Vegetables be damned

[splosh313]

Forgive the sacriligious title, but I needed to get your attention!
I've tried searching for an answer to this question, both on this site and in the good book, but with not much success.

I finished induction nearly a week ago but I am trying to keep below 20g of carbs a day. I've been eating alot of chicken along with a Heinz garlic and chive dipping sauce - it's not the healthiest sauce in the world but as long as I'm careful I can keep to my daily allowance. However I've been eating this combo at the expense of regular veggie consumption.

My question is (in terms of atkins and weight loss), what is wrong with eating primarily this menu as long as I stay under 20g?

I'm aware that veggies have more nutrients in, as well as contributing to a balanced diet etc. but is this actually going to cause problems for me in terms of weight loss?
Thank you in advance for your help xxxxxx

p.s. I can post the ingredients of the sauce if that's helpful

[Desertthorn]

Re: Vegetables be damned

Yes, unfortunately and I think you answered your own question why. The good doctor wants us to get the majority of our carbs from veggies. Saying that, why don't we think up an alternative dipping sauce for you so you can have the best of both worlds. I'm not familiar with it so what does it have in it, and how can we replicated it

[splosh313]

Re: Vegetables be damned

thanks for the reply desertthorn.
but i still don't understand - in what way are carbs from this sauce different from carbs from vegetables?
here are the ingredients for the sauce - if you ever ordered a dominoes pizza (those were the days!), think of their garlic and chive dip:

water, vegetable oil, spirit vinegar, sugar, whey powder (from milk), garlic (4%), modified corn flower, salt, mustard, chives, garlic salt, citric acid, thickeners - xantham gum and guar gum, flavouring (contains egg), spice.

xxxx

[OzLover]

Re: Vegetables be damned

The main problem is SUGAR.

What are the ingredients in broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, pumpkin, water chestnuts, jicama, romaine lettuce, tomato, red peppers, summer squash, etc...

[splosh313]

Re: Vegetables be damned

well i understand sugar has plenty of carbs, but still, the number of carbs is the number of carbs - if it comes to less than 20g a day, whats the problem exactly? thanks. xx

[imagood1]

Re: Vegetables be damned

There are healthy carbs and not-so-healthy carbs. To truly do the program right you need to follow the rules - if you aren't following the rules are aren't following Atkins. You need a varied diet - more than chicken and this dip you use to keep your body healthy and fuctioning. You will put your body into a starvation mode if you only eat the same thing over and over -- regardless of how close to 20 carbs you get. Read the rules and follow them for best results. Maybe you need to go to OWL and add more variety into your meals.

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Vegetables be damned

well i understand sugar has plenty of carbs, but still, the number of carbs is the number of carbs - if it comes to less than 20g a day, whats the problem exactly? thanks. xx

The number of carbs is not JUST the number of carbs. Carbs from sugar and white starches (wheat flour, potatoes) and corn flour (which this also contains) spike your blood sugar RIGHT NOW. Veggies also come with fiber and if you eat them with fat like butter or olive oil, take a long time to digest and don't cause a blood sugar spike at all and don't require a spurt of insulin to control it. White flour foods spike blood sugar as much as eating a spoon full of sugar.

Blood sugar spikes are what we are trying to control. We that are insulin resistant or diabetic have worn out the system with so many spikes, insulin just can't control it anymore.

Since you are finished with induction, why are you even trying to stay under 20 grams of carbs for? It won't help you lose weight any faster, and may slow you down. Been there, done that.

If it didn't matter where we got the grams of carbs from, we would never have been told to stay away from sugar and starches. Dr. Atkins explained about the quality of the carbs was more important that the quantity of carbs.

If you didn't find the answer in the book, you didn't read the chapter called Understanding Some Basics--page 21 - 26, especially. The good doctor explained exactly what is wrong with the ingredients in your dip and why real veggies are not bad for you.

[mitzimarie]

Re: Vegetables be damned

However I've been eating this combo at the expense of regular veggie consumption.

My question is (in terms of atkins and weight loss), what is wrong with eating primarily this menu as long as I stay under 20g?

Well, among other things - I'm wondering how in the heck you stay "regular". Since I eat so many veggies that have plenty of fiber, I have never had an issue regarding consitpation. How about you... any problems going "potty"?

And in my experience, YES, my rate of weight loss was much better when eating plenty of veggies.

I'm the one who heads the boardwide Veggie Challenge twice a year, and I can tell you this - it's awesome for me to witness the people who usually don't eat veggies commit to doing it for a week. They go into it with reservation, because they think it's going to be hard. By the time the week is up, they're feeling better and most of them have a good loss for the week.

[liv]

Re: Vegetables be damned

There are differences in carbs. Some carbs are more glycemic than others. That means that some carbs will impact blood glucose levels a lot more than others.
So on Atkins we do veggies - which are healthy with nutrients, low in carbs (and not silly chemicals-who wants to eat chemical anyways ) and they are low glycemic because we really want to get that blood glucose level under control.

