Atkins, Week Two

[meditation mama]

OK, I'm so excited that so many of you wanted to join me! It gives me so much inspiration to fire this up and make it work!

So, I will refresh this post each week. I will post the Atkins guidelines in the first post of the weeks, so we can all remember. Each day I will try and post some ideas, what I am eating, recipes, tricks, roadblocks, and EXERCISE.

Also, it is a good idea to weigh yourself (aargh) and take your measurements (arm, chest, breast, stomach, hips, butt, thigh and calf). There are many poople that will lose inches some weeks and not inches, so it is as important to do inches each week as it is to do weight. I am going to have my weigh in and measure date on Monday - which I did. SO on Monday I will post my stats... That part is up to you guys...

Make sure you ask any questions, many of us have sone this before, so I am sure between us we can answer any questions we may come up with.

So.. Here are the Atkins guidelines: (this is for the induction - for the first two weeks). REMEMBER.... the first few days you may be low energy, but after that you will be charged!

Eat either three regular-size meals a day or four or five smaller meals. Do not skip meals or go more than six waking hours without eating. I recommend eating a low-carb bar in between meals to keep metabolism going and energy up - I like https://www.thinkproducts.com/indexset.htm - they are awesome!

Eat liberally of combinations of fat and protein in the form of poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs and red meat, as well as pure, natural fat in the form of butter, mayonnaise, olive oil, safflower, sunflower and other vegetable oils (preferably expeller-pressed or cold-pressed).

Eat no more than 20 grams a day of carbohydrate, at least 12 – 15 grams of which must come in the form of salad greens and other vegetables. (see Atkins - Acceptable Foods

Eat absolutely no fruit, bread, pasta, grains, starchy vegetables or dairy products other than cheese, cream or butter. Do not eat nuts or seeds in the first two weeks. Foods that combine protein and carbohydrates, such as chickpeas, kidney beans and other legumes, are not permitted at this time. If you feel you must eat bread or some other grain product, only high fiber low-carb products with 3 net carbs or less per serving are allowed, and you can eat only one serving a day. Be aware that even that amount may slow or stall your progress, and if that happens, drop the product immediately. (REMEMBER - NO ALCOHOL IN THE INDUCTION PHASE IF YOU ARE IN MODS)

Eat nothing that isn't on the Atkins - Acceptable Foods list. And that means absolutely nothing. Your "just this one taste won't hurt" rationalization is the kiss of failure during this phase of Atkins.

Adjust the quantity you eat to suit your appetite, especially as it decreases. When you're hungry, eat the amount that makes you feel satisfied (I always liked this part, especially in the beginning), but not stuffed. When you're not hungry, eat a small controlled carbohydrate snack to accompany your nutritional supplements. (REMEMBER TO CUT BACK WHEN YOU ARE NO LONGER HUNGRY).

Don't assume any food is low in carbohydrate—instead, read labels. Check the carb count (it's on every package) or use a http://www.atkins.com/carb-counter/a...ramcounter.pdf. Be aware that the law allows manufacturers to round off if a product has fewer than 0.5 grams of any carbohydrate, so that will show up as zero. The only way to detect some fractional carbs is to look for them in the ingredients list, where they must be listed if they’re added to a product, regardless of the amount.

Eat out as often as you wish but be on guard for hidden carbs in gravies, sauces and dressings. Gravy is often made with flour or cornstarch, and sugar is sometimes an ingredient in salad dressing.

Use sucralose or saccharin as a sweetener (I USE SPLENDA, I THINK IT IS THE HEALTHIEST CHOICE). Be sure to count each packet of any of these as 1 gram of carbs, because of the fillers and bulking agents which are added.

Avoid too much coffee, tea and soft drinks that contain caffeine. Excessive caffeine has been shown to cause low blood sugar, which can make you crave sugar. (GREEN TEA IS GREAT FOR ENERGY)

Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day in addition to anything else you may drink, to hydrate your body, avoid constipation and flush out the by-products of burning fat.

If you are constipated, mix a tablespoon or more of psyllium husks in a cup or more of water and drink daily. Or mix ground flaxseed into a shake or sprinkle wheat bran on a salad or vegetables. (I USE A BULK FIBER EVERY NIGHT-VERY IMPORTANT!)

At a minimum, take a good daily multivitamin with minerals, including potassium, magnesium and calcium, but without iron. (CALCUIM IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT, MOST MULTI'S DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, I LIKE THE SUGAR FREE CHOCOLATE CHEWABLES - A NIGHTLY SWEET TREAT)

So, let's get started. Use the Atkins website http://www.atkins.com/- it is amazing and has so much valuable information. TONS of recipes and information. I printed the Carb Counter out and am going to carry it in my purse. You can also buy the little pocket ones, but this one is free!

Good luck everyone!

