Started Atkins 10-5-09 and those pesky test strips!

[ImmaGonnaGetThere]

Hello all!

I started Atkins on 10-5-09 but I didn't buy the book until the next week. I thought that I could google everything I needed to know; I was very wrong about that. The book is a must!

I also invested in those pesky ketone test strips. At first, I was obsessed with trying to turn the dang thing purple. However, mine stays in the trace to small reading, only once did I make it to moderate. So now, after loosing 38 pounds, I have given up on ever getting a purple dipstick.

I have a friend who is also doing Atkins and she and I react to ingredients very differently.

TRUE: You really do loose the cravings after 4 days. No doubt it is a hard 4 days but come on I can do anything for 4 days.

I stall and do not loose with caffeine or Aspartame. As a Diet Pepsi and coffee junkie I thought it would be very hard to cut these but it was manageable. I changed to 1 large mug of decaf 3-4 days a week with 2 tbsp of sugar-free vanilla or caramel creamer (this is my big splurge). Initially, I changed to Diet Rite, but I now only have 2-3 a week. The biggest help is drinking 3L of water a day. I drink lots and lots of water and it does make a difference

Once past the induction phase, I added ½ slice of the low carb bread a day, this didn’t work at all for me so I cut it right back out. I also tried the low carb bars and stalled so I cut them right back out.

Salads, even staying with the less than 4 cups a day stalls my progress. So I went to having 2 or 3 stalks of celery a day.

For me, I am staying in the extended induction phase. Lots of meats and eggs with only 2 to 3 celery stalks a day. I take all the vitamins recommended EVERY day and I drink the 3L of water EVERY day.

I have more energy than ever before and I certainly do not miss the bloating!

Good luck to everyone!

[mission to lose]

Re: Started Atkins 10-5-09 and those pesky test strips!

Hi Amy,

Glad you are doing ok.

Are you only eating 2-3 stalks of celery a day? Is that your only veggies?



Here's a copy of a post I wrote the other day. I guess you feel this way now, too.

Isn't it funny how in our early stages of starting Atkins many of us run out and buy ketostix along with our bacon and veggies and water and heavy cream, etc., and we feel like all the rewards of our actions are going to be reflected on the pee strip, instead of how we look, how we feel, and how big our clothes are getting. (I was guilty, too.)

And then a month or so down the road, most of us realize the sticks are basically unnecessary---if we just follow the rules and eat the right choices, and the pee sticks sit there in the medicine cabinet collecting dust. And we don't think twice about them anymore.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Started Atkins 10-5-09 and those pesky test strips!

> Lots of meats and eggs with only 2 to 3 celery stalks a day.>>

That's not enough vegetables.

Of course, since you have the book, you know that!

And when are you moving to OWL?

[ImmaGonnaGetThere]

Re: Started Atkins 10-5-09 and those pesky test strips!

In my morning eggs I add 3 or 4 slices of green peppers and about a tablespoon or two of onion. It seems that I loose better eating celery than salad (iceberg lettuce). And yes, I have the heavy whipping cream expiring in my fridge right now

My normal stalpes are: beef roast, chicken soup (homemade with only chicken and broth), chicken breast, tuna, eggs (fried, scramled, and hard boiled), Jimmy Dean turkey sausage, 2 tablespoons of cream cheese a day, 1/4 cup of mixed nuts a day (not OK for induction), maybe 2 or 3 times a week I'll have microwave ready bacon or a ground chuck patty, 2 or 3 celery stalks, 3 slices of green peppers, 2 tbsp of onions, 2 to 3 oz of cheese per day.

My calories come in around 1200 per day. I know Atkins doesn't count calories but calories do count.

I also crossed off the Kroger Carbmaster yogart and sugarfree jello a while ago since they have artifical sweetners that I am now not doing very much of.

I know I am under for the veggies but I stall right out with 3-4 cups a day.

I am not sure when I am going to move into OWL because when I tried the first time my weight stalled for 3 weeks (203 pounds was a nightmare for me). I am now too afraid of not keeping the weight loss going. But during that stall time I was only drinking 1.5 to 2L of water a day and taking the vitamins here and there. So mabybe those variables played a part as well as a plateau.

Here is what I am sure of, this is my way of life now. I can honestly say that I never see myself going back to eating all those carbs. I am now a very careful label reader and I have to say that I am shocked at the low-fat products.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Started Atkins 10-5-09 and those pesky test strips!

>> My calories come in around 1200 per day.>>

That's not really enough calories for your current body weight, imho.

>>calories do count>>

You do understand the metabolic advantage of doing Atkins, right?

You also know that undereating, both in calories and net carbs is counterproductive, right?

>>I am now too afraid of not keeping the weight loss going.>>

With what you're doing now, your weight loss is likely to slow down from not enough food.

And you know that since you're eating nuts, you're not really doing Induction.

Nowhere is it written that you have to have iceberg lettuce. There's 53 vegetables on the list.

And did you read the list of ingredients on the Jimmy Dean turkey sausage?

[Georgiana]

Re: Started Atkins 10-5-09 and those pesky test strips!

I know I am under for the veggies but I stall right out with 3-4 cups a day.

How did you find this out?

[ImmaGonnaGetThere]

Re: Started Atkins 10-5-09 and those pesky test strips!

>> My calories come in around 1200 per day.>>

That's not really enough calories for your current body weight, imho.

>>calories do count>>

You do understand the metabolic advantage of doing Atkins, right? Yes, I absolutely understand the metabolic advantages of Atkins. Lipolysis is at work burning my fat for the energy needed by my body to survive in lieu of sugars eaten.

You also know that undereating, both in calories and net carbs is counterproductive, right? Yes, I know that if the body goes into starvation mode it will hold onto every bit of weight and fat as it thinks one is experiencing a famine.

>>I am now too afraid of not keeping the weight loss going.>>

With what you're doing now, your weight loss is likely to slow down from not enough food.

And you know that since you're eating nuts, you're not really doing Induction. Exactly, but I don’t know what else to call it. I am only taking in 15 to 20 carbs a day and with the exception of the nuts, I am following the induction phase (I think).

Nowhere is it written that you have to have iceberg lettuce. There's 53 vegetables on the list. Over the past 2 months when I increased my veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, cucumber, cabbage) my weight loss stalled out. But having said that, at those times I was not drinking 3L of water a day (getting in about 1.5L to 2L) nor was I taking the vitamins every single day like I am now.

And did you read the list of ingredients on the Jimmy Dean turkey sausage?
Yes, I just now did. 1 Gm of carb for three links but sugar is one of the ingredients.

Since you guys have been at this a while I welcome your suggestions.

Many Many Thanks!