I am not sure how I will succeed on the Adkin's diet. I cannot cook (I am on day 7 of the induction diet)! For one thing, I have no talent for cooking. For another, I work full-time and attend graduate school full-time. So, even if I could cook, there's no time really -- not on a 3x daily basis, which is what the Atkin's diet seems to require. Before this diet, I ate primarily sandwiches and anything quick to prepare (can soups, etc.) Anyway, my question is: if I can't cook, if I really hate most of the free vegetables allowed on the diet, if the taste of salads sickens me, and if I can't afford the Atkin's products, what do I do?

I have gone from 181 to 174 during the last seven days and I'm sure the weight loss should be incentive enough to maintain what I have been doing to this point. But I'm miserable.

Thanks for any suggestions.
-sillyme

Well I was just thinking, do you have a microwave oven. They have frozen chicken and fish portions that can be micowaved briefly and eaten. Also you'd have to check in your book, but what about roast beef and cheese from the deli counter? Do you like cream cheese in celery, or in thin sliced salami rolled up? Not caring for salad would make it hard, but if you do like any of the veggies allowed remember butter is allowed, which may help. There is always tuna mixed with mayo, deviled eggs, and cheeseburgers minus the roll. I drink black cherry flavored selzer water after meals some times for different taste, 0 calories. You have gotten great results for just 1 week, if you can stick thru 1 more, the plan loosenes up a bit, and it does get easier to plan foods as you go along. Loosing 7 pounds in one week sure seems to indicate that this is your type of weight loss plan, try and keep up the good work, 7 pounds is nothing to sneeze at......tee hee.

Sillyme.. I'm in the exact same boat ! PhD student, and full time worker.. away from home.. my parents always cooked for me (regretting that now!). Not only can i NOT cook, I also dance and partake in a bunch of school activities, so i have no TIME to cook. I don't know how you all do this out there.... this diet is not for the lazy people *cough* like me.

I've been recommended to veggie subs in brown bread (no cheese) from Subway/Mr Sub for lunches... but it's touch, since i usually eat out or eat microwave meals (most of which come in well balanced portions of carb-fat-protein).

Just wanted to let you know, I'm in the same boat!

Did you know you can get any Subway six incher as a SALAD?! No bread, which is a no-no, to contend with! I think it's great!

Deb O

That's great to know! I had no idea you could do that. That certainly opens up a door for lunchtime! Although lunchtime isn't usually a problem, breakfast is. Thank goodness I like eggs. I did try the Atkins Pancake Mix. It's okay but there's certainly a big difference. Don't think I'd buy it again.

Sometimes on the weekends when I get to sleep in a little, I'll skip breakfast and eat lunch when I get up, then an early dinner.

Anyway, thanks for that info Deb!

Kim

You're welcome!
It was a complete surprise to me! DH wanted to go to Subway one night, and I squirmed the whole way there, envisioning the rolling of eyes when I asked them to make my sandwich without bread. (I stress over the stupidest things! )

A George Foreman grill and a bottle of Montreal Steak Seasoning could solve many cooking problems. Everything cooks up good on it, burgers, chicken fish, veggies, you name it! I have a GF grill at work, I use it almost daily. Try printing out some recipes and give them a shot when you DO have some free time, cooking your own meals ensures that you know what's in them! Good luck!

Part of the reason I chose to try Atkins and why I thought it might work for me is because I love meat so much more than other foods. If you like meat, but can't stand most vegetables, you already have a pre-disposition to enjoy this diet. Now, you just have to find out what vegetables you CAN stand to eat.

Quick meals are a problem for almost anyone, regardless of time or money, because they require advance planning (time) or money (money). However, with practice on this way of life, you will learn what works for you. Don't stress over mistakes you make along the path; just keep walking.

