O.k. i've been avoiding this question for a while! (about induction)

[Reggiano]

I have had a question in my head for 3 months now (i figure that it is probably easy to understand but i don't).

According to Dr. Atkins, induction is only 3 cups of veggies: 2 cups veggies and 1 cup other acceptable veggies...but 10-15gr. of my 20 gr. of carbs must come from veggies but 2 cups (which weighs 94 grams, because i weigh everything) has 0.8 net carbs and if i add 1/2 a cup of cauliflower=1.5 net carbs and 1/2 a cup of brocoli= 1.7 net carbs, it totals only 4 carbs....so i have my 3 cups but not the 10-15 carbs i need....

so that is the big question i've been to shy to ask about!

Thanks in advance for you response!

Reggiano

[jadeca1]

Hi!

I wasn't aware that 10-15 grams must come from veggies, where is this from? I would like to know because that would mean I'm doing something wrong, as I only get about 5 *maybe* 10 from my veggies. (Salad and other veggies included.)
Also, I think it would be better to go with the actual counts then to base your counts on the weights. (i.e., weighing the 2 cups of salad which equals .8.) If I eat 2 cups of salad, the lettuce alone, according to Dr. Atkins Carb Counter is about 1.4 grams, then the cucumber adds another .6 (for 1/3 of a small cucumber). Then if I factor in tomatoes (I only eat them once in a while) and salad dressing, I'm up to about 4.8 just for my salad. Then If I were to have a cup of broccoli/cauliflower mix, I would be eating 3.2 grams of carbs, making my total carb intake for veggies approximately 8 grams.

Also, I did read the book, but this is going back awhile, so if that's where the 10-15 grams from veggies comes from, I wonder why it's not on the website?

[MINDYMOUSE]

Your right.. The poster of this thread did not take into acount all the vegetables that are put in the salad.

and the 20 count is NOT just vegetables.

[Reggiano]

I did not say 20, but 10-15 that i got by writing to an Atkins Nutritionist on the Atkins website, but she did not answer my question properly which is why i come to you and another Atkins Nutritionist for answers...and in my book (Atkins), when i look for romaine lettuce the count for 1 cup is really 0.4 net carbs which means 0.8 for 2 cups...

[jadeca1]

You are 100% right, romaine is .08 for 2 cups. Butterhead is 1.4. However, I don't think you need to worry so much about getting THAT many carbs from veggies. It IS good to be eating a lot of veggies, of course, but the main concern is to stay under 20 in induction. As long as you do that, and you're eating the right amount of protein/fat/carb ratio, you should be fine!

[Lisa Rae]

"salad" does not mean just lettuce..that might be where the numbers would differ. If you add stuff from the acceptable veggie list to your salads..then with 2 cups mixed salad and your cup of other veggies from the list..10-15 is quite doable.

When I make a "salad" I add diffrent greens, cucumber, celery, mushrooms, etc.

If you get 10-15 of your 20 carbs from veggies..it helps keep energy up, calories down, fiber higher, and a great way to bulk a meal.

Also..it really gets it into your head that you don't have much room for "junk" because if your eating your good carb veggies..have a few eggs, some dressing, and your limit on cheese and cream..you should be real close to 20

It's not just about 20 carbs..but where they come from that can make all the diffrence in loss and long term health

[Jacks_mom]

I was kinda wondering the same thing....

Im still a lil' confused....

If I can have 3 cups of veggies...if I do 2 cups salad veggies and 1 cup of something else and it doesnt equal 20 I could eat more veggies as long as it isnt over 20....assuming i dont have anything else w/ carbs that day?

[Reggiano]

EXACTLY!!! Jack's mom you speak my mind!
Thanks!

[Jacks_mom]

I understand...I've been a little weary of asking that question myself....same reason...I just know that the answer is probably really simple...and Im over looking it or not SMRT enough to get it. Ive always just stuck to keeping my salad veggies to 2 cups and 1 cup other veggie's to be on the safe side...was good to know someone else had the same question

[Reggiano]

Well when i wrote to an Atkins' Nutritionist on their website, she told me that the point was to stay under 20grams/carbs with the acceptable vegetables. So it's pretty easy (even more when you weigh everything like i do, it's more accurate than 3 cups.) But when i read what people have to say about induction, it sounds tough. So that's where to me something is not right.
I'm happy to see that somebody is also having that question.

