**OOPs…just noticed that I posted this technically in the wrong forum… I HAVE read the book.

I'm confused by your answer that there's no need to avoid HFCS since the book says it's a bulk sweetener to be avoided always. Can you please clarify? Also, I posted this on the FAQ section as well, but not sure if I was supposed to do it here, so:I have read the books and read some of the questions, but still need clarity. I screwed it up by not getting all the info and gained a lot of weight. Lease help me with answering these questions which I desperately need clarity on:1. Whether bulk sweeteners include artificial sweeteners and whether pure stevia is allowed;

I believe that stevia is "safer" however, many people are adverse to the taste, and any type of sweetener, artificial or otherwise has the potential to increase your insulin resistance...there are many articles on this. Keifer is okay with artificial, but I am adverse to them for my own reasons (namely most artificial sweeteners are neurotoxins that cross the blood/brain barrier).

2. Whether I'm only allowed the vinegrette dressings mentioned or I can have Paul newman's Caesar dressing which has 1 gr carbs total

It is stated in the book fairly clearly that all vinegar is allowed. That said, be careful with what the label says, because they do not count sugar alcohols as carbs, so you may be getting a little extra than it says on the label...he explains this pretty well in the book. Still, you are allotted your 30g per day, so no big deal.

3. Whether dextrose, maltodexrine, modified food stach, etc. are allowed?

Nope, no, and almost definitely not. If you are sensitive to wheat, the food starch will give you wheat belly regardless of what you are doing. If you are not sensitive, starches should be on carb nite. Although the MFS is generally in very small quantities...as seasoning for example, it is a cheap crap filler you are wasting money on.

4. Whether There is another no carb milk option because we don't seem to have Hood here in la

There are "low carb" milks, but most of them are loaded with bulk sugars and crap sweeteners. Every other animal in the world has milk when they are babies. When they grow up they stop. I'm not saying that to sound mean, but it was how it had to be put to myself in order for the lightbulb to go on in my head and ask, "why do we drink milk?" Additionally, unless you are drinking your milk raw, you are not getting most of the nutrition of the milk, and in fact, after drinking milk, you shed calcium in measurable ammounts in your urine.

5. Whether I'm allowed to have all the foods mentioned on the charts or just the white sections? It says the grey sections have carbohydrates but are otherwise carb free which doesn't make sense to me.

So, you have 30 g of usable carb allotment for the day. If you are using a lot of junk that has extra carbs in it, then stick only to the white items. The grey items are "safe" for the diet but do contain carbs that will count towards your 30. I personally suggest you stick with white in am...or better yet at lunch, and if you want some grey stuff, have it with dinner. I too have questions about foods not listed...onion and avacado. I do know that onion is a high sugar veg, like carrotts, so probably should not eat. I don't know where avacado falls, but it may have been excluded, because when he wrote the book, the popular culture "science" still said that saturated fats are bad.

6. Should I combine elements from carb back loading with carb nite solution - namely, eating a late breakfast and having coffee, coconut oil and whey isolate for the first few hours of the day along with less calories earlier in the day even if I'm not doing resistance or HIIT cardio?

If you are a newb like me, I suggest sticking with the simple CNS. Whey protein will actually give you an insulin spike, and is not a good idea for your ULC days. I have tried for about a year to do the no breakfast/fat only breakfast, but it gives my hypoglycemia...I get really hot and sweat for no reason. I used keifer's eggs fried in butter in the am, and I notice a huge difference. I still get hot, but not as much of the sweating.

7. can I have licorice and cascara teas; they're used for bowel balancing.

I'm fairly sure that tea (as long as it is only tea) is not going to have much of an impact on your major hormones, so should be fine. Just make sure you are actually getting tea, because a lot of teas even have modified food starch as cheap filler to fill the bags.

8.  when it says have as much fiber as needed to be regular, is that in the form of the vegetables? It takes a lot for me and that's why I drink that tea above. Do I not need to count the usable carbs in the ones in the chart?

