Please Help Me!!

[Bride2B]

Okay, I have been reading the book and these posts but I am still feeling unsure about what you actually eat on induction.

Sorry for my ignorance but if you could please answer these questions I would really appreciate it!

For protein - is it only eggs that you need to count as part of your net carbs? Is meat counted as part of this? What about sausages and bacon?

Veggies - can you count these in cup measures or do you have to weigh each individual vegetable to make up the grams? Eg, I'm not sure if I have to weigh lettuce and cucumber separate or can I just put lots of different types in a cup measure?

Do veggies have to be cooked first before they can be weighed?

So, basically veggies, salad, cheese, eggs, cream, sour cream, lemon juice, condiments, sweeteners and anything else you eat besides meat needs to be counted in that 20 grams net carbs? Is this right?

Lastly, I am confused as to how much meat I need to eat each day. I found a table that gives my height - 162.6cm (5 ft 4 in) but said recommended protein range 71-149g per day. Then it said typical protein food intake 450g per day. Would you mind telling me which one I am following?

I am not sure why I am not getting this! Hopefully if someone would be so kind as to answer my questions I will be ready to get started!

Thank you, I really appreciate your help!

[Georgiana]

Re: Please Help Me!!

From what you are saying, I believe you are following The New Atkins for a New You. The book followed at ADBB is Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution (2002)... but my advice below is based on the 2010 book. Just a "warning" for other newbies reading this thread.

For protein - is it only eggs that you need to count as part of your net carbs? Is meat counted as part of this? What about sausages and bacon?

You need to count all the carbohydrates as part of your daily net carbs. This means that if the sausage and bacon have carbs (and they usually do), then those carbs need to be counted towards your daily total.

Unprocessed meats typically do not have carbs. An exception are some organ meats and shellfish.

You can use FitDay to track your foods:

FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal

FitDay uses the American labeling system, so it lists total carbs and dietary fiber... and you find net carbs by deducting fiber from carbohydrates.

Veggies - can you count these in cup measures or do you have to weigh each individual vegetable to make up the grams? Eg, I'm not sure if I have to weigh lettuce and cucumber separate or can I just put lots of different types in a cup measure?

Cups are fine, as the book suggests.

For some vegetables, such as asparagus, weighing might be more convenient.

In general, weighing is more accurate. However, for things such as lettuce, which is very low in net carbs, the difference in net carbs between weighing X grams and measuring a cup is usually small.

Do veggies have to be cooked first before they can be weighed?

Measuring vegetables raw will give you more accurate net carb counts.

I think it's also easier to measure raw. When you cook, you often add other ingredients or mix different vegetables... so you'd be measuring more food than just your vegetables... or you'd have to do crazy things such as picking vegetables out of a stew to measure them.

So, basically veggies, salad, cheese, eggs, cream, sour cream, lemon juice, condiments, sweeteners and anything else you eat besides meat needs to be counted in that 20 grams net carbs? Is this right?

Yep.

Lastly, I am confused as to how much meat I need to eat each day. I found a table that gives my height - 162.6cm (5 ft 4 in) but said recommended protein range 71-149g per day. Then it said typical protein food intake 450g per day. Would you mind telling me which one I am following?

71-149 grams of protein is a very wide range. Unless you are seriously undereating or overeating calories, you will typically fall within that range.

The authors of the book estimate approx. 450 g of protein food as having 71-149 g of protein. Is a very rough estimate and there's nothing magic about these numbers. They are only guidelines... not rules that need to be followed precisely for Atkins to work.

If you want to post a menu, with quantities and net carbs for all foods, we'd be glad to take a look.

[Bride2B]

Re: Please Help Me!!

Thank you for your response. I think I would like to get the old book, although from what I have read on here, there doesn't seem to be that much difference between them.

I am sorry but I am still not understanding the protein table. So I can eat up to 450g of protein food - meat and eggs per day? Do you have to weigh the eggs as well as count the carbs?

Does this mean that chicken and steak and beef mince etc. aren't counted as net carbs? Do I have to find bacon with no sugar in it?

Thanks for your help!

[Georgiana]

Re: Please Help Me!!

So I can eat up to 450g of protein food

That's not an upper limit... so it's not "up to". It's only a guideline.

Depending on the foods you choose, the grams of protein you get from X grams of "protein food" will be different. For example, 200 g of eggs (4 large ones) have approximately 25 g of protein, but 200 g of raw skinless chicken breast has about 42 g.

You could have, for example, 3 eggs for breakfast, 200 g ground beef for lunch and 200 g of salmon for dinner. These would add up to about 550 g and provide approximately 95 g of protein. This would be fine to have, even if the weight of the food doesn't add up to exactly 450 g.

The idea on Atkins is not to count the grams of protein or protein food you are eating. You only need to worry about net carbs. Forget the protein table... it's easy to dwell too much on details when you start Atkins. Plan a few menus without it in mind... and then go back to the table if you want, and see if you are eating 71-149 g of protein. Most likely you will.

Do you have to weigh the eggs as well as count the carbs?

No, you just need to count the carbs.

Does this mean that chicken and steak and beef mince etc. aren't counted as net carbs?

They shouldn't have net carbs, unless they are processed. The chicken could be injected with a sugar solution, so check the ingredients.

Do I have to find bacon with no sugar in it?

Some people are fine eating bacon that has a small amount of sugar in it. It's something that you'll need to see how it works for you.