I'm starting induction today before I get and read Dr. Atkins Book. In 1966 I went on his diet and was successful and kept off the weight until I got pregnant. Now, 25 years later, after losing 35 pounds on Weight Watchers and gaining it back within six months I want to be successful here. I've been on a so called low carb diet (141gms per day) for four weeks, been swimming laps 5 days a week and have lost 2 pounds. Somehow I think I really need to lower my carbs. Can I have a glass of wine on induction? Is the Atkins Advantage bar (2 gms) carbs okay on induction? Any starting advice? Does anyone use the keto strips?
Thanks for any encouragement-I could sure use it. Any success stories out there? I'm just dying to hear from all of you.

Hi Napa! I am starting tomorrow. I am glad someone is just starting with me.

Good Luck! Let's do this!

No alcohol on Induction. I read that. I heard for some the Advantage bar makes them stall but not all people.
I did not get the keto strips, sorry.

I don't have advice because I'm just starting but keep this board up so we can encourage each other. Everyone here is very positive and encouraging.

These are the Dos and Donts from Atkins:
There are a number of dos and don'ts you must adhere to for successful weight loss.

You must:
Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of pure water daily. This can be filtered, mineral or spring water (not seltzer).

You may also have unlimited amounts of herbal tea (without sugar), but these do not count toward your total of eight glasses.

Drink only decaffeinated coffee and tea and use only acceptable sweeteners (see below).

Treat aspartame (NutraSweet® or Equal®) with caution. Avoid whenever possible. This includes products sweetened with these ingredients, such as diet sodas and diet Jell-O. Instead use sucralose, (Splenda®) or saccharin (Sweet'n Low™).

Check labels on other products that purport to be low- or controlled carb.

When eating out, be careful you're not consuming "hidden" carbohydrates in sauces or breaded products. Tell your waiter that you would like your food prepared free of sugar, flour and cornstarch.

At a minimum, take a good daily multivitamin with minerals, including potassium, magnesium and calcium, but without iron.

Unless you are physically unable to do so, exercise every day, even if it's just a walk around the block. This is an important part of the program in all phases and will certainly increase the rate at which you lose weight. That's because exercise not only causes you to burn calories, it also accelerates your metabolism.

You can:
Have a snack of a permissible food an hour or two after a meal if you wish.

You must not:
Overeat. You may have heard that you can eat as much as you desire of the acceptable foods. No so. Stuff yourself with steaks and cheeseburgers, and some of that protein will convert to glucose in your body. Instead, simply eat the amount that allows you to feel satisfied.

Drink alcohol in any form.

Use more than three packets of sucralose (Splenda) daily. (More and more products are being made with Splenda so if you use any, don't forget to include those grams in your tally.)

Cheat. It takes two to three days for the body to switch from burning carbohydrates (in the form of glucose) to fat burning. One cheat and you're back to a glucose-burning metabolism, and you can lose the effects of two or three days of fat burning.

You must not eat any of the following:
Sugar (in any form, including corn syrup, honey and maple syrup)
Milk or yogurt (cream is allowed in limited amounts)
Fruit and fruit juice
Flour products (breads, pasta, crackers, etc.)
Grains or cereals
Beans and legumes
Starchy or high-sugar vegetables (potatoes, yams, corn, peas, parsnips, beets, carrots)
Sweet condiments (such as most ketchups, barbeque sauce and balsamic vinegar)
French dressing, Thousand Island dressing (check labels for carb count)
Cottage cheese, farmer's cheese and other fresh cheeses
Nuts and seeds



red

i know its going to sound dorky and lame but first thing you need to do is get into the atkins mind set. aka read the book. second you should read as many posts on this site as time allows you to.

Its been such a motivator to know each and EVERY person here is going through/has been through/or shortly will go through what you've experienced.

Read the book not just for exact measurements or whatever, but to really believe in the mind set, and understand the premise of the diet. Makeing this your WAY OF LIFE and not just a diet your on will ensure your success.

When i started low carbing in August, I had been through the gamit, i had done pills, potions, weight watchers, fit america you NAME it! I started low carbing and i IMMEDIATELY lost weight. Then i thought i was slick. I never actually planned on being a low carber, i just wanted to lose the weight and then hit the cereal and snickers bars with a venegence. So i started binging once a week, twice a week, two weeks straight, knowing that as soon as i stopped and ate nothing but bacon, those ketone strips would turn purple and i'd be all clear again.

But the trick, to really being successful on this diet, is to change your ways. Not to run to the ice cream isle everytime you feel crappy for some reason. (what i am sooooo guilty of its not even funny)

I realized after the millionth bing that sugar and forbiddens wasnt the key to my happiness. Control over myself was. Understanding myself, and why i do things, and how to work on it outside of a McDonald's parking lot. (seriously, that dollar menu has been the down fall of me.... )

I really dont know why i chose your simple question to unload but i'm really tired of myself and sugar addiction. I'm at the start of my journey too, again....so i just dont want anyone to go through the "face in the mud" that i have. Good luck. jm

Hi napalil!

So here are a few things I've found.......

I really do eat as much as I want but I find that it is not anywhere near as much as I used to eat. When I am not eating sugars, I am much more satisfied so I eat less. It is weird to me because I am such a psychological eater and I thought that the overeating would still be a problem for me but it's not. The only time I have trouble is when I make one of the desserts with splenda or another sweetener and then i tend to overeat. I think the sweet taste brings back the emotional attachment to carbs that I have even though they are low in carbs so I have to be careful.

Also, I have started Atkins a couple of times(now it is a way of life and I hope to not 'start' the program again. I am here for good!) Each time I find that I get tired on the second day and am completely exhausted by the third day and it is discouraging because I don't even want to get out of bed and then I think, how can I eat like this. Then the 4th day is better and by day 5 or 6 I feel fantastic. After that I have TONS more energy than I ever used to have. It is really amazing because I used to drag ALL DAY and now I think I feel so much better because I don't have big bloodsugar ups and downs like I used to. Some people experience the fatigue and some don't...just be prepared if it happens.

That's it from me. Good luck and stick with it! If you give it a few weeks I can almost guarantee you will lose weight and start feeling better.