I'm new here.....

[Karsluma]

I just found you all and am interested in joining your group - if you're open to new members

I'm trying out a low-carb diet for the FIRST time ever. I have done just about EVERY diet out there, and have always lost *some* weight, but well.... you know the drill....

I have two children, 3 1/2 and 2, and am very unhappy and depressed about my weight. I am only 5'1" and about 170 lbs.

So today I started with a low carb approach, but could use ANY tips that you may have.

Is it possible to follow a low-carb diet, just by counting the number of carb grams per day - without doing the entire Atkins Induction? And about how many carbs would that be? I'm guessing around 20 grams? Is that a good start?

One of my main problems is that I don't like vegetables - I know - that's horrible, but I just don't and most of the foods on the Atkins induction list are just BLECK to me.

So today was my first day and I ate nearly no carbs, but I feel like CRAP. I had a headache and feel nauseaus and hungry. So I know I'm not doing it right - or my body is just in shock and needs time to get used to it.

I can't afford to buy all the Atkins food or other low-carb bars, so any tips on ANYTHING is appreciated.

Thanks and I hope to get to know you!
Kim

[hotnspicy]

I would recommend induction to detox the carbs from your body. On induction you can have a maximum of 20 carbs - mostly from vegetables. The detox will make you feel sort of like you did today - headachy, nauseated, almost like you have the flu. It only lasts for a few days but afterwards you will start feeling much better and most of your cravings will be gone. It's definitely worth waiting it through.

As far as the low carb bars and things, you are better off without them. Real food is much better for your body and a lot less expensive. I think they taste like caca anyway.

Go to the Atkins web site and read their information on induction. You can do this. There's a lot of support here so ask any questions or get out your frustrations. There's always somewhere here ready to listen.

Welcome aboard.

Jackie

[spazcat]

welcome and good luck

[dodgersmom]

Kim,

Welcome! I am still a newbie and find the posts on this site to be a great source of inspiration.

I would really recommend reading Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution (DANDR). Even if you are not going to follow his plan, I think it is important to understand the science of how this way of eating (WOE) really works.

If you do not want to invest in the book, go to your local Borders's or Barnes and Noble, grab a large decaf (bring your ouw Splenda), and read through it.

Welcome again!

[susume]

You really need the vegies as that is where a person get vitamins and minerals. Even so Dr. Atkins and I`m would bet any other low - carb diet would recomend over the counter vitamins to cover what get`s washed out as you need to drink at least 64 oz. of water a day and really you should even drink more.
If you decide to do Dr. ATkins diet it would be of great importance to read the book. You would then understand why this and why that. Otherwise you will be confused on why certain food do what. Some people study the book over and over and keep gleening information and in doing so eat correctally to loose the weight and keep it off.
If done right you will never be hungary. And when you do slip up for a day or two if you get right back you will learn and learn and it will become a new way of eating and you will feel better for having done it and you will want to keep learning and doing it right. It takes time to learn a new way of eating and then sticking to it.
You do not need to buy any Atkins foods, and this woe is not expensive at all. Infact it`s much cheeper than any other way of eating.
I don`t know the answer to other questions, but I believe if you give this way of eating a chance it`s your best bet to lose weight and keep it off. Spend time reading the threads, they are very helpfull. And ask questions. Someone is sure to know the answers. Sue

[mom2brig]

Kim, welcome and good luck to you.

[xfatchik]

Hi and welcome!
When I began with induction I had headaches for the first couple days. You may also feel sluggish at first. After a few days all of this will go away. I don't buy all the low carb junk either. Just eat lots of meats and cheeses. I don't care much for vegies either but get them in by eating salads. If you stick with under 20 grams of carbs per day you should do fine. Some people recommend a strict Atkins the first 2 weeks. I am on a modified plan of less than 20 carbs per day. Hope you have great success and happy low carbin'.

[Annie64]

The first time I did Atkins two years ago I had a KILLER migraine on Day #2, then after that I felt great and had a lot of energy.

Other times I still got a migraine on Day#2, but THIS time (the final time because I'm staying on it for good) I felt crappy the whole first week! I had about 4 migraine days, body aches, etc... I still am not sure if it was all detox or a combination of that and being sick. I hardly have any migraines now, and a lot of other problems I had have gone away... feet hurting, knee hurting, dry dry elbows and heels, indigestion...

