Should we try Atkins?
 

I currently follow Volumetrics by Dr. Rolls but I am willing to switch sides. My husband is a big guy--very tall and overweight. He is diabetic and was recently put on HBP medication. I don't like where this is heading. I think he is more likely to comply with Atkins more so than with South Beach, Mediterranean or whatever. Is ketosis safe for diabetics? Is this addressed in the book (which I know I need to read)? :book2: Look forward to your input.

I'm a newbie on Atkins, so take my advice with a grain of salt :)

If you have time, read the Induction Basics thread up above this forum, up in the "stickies." It has so much good information!

Ketosis sounds a whole lot like ketoacidosis. Every diabetic knows about ketoacidosis, and how dangerous it is! But ketosis is completely different, no relation whatsoever to ketoacidosis. Ketosis means your body is burning fat.

So another way of phrasing the question would be, "is it dangerous for a diabetic to lose weight?" And generally, if the diabetic is over his ideal weight and has the go-ahead from his doctor to lose weight, it's not only okay, but a good thing.

Dr. Atkins started using the word lipolysis (means the same thing as ketosis) to describe fat burning, because it was less confusing for people. But most people still use the old word, because old habits die hard.

Well, other than that, I don't have much to add, because the Induction Basics thread up in the stickies answers questions a lot better than I could, but I wanted to say, welcome, I'm glad you are here, and if you do decide to try low-carbing, I wish you the best of luck in your journey to the happiest and healthiest you.

The induction part of Atkins is the lowest carb and the strictest. This is very low-carb for that period, because it is trying to allow your body to clear away the excess insulin and start from scratch metabolically. It starts your body burning fat for energy instead of burning the carbs. Because when your body is burning carbs, it's not burning fat, and that means you aren't losing the fat you want to lose. Then, you slowly add carbs back one item at a time, to give you a chance to see what foods you might be sensitive to, that might cause your weight loss to stall. You also get an idea of how many carbs you can eat each day and still lose weight and burn fat. It varies from person to person so you just kind of have to play it by ear. By the time you are in the maintenance phase of the diet, it looks pretty much exactly the way my diabetic relatives are advised to eat by their doctors - some protein and fat with every meal, and get your carbs from vegetables and some moderate amounts of complex carbs rather than white bread and cake and candy bars.

Any diet should be done under a doctors supervision, naturally. Especially when a person has any conditions like heart disease, diabetes, etc.

From what I can tell, the medical community is arguing with itself about what is healthiest. Some doctors insist that high carb, low-fat is best. Other doctors think that low-carb, with good portions of protein and fat, is best. So you never know what reaction you will get when you tell your doctor what you want to do. If you go to the official Atkins links, they have tons of studies published in medical journals that show low-carbing is good for the health and not harmful. Sometimes it's useful to print things like that out to show to the doctor.

Best of luck to you and your husband, glad you are here! :)
P.S. here's a link to the official Atkins site! Word of caution, after Dr. Atkins died, a company took over everything and of course companies want to make money, so they are trying to sell lots of products. Including these energy bar things. Some people like them and say they still lose weight on them, but some people find they stall the weight loss. It's just one of those individual things. But there's a whole bunch of good information at that site.

http://www.atkins.com/Homepage.aspx

I honeybjones and welcome. :)

I just went and checked out the Volumetrics diet and although it seems to be a highly endorsed diet, it would never work for me. It's nothing like Atkins, that's for sure:

Rolls' approach is to help people find foods that they can eat lots of while still losing weight. The hook of Volumetrics is its focus on satiety, the feeling of fullness. Rolls says that people feel full because of the amount of food they eat -- not because of the number of calories or the grams of fat, protein, or carbs. So the trick is to fill up on foods that aren't full of calories. Rolls claims that in some cases, following Volumetrics will allow you to eat more -- not less -- than you do now, while still slimming down.

For me, the low density foods she describes do not make me full (the ones with lots of water in them)...it's the fat that makes me full. Not only that, but eating large quantities of food makes me hungry even faster, I've noticed. So the combo of low-fat, lots of high water-content foods and eating large amounts would make me hungry all the time.

