Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

**kristyn** · January 16, 2006, 01:50 PM

Re: Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

Why wait two weeks? You can start slowly to prepare yourself, like stop drinking coffee or cut out some sugar etc... That way you might not have as hard of a time.

Just a suggestion

Kristyn

**ladyinred** · January 16, 2006, 01:55 PM

Re: Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

Hey Jenler - get that mac & cheese outta here! Seriously, all you need is the book. If you can't afford a scale, don't buy one. Use a measuring tape to take your measurements before you start and then check every 2 or 3 weeks. The tape measure is more reliable anyway since the scale sometimes lies (due to fluctuations in water weight, etc.). Maybe you can get weighed at the doctor's office just to have some idea of where you've started? Get the book and read it. From the beginning. It will tell you everything you need to know to start the 14 day induction period, plus you can see all the progressions until you get to maintenance. It helps to see that there's more to this way of eating (woe) than just the induction phase. Read the book, clean the junk carbs out of your house and go shopping based on the induction acceptable foods list. We'll be here to help you out but the best thing you can do for yourself is buy the book, read it and understand it. As you can see we have 1,000's of members here and they wouldn't be here if this way of eating didn't work. Good luck. By the way, did I mention that you should read the book? lol (I love my book)

**Kate113** · January 16, 2006, 01:58 PM

Re: Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

Mac & cheese. Yuckie! lol If you look around the website, you'll find the answers to all of your questions. There is a pocket-sized food list somewhere (no time for me to look for it right now). There's cooking and recipe threads that are a huge help. Definitely get the book.

2 weeks is a long time off yet. You might want to get started simply by reading the amount of carbs on that macaroni box and anything else you're eating. Just so you get a sense of how much you really are eating per serving as compared to only 20 carbs per day on induction.

If you're serious about Atkins, there will be nothing stopping you. Good luck and let us know how you're doing once you start.

**Jellybean1984** · January 16, 2006, 02:08 PM

Re: Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

I know mac and cheese is bad. first off thanks for your imput it is nice to have somewhere u can write and get feed back that makes you think.

Why 2 weeks. my biggest mistake in trying to lose weight is I am never 100% prepaired. I dive in head first and forget to put water in the pool..u know. hehe.

I am giving myself 2 weeks to remove, give away, clean out the starches in my house... Sugar and snacks are no problem I only have freezies...I want to read the whole 9 on this one. I am kinda watching my food... Time restriction and portion control right now. I figured..get into a workout routine,keep it...so my pool is a quarter filled, who knew i love working out, I sure didn't.
2 weeks is also cause I work shift work....and well afternoons is not a good start time either is midnights. So I will start on days to get my mind into what I can and cannot eat.
The messuring is a good idea. I think that is what I am going to do. and now that i know the 14 day thing is something I read that eases me a little to.
So prepping my mind is what I am going to focus on. I daily go to Tim Hortons...Coffee shop..for lunch, so thats my hard part to get off. I am going to switch my coffee down a size and to sweetner less cream. oh poor coffee

Hopefully in 2 weeks I will be all set and if not atleast I will be good enough slide in the pool:P...oh i love the pool. when is summer here

**didy** · January 16, 2006, 02:38 PM

Re: Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

There's a food pantry near you I bet. That's a good place to get rid of the stuff you need to. I felt a little guilty though, giving them all that trash once I learned the proper way to eat.
didy

**Desertthorn** · January 16, 2006, 02:57 PM

Re: Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

Originally posted by Jenler

I know mac and cheese is bad. first off thanks for your imput it is nice to have somewhere u can write and get feed back that makes you think.

Why 2 weeks. my biggest mistake in trying to lose weight is I am never 100% prepaired. I dive in head first and forget to put water in the pool..u know. hehe.

