Hi, Lucky8, welcome, I am so glad you are here!
I'm a newbie, and to be honest, I've just started, so I'm the worst person to try to answer your question (Jersygrl and Deena will give much better answers!) but let me congratulate you on your decision to order the book and on your commitment to a healthier and happier new you!
I'm not sure how much free time you have, but if you have some free time at the moment, you might want to read the "sticky" section up above this part of the forum, where it has things like, "common misconceptions about Atkins" and topics like that. You wouldn't believe the wealth of information that has been posted there! I'll bet you anything you will find the answer to any question you have, right there! It explains about the different phases of the diet, you start with the induction phase (the strictest phase) for two weeks and then you can stay on the strictest part or move on from there, depending on how your body is feeling and what your goals are.
Oops I just realized, we are in the general dieting section and not the Atkins section! I'm an idiot, what can I say, LOL. Please check out the Atkins board (under low-carb section) and you will see the sticky posts I am talking about!
Sorry for the mistake!
For me, my understanding of the Atkins diet is that it's more of a lifestyle choice than a quick-loss diet. I'm not saying you won't lose some weight by Valentines day - if you follow the induction part of the diet, you are sure to lose some pounds - but I see this diet as a way to help those of us who have a tendency to want to binge when we eat simple carbohydrates, to feel better and be healthier.
Some people love the Atkins and other low-carb diets, other people feel other types of diets (low-fat, calorie counting, etc.) work better for them. I'm guessing it probably has a lot to do with individual metabolism, genetics, what our personal weak spots are, etc.
For me, simple carbohydrates are my downfall. Put sugary stuff in front of me and I go wild. If there are twenty Reese's peanut butter cups in front of me, I will eat all of them in one day. I will just eat them until they are gone. Put french fries in front of me, or any type of fried potatoes, and I will do the same, eat them until I'm ready to burst. White rice, ditto. I like pizza, but to me pizza was all about the crust/bread part.
I have come to realize that I'm like an alcoholic with booze, when it comes to simple carbs. I just can't seem to control myself. And that's why I'm heavier than I would like to be.
So I decided to give this a try again. (I tried it years ago, but gave up - I guess I just wasn't ready to commit myself to the lifestyle yet.)
As it turns out, I've lost 9 pounds in 11 days. But the weight loss is not even the best reward. The best reward is how much better I feel.
I have tons more energy. Sleep better. Feel better emotionally and physically.
You know how, when you have the flu, the first day you are feeling better from it, feels like an amazing day, just because it's so nice to not be sick? That's how I feel after a week on this low-carb lifestyle. I think I was headachey for a couple of days, but that passed pretty quickly and here I am feeling more energetic (so much energy, I can't believe it!), happier, and hopeful about my future.
The best gift, to me, about this diet, is the way I FEEL. NOT the weight loss. Is this diet right for your metabolism? I don't know...no way to tell I guess unless you try it. But if you are tempted by the simple carbs...chips, sweets, bread, that sort of thing - then it very well might be the diet that changes your whole life for the better.
Again, welcome! And please do read what you can from the upper portion of the forum, the posts that have been saved by being "stickeyed" because they are amazing sources of information, including what foods are allowed on each phase, etc.
Here is an excerpt from the 2002 edition of DANDR
1. Eat either three regular-size meals a day or four or five smaller meals. Do not skip meals or go more than six waking hours without eating.
2. Eat liberally of combinations of fat and protein in the form of poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs and red meat, as well as of pure, natural fat in the form of butter, mayonnaise, olive oil, safflower, sunflower and other vegetable oils (preferably expeller-pressed or cold-pressed).
3. Eat no more than 20 grams a day of carbohydrate, most of which must come in the form of salad greens and other vegetables. You can eat approximately three cups-loosely packed-of salad, or two cups of salad plus one cup of other vegetables (see the list of acceptable vegetables on pages 125-126).
4. Eat absolutely no fruit, bread, pasta, grains, starchy vegetables or dairy products other than cheese, cream or butter. Do not eat nuts or seeds in the first two weeks. Foods that combine protein and carbohydrates, such as chickpeas, kidney beans and other legumes, are not permitted at this time.
