Very mixed up about atkins, need help please

noah45

I started ww last Monday but cannot survive on the 18 points (old ww)
So on Wednesday I decided to try low carb and kept my calories to about 1400.
Then after reading a lot online I thought I'd give atkins a go.

So the last 2 days I have lots of eggs, broccolli, sausages, turkey, chicken and yogurt as well as lots flaxmeal. Problem is I am going way over with my carbs, as well as fat. So at this stage I haven't a clue what will happen to my weight. My intake for last few days:


Carbs Fat Protein Calories
Wed 106 38 28 1262
Thur 81 54 81 1220
Fri 95 67 89 1334
Sat 53 121 65 1665







Any tips or advice greatly appreciated

jam_mac_jam

Too much carbs for atkins induction. I dont see how you are eating 100g carbs based on what you say you are eating.

noah45

I have been having carrots, peppers and some sweet potato, that caused the carbs.

Would you still loose weight on what i'm doing?
Even with all the fat?

Amtmann

Looks okay to me...main thing: don't be afraid of fat. And read this.

Basically plenty of seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables (I mean LOTS of vegetables), meat and fish, and shag all carbs (apart from the fruit and veg).

• Fat and protein = good
• Carbs = not so good
• Weight Watchers = not good

Looking at your calorie intake you should certainly lose weight, assuming you're a typical male. Combine with daily cardio and structured weight training for improved results.

Amtmann

EDIT to the above: What is your age and weight? You may want to eat just a little more...

noah45

Im a 45yr old female 5ft 3 at the moment i'm 136lb and should be 110-120lb as I hav a tiny frame.

Amtmann

Ah okay... well, if you're only moderately active I'd eat above 1300 calories but around or below 1500 if I were you. In addition, try to get in some daily cardio. You can always fine-tune things if you're losing weight too slowly or too quickly.

You can find out your approximate caloric needs here: http://www.sheerbalance.com/nutrition-section/nutrition-tools/nutrition-calculators/

Just keep eating protein, fat, nuts, fruit and veggies and you won't go too far wrong.

Darkginger

Hi Noah You seem to be eating low carb, but you're not actually doing Atkins, from what I can see. Atkins has four stages to it - induction, ongoing weightloss, pre-maintenance, and maintenance. You start by eating around 20g carbs a day, for 2 weeks - but those carbs come from a specific list. After the 2 weeks, you start to introduce additional foods, in a given order - it's called 'climbing the carb ladder' until you find the daily carb allowance that works for you as an individual. It's not just a case of eating low carb foods - it's about giving yourself the knowledge and tools to lose the weight and keep it off in the longterm.

I'd advise you to get hold of one of the Atkins books - it explains why you do what you do on Atkins, and how it works. If it's too restrictive for you, of course there are other low carb diets out there - everyone is different and no one diet will fit all.

Watch out for those sausages btw - most commercial sausages contain rusk - which is carby!

noah45

Darkginger I hear you.

I have re looked at the induction stage and am now finding it hard to eat the right amount of fat. I intend to gat the book tomorrowToday I have had

1 full egg
3 egg whites
1 chicken breast
6 florettes cauliflower
4 florettes broccolli
1 oz butter
200g tinned pink salmon
1oz lettuce
1 multivitamin
extra calcium and magnesium tabs

I am hungry now though and I don't like nuts at all.
Any suggestions for a snack?
If I kept to this kind of eating I should go into ketosis right?

Darkginger

Yeah, you should go into ketosis on that - but don't stress about it - I've never yet tested myself for it, it just kind of comes with the eating plan. I've never measured my butter etc. either, I just use however much seems to taste good You really weighed your lettuce? Just throw on a handful! I've found that half the reason this works so well for me is that I never have to measure anything, and that takes the obsessive part of 'dieting' out of the equation - I eat the allowed foods until satisfied, and then stop. Ketosis has an appetite reducing effect anyway, so it's more a case of struggling to make myself eat enough, rather than restricting my intake!

Snacks - hardboiled eggs dipped in mayo, ham slices rolled around cheese, tuna mayo with cucumber, a couple of Babybels, pork scatchings if you can find them in Ireland (I can't!), a chicken drumstick, a slice of crustless quiche (4 eggs, 250ml cream, a couple of ounces of grated cheese, broccoli, ham, chopped peppers and chillies, whatever - mix, top with grated Parmesan and bake at 180 for about 40 mins).

If you do feel hungry - eat! If you want to increase fats, use mayonnaise, hollandaise, olive oil in dressings, make flavoured butters for your meat. Some people swear by coconut oil, but tbh I bought a pot of it months ago and can't think what to do with it!

Hope that helps - but the book will help more, and explain the 'whys' behind it all. After the first couple of weeks you can start snacking on berries, if you're missing fruit - and add in soft cheeses like Philadelphia or Mascarpone - you can even make a low carb cheesecake if you find a sweetener you're happy with (I use Splenda, but some people have issues with that for various reasons).