He is a huge proponent of psyllium supplements. I have had a lot of research in the negatives about using supplementation. I have family that work in the GI unit in a hospital, and kind of like "heart healthy whole grains" fiber is still a very traditional recommendation. The research that I have read does not support supplementation over diet. Too much supplemental fiber will actually cause constipation and can even impact your colon. My wife suffered from IBS for a very long time until we cut grains. After we cut most grains (we occassionaly will do rice and corn still) she also suffered much less from PCOS. From personal experience-- and prefaced with an apology, don't read if it grosses you out-- I know that if I have too much fat I have no problem using the bathroom, but the toilet gets marked up. If I have too much fiber, I do get backed up. If I have it balanced, I have regular BM, and clean flush, with no scrubbing required. Honestly, if you can't go, take an extra teaspoon of coconut oil. Just make sure you have a toilet nearby. As for the fiber...all of the white list vegetables have the usable fiber...fill up on this, and you should be fine, plus still have room for your 30g (so use the dressing).

9. As I mentioned, I did the reorientation period a long time ago but was doing the plan incorrectly. What do you suggest I do? Start a new representation period? If so, do I need to carb load beforehand to get accurate numbers on what it takes for my body to use it's sugar resources?

As in the book, it is recommended that you redo reorientation. If you want to make it worse for yourself, have a lot of carbs ahead of time. The whole purpose of the reorientation is to purge your body of the extra crap you have been eating. Start today or tomorrow, don't put it off (unless you are weak willed and will eat what is in your pantry, then finish that first and then start).

10. Are gelatin, guar gum, xanthan gum, etc. other fillers allowed? 

Gelatin specifically is listed on his should avoid list. Fillers are exactly that. If you need an ethical reason, when you purchase crap in a bag or box with fillers, you are supporting processed foods over real food. Also, many people that have food sensivities are going to be sensitive to anything that contains those gums in them, and other fillers. Try doing things with real food first...ie, if you want a dressing you can use on ULC days, why not just mix your own...dash of apple cider vinegar, some EVOO, salt and pepper...now you don't have to worry about the carbs, and you still have dressing.

Thank you in advance and this would really help me as I feel very lost and scared since I gained 5 lbs in the first 2-3 months by not doing it correctly - I was eating sugar alcohols which I now know I shouldn't but I fear I might make another mistake and gain even more which is totally devastating since I had worked so hard to be where I was at until I gained instead of losing.

I am still learning all of this as well. Consider re-reading the book...the majority of it is actually just meal plans, and there is not a lot of the actual protocols...but it is tricky if you need to know "why?" like I do. I have made some mistakes as well...I will not start off my carb nite with chips anymore...totally wrecked my stomach. I would be careful if you are focusing solely on weight...I cant remember who, but there was a person who posted in the forums here that showed her before/after of EXACTLY the same weight, but looked absolutely stunning in the after picture. Fat weighs a lot less than muscle that occupies the same space, so if you gain a pound or 2 of muscle, and lose a pound or 2 of pure fat (which could mean inches and pant sizes) you will look totally different even though the scale shows the same number.........hope I could answer some of your ?s with my newbie experience (but I do have a lot of research in food in general 🙂 ) Good Luck! and let us know how you are doing!

Thank you.

I have a huge container of super seed fiber which has organic flax seed meal, whole chia seed, and whole fiber blend from a bunch of sprouts. I haven't done too well with psyllium in the past, and this was recommended to me as the best fiber to use. It has 3 gr usable carbs which I would count towards my 30. It also lists rice maltodexrine as other ingredients. Not sure if I can take it. Lastly, I don't see gelatin but glycerin on the avoid list. Is there a separate list?Thanks again.

The maltodextrine is going effect your "usable carbs", so that number may be more than 3.  The gelatin and glycerine are both listed on the same list in the book.