I have decided to test the low-carb diet and see if it helps me to lose weight. I tried this diet several years ago, and never got past the first three days because of a lack of energy. I was waiting tables at the time, so I had a much different lifestyle than I do now. I am now a writer, and need less physical energy to operate daily then I did when I had a more physical job. Another problem with my last low-carb diet attempt was that I was a vegetarian at the time. This made it extremely hard to stick to my diet. I could only eat eggs, vegetables, a few fruits, some faux-meats, nuts and fats. Yes, that led to a very boring daily eating plan. I now eat white meat and fish, so I have more options than I did back then. I also am older and wiser, so I think that will give me an edge this time. Here is what I have learned that I did wrong during my last low-carb experiment, and I will do differently this time around:

1. I ate as much as I wanted as long as it was low in carbs. This diet does dull your appetite, but it does not take it away completely. I have a hearty appetite, and continued to eat lots of food while on this diet, which led to losing little to no weight. I now know that I still have to watch my calorie intake when on a low-carb diet. If I do not, I will simply eat my heart out and not lose weight. Even low-carb foods have calories, and fats have many calories.

2. I created all kinds of low-carb creations that caused me to eat too much. During my last low-carb trial, I created low-carb pancakes, cheesecake, and even ate low-carb bread. This is just wrong. These creations defeat the purpose of eating low-carb. This time I am going to stick to the basics: meat, vegetables, butter, oil and a little bit of cheese.

3. I followed Atkins "induction" and lowered my carbs too much. I believe that low-carb induction may work for some people, but I just felt like absolute h%$# when on it. I am keeping my carbs at a more reasonable level for me. This means around 50 or so grams a day. I am not tracking them obsessively. I am just eliminating bread and pasta, but keeping yogurt and some milk in my diet.

Sticking to my revised plan already has me feeling better and has improved my mental functioning. I can concentrate for longer periods of time. My physical energy is lower, but that was expected and I hope it will improve once my body gets used to this new plan. I have stuck to my new plan for a week now, and did allow myself one cheat day, which I plan to have once a week. I will keep everyone updated with my results.