When I start eating normally again, will the weight come back?

I am afraid you are missing the point of the book and the diet. The diet IS eating normally. They way you ate before isn't.

Now there may be some experimentation needed for you to figure out the best way to make the diet sustainable for you. But again the whole point is for it to be sustainable, forever. Not to lose 40lbs then magically you will keep it off when you start eating the way you did when you were 40lbs heavier.

After reading that part of the book I'd say yes it will. You get results because you've changed eating habits. When you go back to old habits you go back to old results.

Tim said he's been on the diet for 7 years. I think the key to success is to enjoy eating plan, workouts, results and stick to it for the rest of your life!

This is my goal now - to create a list of meals which I will enjoy eating even few times a week.

I set out to answer this very question. January '11 I lost ~20lbs almost immediately. May-Jun '11 I was on Occam's Feeding. Weight remained the same however lost 4% bodyfat.

After Finishing that I tested to see how long it would take me to regain all the weight I lost. It took me till thanksgiving.

My Mega Fatass diet consisted of fried foods, whole Pizza's, burgers, loaded potato skins and many, many, margaritas. All eaten on a very regular basis. Later on to speed it up I added Dr. Peppers on an almost daily basis. Finally the day after Thanksgiving '11 I broke my starting weight from January '11.

So to answer your question. It will come back but extremely slowly compared to other diets.

Also throughout that time I was lethargic and never felt like moving, my sleep patterns became sporadic and my insomnia kicked in. I also never knew what a sugar headache was until the Dr. Peppers.

I did this because the effectiveness seemed to good to be true in Jan. But its not the weight loss is real. Your metabolism slows down as you shrink and I couldn't eat as much as I used too.

I didn't have a slow reincorporation period either. I just switched to Pizza and Potato skins for a week after.

In 1 month of SCD I lost enough fat that it took me over 10 months to put it back on.

I agree with many of the other answers on here. The way I am looking at the diet is that it is NOT a diet but a way to change my eating habits going forward. Unfortunately, if you eat exactly the same way you did before the diet obviously you will gain the weight back. If you choose to utilize the diet and be strategic about the things you add back in once you are off the diet then it should be fairly simple to keep the weight off. For example adding in oatmeal as a grain would far outweigh adding back in bread with high fructose corn syrup in it.

I tried SCD last year from december through january (2 months) as a challenge. I lost about 20 pounds (10kg) during that time, and then celebrated my accomplishment by taking a 10 day ski trip (okay maybe the trip was already pre-planned).

So right after this i had 10 days of drinking, over-eating and generally just living the fat life of course still while skiing. After i got home i had gained 3 kg (not much more than i normally would after a cheat day). About 6 months later i am still at the weight i left it at, and i have not been eating SCD nor thinking especially about my diet in any way. Nor have i exercised more than i normally would.

So from my first experiment i didnt' gain my lost weight and now im doing a second round more focused and hopefully loosing the last stubborn belly fat :p

I do think it's important to note that a successful diet is a lifestyle change and a lifestyle choice.. eating normally becomes the way you eat on your diet. Although in my experience, you can get a bit more leniant and you can expand what you're able to consume, after you 'eat clean' for a while.

Really i'd say educating yourself, a lot, about nutrition, and empowering yourself, you'll be more comfortable with how you eat and it will become normal to you.

What is "eating normal"? Because if it is what you ate before, and got fat, then the answer to your question is YES. If America is "eating normal", then that is the reason why we have an obesity problem. I think it's the sugars, high fructose corn syrup, and the foods that turn into sugars in our body.

Why ever go back? This is not a diet, it is a way of life. Less weight, fat, more energy, lower cholesterol! While I do miss some foods, binge day is never far off. I am 55 and down 37lbs. I am convinced I will live longer without all the fat. I am also a better role model for my teenage daughters who like most, are crap food queens. I know they are paying attention and it will also benefit them in the long run.

If you go back to the old way of eating, all the weight will come back and probably a few extra pounds. Remember this program is not a diet. It is a way of life.

The problem with conventional/calorie restricted diets is that you tend to loose muscle - and so each cycle on and off the diet you increase body fat and loose muscle, getting progressively less healthy.

As I understand it, on the Slow-Carb Diet you ought to loose fat and protect or even gain muscle, depending on your exercise regime.

If you did put weight back on afterwards its not that bad, you can always go back to SCD and each time you should get leaner and healthier.

If you want to go back to your previous regime, perhaps incorporating Intermittent fasting might help you maintain your current weight...

Personally I love the SCD so I guess I'll only stay out of it on holidays and Saturdays of course.

I think you should not want to eat grains after this diet, after seeing the benefits in your body and general well being. I keen what's the point.

I know for me it all came back. But, I was eating how I historically did - which was not normal as near I can tell. I over-ate sugary things and ate way too many calories most days. If you went back to a diet of moderation, where you incorporate the things you like in smaller amounts, it should be fine. It would be better with some kind of exercise routine, as well.

Think about the portions you used to eat. Like for me, historically, I could easily eat 2 pieces of pie after a meal or even substitute pie for a meal. If I had just had 1 piece after a good meal, I would not have had as much a problem, especially if I limited by pie per week. (just as an example)

Another interesting thing to note, is that look at what people ate 50 or 60 years ago. They ate meat and potatoes and had dessert most every day. They drank gallons of milk a week. The key difference was, most of what they ate was homemade and also, they didn't inject animals with hormones, nor did they have GMO and corn syrup in everything.

And as for bread, it's easy to make your own at home without having to worry about what's in it. Water, flour, salt and yeast gives you traditional French bread. Go whole wheat with the flour from a natural foods store, and don't go eating the whole damned loaf at once. Once slice with your meal and done. If you make things yourself, you'll always know what you're eating. YOU are in control.