Hey everyone! I want to start Atkins, because WW is just not working for me. However, I have no clue what to eat! I can't buy the book (broke college kid). Are you allowed to eat as much as you want of low-carb food on Atkins? Or is there portion control built in? Can you just give me so foods/portions I can eat? This is called the induction phase, right? After this am I allowed to eat any carbs?

Hi Sammykins -

You definitely need to research this before you start. Two of the biggest misconceptions about Atkins are

1. "This is just a meat and cheese diet" - veggies are hugely important and you have to understand which ones you should be including

2. "This is a diet" - A diet is something you go on and off of. That's why no diet is successful. Know from the start that this is training for a whole new way of life

Ok, onto your question. It's hugely important to have the New Diet Revolution book. It's only $7.00. If you can't afford it, then you can still get the information at www.atkins.com Just go to the How To Do Atkins section and click on Induction. Read everything in that section several times until you are sure you understand it before you start. Also, take a look at the other 3 phases so you understand where you're heading. Induction is just the beginning and often the most difficult part.

Good luck!

If you're really honestly broke, atkins will probably be hard for you to swing. Carbs are cheap and easy to make. The food you buy on Atkins will probably double your grocery bill so be prepared! (And don't pass out at the check-out like I did)

I've got to disagree with that last statement. My grocery bill is actually less now than pre-atkins. There are a couple of reasons - I don't waste money on junk anymore (potato chips, popcorn, cookies, microwave meals, etc.) I also don't eat nearly as much as I used to. Yeah, pasta and rice are cheap, but they also make you hungry so you end up eating more.

Stick with whole foods (shop around the perimiter of the store and stay out of the aisles) and your grocery bill will go down.

The specialty "low-carb" stuff is expensive, not always accurate in carb count (see the thread on sugar alcohols), and completely unnecessary.

I never was a big junk food eater but I never used to eat much meat or fresh veggies because they're more expensive than most of the things I was eating. You can live on Ramen Noodles for months before getting sick of them and have a grocery bill of about 5 bucks total. I was assuming her shopping habits would be similar to mine if she's on a tight budget.

hi sammykins---good luck w/the atkins i agree----read up before you plunge in full force. then again, i read up and i was still clueless. lol

I definitely have to add my 2 cents worth on the cost of the Atkins diet.

I can honestly say that, like Star, my grocery bill has gone down due to cutting out those high-priced snacks, etc. But then again, I'm pretty sure that since I began Atkins the price of Ben & Jerry's has taken a significant dive as well.


I can definitely relate to the financial restraints of being in college. But it is sooooooo important to be armed with the right information, and lots of it, if you want to be successful in this way of eating. So, might I suggest that you make a trip to a used bookstore in your area. If there are two items that are ALWAYS available used, it's diet books and exercise equipment!!!!

Good luck!

Thanks for all your help guys! I told my mom about how I really want to end my struggles with COE/Bulima and she sprung for the book. I read the whole thing in an hour! It sounds too good to be true. I really want to break my carb addiction but the Eating Disordererd part of my mind is saying I'll gain weight if I do it.

Ok now my two cents...

My Atkins grocery bill is much higher compared to my college grocery billl because like Shimma mentioned..... I ate Ramen noodles, Mac & Cheese and cheap stuff to keep my costs low. Typically its the high carb items (pastas etc.) that go on sale at deep prices.

However - compared to a year ago, my bill has gone down because I am not buying all the junk food (luxury stuff I could NEVER afford in college) and juices I was buying.

In any event - being out of carb addiction is key and if you can learn to do that - it's worth it at any cost. I am unsure with an Eating Disorder though what Atkins type of foods will do for you. If you look at high fat foods as "bad" - it might be a very tough conversion for you to make emotionally. I hope with any plan you will be able to get some support group help from others who have been where you are and can help you get through it. Atkins is a life change and you can't use it as a way to drop a few lbs. quickly. If that is your intention you will really screw up your system.

I'm glad your mom gave you the book - I love this plan and feel so energetic when I follow it to a "T". Good Luck!

If you buy the meats on sale that week and the veggies, some frozen it shouldn't be to bad, thats what I do and I find my bill is less than when I was buying all sorts of junk in the stores, not to mention fast foods.

Good luck !!

I've got to add my two penny's worth also...I find it cheaper now, without the junk / processed filler, biscuits, cakes etc my food bill is loads cheaper. Go to the market at the end of the day and stock up on all the clearance offers, do big cook ups and freeze for the week ahead! I find this much cheaper.

As for thinking you will gain weight with this WOE, I came from a low fat diet programme, and worried that i would gained, "no way would i loose eating this much!!!" after 11lbs lost after only 2 weeks i was convinced...read everything you can and stick to it...it's the best but like the others have said - it's not a diet it a way of life...i for one couldn't never go back to my old habits!!

Good luck - we're all here for you if you need support!