Hmmm...do you have a crock pot and can you crack an egg and boil water? Do you have 3 hours or so a week that you can spend cooking meats or keeping an eye on foods in the oven? Can you find at least one or two veggies on the allowed list that you do like?
Most meats can be cooked ahead and frozen for later use. I do this all the time and it works great. Bacon and sausage can be cooked in bulk and put in the refrigerator in a Ziplock bag; pull a few pieces out when you need them and zap them in the microwave for a few seconds. Eggs take less than 5 minutes to fry or boil. Thin cuts of meat take about the same amount of time.
I can microwave an entire family size bag of frozen broccoli in 10 minutes and cook the meat on the stove while the veggies are cooking in the microwave. It certainly doesn't take more than a few minutes to make up a hamburger patty and fry or broil it.
My point is that you don't have to be a gourmet cook to eat well on this WOE. You don't even have to spend hours in the kitchen every day if you don't want to. If you can spend a few hours once a week cooking several types of meat at one time to keep in the refrigerator, meal times can be just as quick as making a sandwich or some soup. One trick my DH used to use when he was in college and working full time was to make one big batch of something like chili or spaghetti sauce on the weekends and then eat that for dinner all week. Yes, it probably got a bit boring around the 3rd or 4th day, but it was quick and easy.
Crock pots are a wonderful time saver. All you do is put in the meat with some liquid and seasonings and the crock pot does all the work for you. You don't even have to tend it; just turn it on and leave for the day and you have dinner ready whenever you are. Some crock pots even have a "keep warm" feature that you can set it to stop cooking after a set amount of hours and then just keep the food warm until you are ready for it.
Check out the recipes forum. There are several recipes (at least) for very easy casserole type dishes that reheat very well and they are very easy to put together.
It's been my experience that we make time for those things that are most important to us and if we want to accomplish something badly enough, we usually find a way to do it. It may not be easy to eat this way on a busy schedule, but with a little time and planning, it's very possible.

Wow! Thank each of you for your comments. By the way, how do I respond to individual posts?

Tonight was a look up in the right direction: I discovered Tyson Hot and Spicy Chicken Wings in the frozen section, which I had avoided totally because I felt surely any selection from that section would be loaded with carbohydrates (only 1 gram per 3 piece serving though - and they're so dang hot you may never make it to three!). To go along with it I had a boring salad (no hope there, I'm afraid). Thank you to whoever suggested that I look in the frozen section.

That's great re: Subway because I love dining there, but like the other poster I didn't wish to appear like a total freakazoid by ordering "no bread, please." How weird would THAT look!

I wish I could reply to each poster individually, but not only can I not figure out how, I am stealing a minute from other things I must get done before sleeping. Anyway, I peaked at the forum on and off a few times today from work and was excited to find so much support and suggestions. I wish to thank each of you. I feel inspired by your posts and I don't feel as alone as I did yesterday.

-Kayas

More quick ideas:
Wendys side salads
Your favorite big bacon-cheesburger, w/o the bun. I eat those often enough I can even do it while driving! ha ha
A Hardee's bacon egg and cheese biscuit, with out the biscuit. Only 1 or 2 carbs there too.
Determination is the key! With a few minor changes, you can eat well, and not feel deprived in the least.!
Lesle

PS.drink water.

Keep browsing frozen food....there is alot there to discover!! Do you kike fish, or chicken breasts? There are alot there to find, especially since when you get it home you can add butter,(and say dill) to the fish,or heavy cream and seasoning to pour over it after you zap it in microwave, ditto to chicken breasts. Anyway carb counts are always on the boxes which would be timesaving for you. Seafood department always has cooked shrimp, ready to eat, deli has roast beef etc.
Glad you are making headway finding your way around the store!!

Great help gang

I'm not a veggie eater either, and I'm always on the run as well. I do the crock pot thing with a nice big roast and I've got meat for a week! Look at the seasoned fish filets without breading, they can be prepared in the microwave and are very tasty. I'm not a super big salad fan, but I love caesar salad. Also if you like a nice low-carb salad dressing (like ranch) cucumbers are pretty mild and go real good as a filler for dinner. Remember that you CAN cover your veggies in low-carb salad dressing or low-carb cheese sauce - that always helps me! String cheese is a great take with you snack. Also I make breakfast "muffins" and bring them to work for nuking:

1 lb. sausage (carefully check the carb count)
1 dozen eggs
2 cups shredded cheddar

Cook sausage & drain. Mix with eggs & cheese and bake in muffin tins (or a 13x9) pan at 350 until cooked through. Makes about 18 muffins (or slices from the pan). And there are about 18g of carb in the entire mess, so you end up with one gram muffins.

How do you cook your roast? I used to go the soup route...but need new ideas!