You don't have a lot to lose, but do bear in mind that low carb eating is supposed to be a lifestyle change, not a quick fix - but the 4 stages of Atkins teach you how to make that change and maintain it - works for me, hope it does for you

noah45

Thanks darkginger:)

I discovered a lovely flaxmeal pancake-just divine

One problem is that I do not like cheese apart from cream cheese.

I started today with a 2 egg omlette and butter
a cup of dissolved chicken stock cube
a tin of mackerel in olive oil

So far so good

annascott

Atkins is not healthy as you are eating lots of meat fats. Also, lack of fruit and vegetables will make you look ill and tired. Try Scarsdale Medical Diet. It works by ketosis the same as Atkins - ie low carb and you will lose water first - but you get vegetables and/or fruit everyday too and don't feel ill...

Davei141

annascott wrote: »

Atkins is not healthy as you are eating lots of meat fats. Also, lack of fruit and vegetables will make you look ill and tired. Try Scarsdale Medical Diet. It works by ketosis the same as Atkins - ie low carb and you will lose water first - but you get vegetables and/or fruit everyday too and don't feel ill...

Looking at the scarsdale its a low fat low carb diet, recipe for disaster.

http://lowcarblisa.tripod.com/thescarsdalemedicaldiet/id18.html

noah45

I agree with davei141, would prefer to stick with atkins induction for a week or 2 then I will continue with low carb, high fat. I will continue to take spplements.

Transform

so eating lots of meat is unhealthy? How do you define lots of meat?

Any low carb approach typically involves a ton of veg and good fats

annascott

Davei141 wrote: »

Looking at the scarsdale its a low fat low carb diet, recipe for disaster.

http://lowcarblisa.tripod.com/thescarsdalemedicaldiet/id18.html

I don't understand. I have done this several times over the years (best weight loss was 40 pounds in about six weeks) It gets really boring, and you only do it for two weeks at a time but it is good as a quick start or if you have had a blow out and need to lose quickly before a public weigh in.. I have always felt very healthy on it.

Please let me know why it is a recipe for disaster. I need to know before doing it again...

Darkginger

annascott wrote: »

Atkins is not healthy as you are eating lots of meat fats. Also, lack of fruit and vegetables will make you look ill and tired. Try Scarsdale Medical Diet. It works by ketosis the same as Atkins - ie low carb and you will lose water first - but you get vegetables and/or fruit everyday too and don't feel ill...

Scarsdale is far from low carb (I know, I've done it) - dry toast is NOT low carb. There is no lack of fruit or vegetables on Atkins. I have never felt healthier than during my 3 years + on Atkins, nor have I ever eaten so many vegetables. Also, please explain what is wrong with meat fats? I think your information is wrong, and outdated.

rocky

annascott wrote: »

I don't understand. I have done this several times over the years (best weight loss was 40 pounds in about six weeks) It gets really boring, and you only do it for two weeks at a time but it is good as a quick start or if you have had a blow out and need to lose quickly before a public weigh in.. I have always felt very healthy on it.

Please let me know why it is a recipe for disaster. I need to know before doing it again...

I don't know this particular diet, but the highlighted text above may be what Dave was talking about...

annascott

Transform wrote: »

so eating lots of meat is unhealthy? How do you define lots of meat?

Any low carb approach typically involves a ton of veg and good fats

Of course there is meat on Scarsdale. Everyday is either meat of fish. Although nothing is fried and all meat must be lean cuts with all visible fat removed. I just don't feel that too much meat is good for us. Especially red meat every day. Fish on the other hand is much healthier. Chicken and Turkey are not bad either, however it is getting more and more difficult to get non water injected and chemically enhanced birds...

annascott

Darkginger wrote: »

Scarsdale is far from low carb (I know, I've done it) - dry toast is NOT low carb. There is no lack of fruit or vegetables on Atkins. I have never felt healthier than during my 3 years + on Atkins, nor have I ever eaten so many vegetables. Also, please explain what is wrong with meat fats? I think your information is wrong, and outdated.

I was of the understanding that Atkin's forbids fruit and vegetables for the first couple of weeks but allows you to eat fried meat, butter and cream... If I have been misinformed, apologies. I stand corrected.

Darkginger

The thing about fat is that it a) is where the flavour is and b) helps with satiety. When I did the Scarsdale diet (which still haunts my nightmares some 20 years on!) it was a test of willpower, not something remotely enjoyable. It is a rigid diet - not that it claims to be anything else - but what I was looking for - and found in Atkins - was a way of eating that allowed me to lose the weight and KEEP IT OFF. I still remember looking forward with a kind of desperation to Thursday lunches - 2 hardboiled eggs, low fat cottage cheese and a slice of dry bread - oo the luxury! There is no way on earth I could eat that every Thursday for the rest of my life.

