Hello all -

I've been a long time lurker here but have never posted. So, first, hello. I love the support I see here. So, I thought I'd get your advice.

First, the specifics.

I started Atkins on 3/22/04. I stepped on the scale at 198 and said, "Enough." As of today, I'm at 174. However, that being said, I lost most of that weight, about 15 pounds of it, in fact, in the first 3 weeks. Since that time, I seem to stall for 2 to 3 weeks, then drop a pound or 2. And so it goes. From what I've read, that seems to be normal? Or is it? From other places I've read, the average seems to be around 1 pound lost a week.

My main problem, I think, is that I hate cooked vegtables. As a result, I really struggle getting in my 20 carbs a day. Try as though I might, my tastes have not changed in that regard ( had read that they might with Atkins and they just haven't ) and I can't force myself to like that asperagus or cooked broccoli. Ugh. Anyway, I had planned on eating my way a slightly modified version of induction (more on that later) but now, I'm thinking I might change that up when I begin my exercise program soon. I now can with some of my weight gone.

For now, my average menu:

Breakfast:

2 over easy eggs, 2 strips of bacon OR American cheese omelet and 2 strips of bacon (More often it's the former)

Lunch:

Around a cup or cup and a half of salad that includes - Dark greens, green pepper, turkey or ham chunks, tomatoes, cucumbers, a bit of cheese, occasionally black olives, bacon bits. OR 11 oz steak with a house salad when co-workers go out to lunch. Dressing is always oil and vinegar or low carb ranch. If no low carb ranch I'll do the regular but always a very small portion. (More often it's the former lunch of the salad).

Dinner:

Meat (Steak, Chicken, etc., etc.) - Small dinner salad, usually one cup with much less salad vegtables in it. Think just a few tomotaes, green peppers, and bacon bits, if that. Low carb dressing because I always have that at home. OR A few pieces of ham and cheese. OR Tuna salad.

Now, for my 'modified' induction comment. On occassion, I will have low carb ice cream. Or low carb marinade on the steak, for example. However, those occasions are rare.

Basically, I'm really struggling getting those carbs in and I feel like my body is holding on to those pounds. This really concerns me when I start my exercise program.

Last weekend, for the first time since starting Atkins, I caved at Red Robin. I had fries and bread and beat myself up at about it. When I stepped on the scale the next day, to my suprise, I'd actually lost two pounds.

And, oh, yes. I drink nothing but water and the occasional coffee with splenda/low carb creamer. Which, I know, is also known to stall. That, too, is very occasional.

So, to my questions.

1. Could the low carb products, and perhaps the cheese, cause that much of a stall.

2. Am I being overly harsh and not objective enough when I've really done great in a short amount of time? I accept that possibilty.

3. Am I not getting enough carbs and especially when I start my exercise program?

4. And speaking of when I start an exercise program...in order to get more carbs in, I was considering perhaps every other day eating some low carb bread and/or wraps. Thoughts?

So...anyway...hello! And sorry for the long winded post. :P

yeah!! You are no longer a lurker!! I don't know what to tell you about the veggie thing, since I suffer from the same problem. I can do a salad and that's about it. My problem is eating enough of everything - I could go all day long without eating. I don't think I am getting enough calories & fat.

It sound like you're doing great! I started about the same time as you and I've only lost 11 pounds. I'd be THRILLED with the results you've had so far. And, yes, it is normal to stall for a few weeks, lose a couple of pounds, stall again, lose again. That's how it happens for lots of people. It's hard to stay the course when you don't see that scale moving but don't worry...it's working!

How about adding in some berries to get your carbs up? Or lowcarb yogurt? I have a lowcarb tortilla wrapped around turkey and cheese a couple of times a week. If you're eating two salads a day, you're probably doing okay on your veggies. More would be better...but you're doing okay. Have you tried the mock mashed potatoes? Seriously, you'd never know it was cauliflower. You may find that if you experiment with some of the recipes in the kitchen forums, you'll find some veggies that you can tolerate.

Exercising is always a good thing to add in. That may be just the thing to get things moving for you. You're doing fantastic. Keep it up!

Wow, you've done fantastic! One thing I notice about your sample menu is that there does not seem to be a whole lot of fat in there. I've seen a lot of people here advised to up the fat intake. Get a fitday account and keep tally for a few days - I think that something like 70% of your calories need to come from fat, and I'd bet you are nowhere near that.

Yes, check out the recipe board for some veggie ideas.

First, you are doing great! That loss is nothing to be ashamed of! Secondly, do you like spinach, uncooked as salad? I despise iceburg lettuce so I make spinach caesar salads and they rock, plus spinach has more nutrients and a few more carbs, especially baby spinach. Also, before Id add lc bread or tortillas, I would up my carbs with maybe some ricotta or cottage cheese and some berries. Alot of the lc products can and will stall you. Best of luck!

Thanks for the advice and encouragment.

Question. When you [all] say berries, do you mean: Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries? All of the above?

And, yes. I do like uncooked spinach. I try to eat it when I can in my salads.

For the most part, I like all uncooked vegtables. Cauliflower, Broccoli, carrots (though I've avoided them since Dr. Atkins book said to for some reason. Can't remember why I just remember making a mental note to avoid them when I read the book back in March. The sugar maybe?). It's when they are cook or even steamed I disklike them for the most part.

So far, I can eat green beans, though in the can and french cut (wouldn't you know it, Dr. Atkins recommends them fresh, heh), and sauerkraut (not many carbs there). And that's about it as far as cooked veggies go. Just never have been big on them. :\

I can eat salad all day long though. Well, I could. I am getting kind of tired of them now though.

Hi,
I have all the Dr.s books but have never heard of not eating raw veggies in fact he encourages eating veggies cooked or raw. Cauliflower and Broccolli are great raw and more filling that way to me. Carrots are another thing he discourages eating them in any form.
Pat S.

As for the veggie problem, I just do all the exciting things I used to do with potatoes with my veggies, like broccoli au grautin, cauliflower mashed patatoes, oven roasted turnips, grilled asparagus on the BBQ with hollandaise...

I don't know about you but I never liked a plain potato, just the stuff I put ON the potato, so try dressing up your other veggies, and I really think you'll get used to it. I was never a fan of plain ol' cooked veggies either, but now I'm a convert!!!

Good luck, and I'll bet you can make some really delicious things that will really surprise yourself.

I make a big salad some days to eat with a steak and I have no trouble getting quite a few carbs in it....for instance...

1 cup of lettuce....1 carb
4 oz. tomato........5 carb
4 oz. cucumbers...2 carb
2 oz. onion..........4 carb
4 oz. peppers.......6 carb


Theres 18 carbs before subtracting for fiber and its just one good sized salad...I use a food scale to be as accurate as possible.

Hi

Yep, straw/blue/raspberries are all great ways to just slightly increase your carbs, super-increase the nutrition, and to give you a little treat of summer! You can put them in a bit of cream for dessert, or freeze them (buy them frozen) and blend them with some cream for an ice-cream type dessert too.

Yum!
M