I am new here and have been doing the atkins diet now for about ten days, or so. I have cheated twice, one day drinking red wine and eating almonds, and the other day eating fake, maltitiol based candy. Both of those days I lost the clean feeling that I had attained from the previous days of following the diet as Dr. Atkins prescribed it, and I feel like I "learned my lesson". (Plus, I couldn't stop eating that candy, and then I had a wretched reaction to it...) I have gone from drinking a pot of high test coffee with sugar and soymilk a day to drinking one 3/4 decaf 1/4 regular cup with 1/2 packet Splenda and cream in the morning. Is that okay? I seem to have a psychological addiction to drinking something warm from a cup, it seems to calm me down, help me focus, whatever I need at the time, so I have been drinking decaf black tea with Carbfit soymilk (0 carb/serving) I tried doing the atkins diet seriously once before and I actually gained weight on it, and decided that it was nonsense, but I suspect that I was doing it wrong... without reading the book first, and I ate a lot of those bars and cheese, and nuts, instead of meat, fish, and veggies. Not to mention the caffeine. So here I am trying to do it right, and I am wondering: Is Splenda really okay for induction? Do I have to eat as often as is said to? Seriously, after a few days, one meal a day feels totally fine. I know that sounds crazy, but I ate breakfast really late into my day today, and after spending my day off walking around outside, and then working out at the gym for two hours, I made myself eat dinner, bc I hadn't eaten in 7 hrs, but I wasn't hungry. My natural instinct would have been not to. This seems to be the trend for the past couple of days. I know that this diet will work, because even people who don't support it admit that it works, but why is it not working? Plus, I am skeptical of the requirements to eat so much fat... it's scary. I'm doing it, but it's scary. Any answers, suggestions, response of any kind would be really welcome. Thanks.

Zephyr, Welcome aboard! And congratulation on finding the greatest support group on line!!! These people are awesome!

I believe Splenda is fine (in moderation, as with everything) but you must count each packet in your carb totals.

As for one meal a day,...I can't imagine it, but if you truly aren't hungry, I wouldn't eat just for the sake of eating. Eat when you are hungry and don't allow yourself to get hungry. Be sure to take a multi-vitamin - you must get nutrients in everyday.

Please post your statistics (start/current/goal weight, height) and a few menus so we can look it over and help you out.

If you are not comfortable eating natural fats (olive oil, real butter, nuts, real mayo) then modify to what suits you. I personally don't care for animal fats, so I trim my meat, but cook with olive oil.

Above all, pay attention to how you feel, get in tune with how your body reacts. That is usually the impetus for many people to keep going!

Best of luck to you!
Kelly

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Kelly
Highest recorded weight: 103.2kg/227.04lbs (03/15/08)
Current: 97kg/213.4lb-13.64
Goal:150
"Resensitizing myself to the urgency and severity of my weight problem is important in keeping myself motivated. I have to remind myself that my body will not tolerate this abuse forever." Jeannette Fulda, aka PastaQueen

Good morning, Zephyr, and welcome!

If you are only at day 10, and have cheated, I would go a little longer on induction. The whole reason for induction is to switch your body over to a fat-burning mechanism. If you have cheated, that switch is not firmly entrenched yet . . . but it will be! If you are not using Ketostix, I would suggest them. I find them very useful in making sure I am in Ketosis. I just use them in the AM now. Splenda is OK, just count the 1 carb in each packet. Better yet, buy some 0 carb liquid Splenda at www.sweetzfree.com .

As for the fat, everything I have read says you must eat some good fat to lose fat! I personally would ditch the soy milk and replace it would heavy cream, but you do have to not go overboard. I believe Atkins does give some guidelines on how much cream, mayo, etc. to use.

Atkins also suggests eating 1) when hungry, but also 2) do not go longer than 6 hours without eating. Your body needs energy to function. If you do not feed it, it will "suspend" itself, thinking it needs to hang on to everything because it might not get any more food!

Caffeine? YMMV. I do half regular and half decaf (32 oz./day w/cream) and I am OK with that.

I have also found that it helps me to eat a protein and veggie at every meal. Egg/celery at breakfast, a little meat in my (BIG) lunch salad, and meat/salad/veggie at dinner. If I add a Blue Bunny Carb Countdown yogurt around 3-4 PM, I do not need an evening snack.

Sorry for rambling! But you DO NEED GOOD FATS! And I would really try to eat more often . . . decrease amount of food at each meal, but DO EAT.

Good luck!

__________________
Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Zephyr

Welcome to this woe and this board!

I have read that more people stall on this woe from eating too few calories than eating too many. I would suggest you use a food tracker like www.fitday.com and make sure that your calorie intake is at 1200 minimum. I've lost 100+ pounds eating an average of over 2000 calories a day. But I'm a man and we have the unfair advantage of burning more calories.

