Hi Brittany and Jenna.
I really like this particular site for easy reference (for induction foods and tips):
http://www.veronicaatkinsfoundation.org/lifestyle.htm
It is really helpful to have the 2002 book to refer to, especially as a resource to go to if you encounter any glitches or problems. IMO, the basic plan is relatively easy to comprehend....but all the little particulars can be tricky...esp. in terms of exactly WHAT carbs to eat and which ones to avoid. The number of net carbs you eat is important but exactly WHAT carbs you can eat, especially on induction, is really critical. There are a whole lot of low-carb foods you have to avoid on induction. About 75% of the net carbs should be from low-carb veggies and then the rest are mainly from the dairy. One must also be very careful about the amount of dairy one uses and I mainly only use them as condiments (shredded cheese on veggies and in omelets, etc.)
I guess a better way to put it....when determining which carbs you can eat...is that you have to avoid ALL sugars and hidden sugars. My basic plan has been meats, fish, eggs, veggies (lots) and limited dairy.....and of course, butter and mayo. A huge tip is to eat plenty of fat....and this can be counter-intuitive due to widely-held beliefs that fat is bad and low-fat is good. Being sure I ate enough fat was critical to making the scale move ever downward....not to mention that it was critical in preventing hunger and promoting satiety. You almost have to totally re-train your thinking/brain.
Theoretically, I could have eaten low-carb...yet lost no weight...if I'd been eating the wrong carbs. Of course, this is specifically for me....as I am very sensitive to carbs and which ones I eat make all the difference in the world for me, in terms of whether I lose weight or don't.....and keep it off or don't.
I could also have followed the plan but not eaten enough fat and would have struggled to lose.
Others can simply decrease their carbs, regardless of which carbs they are, and still lose weight. Heck, others have success on low-calorie plans...whereas I don't. It probably relates to just how sensitive one is to carbs......but if you run into difficulty, it's really beyond helpful to have the correct references (ie: the right Atkins book) so that you can trouble-shoot for yourself and determine what issues might be problems for you.
Way back in the early 90's, I thought I knew what I was doing when I started Atkins. But over time, I came to actually memorize the entire book...because I went back to it so many times just to trouble-shoot for myself. With the book, you eventually come to know exactly what YOU should and should not eat in order to achieve the most success. You will probably find that it's a process of gradually tweaking your menu as you go along. What I thought the plan was back in the early 90's and what I came to understand turned out to be quite different, actually. I also found that reading certain parts of the book over and over was quite motivating for me along the way. It's extremely helpful to come to understand exactly how the diet is working for you metabolically and biochemically.
deena
Bought the book today!!
I think I'm gonna like this.
