Starting Atkins induction Diet Anyone want to join me????

[renewedhope 4]

I am beginning the induction phase of the Atkins diet on Monday. Does anyone want to join me in this???? I really need to focus on adding Protein and cutting carbs. Here are the rules for the induction phase..

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recipes <LI class=plain id=portaltab-atkins-university>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).

2. 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 Acceptable Foods).

3. 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.

4. Eat nothing that isn't on the 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.

5. 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, but not stuffed. When you're not hungry, eat a small controlled carbohydrate snack to accompany your nutritional supplements.

6. Don't assume any food is low in carbohydrate—instead, read labels. Check the carb count (it's on every package) or use a carbohydrate gram counter. 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.

7. 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.

8. Use sucralose or saccharin as a sweetener. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. At a minimum, take a good daily Multivitamin with minerals, including potassium, magnesium and Calcium, but without Iron.

Acceptable Foods

These are the foods you may eat liberally during Induction:

All fish,

including ...

All fowl,

including ... All shellfish,

including ...

All meat,

including ... All eggs,

including ...tuna

chicken

oysters*

beef

scrambled

salmon turkey mussels*

pork friedsole duck duck lamb poachedtrout goose clams bacon**soft-boiledflounder Cornish hensquid veal hard-boiledsardines quail shrimp ham**

deviledherring pheasant crabmeat venison omelets

*Oysters and mussels are higher in carbs than other shellfish, so limit them to four ounces per day.

**Processed meats, such as ham, bacon, pepperoni, salami, hot dogs and other luncheon meats—and some fish—may be cured with added sugar and will contribute carbs. Try to avoid meat and fish products cured with nitrates, which are known carcinogens. Also beware of products that are not exclusively meat, fish or fowl, such as imitation fish, meatloaf and breaded foods. Finally, do not consume more than four ounces of organ meats a day.

OTHER FOODS THAT ARE ACCEPTABLE DURING INDUCTION

Cheese

You can consume three to four ounces daily of the following full-fat, firm, soft and semisoft aged cheeses*, including:

• cheddar
  
• cow, sheep and goat cheese
  
• cream cheese
  
• Gouda
  
• mozzarella
  
• Roquefort and other blue cheeses
  
• Swiss

*All cheeses have some carbohydrate content. The quantity you eat should be governed by that knowledge. The rule of thumb is to count 1 ounce of cheese as equivalent to 1 gram of carbohydrate. Note that cottage cheese, farmer’s cheese and other fresh cheeses are not permitted during Induction. No "diet" cheese, cheese spreads or whey cheeses are permitted. Individuals with known yeast symptoms, dairy allergy or cheese intolerance must avoid cheese. Imitation cheese products are not allowed, except for soy or rice cheese—but check the carbohydrate content.

Vegetables

You should eat 12-15 net carbs a day of vegetables. These salad vegetables are high in phytonutrients and provide a good source of fiber:

• alfalfa sprouts
  
• daikon
  
• mushrooms
  
• arugula
  
• endive
  
• parsley
  
• bok choy
  
• escarole
  
• peppers
  
• celery
  
• fennel
  
• radicchio
  
• chicory
  
• jicama
  
• radishes
  
• chives
  
• lettuce
  
• romaine lettuce
  
• cucumber
  
• mâche
  
• sorrel

Other Vegetables

Within the 12-15 net carb daily vegetable requirement, these vegetables are slightly higher in carbohydrate content than the salad vegetables listed above, but they also provide important nutrients and add variety to your daily food intake:

• artichoke
  
• celery root
  
• pumpkin
  
• artichoke hearts
  
• rhubarb
  
• asparagus
  
• chard
  
• sauerkraut
  
• bamboo shoots
  
• collard greens
  
• scallions
  
• dandelion
  
• snow peas
  
• bean sprouts
  
• dandelion greens
  
• spaghetti squash
  
• beet greens
  
• eggplant
  
• spinach
  
• broccoli
  
• hearts of palm
  
• string or wax beans
  
• broccoli rabe
  
• kale
  
• summer squash
  
• Brussels sprouts
  
• kohlrabi
  
• tomato
  
• bean sprouts
  
• leeks
  
• turnips
  
• cabbage
  
• okra
  
• water chestnuts
  
• cauliflower
  
• onion
  
• zucchini

If a vegetable, such as spinach or Tomato, cooks down significantly, it must be measured raw so as not to underestimate its carb count.

Salad Garnishes

• crumbled crisp bacon
  
• grated cheese
  
• minced hard-boiled egg
  
• sautéed mushrooms
  
• sour cream
  
• Spices
  
• All spices to taste, but make sure none contain added sugar.
  
