Red, welcome to this WOE! I'm so glad you're taking the time to really read the book closely, as that will be so helpful in your success.

I personally don't use the shakes at all, because I'm so enjoying the great foods I can have. Fried chicken (with pork rind coating), mashed "potatoes" (pureed cauliflower with cheese, bacon, cream), delicious salads with hard boiled egg, sliced seasoned meat, and cheeses---yum. There are so many great recipes on this forum, too, so welcome to the adventure!

I have found the learning curve on cooking for this WOE to be considerable, but manageable. Each week that goes by my cupboards become more Atkins, less other (my family is not yet doing this WOE so we still have some of their food around). It's really been fun to surf around to the online product suppliers and to check out all the new foods available to me.

Welcome home, Red!