My 1st Day on Atkins. My Menu

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  • Hello! I just joined 3FC the other day -- love this website!! -- and after reading some of the experiences of 3FC members I decided to try something new - Atkins!

    So yesterday I bought the book "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution" to learn more. Low carb eating is absolutely foreign to me, so I have a lot to learn. (I've been semi-vegetarian for many years). After having two children I was about 20 lbs over my ideal weight. I then started taking 20 mgs of Lexapro to help with peri-menopause/pmdd and my weight skyrocketed to 202. I'm now off the meds completely.

    Like I mentioned, the low carb way of living is new to me, so I thought maybe I could post what I'm eating today. As I read the book and additional and information available online I hope I'll figure it all out -- how the diet actually works.

    Breakfast
    2 organic free range eggs scrambled in a pat of butter. A sprinkling of shredded cheddar.

    Snack - Sargento Snacks Vermont Sharp White Cheddar cheese stick - it states on the package 0 carbs 0 sugar. But I've been reading that too much cheese "stalls" some people, so I'll need to find another snack most likely.

    Lunch
    6 -- Six slices of nitrate free certified organic/humane bacon.
    1 hardboiled egg with a little ground pepper and more butter. I haven't put butter on my food for decades, so maybe I'm going overboard here!

    For Supper I'm roasting a chicken (with a few pats of butter!) and then I'll have 1/2 cup steamed broccoli with another pat of butter. I won't eat all the chicken! I'm roasting the chicken so I'll be sure to have plenty of protein for the next day or two. (Plus I'll make a soup for my children).

    I bought some English Double Devon Cream (0 carbs) which is heavenly stuff. I'm thinking of taking the drippings from the roast chicken and stirring in a tablespoon of the thick cream to make a gravy...

    I also cheated a little. I took a HUGE tablespoon of the cream a few minutes ago for a treat! Right about now I'd be sipping a huge Starbucks latte and I readily admit I have some will power issues and a bit of a carb/sugar addiction that is going to be difficult to tame - but I'm determined!

    Any opinions or suggestions on today's menu? Did I go overboard with the bacon?

    I will probably be eating mostly eggs, chicken, fish, some cheese, during this 2week induction period. Plus I will try to drink the 8 glasses of water per day as well.

    Oh, my other addiction is Diet Coke. I ordinarily have 1 or 2 12oz cans or bottles a day-- usually just 1. I know aspartame is a no-no, so I've got to stop this. I've already eliminated caffeine (I now drink decaf coffee)..

    Thank you!!!
  • Hey Joi
    Cheating is def a no no during the first two weeks, but it happens. I'm also starting mines today. I woke up this morning and had some tea with splenda and whipped cream. Ive been on the atkins before and while i dont reccomend it. I cheated just a little every week and still got amazing results. I actually stayed on phase 1 the whole time. Well i hope you'll do well. Were in the same boat so i thought i should stop by. good luck!
  • Quote: Cheating is def a no no during the first two weeks, but it happens. I'm also starting mines today. I woke up this morning and had some tea with splenda and whipped cream. Ive been on the atkins before and while i dont reccomend it. I cheated just a little every week and still got amazing results. I actually stayed on phase 1 the whole time. Well i hope you'll do well. Were in the same boat so i thought i should stop by. good luck!
    You're starting today too? Good luck! I think getting started is the hard part (it feels that way to me!). I hope the plan works for me as well as it does so many others.

    Thank you for the well wishes!
  • Its my first day too! And reading what you posted makes me think that I am eating too much!

    For breakfast I had 2 hardboiled eggs with 4 slices of turkey bacon. I know if I am going to eat the bacon I should just eat the bacon, not the turkey bacon. I think it was nerves that picked that out in the store.

    For snack I had an Atkins bar, which sinfully yummy. I regret not having saved it for later.


    Lunch, well it was my version of a cobb salad; shreeded chicken, bleu cheese, lettuce and carb free/sugar free/tasteless honey dijon dressing. I had planned to have an avocado too, but they arent quite ripe enough.

