Can anyone tell me if 20 carbs really is enough to be eating a day? I am going into my 6th week on the Atkins diet, and i have kept on the introduction. I am afraid to add anymore carbs because i do n't really know what to do. My friend told me today that i am treading on dangerous ground as i should be taking in about 50 carbs a day by now.

I am not sure of my weight at the moment, and i really don't want to weigh yet. Because i have been told to throw away the ketostix as they are unreliable i don't want to chance having more carbs and not losing any weight.

Also my friend told me i should be taking 6 vitamins tabs a day, is this true. I take Centrum 50+ even though i am only 41. She says there is not the needed amount in just 2. This i am really worried about i feel scared that i am risking my health if this is the case.
someone help please!

Also another friend is on this diet and is having terrible toileting problems her waste is coming out as water on a regular basis and she is very worried about losing essential minerals from her body. I have experianced a bit of this , but not as much as my poor friend Sue. She is comming off the diet as she says she feels worse from being on it.

If anyone can help with any information that i can you to encourage her i would be grateful.

thanks guys

I am planning to stay on induction (20g of carb) until I reach my goal.
I will probably endup with 10 months of induction... Some people may argue that it is not healthy, but I believe that for me it is healthier then being obese.

The amount of carbs required is a very individual thing. Some people have to keep their carbs low in order to continue losing weight. It varies by body metabolism, amount of exercise, etc. I would suggest you try adding 5 carbs/week and see if it slows down your weight loss (sorry, you will have to get on those horrible scales to accomplish this ) I'm still below 20 carbs/day on week 8 and it doesn't seem to be hurting me any.



Hopefully you have a copy of DANDR (Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution). Get a copy if you can and turn to Chapter 23, Nutritional Supplements. You can also go to www.atkins.com website and look there. Here's the link right to the nutritional information. Compare what you are taking with the recommended levels and adjust accordingly. http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/11/30-6024.html .



I've heard increasing the fiber in the diet will help both loose bowels and constipation.

Hope the above give you some help.

Roza,

As far as your "loose" friend, have her check if she is eating low carb candy bars (or anything else) with sugar alcohols. Those can have a, ahem, "cleansing" effect for some people.

As far as supplements, check what Dr. Atkins book says, as cdnbarbie suggested. Each person is individual, so don't be afraid to use supplements that benefit you and not necessarily what someone else recommends.

Go to www.fitday.com and on there you can enter the foods you eat daily (including supplements) and it will keep track of your nutrients and let you know where you need more or less.

Joan

Thanks for your speedy replies. Just need to know how to add more fibre to diet without adding more carbs?

Psyllium husks are a great source with no carbs. You can get these both in capsule form or loose. Check at a local pharmacy or health store.

A lot of us have listened to our friends (along with relatives, aquaintances and strangers in the checkout line) and I believe that we get a lot of bad information from people that have heard from a friend of a friend that "this" could happen to you. If you want to know the real scoop the I would recommend reading DANDR. You can't go wrong when you go straight to the source.

~Angi~

She isn't suggesting taking 6 multivitamins a day is she? That can be dangerous, if nothing else completely unnessecary. About the only things you may need ontop of a good multi would be magnesuim and potassium. There are other suppliments for specific problems, you can research, but they may not be nessecary.

As for more fiber, remember you can subtract the fiber grams from your total carbs. The 20g net carbs is total carbs - fiber. If you are only getting 20 total, then you really need to up not only fiber, but your veggie intake.

As for 20g carb, no it isn't unhealthy. Our bodies can use keotenes for energy to the muscles and brain. We also convert some protien to gluclose, so it is still present in our bodies, even on limited carbs.

When you feel you are ready to move on from induction, just be sure to add carbs back in slowly and in the recomended order. Read http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/12/15-381023.html which goes over, are you ready to move beyond induction.

Psyllium husks, and other fibers can help with both constapation and watery stools. She might also want to try cutting out all dairy for a day or two incase she has developed a lactose intolerence.

I have been on induction for a year and a half. Like you I didn't want to stall my loss.

I can't live with 20g a day. 80-100g is still low and about half of "normal" intake. I lose weight probably slower, but the important thing is that.... I lose weight.

All people have different ranges of daily carb intake. I bumped my cards up to 25-30, and started to gain.

As long as you are getting all of your vitanutrients by eating nutrient-dense carbs like salad greens and the like, you are getting enough carbs. This can easily be done on 20 carbs a day.

I am on Induction now but I do plan to keep my carbs low for the remainder of my weight loss even if I do not stay in strict Induction.

I stayed under 20 net carbs a day (more like 15 most days) for 5 months. Almost all my carbs come from vegetables and dairy. I never felt the way I was eating was unhealthy. In fact at 20 net carbs I was eating way more vegetables every day than before starting LC.

To someone who doesn't know that much about low carb, 20 grams of carb a day seems shockingly low. But take away sugar, flour and heavy starches, and it's really not that extreme. You can eat a ton of high-fiber vegetables and still be under 20 carbs.

From all that I've read, daily carb 'desire' is entirely subjective.
The daily *requirement* for humans, for carbohydrate, is zero.

I'm with Iwilldoit! Dr. A said that people have been on zero carb diets with no adverse effects. I rarely get anywhere near 20 and no problems so far


L