People who have tried Atkins on a long term basis have reported much improved blood cholesterol and triglyceride counts, despite all the animal fats. Some Type 2 diabetics have found they no longer need medication (of course, never stop taking it unless your Dr says so). I've been a member of a board dedicated to low carb eating since 2005, and have yet to see anyone report any health problems attributable to Atkins - on the contrary, I've seen many, many people achieve long term success with it, and my own experience bears that out. I certainly wouldn't encourage others to try it if I thought for one moment it was bad for you.

I know it's hard to believe that such a non-intuitive way of losing weight actually works and does you no harm - health professionals have been promoting low fat as THE way for the past 30 years or so. Coincidentally (or maybe not) the past 30 years have seen obesity levels in developed nations skyrocket. All I can say is - read everything you can find on the topic (look for Gary Taubes, he makes a lot of sense) and make your own judgement accordingly.

Darkginger

annascott wrote: »

I was of the understanding that Atkin's forbids fruit and vegetables for the first couple of weeks but allows you to eat fried meat, butter and cream... If I have been misinformed, apologies. I stand corrected.

Fruit is restricted throughout (because it's full of sugar), but from week 3 you can begin to re-introduce low carb fruit - berries, mostly. Vegetables are encouraged from Day 1 - broccoli, cauliflower, courgettes, lettuce, spinach, mushrooms etc. Yes, you can eat fried meat (yum!) butter (don't you want to?) and a limited amount of cream (great for sauces). It feels terribly sinful, but who wouldn't enjoy eating those 'naughty' things and still losing weight? I really enjoy eating the Atkins way - and that's how I manage to stick to it - it's not a penance for former food sins, it's actually a pleasure, and therefore sustainable.

You do not have to suffer to lose weight and become more healthy - and that in itself, is a revelation!

noah45

Bought ketostix today and would you believe it showed pale pink I hope its not the negative peach colour and that i'm not mis reading it.

Feel really good.

Is rhubarb ok for induction? and is there a limit on the amount of cream cheese per day?

Thanks guys

annascott

Darkginger wrote: »

The thing about fat is that it a) is where the flavour is and b) helps with satiety. When I did the Scarsdale diet (which still haunts my nightmares some 20 years on!) it was a test of willpower, not something remotely enjoyable. It is a rigid diet - not that it claims to be anything else - but what I was looking for - and found in Atkins - was a way of eating that allowed me to lose the weight and KEEP IT OFF. I still remember looking forward with a kind of desperation to Thursday lunches - 2 hardboiled eggs, low fat cottage cheese and a slice of dry bread - oo the luxury! There is no way on earth I could eat that every Thursday for the rest of my life.

People who have tried Atkins on a long term basis have reported much improved blood cholesterol and triglyceride counts, despite all the animal fats. Some Type 2 diabetics have found they no longer need medication (of course, never stop taking it unless your Dr says so). I've been a member of a board dedicated to low carb eating since 2005, and have yet to see anyone report any health problems attributable to Atkins - on the contrary, I've seen many, many people achieve long term success with it, and my own experience bears that out. I certainly wouldn't encourage others to try it if I thought for one moment it was bad for you.

I know it's hard to believe that such a non-intuitive way of losing weight actually works and does you no harm - health professionals have been promoting low fat as THE way for the past 30 years or so. Coincidentally (or maybe not) the past 30 years have seen obesity levels in developed nations skyrocket. All I can say is - read everything you can find on the topic (look for Gary Taubes, he makes a lot of sense) and make your own judgement accordingly.

I know people write 'LOL' all the time, but I have just burst out laughing. Thursday lunches are the WORST. (even Thursdays dinner offer of a whole roast chicken isn't great as you have to throw away the skin) - Yes, there is a feeling of hunger and boredom all the time (no-one wants to 'fill up' on lettuce) but the really rigid medical diet is only meant to be followed for two weeks at a time and is just a quick fix.

annascott

Darkginger wrote: »

Fruit is restricted throughout (because it's full of sugar), but from week 3 you can begin to re-introduce low carb fruit - berries, mostly. Vegetables are encouraged from Day 1 - broccoli, cauliflower, courgettes, lettuce, spinach, mushrooms etc. Yes, you can eat fried meat (yum!) butter (don't you want to?) and a limited amount of cream (great for sauces). It feels terribly sinful, but who wouldn't enjoy eating those 'naughty' things and still losing weight? I really enjoy eating the Atkins way - and that's how I manage to stick to it - it's not a penance for former food sins, it's actually a pleasure, and therefore sustainable.

You do not have to suffer to lose weight and become more healthy - and that in itself, is a revelation!

