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I believe a lot of Atkiners have found themselves in some or all of the following situations...
1. You've been invited to a social function or special event with a set meal and you'll have very little say in what's being served.
2. You're in a situation where turning down carb-laden will have serious repurcussions due to social / cultural / professional concerns.
3. You're going to visit, or live in, a locale where it's near impossible to get nutritional information on the food you eat.
4. The restaurant you're going to is unable / unwilling to modify your order to your specifications.
5. Access to Atkins friendly food is limited.
I've seen a lot of posts on how much grief this WoE has caused them and how it sometimes feels that it's not worth it. As the saying goes, "If there's a will, there's a way." If you want it badly enough, you'll find a way to get through obstacles. So, here are a few strategies I've developed which I've broken into three parts...
I. Planning Ahead
The best way to deal with uncertain situations is to either a) take steps minimize their occurence, b) prepare a course of action, or c) plan an escape route.
1. When going to a social event with an unknown menu, eat before you go. You may get flak if you tell people you're not eating because you're on Atkins but you'll hardly get lip if you explain that you're just not hungry (and you're not lying either).
2. Pack homemade meals if you can. Friends at work inviting you out to have lunch at a pizza parlor. Tell them you packed lunch and would hate to have it go to waste.
3. Frankenfoods are your friends. I know, I know. Some people are probably screaming "BLASPHEMY" but hear me out.
Low-carb food products are designed to be used for emergencies, when there's nothing to eat. It's not a treat or a substitute for unhealthy eating.
That being said, I can't count the number of times my stash of Atkins Advantage bars have kept me from going hungry at work when the only foods I had access to at the office were pizza and donuts. Despite the bad things about frankenfoods, they tend to more satiation power that other foods of the same size. That, coupled with their long shelf life and portability make them excellent foods for emergencies.
II. Making the Best of a Bad Situation
1. There's a general rule I follow when eating at a place where I have very little idea what I'm eating, and that is "Eat as if you were still on Induction." Normally that would give some margin against hidden carbs (and there are lots here in the Philippines).
1b. However, if you are on induction, then follow this rule - Count total carbs instead of net carbs. Again this allows for some margin of error for hidden carbs.
2. Learn to feign illness. Personally, I'm allergic to alcohol, so no one gives me grief when I'm at a social drinking situation. Lot's of people have food allergies and intolerances. Avoiding milk products? Tell them you're lactose intolerant. Sugar? You're a reactive hypoglycemic. Building up a rep for having a weak stomach wouldn't hurt either.
III. Damage Control
Frankly, I've never understood the mentality that causes people to think "since I've cheated, I might as well go big time." If you've got to cheat, then do what you can to minimize the damage it will cause.
How? Well, it's time to take a page out of the South Beach Diet. Both Dr. Atkins and Dr. Agatson believe that the main culprit to weight gain is hyperinsulinism. While Dr. Atkins believes that the the reason for high insulin levels is the amount of carbs which is converted to glucose, Dr, Agatson believes that what counts is the speed at which the carbs are converted to glucose.
In other words, if you can slow the rise in your blood sugar, you can lessen the amount of insulin that your body produces.Keep in mind that the main effect of an insulin spike is low blood sugar. Low blood sugar can lead to hunger and/or a recurrence of cravings for sweets which we don't want.
So how do you slow down the conversion of carbs to sugar? here are some tips.
1. Eat fat and protein. I'm a reactive hypoglycimic and I know from experience that while a can of regular Coke can cause a massive insulin spike in me, having a burger with that Coke would prevent it (or at least lessen the spike to a degree that it doesn't cause a massive drop in blood sugar).
2. Eat s-l-o-w-l-y. You'll feel fuller too. Chances are, everyone else will finish eating before you do and it's sometimes considered impolite to keep eating when everyone else is finished. Hopefully you've limited your portions of carb-laden foods with this strategy.
These are some of the ways I've found to cope with unusual circumstances. Hopefully you can add your own to this thread.
