Wasn’t sure where to post this, I’m new here and new to Atkins; any info would be of help. I intended to start Atkins on October 3, but ended up just starting yesterday (why wait -besides, I’d like to get this induction thing on the way!) I purchased the new Diet Revolution book (Atkins); and although I am still in the process of reading it thoroughly so I understand it more; I do have a few questions when it comes to the induction phase:

First of all a quick menu of what I have eaten so far:

egg/cheese omlette / 2 sausage/ coffee with “splash of milk” & splenda
celery pieces w/ ranch bacon dressing/ pork rinds
4 slices smoked deli ham/- 3 oz of swiss cheese/diet dr pepper
Porterhouse steak/small piece of chicken/serving of canned green beans

This a.m.: 2 sausage/2bacon same coffee as above
Snack/lunch: Atkins shake and 2 slices of roast beef

I was just wondering if this was an acceptable menu for induction.
Also, what are you doing for breakfast? Eggs get old.
And finally, what options for coffee creamer other than milk??
Any snacks come to mind for induction? I’m not a big pork rind fan, it kinda grosses me out

Any other induction tips would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thanks!

Hi there..and welcome to Atkins and the Board.

Your first menu looks okay, but no milk on Atkins, you are actually allowed real cream altho there is a daily limit. You should be having at least 3 cups of veggies (3 cups salad, or 2 cups salad and 1 cup other veggies) and not sure what is in the Dr. Pepper, but Dr. Atkins prefers Sucralose/splenda to aspartame, as it may stall some people. Also if possible coffee should be decaf (altho many still drink caffeine and claim it has not hindered their weight loss).

ONE WARNING: Atkins shakes and bars and other lc/sf stuff has been known to stall people and should be used as an occasional treat. Also I don't think the shakes and bars are on the acceptable food list for induction so should therefore be avoided (at least for the first two weeks).

Also beware of some deli meats as they may have fillers, sugar and nitrates...check labels if possible.

I think Chapter 11 in the book has the induction rules and list of acceptable foods (but don't have my book with me here).

You may also wish to check out www.atkins.com which also has great information on the plan and induction, along with recipes and other tips.

Other boards to look at for great recipes are: www.lowcarber.org and www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com . Both have breakfast ideas (other than eggs) which you might want to try.

Hope this helps.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

Froufy

I just started yesterday It is hard to remember that something as simple as a piece of gum or a life saver is a no-no.

I did go out on the atkins site with a question about his products during induction. It said that during induction you CAN use the products but to use only one a day, and if possible not everyday. It said the point of induction is to get whole foods in the body and to begin to teach proper eating habits, which bars and shakes don't promote. I took it as if I were in a pinch and I had the option of eating junk or an Atkins product to eat the Atkins product just not to do this everyday. I don't recall this in the book.

I am a little fuzzy on the caffeine, it says that it lowers blood sugar which causes sugar cravings and says to avoid it (this is #10 in the rules of induction). So is it saying you can have caffeine, but you are risking sugar cravings or is it saying just don't do it at all in induction?

Is sugar free gum ok? And what about the Carbolite sour gummies (they say 0 sugar carbs)?

Also, how long before the sugar shakes and cravings pass?

Thanks for the links!! I just learned a lot about induction I didn't even think of.

Sorry for all the questions,

Hi Jenni, after about 3 days you should be past the shakes. As for the allowables - it all boils down to your own personal chemistry. Some people can lose on these things, other cannot. If on induction, in my opinion, I would stay away from them, and then slowly add them back in after induction to see if you can still lose while using them.

Carbolite candies - they are good, but have sugar alcohols. I don't think these are OFF LIMITS in induction, but they are really not wise. First - you are trying to say goodbye to sweet stuff. Second, you need to clean out, and the sugar alcohol might prevent that. Caffeine can also make some people stall. If you have to have it, I'd keep it bare minimum, and if you aren't losing weight, you might want to switch to decaf.

Thanks Jennifer!

Today is day 3 and I am really shaking today and my cravings are BAD right now. I will just have to stick to my guns today and hope that today is going to be the worst of it and tomorrow will be the start of the better.

The shakes are telling me that I am doing good so that is some motivation.

Jenny1 & Littlefreedom hang in there, it does get easier. I agree with the ladies and what they've said, by trying to stick to induction as closely as possible by not having candy, soda, and even regular coffee. Its only 2 weeks (i know i know lol) but you can do it. Then you can start to add some other stuff into your diet such as the gummy treats.

You can do it !!!! we'll be rootin for you

Today is day #3 of Atkins and I am 257.5, I don't know if I've lost or not, but it's only day #3. I felt kinda nauseus (sp?) this a.m., but that went away. I decided to skip the coffee and do iced tea - heated with splenda that way I can skip the milk. I'll try to get rid of the caffiene slowly though This weekend, I'll go to the "Low Carb Mall" by my house to see what's out there. The cool thing is though, when I'm hungry, the foods I'm allowed to eat are filling! whooo hooo!

