Hardcore Atkins?

[NWdude]

Ok, here's the deal. I'm a 25 yo male, 5'7", and I've lately gained back alot of weight I lost 2 years ago. I was eating right and hitting the gym and got down to 170lbs. I'm now sitting at 225 after my desk job took away alot of daily activity (all the soda doesn't help, either). I can remember being at 210 and thinking I had to do something or else.. and this is or else. I'm a really determined person, I got the job I wanted, worked hard to get where I am, but this is something I just haven't been able to do.

Here's my question: I need a simple menu without alot of weird veggies or complicated recipes, I just don't like to cook. I'm determined to grin and bear it and get this DONE. I'm fine with fish, chicken, steak, and most veggies. I would LOVE a specific shopping list and meal plan, something more than "all poultry, fish, etc."

My goal is 160 by June 1, that's when I finally get my first week of vacation in a very long time. I want to do this, and I want to start TODAY. Can this be done?

:help

[Peterlock]

Welcome,

Of course you can start right now!

But first things first if you don't have the book you have got to go out and by a copy ASAP

If you have the book you would know what foods/recipes and so forth you can have during the two week Induction Phase - so my friend pick it up and read it. There are two truths about Akitns

1) You will lose the weight and increase your overall health and well being dramatically and it will last a life time (as long as you follow the principles of this way of life) key word here is WOL (way of life) because Atkins will definitely change your entire life for the better in profound ways that reach far beyond just the loss of weight

2) If you don't understand the principles of this way of life, of why it works, of what you can eat and why - make no mistake, you will fail.

If you don't like to cook you're going to like Atkins even more. Another great aspect of Atkins is it works both ways for those who love to cook like myself and those who don't. You say you want to start today?

Here's my suggestion:

A) Go through your kitchen and toss out or give away all carb and sugar based foods, pasta, bread, candy, cake, rice, potatoes etc etc

B) Get to a bookstore and buy Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, folks just call it DANDR

If your hungry, eat very low carb no more than 20 grams a day (you need a carb counter and there's one in the book) In the meantime have fried eggs in butter with bacon. Read the book a bit and you'll get a feel for a menu that works for you. And keep Posting so people here can help guide you to success.

Peter ha

[cleochatra]

Here's my question: I need a simple menu without alot of weird veggies or complicated recipes, I just don't like to cook. I'm determined to grin and bear it and get this DONE. I'm fine with fish, chicken, steak, and most veggies. I would LOVE a specific shopping list and meal plan, something more than "all poultry, fish, etc."

Morning, dude! Welcome to ADBB! This is a way of eating for the rest of your life, and that's a positive. It's hard to tailor a plan specifically to you as regards a shopping list because what you might like isn't what others will want to eat, and vice versa. Reading the 2002 version of the DANDR makes all the difference. If you look at the top of the forum there's a printable induction list you can keep with you.

Also, remember the ratio: 60% of calories from fat and roughly 30-35% from protein on induction, so keep track of what you are eating, down to the fat you fry your eggs in.

Still, your "get this done" has me concerned... you know this is a way of eating which you don't abandon after you hit goal, right? The reason for this diet is our intolerances towards refined carbs and what it does to us.

Hopefully you meant "getting it done" as regards induction, with plans to then move into OWL to expand your food choices!

Congratulations on making a wise decision to come to this way of eating, and know that even people like me who don't like to cook and don't particularly like meat can still do very well and follow this plan for the long run.

[NWdude]

Peterlock- I've got the book, I guess I just need to figure out how to get some meals planned without using stuff like cucumbers that don't really appeal to me.

cleochatra- My "get this done" is just what I'm calling my desire to do this NOW instead of over the next 6 months. I plan to stay on induction as long as I can, I've read that's the way to drop the most fat. Obviously it may not be the healthiest thing, but neither is Mountain Dew or anything else that got me here!

Is my goal of June 1 possible with induction and excercise?

Thanks for the welcomes! :wave

[Moochiecat]

Atkins is beautiful because you can eat as simply, or as gourmet as you like by using the veggies off the Acceptable Foods list.

In the beginning, I ate very simply, for example:
Eggs with mayo and celery for breakfast
Leftover meat with veggies and dip or tuna or salmon salad for lunch
Salad with meat for dinner (or wings and veggies and dip)
diced cheese and veggies (radish, celery, something crunchy) for snacks if I needed a snack.

Pick the veggies you like and think beyond lettuce when you are making a salad. Get a good variety so you're covering all nutritional bases and so you aren't getting bored. Switch it up a bit and try to spread your veggies throughout the day.
If there are some veggies on there that you don't like, give them a try again...and if you aren't familiar with some of them, give them a try as well! :yes

[cleochatra]

{{{Dude}}} It's totally healthier to drop it than to keep it and name it George and claim it on your taxes. You're going to do GREAT!

