Hello from the Big Easy!

Hi! My name is Jeff and I am a 1st year medical student here in New Orleans, Louisiana. I started the Atkins Induction 3 days ago (2/13/02) for the first time and this is my first official post. I had planned to start in January but decided to wait until Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras as I'm sure most of you would agree was a good idea! Less temptations!
I just happened to stumble across the site and I am amazed by the advice/support/motivation all of you offer. I have never seen a website with so much useful info. Like I said, today is Day 3 for me I am sure those of you who have visited New Orleans can attest, we have some outrageously delicious food! I know the battle will be long and hard, but I am determined to make it! So far, I have dropped 4 pounds and I am amazed. I am a huge beef/chicken/fish eater, so I think this is the plan for me.
I do have a few questions and would appreciate any/ all advice from you guys (or y'all as we say it here!). There seem to be many experts and I know I'll find my great answers/suggestions.

1. I've seen the posts about diet drinks, sugar-free jello, artificial sweetend products, etc. Why are they so bad? Is it just that they make you feel hungry and sometimes cause headaches? I know they have no carbs, and I was thinking of maybe incorporating 1 diet soda (I'm a huge diet Dr. Pepper fan) a day but don't want to if they will hurt my progress.

2. I am an H20-aholic . I have been literally drinking like a horse (more like Clydesdale). I have gotten a little over 6 liters a day. Is this too much? I really enjoy the water, but need to know if I should cut back. (I drink it slowly and continously throughout the day and I am making trips to the bathroom every 1.5 hours or so...doesn't bother me at all).

3. Constipation has been a problem. I used to have about 2 or 3 bowel movements a day but now have 1 (small) or none. I'm thinking this is just from changing the diet, but let me know if you guys have any suggestions on how to alleviate this problem.

I think that is all for now! I look forward to meeting all of you via the site and hearing back soon. I plan on checking back regularly. I'd like to thank you all in advance for your advice/support and also, thanks again for such a great site!

Truly,
Jeff

Hi Jeff! Welcome to the forum!

What are you planning to specialize in?



Yes, they can make you crave, and if addiction is one of the things you are battling along with weight, they slow your progress. Aspartame is also troublesome for a lot of people. If you can work towards being free of these things, you will be so much better off.

All the water you are drinking is great! It will definitely help with your loss.

Constipation can be a normal side effect when switching from glucoes to fat burning mode. There is less carby bulk for your body to eliminate. At the top of the page under Low Carb Tips is an article on Low Carbing and Intestinal Health. Make sure you eat your vegetables!

You may want to start a journal in the Journal forum to keep track of your progress.

Congratulations on making the switch. You won't regret it!

Karen

welcome jeff! congrats on medical school....we won't be offended if you can't find much time to post between exams!

New Orleans--what a great city. All that carb-free music! And the enthusiastic home of Sugar Busters, as I understand it, so you should be able to LC out at dinner pretty easily.

Karen has answered your questions, but I just wanted to pop in and add my welcome.

Hello again!

Thank you both Karen and Razzle for your responses. As far as my medical career plans go... it's still up in the air. I think I may want to go into emergency medicine (like the fast pace - never boring) or maybe surgery. But, I also like pediatrics and cardiology, so I guess you can see why I haven't made up my mind. I have a few years here to test the waters before I choose.

Karen- thank you so very much for your answers and pointing me to the tips section. Only being registered a few days, I found all of the aricles to be GREAT! (especially the intestinal health portion). Coming from a diet of tons of fruits and veggies, I'm pretty sure my problem has been the fiber... which will soon pass! I've seen many of your posts ( you have quite a few) and they are all fantastic! I'm going to try to start the journal like you said. Hopefully I can keep up with it and all of my schoolwork!

Razzle- thank you for your welcome! Yes, New Orleans is a great city. I really enjoy living here. So much music and entertainment all of the time! Sugar Busters was in fact invented here, with docs and faculty from both the Tulane and LSU Medical Schools, both in town. It has really caught on here, with many restaurants offering Sugar-free selections. It definitely seems to make dining out a bit easier.

Thanks again for the posts and I look forward to hearing more from you guys as time goes on. By the way, looked at the scales again this morning and I am down 2 more pounds to 194!!!! 6 pounds in 4 days... I can't tell you how thrilled I am.

Jeff