Re: New...to the group the diet....HELP!

[Guest guest]

Jill, first of all welcome. this group will help you get started and achieve your goal. First READ THE BOOK And in the mean time here is some excellent info:

I. READ THE BOOKOkay everyone I want your full attention. The single most important thing you need to do before starting this diet is to READ THE BOOK. Then, READ THE BOOK AGAIN. Almost every question I see in the nightly Atkins chat from new lo carb dieters or get in the email was answered in their book. As a person new to this way of life you are naturally going to have questions or be confused about exactly certain things mean. And that is completely understandable and most everyone will be happy to straighten things out for you so you understand better. HOWEVER, what is intolerable to most people is when questions that are answered in the book are asked over and over again and it is readily apparent that these folks just haven't bothered to read the entire book page for page. Like most Americans, they just want the PLAN and the RULES. Guess what ya'll? It doesn't work that way. This is not a quick fix. This is a way of life and there is a lot you need to know before you begin. The book will answer 99% of your questions. Questions like what you ask? Questions like the following ones - "How can all that meat and fat be good for you?", "Can I drink milk on this diet?", "People tell me that I will get kidney damage on this diet! Is that true?", "How can my cholesterol go down eating all those eggs and bacon?", "Can I have a copy of the diet plan?", "What can I eat besides meat and eggs and cheese?", "How many veggies can I eat? What kind?"I could go on for days...... Suffice it to say you will save yourself an enormous amount of time and embarrassment if you read the book FIRST, preferably with a highlighter. And your life and carb counting will be made much easier if you get a carb counter and skip Dr. Atkins carb counter. He has too few items listed get Netzer's Book or the new one that just came out on cal and carb contents of over 8500 foods both are available here.II. INDUCTIONAh yes, the beginning! You have so many questions. You are so amazed you can eat all these foods and lose weight. You think you will never be able to give up all your cokes, your bread, your pasta and for the love of god - POTATOES. But you have read the book, made the commitment and now you are ready to start. What should you do now, you ask! First, go through your kitchen and pantry and freezer and get rid of all your high carb products. That means if it has more than 5 carbs per serving throw it out! Sauces, ice cream, macaroni...all gone. If that is not possible because of others in your home then clear out a special place in the pantry and the fridge that is your space for your lo carb foods. Frances Monsoon McCollough covers this in great detail in her book...a real how to guide, you should think of getting it. Second, stock up on the items you will now be eating and for 2 snacks or more per day that are lo carb. Planning now will save you from cheats later. Where can you get these foods? What snacks? Well I'll deal with that in the next section.A. WITHDRAWAL PAINSThere are often heard complaints or concerns of those on induction are headaches, nausea, massive fatigue and constipation. If you are savvy and take the appropriate step you can avoid most if not all of these complaints by using the following suggestions. Headaches and nausea are usually the result of withdrawal from caffeine and sugar. These pains will pass usually within 48 hours for many it takes even less. The fatigue is caused because of your body's previous over reliance on sugar and caffeine instead of nutrients for energy. However, if you are taking the appropriate vitamins and supplements you should feel very little if any discomfort. Your body will learn to take it's energy instead from these, instead. Constipation, nausea or diarrhea are the result of your change in food intake. It will pass. In the meantime, take sugar free Metamucil or psyllium husks powder.B.IMPORTANCE OF VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTSAs I mentioned earlier, there are supplements that you can take to avoid all or most of the discomfort. What brand you choose is up to you. Just make sure it's sugar free. Atkins Brand Vitamins and supplements can be purchased here.C. KETOSISThere is a great deal of confusion about ketosis and ketostix. In a nutshell, ketosis is simply the name for what happens when your body burns fat. Ketones are the molecule fragments that are tossed off into your bloodstream when your body is burning fat. Ketostix are strips that you hold in your urine stream that measure the amount of ketones coming out. Dr. Atkins has confused a number of people in his book by saying that you should aim for purple strips. The problem is that "purple" to a man is any shade of pink that is darker than a carnation! Mauve is what he tried to get across. The truth is, however, that if you are showing any color but negative then you are in ketosis. If