I am giving myself 2 weeks to remove, give away, clean out the starches in my house... Sugar and snacks are no problem I only have freezies...I want to read the whole 9 on this one. I am kinda watching my food... Time restriction and portion control right now. I figured..get into a workout routine,keep it...so my pool is a quarter filled, who knew i love working out, I sure didn't.
2 weeks is also cause I work shift work....and well afternoons is not a good start time either is midnights. So I will start on days to get my mind into what I can and cannot eat.
The messuring is a good idea. I think that is what I am going to do. and now that i know the 14 day thing is something I read that eases me a little to.
So prepping my mind is what I am going to focus on. I daily go to Tim Hortons...Coffee shop..for lunch, so thats my hard part to get off. I am going to switch my coffee down a size and to sweetner less cream. oh poor coffee

Hopefully in 2 weeks I will be all set and if not atleast I will be good enough slide in the pool:P...oh i love the pool. when is summer here

you know that makes sence, but can I suggest that you also stop right now with the nasties, white flour, white sugar.
Also quit any junk foods as they certainly are the worst and most carb laden.

If your not going to start for two weeks, at least start exercising. 10 minute walk every day....slow stroll, nothing heart pounding, once around the block will be fine.
For every diet coke you drink, drink the same amount of water, easy your body into drinking a lot of water.
Try some low carb dinners or breakfast.
Open up a fitday account and learn how to use it, its a great resource.

And keep posting.

**Jellybean1984** · January 16, 2006, 03:19 PM

Re: Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

That sounds good. I think maybe try to cut down to prepair myself. This week is limited due to funds but next week I will. as for my exercise I don't think I wrote it to clear:P I already exercise for right now for what should be 20 min usually an hour atleast 5 times a week. so i have that down. This is really neat you people are making this easier. and I appreciate it

**Romandachs** · January 19, 2006, 12:36 AM

Re: Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

Jenler,
Start doing things now, like checking the labels of EVERYTHING, look at the carb content. You will look in your Atkins book and see list of items using generic terms, like "Cheese", "Cottage Cheese". When you buy items, avoid "Diet" items, low fat items, etc. Low Fat = Increased Carbs. It is a fact of life, if they remove the fat, they make it sweeter to make it taste better. Usually Cottage Cheese has 4 carbs per 1/2 cup. I believe low fat cottage cheese has 6 carbs per 1/2 cup. So if you ate 1 cup of cottage cheese in one day you would have 8 carbs vs 12 carbs, you could have had an extra 1/2 cup of the regular cottage cheese. Never "Assume" the carb content will be the same on each brand of an item. Some Summer Sausage has no carbs, Others will have 3-6 carbs per serving. If you learn nothing else, learn the induction phase and learn to read labels and count carbs. Even on your sweetner packets, which may be less than a carb for one, but not two.
How Atkins works.
Your bodys #1 source of fuel for energy burning is Carbohydrates, if your body doesn't have enough Carbohydrates to meet the energy needs of the body, then it burns Fat. It can burn twice the amount of Carbohydrates for energy as it can Fat, but for every Fat burned, you get twice the amount of energy released. Your body will only burn proteins when there is not enough Carbohydrates or Fat to burn. It is the LAST resource used for energy. So if your body is fed LOTS of protein, nearly No Carbohydrates, its only choice for Energy is Fat. As long as it has lots of fat to burn, it will never burn the Proteins. Your body only stores Fat when Carbohydrates are in excess. When you feed your body a lot of carbs, your body thinks it needs to store the carbs, the only way it can store them is by changing them into fat, it does this as a protective mechanism in case it encounters a starvation type situation, then your body can survive on its "Stores" of fat. You have to "Trick" your body into using these stores. The only way to do that is by decreasing your total caloric intake. A quicker way of doing this is by starving the body of carbohydrates. If you just lower your caloric intake and you still feed the body carbs, it will first burn those carbs you are feeding it, only when they run out will it start to burn fat. If you don't feed it carbs (20 grams/day is like not feeding it carbs at all, and you will find how fast they can be used up when you start counting them) then it has no choice but to immediately start burning fat. When you increase the need for more energy, like with exercising, this speeds up the process even more, in addition to adding more muscle mass which also requires more energy to maintain. Your body now becomes a fat burning machine, you start loosing inches fairly quickly, your clothes start getting loose. Fat weighs much less than muscle, but requires no energy to maintain, just carbs to insure it never gets burned. When you build muscle, you may gain more weight, but in doing so, you increase your need for more energy and eventually loose weight more quickly.
When your body burns fat, a by product of Fat Burning is Ketones. Diabetics, because their body cannot use the "sugar" (ie carbs) in the blood due to either a faulty pancreas that isn't producing insulin or insulin that is no longer able to to do its job due to faulty receptors. The blood sugar levels of diabetics goes up because their body can't process it, it can't be used for energy, so their body starts burning fat for energy, they release Ketones into the urine. The Atkins Diet uses the principles of Diabetes to burn fat, but instead of having high blood sugar levels, you just don't give the body the sugars (carbs) to burn. You can buy Ketone strips in the diabetic supply area of any pharmacy to check for Ketones in the urine. When you see Ketones in the urine, you know your body is burning fat. It is kinda like a positive reinforcement for your dieting experience, letting you know you are on the right track. Ketones are hard on the kidneys, because they must process them. This is why large amounts of water is a good idea on this diet, to help flush the kidneys and keep them healthy.
Once you understand how the diet works, you can understand why it is so important to keep those carbs DOWN to a minimum, read labels, COUNT those carbs, drink plenty of fluids and exercise.

