Newbie with questions!

[Bessie]

Hi everyone, thought I'd say hello!

I was calorie counting but not doing very well as I think I am properly addicted to carbs (I have been bingeing on sugary cr*p). So here I am trying to kick the addition (and hopefully lose lots of weight) on Atkins. The appeal is the promise of no more hunger - I'm sick of going to bed hungry on calorie counting!

The only thing I'm confused by is why net carb values vary between the book/website and when calculated from food labels (total carbs - fibre). Am I doing something wrong here? Also, is it my misunerstanding or can you actually eat a hell of a lot of salad veg during the induction phase? I am counting everything (according to US cup measurements on official Atkins website) but 20g net carbs seems like a hell of a lot.

Also, where do you buy your keto-stix from? I bought some from Boots yesterday but at £9.98 for 50, they seem rather expensive.

Sorry for all the questions, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Bessie x

 

[mick_in_warrington]

hi Bessie, welcome to the board. i was also a carb addict lol, and the first 3 days on low carb were a bit trying, but glad i persevered, as now i don't have those cravings.
as i understand it, only the US labels have to take fibre away from carbs to get the net value. in the UK, you don't have to do that. the carbs you see listed are the net ones already (if im wrong, apologies, but i think that's how it works)
There is a sticky at the top of the forum page, listing all the salad/veg you can have, based on 5 grams, 10 grams etc, which is really useful.

good luck with doing this, it really does work

 

[Bessie]

Thanks Mick. Now it all makes sense! It's really weird being on this diet as I'm allowed to eat foods that were previously 'banned'.

 

[Jim]

Hi Bessi and welcome to Atkins. As Mick says read the stickies and then come back and chat and ask us questions. I agree it can be hard to get your head around what you can eat on Atkins. Once you do, you'll find it's great.

 

[barbapapa]

Hello Bessie. I got my sticks from Lloyds Chemist and the were just over a fiver, you can get the half and they work the same, it takes a little while but you double them up. I was a total carbhead, always thinking about the next snack, I'm in my second week and not hungry and not even thinking about carbs or food, it's really liberating! I did get a massive headache on day 5 of the diet that lasted allnight and the next day and I don't suffer from headaches, apart from that I feel fantastic and the weight is now moving fast!

Good luck and glad your with us x

 

[Lady Marmalade]

Whereabouts in Boots/Lloyds do you find Ketostix? I've looked in a couple of big Boots stores, by the diabetes testing kits & diet aid stuff and never seen them, so I'd just assumed they weren't commercially available in the UK!

I'm like Jim, never bothered with them, but my loss seems to be varying and stalling a bit recently so maybe I should get some sticks and try to figure out exactly what's stalling me...

 

[joshuasmummy]

Ebay sell them and ive paid about a fiver in a normal chemist

 

[Bessie]

Thanks Jim, I read the stickies yesterday - very helpful. It was the differing carb counts that were confusing me but Mick kindly pointed out the difference between US and UK food labelling. Cheers, Bessie

 

[Bessie]

Barbapapa - thanks - it's good to hear that the diet works! Thanks for heads-up on Lloyds chemist. I did think the Boots price was rather expensive. What were you saying about 'doubling them up', I'm sorry but I didn't understand!

Lady Marmelade - you have to ask the pharmacist for Ketostix - they aren't prescription only but they're not on the general shelves.

Joshuasmummy - thanks for the ebay suggestion - I am annoyed as they are much cheaper on there - but I assumed they'd be cheaper to buy from Boots (no P&P etc), once the pharmacist had got them I felt too embarassed to say, 'no thanks'. Ah well, I'll know next time!

Lovely to meet you all, B x

 

[Lady Marmalade]

Lady Marmelade - you have to ask the pharmacist for Ketostix - they aren't prescription only but they're not on the general shelves.

Thanks Bessie - I've always hesitated to ask the pharmacist in case they quizzed me about whether I needed them for 'proper' diabetic reasons! That's proper bonkers, isn't it?!

Welcome to the boards!

 

[joshuasmummy]

Dont be embarresed the pharmacist wouldnt have batted an eye lid
I have to have 2 bottles of calpol a week for my daughter as shes in bad pain with her glands and tonsils and is awaiting them out
Last week I went into my normal chemist which I also get all of my sons prescriptions from (I wont bore you with the lsit but its massive)
Anyway I asked the lady how much I owed her and she nothing its free. I pointed out it wasnt on prescription. Where I am you can get it free when the pharmasist agrees theres a need for it. Not that ive ever been told that. I felt embarassed and said no really im happy to pay it but she woudnt let me. She also told me it costs less than 20p a bottle to make.
God im rabbiting on
Lifes to short for embarassment! and im saving 7 pounds a week on calpol

 

[barbapapa]

Johua's mummy you have a good pharmacist. With my first child I used to by everything over the counter and when my twins arrived I cottoned onto getting prescription for nappy cream, calpol, I'm even getting my suncream for the kids too!

Bessie - I got my sticks by asking the pharmacist too. To double thier value cut them down the middle lenght ways with a sharp pair of small scissors and you have 100 instead of 50! They work exactly the same way, just a bit smaller x

 

[Alibongo]

great tip barba, never thought of doing that.
I got mine in Boots and they were a fiver, you can also get them in Superdrug if they have a pharmacy.
My friend was quizzed in Boots, and I have known people to be refused them to, it is down the pharmacist in charge at the time which narks me, as they are quite happy to sell you the bars!?!?!
You can get them on the net from online pharmacies, I think the cheapest are Ketostix New Plastic Strips 50s #2880 which work out at £4.85 including postage.

 

[Lady Marmalade]

My friend was quizzed in Boots, and I have known people to be refused them to, it is down the pharmacist in charge at the time which narks me, as they are quite happy to sell you the bars!?!?!

I was quizzed too! Had to say I wanted them for weight loss, then she went in the back and they had a little discussion and both peered out at me! They did eventually sell them to me though, just over £5 for 50. Cutting them in half is a good tip.

While they were deliberating, I worked out that they probably have to make sure they have a certain amount in stock in case a genuine diabetic needs them. They probably get a run on them whenever l/c diets are mentioned in one of the major mags or newspapers, and I guess they have a duty to ensure they can provide them to people who need them for life-or-death reasons! So I didn't mind so much.

 

[Bessie]

Hiya everyone,

Hope you're all doing well!

Thanks for tip about cutting them in half Barbapapa - that makes me feel less cross about having paid nearly a tenner for mine. I think the pharmacist gave me the 'all singing all dancing' type that measures glucose too. I will specifically ask for ketostix next time, maybe these are cheaper?

Hi Ali - thanks for the link - I'll buy from there in future as now I have THE FEAR about asking the pharmacist just incase I get 20 questions and then refused.

Joshuasmummy and Ladymarmalade - interesting about Calpol. And I don't blame you for getting your kid's suncream on prescription. You can also get huuuuge tubs of E45 and Oilatum too. I don't have kids but normally when I get prescribed stuff by the doctor which isn't prescription only I ask the pharmacist if it's cheaper to buy 'privately'. I have no shame! To be honest my doctor is good - for instance when I got prescribed antihistamines for hayfever, he said you can buy these for about a quid over the counter - kerrrching!

Anyhow, hope you're all doing well diet-wise. After all the faff with the ketostix, I'm not in ketosis (I'm five days in) but am losing weight. I've had a bit of a headache for the past 36hours so wondering if I'm getting there....

Love Bessie xx