When I first began low carbing I tried to give up caffeine by slowly switching to decaf and when I finally eliminated all caffeine from my coffee I was a wretched soul. So after 5 or 6 weeks (everyone said the horrible way I felt would pass but it never did) I went back to half caf. Now I drink a pot of fully caffeinated coffee a day and I think it has slowed my weight loss a bit. But That's fine as long as I can have my coffee. So one cup of 1/4 caffeinated coffee shouldn't have any effect.

Good Luck and come here often!

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my blog

welcome!! i see from your profile that you do not have all that much weight to lose. remember that for those who have only 15-20 lbs to lose, it will come off much more slooooowly than those that have more to lose.
it stinks, but your body really fights to hang on to those last few pounds!
best of luck and keep up the good work.

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**************
Carrie
SBD since 9/12/2005
Re-started 5/8/2006
My new journal: Just Breathe

Welcome and thanks for posting your questions.

One thing the ketosis does is suppress your natural appetite. Even if you don't feel hungry, you definitely need to eat a good LC meal every 4 to 6 hours. Especially if you are exercising 2 hours at a clip! Otherwise, you could be metabolizing your hard-earned muscles instead of burning fat.

Even if you don't feel hungry, at least eat a salad and some protein (a dollop of egg salad, or tuna salad, an ounce or two of cheese).

Be sure to drink lots of water, too. Water is an important component in metabolizing fat.

If you haven't dones this already, get a tape measure and take your measurements. Then record your measurements each week. You may discover you are getting smaller even when you don't see a big change on the scale.