you are in ketosis you are burning fat. That is what is important. So ANY color of pink to mauve is good. Now, if you start showing up in the dark purple you are not drinking enough water. If you are drinking enough water, you are constantly flushing out the ketones so you won't have as many show up each time you urinate so your color will be lighter.III. WATERA. WHY?Water is the basis of our bodies. Whether or not you are on this diet or on no diet at all, your body REQUIRES eight 8oz glasses per day to simply function well. Most of us have never done that. We drink cokes, tea, Gatorade. you name it...but plan ole water. Ick! Well that attitude has to go flying out the window in order for you to do well on a lo carb diet. If you are not drinking enough water, your body cannot flush out all the waste products from the fat burning going on in your body.B. HOW MUCH?YOU MUST DRINK 64oz of water plus an additional 8oz for every 25lbs you want to lose. EVERYDAY!!! There are no exceptions most stall are caused by 2 things, not enough fiber (leading to constipation, water retention, and bloating) and not enough water.IV. THE SCALE AND MEASUREMENTSEveryone I know has conflicting opinions about when to weigh and how often. Some people only want to weigh every two weeks, others once a week, and then there's people like me who do it everyday. There is no right or wrong way, they all have their perks and their downfalls. If you weigh every two weeks or once per week you are less likely to feel frustrated and cheat because of minor fluctuations in the scale. However, I don't feel that this let's you track your loss habits. Every body will lose weight in it's own cycle. If you track yours over time (especially women) you will see that every month on almost the same days you will start to plateau, followed by a stall or gain followed by a loss. This is usually related to TTOTM. You will also see that your weight varies by .5 to 1.5lbs everyday depending on a number of things like water retention (you aren't drinking enough), constipation, food intake, the weather (yes I'm serious I'm always a pound heavier on gloomy days, LOL) Add for you neurotic weighers out there..yes you will always weigh 2 lbs. more before bed than 1st thing in the morning, naked, on your scale. (Obviously I have tested this hypothesis regularly!)There is no disagreement, however, on taking measurements. You should take your measurements today, if you haven't already. Then, once per month take new ones. Very often on this diet, the scale does not move, even if you have been in ketosis since the beginning but the tape measure does. It is very common to lose a number of inches per month.V. FOODA. WHAT CAN I EAT & DRINK?If it is listed in your book as an acceptable food then you can have it. If you want a no brainer approach to Atkins eating get a copy of Tam's cookbook - you can eat everything in it and it comes with a 2 week induction meal plan. If it is sold in a low carb grocery store such as Low Carb Treats, Synergy Diet, etc. you can have it - they precheck all the items and list carb counts. With Low Carb Connoisseur you have to be careful, they carry a lot of items that are not ok for Atkins dieters but are okay for Sugarbusters and Protein Power. With well over 300 new low carb products on the market, it's getting easier to find things to eat everyday. You can check out product reviews here before you buy.For snacks, I highly recommend just the cheese chips (instead of potato), Darrell Lea chocolate bars, Darrell Lea chocolate covered almonds, Jols Pastilles, Splenda sweetened hard candies and soft taffies, deluxe mixed nuts, pepperoni and cream cheese, celery with no sugar peanut butter, a protein shake, sugar free Jell-O snack packs and whipped cream, pumpkorn snacks, pork rinds (If you like em, I don't), lunch meat and cheese roll ups, cream cheese on wasa crackers. As for drinks - water, teas, any diet soft drink (I highly recommend Diet Orange Sunkist) unless you are sensitive to caffeine or citric acid - then get a caffeine free diet soft drink or Diet Dr, Pepper - no citric acid, Slim Sodas (carbonated) made with Splenda, Italian sodas made with Da Vinci's Syrups, diet RC cola made with Splenda, Crystal Light, Diet Snapple (any flavor) protein shakes made from egg, whey, or Soy Isolate protein. B. WHAT FOODS SHOULD I AVOIDAvoid caffeine (if you are sensitive to it), aspartame, citric acid (stall some), all fruit (on induction), all fruit juices (on induction), any food that lists on the label sucrose, glucose, dextrose (any -ose), molasses, honey, brown sugar, flour, all breads, all pasta, all potatoes, all rice! And if you are smart. stay away from Atkins bars not only do they taste horrible, but they have been known to cause serious stalls in a number of people. Beware all zero carb products - the manufacturers are allowed to put less than 1 gram or zero even if the carb content is .9 therefore always count zero carb products s 1 carb per serving unless the exact carb count is available on the label. **Heavy cream has 6.6 carbs per 