I started Atkins 5 days ago (down 5 pounds.. yipee!) and I just wanted to share with you all the trials and tribulations of trying to eat LC...

I was talking with a collegue who is on (and has been for years) "Mince à vie" (Thin for Life). That`s low-fat. It worked for her but when I did Weight Watchers (also low-fat) at the beginning of July, I gained 4 pounds...

As you guys know, the difference between low-fat and low-carb is that they are the complete opposite... If you read labels, you'll notice that something low-fat, is higher in carbs and something low in carbs is higher in fat. So we're actually discussing how our diets differ....

We were talking about how muffins saved our lives (she found a low-fat receipe, I have a low-carb one...) and we each have our receipe for our morning muffins... (I'd just keel over and die if I had to eat meat and eggs in the morning every day...)

Get this: She comes up to me this morning and gives me 2 of the muffins she made... I'm looking at her with an incredilous look... I don't want to be mean but didn't she get it? If her muffins are low-fat, they're almost obviously high-carb... (she has cereals in there... Which I cannot touch with a 10-foot pole!!! Especially in induction)

Wait... This story is not over... I have a hard time finding lunches... It's all bread, panini, breaded stuff, pasta salad, potato salad, burgers,fries, Subways... all things I cannot eat. (And no I will not cook for lunch as I loathe cooking and once a day is more than enough... Don't forget... I'm baking muffins on top of that...)

Finally I find a place where I see chicken and salads. So here is the conversation I had with the guy:

Nat: ''Hello, may I have some chicken with some green salad please?''

Guy: ''No rice?''

N: ''No thank you.''

G: ''No fries?''

N: ''No thank you.''

G: ''Tomatoes with your salad?''

N: ''No thank you'' (the first 2 weeks, most vegetables and fruits are out)

G: ''Onions? Cucumbers?''

N: ''No thank you... Just green salad with dressing please...''

G: ''Drink?''

N: ''No thank you...'' (Even diet sodas have aspartame, which upsets my stomach...)

So I leave, with my chicken and green salad (which was very good and very filling thank you...) and I get to the office, open the bag and find... a slice of pita bread!

What? He just had to give me bread?!?

My colleague was roaring with laughter... And this is all in the same week where it was a colleague's birthday on Monday and we had the traditional cake and when I declined a piece (Opera... it smelled so good!), another co-worker ragged about the downfall of depriving yourself...

Sheesh! Thank goodness for this forum!!!