5. Eat nothing that is not on the acceptable foods list. And that means absolutely nothing! Your "just this one taste won't hurt" rationalization is the kiss of failure during this phase of Atkins.
6. Adjust the quantity you eat to suit your appetite, especially as it decreases. When hungry, eat the amount that makes you feel satisfied but not stuffed. When not hungry, eat a small controlled carbohydrate snack to accompany your nutritional supplements.
7. Don't assume any food is low in carbohydrate-instead read labels! Check the carb count (it's on every package) or use the carbohydrate gram counter in this book.
8. Eat out as often as you wish but be on guard for hidden carbs in gravies, sauces and dressings. Gravy is often made with flour or cornstarch, and sugar is sometimes an ingredient in salad dressing.
9. Avoid foods or drinks sweetened with aspartame. Instead, use sucralose or saccharin. Be sure to count each packet of any of these as 1 gram of carbs.
10. Avoid coffee, tea and soft drinks that contain caffeine. Excessive caffeine has been shown to cause low blood sugar, which can make you crave sugar.
11. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day to hydrate your body, avoid constipation and flush out the by-products of burning fat.
12. If you are constipated, mix a tablespoon or more of psyllium husks in a cup or more of water and drink daily. Or mix ground flaxseed into a shake or sprinkle wheat bran on a salad or vegetables.
ACCEPTABLE FOODS
Foods you may eat liberally:
All fish All fowl All shellfish All meat All eggs
including: including: including: including: including:
tuna chicken oysters* beef scrambled
salmon turkey mussels* pork fried
sole duck lobster lamb poached
trout goose clams bacon** soft-boiled
flounder cornish hen squid veal hard-boiled
sardines quail shrimp ham** deviled
herring pheasant crabmeat venison omelettes
*Oysters and mussels are higher in carbs than other shellfish so limit them to four ounces per day.
**Processed meats such as ham, bacon, pepperoni, salami, hot dogs and other luncheon meats-and some fish-may be cured with added sugar and will contribute carbs. Try to avoid meat and fish products cured with nitrates, which are known carcinogens. Also beware of products that are not exclusively meat, fish or fowl, such as imitation fish, meatloaf and breaded foods. Finally, do not consume more than four ounces of organ meats a day.
OTHER FOODS ACCEPTABLE DURING INDUCTION
Cheese
You can consume three to four ounces daily of the following full fat, firm, soft, and semi-soft aged cheeses *, including:
cheddar
cow, sheep and goat cheese
cream cheese
Gouda
mozzarella
Roquefort and other blue cheeses
Swiss
Salad Vegetables
You can have two to three cups per day:
alfalfa sprouts daikon mushrooms
arugula endive parsley
bok choy escarole peppers
celery fennel radicchio
chicory jicama radishes
chives lettuce romaine
cucumber mache sorrel
84
These salad vegetables are high in phytonutrients and provide a good source of fiber.
*All cheeses have some carbohydrate content. The quantity you eat should be governed by that knowledge. The rule of thumb is to count one ounce of cheese as equivalent to one gram of carbohydrate. Note that cottage cheese, farmer's cheese and other fresh cheeses are not permitted during Induction. No "diet" cheese, cheese spreads or whey cheeses are permitted. Individuals with known yeast symptoms, dairy allergy or cheese intolerance must avoid cheese. Imitation cheese products are not allowed, except for soy or rice cheese-but check the carbohydrate content.
Other Vegetables
You can have one cup per day if salad does not exceed two cups-these vegetables are slightly higher in carbohydrate content than the salad vegetables:
artichoke celery root pumpkin
hearts (celeriac) rhubarb
asparagus chard sauerkraut
bamboo collard greens scallions
shoots dandelion snow peas
bean sprouts greens spaghetti squash
beet greens eggplant spinach
broccoli hearts of palm string or wax beans
broccoli rabe kale summer squash
brussels kohlrabi tomato
sprouts leeks turnips
cabbage okra water chestnuts
cauliflower onion zucchini
If a vegetable, such as spinach or tomato, cooks down significantly, it must be measured raw so as not to underestimate its carb count.