Read more about the glycemic index here
The Glycemic Index

[mitzimarie]

Re: Vegetables be damned

I'm aware that veggies have more nutrients in, as well as contributing to a balanced diet etc. but is this actually going to cause problems for me in terms of weight loss?

Me, again.

I've been thinking about your post some more, and I've got to get a few things off of my chest.

One of my best pieces of advice for success in the long run, is to see the "big picture" when it comes to doing Atkins. What I mean by that, is that is should not be looked upon as just a means to lose weight... it is a change of lifestle... forever. So why not progress up the rungs, as Dr. A outlined in his book?

As you indicated above, you do realize that veggies are a part of a balanced diet. Why do you dismiss that as a reason to eat them? We're talking about your health, here. If you continue to skip the veggies, you are NOT doing Atkins... you are doing a low carb diet of your own making.

Yep, I get a little spirited over this subject. You see, I grow weary of defending my way of eating to others. So many people attack the Atkins WOE as unhealthy. Nothing could be further from the truth! The Atkins eating plan emphasizes the benefits of protein and natural fats - AND nutrient-rich carbohydrates. Sunny and Liv were right-on when they said that there is a difference in the quality of carbs. The crux of the matter is in limiting carbohydrates and in selecting the right carbohydrates, those most full of nutrients and fiber and those with the lowest impact on your blood sugar. So, not only is it important to choose foods with low carb counts, it is also crucial to select the most nutrient-dense carbohydrate foods.

The goal is to eat as many "good" carbohydrates as your body can tolerate without interfering with weight loss or getting your blood sugar out of whack. And you will choose healthy, satisfying whole foods, ones that provide nutrients and fiber.

Vegetables, in general, contain "good" carbohydrates, although some are very high in carbs and not as high in nutrient value, and some are the reverse. Most vegetables provide fiber and many healthy phytonutrients (phyto means "plant"), those magical substances found in plants that help us ward off disease. Fortunately, the vegetables that are most dense in nutrients happen also to be those lowest in carbs.

Please give doing Atkins correctly a try. It is not good for you to be eating the way that you are, and this is why people think doing Atkins is unhealthy. You CAN do this!

[splosh313]

Re: Vegetables be damned

thanks for tge all replies everybody - much appreciated x

[Miab]

Re: Vegetables be damned

I'd also like to add that I've done Atkins incorrectly in the past myself. I thought the same way you do because I really didn't read the book and couldnt figure out why I couldn't stick with the diet for longer than a month. If you are eating unhealthy carbs in low amounts it is impossible to kick your addiction to them. I found myself caving to urges all the time. There are some great ways to spice up veggies. Just this morning I sauteed green tomatoes in bacon grease with greek seasoning. It was so good! I eat a cucumber and tomato salad everyday. There are easy ways to get your 3 cups of veggies in..you just have to seek them out. Be careful with garlic and onions because they have more carbs than some might think (including me).

One thing that really helped me was using Fitday. It does get tedious sometimes but it helps me keep my calories under control. I try to follow the 65/5/30 fat, carb, protein rule and Fitday.com takes all the guess work out of this.

[splosh313]

Re: Vegetables be damned

thanks for the tips Miab.
The reason I'm finding this so hard is that vegetables really don't excite me, and with this particular sauce I was actually looking forward to meals again. When I was being strict on induction I wasn't having a good time at all, because I have yet to try a vegetable that actually tastes good (the way 'unhealthy food' tastes good). That being said, receiving the replies I have, and getting a little ticking off so to speak, has returned me to the straight and narrow - so thanks everyone.
Let's just hope I have a revelation that veggies are in fact delicious!
x

[Miab]

Re: Vegetables be damned

You're welcome! Let me know if I can be of anymore help. Hey maybe you can make your own version of this dressing you like! Try mixing some mayo with sour cream and maybe some lemon juice.

Here is the recipe I found for cucumber salad I eat everyday:

8 oz of cucumbers
1/2 oz of tomatoes
sea salt
pepper
1 tbsp of mayo
2 tbsp of sour cream
1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar

Slice your veggies and add sea salt (to taste) and vinegar. Let marinate in fridge for at least an hour. Drain veggies in a colander for about 30 minutes. Add in mayo, pepper, and sour cream and mix well.

I also add in a few dashes of louisiana hot sauce lol...adds a nice little "kick" in my opinion!

[Zarabelle]

Re: Vegetables be damned

Hi there

I just wanted to add something here as I think this is what you were getting at. When I eat exactly the same amount of carbs (say 30g like I do now). If the majority are vegetables I lose more weight than if they are made up of other items (not containing sugar - I avoid sugar completely but for example cheese, cream etc.). I think the main reason is that the veg contain more fibre and are less calorific. So my advice to you would be to use most of your carb allowance as veggies (according to the rung you are on) and to avoid sugar which is the principal of the diet - you really need to read the book in order to totally understand this but it is all to do with insulin. Best wishes.