with all the butter and sour cream you want on it. You'll feel better immediately.

[Great Dane]

You can now also get sugar and salt free chocolate, it taste as good as the rest and will satisfy your sweet tooth, sugar replacements are fine too, "Splenda" is like the real thing and you can cook and bake with it.