I have been doing the atkins diet for about 1 1/2 months and i am craving fruit. can i have fruit like a small apple or some pineapple or some thinmg i need my fruit!

Hi there! Do you happen to have a copy of Dr. A's carb counter book? I find that really, really handy when trying to choose fruits for post-Induction. If you visit http://www.atkins.com you'll find the lists of allowed foods and when to introduce them.

Having said that, neither apples nor pineapples are a good choice on Atkins until possibly maintenance. Both are fairly high glycemic (they absorb into the blood system too rapidly), and apples have virtually no vitamins. I like to eat things like strawberries, raspberries and blackberries because they have a lot more bang for the buck. If you're wanting citrus, tangerines are a good choice, at about 7 net carbs each.

One thing you may want to watch, too, is how these affect your blood sugar when you eat them. Different people react differently to various foods--that's why Dr. Atkins recommends introducing foods back into your diet one at a time.

Cherries have really low glycemic index. Other stone fruits are pretty low too.

Hi petcrazed,
Be careful of adding fruits back into your diet.
And, according to the book, berries are the fruits that should be added first, and only in moderation.
Always best to check the book, so you don't get off track, and set off cravings for other sweet things.
Keep up the good work
Lesle

...and if it's a psychological thing, like "going without fruit is unhealthy", remember this: if you're eating tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, avocados, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, etc... you are eating fruit. All of those "vegetables" are fruit. They might not taste sweet, but botanically, they ARE fruit have similar nutrition profiles. By skipping sweet fruit, there's absolutely nothing missing from your diet - except the sugar.

Stick with berries only. Not only are they low in sugar, but loaded with antioxidants.

I have not introduced fruit back into my diet... I am positive it will be a trigger for me. When I reach goal and am in maintenance I will add in the occassional serving of berries for desserts and such. Thankfully I never was a huge fruit eater, I MUCH prefer veggies.

I also really miss my fruit ..........I love it (much more than veggies) but haven't introduced them even though I'm adding a few more carbs now that I'm into week 5. I want to lose at least 20 lbs before I add them.
I do have the sugar free jello and that gives me the "fruity" taste so I'm not feeling terribly deprived.
Hang in there!

Berries are the way to go! And I also eat s/f jello for a taste of something fruity and sweet.

If you can find fruit-scented things that are non-edible, so much the better!

I miss my fruit soooooo much, but I have found that my sense of smell has improved so much on this WOE that there's a little trick you can do... use fruit-scented lotion, candles, incense, potpourri, right before you eat a regular meal... the little whiff of yummy-smelling stuff will whet your appetite, but you know you can't eat the stuff if it is not food! The smell of fruit is ALMOST as good as the taste, and once you are full of yummy meat, cheese, or veggies, you might just feel like you have indulged! And it's always good to spoil yourself a occasionally with non-edible goodies.

Other good ideas.... fruit-flavored lip-gloss, lip balm, and mouthwash!