__________________
~~~Teelbee
Back to GOAL!!!
start weight: 176/goal range: 137-134/now: 138
Reached goal in Aug. 2003 - 4rd year of maintenance.

Hi everyone, thanks for responding! I am 5'5 1/2" and I currently weigh 148#. (As of yesterday at the gym. I don't own a scale personally.) I would like to weigh 125#; I have been at this weight before and it is most comfortable for me and the lifestyle I enjoy having, which involves moving my body a lot. Since I decided to take this seriously, I removed all granola, fruit, potatos, chips, squash, carrots, and NUTS from my cupboards. (I kept the honey for company, and I have no desire to use it.) I bought a lot of frozen turkey burgers, tuna, fake sausages which have 0 net carbs, eggs, spinach, soy pasta with 3 net carbs, real mayonnaise, 1 carb salad dressing, celery, and real butter. Yesterday fro breakfast I had a three egg omelette with mozzerella cheese, scallion, and spinach, and three of those sausages. I wasn't hungry after this, and I made myself eat dinner, which was spinach salad with (I measured!) 2 T low carb dressing, and a 5 oz piece of leftover bluefish which I had baked in butter, tequila, and spices, with a teaspoon of mayo on top. I had a cup of decaf tea w Splenda. Today I went out with a friend and had 2 eggs and 2 slices bacon with a cup of decaf coffee with cream. Late lunch was 2 turkey burgers on spinach. I think I drink enough water, I usually drink 3 liters a day. Should I drink more? I guess the weight will come off slowly, the way it went on, right? It feels like a lot to lose for me, but when I look at some of the figures on the board, I feel a bit sheepish. It is difficult for me to explain, but losing 23 lb feels like a lot for me. I had hoped it could happen in 6-8 weeks... but in the meantime, I have to say that the low carb thing, surprisingly, feels really healthy now that I am doing it right. I have energy, and I feel like my workouts are really doing something, rather than just burning off sugar. I also dont return from the gym starving. I think I may have to give up nuts for good, as even when I was eating carbs, I would just mindlessly eat them. So the jist I am geting is that I should keep an eye on calories, and try not to have too few, and try not to have too many.

*I chew trident white sugarfree gum. It has 2g sugar alcohols, and 0 calories. the sugar alcohols are mannitol, maltitol, and sorbitol. What is the scoop here? Is that safe?

I have to say that it is great to have the forum to look at here, it is validating, and I live with housemates that have taken to saying, want a trisuit, low carb girl? One of them is a vegan. All in good fun, of course, but it is nice to have this support. Thanks!

hey zepher--23 pounds in 6-8 weeks is avering 3 or 4 pounds a week. while that's not unheard of, at the point you're at, it is pretty unusual to lose that fast. the other thing you have to remember is to LET GO of the time expecpections. you will have to eat lower carb the rest of your life to maintain the loss, so what's your hurry? i mean ok, i know, what's the hurry for everybody other than we want it NOW, but still. if you start watching the clock, it will start driving you insane. i've lost 95 pounds in less than a year, averaging about 2 pounds a week. it's consistency, not speed, that you need.

as you know now, stay away from the processed snacks, bars, shakes etc. if you're not losing, because they stall many many people, and of course those candy things can as well, and too much cheese.

sugar alochols have lots of controversy. mainly, some people process them like sugar in their bodies and can't eat them, while others can. but if you're having trouble losing, that's one of the first places to look.

lots of people get by with caffiene, just watch how much you have, as it can stimulate appetite and serve as a diueretic. i use half and half in my coffee (along with some atkins chocolate "sauce" i.e. choc. flavored water) and spenda to make "cappachino". i used heavy cream for a while, but although it has no carbs, it is too high calorie and kept me from losing...

on nuts, after induction, some people will put them in individual servings and freeze them, getting out a bit at a time. there are lots of little "tricks" you learn that help make it easier.

if i'm not hungry around a mealtime or it's been too long, i try to have a small sanck. that way i'm eating something, but not pushing myself to eat what i don't want. maybe a bit of beef jerky or some nuts or a hard-boiled egg or something like that.

anyway, my thoughts. hang tough and remember, if you feel good, you're probably on the right track!

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EatSmart Nutritional Scale Review

Hi, thanks for all of the advice, and I just want to say, this is working! My cravings really are gone! Not only that, but my clothes are fitting differently, and that is telling me that this week alone, I have lost weight. I have never lost weight and ate normally at the same time, without being hungry. I bought those metabostix and apparently I have been in ketosis all week, but I am not weighing myself for a little while. I am wondering though, it says on the box that there are some foods that will make the stick turn pink... does anyone know what they are? (Probably beets, which I am obviously not eating)


I have been having 20 grams of carbohydrate a day since Sept 24, and it took a bit to kick in. I cheated a bit with the fake candy a week and a half ago (which I will never do again) and have been good since, and I have to say, I don't want to up my carbs. I feel really good! I don't want to be tired, moody, gassy, and jonesing for the next fix of reduced fat potato chips, toast, etc. Eating bacon and eggs with no toast or celery and cream cheese is fine with me... does this happen to others? It must... it seems odd to me that the low carb thing seems to be commercially geared toward "what you can't have" with can't being the key word, as if you are missing something...I don't feel like I'm missing anything. In fact, I feel like I have gained something, and it's definately not weight!

YOu are doing great--but the longer you stay at 20gs of carbs, the harder it will be for your body to accept more. You need to add in a few at the end of your two weeks of induction. Weigh yourself now and again--every two weeks or once a month and if you add something in that might be questionable--weigh a bit more often--you will be able to tell by the weight bounce as you retain fluid after soemthing your body is not going to tolerate.

__________________
Lori

232/190/130
My other journal http://www.lowcarbeating.com/bb/showthread.php?t=1130

zepher- the reason why you slowly up your carbs, adding just a food at a time, is so that you don't go back to the old way of feeling. while it's an individual choice how long to stay on induction, it is generally simply not necessary to do it long term, and the additional choices you'll have when you start adding in carbs will help you stay on track and keep from feeling deprived or bored.

it DOES work when you work it.

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EatSmart Nutritional Scale Review

Hello and congratulations to EVERYONE!! I am wondering if anyone has had success in the long term from eating low carb, but not restrictive. I did induction well, and now I am eating low carb, meaning more protien and NO flour or suger. However I do have the veggies and the barries and the shakes and the bars and the ice cream and the beer and I would say that I range 20 - 40 carbs a day depending. Has anyone succeded in the long term by eating like this? is the weight loss slower yet Still there? Or am I just fooling myself that if I am eating better than I use to I will lose weight.

248/235/170
start date 8/04/04

Please do not respond here, I posted a new thread titled "Am I Dreaming?"

SOrry and
THANK YOU

OK, so I have reread, twice Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution, and yes, it appears that it is really time to start adding in carbs... and I have to admit, I haven't been exactly perfect... I ate extra veggies one day... yay!! (artichokes and tomatoes) and then two days of red wine (I work in theater and decided to partake in the fesivities at an opening night party, then had a date another night) Both times I consciously planned this. I think that I can sense what my triggers would be... chocolate, flour (crackers, bread, potato chips), NUTS, etc, so what I think I am going to do is really pay attention to that glycemic index, and enjoy this. Had a bison burger tonight, and I have to mention that there is not much, other than venison in my opinion, that can beat that. Yum! I was brought up on a high carb and fat vegetarian diet by well meaning hippie parents, and consequently was a moody and chubby adolescent.

People that I work with have commented on my appearance, in a positive way. I think that part of it is the energy I have; I feel like I am standing up straight finally! I want to find the low carb wraps so I can eat "burritos" and "wraps"; I live on Cape Cod, where there is no such thing as a Walmart, but just arrived in the western part of the state to visit a friend, so tomorrow I plan to go there and to Whole Foods to stock up on healthy choices and alternatives to keep this up for myself.

I am so glad to have found this website. It was here that I realized, by read ing everyone's stories, and all of the posts on these forums, that this does work, there are amazing stories, and possibly the personally most important, that the bars, shakes, and "candy" are really evil; it was not that the atkins diet doesn't work. Thank you all for your support, you are truly amazing.

Blessings

Zephyr