Salad Garnishes
crumbled crisp bacon
grated cheese
minced hard-boiled egg
sauteed mushrooms
sour cream
Spices
All spices to taste, but make sure none contain added sugar
Herbs
basil garlic rosemary
cayenne ginger sage
cilantro oregano tarragon
dill pepper thyme
For salad dressing use oil and vinegar (but not balsamic vinegar, which contains sugar) or lemon juice and herbs and spices. Prepared salad dressings without added sugar and no more than two carbs per tablespoon serving are also fine.
Fats and Oils
Many fats, especially certain oils, are essential to good nutrition. Olive oil is particularly valuable. All other vegetable oils are allowed, the best being canola, walnut, soybean, grapeseed, sesame, sunflower and safflower oils, especially if they are labeled "cold-pressed" or "expeller-pressed." Do not cook polyunsaturated oils, such as corn, soybean and sunflower oil, at high temperatures or allow to brown or smoke.
Butter is allowed. Margarine should be avoided, not because of its carbohydrate content, but because it is usually made of trans fats (hydrogenated oils), which are a serious health hazard. (Some non-hydrogenated margarines are available in health food stores.)
You need not remove the skin and fat from meat or fowl. Salmon and other cold-water fish are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.
I cannot stress strongly enough that trying to do a low-fat version of Atkins will interfere with fat burning and derail your weight loss.
Beverages
clear broth/bouillon (not all brands; read the label)
club soda
cream (heavy or light); limit to two to three tablespoons a day; note carbohydrate content decaffeinated coffee or tea*
diet soda made with sucralose (Splenda®)
essence-flavored seltzer (must say "no calories" and must not contain aspartame)
herb tea (without barley or any fruit sugar added)
lemon juice or lime juice (note that each contains 2.8 grams carbohydrate per ounce); limit to two to three tablespoons
mineral water
spring water
water
*Excessive caffeine may cause unstable blood sugar and should be avoided by those who suspect they are caffeine dependent. Everyone should try to avoid caffeine. Grain beverages (coffee substitutes) are not allowed. Alcoholic beverages are also not permitted during Induction; those low in carbohydrates are an option, in moderation, in later phases.
Artificial Sweeteners
You must determine which artificial sweeteners agree with you, but the following are allowed: sucralose (marketed at Splenda®), saccharin, cyclamate, acesulfame-K. Natural sweeteners ending in the suffix "-ose," such as maltose, fructose, etc., should be avoided. However, certain sugar alcohols such as maltitol do not affect blood sugar and are acceptable.
Saccharin has been extensively studied, and harmful effects were produced in the lab when fed to rats only in extremely high doses. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed saccharin from its list of carcinogens, basing its decision upon a thorough review of the medical literature and the National Institute of Science's statement that there is "no clear association
between saccharin and human cancer." It can be safely consumed in moderation, meaning no more than three packets a day. Saccharin is marketed as Sweet 'N Low®. We discourage the use of aspartame (marketed as NutraSweet' and Equal®). The FDA has approved the herb stevia for use only as a supplement, not as a sweetner.
My preference, however, is sucralose (Splenda®), the only sweetener made from sugar. Sucralose is safe, noncaloric and does not raise blood sugar. It has been used in Canada for years, and the FDA recently approved it after reviewing more than one hundred studies conducted over the past twenty years.
Note that each packet of sugar substitute contains about 1 gram of carbohydrate, so don't forget to include the amount in your daily totals.
Special Category Foods
To add variety, each day you can also eat ten to twenty olives, half a small avocado, one ounce of sour cream or three ounces of unsweetened heavy cream, as well as two to three tablespoons of lemon juice or lime juice. But be aware that these foods occasionally slow down weight loss in some people, and may need to be avoided in the first two weeks. If you seem to be losing slowly, moderate your intake of these foods.
Convenience Foods
Although it is important that you eat primarily unprocessed foods, some controlled carb food products can come in handy when you are unable to find appropriate food, can't take time for a meal or need a quick snack. As I mentioned earlier, more and more companies are creating healthy food products that can be eaten during the Induction phase of Atkins. Just remember two things:
1. Not all convenience food products are the same, so check labels and carbohydrate content. I can vouch for any product carrying the Atkins brand name! (See Chapter 19 for more on these convenient options.)
