^that link posted before about the Mediterranean Diet gave some insight on how the initial gain from low carb diet is the body's natural reaction to shedding water weight. For me at least, if I want to get the next level I'd have to work out on top of it to maintain my gains and increase energy burning muscle.
It does make social outings more awkward because no one wants to eat right.. "The right way is not always the popular and easy way." Margaret Chase Smith (1897-1995); Us Senator
I went to an all you can eat buffet with a few of my co-workers the other day. Everyone started freaking out when I had two relatively small helpings of frozen yogurt after my meal. They couldn't believe "someone that eats two helpings of ice cream can be so small!!!!!!" Well, it was a splurge, but these are people that had piled their plates high with fried food and then had a piece of cake afterwards. I had nothing but rice, grilled chicken, veggies, and a tiny piece of steak for my main course. It's like people are just ****ing r****ded and looking for an excuse to be fat. I exercise major portion control and get some form of exercise on most days. Nothing extreme, just a little bit of self discipline.
