New Starter

[TezzaJ]

Hi all

I started the atkins again over a week ago and so far am down 8lbs which is good news (always a good motiviator). Main reason for doing it is that I broke my back and the little beer gut I have has always been an annoyance! All the more reason to lose it and not put more strain on my back (a 3yr old little girl is strain enough)

I wouldnt class myself as big, im 5'9 medium build and weight at present 176lbs (was 184) but its nice to start seeing the difference (go swimming every day for an hour now too)

I have a couple of questions which I hope you dont mind answering :

Is it ok to have black tea with one splenda?

Is it ok to have a coke zero or diet coke ? (limit myself to one a day and drink water mostly other times)

I had liver and onions the other day but someone said this was wrong?

Is there anychance ever of me winning the lottery!

Sorry for the questions and I am sure these have been answered lots (which I will go and have a look for)

And hello

Thanks

Terry - 35 and feeling it
UK

[D14965]

Re: New Starter

Hi Terry ! welcome to atkins and yes its ok to have lots of questions.

Black tea with splenda..... tea has caffeine ( although less than coffee) and caffeine tends to dehydrate you and causes some people to stall. If you can ,,, try decaf tea . Yes you can have splenda -- but no more than three serves a day.

Coke zero or diet coke ... See tea response ( having said that -- i have a diet coke occasionally - maybe once a fortnight and it REALLY dehydrates me so i drink loads of water to compensate and one can of diet coke wil contain pretty much your whole days quota for artificial sweetner ) Diet and coke zero are sweetened with aspartame which in itself is not really very good for you at ALL!!! when you check labels - aspartame is listed as sweetener number 951 . There are many diet drinks now that are sweetened with sucralose ( splenda) which is the sweetener Dr A recommends as safest

Liver and onions... Dr A says to consume no more than 4 ounces of organ meats a day ( they are fairly high in carbs compared to other meats and these need to be counted !).. Onions are fairly high in carbs and probably not god for induction, onions can be added later on when you get to a higher rung vege wise

chances of winning lottery .... Slim at best .. but we all knew that ! If you do have success please forward your secrets and the winning numbers to me -- thanks~

Hope that helps!!
Goodluck!

[TezzaJ]

Re: New Starter

Thanks for the reply Donna


I didn't realise that there were drinks with Splenda in (instead of aspartame) so I will go check.

Things are still going well, down to 169lbs. I imagine at the end of this week (when induction finishes) that it will slow down. Is there any reason why I cant keep the induction up longer?

I tend to have an atkins bar for breakfast, which states only 2g netcarbs so I assume seeing as its branded etc that its ok to take that figure.

Are peppers, peas, carrots etc ok to have as long as not in big quantities?

Many thanks again

Terry

[D14965]

Re: New Starter

HIya

technically you can stay in induction longer but what a lot of people find ( including myself) that the weight loss stops after about 4 weeks. I was advised by the clever people on this board to move into OWL to kick start things again and IT WORKED. something to keep in mind if things come to a screeching halt for you at that time.

Even though the Atkins bars state 2 g net carbs they still have a reputation for stalling people. I you look at the list of ingredients there are things there that are not too induciton friendly. These bars are marketed to make $ for the atkins institute that was started after Dr A's death and all they really care about is the $ and not your weight loss. Other than that , they encourage the need for sweet things and therefore dont help to kick that carb( sweet stuff) addiction.There are heaps of other great breaky options that are easy ad quick and far more nourishing. The bars ( and shakes) are ok for "emergencies" only in my opinion

Peppers are ok ... but you must count the carbs

Peas and carrots are no no's at this stage. Carrots are very HIgh GI ( lots of sugar in them) and Peas belong to the legume family and as such should not be added until you get to that rung

Hope this helps answers your questions!

cheers
Donna

[meena-beena]

Re: New Starter

I made a mistake the first time I was on induction and ate carrots. Talk about BINGE CITY! It made me soooooooo ravenous I actually had to force myself to go to bed early to keep from attacking the refrigerator!

[the man in blue]

Re: New Starter

Coke came out with Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda. They are not bad in my opinion. I know they are available in the states, but I'm not sure about the UK though.

[TezzaJ]

Re: New Starter

Thanks again Donna.

This is probably been answered thousands of times, whats OWL?