2. While any of these foods can make doing Atkins easier, don't overdo it. Remember, you must always follow the Rules of Induction.
Avoid Pitfalls!
Here are five common pitfalls to avoid:
1. During Induction you must not eat any fruit, bread, grains, starchy vegetables or dairy products other than cheese, cream or butter.
2. Stay away from diet products unless they specifically state "no carbohydrates." Most such foods are for low-fat diets, not controlled carbohydrate plans.
3. The words sugarless, sugar free or no sugar added are not sufficient. The label must state the carbohydrate content; that's what you must go by.
4. Many products you do not normally think of as foods, such as chewing gum, breath mints, cough syrups and cough drops, are filled with sugar or other caloric sweeteners. They must be avoided.
5. Be wary of prepared salads at salad bars or deli counters. For example, cole slaw or even tuna fish salad may have been prepared with sugar.
How to Fashion a Food Plan from the
Acceptable Foods List
During Induction and the other weight loss phases of Atkins, you will be consuming the types of foods and beverages aforementioned. Quality counts! Always aim for unprocessed natural foods and select the freshest produce you can find. If possible, purchase organic meats and dairy products.
Now that you know what foods you can eat, a meal plan should leap out at you. You should instantly see that for breakfast a ham, cheese and mushroom omelette, or nitratefree bacon and scrambled eggs, or slices of smoked salmon wrapped around cream cheese would start off the day on the right note.
For lunch, the typical chef's salad with chicken, nitratefree ham, cheese and hard-boiled egg on a bed of greens, covered with a creamy garlic dressing, will qualify, as will a cheeseburger without the bun. (Avoid ketchup, which contains sugar.) Or maybe a chicken Caesar salad (skip the croutons) or a scoop of homemade tuna or chicken salad.
Base your dinners around your favorite protein main courses-lamb chops, poached salmon, roast chicken, filet mignon, buttered lobster tails, seafood mixed grill or whatever you fancy-plus a salad. You might even have an appetizer such as shrimp cocktail with a mustard and mayonnaise sauce (cocktail sauce has carbohydrates), pate or steamed clams in garlic butter. And for dessert, have assorted cheeses or flavored gelatin made with sucralose and topped with whipped heavy cream.
You are more likely to enjoy gourmet meals doing Atkins than on the low-fat diets that still wearily make the rounds. But, for the moment, I merely want to introduce you to the notion that gourmet dining will be yours once you master all the possibilities offered by a nutritional plan that allows an intelligent and reasonable use of high-fat ingredients, including butter. Here and now, your attention should be totally focused on whether you feel you are in control of your eating and whether you feel healthy. Remember, during Induction my intention is to make you realize it is possible to be liberated from constant food cravings aggravated by unstable blood sugar. When you experience this liberation-and most significantly overweight people do-try to savor it. Notice how different it makes you feel. And remember it's something you can enjoy only on a controlled carbohydrate eating plan.
Nutritional Supplements
The foods you will be eating are tasty and nutrient-rich. But in starting people on my program, I have found that their vitamin and mineral reserves are often so depleted from the way they were eating before that it frequently takes a week or two of supplementation with vitanutrients to build them up again. This is one of the many reasons that, after a few days on Induction, you're likely to experience a burst of energy.
Some critics of controlled carbohydrate weight reduction have made the suggestion that Atkins is so restrictive of certain foods that I have no choice but to advise everyone who goes on it to take vitamin and mineral supplements. There's only a smidgen of truth in this; when you go down to a low level of vegetable consumption during Induction-the strictest phase of the
program-you may be getting inadequate portions of certain nutrients. I stress may, because if you choose nutrient-dense foods, it is easy to consume adequate amounts of most vitanutrients.
On the facing page is a sample daily menu to be followed by a person in the Induction phase.
