Berries are always good. Our Super WalMart has them for $1.98 a box, and very fresh, too. Sliced with just a bit of Splenda on top, to bring out the sweetness. Yum. A low carb cheesecake is good, too. I love George Stella's NY Style Ricotta cheesecake, it's divine. Just takes time to make. And Dr. Bernstein has a Ricotta Torte that is good, too. I can't post the recipes because they are from copyrighted books, but if you have access to those books, you could make them. You might check the library for the books.

Day 94. Yesterday was the pits. I ate low carb, but ate too much. By bedtime I felt miserable. It's because I skipped breakfast, and at lunch & supper I pigged out. And then had a big snack, strawberries & blueberries with a OMM & cream, way too much food for one day. Yikes! But at least I did not eat any sugar or starch.

This morning I had a big protein shake with 2 scoops of whey protein powder, almond milk and an egg. For lunch, I used the leftover breakfast coffee for a shake, with 2 more scoops of protein powder and an egg, a splash of heavy cream. Supper? Might do another shake, I'm thinking about trying one with avocado!

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Nita

Slowing down on my good eating days again. 76 is going to happen!

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yummy! maybe I find in the web a low carb cheesecake recipe, I like the idea!! A shake with avocado? Are you serious? I love avocados but never have them in shakes! Giong to day3 tomorow, still doing good. Carmen

Carmen, the avocado shake wasn't bad at all. I made one this morning using Ocean Spray Cran-Grape diet, and I really like it, although it did give me indigestion.

Day 95, almost to the end! Yesterday was shake day, 3 shakes and then some egg-avocado salad. It was ok, but today I'm back to meat & veggies for lunch & supper.

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Nita

I have a question...I am a newbie and I decided to try atkins for a way or life because about 6 months ago my Dr said I was diabetic. About 7 yrs ago I lost 80lbs from mostly exercise and supps. I wasnt on any particular eating plan. I just tried to eat healthy. I worked out twice a day...which is a lot and I think most people would find it hard working out that much. I was single with 1 half grown child so it was pretty easy for me, but now, I am married and have a 5 yr old son and a teenager and I dont have time or energy to work out like that anymore...plus I am turning 40 on the 12th and I think my energy level is shrinking away. Basically I feel like crap. I have read up on diabetes and I dont think I am diabetic. I think it is metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. I fight low blood sugar all the time and only have high blood sugar when I eat too many carbs ...which was always and also high in the morning. I have read I think everything there is to read on the subject and started Atkins about 3 weeks ago. My blood sugar has been under control pretty much since day 1. I was 236 when I started exercising before the diet change and 225 when I changed my diet and now 218-219 back and forth. The first week I went through withdrawl. but it was only bad one day and then I started feeling mucho better. I found the whole way of eating very easy. I tested my ketones about a week into it and I was in the purple. By the end of week 2 my kidneys were hurting. I dont know why and no-one has explained it to me. I did some more reading and it said that eating high amounts of animal protein cause your kidneys to work overtime. Is this true? I ate some bread with a sandwich and some more carbs at dinner and the backpain was gone the next day. I was still in ketosis but in the pink not the purple. I have continued eating more carbs until I can get some answers. I am now only putting out traces of ketones...the barely pink color. I have pretty much been sick ever since. My stomach has been really upset and I even had to leave work early and am home today because of the nausea. Do you think this is all coincidence? I read up some more and found out that when you use up you glucogen that your electolites are out of balance and can make you feel crappy. So I added cal mag and zinc and a potassium to my daily intake. I also added a Q10. Do any of these upset the tummy? I could easliy stay with this way of eating forever because I love my vegi's and meats but why am I feeling so crappy?
Also, my original question is...you all talk of falling off the diet and having to start over...why? If this is a way of life not just a fad, then why start over. It is just another day, right? If you eat like a pig for Easter supper, that is just one day, it wont ruin your entire life. You wont eat like that EVERY day. That is a day of feasting...for some reason. So you arent really "off the wagon". There really isnt a wagon. You just eat the way you eat, right? Just because you go to a get together and eat more than usual it is not reason to feel guilty or obsess over it. You just go back to eating your usual way tomorrow, right? I dont want to diet. I need to find a way to eat that fits my life so that I can be healthy forever. I will always have holidays that I eat more...we all will but "in general" I am looking for a way of life where I can feel well and function well and be productive. Can you guys give me some answers? I am really frustrated and REALLY dont like being sick and I need guidance...Guide me.

Amy, you've asked some interesting questions.

As far as the protein and kidneys are concerned, I think I'll let someone who is trained to answer that. Jacqueline Eberstein used to work with Dr. Atkins, and she has a site with answers to myths about Atkins, and one of those myths is the protein/kidney connection.

Controlled Carbohydrate Nutritio

The Drs. Eades, in their Protein Power books, tell us that low carb is not a high-protein diet, but an adequate protein diet. Dr. Barry Groves says we shouldn't be overconsuming protein, but we do need to increase our fat consumption.

