Greetings all!

First time poster here. I have been on the Atkins diet for about a month now.(I lost 10lbs so far..RAWR!!!) For the past month I have been staying on the induction phase of the diet. Currently my carb intake is less than 20 g..usually on avg I get about 10-15 a day.

Recently, I have been drinking the atkins shakes. I drink about 2 cans a day on average usually for breakfast and lunch. Then, I usually have a very big meal for dinner. I was curious..if there is anything wrong with drinking these shakes during induction phase. Anything hidden in there that would stun my weight loss?? It meets my carb intake a day...any advice on this subj would be greatly appreciated!

Much <3,

Neal

Hi Neal!

Those shakes are great for an occasional snack or meal - but you should probably try to get some "real" food in for breakfast or lunch. Need your fiber after all! According to the Atkins site, they are good for all 4 phases of Atkins - but the general thought around here is that during induction it is best to stay away from those types of things.

Some say that those shakes and bars do have hidden carbs in them. Read the label on one of them, I'm sure you will see a note that says totals carbs X, but the net affective carbs is Y. This is because of the sugar alchols - the FDA says they are carbs, but Atkins says that they do not affect an insulin resonse so that they should not be counted. Some people find that the sugar alchols do count, some don't. Some people also think that their sweet tastes causes more sugar cravings. Your milage may vary!

Hi Neal!

It almost sounds like you're trying to do Slim Fast ala Atkins. While those shakes may be handy and tasty, they don't do much for teaching you how to eat in the long run unless you plan to continue to live on shakes for two meals a day.
I agree with Talon. Shakes are okay as an occasional snack or treat, but don't rely on them as meal replacements; you need real food with plenty of fiber and nutrients that you can't get in a can or pill.
BTW...congrats on losing that 10 pounds! You're well on your way to your goal. Keep it up!

This thread got me thinking about Atkins ready made Shakes. I looked on the label and they're sweetened with Splenda, no sugar alcohols. Do these stall people too? I feel like sugar alcohols do, but wondered about these. I don't drink them often, but like them once in a while as a replacement for breakfast for a change.

I took one of those Advantage shakes with me to have on the plane (14 hours traveling yesterday, argh!), but I had a bar once and it made me feel awful, and I was worried that the shake would do the same. Under the circumstances maybe I should have just drank it anyway, but I couldn't bring myself to. I had a small bag of macadamia nuts and the chicken out of the little chicken sandwich they gave us at lunch, and that seemed to get me through. Still, I woke up hungry this morning!

I tried to drink 1/2 of an Atkin Vanilla ready made shake today. I emphasize the word TRY. I was not impressed. I was still hungry afterwards and a bit nauseous. I later made a devilled egg(teensy mayo.drop of mustard) and ate that, and felt 100 times better(and quite less hungry). Just my opinion from todays experience. The bars I like, but only eat 1/2 at a time, usually 1/2 before a gym session and 1/2 afterwards(a few carbs help, or maybe its the protein/fat? I'm not sure) I only eat these 2 or 3 times a week though.

I use the shakes for breakfasts or snacks to help beat cravings. I use crushed ice and it really helps. I need to get more real breakfasts in but it is hard to cook in the morning! I find the the shakes really help me get back on track if I wander off! I don't like the ready mixed ones as much though.

I usually only drink the Atkin's ready made shakes when they are on sale. I like the chocolate and the vanilla but the strawberry has a very artificial taste to me. However, I have never been a big strawberry fan so others may like it.

I have never used a shake as a meal replacement. I don;t think they are filling enough. However, I do like them in the afternoon or on the weekend as a treat. I just bought some yesterday since Publix Supermarket has them on sale for $6.99 a 4 pack and a $2.00 off coupon! I am going back tomorrow to pick up a few more. I don't think I will see a deal like this for a while.

I have only been on Atkins for about 7 months. What I think is so cool is that I have seen a big increase of Atkins products at the local grocery stores.