[LilBit]

Re: Hardcore Atkins?

Ok, here's the deal. I'm a 25 yo male, 5'7", and I've lately gained back alot of weight I lost 2 years ago. I was eating right and hitting the gym and got down to 170lbs. I'm now sitting at 225 after my desk job took away alot of daily activity (all the soda doesn't help, either). I can remember being at 210 and thinking I had to do something or else.. and this is or else. I'm a really determined person, I got the job I wanted, worked hard to get where I am, but this is something I just haven't been able to do.

Here's my question: I need a simple menu without alot of weird veggies or complicated recipes, I just don't like to cook. I'm determined to grin and bear it and get this DONE. I'm fine with fish, chicken, steak, and most veggies. I would LOVE a specific shopping list and meal plan, something more than "all poultry, fish, etc."

My goal is 160 by June 1, that's when I finally get my first week of vacation in a very long time. I want to do this, and I want to start TODAY. Can this be done?

:help

Hi NW,

Welcome to the board.

I know just how you feel needing a menu plan and shopping list, it helped me to clean out my pantry and truly KNOW what to buy.

Here is the best site that I've found for complete menus, you can click on the little green dots for the recipes; don't worry, they're recipes that even YOU can do. :yes She has months and months of outlined menus of everything that she ate on a given day.

http://users3.ev1.net/~fontlady/index.html

Here is a fantastic site for your shopping list, he'll take you through the entire store and tell you what to get in each department.

http://www.stellastyle.com/members/tour.htm

Before you do either of these though, read the book, learn what you can have on Induction and learn the steps of the ladder. Otherwise, you may be having to lose this same weight all over again when you go back to eating all foods, and we don't want that!

Good luck to you, you CAN do this.

[not2late]

Here's what you do.

Make a copy of the Induction Acceptable Foods list. Sit down and read it over. Then cross out the foods you definitely cannot have for religious or medical reasons (like if your religion dictates you can't eat certain meats, cross them off the list, or if you are allergic to some foods cross them off).

Read through the list again. Circle the foods you like. Then re-read the list. Put a check next to the foods you wouldn't mind trying out.

These are the foods that will form your shopping list and your recipe list. Copy them onto another sheet of paper if you wish because when you look through any recipe, you'll have that list in front of you, checking it to make sure the recipe is "legal" for Induction.

[ztachick]

Hi there- You have gotten so much great advice so far, so my only other suggestion would be set mini goals and that way there is something to celebreate along the way- and come over to the challenges forum and join me, cleo, easttx, etc for our march to june challenge
also , for dinner you can have breakfast and so on, you dont have to just eat what is typically eaten at certain meal times.
some of my fav things to eat are
ribs( just stick them inthe oven for 1 1/2 hours there done thats it)-
scrambled eggs, wiht chodizo or bacon or sausage with cheese on to top-
zuccinni cut im in frecnh fry shape and fry it in a pan with oil-
peperoni on a plate put it in the microwave and sprinkle parmasun cheese on it when done

[Starmaker]

than to keep it and name it George ....BWAhahahaha you kill me! "And I will pet him and keep him and love him and hug him"

[Brook]

Hi NWdude

You've gotten some great advice here. I'd just like to add that taking this on is going to require you to institute some new habits and perspectives.

I didn't like to cook either - still don't, but the reality is that if I had kept doing what I had always done, I'd have continued to get what I got. LOL This way of eating requires planning, thought, and PREPARATION! Make friends with your pots/pans/kitchen gadgets galore. They're part of your path to a healthier you.

As for June 1st, well, that's hard to say. Is it doable? Probably. Will it be fun? I can about guarantee that it won't be, and I can about guarantee that putting a time restriction on yourself like that will cause you undue stress and set you up for a fall should you not make your goal. I'd suggest simply changing your goal to "getting as much of this off as possible by June 1st". You have no direct control over how much weight your body will let go of between now & then, but you can certainly control how strictly you follow the plan. Whether you hit your goal or not you're going to be a helluva lot closer than you are now and in my mind, that's the most success you can ask for!

I never wish anyone luck because luck has squat to do with it. I wish you success.

~Brook

[not2late]

Hey everyone. I just want to introduce you all to Brook.

Brook was one of the mods here when I was a newbie. She and 2Big were/are my Atkins role models.

So welcome back Brook!

[Brook]

Awwww! Thanks not2late This place is just full of warm fuzzies today!

[Peterlock]

Brook! :wave

Is that really you? Good God you look wonderful, you might not remember me but you and I were on an Atkins board a few years ago. Obviousley you did a better job sticking with it than I !

I hope life has been treating you well which I can see it has and that all is well with you and your kids...boy time flys doesnt it?

How great to see you!

Peter ha

[love2beeamom]

just wanted to add that I too am glad to see Brook again :wave