1/2 cup.C. PROTEIN POWDERSAll protein powders are not created equal. There are 3 basic kinds. Soy Isolate, whey, and egg. All three generally come in strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate. I prefer to use the Soy Isolate in recipes and the egg to drink. That is because egg protein shakes have a better flavor, texture, and consistency than the others in my humble opinion. However, it is a nightmare to bake with. I recommend the following brands that can be purchased at GNC (online or in person) or online: Proformix, Optimum Nutrition 100% egg protein, Super Pro90 (soy), Designer Protein (whey), 95% Protein by EAS (soy). Be sure and grab the pancake and waffle mix! It's a great variation from eggs at breakfast. ( Low Carb Tortillas make great breakfast burritos.)D. SPLENDASplenda is by far the best artificial sweetener on the market. It looks, measures cup for cup, and tastes like real sugar and unlike other sweeteners if doesn't lose it's sweetness at high heats. You can get it here.E. HIDDEN CARBSCarbs are in everything you can eat so you better get a good carb counter and be very aware of what is going in your mouth. Remember you can only fool your mind not your body...it knows how many carbs you really ate! Be aware and save yourself a lot of needless heartache down the road when you realize you could have been losing faster but you've been taking in a ton of carbs you didn't know you were eating!! Also, be aware that unlike my site, most carb counts on recipes you will find other places are wrong. Not intentionally mind you, but because they are unaware of all the hidden carbs and do not have a nutritional calculator with FDA numbers like I do. Always re-check the carbs on those recipes to be sure they are accurate.PART IIVI. STALLS AND PLATEAUSA. HELP I STOPPED LOSING!Everyone worries about stall and plateaus. There is a difference. A stall is when you temporarily stop losing. A stall usually just means your body is catching up and adjusting to the weight you just lost. Stay on track and within a week the scale will begin to drop again. If you are STRICTLY following the diet, taking your vitamins, and drinking all your water and you remain stalled for more than two weeks then you are on a plateau. This means you need to change something. To find out what to change and all the tips and tricks for breaking a plateau/stall go here.B. COMMON CAUSESSome of the most common causes of stalls are constipation, staying on induction for too long (how long is too long? when you stop losing), not eating all your veggies, eating too many "legal" treats, and not drinking all your water.C. TIPS AND TRICKS TO BREAK STALLSIf I've heard of it it's listed here!VII. EXERCISEA. WHAT SHOULD I DO?That all depends on you. You will get out of it whatever you put into it. If you have more than 100 pounds to lose, I would suggest starting with the 2 mile walk video and walk as much as you can. Try to increase your distance over time. If you have 75-100 pounds to lose I would still recommend the 2 mile walk video, but as you will be able to move easier, I would suggest using the AM/PM yoga for beginners or the Big on Fitness video or one of the videos. I usually recommend videos because then inclement weather will not affect your workout. but if you want to add out door exercise. please feel free. Anything you do to move your body is burning calories for energy which means you are burning fat since you are on a lo carb diet. For those with 50 lbs or less to lose I highly recommend the Tae Bo videos and the MTV the Grind workouts. High intensity fat burning!!! Woohoo! LOL For everyone I recommend the 8 minute abs and buns of steel videos because you don't have to make it through the whole video to start seeing results. Just do what you can and in weeks you will be able to do the whole thing! I promise. You can get the videos here. If you have another video you like or activity you enjoy go for it!! These are just my preferences and recommendations.B. THE SPECIAL DEMANDS OF EXERCISE WITH A LO CARB DIETAlways plan to eat a salad or take a glucose tablet (available at Wal-Mart in grape or orange - 4 carbs per tablet) immediately following your workout. This and regular supplementation of potassium will prevent the weird and painful muscle cramps that can sometimes accompany working out on a lo carb diet.VII. COMMON QUESTIONSWHY ARE OTHER PEOPLE LOSING FASTER THAN ME?The speed at which different people lose weight is dependent on many factors, including (but not limited to), how easily you go into ketosis, what medications you are taking, the amount you exercise, and the amount of weight you need to lose (generally, the more you need to lose, the faster the weight will come off). You should not compare your weight loss to others, and you should concentrate on the inches you are losing as well as the weight. Try not to weigh more than once a week, and be sure to take your measurements with a tape measure once or twice a month. The tape measure will often show a loss when the scale does not.B. HOW FAST CAN I LOSE?How