I need help...

I'm on week 3 of healthy eating, 2 weeks on Atkins Induction phase. I am really re considering the Atkins diet. I dont think its for me. I have been eating Around 20g carbs or just under for the last 2 weeks and it has helped curb my cravings for bad foods but I dont think I can do this forever. I notice a lot of diets start the same so I'm planning on staying on Induction phase for another week and then switching to another diet for more of a long term thing. I am not a picky eater AT ALL and dont mind eating the foods I'm eating and in fact I'm going to use lettuce as a wrap for everything for the rest of my life buttttt I need to be more realistic. I've had no energy, headaches, and mood swings and even though this may go away after some time...I dont want to wait. I need some suggestions on which diet I should switch to.. The South Beach Diet looks to be similar and makes sense to me but I cant follow meal plans and buy all south beach diet products...I like to cook everything myself. I also have discovered a lot of great organic products that I would love to continue eating. I want to be on a healthy, balanced diet, fairly organic or man made, I can do this on my own but I always do better when following some sort of guidelines. What would you guys suggest?? Any feedback is welcomed

I've been diet hopping my entire life. So I'm certainly no expert, but I've found great success with Eat to Live, by dr. Fhurman. It's not calorie restrictive and you get to eat natures most amazing foods, for the rest of your life. Check it out, it's finally what I've found works for me. Good luck in your journey!!

I'm about to try carb cycling...basically 1 day of eating carbs and 3 days with very little...your body needs carbs to give you energy so giving up on it completely isn't the best thing. Also, the switcheroo in the diet pattern throws your body's weight equilibrium off balance, preventing a plateau.

I forsure want to stay low carb but something a little more realistic! I want whole grain pastas and rice and healthy snacks! That sounds interesting though...Ill keep it in mind!

You do not need to follow any particular diet plan to lose weight, keep it off and remain healthy. And you certainly do not need to buy any special products. The induction phase on Atkins and on many other low carb diets, as well as different limitations on other plans are designed to make sure you stop overeating certain foods that caused weight gain in the first place and retrain your body responses. Your goal should be to figure out the approximate amount of calories that you can eat without gaining weight, figure out the amount of carbs your body can tolerate (nobody stays on 20 net carbs forever, unless that is the zone where they feel best) and learn what food makes you feel good and what food makes you feel bad. If you cook most of your meals, and eat balanced quantities of non processed nutritious food, with lots of vegetables and moderate amounts of starches and sugars, and add some exercise, you should be able to stay healthy without limiting your carbs drastically.

Thanks for the advice!

I'm a big fan of just eating clean, real, wholesome foods in their most natural state and avoiding junk as much as possible (this from the woman who just had pizza for dinner as a splurge...) Carbs aren't the enemy, neither are fats, proteins or the occasional pizza binge! You have to live your life still, and be able to enjoy the foods that you love (in moderation) I have been following the Eat Clean Diet, you can check it out online: http://www.eatcleandiet.com/ You dont have to buy the books, the principles are simple enough (although there are great recipes in there) You eat whole grains, lean proteins, and plenty of fruits and veggies. If you prefer to limit the amount of carbs you still can, or even just stick with whole grain carbs and fruit carbs. It's a very versatile diet and I've lost about 68 lbs on it (prior to joining fat secret) Best of luck to you!!

I count calories. Works for me. I limit my carb intake but I am realistic about it. When I do eat carbs during the day, I eat only 100% whole grains. The protein I eat is fat free or very low fat. The body needs only a certain amount of fat, and only the good kind. I include about one serving of a good fat in my diet per day so that my body doesnt think it is starving. I am not nessesarily on a low carb diet, but i think the only carbs I ate today was a serving of oatmeal and a few slices of low calorie 100% whole wheat bread. And coffee creamer. I am extremely active so I should eat more carbs than I do, but like you said, the less we eat them the less we crave them. I still have energy to spare so I must be eatting all the carbs I need for energy. And I dont eat past 5pm if I can help it. If I am extremely hungry from working out in the evening I eat raw vegetables. Basically, we need good quality carbs for energy. But if we dont burn off the energy from the carbs, it turns to fat. Energy in- energy out. I always know when I need a serving of carbs because i start getting shakey. Hope this helps.

I think it's essential that you find something that you can do for life. For me, it's counting calories. It's worked perfectly, hardly without any hiccups. I've dropped 75 kgs in 18 months doing this, being serious about it, and giving myself room to enjoy myself within my allowance.
I hope you find your solution. Life is good!

Your advice is really really helpful thank you all!! Im sure I can take a little bit from each suggestion and come up with my own diet plan