I'm SO upset!! After doing really good all day (while at work) I went home and was hungry...too hungry to wait for what I was cooking for dinner to be done. So, thinking I'm doing good, I ate some crab salad (crab meat and mayo) with an avocado. AFTER I eat it....I noticed on the ARTIFICIAL CRAB MEAT package that is has 16 g of carbs!!!!!!!!! At that point I was so upset and stressed (combined w/some other stressful events that took place after work on my way home) that I said forget it. I had bought some carb smart icecream bars (5 net carbs each) and ate THREE of them! I'm going to start fresh again today but after yesterday, to be honest, my mental psyche isn't really where it needs to be. Any advise or suggestions?

Hey, don't beat yourself up. Sometimes we all have days like this.

Just remember to check the label of everything BEFORE you stick some in your mouth.

And secondly - if you make a mistake or cheat a little - go IMMEDIATELY back on plan - do not throw away the rest of the day as a carb splurge.

It actually seems like you didn't do TOO bad and you could have done a lot worse.

Chin up!!

thank you. It sure FELT like I did really really bad (my stomach was sooooo full!!). Well, I'm back on track today and trying to psyche myself back up. Thanks for the words of encouragement!

Well, what can I say? We've all been there done that. You were going for low carb and that is what matters. So how many carbs did you have in the day total? 30? 40? 50? How many? Ok maybe it wasn't under 20, but that is OK. It takes awhile to get used to this WOL, and it is sometimes a gradual process getting there. The point is, you didn't break down and eat half a pizza, or full sugar candy or ice cream. So congratulate yourself for that. You probably still had way fewer carbs than you would have had on an ordinary day.

The thing is, this process is going to take a long time. The weight comes off better if you stick to under 20, but there are going to be higher days too. You should have just let the crab salad be it, and not further punished your efforts just because of a small mistake.

That is where perfectionism gets in the way. We don't have to think in an all or nothing way. We can do the best we can, and if done consistently enough over a long enough period of time it WILL be enough. When you let the "I blew it today, might as well have everything I want and start fresh tomorrow" attitude get you, then you may have many many days of "starting fresh" and of "blowing the whole day". We don't have to be perfect. Let each little slip be the signal to start over RIGHT NOW, not waiting for tomorrow.

Think about it. If you had 16 carbs for the salad, and maybe 10 or 15 for the rest of your meals, that is still only 30 or less carbs for the day. That is where Protein Power starts you off at (unlike Atkins which starts at 20). That is still good. But you added 15 to it. You didn't really need to do that. That was the rebellious little "brat" inside saying "I screwed up so might as well do it royally". Ignore her. She doesn't want you to lose weight. She just wants her treats.

Learn from this and move on.

I'll tell you what I did a few times when I was ravenously hungry after work and couldn't wait until I got home or couldn't wait for dinner to cook... I would stop in the supermarket and buy a single pre-cooked chicken breast. Yes it is fried and I had to peel off the skin and the breading, but the meat inside filled my ravenous hunger and prevented me from cheating.

My husband used to be so embarrassed sometimes because I would be so ravenously hungry after work sometimes that I wouldn't even wait to get to the car, I'd be digging through the grocery sacks for that chicken while walking TO the car. But I stayed on my diet that way and lost 50 pounds during that first 8 months on Atkins. so it worked.

Another thing you might do is to get some sliced and precooked lunch meat or cheese (particulary Danish Havarti which is a real treat). Pinch off come cheese or have a slice of meat. Or buy a food dryer, a roast and slice it all up, soak it in some soy sauce and then dry it and make beef jerky. (The store bought kind has sugar added and the fat taken away so it doesn't taste as good as home made and isn't as low in carbs).

With dried beef jerky always handy you won't be ravenous and out of control. Soy sauce has a lot of salt though so if you eat too much you will retain water.

