Being 16, and away from home, I am unable to get access to fresh meat I would be able to cook at home. I have a microwave, and small fridge, I went to walmart and bought some All Beef hotdogs with less with 1 carb, some chicken patties(11 carbs, not sure if I am allowed to eat those) some cheese sticks(less then 1 carb) and cheese Cubs(less then 1 carb) I also plan on eating hamburger meat patties from fast food places. in the past 2 weeks I have been drinking only diet pepsi, instead of normal pepsi, and I have lost 4 pounds. I feel I could loose more if i could give up sweet tea(ouch! its hard todo!).

Since I am not sure what my school serves every lunch and dinner(breakfast is always eggs, and bacon). I plan to eat 2 hotdogs(w/o bun) and a salad from the salad bar at school, for dinner I will either do the same, or go out and get a hamburger fomr some local place and throw away the bun. Do you guys think this will work?

Thanks

You can make it work! Good for you that you have made a decision to better your health while you are so young, I think that's great! You may want to rethink the hot dogs though. They are loaded with salt and preservatives, they can make you retain water. Eaten occasionally, they are ok, but I wouldn't live off them. I wouldn't touch those chicken patties with a 10 foot pole if I were you!

I would suggest you go out and get yourself a small george foreman grill if you can (it's electric if you don't know). They are great and clean up easy too! I use one at work to make hamburgers and stuff for breakfast and lunch. You can cook veggies (like summer squash and zucchini) on it too, they come out great! Don't forget how important vegetables are on this program, you need to eat them! Frozen fish (like salmon) is doable on a grill like that too. I would also suggest celery sticks and cucumber slices for snack to keep around. Watch how much cheese you eat, it is limited.

You can eat hamburgers at fast food joints if you get them plain. You need to get in the habit of drinking water instead of diet soda though. You need to treat diet soda as exactly that-a treat. Aspartame is a no no on Atkins. Look for things sweetened with Splenda and always read the label before you eat anything. If you're not sure-don't eat it! And with regard to the salad dressings at school, go for the blue cheese or ranch, if there is a label, read it first. If you can, bring your own low carb dressing. Sorry my post is so long, but I thought you might need all this advice and I want to see people succeed! Good luck to you!

Rsxscott

Congrats on taking the first step to a healthier you! It must be awfully hard to be away at school at only 16. You can eat what the school serves you just try not to eat bread and starches, that would be a beginning.

I agree with DarkLotus on the soda. You need to give that up and stick to just plain water, I know it's hard but you can do it.
Also starting a journal and recording everything you eat will help us to help you.

When my 19 year old was away from home her first semester of college she gained 12 pounds in 5 months. This is a girl who never had a weight problem in her life.

She kept telling me, mom I don't know how I gained so much weight, I didn't eat very much...well she ate late a night when she got off work at places like Der Wienrschnitzel, Wendys, and McDonalds. Once in a while she would grab a salad in the cafeteria at school then load it with tons of croutons followed by 2 slices of pizza and coke.

Well I have to say she is now going to college at home, she has lost those 12lbs. and then some and she eats a totally different way. She now realizes what it is she has to do to stay healthy.
She very rarely ever drinks anything but water and is sleeping like a rock.

You can do this! If you haven't already, read the book. It is very important to read it carefully, it is not just about eating meats, it's about eating good food. Like DarkLotus said always check the labels carefully.

HN

the only problem I have faced thus far is the amount of food. being 6'3 and a "growing" boy as my mom says, I eat alot of food. Yesterday went alright. I had some scrambled eggs, 4 peices of bacon, a Salad with oil and vinager(wasnt sure if this was ok), 4 string cheese sticks, 2 hamburger patties with cheese, and I drank 4 pepsi and 5 glasses of water.

I felt very weak after basketball practice, but overall I didnt feel very weak during the day, like I have been told would happen.I am afraid it isnt working, but who knows.

on the note of gaining weight when off to school, I have actually lost weight since I have been here. Before I went to away to boarding school, I didnt eat 3 times a day, maybe 1 or 1 and 1/2. those meals were also fast food, and lot of it.I only drank coke, and now I drink diet coke or sweet tea(but I stopped yesterday), I also never eat any candy.

Its hard being a teenager and being on this diet. Like going to the movies and not being able to eat pop corn, but I will live.


thanks for the help.