fast you lose on the Atkins way of eating varies widely from person to person. Some people lose 20 pounds or more during the two-week induction period, and some people may only lose a pound or two. For optimum results, be sure you are drinking at least a 64 oz of water a day, plus 8 additional ounces for every 25 pounds you are overweight. In the end, it does not really matter how quickly or slowly you lose, because this way of eating (WOE) is a way of life forever (WOLF). So if there is no "end" to the way of eating, you will simply continue to lose until you reach goal, and then you will start the maintenance portion of the plan to maintain your loss.C. HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST? HOW LONG?I have lost 40lbs plus or minus 5 on a given day. I started locarbing on 2/9/99. And I can guarantee you at my rate of loss if I hadn't cheated so often it would be alot more by now!D. CAN I DO THIS DIET WHILE PREGNANT OR BREASTFEEDING?You cannot be in ketosis while pregnant or breastfeeding because of the release of ketones and their potential effect on the fetus or the baby. However, you can eat a diet lower in carbs and higher in protein that the average American diet (with plenty of veggies and some lower-carb fruits). Also, you should be sure to eat higher fiber carbs, such as whole grain breads (in moderation) rather than white bread. You should work with your physician and/or a holistic nutritionist to determine the food plan that is best for you and your baby while pregnant or breastfeeding.E. CAN I DRINK ALCOHOL? WHAT KINDS?Alcohol is a "your mileage may vary" (YMMV) kind of thing. After induction, you can see if it affects your loss to drink a limited amount of alcohol - but drink it sparingly, only on special occasions, etc. Essentially all hard liquors are fine, as long as you mix them with low-carb mixers like diet Coke, Slim Sodas, or club soda. A limited amount of dry red wine is okay for most people, and when it comes to beer, Lite (3 grams/carbs) is a good choice.F. WILL I NEVER HAVE BREAD OR POTATOES OR PASTA AGAIN?This WOE does not allow for bread or potatoes on a regular basis. However, the longer you go without eating these things, the more you will find that you don't miss them. You can make "legal" substitutions - there are recipes for low-carb "breads" and there are low-carb tortillas on the market. You can substitute cauliflower cooked different ways for potatoes. Spaghetti squash is a low-carb option that is great with a some butter and parmesan cheese as an alternative to pasta. Once they are on maintenance, some people may try to eat very small portions of lower-carb, non-refined versions of some of these foods (e.g. - whole-grain bread or whole-wheat pasta). Some people do fine with that, but others find that eating the foods in even limited amounts sets of carb cravings that can lead to binges. There is also a popular new product on the market called Ketatoes which makes great hash browns and can be used for twice baked potatoes.G. HELP! I CHEATED, DO I HAVE TO START OVER?If you cheat, you should go back to induction-level carbs until you are back in ketosis (check with keto strips). Once you realize how much even one "small" cheat can affect your weight loss, you probably won't do it too often. Many people who have been on this WOE actually suffer from nausea, headaches and flu-like symptoms (not to mention guilt!) when they veer off course.H. I'M CRAVING SWEETS! WHAT CAN I HAVE?There are many legal sweets you can have if you are craving them. Nee ones are coming out on the market everyday from chocolate to taffy to cookies and ice cream with low carb chocolate syrup. One popular low-carb treat is sugar-free Jell-O, which is great topped with real whipped cream (sweetened with Splenda or another artificial sweetener). Sugar-free Jell-O also tastes great frozen for a couple of hours - almost like Italian ice. You can also have diet hot chocolate (make sure it says DIET, not low sugar or low fat or sugar free) for about 4-5 g/carbs a packet. Splenda, a sugar substitute made in Canada and approved by the U.S. FDA in 1998, tastes almost exactly like sugar and has only 1 g of carbs a packet. You can order it here . There are lots of recipes you can make with Splenda, including cheesecake, peanut butter cookies, etc.I. HOW OFTEN SHOULD I HAVE LEGAL TREATS?You should not make a habit of having legal treats. If you indulge in them on a regular basis, they can cause a stall. In addition, you don't want to make a habit of using up your precious carbs on legal treats - you should be spending as many of your carbs as possible on fiber-filled veggies. But sugar-free Jell-O , Darrell Lea chocolate bars and splenda sweetened candies on a regular basis is fine, as is a little Splenda in your coffee, etc. Just make sure to count the carbs. Experiment to see how many legal treats you can have and still lose - again, everyone is different. And one thing is certainly true - if you are having a craving, a legal carb is definitely a better choice than a carb-filled "non-legal" sweet.

