Hey!
I just started the Atkins diet on Monday and am looking for a buddy to help me get through good times and bad of this diet. So far so good, since Monday i have lost 5 pds. But dammm its so hard to give up carbs.
I think I'm getting a bit grouchy. My poor coworkers!
Anyway I thought i would stop in and say hi. Hope to here from all yall!

Hey there! I started on Monday too! I'm not finding it VERY hard to give up carbs (although, yeah, right now I could totally eat some chips), but I am a bit depressed that I don't seem to have shifted any weight since Monday. Maybe I'm eating too much cheese and cream? I mean, I really didn't think I'd been eating LOTS of cheese and cream, but I've not been measuring it, so...anyway, yeah, I'm finding that pretty disheartening. Even wondering whether I should try some other plan - but no, I'm NOT giving up after five bloody days. I need to stick with it at least for two weeks.

Can I ask how you're measuring your carb count?

Hi AvsGirly and Broadabroad, I started on Atkins 20grams a day (Induction) on Monday too! Maybe we can all three help each other.

I had been doing medi-fast (about 60 grams of carbs and 800-1000 calories a day) for about 6 weeks and had only lost 3 pounds. Then on Monday I went down to 20 grams of carbs a day and stopped counting the calories, and now I'm down 7 more pounds. I am delighted! I think I must be really metabolically challenged not to have lost more than that before going on Atkins, so I am really happy that I am starting to lose.

I also have high blood pressure and diabetes, and my BP and blood sugar have both normalized, so I have been able to cut my meds for both conditions in half. I am surprised but very happy at this turn of events. I thought it might help some if I lost some weight, but I hadn't expected such good results so early.

A friend who is also doing Atkins gave me a tip to try Wal-Mart's flavored waters and no-sugar popsicles. She says they're great, although I haven't gotten any yet to try.

Let's see if we can help each other as we go, especially since we all started on the same day.

Arabella

Oh, AvsGirly, I have gathered together some great low-carb recipes, including fudge and deep-dish pizza, so let me know if you want them.

Arabella

Arabella, that's fantastic! Well done! Can I ask - have you been eating much cheese or cream? I'm suspecting that this is where I'm going wrong - not that I've been scoffing loads of the stuff, but I can't see what else I have done to mess up! And since I don't have any scales I've been guesstimating how much I was adding - but not crazy guesses, I swear! Still - I think that must be it.

Also - dude! You have a recipe for LOW CARB FUDGE???!!! How is that even possible?

Hi Broadabroad, it's nice to hear from you. I had not planned ahead of time to go down to 20 carbs a day, so I had not stocked up my kitchen. Atkins allows 3-4 ounces a day of cheese (page 125, 'Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution' paperback. It limits cream (heavy or light) to 2-3 tablespoons a day and says to 'note the carbohydrate content.' (page 127) I didn't eat any cream and only ate 1-2 ounces of cheese, because I didn't have any cream and only had 1-2 ounces of cheese. I ate a lot of eggs and meat and salad greens and tomatoes and green beans and broccoli. I know I should be more creative with veggies, but I had not gone to the store until today. Now I'm stocked up--but I still forgot to buy cream. Oh well, we learn as we go along.

The fudge is possible because it uses cream cheese. You do have to count the carb content, but it is low carb and you just add the carbs into your daily count. Here's the recipe (I can't remember where I found it):

LOW CARB FUDGE

16 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled 1/2 C Splenda® sugar substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 C chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)


Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, waxed paper or parchment paper.

In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, melted, cooled chocolate, sweetener and vanilla until smooth. Stir in nuts (if using) and pour into pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares. Serve chilled.

(Just in case you want it. You do have to count the carbs, but I think it's worth it. I wish I had a count for how many carbs are in a certain size square, but I don't.)

I'm really glad to find people doing the same plan I'm doing!

Arabella

Yum! Wow, that sounds like something I could totally make! Well, at least I could once I manage to track down Splenda, or some other sucralose-based sweetener. (Turns out that's a bit tricky in Bangkok I've successfully found aspartame-based sweeteners, but I'm trying to avoid them for now.)

I think perhaps where I've been going wrong may be in not eating enough protein, actually. I mean, I have HAD protein at every meal, but I think I should have been having things like 'a steak' rather than 'a few bits of chicken'. So this week I'm cranking up the protein. We'll see how it goes - I did feel a bit down about it, but now I'm feeling upbeat again. Clearly this program DOES work, so I need to make sure that I'm following it properly.

...er, it would also help if I'd got a set of scales to measure portions, I know. Still haven't found any, though.

Bless you, JG! I can't speak for Arabella, but I'm quite happy to stick to the list in the book for Induction - and I'm probably going to carry on with Induction for more than just 2 weeks, if I start losing, because I have so much to lose. BUT I'm also getting a certain vicarious pleasure from looking at recipes that are permissable further down the road, and seeing what clever ways people have thought of to create low carb alternatives to various things.

Hey ladies sorry I havent checked in for awhile. Its been a couple of crazy days. Unfortunately i had to eat out twice yesterday but really tried to make some low carb choices. Not the easiest thing when you got for mexican and chinese! LOL
So today i gotta get back on the band wagon. I know Im not gonna be perfect on this diet, so that is why i tried to make better decisions at the restuarants.
I'm not having to hard of a time giving up carbs though at night i do getting an urge for ice cream or a piece of candy. LOL So difficult.
Anyone have any ideas how to ditch that urge?

Maybe crank up the protein even further? Do you think it's a physical sensation or more of a psychological one? 'Cause the physical sensation is probably easier to fix than the psychological thing. Ooh! Or maybe go for a quick walk, or get some kind of exercise to distract yourself and get your metabolism going?

Doctor A recommends keeping permissible snacks in your fridge for such eventualities - things like cubes of cheese, or chicken salad or suchlike. I've been taking cubes of cheese in to work with me as snacks, which often I don't actually eat - but it's good to know that if I *do* find myself wanting to eat something (while my colleagues chow down on doughnuts and cake!) that there's something I can go and have.

...yeah, I know this isn't the same as candy. But it helps!

If i eat any more meat and cheese I am gonna go crazy!!! LOL Uhh its so hard! But i will try.
Plus the other thing i find difficult is when you are out to eat with someone and they are eating something you want and normally eat. Like Chips at a Mexican restaurant!! Thought i was going crazy! lol

Thanks jersey for the recommendation. Unfortunatley I cant stand tea (or coffee for that matter) at all so I dont think that would work for me. But thanks for the input

This is my 1st post on this site... so here goes! I started (again) on Atkins on Jan. 1st and to date have lost 13 pounds. I feel much better, but have a long way to go. I have started adding cardio back in, this week 3 days in the treadmill at 45 minutes per. And plan to be back at the gym within the month. I had stopped going, not only due to depression and not wanting to leave the house (LOL) but I broke my foot, so was on medical release until Feb.

Anyway, I look forward to be a part of a support system!