Hello all........
First off, Let me say that I am totally new to Atkins, and for the most part new to any formal "diet" program. Sure in the past I have tried to eat "healthy" and not so much, but that has been the extent of it. More about me later....

Ok, my questions:
(Remember I am only two/three days into Induction and want to do it right...)

Can I use mustard and how about Mayo, even if they have a little sugar in them????

Salad Dressings: I really like creamy dressings, and the normally max I can put on the salad (like all of the two tablespoon serving). Any store bought brand ok??? Regular bands ok if they fall within the carb limit?

Is sugar free jello brand jello bad for me??? I wasn't sure, but then I read something on the Atkins website that said stay away from it because of the sweetner, aspartame/ Nutrasweet. I had to throw out my freshly made treat without even a taste of it. Question, is there any jello type product that is ok? Along the same lines, how about something to help my sweet tooth, which isn't really all that sweet. Remember I am in the Induction phase and really want this to work.

Ok, how about those "bars" ? I have read a little here on these boards about them and the "hidden " carbs. I also have read Dr. Atkins reply about his bars. So what's the deal, can I have one? maybe daily during Induction??? I know that the Atkins ones might not taste that great, but because of my desire to "do this right" I am willing to stick with the "name brand" Heck I am even on my way today, driving an hour, to pick up the Atkins supplements. I really don't want any "short cuts" to interfer with my test of Atkins/ Industion period.

Ok, how about sausage????? I know that alot of the specialty sausages/ factory made will have sugar in them, plus maybe even fillers. My home town butcher is known for his home made bulk sausage. I asked him, without getting too noisey, if it had any sugar in it. His reply was yes, but not too much, mainly just salt. So, looking at the carb counter lists, I think I came up with pork sausage being two carbs. Is that because of/ including/ the small amount of sugar??? Is it ok during induction???? I read somewhere Dr Atkins say that store bought mayo was ok even with a little sugar as long as you watch the carbs, Is this the same with store bought salad dressing, with a little sugar but ok carbs? If the I watch the carbs, count them towards my 20 carb limit, are these ok? So some serious questions on those items.


Alright, I hope that everyone out there can give me some great advice, and we can all move down this road together. I am aware of the concept of "hidden carbs" and know that this website has the hidden carb inspector function. I guess my main question is how strict is induction???? As long as you stay within your 20 carb daily limit, will a little sugar in the form of mayo, sausage, etc really harm my efforts. I am not saying to go hog wild with these, because I know we are trying to keep the insulan levels steady without spikes, but do I really have to start making my own mayo and grinding my own sausage???

Looking forward to any replies...

Somewhere in Kansas.......

Next Question: How about porkrinds during Induction?????



Thanks,
Somewhere in Kansas.

You've synopsized your post quite well here!

Firstly, welcome to the forum!! You'll be glad you found us!

Secondly, the objective of Atkins induction is to get your body into ketosis...and this is done by consuming no more than 20 carbs per day. There are some who may disagree with me, but a little sugar in your mayo or sausage will not hurt your efforts as long as you stay under 20 carbs per day AND you're eating the allotted vegetables....in other words, don't spend your carb count on a cookie or piece of bread.

When choosing mayonnaise or sausage, simply read the labels carefully and choose the one lowest in carbs. As for salad dressings, caesar, bleu cheese and some vinaigrettes are the lowest. You can also choose Ranch and lower the carb count by making it with whipping cream diluted with water rather than with milk.

I was not totally anal about every little carb during induction, but did the very best I could....short of grinding my own sausage. (Who's got time for that??) I did just fine.... lost about 10 lbs during induction. You'll do fine, too.

Aspartame is highly controversial as a sweetener and by some accounts should not even be allowed in our food supply....and that's why Atkins is opposed to it. If your SF jello is so important to you, OK....just don't over-do it.... no more than 1/2-1 serving per day. The other objective of induction is to break your reliance/addiction to sweet things.... even if they're artifically sweetened. And there's only one way to do that....and that's to stop eating them!!! If you're having a sweet FIT, just remember that SF Jello is a heckuva lot better than a bowl of ice cream. Just try to get through it if you can.... try drinking a big ol' glass of water or brush your teeth and see if that helps.

Pork rinds? Well.... again, they're okay in moderation.... just don't over-do it and try to limit your snacks to whole foods rather than processed ones. OK?

I hope I've helped. Good luck!!

Hi,

I'm a newbie myself, but I've been eating sugar-free for a while, so I had a couple ideas to share.

Do you have a local health food store? I visit Natures (in Vancouver, Wa) at least once a week - they have organic vegetables, eggs, meats and cheeses. I've found packages of bacon, sliced ham and turkey, that has very little salt and no sugar & no other additives.

My other thought was about your jello - I personally cannot stand the taste of nutrasweet, but splenda is pretty good. I've made the no-bake vancouver cheesecake (found under recipes on this site,) but w/o the crust (this way it's only 5 carbs a serving ) . . . and it has gelatin in it - but it is plain and w/o carbs. I just wondered if you couldn't use plain gelatin, add in some splenda and your favorite fresh fruit. Might end up being a few carbs. with the fresh fruit, but it would certainly be healthier for you.

Best wishes w/ your induction!