[wenwen]

Is it possible that i could be having too much protein? " Dr. Atkins recommended approximately 65% fat, 5% carbs and 30% protein." Unsure as how to make sure this is what i'm eating. Less meat, more olive oil?

Would it be better to use heavy cream in my coffee or half and half, being that heavy cream has more fat and half and half has more carbs?

Been on Atkins since June 19, 09. Have lost 15 lbs, but seem to be at a standstill for 2 weeks. Staying on induction for at least 2 more months. Do i ever reach a point when I can have milk again? I think I miss that more than anything. Trying to do this right!

[mizski]

I'm on Day 6 of Induction so I'm pretty new at Atkins myself. I've found getting the right balance/percentages of protein & fats to be a bit of a challenge at this stage. I seem to get better at it each day. I log everything I consume into FitDay and that really helps with keeping track of net carbs and even more helpful, it gives you those percentage figures for everything including protein & fats. I'm trying to plan my menu the day before so I can add or subtract foods to get the right stats.

Half & Half is not allowed during Induction. You can have up to 3 oz. of unsweetened heavy cream/day though.

I would go over your typical daily menu in FitDay to see if any adjustments can be made. Also, from what I've read from others on Atkins, sometimes Extended Induction doesn't really result in great weight losses and many have found that they start losing again when they go into OWL Rung 1 (5g net carbs from additional veggies).

I think milk can be added in on OWL Rung 2 (dairy). Congrats on your weight loss so far and I hope the scale starts moving again.

[JerseyGyrl]

Many on Atkins find dairy, particularly cheese & cream, to be a common "staller". Dr. Atkins recommends heavy cream during Induction (no half & half). The book is a tad confusing because it mentions limiting heavy cream to 2-3 Tbsp...then it mentions up to 3 oz. Personally, I never went above 2 Tbsp. per day. I also learned early on that I had to limit cheese. No cream cheese for me at all and the other allowed cheese's I always limited to no more than 2 oz.

Many people have the common misconception Atkins is a high protein eating plan, when in reality its a high fat eating plan. Butter, full fat mayonnaise, full fat salad dressings, olive oil, eggs, cheese, cream etc. are all encouraged on Atkins...but, this does not mean they are "free" foods...they need to be limited according to the guidelines in the book.

You may add a small portion of milk back to your diet during OWL. This falls under the 2nd rung of the carb ladder.

All the best to you!

[wenwen]

Thank you both for your advice. I'll try logging all my meals into Fitday. I've been having half and half in my coffee everyday, so that may be part of the problem.

I want to try to lose as much weight as possible by the last week in September. So should I go ahead and stay on induction until that point, or would i be better off moving into OWL?

Also kind of confused about the one minute muffin and induction. Why exactly would it slow down weight loss, if there's only 1.5 carbs in it?

I'm really going to buckle down this week and keep track of everything. Thanks for the help!!

[JerseyGyrl]

If this is the recipe you're referring to, its suitable for Induction
Muffin in a Minute (suitable for Induction)

Serving Size: 1

1/4 cup flax meal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 packet splenda packet
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
1 teaspoon butter

Put the dry ingredients in a coffee mug. Or a bowl for a different shape.

Stir.

Then add the egg and the butter. Mix.

Microwave 1 minute (or more). Take out. slice, butter, eat. Set mug to soak immediately.

Cream cheese would go nicely, too.

Notes: 1.5 net carbs.

Per serving: 235 Calories; 18g Fat (63% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 9.5 g. fiber; 223mg Cholesterol; 284mg Sodium

As for staying on Induction longer than the initial 2 weeks....its pretty much a YMMV type thing. Some people find they need to keep carbs low. Personally, I've been on Atkins over 5 years and I eat mainly Induction level carbs....not necessarily Induction foods, but....Induction level carbs. Dr. Atkins said you are not bored with the food choices on Induction & you have a lot of weight to lose, it can be done safely for much longer than 2 weeks

[wenwen]

OMG! Love the muffins with cream cheese!

So what exactly do you mean by "induction level carbs, not necessarily Induction foods?" I actually am very pleased with this diet. This is the first diet ever I've stuck with for this long and considered it as a way of life, not just a diet.

Any thoughts on coconut oil?