Thanks Sherry. I'm SO GLAD you mentioned about getting back on track IMMEDIATELY instead of the next day because that is EXACTLY how I need to start thinking in case another mess up happens (let's hope not though!). I had thought about the sandwich meat except someone told me yesterday that the processed meats aren't good to eat on induction (when I mentioned I was going to have a polska kielbaska sausage for lunch). Either way...it would have been better than what I did have. Okay...I'm back on track today and made a recipe last night and brought it for lunch. I did finish off my polska for breakfast though (1/4 of one and 2 cups of coffee). For lunch I'm going to have the alfredo sauce I made last night (heavy cream, butter and parmesan cheese) with the chicken and veggies I added to it. Does that sound okay? Thank you so much for the help....it's definately made a difference.

ebplus....your meals sound pretty good for today. I love the alfredo sauce with chicken and veggies

I started keeping beef jerky in my truck....it has saved me many times from bingeing on what I shouldnt have!! Another thought, pack an extra string cheese in your purse for the day to have that on the way home. Sometimes thats all you need, just a little something to tie you over til supper is ready.

Good Job getting right back on track, sounds like you are doing ok

That's an awsome idea!!! To have a snack on my way home from work. That and keeping snacks in my truck. You're awsome....thank you so much for the great tips!!! Oh yea...I forgot to address the beef jerkey and the food dryer in my last post...that is a really really good idea too (I love beef jerkey). Do you know if those are expensive? Oh yea...another question...any good snack ideas besides things that need to be refrigerated? I don't like pork rinds.

The purpose of induction is to clear your system, get you into ketosis, and on the right track for this way of eating. Induction doesn't allow for snacks, no pork rinds, jello, cool whip, ice cream, etc. regardless of the number of carbs they contain.

Because you just started yesterday, you really need to stick to the plan as written if you want to succeed. In the book (you do have the book???) Dr. A is very specific about what to eat the first two weeks, and it really requires committment. Meat, eggs, and limited amounts of cheese and legal veggies - that's it, that's what you have when you are on induction. Save the snacks and other lc things for post induction eating.

Good luck!
Tenn

Yes, I have the book. But I thought you could have a snack (like string cheese or celery w/cream cheese) in the afternoon (between lunch and dinner)? No?

what she said!!!!!! Cuz she is right!

If you need snacks to hold you over for the first 2 weeks, get yourself one of those insulated coolers, toss a freezer thingy in it, and bring extra boiled eggs, cheese, celery, stuff like that, even 1/2 a chicken breast will work. Takes a little bit of planning and extra cooking, but once you get in the groove, it will be simple

yup you sure can.

I'm good about cooking and packing food and the cooler thing is a good idea (for the car). I boil like a dozen eggs and keep them in the fridge and cook like 10 chicken breasts and baggy them up separately and freeze them. Thanks all of you for all the great suggestions. I'm back hyped again!! wooo hooo!!!

The Atkins Web site states that while you are on Induction, you may have the Atkins shakes, bars and breakfast bars. They state that all of these are acceptable for meals or snacks. They also say you can use the Atkins bake mix to make fried chicken in place of flour.

The Atkins Advantage caramel brownie bar is very good. I have it for either in the morning on the way to the gym or in the afternoon when I want a snack.

The Web site also says that you can snack between meals and that in fact, doing so will keep you from getting as hungry for your meals. It recommends string cheese or cheese rounds, jerky, low carb instant soup, low carb soy chips, celery with cream cheese, the Atkins bars, shakes or candy. And that's all on the Induction page in the instructions on how to do Induction.

Has something changed from the book?

that sounds even better! Has anyone tried the Atkins bake mix? I'm wondering how it taste. Also, can you only buy it online because I haven't been able to find it at the grocery store.

Im going to give my 2cents again stay away from the atkins bars, shakes and mixes for ATLEAST your first 2 weeks!! I know the site says you can have them on induction....BUT if you are sensitive to sweeteners and the other crap they put in that junk, it may very well stall you out before you even get started.

Myself, I use a protein powder mix that is 2 carbs (not net carbs) just 2 carbs, and I stay away from the premade protein bars. Almost everytime I eat one of those, I end up off the wagon, stuffing my face with hoho's.

Stick with the real food and get that 2 weeks under your belt, then you can mess around and experiment so you will know if it is going to stall you or effect your cravings.

Sounds like you are good and organized girly...WTG!!