Sample Daily Menu of 20 Grams
of Carbohydrate
Breakfast
Three-egg omelette with avocado
Mozzarella cheese and tomato
Decaffeinated coffee with cream
Lunch
Beef round steak (8 oz)
Spinach and mixed leaf salad with mushrooms, onions,
celery and parmesan cheese
Dinner
Broiled salmon (9 oz)
Kale topped with garlic, lemon and sesame seeds
But the real reason you'll need vitanutrients is because of the way you've likely been eating for years, or because of the low-fat diet that you may be following even as you read this. If you have been on a low-fat diet, your need for supplementation may be profound. You will have to play catchup to make up for possible deficiencies of essential fatty acids, vitamin B12 and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E. Several minerals are also in short supply on virtually all lowfat diets.
If you've been bingeing on junk food full of sugar and bleached flour, then you've been consuming anti-nutrients, and your nutritional needs are even greater. When you eat such foods you're doing more than just depriving yourself of sufficient supplies of important vitamins and minerals. Metabolizing those empty refined foods uses up what little stores of nutrients remain. I am always surprised when I encounter anyone over 35 years of age who eats the typical American diet of refined carbohydrates and isn't chronically tired. Chromium, zinc, manganese, magnesium, vitamin B6 and folic acid are among the nutrients that are used up faster than they can be replenished on such a diet. In fact, many Americans are deficient in chromium, a mineral needed to metabolize carbohydrate.
Another reason you need vitanutrients is to maximize your body's ability to function optimally as a fat-burning unit.
In this chapter, however, all I want to do is provide adequate nutritional support for Induction. When you opt to become a lifetime Atkins follower (notice, I didn't say "if'), you will have to familiarize yourself with the content of Chapter 23. But for now, these are the nutritional supplements you should be taking during Induction:
• A broad multiple vitamin and mineral supplement that contains considerably more than the recommended daily intake (RDI) of B complex factors and vitamin C, and that also contains at least thirty other different nutrients (and no iron). Ideally, chromium picolinate or polynicotinate (between 200 and 600 mcg) should be included.
• Essential fatty acids (EFA). EFA-deficiency may be the most prevalent dietary shortage in our culture, thanks to the misguided obsession with avoiding dietary fat and the overconsumption of trans fats instead of healthy natural fats. An EFA supplement should include gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)-primarily found in primrose or borage oil-and omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil or flaxseed oil. (You can, of course, also eat salmon and other cold-water fish.)
• If you have sugar cravings, you should also take 500 mg of L-glutamine (one or two tablets) prior to each meal. L-glutamine has been shown to curb alcohol addiction as well. If you previously ate lots of carbohydrates, this will help to ease the transition to controlled carbohydrate eating.
As mentioned in the Rules of Induction, you should also be supplementing with one or another form of fiber, usually wheat bran or psyllium husks, to prevent constipation.
Blast Off! You've Begun-Munch Away.
So, here we go. You're doing Atkins, and naturally you begin by eating-something you've previously done with some degree of guilt. Say good-bye to all that. It's time to plow into those prime ribs and that cheese omelette. You must have faith. As you savor high-calorie food you always thought would make you fat, you can now relax. When carbohydrates are sufficiently reduced, the body has no choice but to burn its own fat. Moreover, at this stage, eating rich, fatty foods can only be advantageous.
I encourage you to eat until you're satisfied. Just don't confuse being satisfied with being stuffed. If you have been overweight for a long time, it may take you a while to distinguish between the two sensations. If you are not sure, stop eating before you feel full and see if you are still hungry a few minutes later. If you are, have a few more bites and stop again. Repeat until you are satisfied. Soon you will discover you are pleasantly full sooner and can avoid that feeling of getting up from the table feeling as stuffed as a Thanksgiving turkey.
For the first few weeks, I want you to be unafraid of natural fat (butter, cream, cheese, olive oil and the fat in meats, poultry and fish), but remember to stay away from those evil trans fats, which are labeled as hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats. The ease of getting into deep lipolysis is based on the ratio of fat (not protein) to carbohydrate. Thus, you should strive for an adequate amount of fat during this initial period, and, in doing so, you will almost certainly find yourself experiencing the most appetite-suppressing aspects of Atkins
