First of all, I HAVE READ THE BOOK, Dr. A's New Diet Revolution, several times, i have also emailed "Atkins Support" with my questions, but the only reply i get from them are quotes from the book that don't even come close to answering my questions... that said, , i guess i just want to do this right, but its hard when the information is not clear. the carb counters can say cooked summer squash is 5 carbs, or 4 carbs, with different amounts of fiber... the acceptable foods list show's onion, but i read some where in the book that yellow onion may not be acceptable (maybe white, vidalia & red too?) and what about onion flakes?, eggs and bacon have carbs, but we can eat them liberally - do we have to count their carbs??? i never saw iceberg lettuce mentioned in the book only "lettuce" but the carb counter in the front of the book only shows butterhead and romaine, that said is, iceberg ok to eat? I'm also wondering why the carb counter in the front of the book shows so many foods that are not even allowed instead of sticking to the ones that are... how do you know what to trust? Sorry, guess i'm panicking...lol thanks to all for any help/advice you may have for me. sherri

I had the exact same problem with Atkins support. I even called them on it, replying to the e-mail by saying "You just cut and pasted this answer from the FAQs, and it doesn't even answer my original question." They finally did answer my question, but they haven't answered any of my subsequent questions, so I guess I pissed them off.
I've been using the carb counter on the Atkins site (http://atkinscenter.com/food/index.html)-- it's under the "Resources" menu on the left. I also find that site's Journal helpful.
I don't think you have to completely avoid onion, but remember that it's a realatively high-carb vegetable, so substitute green onions (scallions) where appropriate. I guess you can do induction by following the 2 lists of veggies and extras without counting carbs, but I've been counting all the carbs.
Prossesed meats, eggs and cheeses and veggies all have carbs, which I've been keeping track of. Meat like roast chicken or steak doesn't have carbs, same with fin fish, so you can "eat liberally" of most meat and fish.
So basically I've been following his guidelines (2 c. salad veggies, 1c more subsatntial vegies, 3-4 oz cheese, etc.) but still counting the carbs. You might want to buy a book with nutrition counts. This website helps, too. But some of their food lacks fiber info. http://www.calorieking.com/foods/
I hope this helped!
Good luck.

Hello klawrence!

I know it all seems a bit confusing at first but as you put it into practice it gets easier. Relax a little and don't worry about getting it right all the time. As long as you get your nourishment from fresh proteins, good fats and fresh low-carb vegetables that are outlined in Dr. Atkins book, you won't go wrong.


You'll find this discrepency in carb counters so the best thing to do is pick a good one and stick with it. One of the best ways to track carbs is through fitday.com and remember that fiber is not subtracted. There is also the USDA Database on this site at the top of the page under Low Carb Tools.

All onion is fine in small quantities. What you want to do is aim for 20 grams - minus fiber - for the first two weeks. Some people use green onion because it's lower in carbs.

Yes. And the carbs in coffee and tea as well.

Yes, Iceberg is fine to eat. It's also known as head lettuce.

Probably to illustrate the insanely high amount of carbs in the foods that we have been eating before low-carbing.

The two sources I've pointed out above are accurate sources. But in the end after getting comfortable with low-carbing, you learn to trust yourself.

A few last words of advice...stay away from low-carb bars and artificially sweetened foods. It's more important to break the carb habit/addiction than give into your cravings. The first two weeks are the hardest as you go through withdrawal with all the symptoms of withdrawal as you would from any drug. And drink tons of water!

Karen