I must have been treating this like a meat/eggs/cheese diet too much. I figured that 20 carbs was so low you would get those even though you were trying not to get any carbs.

I have had some veggies but only ones like caulifower that is the only one I like on the Atkins list and may be tomatoes.

Can I add say a fresh piece of fruit like an orange or a pear without having a problem?

Meat eggs and cheese is so easy to follow what is the downside to this? What type of price do you pay if you only eat these food items? For how long can you do this before you pay a price?

Ooops, you made a little boo boo and gave away that you didn't read about this way of eating yet have you? You should. If you had, you'd know fruit is a no no until maintenance and even then stick to berrie or cantaloupe. Get the book, read it and then you'll know more than you thought you did before - I recommend the latest Atkins book, not the original but the choice is up to you. There's alot in the media out right now on this diet. Seems that people everywhere are catching on, but not informed fully I guess.

Eat your low carb green leafy veggies - at least!

Cons will be constipation (likely) unless you are supplementing or eating a good part of your 20c in veggies each day. Try spinach...

Also, water retention IF you are eating highly processed meats (bacon) or lots of cheese - and NOT drinking enough water....it's a possibility.

You may or may not have these problems, but you do need the vitamins and minerals that come with the fiber from the veggies.
Also, think about taking some essential fatty acids/"good" fats monounsaturated from plants that grow above ground/canola, olive, walnut oils are all rich in Omega 3s. Meats are high in Omega 6's and you need to balance your fats for good health.

There is alot to learn. More than just eat cheese/meat and fat.
Right now your diet is very ketogenic...that's fine for induction, it's what you want, but don't neglect your health. Veggie it up, and take some flaxseed or flax oil for those healthy omega 3's plus a good multi vitamin daily - and take 1,000mg calcium minimum daily - will help you lose weight study's show. Your body can only absorb 500mg at a time so take it 2x daily. Get some that has vitamin D in it/helps absorbtion/I recommend Citrical +D.

IMHO -- in my humble opinion.
EAT UP, PROTEIN + FAT + FIBER = A MEAL!

Can you honestly eat meat and cheese for the rest of your life and nothing else?

If you can my hats off to you.

This isn't about eating just meat and cheese. It is about re learning how and what to eat to maintain a healthy balance of not gaining and not losing weight.

By not eating veggies and fruits you are missing a ton of micronutrients that your body NEEDS for normal cell repair/build. These mircronutrients are not found in daily supplements either.

Cost of not eating correctly? Damage to internal organs, loss of lean muscle tissue, brittle nails and hair, bone loss perhaps and who knows what else.

Get the book and read it. There is a reason as to WHY this isn't about meat and cheese. Dr Atkin's HIGHLY recommends daily salads, veggies and fruit.

I'm gonna pat myself on the back. I've been doing really well. I've been doing this for 3 weeks and have lost 6lbs. But.... those "daily salads" are killing me. I'm sick of lettuce!!!

Try cucumbers in place of the lettuce.. cucumbers are on the salad list foods you can eat.. so is mushrooms, peppers, chives and celery and more.... Some times i eat a cup of cucumbers instead of the lettuce.. by the book it counts as a salad because its in the salad food list.... and very low incarbs.. and a good change sometimes. Or take and make a salad with different kinds of lettuce and put sautaeed mushrooms on top with soem tomatoes and a dash of parmasean cheese ... Another way you can get your lettuce in is by creating a taco salad... I take ground hamburger and season it with a little garlic powder and pepper and dash of salt dont want ot over salt. Blend with cup of lettuce tomatoes cheese sour cream and black olives sounds weird but is great.. and wala you have meat salad some vegies and fat....

Joan I was told that once off induction I can increase my carbs by 5 grams a week or every two weeks by adding more vegies in or mabe a few nuts or some berries but make sure you add the berries with some heavy cream... or somethign incase you are insulan sensitive.... I learned that today... I find thathte extra vegie is great...

I just finished writing a long peice and it was lost in cyberspace!

I have read the book and on books like this I tend to skim read them. I try to get the nuts and bolts so to speak. I am not that motivated or interested in what has happened to other people or patients because I have been on so many diets that have not worked for me that hearing about someone else success means little or nothing.

What I got out of my read of this book was meat/cheese/eggs and so that is essentially what I did. I also got the message to buy ketones test sticks which I did and use and to have a physical exam which I had just had including lab tests. I am about to take a 13 hour plane ride so I will re read this book and see what more I can glean. I only read through the chapter on Induction.

I have a difficult life style to do any kind of diet on but this Atkins diet has been by far the easiest. I eat 70% of my meals out and many are entertained. I can usually pick from the menu but many times what I get on my plate has been determined by someone else and I must decide what to eat and what to leave.

I am willing to do any thing or eat anything for the rest of my life as long as I lose the 50 pounds I want to lose (I will settle for 30 pounds if I have to). Food means nothing to me I do not eat snacks never have, do not eat fast food or soda pop or caffein and esentially have not for the past 20 years. I put very little importance on food other than a fuel to power the body to be able to do the things you need and want to do.

I have been to nutritionists and all they say is "I wish all patients ate like you do" well that is not much help when you need to lose 50 pounds and all you seem to do is gain weight.

