Does it count as a cheat if........
 

I stay within my 20 gram limit of carbs???? Our local store had strawberries on sale and I bought 3 pounds ($1.88/lb). I checked fitday and the numbers seem to be fairly reasonable, one cup being 10.67 grams of carbs with 3.5 grams of fiber, for a net carb count of 7.17 grams per cup. I would have one cup less veggies as well to compensate. So....Opinions and insight please!?

Nicole :wave:

Strawberries are certainly permitted on Atkins once you are no longer following induction. I eat either strawberries or blueberries every morning with my breakfast.

Are you still on induction? If so, and if you are desiring a wider variety of foods, perhaps it is time for you to move to ongoing weight loss so you can plan to incorporate some berries in your daily menus.

If you are still on induction, then strawberries are not permitted. However, I have noticed that after the first two weeks of induction most people expand their food choices even if they decide to stay within a 20 grams of carb per day limit. This is a way of eating, not a diet, and limiting oneself only to the induction foods makes it seem too much like a diet for me.

In my opinion, even if you eat the strawberries you should still eat your minimum three cups of veggies. Veggies have lots of nutrients we don't get anywhere else. While strawberries are a good source of nutrition, they are not as good as vegetables.

Thanks for your input
 

I'm still on Induction....starting week 7 today. I would like a wider variety of foods but like you said, I would prefer to keep my total carbs around the 20 gram mark. I've got to do some reading and some serious thinking. I've been baking upa storm, made LC Chocolate Cheesecake and the Orange Poppy Seed Scones from a recipe I found on the Atkins site.

Nicole :wave:

Hi Nicole!
 

I agree with what Liz said. You did not cheat! Strawberries are a good lc fruit choice and they have vitamin C. If you do consider this a cheat, it is one of the mildest cheats you could have done.

You just need to decide in the future how you can incorporate fruit into you WOL.

Take care and enjoy!

I don't believe in cheating. If you eat something that you really desire, and it isn't part of our WOE, then you made a conscious decision and must get right back on track. I know I won't go the rest of my life without a piece of pie or cake. But now I really think about it when I'm tempted.

I had some fried chicken wings (4) at my class reunion last week. Aside from that, I followed my LC lifestyle very well. However for a week I retained water, I felt sluggish, depressed and tired. I was grumpy and had gained 7 pounds. It took me a week to feel better and to lose the added water weight. I also lost an additional 4 pounds so Hey!!. But I drank water like a buffalo at a stream and ate a lot of meat and salad. And you know what,
those wings were not worth it and weren't like I remembered.

Will I eat fried wings again...you bet. But this time I will make them so there will be no MSG, I will use canola oil and I will coat them in Atkins bake mix, adding my herbs and spices. I'll know what I'm eating, my carbs will be miniscule, and no water weight gain. What can I say--its a WOL.