Lori is right...ketosis is not the same as ketoacidosis. Basically, if one is an insulin-dependent diabetic and has no insulin, the sugar is trapped in their bloodstream (ergo, high blood sugar) but without the insulin necessary to transfer the sugar to the cells, the cells are starving. Diabetic ketoacidosis is when the body is getting NO carbs and thus has to burn fat for all it's energy....releasing huge quantities of ketoacids....and causing an imbalance in our acid/base balance in our bodies....and can be very dangerous if not treated.

BUT...as long as you either produce insulin or take insulin, you will not go into diabetic ketoacidosis. It's not how much carb you take, it's related to whether you have insulin so are able to get those carbs/sugar from the blood to the cells. Plus....we eat 20 grams net carbs on Atkins induction, which is plenty to maintain our metabolism....and not unhealthy. In fact, a low-glycemic diet is excellent for diabetics. Many of the best endocrinology experts believe that the standard treatment for diabetics, ADA diet with insulin coverage...is treating diabetes backwards. And that the cornerstone of treatment should be a low-glycemic diet and trying to keep insulin needs low. On a low-glycemic diet, you don't get the high sugar spikes. Even with insulin coverage, they cannot control the blood sugar every minute of every day (until they invent an artificial pancreas). But a low-glycemic diet can keep the blood sugar more stable and in the more normal range.

Not to mention...when I first started working in the hospital, they were putting diabetics on these 1200 calorie ADA diets and not only were they often too low calorie for the individual but they were very rigid back then...using sweet and low and only fruit cup or diet jello or diet ice cream or diet cookies for dessert (by diet, I mean sugar-free). They had terrible success rates with this diet because few adhered to it. Eating all these sugar free desserts just made them crave sweets and they'd cheat all the time.

So then they went to allowing regular sweets but then doing this whole complex calculation involving what you planned to eat, your BS before starting the meal, etc....and then covering yourself with insulin. Which IMO is the WRONG thing to be doing.

I'm not even sure I totally trust all this A1C stuff, either. My husband is an insulin-dependent diabetic and he eats a horrible high carb diet but knows how to cover himself with insulin....and already he has an enlarged heart, hypertension, and a few other goodies, including being overweight. Yet, his A1C manages to stay within normal range....it seems he can fool the lab values, from my perspective. I tried repeatedly to put him on Atkins to no avail. He's a huge advocate of low-fat and high carb. Also acted like I was trying to poison him when I made meat of any sort. IMO, he has/had it all backwards in terms of his diabetes.....and in terms of marriage, but that's a whole other story.:D:devil:

I think this diet would be excellent for your husband. I'll be really interested to know how it works for you...and how you compare the two diets.....especially because I would be so hungry and having a great deal of difficulty on that Volumetrics diet.

deena :)

I do pretty good on Volumetrics because I am not someone who can eat beyond capacity. When I am full I am FULL and there is no room for anything else. But, I also have lived in this body for a long time and know that when I give it a lot of protein it runs longer than a Prius on a gallon of gas so I think switching will be little to no trouble. I am going to order the book JerseyGirl suggested but until I get in, I need everyone's advice. We are going to the grocery this weekend and I am not entirely sure what to buy. I don't eat any pork (:stardav:) so that leaves me with beef, chicken, fish and ???

Here's what I basically buy:

Chicken and fish (salmon and tilapia, mainly)...and Costco has fabulous fish.
Eggs
Bacon (I just shred and use as a garnish in salads)...you can probably get kosher turkey bacon.
Half and half (for my coffee)
Butter
Mayonnaise
0 carb farmer cheese...add a little salt and diced cucumber
Shredded cheddar and crumbled feta/goat cheese (use as garnishes)
Broccoli, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Spinach, Asparagus, Brussels Sprouts, Green Beans, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Red peppers...I steam most of them and add cheese and plenty of butter. Roast the eggplant and sometimes the asparagus. The brussels sprouts, I add a packet of splenda and shredded bacon...very good.

