New to Atkins would like some help!

[midwestgirl]

Hi! I'm very much new to this. I just started atkins and am on Day 2 of induction. Feeling great and not hungry whatsoever! I did go to the gym today and was a little dizzy after running, but came home and feel great now. Not planning to weigh myself again until after the 14 days. I have about 40lbs that I would like to lose. I have 2 questions:

First, I have always been very muscular on the bottom half of my body. Always have been active and love cardio workouts, but being a college student the last 4 years has made it difficult for me to maintain my normal 130lb weight (thank you partying and poor diet). Is Atkins going to pack on more muscle than I already have since I am eating so much more protein?

The second is, I was wondering if I stayed on the induction phase until I lost around half of the weight (about 20-25 lbs) is a good idea? If I stay on this phase past the 14 days will I continue to remain losing a steady amount of weight?

Thanks for your help!!!

[imagood1]

Re: New to Atkins would like some help!

HI and Welcome!! Since you don't have much to loose and you need time to go through the Rungs don't stay on extended induction until you've lost half your weight -- you need time to figure out what foods you can eat and which ones trigger no weight loss or weight gain. Don't think of Atkins as a summer diet - it was written to be a lifestyle change for the long term.

You won't bulk up because of the protein you eat. You will loose the fat you carry around instead of loosing muscle like on fad diets so this is a healtier way to eat.

Make sure you eat enough food - use www.fitday.com or some other plan to put your food in each day so you know what your percentages are. You should be getting right at 65% fat, 30% protein and 5% carbs daily.

Before you start:
*take your measurements and get on the scale so you have accurate numbers to start with - don't weigh again until the end of your 2 week induction.
*Eat a variety of meats, cheeses and vegetables. Also make sure you get your fats, carbs and protein in daily – www.fitday.com will help you keep track of this.
*Drink 64 ounces of pure water -nothing added daily (Legal water is considered Filtered water, Mineral water, Spring water and Tap water).
*Take your supplements and start an exercise routine today.

The recipe sites are a helpful meal planning tool – just make sure you use Induction Recipes to begin with.
Recipe Sites
http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/menus.html (Linda’s)
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-diet-14-day-induction/58513-never-ending-induction-recipes.html (Induction recipes)
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-diet-14-day-induction/6807-induction-recipe-basics-more-recipes-added.html (Induction Recipe Basics)


Good luck to you.

[midwestgirl]

Re: New to Atkins would like some help!

Thanks so much!!!! One more question - Am I allowed to eat the atkins meal bars or shakes as a snack during induction or should i wait to purchase these until phase 2?

[imagood1]

Re: New to Atkins would like some help!

The Atkins shakes and bars are not legal on induction – there are non-induction ingredients in them and they are not listed on the acceptable food list. If a food isn’t listed on the acceptable food list it doesn’t belong in your mouth – no exceptions!

[midwestgirl]

Re: New to Atkins would like some help!

Good to know!!! THANK YOU!

[ThinSoon]

Re: New to Atkins would like some help!

Thanks so much!!!! One more question - Am I allowed to eat the atkins meal bars or shakes as a snack during induction or should i wait to purchase these until phase 2?

These products tend to stall people. If you can find natural alternatives to these items. Linda Sue has a great recipe website, includes some desserts if you are looking for something like that? I will have an EAS low carb shake once and awhile, they come in hand if I will be out and can't take a lunch but will have access to ice. I try to keep things like that to a minimum because I stall easily. You'll find what works best for you though.

Glad to see you on the boards, you'll find a lot of helpful information here!

Tracey

[imagood1]

Re: New to Atkins would like some help!

If a food isn’t listed on the acceptable food list it doesn’t belong in your mouth – no exceptions! The shakes aren't on the list so they wouldn't be legal.....there are other things you could take with you that require no refrigeration andd are legal.

[midwestgirl]

Re: New to Atkins would like some help!

I also had trouble finding full fat cheese... the only bag of shredded whole milk mozzarella I could find in the grocery store was a mixture of provolone and whole milk mozzarella... would that be legal?