Since Nov 2001 I have been exercising on a teadmill 40 mins per day 5 out of 7 days a week and eating 1 cup measured of cereal with non fat milk for breakfast. A salad for lunch with fruit and lettuce etc and a small plate for dinner. I have not lost or gained any weight on this "diet"

In spite of "bad" things I heard about the Atkins diet I decided to try it anyway. I must say I have for the first time felt better on it and I have actually lost weight!!! I may have been doing it wrong but at least it worked which is more than I can say for the past 15 years of trying. So I am only 10 days into this and a long way to go.

Any suggestions are welcome because I am determined this time is going to work because I am not prepared to have my stomach stapled or my jaws wired I do not believe that is necessary because I really don't eat that much and will power is not a problem for me. Thanks comments welcome

Joan, you really do sound committed -- good for you. I can only echo what the others say, and that's to read the book. I'm glad you have a long plane ride ahead You can skip the success stories, but I think it will make more sense to you if you really study the plan -- the food lists, the different phases of the diet. If you're going to make this something you'll stick to for life, that will help.

You might want to start a journal so you can keep track of your food intake. (I'd also echo what the others have said -- it's not just meat/eggs/cheese, and those vegetables matter!)

Good luck to you! I hope you'll let us know how things are going, ask questions. Many people have trouble sticking to Atkins, or any plan, while traveling and eating out, yet you say this has been easy for you, so we can learn from you, too

macadamia nuts and eggs are the best food !!!

You are willing to do ANYTHING? Absolutely ANYTHING? Are you willing to study?

FWIW, that's the punchline to one of my Cheesy Engineers' Jokes.

But, all kidding aside, I'm serious. The most important thing you need to do to ensure success is to learn what low carbing is all about. This is particularly important for you if you are frequently eating out having to make good choices from a limit number of selections.

You need to understand the principles behind why and how low-carb lifestyles work. What the whole story is behind insulin, why you want to control it and how diet allows you to control it. You need to learn what types of foods do what and why. You need to learn how to listen and learn from your own body about its particular responses to a variety of foods. Those are the "nuts and bolts" and you do not learn the nuts and bolts of anything by skimming. Skimming can give you the big picture and a slight feel for how big and how many bolts there are. But you don't know anything about those nuts and bolts until you study.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the input, support and information. Lost another 2.5 pounds so things continue to go well, in spite of myself.

But I intend to do it right and reform. Will re-read some chapters and get with the program. Upon my return from my trip which lasts until the end of April we will see what progress as been made .

One of the most troublesome aspects of being human is our insane need to overcomplicate everything.

When I started low carbing there was only one plan, and several more just birthing. There must be 20 low carb diets out there now, and each one cites tweaked differences that makes THEIR low carb diet the best.

The low carb PRINCIPLE is what you derived from your reading, and it is working for you, as you have embraced it into your lifestyle and found a fit. Follow your own instincts.

Unbeknownst to many, many people out there, this is NOT rocket science.

No pun intended,

I'm "behind" you all the way -

but are you regular if you don't mind me asking?

Are you taking a fiber supplement or find it not necessary -
if too personal please ignore, but I am curious, I mean
meat and eggs and cheese do not a fiber make.

N

I don't follow Atkins, never have, and possibly never will, but I have read his books. More than once. I have also read many other books about living low carb. I think the most informed people are the ones who truly make it a permanant lifestyle.

I agree with everyone else ..... read,read, read.

Libby

I did have some problems after a few days on the diet and just took some Colace 250 MG which is a stool softner not a habit forming laxative and it worked fine. I now take one every other day which is half the recommended dose. A few leaves of lettuce is not likely to make that much difference so it is a prophlatic way of taking care of things.

I have noticed some other changes also related to other parts of my body which I am a little surprised about but must say I might have been allergic to something basic may be flour. I always had a rash on my face which was red and got worse with stress I thought. The rash has gone and I find that I have a lot more even mindset during the day no ups and downs. I am sure similar to what people feel on Paxil ( I have never taken it myself).

I also had achilles tendonitis that seems to have also gone and I would not expect that with only a 10 pound weight lose.

I have also got rid of abdominal pain that was the result of GB surgery and that seems to have gone also. Interestingingly last night I was a guest at a dear friends home and a celebration dinner. I had to be careful to stay on the diet and not offend them so I had a mouthful of things I was not allowed to have and a lot of things I could eat. So a large piece of steak and a mouthful of fruit salad , no baked potato, no desert and spinach veggie which I had two helpings of! I got my stomach pain back last night. SO I think there is something going on that may be pancreatic in origin.

Oh well what the hect this diet is really working for me and I continue to lose weight and I feel good so until those parameters change I am a supporter of the Atkins diet.

With all the changes you have made taking it down to what you have, it would be nearly impossible to determine cause and effect unless you added back one item for a while and noted effects much like an elimination diet.

Using a laxative or stool softener is one way to make things move, however dependency on artificial means can make for a lazy or irregular functioning colon. Friends of mine (anorexic) have been known to lose complete bowel rhythm entirely - ending with colostomy, so terribly unfortunate, nothign passed without artificial means.

I hope you eventually add a few low carb veggies that will not harm your weightloss and may prevent dependencies from forming, leading to complications (possible). I know you want to lose weight fast, but believe me, from people who've done it in similar manners wind up thin and unhealthy -

...but whatever works for you. My diet is similar/but I throw in the occaisional veggie for health and regularity - even though I supplement with vitamins.

Your diet cannot be compared with anyone and neither can you -
you don't need anyone's criticism or permission in life to do what you want to do - I'm not trying to dole that out here - just looking out for your health because I do, like you want you to cross that finish line alive and kicking ...naturally.