1. You've been invited to a social function or special event with a set meal and you'll have very little say in what's being served.
2. You're in a situation where turning down carb-laden will have serious repurcussions due to social / cultural / professional concerns.
3. You're going to visit, or live in, a locale where it's near impossible to get nutritional information on the food you eat.
4. The restaurant you're going to is unable / unwilling to modify your order to your specifications.
5. Access to Atkins friendly food is limited.
I've seen a lot of posts on how much grief this WoE has caused them and how it sometimes feels that it's not worth it. As the saying goes, "If there's a will, there's a way." If you want it badly enough, you'll find a way to get through obstacles. So, here are a few strategies I've developed which I've broken into three parts...
I. Planning Ahead
The best way to deal with uncertain situations is to either a) take steps minimize their occurence, b) prepare a course of action, or c) plan an escape route.
1. When going to a social event with an unknown menu, eat before you go. You may get flak if you tell people you're not eating because you're on Atkins but you'll hardly get lip if you explain that you're just not hungry (and you're not lying either).
2. Pack homemade meals if you can. Friends at work inviting you out to have lunch at a pizza parlor. Tell them you packed lunch and would hate to have it go to waste.
3. Frankenfoods are your friends. I know, I know. Some people are probably screaming "BLASPHEMY" but hear me out.
Low-carb food products are designed to be used for emergencies, when there's nothing to eat. It's not a treat or a substitute for unhealthy eating.
That being said, I can't count the number of times my stash of Atkins Advantage bars have kept me from going hungry at work when the only foods I had access to at the office were pizza and donuts. Despite the bad things about frankenfoods, they tend to more satiation power that other foods of the same size. That, coupled with their long shelf life and portability make them excellent foods for emergencies.
II. Making the Best of a Bad Situation
1. There's a general rule I follow when eating at a place where I have very little idea what I'm eating, and that is "Eat as if you were still on Induction." Normally that would give some margin against hidden carbs (and there are lots here in the Philippines).
1b. However, if you are on induction, then follow this rule - Count total carbs instead of net carbs. Again this allows for some margin of error for hidden carbs.
2. Learn to feign illness. Personally, I'm allergic to alcohol, so no one gives me grief when I'm at a social drinking situation. Lot's of people have food allergies and intolerances. Avoiding milk products? Tell them you're lactose intolerant. Sugar? You're a reactive hypoglycemic. Building up a rep for having a weak stomach wouldn't hurt either.
III. Damage Control
Frankly, I've never understood the mentality that causes people to think "since I've cheated, I might as well go big time." If you've got to cheat, then do what you can to minimize the damage it will cause.
How? Well, it's time to take a page out of the South Beach Diet. Both Dr. Atkins and Dr. Agatson believe that the main culprit to weight gain is hyperinsulinism. While Dr. Atkins believes that the the reason for high insulin levels is the amount of carbs which is converted to glucose, Dr, Agatson believes that what counts is the speed at which the carbs are converted to glucose.
In other words, if you can slow the rise in your blood sugar, you can lessen the amount of insulin that your body produces.Keep in mind that the main effect of an insulin spike is low blood sugar. Low blood sugar can lead to hunger and/or a recurrence of cravings for sweets which we don't want.
So how do you slow down the conversion of carbs to sugar? here are some tips.
1. Eat fat and protein. I'm a reactive hypoglycimic and I know from experience that while a can of regular Coke can cause a massive insulin spike in me, having a burger with that Coke would prevent it (or at least lessen the spike to a degree that it doesn't cause a massive drop in blood sugar).
2. Eat s-l-o-w-l-y. You'll feel fuller too. Chances are, everyone else will finish eating before you do and it's sometimes considered impolite to keep eating when everyone else is finished. Hopefully you've limited your portions of carb-laden foods with this strategy.
These are some of the ways I've found to cope with unusual circumstances. Hopefully you can add your own to this thread.
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