This is my basic list....I know I use a lot more veggies but I can't think of any more off the top of my head. I eat dark meat chicken but will buy skinless, boneless breasts and steam them to make chicken salad (just easier to dice up). Make lots of egg salad with shredded bacon too...plus regular salads with shredded bacon and shredded cheese on them. Mayo in the chicken and egg salads. Lots of steamed veggies with butter and a bit of shredded cheese. If I forgot anything I'll come back and add.

deena :)

Protein helps me feel full longer, too!

The stickied threads up above (FAQ's, Induction Basics, etc.) provide lists of what foods are okay to eat and in what quantities, on induction and in the later stages. They are right here on these boards, free of charge, so you can get all the information you need to get started, before your book arrives. :)

I am a diabetic that uses low carb to stay off metformin and all other diabetic medications I used to take. It does work. If he takes diabetes meds it is very important he work with his Dr while doing low carb. Low carb can very drastically cut the blood sugar levels. If you are not working closely with your dr that can spell big trouble.

I started as a 207 lbs diabetic in 2000 on meds. I got a new dr who wanted me to try low carb. i got to a very healthy weight in 6 months but more importantly in half of that I was completely off meds. I stayed low carb , healthy, thin and off meds for a good 4+ years. Only when I got sloppy with low carb eating again did I gain weight and need meds again. I have been off again since Dec and plan to keep it right this time and stay off even if I'd never lose another pound.

Hope that made some sense!

Eggs. However many eggs you think you'll use in a week (or however long between shopping trips) double it. I have been back to the store for eggs once already this week. You go through them so fast.

You all are awesome. You don't know how much I appreciate the help. I am really excited about this and can't wait to see what happens in the next few months! As a side note, I checked the label on my soup today and while it only has 160 kcals for the whole can, it also has 32g carbs and only 6g protein. :eek: :fr: :faint:

I wish you the best of luck on your journey to the happiest and healthiest you ever! :)

I don't know which type of diet will end up being the best one for you - we are all so different, with different metabolisms, different preferences, different medical issues (be sure to check with your doctor before beginning a diet and discuss the specifics with him or her) and everything, that no one diet would be perfect for everyone, I think.

But whichever way you choose, the ladies on the message boards here are wonderful and will support you 100%!

You will become an expert and get to know exactly what you can eat...because really, the list is very concise and not complicated and you'll pick it up very fast.

Basically, you want to do all your shopping around the perimeter of the grocery store and just avoid the aisles altogether. Meat, dairy and produce/veggies (can be fresh or frozen, really). Avoid most canned and processed (packaged, boxed foods). Always check ingredients...even items that claim to be low carb can have sugar in the ingredients. Also remember, each packet of artificial sweetener has a half a Gram of carb (the liquid does not) due to having to add maltodextrin to make it in powdered form. They are allowed to round it off to zero but they are not carb-free and can add up.
Avoid any and all low-fat dairy items...eat the full fat. In fact, don't get anything "lite". You want to eat REAL food...in the pure form. No junk.

It's amazing how many dishes you can come up with just using meat, fish, butter, mayo, veggies, eggs and cheese. And the butter, mayo and cheese will really fill you up and keep you filled up. And then to boot, the ketosis will decrease your appetite significantly.

:D hehe....I think I have about 4 dozen eggs here. Always have plenty of eggs. Also keep things like chicken and egg salad (made by YOU, not store-bought) in the fridge for snacking.

Mazel Tov.:)

deena

Ok I keep seeing the word "mayo" ummm I do not like mayonaise but I do like Miracle Whip. Talk to me about Miracle Whip. Also, I don't care for whole milk and actually prefer 1%. Can I do 2% instead? Egg salad check, tuna salad check...but what do you eat it on? A fork? Or is this where some of my 20g would come in? I think I have a pretty good handle on the meals--lean protein, lots of vegables but watch out for carrots, whole grains in small doses, season well, rinse and repeat. (Yes, I am a big joker; hopefully people will appreciate my stunning wit.)

I don't know anything about Miracle Whip, but if it has sugar listed in the ingredients, then it's a no-go. You're supposed to use mayo with no sugar added, but I can't find it in my grocery store and I've been losing with plain old Hellmann's.