[wendyland]

I haven't started Atkins yet. I'm going to after my vacation at the end of the month. I wanted to comment that coconut oil is an amazing fat. I eat mainly coconut oil, real butter, and olive oil for my non meat fat. There are a lot of articles about coconut oil on healingnatruallybybee dot com. She does quote Dr. Atkins often about carb research.

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by wenwen

So what exactly do you mean by "induction level carbs, not necessarily Induction foods?"

I apologize & should've explained this
Iduction foods are those foods on the acceptable foods list only. Induction level carbs are 20 net carbs or less. My eating consists of foods other than those on the acceptable foods list...low carb yogurt, cottage cheese, occasionally peanuts & peanut butter, a possible occasional low carb tortilla....but, I keep carbs low, typically 25-35 a day.
As for coconut oil, I personally have never used it...but, have heard of many having a lot of success with it.

[wenwen]

Wendy--what brand of coconut oil do you use? And how much do you use a day? My MIL has always been big into coconut oil. Don't know how much truth there is to it, but have heard coconut oil speeds up metabolism and put you into deeper ketosis?? Just the health benefits alone seem to be worth adding it to my diet.

JerseyGyrl-Thanks for clearing that up on the induction level carbs. When you starting adding your carbs back, did you try to add more and starting putting weight back on or are you just comfortable with 25-30 carbs a day? Just curious. I hoping I can reach a point where I can add back milk and whole wheat. Even occasionally-we'll see i guess.

[wendyland]

I like Nutiva, but it does have a big coconut flavor, which I personally love. There are other brands that taste less coconut-y. I think I got mine from iherb, but I think that Amazon has good prices, too. I use it because it's an oil that can take heat with cooking without creating a lot of free radicals. It's also an anti-fungal. I use it to keep my candida issues at bay. If you do have yeast problems, you might want to start out slow because otherwise you'll have a bunch of die-off symptoms from the yeast dying. You can tell because you feel slightly like you're getting the flu or your head feels foggy.

I think the oils with less coconut flavor are expeller pressed? I think Tropical Traditions is one of the brands.

I'm not sure how much you should take. It depends on what ratio or protein/carbs/fats you're trying to get. If I feel like I need more fat, I actually take it by the spoon full. I'm so much more satisfied having more fat in my diet.

[wenwen]

I LIKE the coconut taste too, so maybe I'll try Nutiva. I think I probably need more fat in my diet too. I've been so busy lately, and I don't think I'm eating ENOUGH, especially fat. Can't wait to go pick some up! BTW, I'm not sure how much you pay for your oil, but I was looking up the Nutiva website, and found that there's a Dierbergs in St louis that sells it. I wonder if its any cheaper?

[wendyland]

I don't know. Diebergs is usually more pricy than the other stores around here. I bought it once at whole foods and it cost me the same for a small tub as I now pay for a big tub online. But, if you're anxious to try it, it may be worth it to get some and then order it online in the future. Are you close to St. Louis?

[pferde01]

Originally Posted by JerseyGyrl

Many people have the common misconception Atkins is a high protein eating plan, when in reality its a high fat eating plan. Butter, full fat mayonnaise, full fat salad dressings, olive oil, eggs, cheese, cream etc. are all encouraged on Atkins...but, this does not mean they are "free" foods...they need to be limited according to the guidelines in the book.

My friend is dieting based on her Atkins book and she says that cheese are listed as Free Foods. Is this an old model or is she not reading correctly?

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by pferde01

My friend is dieting based on her Atkins book and she says that cheese are listed as Free Foods. Is this an old model or is she not reading correctly?

The orginal Atkins 72 plan limits cheese to 4 oz of hard cheese per day. No cream cheese.
The newer versions limit cheese's to 3-4ozs. of blue, cheddar, cow, sheep, goat, cream cheese, feta, gouda, mozzarella, parmesan & swiss.
I am unsure of where your friend is getting her information

[pferde01]

Ok I have the book in hand , it is the New Diet Revolution publish date of 1992.

The information is coming from this chart where it lists "Free Foods"

It does say that all cheese have carbs and you have to include them in your daily carb count but it doesn't make a recommendation to limit it to 4 oz. The limit of 20 carbs theoretically you could have 10 carbs of cheese , lol. Maybe there is a recommendation elsewhere in the book that clarifies this chart, but its kind of misleading to me to use the words "free foods".