[imagood1]

Re: New to Atkins would like some help!

shredded cheese has potato starch mixed with it to keep the cheese from sticking. The best thing to do is buy bricks of cheese and cut them into 1oz servings or shred some in advance and put 1oz into a baggie so you know you are eating a serving.

I buy bricks of Cheddar Cheese or Colby/Jack cheese.

[JulieB]

Re: New to Atkins would like some help!

Many of the bars have ingredients that aren't legal until Rung 9 (not 2) - so I'd avoid them. Induction is the time to start breaking bad habits, and learning what healthy foods to eat - bars & shakes aren't good choices. Try to make new habits of eating whole, unprocessed foods Best Wishes,

[Emre Yigit]

Re: New to Atkins would like some help!

Forget the bars. A tasty hard-boiled egg is so much better.

Mozzarella and provolone have about 2.5-3.5g of carbs per cup. Cheddar has 1.5-2g so is much more friendly during induction when you're counting carbs like crazy. The best cheese I found for induction was full fat brie, which has less than 1g per cup and whose calorific content is also lower than cheddar. (And it also happens to be my favourite cheese!)

Similar to you, I have a much more developed lower body. (In my youth I was a runner, so my upper body was and is far less developed.) I found that I lost fat first in my legs before moving elsewhere in my body. As for packing on muscle, it depends. In most diets, you lose fat and muscle mass, and Atkins is no different. Starting in about a week's time, I would recommend overall cardio to bump up metabolism, speed weight loss and for overall health. Some time later (I waited until OWL 2), I would recommend a gentle regime of weight lifting for your upper body, very gradually becoming more strenuous. Women add muscle differently to men, so don't worry, unless you're VERY serious about weightlifting, you won't "bulk up".

[mandy 35]

Re: New to Atkins would like some help!

hi am new ere am 35 from uk am 12st 7lbs and i need 2 lose 1nhalf stone could u give mi plz a list of food i can n cant eat plz ty x

[imagood1]

Re: New to Atkins would like some help!

hi am new ere am 35 from uk am 12st 7lbs and i need 2 lose 1nhalf stone could u give mi plz a list of food i can n cant eat plz ty x

Mandy - introduce yourself in a seperate thread so we can all welcome you. Until then here is information that will help you get started.

We recommend you get a copy of the 2002 Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution (DANDR) the book we use for reference on this site. Until you can get a copy of the book check the stickies (information posts) at the top of the induction page - http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-diet-14-day-induction/77558-atkins-diet-induction-faqs.html – it’s a condensed version of everything you’ll need to know. Even through the stickies are a good start they don’t detail the entire program, so that’s why we suggest you have the book to follow.

Post often, ask questions join some of the challenges - the more you use the forum the more you'll get out of it.

Before you start:
*take your measurements and get on the scale so you have accurate numbers to start with - don't weigh again until the end of your 2 week induction.
*Eat a variety of meats, cheeses and vegetables. Also make sure you get your fats, carbs and protein in daily – www.fitday.com will help you keep track of this.
*Drink 64 ounces of pure water -nothing added daily (Legal water is considered Filtered water, Mineral water, Spring water and Tap water).
*Take your supplements and start an exercise routine today.

The Atkins shakes and bars are not legal on induction – there are non-induction ingredients in them and they are not listed on the acceptable food list. If a food isn’t listed on the acceptable food list it doesn’t belong in your mouth – no exceptions!

The recipe sites are a helpful meal planning tool – just make sure you use Induction Recipes to begin with.
Recipe Sites
http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/menus.html (Linda’s)
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-diet-14-day-induction/58513-never-ending-induction-recipes.html (Induction recipes)
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-diet-14-day-induction/6807-induction-recipe-basics-more-recipes-added.html (Induction Recipe Basics)

If you need anything we’re here to help you!! Good luck.

[Lovebug3168]

Re: New to Atkins would like some help!



Best of luck in your journey