[cenicienta]

I always wondered about this as well. So what is the answer????

[CarbCrazyChristine]

The book says "approxamately" 3 cups of veggies. The MOSt must come from veggies. To me, "most" means over half. I am not sure about the carb counters that say broccoli has less than 2 grams of carbs per serving, I am not sure about. Every package I have ever seen has had at least 4 per one cup. The whole point is to choose good veggies. You could eat a ton of ice berg lettuce and barely have any carbs, or you can choose romaine lettuce that has a higher amount of carbs, but also a lot more vitamins and minerals.

[Atkins_Nutritionist]

With the emerging research about fiber, the focus on Induction and in meal planning in general is on how to maximize your fiber intake while still maintaining your level of net carbs. The books you are referring to were published before this research was considered and applied to Atkins principles and thus, the guidelines of the Atkins Nutritional Approach have been updated. In the previous guidelines of 3 cups of salad vegetables (cucumber, endive, lettuce, mushrooms, peppers, radishes, etc) or 2 cups salad vegetable/1 cup other vegetables (artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, etc), subtracting out the fiber from total carbs gives you a lot more options before you hit your total allowance for the day. So instead of focusing on those specific guidelines, you want to include as many cups of fiber rich vegetables as you can while still staying within the level of net carbs that are appropriate for the phase you are in. Depending on what your menu planning looks like, you may be having as many as 8 cups of vegetables, even on Induction! It is not necessarily 'wrong' to follow the old guidelines, but these updated guidelines take into account the latest research. Hope this helps to clarify things. The newest publications and the website are currently being updated to reflect these updates. Until then, feel free to post here with questions to receive the latest information.

[Reggiano]

In other words, i can eat as much vegetables as i want if i stay within my limits of 20 carbs per day. Am i right?

[Lisa Rae]

Reggiano,

I'm sure the AN will respond..but basically yes. You also have to really count allll your other carbs though..as it is easy to go over the 20 if your not paying attenton! everything but pure protein (not including organ meats and shellfish..which have some) and oil/butter have carbs. So that means you have to **** eggs, cream, dressing..and even things like sweetners (unless you use liquid..the powder bulk in ALL of them have trace carbs.)

So YES, you could eat only veggies and unprocessed protein to hit your 20..but unlikely you will eat that way for life. Adding in things like salad dresing..cheese..eggs..and adding those carbs in will keep your menue intresting..and thus..much more likely to do this long-term

[Atkins_Nutritionist]

Yes, you can eat as many vegetables as you want as long as you stay within your net carb threshold at whatever the phase you are in at the time. You don't need to stay within the 3 cups guidelines if you have not yet reached your daily net carb allowance. Adding more vegetables is a great way to get more fiber and other nutrients.

[Reggiano]

On page 124 of the new diet revolution, Dr. Atkins writes that eggs can be eaten liberally so why count the carbs?

[Lisa Rae]

because that is the basic premise of low-carb.. Counting carbs.

Carbs are what we count! Dr. A, in my understanding, was trying to make induction as painless and simple as possible. So..if you ate your veggies..limits on things like cheese (and yes, cheese is limited kids.have to read the fine print) and limits on cream..then you can eat quite a decent amount of eggs. But like anything..you can't binge on any food in general and lose weight.

One of the keys for me is learning to eat a balanced menue. Hence..I don't believed in doing meat fasts..or meat and egg fasts to lose weight..I simply don't believe that is a healthy balance of foods.

Eggs are very very low in calories, carbs and a great snack. But if you learn to count everything when you start..eventually you will know when you have had the correct amount of carbs for your stage. You can't know this if your not counting..guessing is what leads to carb creep and lack of loss IMHO

P.S. eggs have .6 carbs per egg..so doing the math..you can still have 2-3 eggs for breakfast..and a few during the day as snacks and easily stay at your 20 carb level for induction. I probably averaged 4 eggs a day for my first few months..and lost 9 lbs on induction..and over 100 to date.

[Atkins_Nutritionist]

Thank you Lisa Rae for that wonderful answer.