The trouble with skim and low-fat milk is that the lower the fat content, the higher the carbs. That's *why* you're eating so much fat on this diet, because the carb content of high-fat foods tends to be low. You will pick all that up from the book, of course.

Whole grains aren't actually part of the diet, even in small doses, at least not until phase 3 or 4, I think? In phases 1 and 2 you should be avoiding them completely. Tuna and egg salads you eat on green salad, or maybe as a dip for celery sticks or cucumbers. There are some Induction-friendly recipes out there, and if you google 'Oopsie recipe' you'll find a 'mock bread' that you can use in place of bread or hamburger rolls. I am going to make a batch tonight and try it out with egg salad tomorrow for lunch.

Here's a great site that lists exactly what you can eat:

http://www.veronicaatkinsfoundation.org/lifestyle.htm

Most mayo has some sugar in it but it must be just a smidge as it never affects my ketosis. However....I have to travel a bit to get this but I stock up on Duke's mayo, which has no sugar in it...but can only get it at Food Lion in this area. The Miracle Whip, not totally sure but I'm betting it has too much sugar and probably carbs listed.

Salads I eat with a fork but some wrap it in lettuce leaves.

deena :)

Thanks, Deena, that's an awesome link! :)

I read about a study, when I was reading Dr. Atkins books (my head is all full because I just got the books and have been reading them.) It really shocked me. They did this one study, where one group was fed a diet that was mostly protein, another group was fed mostly carbs, and another group was fed mostly fat, as a percentage of their calories. The calorie count and activity level was the same for each group, so they did their best to make it a controlled study, although with human beings, there are alway so many variables...

Well anyhow, the results of this one study just blew my mind. Guess who lost the most weight? I figured it would be the guys eating protein, because it takes more calories to digest protein than other foods. But no, the biggest weight loss was in the fat-eating group, then second was protein, and in the carb group, there was not only hardly any weight loss but a couple of the subjects actually gained a bit of weight on what was supposed to be diet level calories!

That really made me stop and think, and it made me a whole lot less afraid of eating fat.

I mean, I still have to not go all crazy on the calories, because I'm older and although you can eat more calories on Atkins than on a carb-heavy diet, there's still a point where too many calories is too many calories. But I'm not one bit afraid anymore to put a tablespoon of cream into my tea or use a Tbs of butter to fry my scrambled eggs in.

Ok I printed out the info from Deena's link which should be very helpful. I wonder how it would taste if I made tuna/egg salad with buttermilk dressing instead of mayonaise? I really like the idea of using regular salad dressing. Also, what's the word on chili? I love to make chili but I always use pinto beans. Is this alright if I make them myself? Or is that a Phase II thing?

Next thing on my mind--no grains during induction. Fine, duly noted. How do we keep the "downstairs plumbing" in good working order then?

If you eat plenty of veggies, esp. the cruciferous ones, you should not have problems with constipation. The really low carb veggies seem to be the ones with the most fiber in them. For people who do develop problems...there are solutions in his books...I think adding flax seed to your food is one of them.

Beans are out for induction....BUT you could put a ton of ground meat in it with chopped peppers, etc. and have a great chili without beans.:) Can even add some nice shredded cheese....and a little sour cream...yum.

OK...store-bought salad dressings...just be VERY careful of the carb content per tblsp. and also check the ingredient list for any sugars (sugar, dextrose, sucrose, etc.). Must be 2 carbs or less per serving, I think. You could probably make your own dressings with way less carbs, I would think. I've wanted to try making my own mayo, in fact....and who knows...it may taste way better than the mayo in the jars at the store...and you may turn out to love it. You never know.

deena :)

I read about the salad dressing after I posted (drat!). Oh well. I guess I need to experiment with mayonaise. My problem has always been the glossy (read: oily) texture. Believe it or not, I grew up eating pretty low fat back before we even knew what fat was. That was what my dad liked so that's what we ate. As a consequence, I do not have a taste for fatty cuts of meat, whole milk, and OMG chicken skin is the worst. But don't come between me and my little powdered dounts. Ironic much?
I love broccoli though and some cheese sauce would be lovely. Ooh and I could put some butter on it too. (Another thing I never cared for--butter--and I despise margarine.) I think I want to make a steak with onion, bell peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes and some broccoli on the side. :hun: Who wants to come over for dinner?

