Help! I failed :(

[pamomof2]

Hi Everyone! This is my first time posting but I have been reading here off and on for the past week. 1 week ago my husband and I decided to try the atkins diet. Hubby has been on it before and had good results with it but didn't stick with it. Well, as of today he is still on and I am off I lasted a whole 2 days!
I had no idea what to eat and it seemed like what I could eat I had to cook or fry. I need help! I quit smoking 10 months ago and just keep putting on the weight. I am 41 years old 5' 1" 199lbs. I am so amazed from looking at everyone's before and after pictures! I know you lose the weight on this diet but what is there to eat besides meat cheese eggs and salads

I also am concerned about my cholesterol going up and is all the grease good on your heart?
I know induction is no more than 20 carbs a day but what about after, what number of carbs does everyone have a day?

Congratulations to everyone you all look amazing and hopefully one day I will look good again

[brandywine1241]

Re: Help! I failed

Pamom, you really read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution (DANDR) 2002 edition. It answers your questions and explains why this diet works. I would suggest you buy a copy because you will need to refer to it often. In the meantime, there are stickies at the top of the Induction and OWL forums that explain those phases. There have been many studies done since Gary Taubes wrote an article in the New York TImes in 2002 titled "What If It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?" that confirm Dr. Atkins' contention that a low carb high fat diet actually raises good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol levels in the blood.

[Georgiana]

Re: Help! I failed

Hi!

I was worried about the same issues before starting this diet. Will it raise my cholesterol? Is it bad for the heart? After all, we know that fat is bad, right?! Where do we know this from? Hmmm....

I began Atkins on Feb 25th and I'm really sorry now that I postponed my start for so long.

So what might be so unhealhy in this way of eating (WOE)? Eliminating white bread, pasta and sweets? Or maybe giving up those delicious fries? I doubt.

What about eating too many eggs? Will they raise my cholesterol? Nope... and here's a study on this: http://health.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=108677

And if you don't trust that study, here's what one of the ADBB members experienced:
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ad.php?t=33431

Also a lot of info about good and bad cholesterol:
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ad.php?t=55065

And a sticky note on one of the forums:
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ead.php?t=3909


Ok, so what about sugar levels & blood pressure? Well, here's more:
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ad.php?t=57183

Even if you don't have the book, you can find interesting and useful info on the ADBB. Just take some time and start reading.

It is a misconception that people who are on Atkins have lard with mayo for their meals. No way! Yucky! In fact we eat a lot of healthy fat coming from olive oil, nuts, avocado, etc.

I would say to make some courage and give this WOE a try. See how it works, and then come and share your success story with us. In the meantime have fun surfing the board, and good luck with your induction.

And BTW, you didn't fail. You just stumbled a little. So dust yourself off and get back on track!

[pamomof2]

Re: Help! I failed

Thanks for the good info, I feel somewhat better. The other question I guess I have is...what do some of you have to eat during a typical day? Hubby has been eating a few pieces of lunch meat and cheese for breakfast and basically the same for lunch! Then he usually eats more for dinner I just don't know what to eat I guess if I knew and maybe make out a meal plan for the week maybe that would help me

[Georgiana]

Re: Help! I failed

Here it is, one week clean induction menu:
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ead.php?t=1213

You've also asked how many carbs a day does one get to eat in the end. Here's a nice thread:
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ad.php?t=57344

If you're looking for tasty low carb recipes, Linda's website is pretty cool:
http://genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html
The recipes marked with a star (*) are 'legal' for induction.

You might also want to start a journal here. It really helps keeping track of your progress... plus you make new friends, too.

[MorningGlory]

Re: Help! I failed

Hubby has been eating a few pieces of lunch meat and cheese for breakfast and basically the same for lunch! Then he usually eats more for dinner

If that's what he's eating, he's not following Atkins the way it was ever meant to be. What we're supposed to be achieving is getting most of our carbs from veggies...on induction that means 12 - 15 grams of carbs from veggies alone, per day! Please get a copy of the 2002 version of Dr. Atkins book....you're going to get nowhere eating meat and cheese and nothing else.

Start by planning out your veggies for the day and incorporate the meats and cheeses around that. Remember a serving of meat is considered to be the same size as a deck of cards, and on induction, 4 ounces of cheese looks like this....
1 ounce of cheese

Best of luck, and we'll see you around the board...

MorningGlory

[TheDogAteMyName]

Re: Help! I failed

Please, please, please read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution 2002 edition. It will help you so much. I hear from friends all the time about how they are on the Atkins diet and they are sick from eating 6 bunless cheeseburgers daily. I tell them they aren't doing Atkins. This is where we come in and need to help clear the bad reputation of this WOL. Without reading the book, I'm afraid you'll go into this very confused and will not stick to it.