This way of eating is so wonderful, I hope you stick with it because it is the ONLY thing that has worked for me. I'm not much of a veggie lover either and still struggle to eat them. I try to eat salad now and then, or canned grean beans, broccoli or cauliflower with cheese sauce is yummy! Other than those, there aren't many others I eat!

Good luck, and stick with this board - you will get major support here and answers to all your questions!

[JuliaL]

Kim - welcome I think you'll find the low carb way of eating the best way to lose weight.

Whatever low carb plan you chose, you should do it correctly. So if you decide to do Atkins then you really should do induction exactly the way it's laid out in Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution.

I won't lecture you about eating veggies, I can tell from your post that you know how important they are to a healthy diet, but I will suggest you visit the recipe room on this board. There are some great ways to fix veggies that even veggie haters will love.

Good luck, and check back to let us know how you're doing.

Julia

[Sharon]

As to the veggies question, look through the recipe room for new ways to serve them or new types of veggies that you haven't tried before. I never had heard of spaghetti squash and now love it. I hate spinach and now put fresh into salads along with my lettuce and make the crustless quiche lorraine which has spinach in it for breakfast. I agree with doing the plan exactly as stated because that's what works. Good luck

[Karsluma]

Thanks to all who responded. I'm so new at this and really jumped in feet first - not the best way to go about something. I AM going to try to eat some veggies, and I do like raw carrots, lettuce, cucumbers - that's about it - sad, I know.

I also take a multi-vitamin every day. I just hope I can get over the headaches and sluggish feeling (this is only day 2). I also need to have some ideas for 'quick' snacks or foods that require very little preparation. That's why I mentioned the atkins bars.

Yesterday I had VERY little carbs - like 4 g and today I had no idea what to have for breakfast, so I had PB w/ bread. I just need something REAL for breakfast, and hope I can do NO carbs the rest of the day since the bread was 14 g.

I hope you will bear with me even if I don't go through the Atkins induction - I understand your reasons for recommending it highly, but I feel that it will just set me up to fail as the foods don't really appeal to me.

Oh, and NO aspartame - UGH - I love diet coke - anyone come up with an alternative to this? I will try to drink more water, but I've always drank diet coke- I read on atkins that it may contribute to lack of weight losss though - yikes!!

Thanks again, and I hope to learn much from you!

Kim

[Diddly]

Hi Kim,

I'm new here too, there's so much useful information here !

I would also recommend buying the Atkins book as when you read through it, it makes so much sense, I found myself constantly nodding at things ! I also typed a list of the Induction 'allowance' in a large font and have stuck it on my fridge so when I am preparing my food I have no excuses for eating the wrong thing ! I found I felt surprising ok on Induction and didn't feel hungry, it's really worth sticking out ! The second week of Induction I was actually away on a weeks holiday and stuck to it easily, eating out in restaurants for several evenings, it's really not as bad as it seems!

If you don't like vegetables maybe you can make a lovely chicken soup with your vegetable quota included partly in that ? You could make a lovely one with onions/garlic/olive oil as a base, some chopped veggies, chopped chicken and herbs with a swirl of cream before serving I also include a little low-salt yeast extract, just for the added B Vitamins.

Drinkwise, on top of my water I also have several herbal teas a day, pepperming, chamomile and rosehip. Plus 2 decaf coffee's a day with cream.

[JuliaL]

Kim: I'm assuming you've read the book, and eating bread was just your way of doing Atkins without doing induction. Carrots are also not allowed on Atkins - too much sugar. However, there are problems with eating a piece of bread for breakfast and then no carbs the rest of the day. First of all, unless all you're eating is meat and fat (butter, oil, etc.) you will eat carbs. Everything has carbs except meat and fat. Second, you're supposed to spread your carbs through the day to avoid spikes in blood sugar. This is the whole point of doing Atkins.

If you haven't read it, I really do suggest you read either Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution or Atkins for Life, or both. Then you can decide how you want to go about your low carb lifestyle. Don't try to do this woe without understanding the reasons behind it.

