Janet - hop aboard! Welcome! There is a post just below on Fat Flush - same idea as Atkins from what I see. I post on Diet Pals - we do EVERYTHING, anything, our own thing and basically just keep each other going. I have a friend who has been doing Atkins and has lost a lot of weight. Saw a very good health show of someone who has a lifetime of yo yo dieting and found Atkins suits her and her weight is now staying off - she loves meats, has learned to use the right types of fat (which you need) and still keeps her carbs at bay. My success has been with a more balanced diet - weight watchers. Whatever you decide to follow, feel free to make new friends, join any thread you like and ask questions. You could even start a new thread on whatever diet you choose. We love new faces around here and have lots of encouragement. I use this forum as a journal, every day to reinforce my commitment to myself, write about the bad days too - moods, foods and all - I dust myself off and try again. Whatever you decide to follow, please post no matter what. Hi ya, from Scotland! (I'm waving and yelling - youuu hooooo!) McPeg

I think I figured that a single Hershey's Kiss is 2.4 carbs and I'll have to check out those Russell Stover candies. Thanks, Linda. I've actually make some of the no carb chocolates posted on lowcarbfriends.com but the real stuff is soooo much better. And tell your friend to check out the health food bars. There are small, snack size chocolate bars with as little 2 net carbs. For dessert, I like the sugar free puddings. And I often mix up this one from The South Beach Diet. SOUTH BEACH RICOTTA CREMES 1/2 c. ricotta part-skim ricotta cheese 1/4 t. vanilla 1-2 pkts Splenda You can add cocoa for flavor or substitute almond extract and add some almond slivers. Teri

Be careful about low-carb high-protein diets. It may be okay to eat like that for a little while to lose some weight, but it is definitely not a healthy long-term diet. Carbohydrates are very important for cell activity throughout the body. The secret is to keep the blood sugar levels as steady as possible. If it is too high, the excess carbohydrates are turned into fat. If it gets too low, you won't be able to effectively burn any fat. "Good" carbs don't cause a quick raise in blood sugar levels. The glycemic index and glycemic load are definitely worth looking at. They give you a very good idea of which carbs to eat and which ones to avoid. For people who are not diabetic, I wouldn't recommend strictly counting all the carbs or indexes or calories. That would tke all the fun out of eating. Potatoes and whole wheat/grain pasta, brown rice and other not too refined products are very healthy and don't make you fat. They give you much more fiber than a high-protein diet will give you. The problem with eating too much protein is that the digestion of protein yields in large amounts of uric acid and the kidneys have to work hard to get rid of it. Animal proteins are worse than plant proteins. Too much uric acid in the blood can lead to gout. The recommendations for a well-balanced diet are 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fat in regards to the total calorie intake. 40-30-30 like RoxieL states above is close to that, but a little too high in fat. The daily recommended amount of fiber is 35 gram which is quite a lot. Most people, including vegetarians, get too much protein and fat, but not enough fiber. By the way, fiber is also a carbohydrate!

Cran, you're welcome. I hope you find a few recipes you like. LisaB: you are so incredibly thoughtful to pull up this thread from last year. Thank you! Here's some new ones. The pancake and Red pesto Sauce I've been making pretty much every weekend lately. Healthful, easy and super delicious. ALMOND MEAL PANCAKES Serves 2 Ingredients: 1 cup almond meal 1/4 cup cooked quinoa 1/2 cup Egg Beaters or 2 eggs 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons walnut, olive, avocado or canola oil, your choice 1 tablespoon sweetener ( I usually use blue agave syrup) blueberries, if you choose Directions: Mix all ingredients, except blueberries if using them, together in a bowl. Gently fold in blueberries (if using). Cook on hot oiled griddle as you would regular pancakes. * The cooked quinoa keeps the pancakes moist and fluffy. I've tried it without, but prefer them with it. LEMON BLUEBERRY YOGURT MUFFINS Makes about 2 1/2 dozen Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Low Carb Baking Mix (don't accidentally get his Low Carb Bread Mix like I did last month! I buy mine from Amazon Prime or from Bob's Red Mill directly) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I prefer Fage 0%) 1 cup sugar (I know, it seems like a lot, but comes out to less than 2 teaspoons per muffin. You can try an artificial sweetener, if you like. I'm very allergic to them myself, though) 3/4 cup Egg Beaters or 3 extra large eggs 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from approx. 1 lemon) 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 1/2 cups blueberries) 1 tablespoon of the baking mix, or regular flour Directions: Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Add muffin liner papers to muffin cups and spray the inside of each with olive oil spray (or Pam, if you prefer). This is very important because without the spray, the finished muffins will stick to the papers badly. Or, you can use the Caphalon Silicone cupcake liners. You do not need to spray them. Mix together the baking mix, baking powder and salt in one bowl. In a second bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, Egg Beaters, lemon zest, vanilla and applesauce. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the yogurt mixture. In a third bowl, sprinkle the blueberries with the 1 tablespoon of baking mix or flour. Toss until covered. Gently fold blueberries into batter. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full with batter. This recipe should make about 2 1/2 dozen. If using large muffin papers, you may get just 2 dozen. Bake about 40 minutes, or until done. I say "about 40 minutes" because I live at an altitude of 6,000 feet above sea level and baked goods can take a bit longer up here. * These muffins are very moist. They also freeze well. RED PESTO SAUCE FOR SALMON, ETC. Serves 2-3 We eat fresh salmon a couple of times a week. I've been making this heart healthy sauce for it lately, and we love it. You'll need a food processor or blender for this recipe. Ingredients: 8 blanched almonds 1/2 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup chopped, bottled roasted red bell peppers, drained Directions: Blanch your almonds by dropping them in a 1/2 cup of boiling water (off the stove) for 8-10 minutes. Drain, and pinch each almond to slide off skin. Pat dry and cool a few minutes on counter. In a food processor, pulse almonds until you have a powder. Add rest of ingredients, pulse to blend. Taste and add salt if you prefer. Serve at room temp or slightly warmed.