Hello fellow low- carbers,
I would like to hear about your experiences with Nuts, Seeds and Cheese. Did they stall you?


chunkybutt

You know, I find this point very interesting and I still don't know what to think. I like to keep pecans and macadamias around because they satisfy my snacking needs, especially when my eyes start to go in the direction of "forbidden" stuff. Where I see a problem where I am concerned is because a lot of times I don't measure them and end up overdoing them. Another possible reason for weight loss slow-down is that some nuts like almonds and walnuts are goitrogenic, meaning that they interfere with thyroid function.

As for cheese, I think it also depends on the person. The first time I tried Atkins, almost 8 years ago, my breakfast consisted of two big pieces of Cheddar or Mont. Jack because it was something I could take to work easily and which filled me up. I lost 10 lbs. during Induction which I found totally amazing because I was 42. But at that time I don't think I ate nuts at all.

Hmm, I also remember one time when I was 24 and thin enough, I was eating a lot of nuts and cheese (thinking they were calorically dense) whenever I didn't have time for a "real" meal (read: with plenty of carbs) and without meaning to, ended up losing quite a bit of weight, inadvertently I was doing a bit of Atkins quite by accident, so go figure!

I picture my mom and I see her. Sitting and eating nuts and cheese. For snacks, for meals. Frankly, I've rarely seen her eat much else. She is 5' tall and can't maintain 100 pounds...little tiny thing all her life. I've watched her eat for years, nuts and cheese, more nuts and cheese. Never large amounts, just many small handfuls throughout the day. She never "dieted", never needed to.
Now I know that she was low carbing without even knowing it. All her life. My mother always had glistening shining healthy hair and skin and nails, never a weight problem, rarely hungry and just found out that all that calcium from cheese helped her have perfect bone density at 75 years old now and all the monounsaturated fats from the nuts has kept her cholesterol level perfect all these years. She is not overweight, hungry and all that fat has kept her skin supple and soft.
Now I know what she did not know. Low carb eating is wonderful and helps make us beautiful! My mom does not know I low carb...and she still doesn't know that she has eaten low carb all her life. In the past 4 years I've lost 20 pounds. I used to sit and eat low fat, high carb and was miserable...watching year after year, my mother - eating her nuts and cheese - complaining about how they just don't make jeans small enough for her. Not anymore. Last time I was home we BOTH sat on the front porch and ENJOYED our nuts and cheese. And we both wear the same sized jeans now, love our beautiful skin, shining hair and feel healthy, sane and happy.
Eat what you like. Live happy.

(count your carbs of course with the nuts and cheese, however, a little will fill you right up - eat slowly, eat luxuriously and LIVE!)

not a bit, and I've spent months without nuts and a couple months without cheese to test it out. It didn't change my weight a bit.

Two explanations of why they might for you (or anyone else): food allergies and overindulgence. Both are foods that are easy to overeat, partly because they are both heavily salted.

According to Atkins:
No nuts/seeds in the first 2 weeks.
Limit cheese to 3-4 ounces while on induction.

Don't shoot the messager !

I love to read a post like yours! What a great testimony to see someone else who wasn't even trying (like that time when I was skinny...) and was doing the right thing!

I eat most of my nuts raw now, only the macadamias are roasted because I get those at Publix. As with everything, I think the key is in BALANCE, not overdoing it.

I'm way past induction, but even on induction I ate cheese and nuts. I believe Atkins says not to (not that he says this, this is just what I believe) eat these things on induction is 3 fold.

1. People on induction may or may not already be in ketosis.
If you are not in ketosis you will not have appetite suppression and stopping yourself at one serving of nuts or
the alotted amount of cheese might be very difficult.

2. Carbs. Because people on induction are trying very hard
to keep carbs to 20 counting these kind of carbs take
a "serving size skill" yet to be developed after a while on
Atkins. Many ask "what is a serving size" when new.
Only to find out later that they ate WAY more cheese or
nuts than allowed - overdid the carbs - not what you want
to risk during induction phase.

3. It's the salt stupid. (no offense). Cheese, most cheeses
are a high salt food/usually 1 oz brings with it at least
150 gms salt or more. Not alot in one serving, but 1 oz
of cheese is about the size of a large marble - and it adds
up fast. Nuts unless natural and unsalted are high in salt
to when one serving turns to many many more.
Why does salt matter? During induction, the body is
losing unecessary water - as the body releases stored
excess water due to carb overload prior to induction.
Eating excess salts can prevent this initial waterloss and
delay eventual fatloss - that normally follows the immediate
waterloss (as I understand it)...why people lose so much
weight initially is a combination of the two.

My solution. I ate a little cheese and nuts during induction. The cheese was low salt and I kept to my allowed oz. My nuts were naturally unsalted too and I kept to proper serving size and counted those carbs carefully.

Now - I eat peanutbutter (unsalted no hydrogenated oils, no added sugar) like a foodgroup of it's own. I never exceed 2 full tablespoons a day = 4 effective carbs (7-3fiber).
I do not eat cheese, maybe rarely a sprinke on something is all I need. More I find very uh, "binding"...

So that's what I think. Not saying I'm right, just my 2 cents.

Safest bet? Skip the nuts and cheese for 2 weeks of induction/it won't kill ya. Don't worry about it if a sprinkle of either shows up on your chicken at some restaurant. Just don't go buy a jar and eat half of it or down a chunk of cheese the size of Texas during induction.

Peace.

Nope, eat both all the time and haven't stalled yet

Raquel, Have you tried the 'bag' of macadamia nuts that Publix sells? IMHO I like them MUCH more than Mauna Loa. You will have to look for them. One of my Publix'es carries them and another does not. FYI, I think they are cheaper, too.

Personally, all nuts except macadamia stall me. Too much cheese in one day (especially at night) stalls me, and recently, I found out that processed meats stall me. But, of course, everyone is different.

Good luck!
Julie

Oh yeah, I discovered them too, and they were on sale for a while. I have to be careful though, it's been easier to overdo seeing so many in the bag... lol! But thanks for sharing, maybe someone else will benefit from that tip!