Hey there.

I'm thinking about tweaking Atkins. I might move on to OWL, or something, but I just can't take all these veggies! I miss bread, most of all, and peanut butter, which I broke down and had a few spoonfuls of it today.

The other night I had crackers, which was 24 carbs, but I was hungry and doing laundry, and I couldn't leave my laundry to eat because sometimes laundry gets stolen here. So I just didn't eat any veggies that day to make up for it, and with the other carbs I had, I'd say it came up to about 25-30 carbs for the day.

I'd say that for the past week I've kept my carbs under 30 (slightly over 20 most days) on average. Should I lose weight that way? I don't have a scale, and I'm going to weigh myself at the clinic at the end of the week. I've stayed away from foods not on the Induction list for the most part, and if I had something that wasn't on it, it was a very very small amount of that thing.

I really don't want to go on to OWL, because I want the fast weight loss, but eating veggies is hard. In my Questions about Induction thread, someone gave me some ideas about what veggies to eat.

Any suggestions is welcome. Could I have peanut butter in a later stage of Atkins? Two tablespoons is only 6 grams Net Carbs.

I can give you my perspective, but I no longer do strict Atkins anymore.

I've found I have to watch my calories if I'm not following a bunch of restrictions on foods. Basically I let myself have anything, but keep my daily net carbs between 20 and 30g. That still means lots and lots of veggies, but I have something slightly higher carb occasionally (still within my daily limits, though. Like reduced carb tortillas, or one serving of fat free pringles as a treat).

I keep my calories between 1200 and 1800, so that's an additional factor to track. Instead of regular peanut butter, I eat PB2, I always have veggies, I try to get leaner protein when I can, etc.

For me, I have lost more weight this way then I did on Atkins, but Atkins gave me the tools to do so. So I guess it just depends on your preferences and what you're willing to track everyday. If not counting calories is a big part of why you like Atkins, then strict Atkins might be a better choice.

Hope that helps.

What's PB2?

I guess I might have too much mayo with my hamburger. I like to smother it in mayo. I could try to track my calories.

So do you have bread? You said anything, but bread is high in carbs. What about whole wheat pasta?

Jamie, I'm sorry you've got the blues. If the worst thing you've done is eat a couple spoons of peanut butter, you're more than okay. Peanut butter is one of my favorite things, and it's a cheat sometimes for me too. Right now there's none in the house; I don't need to be cheating right now for sure. I find that, for me, ANY bread or crackers are slippery slopes. As soon as I eat bread or crackers, I crave carbs...all the carbs in the world.

What makes Atkins so good for so many of us is that if you leave the bread, crackers, sugar, rice and potatoes alone long enough, you no longer crave them. Even if I control portions carefully, small amounts wake up the craving beast. And there's no way I'm counting calories. That drives me nuts, and I'm so hungry when I do it.

Whatever you decide is best for you, the Atkins Chicks will support you in your success. But don't give it up over peanut butter, girl. (If you must eat peanut butter, buy all natural, nothing except peanuts. It's not nearly as good as junky old Peter Pan with lots of sugar and salt and who knows what else, so I'm not tempted to dip into it unless I'm hysterical.) Feel better. Eat your stupid veggies; they'll make you pretty and smart.

PB2 is dehydrated, defatted peanut butter (you add water to it). It has 45 calories instead of 200. I mostly use it in sauces (asian peanut sauce on broccoli and chicken is my fav).

I don't usually eat bread or pasta, because one serving would blow through all 30g of my net carbs for a day. There are lower carb breads out there that I used to eat, but my grocery store stopped carrying them (booo!).
That's the catch... I could eat some bread but then it would likely be 0 carbs the rest of the day. So I have to plan for it.

I make low carb wraps and muffins using ground flax seed and soy flour to replace higher carb options, though. And I bake low carb tortillas to make some chips. There are a lot of great low carb recipes out there that aren't too time involved. One of my favorite sites for ideas is 'Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes.'

So overall, I have more options BUT it made it more complicated at the start. Now, I know what I like and it's easy-peasy for me.

Well that makes me feel better, BUT not long after I wrote that I had a handful of chips and one sip of soda. Would chips wake up carb cravings? Can I have them in moderation?

That gives me hope, but the question is how long?

Wonderful! Everyone here is so nice.

Hey, natural PB is better than no PB at all!

LOL

Where can I find this at? I'd love to try it.