• Herbs
  
• basil
  
• garlic
  
• rosemary
  
• cayenne pepper
  
• ginger
  
• sage
  
• cilantro
  
• oregano
  
• tarragon
  
• dill
  
• pepper
  
• thyme

For salad dressing, use oil and vinegar or lemon juice and herbs and spices. Prepared salad dressings without added sugar and no more than two carbs per tablespoon serving are also fine.

Acceptable Fats and Oils

Many fats, especially certain oils, are essential to good nutrition. Olive oil is particularly valuable. All other vegetable oils are allowed, the best being canola, walnut, soybean, grapeseed, sesame, sunflower and safflower oils, especially if they are labeled "cold-pressed" or "expeller-pressed." Do not cook polyunsaturated oils, such as corn, soybean and sunflower oil, at high temperatures or allow to brown or smoke.

Butter is allowed. Margarine should be avoided, not because of its carbohydrate content, but because it is usually made of trans fats (hydrogenated oils), which are a health hazard. (Some nonhydrogenated margarines are now available.)

You don't have to remove the skin and fat from meat or fowl. Salmon and other cold-water fish are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Remember that trying to do a low-fat version of the Atkins Nutritional ApproachTM may interfere with fat burning and derail your weight loss.

Artificial Sweeteners

You must determine which artificial sweeteners agree with you, but the following are allowed: sucralose (marketed as Splenda™), saccharin, cyclamate and acesulfame-K. Natural sweeteners ending in the suffix "-ose," such as maltose, etc., should be avoided. However, most sugar alcohols have a minimal effect on blood sugar and are acceptable.

Saccharin has been extensively studied, and harmful effects were produced in the lab when fed to rats only in extremely high doses. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed saccharin from its list of carcinogens, basing its decision upon a thorough review of the medical literature and the National Institute of Science’s statement that there is "no clear association between saccharin and human cancer." It can be safely consumed in moderation, meaning no more than three packets a day. Saccharin is marketed as Sweet'n Low™.

The Atkins preference, however, is sucralose (Splenda™), the only sweetener made from sugar. Sucralose is safe, noncaloric and does not raise blood sugar. It has been used in Canada for years, and the FDA approved it after reviewing more than 100 studies conducted over the past 20 years. Note that each packet of sugar substitute contains about 1 gram of carbohydrate, so don’t forget to include the amount in your daily totals.

Acceptable beverages

Be sure to drink a minimum of eight eight-ounce glasses of water each day, including:

• Filtered water
  
• Mineral water
  
• Spring water
  
• Tap water

Additionally, you can have the following:

• Clear broth/bouillon (not all brands; read the label)
  
• Club soda
  
• Cream, heavy or light (limit to two to three tablespoons a day; note carbohydrate content)
  
• Decaffeinated or regular coffee or tea*
  
• Diet soda made with sucralose (Splenda™); be sure to count the carbs
  
• Essence-flavored seltzer (must say "no calories")
  
• Herb tea (without barley or any fruit sugar added)
  
• Lemon juice or lime juice (note that each contains 2.8 grams carbohydrate per ounce); limit to two to three tablespoons

* Caffeine can cause cravings or blood sugar spikes with some people. If you’re one of them, you should drink only decaffeinated beverages. If you don’t have a problem with caffeine, you may drink one or two caffeinated beverages a day, because evolving research indicates there may actually be health benefits to a limited amount of caffeine. However, if you have a true caffeine addiction, it will be best to break it during Induction, because any food addiction can cause problems if it isn’t taken care of. Once you’ve broken the addiction and moved on to OWL, you can carefully try adding caffeinated beverages back into your food intake, as long as it doesn’t trigger the addiction again.

Special Category Foods

To add variety, each day you can also eat 10 to 20 olives, half a small avocado, an ounce of sour cream or three ounces of unsweetened heavy cream, as well as two to three tablespoons of lemon juice or lime juice. But be aware that these foods occasionally slow down weight loss in some people, and may need to be avoided in the first two weeks. If you seem to be losing slowly, moderate your intake of these foods.

Convenience Foods

Although it is important that you eat primarily unprocessed foods, some controlled carb food products can come in handy when you are unable to find appropriate food, can’t take time for a meal or need a quick snack. More and more companies are creating healthy food products that can be eaten during the Induction phase of Atkins. Just remember two things:

1. Not all convenience food products are the same, so check labels and carbohydrate content. (See the Online Store for Atkins brand products.)

