[minijaxgrl]

Hello everyone! I am currently on calorie counting. I'm doing ok. The first few weeks were fantastic. But I'm still hungry, a lot. I tried Atkins about 5 years ago. It was REALLY hard for me. I bought a bunch of the fake "low carb" crap. Candy, bars, you name it. I ended up freaking out, mentally. Long story short I fell and broke my tail bone, and hurt my back. So I couldn't work for a couple months. Was pretty much stuck at home 24/7. So I think I had some cabin fever going on as well. Anyways, are there any chocolate addicts? I'm really considering trying Atkins again, but I'm nervous about the chocolate thing. Anyone have any advice? It would be most appreciated. Thanks!

[loveydovey]

low carbing isn't like 5 years ago. all good recipes, you wouldnt think it's hard..

stella style dot com .. which is a good site

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by minijaxgrl

I tried Atkins about 5 years ago. It was REALLY hard for me. I bought a bunch of the fake "low carb" crap. Candy, bars, you name it.

I'm sorry to hear your initial experience with Atkins was unfavorable. Doing Atkins correctly, especially Induction (Phase 1) is extremely important since the true purpose of Induction is to rid your body of sugar cravings and prepare it to become a fat burning machine.
If I may make a few suggestions The first & IMO, the most important, read the book before you begin the plan. Understanding how & why this plan works and having the knowledge of the plan provides you with motivation. Be sure to get a 2002 or prior version of Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. The newer versions, after Dr. Atkins death in 2003 have been "altered" to include shakes & bars which were never intended to be part of the everyday plan. They were created for emergencies when no other low carb foods are available. Therefore, my second suggestion would be to avoid the "low carb crap". The shakes, the bars, things like Dreamfields pasta, low carb tortilla's etc. While these items have their occasional place on Atkins...Induction is not the time to be introducing them. Best to save those sorts of things when you are well into Maintenance. That being said, to do Atkins correctly, you want to concentrate to real foods....meats, veggies, salads, eggs, cheese....foods on the acceptable foods list only. Water is also a very important part of Atkins. Be sure you are drinking plenty of water everyday and taking a good multivitamin. Also, don't forget to add some moderate exercise. Dr. Atkins himself said "Exercise is not negotiable". Walking is one of the best forms of exercise there is and almost anyone can do it.
As far as the chocolate addiction, there are "legal treats" on Atkins (even on Induction) but....remember, just because they may be "legal" that does not mean it gives you license to eat them everyday. Check out http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html Anything marked with an * is suitable for Induction
Remember, if you want successful & permanant weightloss you must be willing to change your eating habits for the rest of your life. "If You Do What You Always Did....You'll Get What You Always Got".
You CAN do this!
All the best to you!!!

[Deena52]

Hi minijaxgrl.

First, I would stay away from all the fake low carb stuff. IMO, they use all sorts of magic to claim their net carb totals...and to me, they're bogus. If you check the number of carbs and compare it to the net carbs...it seems impossible to magically turn the high number into the low number. Plus, they're not appropriate for induction...plus, they will kick-in all sorts of sugar and carb cravings. Oh...and plus, some of the ingredients in those bars...possibly glycerol or sugar alcohols...can give you stomach aches and the runs.

I'm rather militant about Atkins but that's because Atkins, for me, has been the difference between spending my life fat or spending it at a normal weight. And believe me, I've tried many of the other diets...it wasn't for lack of trying. I specifically remember, many years ago, doing calorie counting and being at work...and having my apple for snack...and 15 minutes later I was ravenous. And I remember going into almost a panic and thinking, "I can't do this".....and I'm not a person who gives up easily. If it works for me....I have tons of will-power. In fact, I haven't even needed will-power for Atkins...once the first 2-3 days was completed.

In fact...and I'm almost 58 years old here....it's now all about not only being a normal weight but also about eating "clean" for me (plus walking). And it's also about a plan I can stick with forever. For me, this is not a "diet" (which implies being able to go off it one day)....it's a "way of eating".....and for me, the benefits are so great, that it's totally worth it.

And the main benefits, IMO, in addition to the weight loss and being healthy and "clean"....is that 1) I'm never ravenously hungry, 2) the food totally satisfies me, 3) all my sugar cravings (including chocolate) are gone....and for ME, cravings always involved sugar and/or chocolate, so I can totally relate and 4) all bingeing behavior is a thing of the past and I can't even imagine bingeing like I used to do. In fact, there are sweets here (for my son) and they don't even faze me. I've had NO sugar since the beginning of last summer....and don't even miss it.

There are apparently some people who can do a modified Atkins and can lose weight....and there are those who do fantastic on a calorie-counting plan....and even those who do fantastic on a whole variety of eating plans on the forums here. But if being constantly hungry is the biggest threat to sticking to an eating plan, I think that Atkins should be considered.

deena

[giselley]

chocolate? I'm not an "addict" but I like it enough. On Atkins, you can use the actual dark coacoa powder and add stevia (or artificial sweetner). There are low carb chocolates. There's also the option of eating non-sweet chocolate which is bitter but has the same effect on your brain. That's the way it was originally eaten.

Back several years ago they were really trying to make money off low carb. They had these little stores that sold all kinds of low carb junk. I looked into it, but it was way expensive. I also am against the ready made stuff because I do not like a lot of fillers and preservatives-- I can't afford "all organic" but I certainly can eat things with only a few ingredients, not a list of unpronounceable chemical names.

[Violet73]

Originally Posted by giselley

chocolate? I'm not an "addict" but I like it enough. On Atkins, you can use the actual dark coacoa powder and add stevia (or artificial sweetner). There are low carb chocolates. There's also the option of eating non-sweet chocolate which is bitter but has the same effect on your brain. That's the way it was originally eaten.

Back several years ago they were really trying to make money off low carb. They had these little stores that sold all kinds of low carb junk. I looked into it, but it was way expensive. I also am against the ready made stuff because I do not like a lot of fillers and preservatives-- I can't afford "all organic" but I certainly can eat things with only a few ingredients, not a list of unpronounceable chemical names.

Stevia is a chemical....all artificial sweeteners are chemicals.