[cindy8434]

Re: Help! I failed

I am only on day 7th of Induction and I thought I would get bored fast, but after reading all the menus theres a lot you can do. Heres what I had today

Breakfast
2 egg scramble with 1 thin slice of onion, 1 thick slice of tomatoe. 2 slices of bacon.
Water

Lunch
10 broiled shrimp on a bed of spinach (1cup) with 4 tbs of cilantro dressing (Cilantro bunch and 1 cup of mayo, a squeeze of lemon juice)
Water

Snack
1/2 stalk of celery with 1 spoon of creme cheese

Dinner
Burger Patty wrapped in Lettuce with a slice of avocado, little mayo and mustard.

Snack
1/2 slice of havarti
1 small slice of cooked ham
water

I really just try to eat the veggies as the book says and add protein to that and try to not go over my net 20 carbs daily. So far so good. Good luck.

[mom23kgirls]

Re: Help! I failed

I want to chime in on the read the book- but what your hubby is doing is half right...for some people boring works- Now he DOES need to get some vegies in there throughout the day- but hey if he wants to eat the same things day after day ( as long as they are legal) then let him- but for many Boredom is the killer in this WOE_ so its important to read the book, try new receipes, and explore all of the many food options we actually DO have :<) Ths WOE is all about your MENTAL capacity to accept that YOU CAN DO THIS< and that YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!

[pamomof2]

Re: Help! I failed

Update on me! I found my husbands book New Diet Revolution and I started reading but it's going to take some time. I have a 5 year old Autistic daughter and a 10 month old son
I have been doing some reading from the boards and searching recipes and also looking at the Menu forum, didn't know there was one lol. Thanks Cindy for posting yours!
Hubby is still going strong and doing great! He has moved a belt space I'm really amazed how well everyone is doing and I love to look at all the before and after pictures, it really gets me excited and gives me hope of doing this

[-FOXY-]

Re: Help! I failed

For me I work 12 hours a day for 3 out of my 5 day work week, so cooking is not always an option! The nutrition info on restaurant sites have been really helpful! In the morning I will grab a Tim Horton breakfast sandwich, sans bread, with my coffee, lunch if I don't get a chance to bring, the Caesar Salad at Wendys or McDonalds (grilled chicken) is induction friendly too. Dinner if I cant get to the house on a break for hubbys cooking, I will call ahead to a restaurant to have them grill chicken and steam veggies to go...and I can just pick it up! Of course not everyday, but if I am ever in a pinch I rely on these standbys to get my through a long shift induction friendly! A good key for me is becoming an expert on which fast food or restaurants have good low carb options if I need to rely on eating out because I also travel quite a bit. With this hectic schedule it just takes some research, but I have found it really is easy to incorporate into my WOL!

[TheDogAteMyName]

Re: Help! I failed

I made a huge pot roast tonight (no veggies in the pan, just the meat). I seasoned the roast and baked it covered tightly with foil at 250 for 5 hours. It was absolutely delicious. Hubby said it was the best he's ever had. We ate that with steamed broccoli and an alfredo sauce over a small amount (less than 1/2 cup each) of spaghetti squash. With the leftovers I plan on making a salad, which I'm way too excited about. I plan on loading up a bowl of romaine lettuce with pot roast, hardboiled eggs, tomato slices, banana pepper rings (Delallo of course!), a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and ranch dressing. Tonight I bought another roast because I thought it would make a nice change to my breakfast. Hope my menu helps you out a bit

[TheDogAteMyName]

Re: Help! I failed

P.S. Just wanted to let you know that I also have a 5 year old and a baby. With the baby I completely know what you're going through. Meals need to be quick and easy for sure!

[Elizellen]

Re: Help! I failed

I use my slowcooker (crockpot) a lot to make potroast-style meals that are waiting for me after a long day!

I usually cover the base with chopped celery then brown the meat in the frying pan and lay it on top with a bit of water and the pan juices and seasonings then leave on high all day!

I did this by mistake once and my husband loved the 'fall-apart' texture that resulted so I always make it this way now instead of following the instructions and cooking it on low all day. I do add extra water/stock to avoid it drying out.

[Porcelain]

Re: Help! I failed

On the cholesterol thing and eating high fat, in just a matter of like two months, my LDL (bad cholesterol) dropped 13 points. Oils such as olive oil actually lower bad cholesterol levels.