Perhaps your kidney problems were just a coincidence, or perhaps you just need less protein. And, if you are going to increase your carbs, do so with veggies or low-sugar fruits like berries, forego the bread, it's too easy to start cravings with starches.

Most of us here refer to this as our way of eating (woe), and avoid the term "diet", which usually means you are going to eat a certain way until you reach a goal, and then go back to "normal" eating. I know that this is the way I HAVE to eat for the rest of my life, just to stay reasonably healthy.

As far as people "falling off the low carb wagon", for some it is a real issue because they easily succumb to temptation, for whatever reason, feel guilty for eating things that make them feel lousy and gain weight, and so feel the need to recommit to this woe. It's a personal thing. For me, if I ate something not on my woe, (I usually do when we are on vacation), when I get back into my normal routine, I just get back to where I was. Really, I think that's what most of us mean when we say we are "back on the wagon", we're just making an effort to stick to our plan after a brief "fling" with carby foods. And the challenges are personal challenges, to try to keep us on track. Sometimes if we concentrate on a challenge, do our best to stick to it, then it's easier to make whatever the challenge was a habit. So, my challenge was to not cheat with carby food for 100 days. At the end of the 100 days, I know that I will be successful in avoiding those foods, because I did it for 100 days, so I can do it for a lot longer.

Don't overly rely on the ketostix, either. Some people never use them, some never turn purple and yet they still lose. I have a bottle, check once in a blue moon, usually don't see any color change, shrug and just go on.

Supplements could possibly upset the stomach. Try taking them with meals, and drinking plenty of water when you take them, see if that helps.

For me, I feel best when I do low carb consistently, and although I have some health problems where I do feel under par, I know I'd feel a lot worse if I wasn't doing low carb.

One last thing, when was the last time you had a check-up? Perhaps you have some other problems that have little to do with your eating or supplements, and that are making you feel sick.

Since you say you are doing Atkins, I assume that you have the book, have read it thoroughly so that you understand the workings of this woe. I do Atkins, but I like the explanation of how low carb works in the Protein Power books. And a really good site that has a simple explanation of how low carb works is here:

A clear explanation of why low carb diets work. (article)

I hope this has helped you some. Low carb really is a good way to regain health, so I hope you stick with it.

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Nita

Hello! I'm dancing a happy dance!! Day 4 and still doing good! Today I even worked in my garden. I'ts a good feeling not to crave the sugar and white flour. Also I'm noticing more energy. Lets see in 3 more days if I have lose some weight. Carmen

Great job gang!! Day 77 for me.

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OK...I was doing even more reading and I found that grass fed beef is way better than grain fed. Just where exactly does one aquire grass fed anything these days. I do buy free roaming chicken eggs from the grocery store. They are much darker and spotted than normal brown eggs and I actually think they taste better. But I dont ever think that I have seen any grass fed beef. Any suggestions?

I really think it does'nt matter.At first cows ate only grass and after, the farmers are giving grains to supplement their diets so they get a "better quality meat" but for me what matters is that I get a nice cut of meat that I can cook in a variety of yummy ways. Carmen

I am reading Atkins Vita-Nutrient Solution. Why are all the Atkins vitamins discontinued and what do you use in place of them? I dont want to buy 50 different bottles. What do you guys use?

I'd love to get hold of some grass fed beef, but it's like $5 a lb! So, I'll eat what I can get.

Carmen, Mab asked that question in the Focus & Refocus thread under the Back on the Low Carb Wagon forum.

Focus and Re-Focus Group

I buy and take a lot of vitamins, it's a pain, but that's how it is. Where did you get your Vita-Nutrient Solution book? I read it years ago from our library. Is it still in print and available?

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Nita

I found it on Ebay for $1 but the auction hasnt ended, so I went and checked it out at ther library. It makes sense to me and I would love to use the suggestions. I also found some of Atkins discontinued Vits on Ebay for cheap but they are old and I dont know if they would still be good. I would stock up if I thought they would still be effective. I would also love to try Atkins baking mix...any of you ever use that?

I also couldnt find anything on why Atkins products are all discontinued...is it mearly because he died and the chip and candy companys paid off the remaining shareholders and put them out of business? What is the deal?

Atkins Nutritional, bought out Dr. Atkins wife, Veronica, after Dr. Atkins death, and then soon afterward went bankrupt, had to restructure, so now they sell only the bars & shakes. (The low carb "fad" petered out, and people quit buying.) Mrs. Atkins used the money to set up a foundation to educate people on the benefits of a low carb lifestyle, and fighting disease with nutrition. Here's her website:

The Veronica Atkins Foundation

I wouldn't take old vitamins, they lose their potency. Best to buy new. I get mine from Puritans Pride when they run a buy 2 get 3 free deal.

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Nita