Menu review please :)

[saraalaswad]

Hi All

I am on my 15th day and have decided tgo go into extended induction so that to shed a little bit more weight and then go into owl.

For the moment though i wanted to ensure my menu was sticking to induction, i have the book and go through it constantly but really want advise from other experienced atkins dieters..

As i have been recording everydays food intake in a diary i will list 4 different days menus.

Oh i have lost a total of 12.3lbs in 14 days which im happy with but disapointed that it came mostly from the first week as the secound week i only lost 3.3lbs. My other concern is fluctuation, 3 days ago i gained back the 3.3lbs and since then not lost anything but seem to be gaining very little daily..

anyways here is my menu:

menu 1:

breakfast:2 beef sausages

lunch: 2 pork sausages with handfull of mixed leaf salad and 1 tablespoon olive oil with 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

dinner: 1 cup of mixed leaf salad, 3 small ( coin sized) cherry tomatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt,pepper, teasppon dried mixed herbs,2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice with 2oz white feta cheese
2 cups decaff green tea, 1.5 litre water

menu 2:

breakfast: 1 egg, 1 rasher bacon,

lunch: 2 small herb burgers home made, with 1 cup loose spinach

dinner; 1/2 cup lettuce, 1/4 of small onion, 2 coin sized small cherry tomatoes, 2oz mozerella cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil , 1 teaspoon dried basil.
2 cups decaff green tea, 1.5 litre water

menu 3:

breakfast: 2 rashers bacon, 1 egg

lunch: 2 rash bacon with half small tomato

dinner: 3 sausages with 1/4 cup white cabbage, 1/4 of white small onion.
2 table spoons of full fat squirt cream.
2 cups decaff green tea, 1.5 litre water

menu 4:

breakfast: peperami ( thin salami snack stick 1.5 carb)

lunch: 2oz mozerela, 3 small coin sized cherry tomatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar.

dinner: 1 chicken breast with 3 tablespoons olive oil,mixed herbs,1 garlic crused, 1oz parmesan cheese, 3 thin slices of pepercorn salami, 1/4 cup spinach

2 cups decaff green tea, 1.5 litre water

Hope that you can help me figure out what i am doing wrong .

Many thanks
Sara

[Alexa]

Re: Menu review please

Hi Sara,

Congrats on your loss so far - it is great! Also the second week is not as much because people tend to lose a lot of water in the first week.

Your menu is fine overall, but a couple of comments:
- you have quite a lot of processed meats. These are ok (if sugar and filler free - some sausages have breadcrumbs for example) but plain meats tend to be simpler in terms of weight loss, so have a mix - i see you have some.
- You could eat more substantial veg. The two cups of salad a day is great, but have a third cup of heavy veg like broccoli, string beans, cabbage (as you do on one day there) each day for nutrients and fibre.
- Are you having enough for breakfast - I'd want two eggs for example.
- It is a good idea to spread the veg through the days, as this is where most of your carbs are coming from. So have some tomatos with breakfast, spinach at lunch, and salad at dinner, for example.

Hope that helps - you're doing great

[saraalaswad]

Re: Menu review please

Thanks alexa i will do as you mentioned.. do you think i will shed anymore if i continue with the menu i am? I just fill a little frustrated, as again today i gained 1lbs which im worried about.


Many thanks
Sara

Hi Sara,

Congrats on your loss so far - it is great! Also the second week is not as much because people tend to lose a lot of water in the first week.

Your menu is fine overall, but a couple of comments:
- you have quite a lot of processed meats. These are ok (if sugar and filler free - some sausages have breadcrumbs for example) but plain meats tend to be simpler in terms of weight loss, so have a mix - i see you have some.
- You could eat more substantial veg. The two cups of salad a day is great, but have a third cup of heavy veg like broccoli, string beans, cabbage (as you do on one day there) each day for nutrients and fibre.
- Are you having enough for breakfast - I'd want two eggs for example.
- It is a good idea to spread the veg through the days, as this is where most of your carbs are coming from. So have some tomatos with breakfast, spinach at lunch, and salad at dinner, for example.

Hope that helps - you're doing great

[Elizellen]

Re: Menu review please

Hi Sara
As Alexa said apart from maybe the processed meats your menus look fine, though you dont seem to be eating much. But as long as you are eating to your appetite then I wouldnt worry.
Our weights vary immensely from day to day - yesterday I weighed 7 pounds more than I do today for instance, so dont get too hung up on the daily scales reading.

Some people get upset to see this normal variation and start to doubt the efficacy of this way of eating, so if seeing a gain or no change on those scales is likely to make you worry then try not to get on them more than once a week.

Try to concentrate on whether you are feeling good and enjoying the food, and do take measurements so you can see how your body is changing even when the scales go on strike! Some people lose whole dress sizes without a move from the metal monster - weird but true with Atkins!!

Even though you hae a fair amount of weight to lose you may not neccessarily lose faster by staying on the restricted carb level of induciton. Many members report an increased weightloss after starting up the OWL carb ladder.

Think of at least moving to OWL rung one which is only adding 5 net carbs of your induciton veggies, which will give you more choices and nutrients. You can stay on that rung for as long as you like, even adding several more servings of 5 net carbs of veggies to make meals even more interesting and varied.

[saraalaswad]

Re: Menu review please

Hiya ellizellen..

Thanks for your response, i have to admit to being a scale addict lol.. always on and off in the hope ive miraculously lost all the weight i have to hehe..

but i understand what you mean about the processed foods and moving on to owl rung 1. i think at the end of this 3rd week i will move on and take it from there. i love this diet and always feel satisfied after i eat which is the first time i have felt that on any diet.. so i will stick with it.. i just am so anxious to see results..

thanks