Atkins/Low Carbers - Are you still out there?

[nikki1978]

Hi all,

I have just started the induction phase of Atkins but couldn't find a thread on here that hadn't tailed off a while ago so thought I would start a new one Unless you have all quit of course which wouldn't give me much hope

I have a party in 9 weeks that I really want to lose the inches/pounds for so fingers crossed the weight will drop off.

Weighed in at 12 stone on Monday and am already down to 11st 9.75lb!

Have been doing it wrong though as I didn't wait to get the book to start and didn't realise that the 20g of carb you have in induction needs to be mainly veg and salad plus a bit of cheese so I have been having gravy on my dinner and cheese sauce that has a bit of flour in

Anyway will start the real deal today. Just about to make my brekky of eggs and bacon.

Any tips and recipes would be great!

Anyone want to join me on a 2 month challenge?

[sue52]

Febes thank you still got the headache but trying to push on through it. Has anyone tried the Atkins breakfast cereal, I know I'm not supposed to touch it during the induction phase but it's nice having something to look forward to. Abitbatty- thats great news about the gin and tonic, I'll look forward to that in a couple of weeks.

[febes]

Great ideas, keep them coming!

I had a double cheeseburger without the bun when I took the dcs for dinner the other day . I was on the way home from tutoring and running late and they were starving.

[cyrilsneer]

Hmmm... Scan Bran.... I remember these from Slimming World, years ago. I shall definitely investigate them the next time I'm near Holland and Barratt. A very low carb crispbread would definitely be useful for "normal" looking lunches with my smoked salmon or smoked mackerel pate (fish, Philly, juice and zest of a lemon and a blob of horseradish sauce).

Here's my day:

B - cheesey scrambled eggs
L - Supermarket cooked chicken slices with salad
S - Home-made lamb koftas, salad, little blob of Greek yog and Harissa.
Snacks - nuts

[febes]

Today I have had-
B: streaky bacon and 2 eggs
L: green salad, 2 sausages and mushrooms
D: will be chicken breast stuffed with mozzeralla and sun dried tomato and wrapped in parma ham with salad

[littledawley]

Sorry to be stupid but is wine a total no-no?? ()

How many people dip in and out of low carbing? Or is that the root of all my problems?? I am going away next week and the thought of not being able to have lovely wine pains me!

[shortandsweet2]

Can I join too?

OMG Quibbler that is amazing loss well done.

I am doing the Dukan diet but that thread has been very quite at the moment so hope you don't mind me jumping on here. Been on it 5 days and have lost 5lbs so far.

Must get them noodles they look fantastic.

B - Eggs
L- beef salad
I then gorged on M&S mini brownies and haven't felt hungry since but have felt quite quesy so will be giving dinner a miss.

[febes]

I have drunk wine every now and then for the last month and have still lost but only slowly (1lbs a week) so I have stopped for a next 2 weeks to speed up the loss again. My clothes are already feeling much baggy after no booze for 5 days can't wait to see what the scales say.

[theQuibbler]

Thanks shortandsweet2.

Just got to keep going now - the excitement of losing weight has worn off a bit. Now I can fit into 'normal' size clothes again, and sort of look a bit overweight, rather than clinically obese, I was getting a bit lazy.(I'm quite tall, 5'8, not a giant, but you can hide it easier than if you're 5'2, for example)

However, I am motivated today! Have done my exercise, eaten my low carb dinner, and will not pick at anything else in the cupboards.

The noodles really are great for when you are sick, sick, sick of salad and greens and want a different texture on your plate..

[rotool]

Hi Everyone...I am low carbing and have lost about 1/2 a stone but I have a really bad urge to eat crisps and cake and anything else in the house.
Do any of you get urges and what do you do?

[Luvvies]

Hi I'll join in too. Lost about half a stone over a couple of weeks, then maintained that with a few carb accidents along the way.
But back on proper lo carb today.
I tend to have sugar free jelly and cream to satisfy my urges.

[sue52]

Sugar free jelly sounds nice. Can anyone tell me if it's OK to use skimmed milk for (decaff) tea or will I undo all the effort I've put in.I know Atkins says whole milk but does it really make a difference?

[shortandsweet2]

rotool I had really bad urges for chcolate yseterday and ended up gorging on brownies. I did not feel great for the rest of the day so like luvvies I will be investing in some sugar free jelly now.

[cyrilsneer]

Sue If you're doing Atkins "properly" - ie wanting to go into ketosis and see urine test sticks turn purple, then I don't think you're allowed milk, or, from memory, lemon juice. I am just low-carbing in my own, slightly more relaxed way. I have a couple of cups of decaff tea with semi-skimmed milk in the morning and probably aother two cups of decaff coffee with semi-skimmed milk. I also don't worry about lemon juice/ the odd blob of Greek yoghurt/ harissa/ whatever. I expect my weight loss will be slower than if I was super-strict but it's better for me to take this approach because I can sustain it for longer. Have you got the book?

