[kaplods]

As to fruit - for me - it can be a problem if I don't stick to reasonable portions. Also, high sugar fruits can trigger a hunger spike, so I try to eat fruit with a meal or at least with a bit of protein. For example I eat apples with a bit of peanut butter. It seemed counter-intuitive at first, because pb is so calorie-dense, and it didn't seem to make sense to add 100 to 150 calories to my 100 calorie apple, but in the long run it pays off, because I find it filling for a longer period of time.


As to the carb/fat issue - Yes, I believe the statement "carbs make you fat" is untrue if taken literally or as an absolute truth, but I don't think that most people who say it truly mean it in an absolute literal sense. They're overstating and oversimplifying - but that's what people do. When we give advice, we want to condense it into a short, easy to remember format... a maxim, a saying, a book title, a magazine "headline." The problem is the truth rarely condenses into a neat little one sentence statement, without losing a lot of the truth in the process.

"To every rule, even this one, there is an exception."

_____________________________

[PhotoChick]

Perhaps you need to move away from things like Oprah and whatever best selling diet book is on the charts today and so forth for your health and nutrition info and look into some solid, medically based, reliable sources. And not just one or two ... but read several of them from various points of view and then decide what works best for your body.

Too many people get hung up on Dr So-and-so who was on national television said this. Or Dr Whatsis wrote a book, so she must be right. Or Oprah lost weight doing what some nutritionist said, so that must be the thing that works.

The thing is that what works for Oprah or you or me or kaplods or anyone else is not going to be exactly the same. The basic concepts are the same everywhere, but ... as they say ... the devil is in the details.

So stop focusing on the soundbites (carbs make you fat, strawberries are bad for you, etc.) and start thinking about diet and health from a holistic standpoint.

No one got fat because they ate strawberries. No one got fat because they ate apples. But it's possible that eating TOO MANY of them did make you fat.

You say when you stopped eating three apples a day, you lost weight. 3 large apples are 120 calories each or more. If you ate 3 apples a day, that's 360 calories. Every day that's 2520 calories a week, or 2/3 of a pound. So yeah, it's possible if you cut out those three large apples, that you'd lose weight. But not because they're apples. You'd lose weight if you dropped 360 calories a day of *anything*.

Moderation is key. Being sensible is key.

Not following the fads and the voices on the TV is also key, IMO.

.

[kaplods]

To answer your questions I missed the first time. I'm not on induction or a carb counting plan. I follow an exchange plan I tweaked based on other reduced-carb exchange plans I had studied. Hillbillyhousewife website lists several carb/calorie level exchange plans.

My advice would be for you to read a couple books on basic nutrition. This will help you put into perspective a lot of the conflicting advice you read and hear. Personally, I like the exchange plans, because they help ensure at least minimal balance. All foods within an exchange aren't equally nutritious, so it's still necessary to make careful choices and to make an effort to encorporate a lot of variety in your choices, but the exchange system reminds me (for example) to get in my dairy and high calcium foods, because that's a food group I tend to neglect.

I also cannot stress enough, what PhotoChick has already referred to Moderation, Sensibility and I would add Variety.

But you can't be moderate or sensible without a basic understanding of nutrition, so that you can evaluate the validity of the conflicting messages you will encounter.


My sister (a dietitian) recommended this book to me. I haven't bought it yet, but I've borrowed it from the library several times.

American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide by Roberta Larson Duyff and ADA (American Dietetic Association)

The "for dummies," and "idiot's guide" books are usually good too. I'm sure there's a Nutrition for Dummies, and/or an Idiot's Guide to Nutrition.

[foxykat007]

Thanks.. I'll check it out

[JerseyGyrl]

If you really want to do Atkins and do it correctly...reading Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution (2002 version & earlier) is critical.

[kaplods]

That's a really good point. I forgot for a moment this thread was within the Atkins forum. If you're going to do Atkins, do it by the book - don't try to combine it with any other plan or add additional rules, or restrictions.

While apples and other fruit aren't appropriate for induction, you can add them in OWL, but you will have to count the carbs. Because carbs, even in low carb foods can add up quickly, you can't get away with winging it - it's not Atkins anymore if you do.