Questions on my first day.

[Dee4811]

Hey all! After seeing this site and hearing all stories of weight lost and healthier eating I have decided to be an atkins-er! I managed to gain 30lbs in 9 months after I graduated from college from being less active (don't walk 5 miles a day anymore ) and eathing unhealthy. I have read a lot about Atkins, both good and bad, and understand the basic rules and concepts. For a clean introduction I am aware of what one can and cannot eat--and if I want to stay on induction till I lose 25 of the 30--that's ok right? I do have a couple questions--One: being my body is not used to fat--I grew up eating ff butter and skim milk. Neverless I load down on carbs and processed foods. I find eating Atkins approved food = alot of fat and alot of sodium. Here is my stats for the first day: 1475cl 137.5protein 95fat 14.5carbs 3800sodium!!!

Am I having to much Sodium (making sure I drink a gallon of water a day.) It's hard because I don't eat red meat or pork---though thinking of trying pork rinds...they are no carb right? Where does one get them and how much do they usually cost---I know I have seen them in gas stations....
Also I am on a new exercise program. I usually work out 5x a week burning 800cl each session. I am going to focus more on weight lifting and less on cardio. It's an intense 13week program, and I was wondering if anyone has had problems with Atkins and intense exercise. Perhaps the best meal to eat before & after u workout? I know dairy is really bad after you work out. What does everyone do for enegy since we can't drink caffine?
Last question is about actually loss in size. I hear on atkins u lose alot of muscle and don't really get smaller unless losing a lot of weight. I am a size 9/10 right now and want to get to previous 4/5---can this be done on atkins---has anyone had and recieved the same goals? Well thanks for any help or advice. I am really excited about going from 5'8 and 165 to 135 and getting toned!!!

[stephbob]

Re: Questions on my first day.

Ok, basically, all you should be eating on induction is what's on the allowed lists. If you have the book, it will be in there. Don't do what I did and stray from that. If you eat nothing that isn't on that list, and you stick to the limited amounts of vegetables, you'll do fine. There's no counting of calories or anything else involved.

As for the weight loss, nobody can guarentee you an amount unfortunately! Since you only have 30 lbs to lose, you should be able to do that relatively easy. You can't go by example to be honest, but to give you an idea, I've been doing atkins for a month, I started at 170 and i'm now 150. That has given me an idea of how much my body will lose. But I don't exercise as you do.

Your best bet in my opinion is to forget entirely about your weight. If you're planning on doing such rigerous exercise, your scales will say you're not losing any weight because you're gaining muscle. So measure yourself instead, and keep a record of your inches rather than pounds.

Most of all, RELAX! lol Atkins is a way of life, it's not a diet. Once you reach your goal weight, you need to continue with maintenence to keep that body, or you'll regain the weight, plus some!

[Desertthorn]

Re: Questions on my first day.

You know what I would do if I were you, is post a couple days menus in the REVIEW MY MENU section and have the experts take a look.
Cardio and weight training is a great mix as you absolutely need both.
Water, water, water.......drink your water. I don't eat before exercise, but I do drink my water.....Many of our members are marathon runners and do lots of exercise. You shouldn't have problems there at all.
Steph gave you some good advise so I won't repeat that here.
Welcome and glad you joined