New and Confused

[cindyloulou]

Hi I am new to this board and I need help with trying to figure out how to do the low carb diet

I am 45 years old with alot of belly fat!!
3 years ago I had cancer and then a years later I had to have open heart surgery because of the radiation did damage to the main artery to my heart
So needless to say I kept everything inside and ate my stress

I am very confused about the low carb ...I read that you eat lean meat but then some websites say that pepperoni is a great snack

what are some good hints and great foods that you have found helps you stay on track


and is it really important to do the 2 week induction on Atkins?

I know this is going to be hard for me because I LOVE my sweets
as for breads and pasta i'm ok with not having them...mealtime is not a challenge for me ...its evening snacking that kills me :-(

Thanks for listening to me blah blah blah about my life and I hope someone has some great tips for me
<3

 

[coffeelover]

Hi and welcome Cindylou. Sorry to hear all you've been through. Can totally understand how you ate because of all the stress.

On Atkins you don't have to eat just lean meat any meat is fine and fats too like full fat mayo, olive oil etc. Sometimes pepperoni and salami type foods with preservatives stall some people, but I'm personally fine with foods like that.

I believe the norm is to go onto induction if you have a lot to lose and can stay on it longer than 2 weeks with no problems. I've done it for months before and I'm sure others on here have too. As for evening snacks, I don't have a sweet tooth, but love my cheese which you can have up to 4oz a day if it agrees with you.

Good luck and I'm sure others will have excellent tips for you. Make sure you read the stickys.

 

[moonlights]

Hi Cindy Lou. I have a similar sort of illness track record to you and despite all the meds I have to take, low carb is the best diet I've done.

It's actually preferable to eat fatty meat to lean meat. Atkins is a high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet. You're aiming to get 65 percent of your daily calories from fat, 30 from protein and 5 percent from your 20g of carbs (which should be mostly leafy greens).

I'd really like to ask you to read the Atkins book before you start - ideally one of the older ones, 99 or 72 because the newer ones aren't written by dr A himself and have become a marketing tool to sell Atkins bars and things which are actively bad for you. But any of the books will explain the high fat principle.

Basically you are putting your body into a fat burning state, which means you have to eat lots if fat so your body knows its not starving and can merrily burn away the stores round your tummy.

As for sweet treats - stay away from Atkins bars and sugar free sweets, they're made from sugar alcohols which are bad for you and may stall any loss. But you CAN have:

Sugar free jelly
Rhubarb stewed with sweetener and cream
Cream whisked up with sweetener and cocoa powder
Swiss roll (I'll find the recipe if you need it)
Freezer chocolate (cocoa bark) made from coconut oil, cocoa powder, sweetener and cream - and really tasty!

Once you start adding nuts in (after induction) there are even more options for baked goods.

The best sweetener ive found is liquid hermestas (from chemists or bought online) which is zero carb and tastes the most like real sugar. Otherwise the best sweeteners to use are splenda or canderel tablets ground up (the granulated versions add a carby filler).

Have a read of the newbie FAQ, the sugar alcohols post (I will bump both up) and read a few of the stickies, including 'so you're thinking of starting Atkins'. Buy a book and read it. Then you'll be well equipped.

It's a great diet but you have to be prepared to stick with it, no slips. Welcome and good luck!