Yeah, lots of carbs. I never heard of low carb bread...are there any online stores you may buy it from?

I checked out that site. Good stuff, only I don't like fooling in the kitchen too much, but I'm going to have to learn to like it.

I'm sure once I find my sweet spot, I'll be ok too.

You can get PB2 at netrition or on amazon. I'm not a big fan of anything thats been "defatted" lol! Fat is a big part of my keto diet. Are you eating enough fat to keep you satiated? Remember, Atkins and keto diets are not Protein diets, they are high fat, moderate protein, low carb. Coconut oil helps me feel more satiated throughout the day, I add it to my coffee in the morning, especially during shark week when my appitite can go crazy.

This has been my experience: How long? Three weeks with NO cheats, and I'm good to go. Chips and cravings? Chips will definitely wake the carby beast. ANYTHING made with flour (white or whole wheat), containing sugar, rice or potatoes makes me want MORE. Moderation? If I could eat chips and ice cream and bread in moderation, would I ever need to diet? The answer is "No." Moderation doesn't work for many of us with weight to lose because our bodies physically respond to carbohydrates in particularly nasty ways. Read some Dr. Atkins lit, particularly the sections that deal with insulin resistance and how our bodies handle carbs. Notice that you moved from crackers to chips; you didn't move from crackers to celery. I'm rooting for you, Jamie!

lol

It's true that Atkins is a high fat diet, but the PB2 actually has a few less carbs than regular PB, which makes it better.

I'll have to check out coconut oil. I put heavy whipping cream in my coffee. It's fatty and has no carbs.

I dunno if I'm getting enough fat. I add butter to my eggs, and fatty dressing like full fat ranch to my salads. What are some suggestions of how I can get my fat in at every meal?

It seems to me like you need yo do a 100% NO CHEATING induction because the little nibbles and slips are probably causing you some cravings. Have you tried making Revolution rolls or oopsie rolls? Flax has a strong flavor and it takes some getting used to but that is an option. How long have you been doing Atkins? There is a "spinach bread" recipe on genaw.com you may want to give a shot. I totally understand missing bread (I slipped up and ate pizza last week BUT that slip up made me realize that carbs make me feel funky). Other than that I do sneak a few berries in here and there as well as up to 5 nuts but I make sure to stay under 20 carbs (not sneaking everyday though). Try to make a list of what you want to achieve by successfully completing extended induction. That said, some people totally skip induction which is an option. You have to decide what will work best for you.

Sandyfanny-I am with you 100% on the carby beast.. my carb beast graced me with an extra 100 pounds.

I did good for a few days. I think the first time I went off the diet (started Tuesday of last week) was like Thursday or Friday when I ate one chip and took one sip of soda. Then the next day I had three to four fries. Very little.

Thanks for this info. I'll have to steer clear of these things.

I have the New Atkins for the New You book. It was practically a steal from Amazon.

I know, right? Good point. I'm going to have to have more willpower. During the first three weeks, how do you handle your cravings?

And hey, thanks! Thanks for the support to you, and everyone who's posted in this thread.

Me too! Nothing like an extra 100 pounds to get our attention. I gained 14 pounds in three or four months when I stopped watching my carbs. Of course, I was feeding the carby beast like it was my life mission. Unfortunately, I have learned the hard way (twice) that I cannot eat very many carbs unless I'm prepared to gain weight. But, not to worry, I also know how to lose it. Atkins works for so many women like no other way of eating. Onward!

Pat of butter on your cooked veggies, saute your veggies and meat eith olive oil, deviled eggs made with mayo, many recipes using cream cheese/heavy whipping cream and such, up to 3 ounces cheese per day, homemade alfredo sauce low carb version. If you do not like cooking the easiest way is to melt butter on your cooked veggies and use a fatty dressing, also fatty cuts of meat on some days... I suggest you go to a low carb recipe site and find a few recipes that sound good to you and master them, that way cooking willl feel a little less like a chore and those yummy foods will get you more excited.

Tell me about Revolution rolls and oopsie rolls. Never heard of them. I started Atkins Tuesday, a week ago. I want to stay in Induction, but if I can sneak a few berries and nuts, that will make me feel better. Just not everyday, right? And I will check out genaw.com. As I said somewhere else, I need to get used to the kitchen, because I'm going have to spend some time there to fix these things. Thanks!