from an eatind disorder to atkins? :/

[shorty140]

First of all hello to everyone i enjoy reading your posts of success, most of all seeing as everyone here is so confident, and have so much willpower ...Well Im asking some questions, because i am trying to recover from various eating disorders....I am so scared that i have messed up my metabolism so bad, that if i do atkins, even the correct way, that i might end up gaining weight...Im really not trying to lose that much weight, just maybe a couple of pounds , but mostly trying to maintain my weight....i really want to try this diet, or WOL, but im not sure if ive damaged my body too much, and will end up gaining weight ..is it possible to do low carb, high fat, high protein and not gain weight?? even if i dont have that much to lose?? im 5'6 129 lbs (my weight after trying to recover)...yes im overweight, and would like to get down to 115-120..but mainly trying to maintain, and trying to not obsess about food and weight...i dont want to get depressed and go back to my old habits...so i really hope this WOL can be the one for me! if anyone can help i would really appreciate it!!
((hugs))

[slimndown]

Re: from an eatind disorder to atkins? :/

It's up to you, everyone can react differently. Start with induction and do it by the book - you may want to go out and get Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution and read it before you start so that you know what you are doing. The posts here are very helpful but it is so easy to mess up if you don't get the whole picture - so read the book. Remember, only eat the foods allowed on the list. It's easy to do if you can think of eggs for breakfast, a very simple 2 cup salad for lunch w/ cheese, creamy dressing and choice of meat, and choice of meat along with 1 cup cooked veggie like squash or broccoli for dinner - or another cup of salad. If you need a snack, try 1oz cheese and 5-10 olives. You shouldn't gain any weight but you should lose inches if not pounds.

[Moochiecat]

Re: from an eatind disorder to atkins? :/

First of all...relax...and breathe!

Second...get Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, version 2002 (we call it DANDR for short) and read read read. It will explain to you the 'why' of the diet, and what you can expect it will do for your body. In addition to DANDR, read the 'sticky's' in the various forums you go to, as they hold a lot of very good information.
The more you know about how to do this correctly, the better it will be, and the better you will feel about it.

If you are following the plan as laid out in DANDR, you shouldn't be gaining weight. You may have times where your weight stays on a plateau, but since you only have a few pounds to lose, I think you understand that it will take a while to lose them. That's the nature of weight loss: the closer you are to goal, the slower the pounds come off.
Also because you are close to goal, immediately after your initial 14 day Induction, you'll be needing to progress up the rungs of OWL, and you can learn more about that at the OWL forum.

Dr. Atkins recommends we do the diet with the co-operation of our doctor, so we can monitor our body's progress with weigh-ins and blood work.

All the best to you, and remember...breathe!

[shorty140]

Re: from an eatind disorder to atkins? :/

thanks for the help it really wouldnt be hard for me to follow the clean induction...i think i did a lot of damage to my body ( i use to water fast for days, only drink water) and i think after that my body got used to little or no food....so i barely get hungry, and i fill up really quick..please tell me if this is okay?

breakfast: scrambled egg whites w/ chopped peppers,tomato, onion,and turkey
(maybe add some butter for fat?) or add cheese to scrambled eggs
lunch: grilled chicken sandwich (no bun wrapped in lettuce, a bit of mayo for fat, and tomato)
dinner: cheeseburger w/o bun

maybe snack on some pieces of lettuce thru out the day

is this okay???? thanks for your help

[2big4mysize]

Re: from an eatind disorder to atkins? :/

first get the book if you haven't read it cause Atkins is high fat, 65% of your total cals for the day in induction should be from fats. it is higher then the USDA protein but it is only 30% of your induction calories.

Next get a free fitday.com account and plug your foold in there and see if you have enough fat in your foods.

Next since you used water fasts make sure you have a good multimineral Vitamin pill and check the supplement section of your DANDR to see what else your depleted body will need.