    For dinner, I was going to try an omellete with cheese and veggies.

    Why does it seem that I am eating more then you????

    217/217/160
  • Quote: Its my first day too! And reading what you posted makes me think that I am eating too much!

    For breakfast I had 2 hardboiled eggs with 4 slices of turkey bacon. I know if I am going to eat the bacon I should just eat the bacon, not the turkey bacon. I think it was nerves that picked that out in the store.

    For snack I had an Atkins bar, which sinfully yummy. I regret not having saved it for later.


    Lunch, well it was my version of a cobb salad; shreeded chicken, bleu cheese, lettuce and carb free/sugar free/tasteless honey dijon dressing. I had planned to have an avocado too, but they arent quite ripe enough.

    For dinner, I was going to try an omellete with cheese and veggies.

    Why does it seem that I am eating more then you????

    217/217/160
    Hi Amber! congrats on starting your new plan! Have you ever tried a low-carb plan before?

    From what I understand, it's not really important to restrict calories on induction (within reason, of course -- I could easily eat 3 packages of bacon for instance.

    It doesn't sound like you've eaten much at all. I read somewhere that the bars aren't really recommended in phase 1, which really stinks because I could go for one about now!

    The avocado is a good idea -- I'll have to add that to my grocery list. Although, I wonder if that's allowed in Phase I? I've got to finish reading the book...

    How are you feeling so far?

    I'm not getting on the scale till next Monday... I was weighing myself everyday and it just got to be too depressing (that's when I was calorie counting).

    Good luck, Amber!
  • Hi thanks for the kind words! This is my first go around with low carb, and I am optimistic!

    I read the book, the newest one, and avocado is on the list of acceptable foods. The bar, according to the package, says acceptable on all phases, so I HOPE that is accurate.

    I am not feeling too bad, I think the excitement is overwhelming, so that has me in a tizzy. I too plan to weigh once a week, as it would drive me nuts to not see progress. I will admit I miss my morning Starbucks runs, as living in the midwest, a hot toddy in the morning always does the trick! I plan to make that a treat when I hit my first 10 pounds. I know its a no no, but I need to set myself mini goals, and that will be one of them.

    How about you? How has it been for you? I think we have similar goals, so lets keep each other on track!

    Good luck to you as well!
  • Quote: Hi thanks for the kind words! This is my first go around with low carb, and I am optimistic!

    I read the book, the newest one, and avocado is on the list of acceptable foods. The bar, according to the package, says acceptable on all phases, so I HOPE that is accurate.

    I am not feeling too bad, I think the excitement is overwhelming, so that has me in a tizzy. I too plan to weigh once a week, as it would drive me nuts to not see progress. I will admit I miss my morning Starbucks runs, as living in the midwest, a hot toddy in the morning always does the trick! I plan to make that a treat when I hit my first 10 pounds. I know its a no no, but I need to set myself mini goals, and that will be one of them.

    How about you? How has it been for you? I think we have similar goals, so lets keep each other on track!

    Good luck to you as well!
    I know what you mean about the Starbucks. A Starbucks after 10 lbs -- that would keep me motivated! I love Starbucks so much I practically recreated the Starbucks experience at home. I have my own espresso machine, Starbucks mugs and I used to buy the coffee buy the pound. Sad but true.

    That's good to know about the bars. I actually bought some shakes yesterday, but I didn't think I could drink them so haven't tried them yet.

    I'm actually a bit nervous. I feel so stuck at this weight and I'm sort of worried that Atkins won't work for me... But I just have to stick with it and get positive (I don't want to sabotoge myself with negative talk). I read somewhere that Atkins is ideal for those with blood type O and I have blood type A -- I have no idea if there's any validity to that, but that's in the back of my mind as well.

    Have you been trying to lose weight for a long time?

    Definitely, let's please keep each other on track! I'd love that!
  • Quote: Hello! I just joined 3FC the other day -- love this website!! -- and after reading some of the experiences of 3FC members I decided to try something new - Atkins!
    Hi Joy! I am new to Atkins too. I have NEVER done low-carb before - it has always intimidated me for some reason. Probably a deep-rooted fear of giving up all that sugar I love to binge on.