[meditation mama]

hi Trix~

Guar can be eaten as an extremely delicious green bean, but is more important as the source of guar gum. Guar beans have a large endosperm that contains galactomannan gum, a substance which forms a gel in water. This is commonly known as guar gum and is used in dairy products like ice cream and as a stabilizer in cheese and cold-meat processing.

Another use is as a fiber supplement. After being partially hydrolyzed, guar gum is completely soluble in water and soft food. Being approximately 75% dietary fiber, it allows fiber to be added to a food with a minimal effect on taste and texture.

[meditation mama]

OK.. Quickie for me as I am off to put my little one to bed...

My weekend was Good... Except on Saturday Night I had some Sweet Potatoes... Other than that I was good.

Today: 18 carbs

Breakfast:
Protein Shake with All One / Low Carb Yogurt (5)

Snack
Think Thin Bar (2)

Lunch
Think thin Bar (2)
(forgot my lunch - oops)

Dinner
Chicken Breast
Fauxtatoes w/ Cheddar Cheese, Half & Half & Butter (orgasmic!) (2)
Cucumber Romain Salad w/ Annies Organic Dressing (2)

Desert
Decaf Coffee w/ No Sugar Caramel Creamer (2)
Low Carb Yogurt (3)




I LOST 2 POUNDS LAST WEEK AND THAT WAS WITH NO EXERCISE AND BEING SICK AND HAVING TWO OFF CARB DAYS.... So I'm pretty happy!

Keep on trucking, girls!

Any stats on you guys yet?

MM

16 pounds to go!

[nancy]

how come no iron?

[meditation mama]

I take iron Supplements, and we get LOTS of Iron from lean measts and nuts...

[Doggygirl]

Hi all. Yesterday was a good day with the exception of a few Vodka drinks. Technically I made them sugar free low carb...but...just sayin...you know.

Anyway, better on the food front.

B: 2 eggs and bacon (ETA: breakfast also includes 6 oz or so of tomato juice with my All One)

L: Leftover turkey breast and salad with greek dressing (olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano)

D: Baked pork chops and fried brussel sprouts

Fried brussel sprouts sound gross and look gross (at least that's what I thought) but they are terrific if you like brussel sprouts even marginally. The original recipe I found called for frying them whole, which I have done and they are good that way too. But I think they are also good cut in half and fried, and it just reduces the cooking time.

Clean the sprouts and cut in half.
Heat olive oil in a pan large enough to spread the sprouts in a single layer.
When the oil is hot, stir in LOTS of crushed garlic and whoosh that around in the oil.
Add the brussel sprouts.
Fry them until the sprouts are burnt on the outside. You can taste test them along the way to figure out your own level of "burnt preference." Don't be shy about burning them though. That's what makes 'em taste so good IMO.

Enjoy!

DG

[Doggygirl]

Oops - also meant to congratulate you MM on 2 pounds down!! That is terrific.

I haven't weighed since Nov. 8 which was my weigh in at Curves. For this month, I'm going to stay away from the scale and see how that goes. I tend to get scale obsessive, which certainly hasn't helped me keep the fat off my a$$. We'll see what December 8 brings in terms of both weights and measures!

DG

[meditation mama]

Yum - ).. Love Brussel Sprouts.. For an even more delicius twist, Add bacon. Fry two-three strips of backon, then drain most of the oil out, let backon drain on paper towl fry brussel sprouts, then add crumbled bacon when almost finished.. lickin' my chops!

OK..

Today 19 carbs

Breakfast
Boiled Eggs
Protein Drink w/ AllOne and Yogurt (5)

Snack
Think Thin Bar (2)

Lunch
Chicken Breast
4 c Spinach (1)

Snack
2 Turkey / Mozerella Roll Ups (1)

Dinner
Chicken Parmesean
(home made marinara - no sugar) (6)
4 c Spinach (1)

Desert
Low Carb Yogurt (3)

OK... I'm off!

Remember to DRINK WATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cowgal]

Actually ate peanut butter(the only thing I could hold dow, and forced it down)this morning, but will go carb free for the 2 week induction, I will check out this thread now, guess I haven't ventured onto it until now, interesting, could stand to lose some body fat, and what motivation to go AF!! Just plain full of carbs, and empty calories!!

Thanks meditation mamma!!

love you !!!! MA

[trixietrack]

hi atkins folks
I was bad today.
well started off ok
low carb protein shake for breakfast

then I was at a meeting for 3 hrs and became ravenous
I brought
roasted chicken with watercress and daikon salad with ponzu dressing
(lemon, and soy sauce) some people ad sugar but I know that is not allowed.

I made the mistake of not making servings large enough. so I got a small wonton soup.
(bad dolly)
I have to go to the gym tonight and burn those wontos off.

I know I lost weight, my pants are loose. will check at the gym tonight. after I work off those wontons

drank wine last night but didn't get drunk. me good