Best wishes

[Karsluma]

I haven't read the book but have read the website pretty extensively. The thought of spreading out the carbs makes sense, so I will do that.

Thank you to all who are encouraging me to go all the way. I will be a bit more open minded about it, ok? I DO understand your point of view, but this morning, the thought of eating eggs made me nauseaus - I swear, I'm addicted to carbs. I like eggs, but I'm not a breakfast eater, and that is a big thing in ALL weight loss challenged - EAT breakfast!

BUT I can tell you that I didn't even think about the cereal my kids were eating or the pizza that DH was taking to work. So my thoughts ARE changing, just a bit at a time.

Maybe I'll have some tuna/mayo on lettuce for lunch?

If I get my husband addicted to this (he doesnt' really need to lose), then HE will do the majority of planning, as he always has. That would really help.

Bottom line - i've got to convince HIM to read the book!

thanks again and again and again!
Kim

[justpancho]

Hiyas! I started Atkins 4/30/03 and whew that first week for me was really rough. I was in so much pain by day 4... but day 5 rolled around and all the pain just disappeared. It was almost like this fog had lifted and I felt better than I had in years.

For me, finding stuff to eat was tiring at first.. as I really tried to imitate my old way of eating but with low carb stuff. It wasn't until I really opened up to the idea of change that things really started getting better. I started experimenting with different foods. I never much was a salad person, so I took on the challenge of finding unique salads like greek salad and cucumber salad. Anything new that you can add to your menu that you like will help as new foods are just more exciting to eat. Some stuff I tried didn't turn out so good, but that was okay too because the ones that I did like I look forward to eating them all the time. Also, I tried to abandon traditions as well. I still don't know who came up with egg/bacon/sausage for breakfast, but it doesn't 'have' to be that way. I enjoy leftovers from the night before many mornings.

If veggies aren't your thing, then maybe you could mix them in some sauce that makes them taste more to your liking. Sometime I mix make a pot of green beans in some tomato juice... and then add some spices.

Anyways.. good luck to you. Hang in there as things do get better and you will feel better and better each day.

[Meowser]

I just wanted to say that if you really don't want to do the Atkins induction, there are other low-carb plans out there. Perhaps one of them would be better for you?

Protein Power and South Beach both have an initial period like the Atkins' induction, but the food list is not as restrictive. It really sounds like you don't want to do Atkins, but do want to low carb. Please look around for a plan that works for you and that you WANT to do.

I read many of the low carb books and devised my own low carb plan based on what I'd read. In the end it turns out that I did more if a Protein Power intervention (similar to the Atkins' induction) followed by the other 3 phases of Atkins.

Remember, Atkins isn't your only choice!

[buttonwillow]

Dear Kim,

The first phase of any low carb plan is important to follow closely because it's during that time when you generally lose your cravings for sweets and other carbs and you start to normalize insulin response. Both of these are critical for your future success at low carb eating, especially losing the cravings.

Unlike you, I like bacon and eggs and had them often, but, believe me, that got real old real quick. During this summer weather I began to drink homemade protein shakes as they are lighter. They are easy, fast, and filling. Last night's leftovers are also a good breakfast.

As for vegetables, I've found that butter, cheese, and cream make almost anything taste great. I was never a big spinach eater but now I eat creamed spinach quite often. But you don't have to eat cooked vegetables. You could just eat salads with a few fresh vegetables cut up in it, so long as you be sure your lettuce is the dark green kind (iceberg is nearly useless). Dr. Atkins offers many alternatives, but that's for people who need variety. However, you would do yourself a favor by trying to develop a taste for different vegetable because of the nutrients and fiber they contain. You also need to be an example for your children. Make some of the vegetable dishes for them from the recipe room and see if you don't like the, too.

Good Luck!

[Unusually Large Louis]

Hey Kim -

Keep in mind drink mucho water -- even more than 64oz. since it washes all the schtuff out of you system.

Also watch the carrots -- they have lots of carbs -- -- but what can I say.

A good breakfast is a 3 oz. package of Philly Cream Cheese eaten like an ice cream sandwich -- without the cookies -- sounds gross, but don't knock it.

Also slices of ham and cheese or any non-carb entity. Look at the recipe board and you'll be amazed.

Good luck.