There ARE actually a few bottled dressings that would be Atkins friendly...though I can't vouch for their taste. You could also use oil and lemon juice on regular salads and I'll tell you honestly, you don't need all that much mayo in egg and chicken salad...just enough to bind it together.

I LOVE dark meat and chicken skin but other than that I was never a big fat eater....didn't eat fried stuff, etc. Oh, just remembered...you CAN have stuff fried...just NOT breaded. For instance, you could deep fry chicken wings but can't put any breading on them...have to fry them naked.:D
But you are definitely gonna have to find some sort of fats you like because it's critical to get adequate fat on this diet....not just to fill you up but to keep the fat burning. If I don't get enough fat, it definitely affects my ketosis.

If you like cheese, try inventing some sort of butter/cheese type sauces. Sounds like you're gonna have to be a bit inventive here since you're not a big butter or mayo fan. I'll actually dip things in mayo just to get the fat in (even though I'd not normally do that). It's a shame cream cheese can cause stalls because that is pretty high in fat, I think. So are avocados but we can only have half an avocado daily.

Maybe I can look around at some recipe sites to try to come up with some idea on what things could up your fat intake. What foods/dishes do you like/love?

deena

I love beef--hey its Texas-- seafood except for catfish, chicken breasts, eggs over medium or poached, big giant salads, pizza (bye bye), fruit, gosh the list goes on and on but likewise there are soooo many things I don't like. I think my challenge will not be getting enough fat but getting enough healthy fat. Well, all I can do is get educated and try my best. Whatever I lose will be a good thing and if I can get my husband healthy in the process then it will all be worth it.

Do you eat shellfish or are you totally kosher? I don't keep kosher but do avoid pork....more like a "bad luck"/taboo thing from childhood.....just like no naming any children after anyone in the family still alive and no giving toasters for a wedding gift...ONLY cash will do....and that applies for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs too.:D You just learn these things growing up. I remember the first time I saw a bride getting small appliances as gifts at her wedding and was horrified. No careful slipping of the envelope with the cash? What?!!? Who WERE these people?:D

OK...let's see. Roasting vegetables is a great way to cook many of them. You put them on a cookie sheet, toss them with olive oil and a bit of salt and roast in the oven (you can also broil but have to watch very carefully though). This is one way to get healthy fat into your diet.

Boy, you really do have to get that major fat in...I must have pure butter or mayo or it slows my ketosis big time. We're gonna have to figure out a way for you to get the fat in there. You do cook your eggs in butter when you make them over medium, right? Poached isn't gonna give you much fat. I love to eat raw fish but usually have to make myself cook it so I can add the butter....can't exactly slather it on raw fish (yuck). I do love slathering the mayo on roast beef, though. I'm thinking we need to figure out some fatty sauces for you. Some sort of Atkins-friendly Hollandaise to put on your poached eggs, etc.

You need to totally reverse your brain with the whole healthy fat issue....meaning, to switch to "fat is good". No tossing out the egg yolks, using the butter and mayo liberally, etc. It's a complete turn-around from the old standard of low-fat is best. I'm not gonna go off on one of my Gary Taubes diatribes but theories are changing and the new thinking/theories are that it's carbs making us fat (not to mention sick and diabetic) and NOT fat.

You have to give it a try to see if it's really for you. I know it's not for everyone (she ruefully admits even though she thinks Atkins is the BEST diet out there)....but you can be amazed at how great you feel when you switch your thinking to "fat is good" from "fat is bad". I've seen some have one heck of a time trying to turn their brain around because the low-fat thing is so entrenched in their brains.