Ok - SOLD to the lady with three stones to lose and a cholesterol problem. I am going to try the Atkins Diet. While I don't like the idea of eating red meat more than twice a week (just a 'thing' I have) I love butter, cream and rich food. It sounds like I can still diet and cook a lá Julia Child...

Darkginger

Yay! A convert (well, maybe). I am SUCH a foodie, which is why Atkins and I get on.

I'm not sure about rhubarb, Noah - I don't think it's actually mentioned (neither are gooseberries) - but it's very low in sugar, so I can't see it causing much of a problem (I was looking myself the other day 'cos I fancied trying mackerel with a rhubarb sauce). Cheese should be limited to 4 oz a day or less during induction (the first 2 weeks) and strictly speaking soft cheeses should be introduced after that - but I won't tell if you don't

noah45

Just found that you are allowed 1 cup raw wt of rhubarb on induction.

I added it to myfitnesspal daily log and it came up with 4g netcarbs whereas when I googled it, it gives values of between 1.5-1.7g net carns per cup.

Must be the lower value if its allowed on induction--- I hope

so today I have 29g carbs minus 11g fibre = 18g net carbs today,
correct??

Darkginger

Net carbs is a complicated matter. As a rule, the US lists items without the fibre deducted, the EU lists them WITH the fibre already deducted. Having said that, most carb count sites will give you all three counts - gross, fibre, and fibre deducted. TBH the difference between 18 and 29 in a day is not huge anyway - most people would consider 29g carbs in a day to be pretty low, and most people would lose on it. I kinda avoid the problem by not counting, but just eating things that are minimal in carbs, like plain meat, eggs, fish, cheese and salad veg. plus oily dressings. I do count my red wine though - at roughly 10-15 carbs a bottle NOT recommended for induction!

In the latest Atkins book (not written by the good Dr himself, cos he's not with us any more) they do say that you can leap right in at the 60g carb a day level, but I've found that starting low and building up (if you feel you have to) helps with the mental adjustment.

time42play

Darkginger wrote: »

I do count my red wine though - at roughly 10-15 carbs a bottle NOT recommended for induction!

So a half bottle would only be 5 to 7.5 carbs?? I've been counting a half bottle at 10! Of course the 330 calories or so are pretty limiting in themselves.

I have to count calories because years of yo-yo-ing has warped my sense of appropriate portions beyond all repair. But at least on Atkins I can eat 1000-1200 calories and never, ever feel hungry. It's a huge improvement over the five times I reached my goal weight on WW.

Darkginger

5 - 7 carbs is probably about right, so long as it's a dry red wine. It could be wishful thinking on my behalf, of course! Vodka and all other spirits are 0 carbs (and about 60 cals an Irish measure) - so a spirit and a no sugar mixer could be the way to go on one of those 'intense' evenings.

As I said above, I think you have to find a way of eating (and drinking) that's sustainable - it's not realistic for me to contemplate giving up alcohol - I enjoy a few glasses each week, and make no claims to sainthood! Be aware that low carbing seems to make one a little more susceptible to the effects of alcohol though (and losing 1/3 of my bodyweight made a difference too - took ages before I worked out why I was getting more of an effect than usual, call me slow!).

noah45

Arrrggghh
just binged on that lidl greek yogurt, ate bout 1/3 tub. Why is it sooo divine.

oh well start AGAIN tomorrow

Darkginger

All is not lost Have a read of this: http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/yogurt.html which explains the so-called 'yoghurt exception'. OK, so it's not an induction food, but it's not as bad as you might think.

noah45

Terrible headache today and feel weakish.
Have 20g carbs eaten between turkey, flaxmeal, yogurt , broccolli and cauliflower. Good all round sources I think. Lots of olive oil and butter with my eggs (4) so far. Tummy bloated today but feel I have lost a bit:)

Presume its just a ketosis headache. Bought DANDR today and am reading it.

Darkginger

The first week I was back on Atkins, I woke up with headaches - complained to husband about the irony of a hangover without the booze! Anadin sorted the 'aches, and they've not reappeared the past month, so all is well. There's a well known syndrome - induction 'flu' - where you feel like poop for the first few days - but get through it and just carry on low carbing - it's a temporary thing.

chipper

MOD NOTE: read the charter, don't shill your services please.

Lux23

Anyone know where you can get those pee sticks to see if you are in ketosis or not?

In week 1 and I am knackered, have a headache too but my friend said a few nuts wouldn't do any harm.

Max Power1

Darkginger wrote: »

The first week I was back on Atkins, I woke up with headaches - complained to husband about the irony of a hangover without the booze! Anadin sorted the 'aches, and they've not reappeared the past month, so all is well. There's a well known syndrome - induction 'flu' - where you feel like poop for the first few days - but get through it and just carry on low carbing - it's a temporary thing.

Yeah, I got that on the start of the Dukan diet too. Must be to do with the Ketosis aspect.