    As for your food - where are your vegetables, girl?? I'd die if I only ate vegetables once a day. As per the book, you should aim for 3 cups of vegetables on the 'allowed' lists per day. I have not managed to come close to our max 20g carbs eating 3c vegetables and plenty of cheese. This morning I had asparagus in my eggs; lunch was egg salad on celery; dinner will be mushrooms and onions over a chicken breast with a side of zucchini casserole. You need the veg for fiber, too, or you'll find yourself rather - erm - uncomfortable in days to come!

    Quote: I also cheated a little. I took a HUGE tablespoon of the cream a few minutes ago for a treat!
    Happy news, that wasn't a cheat We can have up to 3 tbsp of heavy cream per day. It stalls some people (as with the cheese, like you mentioned), but I am going to use it until I find out what it does to my body. I put some in my coffee, some recipes call for it, and I have done the same as you - when I want something with a rich mouth-feel, I'll sneak a tbsp by itself.

    Quote: Its my first day too! And reading what you posted makes me think that I am eating too much!
    Ask yourself - do you feel hungry during the day? Or are you satisfied with what you are eating? Or do you eat til you're stuffed? THAT is the only measure of "how much to eat" on this phase of Atkins. Don't worry about other people's intake as we are all different. Atkins is very clear that we should not be feeling hungry. If your body signals it wants food, eat. Our appetites are supposed to decrease over time, too.

    Quote: The avocado is a good idea -- I'll have to add that to my grocery list. Although, I wonder if that's allowed in Phase I? I've got to finish reading the book...
    You can have up to 1/2 of an avocado per day on Induction, it is in the same category as olives, sour cream, heavy cream. They are special foods that can be had, but in limited amounts.
  • Quote: Hi Joy! I am new to Atkins too. I have NEVER done low-carb before - it has always intimidated me for some reason. Probably a deep-rooted fear of giving up all that sugar I love to binge on.

    As for your food - where are your vegetables, girl?? I'd die if I only ate vegetables once a day. As per the book, you should aim for 3 cups of vegetables on the 'allowed' lists per day. I have not managed to come close to our max 20g carbs eating 3c vegetables and plenty of cheese. This morning I had asparagus in my eggs; lunch was egg salad on celery; dinner will be mushrooms and onions over a chicken breast with a side of zucchini casserole. You need the veg for fiber, too, or you'll find yourself rather - erm - uncomfortable in days to come!



    Happy news, that wasn't a cheat We can have up to 3 tbsp of heavy cream per day. It stalls some people (as with the cheese, like you mentioned), but I am going to use it until I find out what it does to my body. I put some in my coffee, some recipes call for it, and I have done the same as you - when I want something with a rich mouth-feel, I'll sneak a tbsp by itself.



    Ask yourself - do you feel hungry during the day? Or are you satisfied with what you are eating? Or do you eat til you're stuffed? THAT is the only measure of "how much to eat" on this phase of Atkins. Don't worry about other people's intake as we are all different. Atkins is very clear that we should not be feeling hungry. If your body signals it wants food, eat. Our appetites are supposed to decrease over time, too.



    You can have up to 1/2 of an avocado per day on Induction, it is in the same category as olives, sour cream, heavy cream. They are special foods that can be had, but in limited amounts.
    Thank you for all the helpful info and tips, Abluvion! You're right, I don't know where my veggies are. Which is kind of funny considering most of my adult life I've been a vegetarian!

    I actually just yesterday decided to start Atkins and had not read anything but testimonials on 3FC so wasn't sure what veggies to buy when I went to the store for items I knew for certain are acceptable (eggs, for example!). I'll add more veggies tomorrow - thanks for the reminder! Actually, with supper today I'll up the steamed broccoli. I'll also take a look at the allowed list and go to the store again tomorrow for vegetables.

    Thanks again, abluvion -- I have lots to learn and I appreciate the help.

