I'm glad my suggestions helped! I also like ricotta on celery, but I'm weird

I very rarely have anything with sugar alcohols in it and when I do, it's the least amount possible. As for aspartame, I love diet cherry coke, so I have some once in a while, but too much gives me a stomach ache.

Gum with splenda I can't help you with. Chewing gum doesn't agree with my tongue ring so I stick with mints. But here's an interesting tidbit about breath fresheners: studies have shown that the most effective mints/gum contain real cinnamon oils.

Check into the Daily Food Log here. It'll give you an idea as to what our eating habits are like. Also come into daily chat. There is always information being exchanged in there not only about food but about exercise and it will help keep you motivated.

I used to indulge in sugar-free candy w/sugar alcohols, until I found out through this website that really, the sugar alcohols count toward total carbs. It was part of a major stall for me. So, I threw all my SF snacks of that sort in the garbage. It's made a world of difference.

As for aspertamine. Just can't give that up. I'm a diet coke addict. I NEED one a day.

Hey, by the way, I lost 6 pounds this week! Thanks for all your help! And I'll check the food log; I think that will help too. I'm really finding that I need to find some kind of gum/mints (my breath is awful!). I'm wondering if the aspartame in maybe one piece of gum/day will affect me? And when you guys have the Diet Coke and Diet Cherry Coke, what do you do about the caffeine? My husband and I usually had the Diet Decaf Coke which was fine, but it has aspartame, so I switched to Waist Watcher which has Splenda (and is cheaper). I am finding that there are a lot of sugar free products I'd love to try, but they have aspartame, so I shy away.

I'm a long ways away from induction, so I drink caffeine. Not much, though. I have 1 cup of coffee on work mornings and a diet cherry coke maybe 2 or 3 times a week.

Try not to get too hung up on the little stuff. It's good to be vigilant so the old habits don't creep back up on you, but it's counter-productive to get obsessive over it. I'm not saying that you personally are obsessing, but I've seen it happen so I'm giving you fair warning.

1 or 2 grams of sugar alcohols from a piece of gum won't kill you. But a sugar-free candy bar that's loaded with the crap every day most likely will. To be successful, you must change how and what you eat. Contrary to what the food industry would like you to believe, this does not mean just switching to the low/lower carb versions of the same crap we've always eaten.

Sorry - off the soapbox

Actually, right now I guess I am obsessing. I want to get it right from the start so I don't continue a pattern of guessing and altering, you know? And doing the program 100% is important to me and keeps me motivated. When I start tweaking a little here and a little there, I personally get lazy about it and say "oh, this won't hurt me." I think when I'm well on my way, I'll learn how to adapt. I know it varies for everyone, but what's an average weight loss after Induction? And, thanks, all. You've really helped me a lot with this!

I can honestly say I obsess about it. I want to do it right and usually it's when I start adding more to my list of "edibles" that I start to get in trouble. I stick (usually) with low carb stuff---but just eat too MUCH of it.
I lost about 10 pounds during induction. My DH has lost 15. Some people only lose a couple. Some have lost tons more than this. I stick to pretty much induction type foods yet (except the foray into strawberries I took) so that I know my carb count is low. Not to mention I'm afraid to add more I know I have to venture eventually...but right now I need to get back into the weight loss mode.

Forgot to mention...make sure you don't obsess SO much that you give up. Or get bored with your choices.

I guess my point is that it's good to relax about things. If you have a piece of gum and suddenly the scale is up a pound, don't freak. A piece of gum cannot make you gain a pound.

Some things to keep in mind.

* Most people's weight fluctuates as much as 5 pounds over the course of the day. Instead of watching a specific number, watch your 'range'. It's a much better indicator of how much you're losing.

* Measure yourself. Just because pounds don't move doesn't mean that inches aren't.

* It is impossible to gain 3 pounds in 1 day. If you eat something you shouldn't have and the scale is suddenly up. DO NOT FREAK! It's not real weight.

* It's important to stick to the rules of induction while you're on it. The point is to establish healthy eating habits. As long as that's your focus, you'll be fine. You want to develop a healthy relationship with food. Living if fear of what you eat is not a healthy relationship.

As for your other question: there is not average weight loss. We're all different - different amounts of weight to lose, different metabolic rates, different exercise levels, and different genetic pre-dispositions. You'll learn what normal for you.

I never WAS normal

You guys are a bevvy of information!

Brenda, I understand what you mean about being afraid to venture into new territory, but what Star says is true: if we stick to the plan and develop good relationships with food, then we shouldn't be afraid to add new things. But, I'm with you: I have to watch portions!

So tonight I'm having turkey sausage with the Atkins eggplant parm from the book. Maybe I'll just make it into a lasagna layering eggplant and turkey sausage and cheese. That sounds pretty good.

Star, thanks for bringing me off the paranoia!

Anytime!