Hi Kim,

I have enjoyed reading this thread. You'll be happy to know that as a former Atkins dieter, I have been able to maintain my 15-lb. weight loss (and no, it was NOT all water - I dropped from a size 8 petite to a 4 petite and had to buy all new pants!) by starting to ride and eating carbs again!

I was also terrified of carbs at first, but found that if I didn't eat a lot more of them, I would severely bonk on rides. I tailor my carb-eating to the amount of riding I am doing. In the winter, when I ride less and only on weekends (weather permitting), I eat fewer carbs and mostly the day before and the day of rides, then cut back to more of an "Atkins maintenance" level on Mon.-Thurs. Right now, when I'm riding 4-5 times a week and sometimes 40-70 miles at a stretch on weekends, I eat carbs all week (and during rides) and haven't gained an ounce. I also eat fat and protein - a bit of everything. My metabolism seems to be pretty high as I have to eat a lot just to maintain my weight - and that's never been a problem for me before!

So yes, you CAN eat carbs again when you're riding - the more riding, the more carbs. Only you can determine the proper level that will allow you to ride effectively (not bonk) and maintain your weight, so it will take some experimentation. And you may gain muscle while still losing fat, so pay more attention to the fit of your clothes than your scale. I know I have gained muscle in my legs but must have lost some fat too since my weight has stayed pretty much constant since I started cycling - and I want it to. You don't want to get too skinny as having some fat reserves helps on those rides of over 90 minutes where you are primarily burning fat (under 90 minutes and you're primarily burning glucose).

I too remember that first banana and first potato after literally a YEAR with neither! ;-) It's nice to be able to eat cereal again too.

Good luck!
Emily