This may be a really stupid question, and I apologize if it's been asked before. Why is it on so many labels of low carb products state they are not suitable for the induction phase. As long as we stay under 20 grams of carbs during the induction stage does it matter?

Thanks.

I think it is because it is FAR better to eat real food from the Induction List for Induction.

The supposedly LC foods that substitute for the carby stuff we used to eat still have carbs. I think that the longer a person can stick to the foods on the Induction list, the better they will do. Get out of the habit of eating the carby stuff or a substitute and you will be more strongly changing your way of eating. REAL food is nearly always a better choice than any processed foods.

And the vegetables and other foods have valuable phytonutrients as well as vitamins and minerals.

Because it is teaching us a brand new way of life away from a lot of processed foods. We are learning to eat natural, high nutrient vegetables, and real meals with meat, etc. Our bodies have been so abused by low fat, low calorie everything, that they literally need to be comforted with real food for awhile. And it is amazing how quickly you will come to love these real veggies and natural products.

And not only is eating natural foods the "right" thing to do, the thing that motivates a lot of us to eat the natural foods is, we've tried the products and have run into major problems-- induction or not. Many of the LC products out there tend to stall weight loss and/or bring back cravings. Many people would agree that these types of things are more suitable for maintenance in moderation than for the weight loss stages.

The are just soooo handy!!! I agree that they may stall weight-loss or slow it down. I am going to try to limit myself to one a day! I do home daycare so I rarely have time to sit and eat something "healthy" the bars and shakes are right there. I am going to pre-make a bunch of stuff while the kids are napping today!

But you know you can do a lot of prep in the evenings or weekends as well. I typically broil a pile of chicken or a roast on a sunday, then slice, dice and put into baggies in the freezer. Same with eggs, veggies, celery, cucumber, romaine, cauliflower, if you chop up a pile and keep it in the fridge, it is always handy when the hunger hits, adn easy to turn into a meal.

Personally, that was part of my problem on low fat, low calorie diets, the convenience of the foods, powders, drinks etc, and I didn't know what "real" food truly tasted like until this program...once your body is accustomed again to good stuff, you wont' even want the shakes, etc..and this can be convenient too, it just takes some initial planning, then it will be automatic

ps...you sound busy - I give you a lot of kudos, a dayhome is hard work!

But if you get into the habit you can make "healthy" foods accessible at the drop of a hat as well.

For instance: string cheese and pepperoni. It takes just as long to unwrap a string cheese than a bar! Do 3 and a half minutes of veggie chopping the day before and have a little sliced green pepper with it (which when all 3 are eaten together it tastes remarkably like pizza!).

If you can tolerate them and are past induction, sunflower seeds. They don't need to be refrigerated and I find when I eat just 1/4 cup serving as a snack (already shelled, which still does not seem like much but it's filling) they REALLY fill me up. A quarter cup is 3 effective carbs, 208 cals, 19g fat and 7 g protein. Pair that up with a string cheese too and you really have a very substantial mini-meal.

And lastly, my favorite and most convenient full meal (my at work lunch every day but you do need a fridge and microwave handy). Pre- washed bagged lettuce or spinach, grape or cherry tomatoes (no slicing required), cucumbers that I sliced ahead of time, a cooked chicken breast that I sliced a head of time, salad dressing and shredded cheese. Pop the chicken in the microwave for 1 minute and throw the rest of the ingredients together while it's heating up. This seriously takes me 2 and a half minutes and I have a healthy, hot meal-- love it! Instead of chicken you can do cold deli meat on the salad too.

I'm not an egg eater but a lot of us keep hard-boiled or deviled eggs in the fridge for snacks. There are just so many possibilities especially if you do have access to a fridge most of the time.

Not to mention, real food is MUCH CHEAPER!!!

I do the baggie thing too. I think it's more psychological than anything but I find when I put my food in single serve individual baggies, it just seems so much more convenient and easy. No measuring or thinking required. One serving is already divided up, all you have to do is take it out of the baggie and enjoy.

Sunspine17, your salad sounds so good, I think I am going to try that for lunch!