Starting Atkins For First Time Ever.

[ChunkyLove]

Hello,

I'm a 21 Year old Male from the UK, i decided to do atkins after a shopping trip that ended in dissapointment as none of the clothes i wanted to buy could fit me, I currently need to wear XXL t-shirts and size 40 Waist jeans to be comfortable, Ideally i'd like to be down to wearing Large or XLarge (baggy) clothes and basically feel better about myslef when in tight clothes.

I've now read the book (not all of it but up untill the OWL part as i figured no point learning that untill i've done induction)

I will be starting induction as of 1st thing monday morning. Now my normally i don't have breakfast untill someone in the office offers toast around 10:30 and i just grab a sandwich from the shop for my lunch then dinner is usually some sort of chicken in sauce with rice or pasta or spag bol ( I KNOW I KNOW Major Carb overload!)

Eating at work i see as being a problem i'm going to have to get my act together in terms of preparing my lunch.


can anybody suggest easy lunches to make in advance (i.e night before) and also quick breakfast alternatives something i can just shove in my mouth before i leave for work that'll make sure im not hungry when i'm asked if i want toast at 10:30.

Wish me luck! and i'll try my best to keep you guys updated.


I'm 5ft 10 and i've just weighed myself and i'm 19st 5


p.s. quick question, is Squash allowed? i'm a big fan of orange squash (not juice) but squash sugar free.

[kate58]

Re: Starting Atkins For First Time Ever.

I have only just finished induction, so I'm no expert, but I think you would do very well to get up about 15 minutes early and have some bacon and eggs. It is not only a good breakfast, but will keep you really full so that when the toast goes around you will genuinely not be interested. If you are really, really rushed in the morning cook the bacon the night before and reheat for a few second in the microwave - and it only takes 2 minutes to fry a couple of eggs!!

You could also make a few large frittatas over this weekend, while you are preparing, slice them and freeze in bags. They take only a couple of minutes to reheat from frozen in the microwave and are a good breakfast standby for mornings when you are really rushed.

For lunch - before thinking about food, try to find some sort of small insulated box or bag that will keep your food cool, it really makes a difference to how the food tastes after being packed away. I got one in Argos ages ago, don't know if they still have them, but a supermarket cool bag would also do.

Ideas for what to bring:
cooked chicken drumsticks or wings (prepare ahead and freeze some).
Tuna salad
Cheese cubes
Salami 'sandwiches' (slices of salami with cream cheese in the middle)
Cold ham or beef slices (can buy in shop, but avoid honey-roast or anything else that suggest sugar)

You can always add a salad made from allowed veggies to eat with your lunch. I find that chopped cucumber, daikon (called chinese radish in the UK & Ireland) and a spring onion with mayo is the quickest tasty salad to make. It's nice with a little curry in the mayo too.

You'll usually find that shops which sell sandwiches also sell pre-prepared salads, which can also be fine once you check the ingredients.

Be sure to also take some bite sized snacks in case you get peckish in the afternoon - cheese, cold meats, a boiled egg are all good for this.

In an emergency, if you had no time to make a packed lunch, go get a burger and throw away the bun, or tip a can of tuna into a bought salad.

On the orange squash, I'd try to give it up. I was drinking about 2 litres of diet coke before I started and gave it up, which I thought would be ****, but it turns out I didn't miss it at all. Drinking all the water you need means that you really won't have capacity for other liquids and the craving for sweetness REALLY does get a LOT less after the first couple of days of Atkins.

I took a mouthful of diet coke yesterday and to be quite honest didn't even like it very much anymore. It's amazing how quickly your palate can change.

Hope some of this helps - and the very best of luck!!

[*Emma*]

Re: Starting Atkins For First Time Ever.

Crustless quiche for breakfast, i make one every sunday and have enough for the week!

For lunch i grab a salad from the cafe at work, i'm just not one for preparing lunches, but you could prepare a salad or something... do they not serve anything other than carbs at work?

no - no squash, its sweetened with aspartame, you'll get used to just drinking water i promise!!!


whereabouts in england are you?

[hrgillespie]

Re: Starting Atkins For First Time Ever.

Kate had some excellent advice for you on food choices Ia lways keep hardboiled eggs handy as well .......... breakfast can be as easy as on SUnday cook up a dozen or so quiches in muffin tins and then pop one in the microwave for about 15 sec and wala a quick hearty breakfast! You can make all kinds as long as everything in them is Induction friendly!

I always cook on Sundays and bag everything up in gallon bags in the fridge so it's an easy grab ......... I grill up hamburgers, chicken, sausages, slice my veggies and make tuna and egg salads all ahead of time ......... makes it much less likely I might grab the wrong thing in a hunger moment!

Best of luck to you!

[apple]

Re: Starting Atkins For First Time Ever.

Welcome to the board and best wishes!

[ChunkyLove]

Re: Starting Atkins For First Time Ever.

Thanks for the replies everyone, gutted about the squash but no big deal i only drink it at home only drink water at work.

They dont serve anything at work i have to provide my own lunch or whatever i can get from the local asda.

I live in Birmingham, where do i find a reciepe for these breakfast quiches?

[Evermind]

Re: Starting Atkins For First Time Ever.

Breakfast on the run (by the way, I don't eat until about 10 a.m. quite often, and I bring something to work to have then):

1. Cheese
2. Hard-boiled or devilled eggs
3. Slices of turkey or roast beef (cold)
4. Flax cracker with cream cheese (flax cracker recipes are on the recipe boards and you can make several in advance)

Lunch to take:

Well, today my lunch is: 1 cup of cherry tomatos, 2 frankfurters, and sliced zuchini with melted parmesan on top. All in tupperware containers, easy to microwave (except the tomatoes)

Other things I can pack for lunch:

1. Tuna salad
2. Devilled eggs
3. Stuffed mushrooms
4. Sliced meat (I will have smoked turkey or salami occasionally, which I like better than plain meat)
5. Steamed cauliflower topped with a bit of ranch dressing and shredded cheddar cheese.
6. Grated cauliflower (looks and has the texture of rice) fried up with some mushrooms and red onion, topped with parmesan cheese.

I tend to prepare a bunch of things on Sunday and pack them up ready to grab out of the fridge during the week - makes it easy and means I don't have to get up any earlier!

[Elizellen]

Re: Starting Atkins For First Time Ever.

Hi
Welcome to our international ADBB family

There are several recipes posted recently here that might suit you
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ad.php?t=48734

[ChunkyLove]

Re: Starting Atkins For First Time Ever.

Todays the day! Off i go!

[*Emma*]

Re: Starting Atkins For First Time Ever.

best of luck!

[Richt]

Re: Starting Atkins For First Time Ever.

Chunky love. From reading your intro you sound almost exactly the same as how I was 4 years. Although I was wearing bigger trousers (I was in 44 inch waists). I'll soon be celebrating 4 years on Atkins. Having lost 5 stone, and shrunk into 34 inch trousers and 32 inch jeans.

Good luck, I know you can do it.

Any questions let me know. I too am in the Uk.

Rich