New with questions
 

Hi, I was so happy to find this web site! I recently was diagnosed with hypoglycemia and since was following a diet that a dietiician put me on. I have been feeling weak , always tired, and sometimes not able to concentrate well. I knew that my not feeling well was food related I could feel it! My father has low blood sugar and my mother is diabetic. Anyhow I was really oping that the dietician`s plan would help stabilise my blood sugar and then feel good. To my disappointment I have felt very little if any improvement. The basic idea of the diet is eating more frequently smaller meals. , and to always eat a fruit witha proten and a carb with a protien. I still felt weak and groogy. I picked up Dr. Atkind book (he has a section on hypoglycemia) And wanted to feel the energy and increased clarity of thinking he was talking about. Well it has been three days and I feel GREAT!:)
I have some questions about the program. Are sunflower seeds allowed? It is kind of hard to have one tablespoon. I am having one coffee a day.(with cream not milk. right?) I know that in the book he says we should drink decaf. I only have one regular a day. Is mustard allowed? I am so used to eating my meat with ketchup that for dinner I had a steak with sour cream. I need to eat frequently am I suppose to snack on cheese and meat all day? After the two weeks how does one incorporate fruit back into the diet? Are there those who eliminate it (and carbs) completly? I also eat large lettuce salads with my meals I hope this is okay. Hope to hear from chatters soon :) Monica

Hi Monica,

Welcome aboard. Your 2 messages were "sort of" stuck in our database. :) This usually happen if you click on the tiny square that says "Create Poll" but did not enter any poll questions/surveys. :)

Wa'il

welcome monica!:D i'm glad you found atkins! i don't eat fruit and i've been lowcarbing for 2 years. i was never a big fruit eater anyways. i eat a lot of veggies though! i eat sunflower seeds every day. they are so good for you! however i do measure them and count the carbs. why don't you buy corinne netzer's the complete book of food counts, 5th edition. it's under $10.00 and it's a great source for looking up carb values. i use it all the time! for coffee, experiment yourself. if you lose drinking regular coffee, don't sweat it!:D mustard is certainly allowed, but again count the carbs. yes, snacking on protein is a good idea! i like to keep hardboiled eggs in the fridge. i make devilled eggs on a whim. sometimes just 1 at a time. i'm glad that your feeling healthy! keep us posted!

Fruit
 

Hi, Monica. Fruit is high in sugar, so low-carbers need to limit it. Having said that, small quantities of some fruits are allowed after induction. Berries, especially strawberries, have the fewest carbs: one jumbo strawberry is about 1.5 carbs.

Contrary to popular belief, large amounts of fruit aren't necessary to a healthy diet, as long as you're eating lots of veggies.

Keep us posted on your progress!

Rachel

Welcome to the forum Monica!

Eating 6 small meals a day is a great idea, Some LC'ers "graze" all day. Then you can always have protein and vegetables as a "meal".

You will find that you discover your own way of eating as you go along. When I first started, I made a list of all the LC things I liked to eat with the portions and carb counts beside them so I could train myself to stay within my carb limit.

Look at beginning low carbing this way: You have a carb bank that has a certain amount of carbs you can withdraw a day. Let's say it's 30 grams. If you go over 30 grams, your account is overdrawn. With the carb bank, there is no overdraft protection! So, you learn to eat within that limit. If you can eat sunflower seeds and stay within that limit, fine. If you can eat strawberries without becoming overdrawn, fine.

I think a lot of LC'ers have realized that it's better to use our accounts to eat vegetables rather than fruit and snack-y stuff. As you said, it's hard to eat 1 Tbsp. of sunflower seeds. Read labels and explore different food choices. Aha, 3/4 cup of sunflower seeds in the shell have only one ounce of edible seeds and 3 grams of effective carbohydrate. A better choice?

For induction, I will quote agonycat who says to follow Atkins induction to the letter. If it's not listed, don't eat it. I agree with her!

Keep posting,

Karen