Thread: What do i snack on?

I just started Atkins today and I'm starving. I've had breakfast and lunch about to have dinner but what do I snack on in between meals?

Please help!!! I need suggestions. ASAP!

Mini cheeses. Salami. Salami crisps (see moonlights meals in recipe section). Cream cheese and cucumber or celery. Hard boiled eggs. Prawns and mayo. Chicken and mayo. Slices of beef rolled up with cheese and a gherkin. Asparagus sticks pan fried in butter and dipped in mayo. Tons of things!

Ok thanks, will defo have a look at the recipe section. x

Some people like pepperamis and pork crackling/pork crunch too, just don't go overboard on the processed foods. There's a Swiss roll in my recipe section that's totally legal and you can keep in the fridge and have slices of. Hartleys sugar free jelly is also had by some people here.

I never snack now because ketosis eventually reduces your appetite enough not to need to, but the first few days of getting into it are often hungry ones. Always eat if you're hungry.

Its important to increase your lean protein in the firtst few days too - lean protein (all traces of fat removed) is an appetite suppressant and it fills you up and eat something every 2-4hrs and you'll be fine. Rather than 3 huge meals, break them down to 5-6 meals and you'll feel like your constantly eating and your blood sugar will stay stable - if you go long periods between meals you'll set yourself up to fail as you'll be so hungrey you'll eat anything and then the "whats the point" or "I cant do this" sets in.

You need to plan plan plan and then prepare and once your over the first 3days you'll be flying. Becareful as once your in ketosis and up and running, your appetite drops off and the carb cravings start to disappear and you forget to eat as your not hungry-don't do that- eat every 2-4hrs even if its 100-150kcal snack.

Good luck - you can do it

Please don't remove all traces of fat from your protein! Though im sure sandy just meant the weight of protein not including fat. You should be eating plenty of fat in your daily diet, which is great for satiety. 3 meals a day with a couple of small snacks is, I think, what Atkins recommends.

Definitely agree with the importance of planning, make sure you always have something to grab if you're hungry, but there's no need to force yourself when you're not hungry, just eat when you are.

I have pepperamis, cheese wrapped in ham, babybell, odd time ive had sugar free jelly with abit of cream but as said above once ketosis kicks in u won't want them as much. I don't really snack atall now because of ketosis xxx

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Thanks guys, I can see that planning is really important as this afternoon my kitchen was completely empty and I was thinking about having a sandwich. Thankfully my mum was around to stop me before I messed it all up. On my way to do some shopping and stock up.

Yeh, sorry thats that I meant about fat - I do trim visible fat off my meat or I crisp it up, I use good fats such as olive oil, walnut, rapeseed etc as fat is essential in your diet to make hormones etc. I also supplement with Omega 3-6-9. And I also drink 2-3L water/day. If I am caught out starving (not often) as I think first "hungry or munchies" to see if I am actually hungry (and I mean a growling stomach) I drink 500mls of water while I make something to eat -it temporarily holts the hunger. Im in OWL now so have a slice of Bergen Soya & Linseed bread with a teaspoon of Whole Earth Crunchy Peanut Butter (I never thought I would like peanut butter- but OMG!!!). I don't like cheese and I don't eat veg (never have) so I was really limited to snacks so lived on Hartleys low cal jellies or I made my own. I have also done the stewed rhubarb and cream.

I initially chopped my carbs down day by day whilst increasing my protein up and up until I reached a total of 20g carbs/day. That way I missed out the headaches and the atkins flu, just my slightly different variation to get going. I now live on 13-25g carbs/day which come from berries/nuts/fage 0% greek yogert etc and Ive continued to lose since the day I started. I recommend you read an Atkins book and go from there. I did it by the book the first time round and have since used it as a guide with a slight modification only because I'm such a finicky eater. I've just started adding in exercise the last 2 weeks too - Zumba, Boxerfit and Pump It. I get an initial stall on weight as the cross over of muscle increases (muscle is a lot heavier than fat and all that) but the cm's are dropping faster than the scales now - for me its the only diet that works - and I love it.

Just an NB that wheat isn't actually an official add in for OWL, it's only allowed at the very last stage of maintenance/pre-maintenance, so probably thinking a bit too far ahead snack wise for the OP! People do add their own tweaks though, carb counting can be a very personalised process.

How are you doing, Rosebud?

It's saddens me to say I quit. Well sort of. I had a really bad weekend went to a bday party. There was a massive buffet and I could help myself. I was so disappointed in my complete lack of self control plus I actually felt physically sick all day yesterday. Now I have to restart but it makes me wonder if this is something I can actually stick to.

I don't no how to mentally get ready to start again.

Would you have stuck to a low calorie plan at the same event? Xmas is a hard time to start any diet - maybe you need to find s time when you gave no big events or parties planned?

As ML says just before an event and especially Xmas comin up it's very hard. Maybe have a think over the holidays and see what u think? Ur heads got to be in the right place for it to work and maybe now isn't the time xxx

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I agree, bit like wanting to stop smoking - you have to want to do it, plan it, prepare it and do it. I spent 4 weeks before starting (1st Sept) my low carb journey, I revisited my atkins books, looked up new atkins cookbooks, downloaded new low carb recipes, planned a shopping list etc etc, set myself a date to work towards - that way I didn't feel pushed, unprepared or rushed. I simply set out a month to do the research first and then I became excited at the prospect of starting my lifestyle (i don't like the word diet- as you instantly think "i cant have x-y and z") I have a 6ft4 husband, 2 teenagers (19 & 17) and a 4yr old son -sooo Im thinking in the prep stage - how will I do this and survive the boxes of biccies, the junk the kids like etc etc, well I only buy my 4yr old's favorite cake bars (which Ive never liked) and I do not buy any junk/processed rubbish at all, its amazing how your shopping bill plummets with all the 'extras' you buy each wk. If you don't buy them you cant have them! Ok back to the drawing board - go onto the Atkins website and print off a list of foods you can have and make the recipes, make concoctions, eat regulary and within days you'll be up and going. I had to have a sneeky peek of the scales on the 4th day and OMG my eyes came out their sockets- I'd lost 5lbs on DAY 4!!! That was all I needed to keep going and I have (apart from a week off whilst on an all inclusive hol) still ate as low carb as I could and put 5lbs on but straight back to basics on my return and it was gone again within the week - so dont be disheartened ok - we've all been there more times then we care to remember - but if you want it bad enough, you will do it we're all here for you Rosebud.xx