Hello! I am new to this forum, but not to 3FC. Mostly you'll find me hanging around the 100 lb. forum, since I started out with so much to lose. I've had a hard time with this weight loss; I have been working on it steadily since June 2006 and haven't reached the 100 lb. mark yet, and I hit plateaus every 30 pounds or so. It's like clockwork, which is kind of weird.

Long story short, I've been doing calorie counting, but I've been stuck since October in spite of upping my exercise a tremendous amount, and it boils down to carbs. I've been eating sort of low carb (130-150 grams per day) and keeping my ratios at 40/30/30(-ish), but this latest plateau is really stubborn and I think the key is to cut my carbs even further.

To that end I've been lurking around here, reading all the good advice. I started reading the book today (1992 copyright, per Kim's excellent advice) and I plan to start the diet once a) TOM ends (started today, to be TMI about it), and b) I've had a chance to read the entire book.

Which brings me to my question: since I work in a library, I have access to all the cookbooks. I'm just curious if, like the Atkins book itself, there are any issues with the recipes. Should I steer clear of them, or are they within the plan? I want to be as strict as possible with Induction so that I can succeed or fail without an excuse. I guess I'm just worried that maybe the carb counts aren't as accurate as they could be? Maybe I'm being paranoid because of what's been said about the bars and newer editions of the book. (Not that many of these recipes are induction-friendly anyway, and I will be staying on Induction for as long as I can to get to goal.)

I am a carb MONSTER, so this is going to be either the best thing I ever did for myself, or incredibly difficult for me. Are the recipes in the book going to help or hinder me? (I have already discovered Linda's site thanks to the many links here and spent last night going through those recipes.)

Thanks for the answer to a stupid question! I'm really liking what I've read so far about the plan and looking forward to giving it a real try.

For me, personally...it would depend on the recipe. Ones for fresh meat and fish, eggs, low-carb veggies would generally not be a problem but I totally avoid the sweets...including the Atkins products, the recipes and no more than 3 packs of Splenda a day, max.

I found that even eating low-carb sweets took me back down the road of sweets cravings and impulses to binge....not a road I wanted to be on again...as it would lead to no good. I love that those are all eliminated on pure Atkins. Oh, and not to mention that the "net carbs" they claim can be very deceptive.

When I stayed on maintenance for years....adding fruit did not kick in sweet cravings but if I ate ANY sort of simple carb, I started craving and running into trouble again. Luckily, I had this rule: If I gain 5 lbs. I must go back on induction and lose it........or else I might have gained it all back if I'd let myself ever have simple carbs/sugar/flour/pasta, etc.

I also think you might have fun doing an entirely different diet.....just for the change. After the first 2-3 days, you really get a lot of increased energy...that alone makes it worth it. And I think switching from calorie-counting to metabolic should definitely shake up your metabolism and get it moving again. I've added in a bit of calorie-alternating once I got really close to goal....and have hit no plateaus yet.

deena

Deena, thanks for the input! I get what you're saying about sticking with the fresh ingredient-only recipes. I am seeing a lot of 'Atkins Bake Mix' substitute and that sort of makes me nervous, mostly because anything with a bready texture will make me crave carbs.

Ditto for sweet, so I think you're right that I should avoid those recipes as well. I am a Splenda junkie and I know I need to learn how to drink coffee with just creamer. I used to do it, back when I first started losing seriously and gave up sugar and wheat, so I know that I *can*. It's just weaning myself off the three Splendas in my Starbucks and the Crystal Light that's going to be an adjustment.

The idea of an increase in my energy is pretty appealing, I have to say. I'm in week 9 of P90X (a pretty extreme 12-week weight training program) and I was a little worried I wouldn't have the energy with low-carb to keep with it, but now I hope that I will.

I can do it! It is very nice to be able to talk about it here, so I'm glad there are a few active posters on the Atkins forum.

Thanks, Kim! I spent last night poking through those recipes and they look great. I will be relying pretty heavily on them, I'm sure.

Hi, Caroline, welcome! I am so glad you are here! Like you, I'm a newbie to this. I'm doing sort of a modified Atkins plan (in other words I haven't been doing the induction phase exactly right, but looking back, I did keep my carbs very low generally.)

I've been dieting 10 days and have lost 9 lbs. so far. Mostly water weight, I know, but still it feels like progress.

When I started low-carbing, I felt awful. No energy, depression, grouchy, could barely make myself do 10 minutes on the elliptical trainer, and hating every minute.

Only 10 short days later, after avoiding ALL simple carbs, I have experienced the following changes:

1. Lost 9 pounds.
2. Have a million times more energy. Feel WELL for the first time in years. Sleeping better. Did 25 minutes on the elliptical trainer today, loved every minute, wanted to keep going but I stopped myself because I want to increase my exercise very gradually to avoid injury.
3. Feel well emotionally, finally. Low-carbing finally worked on the depression, better than the depression meds did.
4. Feel hopeful about the future. I really do believe I can do this! I'm not having hunger pangs when I make sure to eat 1,200 calories a day (if I eat less, which I did for a few days accidentally, I get hunger pangs) and yet that diet WILL allow me to get to my goal weight of a healthy BMI, eventually.

That's what 10 days of a modified, sloppy version of the Atkins diet did for me.

Try it (except do better than I did, LOL!) and see if it doesn't do all that for you, and more!

Hey, if two weeks later you don't feel a million times better...then there wasn't really much lost, you can always go back to your old diet.

But right now, I am a huge believer in low-carbing and I don't EVER want to go back to a high-carb life.