Today is my first "official" day on the Induction. I thought (although I had not read anything to tell me EXACTLY what I could or could not have) that I was following the Atkin's plan fairly strictly. Last week then, I had two cans of diet coke a day, and was eating pumpkin seeds and 1 Atkins balance bar a day. Just to check myself, after the week I used a Ketone strip to see how I was doing. I'm not in Ketosis at all.

I want to give this my best shot towards living this way. I am 5'3, 135lbs. My goal weight is 115. Is that possible? I am now reading Dr. Atkins book, and from the way it sounds this is for people who have a great deal more to lose.

No deli meats correct? And all the bacon that I find in the grocery store lists "sugar" as an ingredient. No nuts either right? Can I have a balance bar? It breaks up the boredom, and can be quick when I'm on the run.

I think that I am one of those "hard cases" and I plan on being extremely rigid with my carbs during induction. Any good advice to start off with?

Leslie, you don't have much weight to lose at all. In fact, 115 might be unrealistically low if you're 5'3". Of course, that depends on your build and age, and you're the best judge of that.

Atkins is fine for those with little as well as a lot of weight to lose, but it will take longer if you're lighter. Think of it as a percentage thing: someone with 100 pounds to lose may lose 10 pounds on Induction (10%); someone with 20 pounds to lose may lose 2 pounds (10%). So be prepared to be patient.

If I were you, I'd nix the bars. Atkins himself doesn't recommend them for Induction. Stick to unprocessed, fresh meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cream, cheese, and low-carb veggies. It doesn't have to be boring. There are plenty of recipes in Atkins's book, and loads more on this site.

Rachel

I agree with Rachel--get rid of those bars. Usually there's hidden carbs in them. Plus they are not on induction. Save them for later.

As far as lunch meats and bacon some people don't have a problem eating those things. Atkins says to watch them and eat in moderation.

What I did when I first started is just get me a HUGE collection of recipes together. Do a search on the internet of Atkins recipes or low carb recipes. It has SAVED my life. Another thing I do is make sure that I have plenty of food around. The worst thing to do on this WOE is to be hungry and have to go find something to eat. If you are like me, that's my green light to just grab something quick, which usually isn't something good.
This WOE does not have to be boring at all. It isn't for me. When I first tried Atkins a few months ago, all I did was eat salad, chicken and hamburger patties. That got OLD! So I've learned from that!

Nuts will also have to wait until after induction. And I would cut down the diet drinks and get busy with the water!!
Good luck to you!!