2. While any of these foods can make doing Atkins easier, don’t overdo it. Remember, you must always follow The Rules of Induction.

[BlooEyez 13]

I'm game! :biggrin:

[NanaRenan 0]

Thanks for sharing this list of dos and don'ts. Sometimes I get too carb-oriented to the point I start craving them -- signified by waking up wanting something sweet to eat. I have to "detox" myself by "going Atkins" for a few days to get the sugar out of my system.

I needed to review the actually guidelines as it's been a long, long time since I read the book and followed the diet to the "T".

[losingjusme 12]

im starting tomorrow. i already have my menu for the next 3 days.

tomorrow:

b - Atkins caramel latte shake

l - cajun topper fish (frozen filet)

1.5 cups of lettuce with ham and cheese and ranch dressing

s - atkins caramel latte shake

d - johnsonville brat (1-1.5 depending on hunger)

salad maybe

veggie - maybe green Beans.< /p>

[renewedhope 4]

You go girl.

Here's my menu

B- Atkins vanilla shake

L- 1/2 rack ribs from Chili's (no sauce) went and got them tonight

Green Beans

S - Atkins vanilla shake or Slimfast low carb choc shake

D - Probably another 1/2 rack of ribs and a green salad

[georgia girl 35]

I've been debating as to whether or not to do this since the weight loss has been going so good this week, but I guess it can only help the weight loss. I really want to meet my valentine's goal, so I am going to work extra hard. I'm not sure what my menu will be, I'm a "plan as I go" kinda girl. I know I will be having a low carb slim fast for Breakfast.

Are you guys going to worry about calories or not? I know the book says not to count calories or worry about fat, just curious as to what you guys are going to to.......

[renewedhope 4]

I am not going to worry about calories and just see how it goes. If my weight loss is slow then I will start counting calories. I am not a very good calorie counter anyway. I am with you Pamela. I still have 11 pounds to go on the Valentine challenge, and I REALLY want to make that goal. I am normally a plan as you go girl too. I will probably not have a menu planned each day. The only reason I do for tommorow is because I bought the ribs to help me get going.

Good luck everyone!!!!

Amy

[BlooEyez 13]

I went to the store yesterday and bought foods necessary for this induction phase, why didn't I think of those Atkins shakes? ? :girl_hug: Are they good?

[princesstracey 1]

The Akins shakes are my favorites! The Mocha is super good.

[renewedhope 4]

I like them alot too. I had never had them before yesterday.

[BlooEyez 13]

I've been having a hard time figuring out what to have for Breakfast on this induction phase so I'll have to check out those Atkins shakes next time I go to the store

[losingjusme 12]

I've been debating as to whether or not to do this since the weight loss has been going so good this week, but I guess it can only help the weight loss. I really want to meet my valentine's goal, so I am going to work extra hard. I'm not sure what my menu will be, I'm a "plan as I go" kinda girl. I know I will be having a low carb slim fast for breakfast.

Are you guys going to worry about calories or not? I know the book says not to count calories or worry about fat, just curious as to what you guys are going to to.......

i am not worried about fat grams or calories.

i do, however, HAVE to plan when im on Atkins or will not succeed.

BlooEyez;694254]I went to the store yesterday and bought foods necessary for this induction phase, why didn't I think of those Atkins shakes?? :wink2: Are they good?

[/color]

i LOVE the atkins shakes. especially the Caramel Latte. only place i found them though is online. i normally go through Amazon.< /p>

[georgia girl 35]

Well, here's what I ended up eating today:

Breakfast- Low carb slim fast

Lunch- 1 scrambled egg and 2 slices bacon

Snack- Low carb slim fast

Dinner- cheese omelet with peppers and onions

[losingjusme 12]

nutritional info for Monday:

Calories - 1098

Fat - 72.9g (61%)

Carb - 17.7g (7%)

Protein - 87g (32%)

[BlooEyez 13]

Breakfast ~ 1 scrambled egg & 2 slices bacon

Snack ~ 1 string cheese

Lunch ~ salad (1.5oz lettuce, 1oz italian salami, 1 slice provolone cheese, 1 cherry Tomato & 2 T Italian dressing)

Snack ~ Egg salad (2 hard boiled eggs & 1.5 T mayo)

Dinner ~ Salad (1.5oz lettuce, 1oz salami, 1 slice provolone cheese, 1 hard boiled egg & 2 T Italian dressing)

Total nutritional info ~

965 Calories

83 Grams Fat

17 Carbs (13 Net Carbs)

61 Grams Protein