Amazingly, the high-fat, low-carb diets have actually shown improvements in diabetes, hypertension, lab values (including cholesterol), etc. The medical/nutrition community is having difficulty signing on to this quickly and I'm not a conspiracy theorist but do have a few conspiracy-like thoughts regarding the food industry's role here. But I worked in the medical field and these new theories make total sense to me.

I'll have to see if I can find some sort of Atkins-friendly way to make your own version of Miracle whip....maybe substituting Splenda for sugar, etc. I have to check to see what's in it and think of ways to improvise.

Also...do not use those "heart-healthy, lite" margarine/butter concoctions. All you're doing is trading in some of the fat for chemicals.....and fat is fat. Why make it fat with chemicals? Healthy fats you can get from fish (esp. salmon), olive oil and fish-oil capsules. Dr. Atkins listed supplements that can get you the healthy fats in his books.

deena :)

Just wanted to chime in, Honey, I love beef too! I'm originally from Montana, the northern end of the cattle kingdom! My husband's family jokes that all they need to get me for Christmas is a cow. I answer, hey, that'd be fine with me, and as the cow goes by me, I'll take a bite because I like my meat rare to the extreme, LOL!

OK...been researching Miracle Whip:

Kraft claims that this condiment is named for the machine which was developed for mass production of Miracle Whip®. Like mayonnaise, Miracle Whip® is an emulsion of eggs, oil, and sugars, but it is somewhat tricky to blend the emulsion to the desired consistency. An enterprising Kraft engineer developed a machine which could blend the ingredients properly, dubbing it the “Miracle Whip,” and the name apparently caught on with Kraft management.

This product has a naturally sweet flavor, as you will discover if you taste it side by side with mayonnaise. It is often used as a replacement for mayonnaise, because it is much lower in fat than traditional mayonnaise. Miracle Whip® can be spread on sandwiches, blended into salad dressings, mixed with other ingredients to create a dip, and used in a variety of other ways, depending on personal taste.

And the ingredients are:

Water, soybean oil, vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, modified food starch, eggs, salt, mustard flour, artificial color, potassium sorbate as a preservative, paprika, spice, natural flavor, dried garlic.

So clearly, Miracle Whip would be a huge no-no for Atkins.

And then here is what's in mayo (and how to make it...can also make it with a whisk. I really wanna try making it)

In the blender or food processor, mix 1 egg and 1 yolk with the mustard and salt.
With the blender or processor running, slowly add 1 1/2 c. oil in a thin, steady stream. (In the food processor, leave the insert in the feed tube and let the oil drip through the hole in the insert.)
Add the vinegar.
Store in the coldest part of your refrigerator (the bottom and back) for up to two weeks.

So sounds like Miracle Whip might possibly be improvised by adding some Splenda and if you could find it, an extremely low-carb ranch dressing. The main differences seem to be that it's sweeter and more diluted than mayo and it's made with several sweeteners and dressing is added to it.

OK...off to look for other sauces for you.

deena :)

Deena and Lori you two are cracking me up this morning. :rofl:
Ok ok I do see that some major reprogramming is in order.
I do not keep Kosher, only avoid pork, so shellfish gets the green light.
I have been eating sprouted wheat bagels and peanut butter for breakfast this week but I feel like today I want to get some chicken fajitas (no tortilla) instead. I haven't started induction yet, obviously, I'm just bored but I also want to start training myself to eat differently so induction will feel natural. They make the fajitas really oily at the cafe in my building. :drool:

Oooh, you could dip shellfish in melted butter! That would get some fat in your menu! I love shrimp, clams, etc....well, and lobster but how often can you afford that? A good substitute for that is langostinos....usually found in the frozen food dept. They're basically crawfish but taste a lot like lobster and are great with lots of drawn butter.

Have you ever made omelets with grated cheese in them? They're delicious and you can add spinach, peppers, whatever you like to them. That makes a great breakfast.

You have to check out thistoo's "oopsies" recipe. You could make those, put poached eggs on top of them and maybe I could find an Atkins friendly Hollandaise recipe for you.

deena :)

I've been thinking about omelettes for breakfast next week. I was going to put diced turkey and cheese. However, the extra 5 minutes of sleep usually wins out over getting out of bed. Also, I have my own mini frig and microwave at work so that opens up a lot of opportunity. They didn't have any chicken fajitas this morning and I brought my usual can o' soup today but I am really feeling like having something new. The cheesesteak place up the street will put any sammich on a salad for you so I was thinking about doing that.