Damm those peas and carrots I had with my roast chicken today!

doh!

Thanks again

Terry

[Hoping]

Re: New Starter

It stands for ongoing weight loss.
In one of these forums they have stickies with the list of veggies you can eat on induction. (If I had the link I would post it, but I'm looking for it myself! )
I loooove carrots and peas...goodness, they're so delicious.
It's official, this thread is making me hungry!

[EmDee]

Re: New Starter

'lo Tezza ~ good luck!

[SunnySmile501]

Re: New Starter

It stands for ongoing weight loss.
In one of these forums they have stickies with the list of veggies you can eat on induction. (If I had the link I would post it, but I'm looking for it myself! )
I loooove carrots and peas...goodness, they're so delicious.
It's official, this thread is making me hungry!

Here's the link for the acceptable foods for induction.

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ead.php?t=6781

Sunny!

[How Riveting]

Re: New Starter

I realize that Atkins says not to drink coffee or tea (only decaf). A lot of diet books say not to, and they were obviously written by people who do not drink coffee, and thus, it's easy for them to tell you not to. Personally, I have to have two cups of coffee in the morning. I just have to. I still lose plenty of weight while on Atkins and I likewise have no cravings or insulin spikes. My guess is that if you are not used to caffeine, then you will have these problems. However, if you have been drinking coffee daily for the last ten years, your body just doesn't react to it in a very dramatic fashion.

Non coffee drinkers such as Dr. Atkins obvious feel a much more dramatic effect from caffeine, which is why they are against it.

[Elizellen]

Re: New Starter

Hi Terry The others have given you some great advice so all I shall say is
Welcome to our international ADBB family

[D14965]

Re: New Starter

Thanks again Donna.

This is probably been answered thousands of times, whats OWL?

Damm those peas and carrots I had with my roast chicken today!

doh!

Thanks again

Terry

OWL stands for Ongoing Weight Loss! This is the phase o atkins after induction. This phase is where people lose most of their weight. I Moved into OWL at about week 4 .. I did the two week induction then thought i would keep on with it or a while but my weight loss came to a screeching halt at about week 3 ( PISS --Post induction stall syndrome) I moved on into the OWL phase and theings started moving again.

Owl is comprised of a systme of "rungs" where you add different food types to your menu gradually so you can gauge those things that might cause you problems or stalls. The first rung you add more veges , the next dairy, then nuts , then berries etc( the stickies at top of forum will give you the full run down.
Dont be scared of moving into OWL .... Its great !!!!

[TezzaJ]

Re: New Starter

Thanks to all for your replys, very good to read

I have hit a stall on 12st 7lbs... and the wanting for a slice of toast is hard lol

At work there isnt really that much of a choice of food and i end up having cheese/ham salads everyday which is driving me nuts!

What sort of things are quick and easy (i am not a chef and although my wife is supportive she is requesting not to make three different meals childrens, her own and mine which i can fully understand).

I had a bit of coleslaw today only because the sight of mayo on its own again would have sent me for a baked potato with beans!

Thanks again

Terry

[D14965]

Re: New Starter

Hi terry

Firstly a stall is when you have not lost weight or inches for at least 4 weeks. What you may be experiencing is Post induction Stall syndrome ( PISS) Have you measured yourself? because you nmay well be dropping inches even though your scales have not budged. OUr bodies tend to fill those emptying fat cells with water for a while in case it needs to refill them! ONce it gets the hint that you wont be refilling those fat cells that stored water is shed and you will notice a good loss on the scales .When i was at the stage you are at I experienced the same things.
As for meals at work - I always take my lunch with me to work ( i have my own business and there are no shops near me so I have to bring it!) I make salads with baby spinach and cripsy bacon , mozzarella or parmesan shavings boiled eggs and mayo or ranch dressing. Sometimes i have spinach and rocket ( aruglua) with red and yellow capsicums. I take kabana and cheese cubes for snacks. sometimes i wrap tuna and mayo in a large lettuce leaf. I take some radishes , celery, fennel, to munch on. The variations are endless. Most times i make my lunch up the night before so i save time in the morning. The secret to Atkins success is preparation ... Always be prepared. PLan your meals ahead and shop accordingly so you dont get caught out and tempted by other non legal foods!
There are lots and lots of great recipes on the boards here .....have a read
CHeers

Donna