I am fairly new at the low carb lifestyle, but have for the past couple of weeks done really good at eating 20g of carbs or a little less a day. However, my daily menu consists of 2-3 cooked eggs over easy in the morning, my lunch and snack at work are always an Atkins shake and Atkins Advantage bar, Slim Fast lc bar, or low carb yorgurt, and my dinner is sometimes a small steak or chicken breast and some veggies, but usually an Atkins shake and some cheese as a snack later. So, my question is, I have been eating alot of processed foods ( Atkins shakes, Atkins bars, Low Carb Yogurt)...is that bad? I actually really like how they taste, and by eating them I stay on a strick 20g of carbs a day eating plan, but really don't know if this is the best plan to help me gain the best results. Any advice?

I don't know if I would say it is "bad" but you might want to consider where your carbs are coming from. If we stay under 25 carbs (I have to in order to lose weight) you really use up your carb allowance FAST when you use those products. The problem is, you should be getting most of your carbs from vegetables. The fiber in vegetables helps you lose weight and is very critical to your overall health. Also, the products have a lot of additives and preservatives that aren't good for you. Veggies have lots of micronutrients that you need. The products are also expensive!

As long as you keep your carbs low you will probably continue to lose weight. But you really have to consider whether you are learning new eating habits that will last a lifetime or whether you are "dieting" using the products as your basic meals. As soon as you stop using the products (and they will get boring fast) you will start to regain the weight.

Congratulations on your loss and I hope you will consider eating more whole healthy foods instead of the products .

Orchid

No, you shouldn't be using all that stuff! Your body needs the nutrients that come from vegetables and salads, adn you are not learning new lifestyle changes by relying on shakes - real food is much better for you

I would say they're O.K. once in a while, but for best results, not on a regular basis. The trouble is they are so darn convenient.

Hi,

I have a friend who has been on Atkins for about a year. She lost about fifty pounds and then stopped losing. She thought she stopped losing about the time she started eating a lot of the Atkins bars and other low carb products like them. She called the Atkins people and talked to a counselor. They told her that the bars were better left for maintance except for an occasional one. They told her that if she did eat one to count all the carbs and not just the net carbs. She has to stay close to 20 carbs to lose. She is also diabetic. I don't know if that has anything to do with it or not. My daughter and I have been drinking the Atkins chocolate milk which is great (it onoy has three total and two net carbs in eight ounces), but leaving the other things alone. We are losing steady, and don't want to take a chance. Of course, everyone is different and you might can eat them just fine. I just thought I would pass along the information for you to consider.

thanks a bunch to all who have responded to my question. though I have lost weight eating the bars and shakes regularly, I didn't really realize that I was chosing low carb foods out of convenience, rather than focusing on making a complete lifestyle change.