Also, how much of what can I have right now? Can I get a double cheese burgie if I skip the bun? Love me some burgies. :chin:

Honey, that Oopsies recipe Deena mentioned (here it is) is a 'mock bun' that people use to put burgers on. I believe the recipe's inventor used it to replace the bun on Wendy's baconator. Technically you should skip the ketchup during induction, but I think everything else on a fast food burger would be fine if you skip the bun.

I am eating a taco salad for lunch--lettuce, tomato, cheese, taco meat and ranch dressing. It is amazing but it feels so weird being a big girl and eating something this fatty. Like people are going to look at me and say no wonder I am so big.

mmmmmm......yummy beef! love my hamburger patties! Welcome honeybjones! love your name! I saw it on another forum about usernames :) You will find in time you will not crave sweets. It is a great WOE for me. I hope it will be for you too!

Thank you!
I am really looking forward to getting this going. Tonight I had my weekly visitation with my old clothes. They told me how much they missed me and when are we going to be a family again. I promised them it would be soon.

I have one concern--my husband. He works out in the field and sometimes lunch us whatever you can find on the highway. (Not literally ON the highway. Its not the Roadkill Grill but whatever mom and pop cafe he finds nearby. And when I say he works in the field, I mean he could be sent anywhere in the state in a moment's notice.) Can he skip induction and go straight into OWL?

I love your visitation with your clothes! how witty! I know the feeling...i have a few great items that my big ol' bottom wont fit into yet! I will get there though!

Cafes are the probably the easiest places to eat out on this WOE.....he can have two hamburger patties without the bun....any meat really... Induction is really important to get things going...others may suggest different. It really does help to read the book so you can understand the principals behind this...cause slipping up and eating too many carbs with all this fat intake will actually make you gain. I monitor what I eat carefully and if I splurge on a few carbs....I have to make sure I have no more than 30 for the whole day including veggies. I monitor my ketones too so that I stay in ketosis. During induction you have to stay really strict....so maybe going into OWL will be ok....I just really like how induction jump starts everything. Sorry, I'm back and forth on this...I just know people who have done both and lost but have lost more by doing induction... if some of these places serve breakfast all day then he can feast on omelets! I love having eggs for lunch or dinner!

Excellent point. He loves eggs and since his cholesterol is really low, he can have more eggs than an Easter basket.

But the Roadkill Grill would be totally Atkins friendly! (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Hehe...I see you on here very early with me, Caroline. :wave:

Time to make the coffee!! :D:chef::coffee2:

Another possibility for your husband, honey, is convenience stores. They usually have things like hard-boiled eggs and cheese sticks in the refrigerator case. Some of them (like WaWa's here) make sandwiches for you to order and you can just take the meat off the bun too.

When you say out in the field....is he gone for days at a time or is this just a one-day out in the field deal? If it is....you could just prep stuff like chicken/tuna/egg salad ahead of time and pack some in a container for him to take with him for lunch.

deena :)

Indeed! I check in while I drink my morning coffee before work. Then I get to work and check in again. Addiction? What? No way. :D

I am new to Atkins and I do not have the book however I read all the info on the website and get the general idea. Is truvia a acceptable sweetner? And is the olive oil mayo okay to use? DO I HAVE TO BUY THE BOOK? My doctor recommended I do Atkins because I have PCOS and insulin resistance. She stresses that if I lose weight and cut back carbs I will no longer have insulin resistance and my pcos will improve dramatically. I hope I can do this.

Well you never have to do anything but I personally think the book is really helpful. It is great to know the how and why LC works. I learn something every time I read it. If you don't want to buy it could you get it at the library? I picked my books up online for under a dollar at half dot com

I take metformin 500 mg for the PCOS and Insulin resistance. I noticed someone had said something about that med and this diet is it not safe?