CandaceMom to na(3) and (23M)"Each day of our lives we make deposits inthe memory banks of our children." ~ R. Swindoll http://members.tripod.com/Candace143/family/index.htmhttp://members.tripod.com/Candace143/index.htm ( Candy's Kitchen)http://groups.yahoo.com/group/candyskitchen (email list)

[Guest guest]

--- Jill kjmjJill@...> wrote:

> Hi...I'm Jill....32 yrs./290lbs.

>

> I'm trying to begin the Arkins program, but I'm having a very hard

> time figuring it out....of course, I just bought the book today, so

> I'm planning on it getting easier with more info....but I need some

> quick answers right away!

>

> In the first 2 weeks is it absolutely no carbs....I can't seem to

> figure out what has no carbs....does anyone have any suggestions for

> good foods I can eat?

>

> Is there a food list on this site anywhere? In the files or database

> or anything? I'll keep looking around, but while looking for foods

> to eat, thinking that it would be good to incorporate fresh fruit and

> vegies into my diet, I found that in trying to do this diet a lot of

> those things are off limits too!

>

> I guess, basically I'm wondering what I can eat?!!?!? I would

> appreciate any and all help!

>

> I'm so happy to have found this group, and this program! Thanks for

> being here for me to find!!!!

>

> Jill

>

> ps: as I wrote above I weigh about 290lbs. Has anyone on this board

> lost 100lbs or more? It's just so encouraging to hear those stories

> since that's what I personally need to lose!

>

> thanx!

>

>

=====

Kathy

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

>

> Jill

>

> ps: as I wrote above I weigh about 290lbs. Has anyone on this

board

> lost 100lbs or more? It's just so encouraging to hear those

stories

> since that's what I personally need to lose!

>

> thanx!

