newbie question
 

Hi everyone i just started my low carb diet about five days ago. i just joined this forum today and im looking around and i must admit im in a slight panic. My diet has a lot of eggs, cheese (a lot of cheese), and meat. But ive been reading and how much cheese is too much cheese and why is whipped cream and sugar free jello not good? i just got ketostix and i dont even know how to read them. theres a blue pad and a red pad... i dipped them into a sample and i dont know if im looking for the color to change on the blue pad, he red pad, or in between the two... im just lost. Is pork bad? i havent had more than 20-30 carbs a day and my cravings have all but subsided and for the first and second days i was tired and achy/headache but now i have a bunch of energy. this lead me to believe i was in a "keto" state but i tested it and noticed no color change? any help to a newbie who is a slight bit lost. i know theres a handfull of questions that i have and any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks
jp

Hey jp-

I am not familiar with those type of ketostix, so I cannot help you there. Usually the ones I have seen have a beige pad that changes to purple if you are in ketosis. However, there are other indications that you are in ketosis:

Metalic taste in the mouth-often bad breath
smelly urine
a feeling of heat, especially at night

Pork is OK, and so is cheese-but cheese should be limited to 4 oz a day when in induction. That only lasts two weeks. You really need to get your veggies in as well-most of your carbs are supposed to come from allowed veggies like salads and anything pretty much green.

Have you been to the Atkins website? It breaks down each of the stages pretty well.

http://atkinscenter.com

The eggs are fine but I remember reading that a x-large egg has almost 1 carb so remember that.
Cheese should be limited to 4 ounces. I myself have gone over this and haven't noticed a stall but maybe I would've lost more.
Pork is also fine, it's my favorite animal :)
The first 2 weeks its crucial to stay below the 20 carbs and as a personal experience try to get half of them from veggies.
As for the ketostix I've never used them so I can't help you there. But you will you're doing fine when you lose weight on the fourth day as ketosis takes about 3 days to start going into effect and burning fat.

The energy boost is amazing isn't? Add in all the protein and I'm lifting more than I have ever done at the gym!


Hope that helps,

I think the problem with many people who start LCing is that they eat way too much protein and dairy products and not enough veggies & salads. Even I will admit I was not doing it properly the first few days until I read DANDR and went on Atkins' website. As soon as I started to do it right...I was losing.

My rules (that I followed with success):

1. Eat slowly, when you start feeling full STOP...wrap excess up for next meal.

2. Eat little meals rather than 3 big meal - 5 or 6 smaller "noshing" meals...

3. Include a veggie and/or a salad with every meal...even if only a bite or two.

4. Drink the water...you must consume at least 1/2 your body weight in water for success since LCing is based on water washing the fat out of your body

5. If using KETOSTIX, morning urine is the only urine in my opinion that is a true indicator of weather ketones are in your body or not. During the day the dietary fat can give your stix a "positive" reading yet you may not be in ketosis. Rely on physical symptoms rather than what the stix say.

6. Last and not least, don't ever think that a bite of this or a bite of that (meaning high carb foods) can't do damage...they can.

Good Luck!

Hi JP,

Welcome to the wonderful world of Low Carb!!!!

The sticks that you are using ok. You only need to read the one that turns pink to purple. If you are in the purple to much you may need to drink more water.

Yes - most of your carbs should come from GREEN veggies. Watch that you do not eat the wrong ones - winter squash, carrots or onions are just a few examples.

I love cheese too. I used to eat a lot of it. I noticed that I was in Ketisis yet not losing weight. I cut back on the cheese and the weight started to come off!!! Same thing with Cream.

I am not the expert on all the right foods to eat, but if you start to keep a journal others will be glad to help you out. I am not good at keeping a journal.

Good Luck!!!!