**Romandachs** · January 19, 2006, 12:50 AM

Re: Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

Another thing, your body craves carbs because, this is what we mostly have fed it all of our lives. The first week is the hardest, it is like a purification process. Remember that the energy released from burning fat is twice the amount as burning carbs, this equals more energy and in about a week, you will feel this surge of energy and all at once you will feel lively. You will be amased at how good you feel. Once you are past the induction (and I usually have to stay on a modified induction, no it isn't fair, but my metabolism SUCKS and that is a fact of my life) you will likely cheat at some point, when you do, prepare yourself to feel like CRAP, you will bloat up like a huge water balloon and as you moan in your misery, you will wonder why you thought those carbs would make you feel better.

**Tania** · January 19, 2006, 02:19 AM

Re: Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

Jenler,

Welcome to the ADBB. You will find everything you need here and much more.

I believe that there is no time like the present. If you want to do something, do it now!! Why wait??

Here is the link to the wallet size food list. You can use this, and the info on this website while you are waiting for your book. Print this and throw away everything that is not on this list. Start today, you will be so happy tomorrow!!!

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ead.php?t=6071

And remember, we've all been where you are at this moment. Just do it!!
Good luck!!

**Rick** · January 19, 2006, 06:30 AM

Re: Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

Jenler,
Here's another thread you may want to read:
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ad.php?t=17987
I was, like you, thinking about waiting until after New Years to start with Atkins, until I read that thread. I think it's an awesome post, by a wonderful person on this board.

Best of luck to you with Atkins. It really works!!!
Rick

**Desertthorn** · January 19, 2006, 09:54 AM

Re: Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

Ohh, don't get confused, Cottage Cheese isn't on the induction list and not allowed until we get to the dairy level.

**Romandachs** · January 19, 2006, 11:26 AM

Re: Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

Sorry, I was just giving an example of why you should always read labels, not lists of food for the induction phase

**Erin K** · January 19, 2006, 12:55 PM

Re: Eatting Mac and cheese while signing up.

Beckie hit that nail on the head! it was a great review!

I must reiterate the others who say why wait? But starting slowly will help you for sure. Over the next 2 weeks definitely cut way back on sugar, thigs with flour, etc. Increase your water intake, and as for Timmy's...no there isn't anything that you can eat there...but you can have a steeped tea! Try bringing your lunch to work with you...is that possible? Anyway...good luck!

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