Jill,

I have not lost 100 lbs....YET! However, since January of this year I

have lost 87 lbs! If I can do this way of life, YOU can do it too! I

still have 29-39 or so lbs to lose. I'd like to get to either 140 or

150 lbs. I am sure you will get ALL kinds of help from the wonderful

people on this list! They are a fountain of information! Good luck

to you and STICK WITH IT!!

Lori

266/179/175 mini goal/150ish

1/3/01

[Guest guest]

While you are reading the book (that is a MUST! -lol) At the bottom of each

message is a list of several useful links. They are all wonderful and will

help so much.

One in particular is the link to the Turtle Menu. It is a weeks worth of

induction level meals. You may find it helpful to follow those while you are

reading the book. As to your question... in NO part of Atkins is it NO carbs. "

Induction is 20 and that is the lowest you should go.

Several people have lost 100 pounds. I myself am aiming for that... I started

at 315+ and am a VERY slow loser... but I figure the other benifits are worth

it...health wise.

--- Jill kjmjJill@...> wrote:

>>

> I guess, basically I'm wondering what I can eat?!!?!? I would

> appreciate any and all help!

>

> I'm so happy to have found this group, and this program! Thanks for

> being here for me to find!!!!

>

> Jill

>

=====

Kathy

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Jill, you need to read the book to know how this works. If you try to skip

that, you will get frustrated and think it does not work. For now, read the

induction chapter carefully as well as the information at links 13, 10 and 5

at the bottom of every message. That will give you a great atart. This is

not a no carb diet, but a restricted carb diet. You should avoid all fruit

during induction. The information I pointed you to will help with knowing

which veggies to eat.

Jean

[Guest guest]

Welcome Jill!!

Check out this site that is posted to the bottom of each message for this group:

10. Induction Rules: http://www.titanic.kn-bremen.de/induction.html

There are several other helpful ones, such as the turtle menus:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Atkins_Support_List/files/5. Turtle Menues:

It's a good idea to eat lots of low carb veggies (cauliflower, eggplant, green beans, etc), but not fruit.

Just go to the bottom of this message & you'll find some really great sites to help get you started !

God bless you & have a great day!!!

Jeanie*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*I have no formula but faith, no gospel but God, no creed but Christ,and no love but the Lord. There can be no joy without Jesus. (Helen Steiner Rice)

[Guest guest]

Thank you all for your help....I guess I have some preparing to do

before I actually whole heartedly start....feel like I'm in training

for some major event!

I need to decaffinate my body first of all...while I read the book

I'll cut down on my caffine intake! I drink about 2 pots of coffee a

day...caffinated, if I just stop that I think I'll have headaches of

a monsterous magnitute...and I take care of children, I don't want to

set myself up for a short fuse!

I'm drinking more water....I'm eating the Atkins way...as best I can

while I learn, no more junk, no more making allowances, no more...

" one right now won't make a difference! "

My attitude has changed! I'm so glad.....

I'm going to do this! Thanks for all your help...it's wonderful to

find such an active and supportive group!

Jill

[Guest guest]

Jill,

I bought decafe of my favorite brand of hazelnut coffee and another flavor of high test and layered them in a canister, now my first pot of coffee is 1/2 high test and 1/2 decafe. I only used another flavor because they added a cream taste to the hazelnut. Wish they would go back to plain hazelnut!

in TN

Re: New...to the group the diet....HELP!

Thank you all for your help....I guess I have some preparing to do before I actually whole heartedly start....feel like I'm in training for some major event!

[Guest guest]

Jill,

Mix your coffee half caffeinated/half decaf for a few days. Then lower it to 1/3 caffeinated and 2/3 decaf for a few days. Then try to go no caffeine. Don't forget about those sodas with caffeine in them too.

I went cold turkey and had horrible headaches for 4 days. The 5th day the headaches were gone. Thought I'd die those first 4 days though. LOL

dwen

Re: New...to the group the diet....HELP!

I need to decaffinate my body first of all...while I read the book I'll cut down on my caffine intake!