A quick review of my menu

[Rayjax]

Hi Everyone, I just started this log yesterday however a second pair of eyes is always good.

Here's the link to my fit day menu.

http://fitday.com/fitness/PublicJournals.html?Owner=chrisve78

My weight loss as been good in the two weeks since I started (12 pounds so far).

This is a pretty accurate representation of what I have been eating for the entire two weeks.

If I remember correctly, in DANDRR you subtract fiber from your total carbs to get your net carbs,correct? I'm asking because my total carb count for today according to fitday is 29.7, however if you subtract the dietary fiber you come up with 16.5 net carbs. Am I doing this correctly?

Thank you all for your time.

[JohnSantos]

Re: A quick review of my menu

I'll nitpick the list, but realistically with your level of exercise if you're still shedding pounds it's all good:

Atkin's Bar: could cause issues
Ceasar Dressing: how much sugar in this?
Gelatin desserts, KRAFT, JELL-O: does that contain Aspartame?

You're taking supplements as well?

As per the carbs, from his book:

Not all types of carbohydrates behave the same way in your body. For example, when your
body digests table sugar, it turns immediately into blood sugar. So sugar and most other
carbohydrate are what we call "digestible carbohydrate" Other carbs, such as sugar alcohols,
have a minimal impact on blood-sugar levels; still other carbs, such as dietary fiber, pass through
your body without having an impact on your blood-sugar level.

[Georgiana]

Re: A quick review of my menu

My weight loss as been good in the two weeks since I started (12 pounds so far).

Congrats for your results so far!

If I remember correctly, in DANDRR you subtract fiber from your total carbs to get your net carbs,correct? I'm asking because my total carb count for today according to fitday is 29.7, however if you subtract the dietary fiber you come up with 16.5 net carbs. Am I doing this correctly?

That's right. You should subtract the dietary fiber from the total carbs.

Now your menu.

Atkins is a high fat diet. When the Duke University experiment was done, Dr. Atkins recommended an Induction macronutrient breakdown of 65% fat, 5% carbohydrates, 30% protein, where the percentages are from the total caloric intake. So, you can see that your protein and fat percentages are off. Too much protein may lead to an amino acid surplus, which in the presence of certain hormones/enzymes, may be converted into glucose, consequently leading to an increase in blood sugar levels. Dr. Atkins had a warning about this in his book. So, in the context of this diet, it is important to keep your fat intake high and your protein intake to approximately 30%.

If you check the ingredients in the Atkins bars, you will see they contain stuff that is not on the Induction Acceptable Food List. Therefore, the bars are not allowed. Also, Dr. Atkins recommended the use of Atkins products only in emergencies... although I personally can think of better food options even then. When Dr. Atkins was alive, there was a section on atkins.com, explaining that Atkins products can slow down or stall dieters. It then continued by telling folks what should be done in case their weight loss stalled. Anyway. Even today, the guys from Atkins Nutritionals do not recommend the use of more than two bars per week OR 5 net carbs/week coming from Atkins Advantage Bars/Shakes.

Aspartame. If I remember correctly, I read that for about a quarter of Dr. Atkins patients, aspartame consumption interfered with weight loss. For this reason, Dr. Atkins took aspartame off the list of acceptable sweeteners in DANDR 2002, saying that is should be avoided "whenever possible". You don't need Jell-O, hence it is possible to avoid aspartame and that is what you should do.

If you need snacks, i.e. you are hungry or 6 hours have passed since your last meal, then snack on real food from the Induction Acceptable Food List.

During Induction, you should be eating three cups of vegetables. Not two, not four -- three. Maximum one of these cups can come from the "Other Vegetables" list, while the rest should be "Salad Vegetables". Right now you are eating too many veggies from the "Other" list (3 cups of broccoli, for e.g.). Also, over half of your net carbs should come from vegetables. I don't know if this happens in your menus.

You will also want to check the ingredients in Papa Johns' buffalo wings. Where do those 2.8 g of carbohydrate come from?

Your menus seem to be built on the guidelines from atkins.com. However, at ADBB, we are following the 2002 edition of "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution". I don't want to go into a "which one is better?" controversy, but if you choose to follow Atkins the way it was modified after Dr. Atkins' death (not the way it is written in DANDR 2002), you might find some of the advice you'll receive on the Board frustrating as it contradicts the guidelines of your plan.

[Rayjax]

Re: A quick review of my menu

Cool, thank you guys for your help.