Hi there, i will try keep this brief.

basically i have been researching low carb diet and i wanted to give it a try. So i start looking at how many carbs are in my calorie controlled diet, and it turns out, ALOT.
so i think ok, i can change that.
But then i realise how much i have to change.
so far today i have has
weetabix cereal and skimmed milk - 36carbs
mandarin 10 carbs
two slices of wholemeal toast - 60c
nectarine - 10carbs
SO THATS ALREADY 116 carbs! and only about 500 cals!
how crazy is that?
am i addint it wrong?

so i got to the local supermarket to buy some meat/eggs and cheese. and i realise that yes it has very low carb, but higher cals and also its more expensive.
i spent £10 on sausages,beef roll, ham, feta cheese,10 eggs (and bread and busicuits for my partner).

so im guessing the main part of my diet should come from these types of foods?
i normall try and base my diet around veg and fruit, but they seem to be high in carbs aswell.
is there anyadvice?
anyway of doing low carb cheaper?
and im very confussed about brekfast, what do u have if u cant have cereal toast or eggs with toast????

pleae help

Hi, I am in the UK and on Atkins.

I completed induction a few weeks ago.

Here's a typical menu:

Breakfast:
An omelette, some mushrooms sauteed in olive oil, a couple of rashers of bacon and a couple of sticks of celery.

Lunch:
Homemade coleslaw made from shredded green cabbage, shredded lettuce and 3-4 tablespoons of full-fat real mayonnaise, served with cold roast chicken thighs.

Evening meal:
A portion of meat with steamed cauliflower and green veggies topped with butter or sour cream.


The bulk of your diet should be based around low carb vegetables, meat + fish and fats. In fact all the foods you listed as eating are banned on induction (the first 2 weeks of the Atkins diet).

The rationale behind lowcarb diets is that eating carbs causes your insulin levels to spike. If you are insulin resistant, this causes your body to store pretty much all of what you have eaten as fat AND THEN make you hungry again almost immediately - as your body is not releasing its fat stores for use whilst your insulin level is still high.

Keeping the cost down:

I tend to buy a big pack of cheap chicken thighs or drumsticks from Tesco, and roast them up to keep in the fridge for lunches and snacks.

I also often buy the packs of value salmon fillets and cook those in bulk too, so I can have salmon + salad for a change.

another good cheap lowcarb option is belly pork slices - roast these - very moreish!

Also, homemade hamburgers - just buy a packet of cheap mince, add some seasoning and squish it all together and shape into burgers.

Buy bacon misshapes aka cooking bacon. You don't get nicely shaped rashers, but it is by far the cheapest to buy.

Cheap block cheddar is good to have around for snacks.

And of course, don't forget to stock up your freezer when there are special offers!


Once I had got through the first week or so of induction, my apetite dropped off a lot. Also, moving on into OWL after those first two weeks you start to add in more carbs from veggies and nuts+seeds etc, so your meat bill does goes down.

Basically I second the above, good value for money is ground turkey but I am not sure you get that in the UK...and of course eggs provided you don't have cholesterol problems.

I buy in bulk too. I find it gets a bit boring to have the same thing a few days running, but hey, nobody said this should be a complete picnic, right??

Hi Ladies,
I am new to this thread

started years ago low carbing and it did work !
decided I needed a change and started calorie counting
I even gave away my Atkins for life book
what was I thinking
bad mistake
I gained 14 pounds my weight is like a roller coaster now
up and down ugh
worked out yesterday rode my bike and I gained weight again AHHH
so today is the day
back to low carbing !
my goal is to loose 18 pounds total
I want to loose 12 before Memorial day
anybody out there need a buddy ???
Enjoy the day all !

Actually even on low carb the main part of your diet should be based around veggies, then meats and throw some fat in for good measure. There are a lot of veggies out there that are not real high in carbs - spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, cabbage, etc. Basically if it's a "sweet" veggie (like peas or carrots) it's going to be higher carb, otherwise you're good to go.

When I first started low carb I didn't count calories and I ate a lot of meats and fats.....I didn't lose and I couldn't see why until I found I was eating around 2500 calories a day! When I started basing my diet around veggies with meat coming second and fats third I could eat more food for less calories and I started losing.

You probably could lose on meats and fats (if you don't overdo it) but you'll be missing sooooo many nutrients! And a daily multivitamin can only do so much. Remember, you may be changing your lifestyle to lose weight but you also want to be healthy too, right?

I have found that you can save either time or money - but not usually both. One trick is to buy bulk and on sale - of whatever foods you choose. Cook ahead - I have grilled an army's worth of meat on my outdoor or indoor grills and froze the extras. Then we look forward to them the next week and the next and the next.

I buy eggs on sale - have found the keep a lot longer than the "use by" date. If I find I have too many and am worrying about them expiring I boil a bunch for egg salad, deviled eggs, and good old plain portable boiled eggs.

You can save on veggies by buying whole veggies (in season and on sale) and cutting them up yourself. (Only a few days worth at a time or they spoil). eatheseasons.com can help you find what's in season. Also, can be free if you make friends with neighbors! I've found some great new friends around that are willing to share their zucchini bumper crops!

Buy that chicken whole - throw in crock pot for the day and pick apart later for cheap chicken meat. I also buy the thighs/legs - by the 10lb bag here - for very little and bake them in foil - 2 per foil pkg with all different seasonings. One pkg will be bbq, one will be lemon pepper, one will be rosemary and butter etc. Then freeze a little if you cooked too much ahead.