Hello. New to this forum

[cherinfo]

Hello, need support. Have done Atkins before (1999) lost weight have tried many times going back to wol but always failed....seems to be harder after the first time. I'm on my third day of induction and feel good...so far still motivated.

I found a site that I can track everthing that goes into my mouth, it's a tremendous help, but I need encouragement too, to keep me on track.

I drink coffee and find it difficult to give up about 5 cups a day(use heavy whipping cream in coffee) I bought unsweeten tea to drink thoughout the day along with water, will coffee,and tea drinks hurt me?

Also, I get most of my carbs from cheese. Will that hurt me too? I have my veggies but I find it hard to eat 2 cups of lettuce, so I eat one cup and add the cheese, I guess my question is as long as I stay under 20 carbs does it matter where it comes from?

[Goddess]

Hello, Cher. Welcome to Low Carb Eating. I think this is a great place for support and info, although I admit I could be slightly biased.

Congratuations on deciding to get back in the groove and start taking better care of yourself again. That's half the battle, getting going.

You don't mention a plan, but since you talk about induction, sounds like you're probably doing Atkins. Do you have a copy of the book available to review? That in and of itself is one of the best investments you can make in your long-term success. Seriously. If you don't have one, get one. You'll be glad you did.

Originally Posted by cherinfo

I drink coffee and find it difficult to give up about 5 cups a day(use heavy whipping cream in coffee) I bought unsweeten tea to drink thoughout the day along with water, will coffee,and tea drinks hurt me?

Coffee is a problem for some people, and not for others. For some, caffenie can stimulate appetite and become and issue. Dr. Atkins suggested cutting it out, but many of us did not and do okay regardless. Also, do be aware of any sweetner you're adding. While a packet of sweetner may say it has no carbs, because of the small amount, if it's less that half a gram of carbs, they can count it as none. So don't let 'em fool ya!

Depending on how much heavy cream you use, that might be an issue with 5 cups a day. While you usually don't have to count calories on low-carb, in particular early on, that doesn't mean that they don't matter at all. Heavy cream runs about 50 calories a tablespoon if memory serves, so if you use 2 tablespoons per cup, that's 500 extra calories a day. It does add up.

Tea is the same deal-fine for some, problem for some. If you like tea, a lot of folks around here do drink green tea, for the antioxidants and other benefits.

The major thing, though, is to not let your coffee and tea keep you from getting your water in. While you'd think that since these things are made primarily with water it would kind of be the same, my experience tells me otherwise. I most often see it suggested to drink half your weight in oz. of water a day. It takes a while to work up to that, but once you do, you'll find yourself craving water.

Also, I get most of my carbs from cheese. Will that hurt me too? I have my veggies but I find it hard to eat 2 cups of lettuce, so I eat one cup and add the cheese, I guess my question is as long as I stay under 20 carbs does it matter where it comes from?

It may well slow you down, yeah, depending on just how much you're eating. I believe Atkins says up to 4 oz. of cheese a day. But some people have issues with even that. Cheese is another one of those foods that are calorie-dense.

I understand the salad-burnout thing. But I would suggest you try to vary it up some, and eat different veggies for your carbs without going overboard on the cheese. I'm not sure how much cheese you're eating, but it's good to be aware, at least.

If you're feeling good, though, you're probably moving in the right direction. A lot of this will take tweaking as you go along, because different things work for differnt people. Things that might not cause a problem for you might for me, and vice versa. It's a learning process.

At any rate, do come around here often. If you begin to have problems, the people here are great at helping you uncover hidden issues. And besides, we're so very nice!

Good luck, and peace out.

[chesnut]

Hi,

saw you needed support so I'll chime in.

First the cheese... okay it has been known to be constipating and part of the benefit of getting the carbs from veggies is the roughage they supply. Cheese tastes great and is easy to chew but not easy to move. At least mix it with your veggies for variety and roughage.

You aren't limited to salad, so how about some cheddar mixed with a little cream and melted with some ground pepper and then poured over some steamed broccoli. The Faux mashed potatoes made from cauliflower is great.
Here's the link.
http://www.lowcarbeating.com/recipe_...0Side%20Dishes
There are so many recipes for good carb side dishes here and most are easy to prepare. Just start at the top and work your way through.

Coffee was/is my weakness too. I make myself drink it black for a while just to make sure it is the coffee I want not the creaminess. I don't think it has stalled me but be aware that you should be drinking a LOT of water on this eating plan. So if you are getting your 8 glasses and still have the desire for a warm drink try it black and see if it's what you really crave.

Well, I wish you well, now that you're back in the saddle, hang on you've made a great start.

[cherinfo]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies I'm doing ok, day 4 of induction ketostixs are moderate. Last night was rough but made it through.....I'm a nite time eater and could not sleep but I stayed away from the kitchen.

Down to 2 cups of coffee a day...only using 3.5 tbls of heavy cream. ( that's total for both cups) Kinda of tired of the cheese thing and will eat more veggies today.

Now that I made it passed day 3 it should be easier to keep it up. If I get tempted or discouraged, the first thing i will do is chime in. I hope I continue to stay positive.

Taking it one day at a time.

[Maggie]

Keep up the good work, Cher! It does get easier after this point.

We're happy to have you here.

[Goddess]

cher-you're right at the point where it usually starts to get easier, so hang in there! you should be feeling the "buzz" of energy people get soon, if you haven't already.

sounds like you've got your eye on things, which is good. don't stress about individual issues too much, and just know it's a learning process along the way. so long as you continue to refine and make improvements, you'll continue to progress.

keep coming here often for encouragement, and keep the faith, sister. you're on your way!