I read through an atkins intro that I downloaded off the internet and it gives all the do's and don'ts of the first 2 weeks but I have no clue what to drink.

should stay away from caffine .. should i only be drinking water and club soda?
is it okay to drink diet coke / diet pepsi? green tea?

I guess Im just kind of at a loss of what to drink??

any ideas would be great thank you for your time.


rosie

water and green tea are fantastic choices...avoid caffine and artificial sweeteners til after induction...shoor for 3 liters of water plus whatever else you drink...

You need tog et the book and read it cover to cover...it gives far more information than any blurb off the internet...even the official atkins site. Just my $.02!

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Lori

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

During induction I switched to decaf coffee and drank only water after that. It gets you used to the large amount of water you need to drink on this woe. As a side benefit I discovered I didn't need to drink diet sodas and have only had them 3 times in 28 months. But seltzer (no sodium) is okay as it's only carbonated water.

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my blog

I gave up diet coke and fresca (my two favorites) completely during induction and that carried beyond. Sadly, I have gone back to drinking some soda but know I should get rid of it again. Luckily I do actually like the new pepsi one which is flavored with splenda, the preferred sweetner.

Right now water and decaf green tea are your best bets. Do get and read the book if you are doing Atkins. It will help you understand better than just reading parts online.

Good luck.

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Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.

water is ALWAYS your best bet, and it will speed weight loss over other drinks. green tea has special antioxidants and health benefits that make it worthwhile, too. it's great that you're getting started now, but lori is right: getting the book is very important! get it as soon as you can because it WILL make a huge difference in your level of success, i promise.

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Wow you guys are amazing being able to give up so much.. wheeewwww fingers crossed... water and green tea here i come !!

You all have been so great and welcoming.. thank you!

rosie

Rosie, you will learn that for all you give up in exchange for this WOL, the benefits are tenfold. In addition to feeling MUCH better, the weightloss will be another benefit. I agree, drink your water first, making certain each day you have it all in. During induction, I would try to avoid any type of caffiene. I did like Rob, during induction I went to decaf and lived through it Good luck and I hope you will post often!

Rhonda

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196/135-135

Rosie, surprisingly, it doesn't feel like "giving up" that much. I started out drinking just water and decaf coffee. Then, I gave up the coffee and switched to green tea. Now, I do ocassionally have a diet pop or soemthing, but it just really isn't all that, and I am actually happy to go back to my water. I think on LC my tastes actually changed. I can't expalin it but I am glad!!

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Renee
1/19/04
261/220/160
41 lbs off
60 lbs to goal



Race to 199 Challenge
Labor Day Challenge: Focusing on the Journey
Personal Goal: 199 by 12/31/05

rosie- renee is right. while it may feel like "giving up" a lot now, after a short time, it doesn't feel like you're giving up _anything_, and you feel so much better and there are so many benefits, you'll wonder what you ever saw in all the things you used to drink and eat. even if i didn't need to stay low carb to maintain my losses, i would continue to do so for the other benefits. your taste changes. after a brief period of discomfort while you change your habits, it becomes quite easy. just give it a chance!

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Thank you so much everyone your input is very helpful I guess it just seems hard because i enjoy a variety of beverages and green tea and water for 2 weeks honestly seems hard. That and the whole bad breath thing while doing the induction did you all just brush your teeth constantly, are there any breath freshers out there i can use i am also a major gum addict... anyone know if the listerine pocket packs those little strips that stick to the top of you're mouth.. are those ok??

IMO, I see no point in making induction any harder by being a purist about beverages... especially if you feel stressed and deprived by suddenly cutting out your favorite beverages..

Atkins does not prohibit artificial sweetners during induction, though the Dr. recommended products sweetened with Splenda (sucralose) rather than Equal (aspartame). Diet Rite and Hansens sodas are made with Splenda, and there's a new Coke with Splenda out recently, too.

I really don't think having a diet soda is such a bad thing during induction as long as you also drink plenty of water.

I'd suggest weaning yourself from caffine a gradually to avoid headaches from caffine withdrawal. A mix of 50/50 decaf and regular is how I started out. I went totally caffine free gradually, but later I added it back. In my case, I really don't notice a difference to my weight loss/weight maintenance from consuming some caffine.

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

Sugar free gums are fine...as are the strips...just remember tha tin the gums sugar alcohols if you chew multiple pieces a day may cause slow weight loss...2gs of sugar alcohol may not seem like much but if you chew say 10 pieces a day that is 20 and since they cause me problems that would be way too many SAs for me. Just a thought...I wouldn't stress over what you drink so much as long asyou are drinking plenty of water with whatever else you drink...

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Lori

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

i personally didn't give up caffiene, but had coffee most mornings. i wasn't ever a diet soda drinker, so when i gave up regular soda, i just replaced it with water...the water does help with the breath some as well...

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Thanks once again for the comments .. every bit of advice/support helps~!