    P.S. Do you know if there's a reason why it says in the Atkins books to "boil" broccoli? I plan on steaming it... Does it matter? Thank you!!
  • Hmm, I didn't see anywhere recommending that we boil broccoli when I read the book. Which version are you reading? As far as I can gather steaming it is just fine Boiled broccoli, bleh!

    If you need a quick reference for the acceptable veggies, the Atkins site has everything laid out:
    http://www.atkins.com/Program/Phase1...thisPhase.aspx

    Just remember you can have 3c of "salad" veggies (which includes more than just lettuce!) OR 2c of salad veg and 1 cup of veg from the 2nd list.
  • to Atkins!

    Atkins Induction is 20 net carbs per day with 12-15 of those carbs coming from veggies & salads from the acceptable foods list.

    While there is no substitute for reading the book (Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution 2002 or prior versions), reliable information can be found at: http://www.veronicaatkinsfoundation.org/

    Despite Atkins bars advertising they are "appropriate" for all phases.....they aren't. They contain ingredients such as milk, soy & peanuts, which are not on the acceptable foods list for Induction. You may also want to read this for a better understanding of the bars & other so-called low carb foods: http://www.phlaunt.com/lowcarb/19059967.php

    All the best to all of you!
  • Congratulations, new Atkins chicks! The more real food - unprocessed, real vegetables and meat, poultry, fish - you eat, the fewer "traps" you'll run into. I don't recommend the bars for Induction; they seem to "stall" many of us - me included. I love the shakes, but limit their use to three or four a week, usually for breakfast on the run or lunch when I haven't packed one.

    amberbrown, I felt bad for you with the awful, tasteless salad dressing. There are a couple of delicious recipes for homemade Induction-friendly salad dressings (they're so quick and cheap to make) in the "Recipes from 'What's for Dinner?'" thread - including one for sugar-free honey mustard that I love.

    Have a great week!
  • Quote: to Atkins!

    Atkins Induction is 20 net carbs per day with 12-15 of those carbs coming from veggies & salads from the acceptable foods list.

    While there is no substitute for reading the book (Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution 2002 or prior versions), reliable information can be found at: Despite Atkins bars advertising they are "appropriate" for all phases.....they aren't. They contain ingredients such as milk, soy & peanuts, which are not on the acceptable foods list for Induction. You may also want to read this for a better understanding of the bars & other so-called low carb foods:All the best to all of you!
    Thanks for sharing your knowledge, JerseyGyrl! I'm reading through the book you mentioned (I'm still at the very beginning because I just bought it yesterday). Wow, that's a fair amount of vegetables! Tomorrow I'll have some seedless cucumbers and Romaine lettuce -- looking forward to that.

    I know those bars would spell trouble for me -- I'd eat a whole box. So I'm glad that I now know for certain they're off limits.

    Thanks again. You're an inspiration to us newbies!
  • Quote: Congratulations, new Atkins chicks! The more real food - unprocessed, real vegetables and meat, poultry, fish - you eat, the fewer "traps" you'll run into. I don't recommend the bars for Induction; they seem to "stall" many of us - me included. I love the shakes, but limit their use to three or four a week, usually for breakfast on the run or lunch when I haven't packed one.

    amberbrown, I felt bad for you with the awful, tasteless salad dressing. There are a couple of delicious recipes for homemade Induction-friendly salad dressings (they're so quick and cheap to make) in the "Recipes from 'What's for Dinner?'" thread - including one for sugar-free honey mustard that I love.

    Have a great week!
    Thank you, Sandy!! I think I too will limit the shakes. I bought a 4 pack, so I won't buy any more t his week.

    Wow, you've lost 50 lbs! That's incredible!!!!! I hope I will one day soon be able to celebrate such an accomplishment myself. Thanks again for the tips.
  • You guys......I'm hungry! I want to chew something so bad. Ists my first day and I'm already angry. I'm irritated and grumpy. My boyfriend really sat next to me in the car and ate fries. The windows were down so I was swallowing th smell all th way home! Jerk! Pray for me!