Kathy:
Good for you passing up the potatoes.
I need to warn you that I am a by-the-book/buy-the-book Atkineer. I suggest that you buy the 2002 edition of Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution (often referred to as DANDR for short) -- and then do the program AS HE DESIGNED IT (i.e. by the book). There are a lot of misconceptions about Atkins -- and having read and studied the book will equip you not only with the tools to succeed, but also information to combat the naysayers. You can find the book used at Amazon for pennies + shipping.
Until you get the book, go to the Atkins website and download the rules for induction and the acceptable food list. Plan what you would like to eat during the first two weeks of induction -- the strictest part of the eating plan. If it isn't on the list, DO NOT EAT IT. You MUST eat 3 cups of veggies a day -- 2 cups from the salad list and 1 cup from the other veggies list. Eat them throughout the day -- perhaps add some green pepper to an omelet for breakfast, have a lettuce salad and cucumber with lunch, and a nice serving of broccoli with dinner. And guess what you can have real dressing on the salad and real butter on your broccoli. Pick from the meats, cheese and fats to round out your menu -- sticking to 20 net carbs per day and 65% fat, 5% carbs, and 30% protein. (Get a free account at Fitday.com to track what you eat.) Fitday will also tell you what your BMR is (your basal metabolism rate). You need to eat this at least this amount of calories every day. (I just checked and your BMR is 1854 calories.)
After the first 2 weeks, you can decide whether to continue on induction, or start OWL (ongoing weight loss), where you begin to add different foods in a very specific order. But, we'll leave that discussion for another time. I did 4 weeks of induction and then moved on to OWL, but some people do induction until they've lost all but 10 to 20 pounds of their goal.
And drink a minimum of 64oz of pure, clean water + another 8 ounces for every 25 pounds you need to lose. So, if you want to lose 100 pounds, you should drink at least 96 ounces every day. So, no more OJ -- no matter how thirsty you are. It's water water water from here on out.
The first week is the hardest. It is when your body gets detoxed from the bad carbs you have fed it. Most people will have headaches -- oh, yes, you also need to give up caffeine and sugar free soft drinks. This detox is referred to as "induction flu" -- but once it is done and your body goes into ketosis (buring fat for energy rather than carbs), you will have three huge benefits: (1) a supressed appetite, (2) no cravings and (3) boundless energy.
Most people will lose 5 to 10% of what they need to lose during the first 2 weeks of induction. I repeat that it is essential that you do a clean induction because that is also when you learn how metabolically resistant you are. I lost 9 pounds during the first 2 weeks.
I truly believe that some people succeed better at low carb and some at low calorie. I wasn't able to lose eating low fat/low calorie (1200 to 1500 calories a day), but I have been able to lose 45 pounds in 11 months eating 1800 - 2000 calories a day. Go figure!! (Actually, there is a lot of science behind it.) If you often eat and within an hour or so you are "starving", chances are you are carb sensitive and Atkins is the way to go for you.
Sorry this got so long. You can probably tell that I feel strongly about doing Atkins correctly -- which, by the way, includes exercise. Dr. A said that if you aren't exercising, you aren't doing his program.
So, get prepared (i.e. get rid of the bad carbs in your house and stock up on good stuff), get the induction info from Atkins website, and pick a date (sooner rather than later) and get started. You'll do great I'm sure.
BTW, I'm just about to eat my Atkins-friendly (even induction-friendly) dinner:
1 c steamed spinach, 1 c broccoli with cheese sauce (made with heavy cream, cream cheese and shredded pepper jack cheese), and a chicken breast stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in a piece of bacon. And for my dessert, a cup of fresh raspberries. Yum!!
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and it is very tired these days.