What can I do about the bad breath thing, Atkins says to chew parsley.... well I don't have parsley nearby (I'm at work!) HELP! I miss chatting with the co-workers! Instead I'm downing water!!!! It's NOT helping!!!

That is one thing I do cheat a little on (well, not really "cheat") I count the 2g carbs for each piece of Cloret gum. I hate the breath thing too!

The breath thing is a tough one. I did find in the regular store mints that hasd 0 carbs they are called SMINT, its a blue box and it has 40 teeny mints in the box. It says its made of Xylitol???? I use them sparingly but now since I am off of induction I do chew a piece of sf gum but watch them some have more carbs then others. I use trident white. I think one piece is one carb but some times when your going to lunch w/people you KNOW you need a piece.

How about chewing celery ? (ick huh lol)

LittleFreedom,

Today is my 3rd day of Atkins, too, and I'm just starting to get past the carb cravings. We can do it!!

I haven't had a problem, yet, with the breath thing but I know it's coming.

Keep us posted!!

Lisa
Bridget's Mom (03/02
Atkins - Day 3
Down 3 pounds!

I found them! Thanks. They actually have 2g of carbs, but that is a serving of 10 pieces. If I just have one in the a.m. and one after lunch I should be fine. I guess I'll go online and find what this xylitol stuff is! Thanks for the idea! They're not so bad too!!

I also came across this:

http://www.physicalmag.com/BasicHealth/xylitol.html
Copy and pasted from above page:

"The average person eats one-half cup of sugar a day, more than is recommended for the average person, particularly people who suffer from diabetes, insulin resistance, and Syndrome X. Unlike sugar, xylitol does not require insulin to be metabolized. Xylitol is an all-natural sugar substitute derived from birch tree bark or from corncobs. It is teaspoon-for-teaspoon as sweet as sugar, and has the added quality of binding to saliva, leaving a sweet taste lingering in the mouth. Fran Gare explains the health benefits of using xylitol rather than sugar, aspartame, saccharin, sorbitol, or mannitol.

About the Author: Fran Gare is a clinical nutritionist and naturopathic physician who has coauthored six best-selling books including Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution, Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Cookbook, and The Mandells’ It’s Not Your Fault You’re Fat. Dr. Gare was the Director of Nutrition at the Atkins Center for Complementary Nutrition, New York City, and Director of Natural Medicine at Miami Heart Hospital. She is a media personality who has appeared frequently on national TV and radio and print, offering expertise on health and diet issues."

I am sure you can have the Shakes and the Advantage bars on Induction and the new Morning Start bars. But like someone else said you should limit them.. I am going to school for my RN plus working so there are some days i eat a morning start bar...the Apple Crisp is the best. And as far as the Advantage Bars ..I prefer the cookies n creme and the smores! yummy

I used to get the bad breath thing at first but it has seemed to gone away..either that or I am so used to the stinch! lol

I had problems with constipation at first too but I was rarely eating salads so I have increased that and it has helped but you can buy psyllium husks pills at GNC...I am pretty sure those were what was reccomended in the book.

For beverages....I like Decaf iced tea with Splenda and Fruit 2 O
it is flavored with Splenda.

Hang in there!

This probably seems like a silly question, but I'll ask anyway. How do you know when you have the bad breath? Can you smell it yourself or are you getting casual comments from others?

I am on day #3 but have not noticed it although my mouth has been a little dry today.

Also, isn't gum like Wrigley's Extra Sugarfree safe? If not, that is probably why I haven't noticed the bad breath;-)

BTW, I highly recommend decaf with a little cream as it has helped me get off the cafffine.

I am now on day 4 (shocking to me)

I have the breath and constipation issues, Yuck. I am getting a BIG salad for lunch.

I was craving all day yesterday, but I beat it. I had 4 snack bags of chips at my desk yesterday (and again today) and 9 cookies which I took home and froze. Then I attended a longaberger party and had only a water and there were so many yummy goodies laying around. I felt like I really accomplished something yesterday, it was a big day for me.

I have been giving myself a Dr. Atkins snack bar at night after work. The wafer things, I have 3 cases in my pantry. They help, I feel like I am getting a sweet snack. But I am going to start having them occasionally now that I feel like I am past the cravings. Those really helped me the first 3 days.

Leg cramps - When do these go away. In the book he says you get them when minerals deplete so quickly and because of not following his recommendations on taking supplements. I am taking the recommended supplements but I have only been on them for 3 days. Is this normal? Will they go away soon?

Goodluck everyone