Next check with whoever is in charege of your OD recovery and see if you should be any where near induction restrictions on your eating. You might just need to back into low carbing by cutting out the processed sugar/flour stuff from your normal eating ans ease yourway backwards into Atkins from the premaintenance levels first as you recover.

Happy low carbing

[Moochiecat]

Re: from an eatind disorder to atkins? :/

Yes, as 2big says, get the book and read it. You need to understand that this is a high fat diet, but there are guidelines. Eat your egg yolks! An egg has the perfect balance of fat/protein/carbs, so eat the whole thing
You can use Fitday to chart your foods..here's a link to help you navigate it..it's a really excellent tool
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5235

Snacking on lettuce is not a really great idea, especially if it's iceberg lettuce. Iceberg is little more than chewy water when it comes to fiber and nutrients.
You want quality in your snackfoods...a protein combined with a fat (ham and cheese for instance) because it'll fill you up faster, and sustain you longer. If you took some romaine, and wrapped it around some tuna salad, that would be a terrific snack!


I also agree with 2big about making sure you are working with your doctor(s) with this, as I'm thinking you need to be beyond Induction levels as well.

[shorty140]

Re: from an eatind disorder to atkins? :/

thanks so much!! so i should eat more protein and fat thru out the day? like not just veggies , add some meat?? and where can i get this book? ..will my doctor approve of this diet? i heard doctors dont like the atkins diet....THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP you guys are wonderful!!

[2big4mysize]

Re: from an eatind disorder to atkins? :/

you can buy Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution at any place that sells books. WalMart had it for about $7 last yr.

May docs don't "know" Atkins and think all you eat is steak eggs and butter while sipping bacon grease through a straw. If your doc has read the program and sees you are going to be eatting at least 3 cups of veggies to start and 6-8 cups by the time you get to goal along with healthy fats and proteins they will approve.

[Desertthorn]

Re: from an eatind disorder to atkins? :/

Shorty, glad you found us and glad you joined. I think you will love this way of eating once you get the hang of it. I see that your worried about the health aspects of dieting and let me tell you, eating the Atkins way is very healthy and you shouldn't worry about it, if you follow the plan.
You need to eat 2-3 cupes of veggies and the more colorful the vegetable the more vitamins and minerals it contains. You need to eat fat... good fat, butter and olive oil and cheese. You need to eat protein and if your concerned about health, eat a lot of eggs, fish, chicken and turkey, beef and pork, and stay away from meats with nitrates and other chemicals, Move up the OWladder as fast as you can and use fitday.com

Welcome aboard.

[Elizellen]

Re: from an eatind disorder to atkins? :/

thanks so much!! so i should eat more protein and fat thru out the day? like not just veggies , add some meat?? and where can i get this book? ..will my doctor approve of this diet? i heard doctors dont like the atkins diet....THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP you guys are wonderful!!

Hi shorty
Yes - always have some fat/protein whenever you eat veggies as it helps minimise the insulin overload we get when having carbs on their own.

You can get the book at any book shop I assume (at least in UK you can) or buy a copy online at Amazon - click on the link from this website and you will be helping the site to earn money.
Or if you are a bit 'cash-challenged' at the moment look in secondhand shops or charity (thrift) shops - I dont think I have been in any of them in UK without seeing a copy of DANDR on the shelves for a few pence - and we are years behind you in the USA as regards to Atkins popularity.

Some doctors approve of Atkins WOE (way of eating) and even promote it but some don't. But if you are worried about approval then once you have read the book and worked out some induction menus you could just describe what you intend to eat/are eating and not mention the 'A' word if it makes you feel more comfortable.

No-one in their right minds would disapprove of you giving up flour, sugar and over-processed foods while eating good wholesome fresh meats/eggs/cheese plus more than the 'recommended amount' vegetables each day. If anyone suggests that by eating induction levels of veggies (3 cups a day) you are depriving your body just remind them that this is more than most people on 'normal' diets eat!! I am not sure what the 'recommended' veg amount in USA is but in UK it is '5 servings' which amounts to 2.5 cups!! And in UK they even say that fruit juice counts!!