No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

[never2late4any1]

Is this typical for a "newbie?"

I have been living Atkins for a little over two months, and although the results are not profound, I am pleased with the way it is going. I've dropped two sizes in maybe 8-9 weeks. I am happy with this start.

I have lost all interest in food and eat a very simple, basic Atkins Induction diet. (I saute some chicken or beef and a few brocolli spears in olive oil, for a typical meal.) For someone who was often hungry and thinking about my next meal, this is an incredible freedom, and the best part of Atkins. The freedom from food obsession is beyond wonderful!!!

I know that it is early in the program for me, but I LOVE that "I eat to live" and don't "Live to eat!" Food has just become something that I have to "do" every six hours, in a formulaic way. I'm not interested in making it taste good, or learning how to fix a low-carb sauce. I spend little, to no time thinking about food, let alone a recipe. This is a very new experience for me, and I like it.

Is this a "honeymoon phase?" Will there come a time when the esthetics of food will become important to me? I have to say that I hope not. After years of living with the importance of food, it feels wonderful to be free of that.

[doeskin]

Re: No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

My thoughts are that no longer feeling "controlled" by food is a really great thing! I've come to see food as much more utilitarian too, rather than something I'm always looking forward to and thinking about.

There's nothing wrong with eating the basics, as long as you're following the plan. However, it's best to move up through the OWL rungs eventually, both for variety and for making this WOE a part of your life permanently - limiting your foods forever makes it more like a diet. You may not get sick of the same foods right now, but months from now, you may feel differently!

[ceemarie]

Re: No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

Everyone's body reacts differently to different foods so if you are comfortable eating the menu you have created for yourself, it is fine. In time you will be ready to add other foods when you are ready. Don't forget to be drinking enough water and taking your supplements.

[never2late4any1]

Re: No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

Ceemarie and Doeskin;

Thanks for input! It is really nice not to have to do this alone and I love hearing from others on this journey!! For now, I am very content with that "utilitarian diet" and I love the freedom from obsessing about food. I have read that the body likes variety, and will stall with an exact and ongoing diet. So at some point, I will have to consider some variety. It is really nice to find people who understand these kinds of things!

[EverLosing]

Re: No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

I'm with you!! In the past, I've gotten very creative but this time around, I'm just happy I'm not hungry. In fact, I've had to force tuna and mayo or egg salad just to make sure I get enough calories. No one is handing me a bailout to have steaks!! I'm doing it on a budget. So, it's an inexpensive roast kept in the fridge, chicken breasts, hamburger patties, eggs, bacon, salads and low carb veggies. I may have to step it up a bit to avoid absolute boredom down the road but for now, I'm not too interested.

[Chef Kevin]

Re: No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

as a chef, people think I eat wild, exotic foods. I eat simple, easy dishes. The longer I eat this way, the simpler it gets!

[Creek]

Re: No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

There is no right or wrong, just different individual styles. I'd be willing to wager that there are enormous differences in peoples food selections, with or without Atkins.

I share your joy at the freedom from obsession!

For myself, I really enjoy finding alternatives to my favorties. I love to cook, and simmering a pot of cream of cauliflower soup on a winter day (when I'm craving that warm, full feeling that soup provides), is just evidence that I am learning a way of eating that is sustainable over a lifetime. I do have foods that are just staples of my program, but I enjoy variety, especially in vegetables.

[IrishIrish]

Re: No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

I have subscribed to the simplicity is best method for more than five years and I wouldn't change a thing. As long as you are eating veggies, protein and fat and the percentages are calculating appropriately, simplicity is a great day to integrate this plan as a way of life.

Good work!!

[Hopin2Lose]

Re: No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

I just wanted to add that I saw you wrote you have to eat every 6 hrs. Whatever works for you, but I really think that is too long to go btwn meals. You actually increase your metabolism by eating smaller more frequent meals. I think you should aim for 3-4 hrs at most. Just my thoughts though so do what works for you.

[msanjelpie]

Re: No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

I don't think it is typical for a 'newbie'... Lots of newbies on here are screaming out for recipes, sugar free junk and anything to take their mind off of the fact that they are limited to a specific list of food that they can eat...

I think you are lucky, and there are some of us that can eat the same drab stuff everyday and just think of it as fuel, and not feel that we are missing anything...

What you eat will morph over time but I think you will always treat food like you are now as long as you stay with this WOE.

[Oceana55]

Re: No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

Actually this is one of the things that totally blows me away. I went from having this major food obsession like I was controlled by a carb demon and pretty much as soon as I started this, the cravings went away. I make sure to eat healthy food and have to say that the Atkins critics are just so wrong when they say we don't eat healthy. With the allowable veggies, I'm eating more veggies than I've ever eaten before on a regular basis. I make menus but they are very simple. I keep a few hardboiled eggs and pepperoni sticks in the fridge so I don't have a slip. I did have one about three weeks ago with a scone and then had some kind of weird idea that I could eat strawberries and wondered why I wasn't losing. So, the strawberries went in the freezer and I'm back on track and like a lot of you have said, not only am not having cravings, but have very little interest in food altogether. This is what I have been dreaming about for years, decades!! Even when I see carb stuff, its like its just stuff, not something I am remotely interested in. And then last week I went out and bought ketostix and YAHOO!!! I'm in ketosis!!!
And yeah, I like the support too. I like that I'm not doing this in isolation. I can talk about it to people who know exactly what I'm talking about. Hello, my name is Sharon and I'm a carb addict.

[Oceana55]

Re: No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

Now that I think of it, even though I have so much less interest in food, I'm actually spending time actually preparing food, rather than just opening up a can, throwing a frozen meal in the microwave or eating out. And considering all the money I'm saving by not eating out two or three times a week, its good for my pocketbook as well.

[BikiniBy2010]

Re: No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

The difference for me is night and day. I use to go to bed at night planning the food I could eat the next day. I would lay awake wondering if I should pick up taco bell for breakfast or KFC.
It seems embarrassing now, but it was a total comfort thing to me. Going out and picking up fast food was the highlight of my day.
Now, I could careless!!
I don't spend money on diet soda anymore or fast food. I would be surprised if we haven't saved over $100 dollars this month of the crap I use to buy.

But yes, the main point is.. like you, food use to be the center of my day and it's slowly finding it's self less and less important. I almost wish there was "food pills" invented, like in the Jetsons so it's one less thing I can worry about! Just pop a pill and go LOL

[somethings gotta give]

Re: No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

I used to spend my whole day consumed with what I was going to eat for supper, preoccupied at work, just waiting to get home to food. Now there's really no thinking about it at all, pretty simple-meat and veggies!! I may become more creative as time goes bye. Glad to see you are doing so well.

[Oceana55]

Re: No Interest in Food, Recipes, and Menus

Yes, I'm finding myself sometimes going, "oh, it's lunch time" and having made up a few days menus, knowing what I'm going to eat and being perfectly happy with that. Its almost weird. Like, it can't possibly be this easy...can it? On the other hand, I also know that if I get invited to someone's house for a meal, no I can't eat the that...or that...or that. I've only had that once so far though and it felt okay.