I attempted some exercises yesterday evening:
3 x 10 of each: lunges, squats, ab crunches and side strethes. Irritatingly, I've "done ssomething" to my lower back - probably because I've done someting wrong. I've just had a play around on youtube and found a couple of demonstrations that were helpful. I'll see how my back feels throughout today and maybe have abother go.

Here's my plan for today:
B eggs scrambled with parma ham
L Greek salad with feta and kalamatas
D Baked salmon with salad
Snacks- Celery and Philly, nuts

Have a good day everyone.

Cyril

[sue52]

Cyrilsneer thanks for the information. I think I will miss tea more than bread so will cheat on that. The purple urine stick thing sounds a bit hardcore.

[fatheadsgirl]

[ooh's and ahh's at intriguing sounding zero carb noodles]

I had a bad first day. Well, its started off well I was very good and wasn't missing carbs at all but then we went to a friends house in the evening. Friends GF and I start talking about our respective diets cue both DP's going apeshit! DP's commence twenty minute lecture on how bad this diet is and that we're both being irresponsible (drama queens much lol) and then literally force feed us chinese food. Now have to be a little more sneaky about avoiding carbs -sweeps eyes across room for bugs and spys-

I'm not loads overwieght, I just dont fit in my clothes anymore, think DP is worried I'm going for a size zero look which good heavens I most certainly am not!

How's everyone doing today?

[fatheadsgirl]

Just realised I have been drinking the regular coffee instead of the de-caff stuff. oops

[ABitBatty]

I will definitely be investigating those noodles- thanks

fatheadsgirl, that's the reason I don't really talk about 'my diet'

[Luvvies]

I also try to avoid talking about it. But it I need to I talk about a lot of "research" which shows that physiologically our bodies are still those of the caveman, and our diet then was to be a hunter gatherer - lots of meat and berries. Early humans didn't eat refined carbohydrates.
That seems to shut people up!

I am OK with greek yoghurt - Total is best - not the fat free one. I add splenda to sweeten it.

I am also snacking on nuts although I have to be careful with these that I don't eat too many. I find blanched almonds or brasils to be the best.

I also have a little treat sometimes of sugar free dark chocolate. You can get other brands (labelled diabetic etc) but this is easiest to get hold of. It has carbs in it, but these are polyols, which are a kind of carb which doesn't affect your blood sugar in the same way so are allowed on most versions of low carb.

Years ago I got into buying lots of low carb foods on line, but I'm trying not to this time as it's expensive.

I've had a good day so far, Breakfast was jelly and cream - not what I'd usually have but it shouted from the fridge at me and I was in a hurry!
I had boiled eggs, ham and cucumber for lunch - I tend to have simple things. Plus a small pack of pork scratchings.
This evening I'll have prawn and avocado and some chicken breast. Possibly some greens but not sure what we've got in.

I drink pints of ribena light - or whatever the lowest sugar one is called.

Keep going everyone.

[Luvvies]

Meant to say Sainsbury's sugar free chocolate

[cyrilsneer]

Luvvies Gosh! Ribena Light! I haven't thought about investigating carbs in soft drinks.. Hmmmm...

I'm also not telling the world that I am low carbing - I've got a couple of good friends who are completely supportive and have also tried losing weight this way and my family cottoned on in a nano-second but other than that, I find it's best to keep schtum.

[rotool]

Have had a really good day today eating almost zero carbs...hows everyone going today?
I say 'almost' cos I did have a coffee this afternoon, needed something to keep me going!

[febes]

Hi, had quite a good day today.

B: avo and bacon (my fav breaky at the mo)
L: double cheese burger sans bun from McDs and black coffee as DH wanted to go there for lunch and when I got home I had half a chicken breast from last nights dinner
D: salad, steak creamy sauce and portabella mushroom stuffed with cream cheese.

Still no booze so hope the scales tell me good stuff this week!! I normally WI on fri or sat.

[shortandsweet2]

My 1st week in and I have lost 3.5lbs which is great but a bit annoyed as it was 5lbs over the weekend.

[sue52]

I've just weighed myself and I've lost 3lbs after only a few days. The initial headaches I experienced seem to have gone too. I really am thrilled I've shifted even a few lbs as I put on over a stone post menopause and no other diet shifted any weight. I've just booked for a look around a local gym, just hope it's not full of size 6 twenty somethings.

[ABitBatty]

febes - what is avo?