Losing weight is 50% finding the right diet that works for you, and 50% finding the best way for you to stay on
that diet. As you know, I’m a big fan of very low (10 grams per feeding) carbohydrate diets, because you lose
twice as much weight on 1500 calories of protein and fat, as you do on 1500 calories of carbohydrate. Always
remember that you can’t freely feed on a low carbohydrate diet, because over time your calorie intake will go to
stupid. The first week, the average calorie intake on Atkins is 700-1100 calories a day. By week 8, the average
calorie intake is over 3000 a day, which is why weight loss stops for 90% of patients after 2 months on Atkins.
For weight loss to be successful, keep your calories under 1500 a day. Finding the best way for you to stay on
your diet is another matter. I like Implosion, Metaphor and Reframing, used individually or together. Some
patients find it helpful to use these psychological techniques daily to keep them from cheating. Other patients use
these techniques every other day. Some patients use the techniques once or twice a week. Still other patients
only use psychological reinforcement, when they get in trouble or are tempted to start cheating.