ok, so i've pretty much 100% decided that i will be starting atkins on 1/1/04. but, as i read, i'm finding myself craving atkins approved food like never before! there are so many recipes i want to try, and i want bacon and eggs for breakfast, etc. etc. etc.!!! however, i know that when i am home with my family for a week at christmas, and through the office and church holiday parties, i am not ready to be starting induction right now. i'd like to go ahead and start cooking and trying to eat like i'm on induction NOW, but i am afraid that if i do, and i go off the WOE for the parties and the week at home, that i will really screw up my induction in january - that i wont lose as much or something.

am i nuts to worry about this, or should i continue to eat as i am now and just go full bore in january? help!!

Hi Curly,

When I started, I spent a week or so "kind of" doing it before my "official" start.

I think as long as you are cutting down on starches and sugars over all, it can only help you. As long as you don't fall into the trap of having lots of high fat foods as well as starches and sugars, you should be fine.

The only difference it should make to your start in January, is that you may not have such a large initial drop in weight. But hey, as long as the weight goes, surely it doesn't matter when it starts, right?

You may just surprise yourself by not wanting as much sugary food as you think at all those parties - something to think about.

All the best!

Rosebud

Well, I'm new to the diet myself, so I'm sure others will have other opinions... But Either do it, or don't do it. There is no middle ground.

If you try and ease into it, you will be eating a high fat and high carb diet. There is some argument about wether low carb is better, or low fat, but everyone agrees high fat/high carb is BAD.

Plus, you are gonna eat enough of these foods for the rest of your life (assuming you accept this as a WOL, and not a diet), so save them for while you are on the program.

--nw

I'm worried too about the higher-fat of Atkins with the high carbs. You may find yourself gaining a pretty hefty amout of weight before you start....

There certainly is no harm in picking a day, and taking the time to prepare yourself and your environment. (Getting rid of forbidden foods, etc.)

My best advice is either do it, or wait. While waiting, giving up as much sugar and starch as you can would likely help, but I'd forgo the fattier things until you're ready to drop the carbs.

Actually, I went half-way while I was deciding which plan to do. I started out by having low-carb breakfasts and replacing starchy foods with vegetables. Sandwiches became salads. Pasta dishes contained diminishing amounts of actual pasta, and more veggies. I'd have a piece of cheese or hard boiled egg for a snack instead of junk food. It made things *much* more bearable once I jumped into the deep end.

I'm a big advocate of the low carb breakfast thing as a way to ease in. It doesn't matter if you have carbs later in the day, you'll be starting your day with stable blood sugar and probably less of an appetite throughout the day.

I agree that it's a bad idea to go high-fat/high-carb, but I don't see the harm in starting to pack in the vegetables and backing off on refined junk wherever you can during the holidays.

thanks so much for all the replies. honestly, my diet is pretty high fat high carb right now. atrocious, really. WAY too much fast food, etc. i'm ashamed to admit it, but it's awful.

i went shopping tonight. i bought salad stuff, eggs, cheese, etc. i already have about 7lbs of frozen chicken breast in the freezer (very easy to quick thaw and eat). i need to do some more research so that i can know what is on the acceptable list that i want to eat.

basically, i'm thinking that doing my best to "do atkins" HAS to be better for me than what i'm doing now, which is eating out all the time.

thank you all so much for the support. i really do not know WHAT i would be doing without this place.

oh, i also made my fitday journal (i've had one for years) public, so feel free to check it out.

http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/Public...ner=curlyroller

I'm in the "go for it" boat. There is a steep learning curve starting this WOE. It takes some time knowing what you like to eat, finding and making new recipes, learning mistakes the hard way, etc. I did close to a week of "kind of" before I officially started and I think it helped me mentally. I got into ketosis fast when I started officially and still dropped a good deal of weight during induction (I hit 19 lbs after the first month and most of that was in the first 2 weeks--14lbs I think). My cravings weren't too bad and I didn't feel like I was "going to die" the first few days like a lot of people report. I would say though if you are going to do half way -- do it instead 3/4 of the way at least. I agree you don't want to get into the high fat/high carb boat too often. Try to make most of your meals LC but for holidays, etc. indulge for a meal but not TOO much. Go with the moderation thing.

When it comes to changing your WOE I always felt, for me, I had a window of opportunity that only opened once in a blue moon. That's the time when I felt psyched up to change my ways -- if I started then, I stuck with it. If I let it go it was IMPOSSIBLE to force myself to change. It sounds like you are pumped right now, why not try to ride that wave? Will the wave still be there on 1/1?

Also my DH s not following this WOE (still has chips, sugared pop, beer, white bread, etc.) but he's eating all LC for dinner and sometimes other meals of the day too. He still has something really carby AT LEAST once per day -- often more. Since I've started in June he's lost 20 lbs without even trying. Sure, he's a man so the metabolism is on his side -- but I would think if you ate LC most of the time it wouldn't hurt you. You may even drop a few. Knowing you lost a few may also be enough motivation to let you feel ok having only a 1/2 slice of pumpkin pie on x-mas instead of 2 slices-- ya never know . . .

Oh also, I have a friend that did Atkins many years ago. Since around Easter she's been doing "her own plan" and it's working quite nicely (over 40 lbs so far lost). She eats LC most of the time but her goal is not to go so low in carbs that she hits ketosis, she wanted it to come off slowly. A few times a week she has a no-no food -- a slice of cake at a party, a couple of beers, a slice of bread, a small scoop of potato, real ice cream, etc. She's able to have these foods in moderation, never more than a normal portion. So I think if your definition of "kind of" is to eat LC most of the time and to indulge just here and there-- I don't think it would be bad at all.

thanks for posting sunspine! what you said makes alot of sense. especially the part about taking advantage of the window of opportunity!

i was thinking too while at the store that there are probably LOTS of LC things that i LIKE to eat. but it's going to take time to find out what they are, learn how to plan meals properly and avoid boredom, etc.

also, cutting back on the carbs now might make the induction easier from an "addiction" stand point.

just now, i was really craving some carbs. it's the wierdest feeling. but it reminded me of when i quit smoking. gotta do the weighing of options in my head "do i really NEED those crackers? no, i really don't. in fact, i don't NEED to eat anything else. how about a glass of water tho?"

thanks again!

I also agree that you should go for it - even if you only manage 1 week of pure induction before a few wayward thinsg slip in - otherwise you might let yourself go over Christmas and then be faced with more to lose.

Also it took a few weeks forme to actually get the WOL right so a whole 2 week pure induction I lost nothing basically sugar-free vitamins (have trouble with proper vitamins) stopped me losing anything... good in one way that I know I cannot abide hidden sugars but it was hard doing all that for nothing.... suince then I haven't yet completely a complete induction as I kept coming off the rails so now I stick to slightly higher crab levels (eating some LC crackers and brie) keeps me on the rails and the weight (well inches) are coming off

Anyway all in all its a good day the you are starting this WOL and it won't long before you are losing weight and inchs and feeling the real success of this WOL

Good luck!

thanks for the encouragement sarah. i'm on day 3 of induction and really feeling pretty good. i'm a bit lightheaded today, but i'm going out on my lunch break for some magnesium and potassium. i'm lacking in the mag at least.

thanks again for the encouragement. so far, i'm loving it!

I wanted to add that my husband, who has some health problems, has been doing the gradual changeover for two months now, and he's lost weight and increased his energy.
He's got real issues with 'comfort foods' so I think he has to figure out for himself that they aren't going away forever, just when he really wants them. And those times are getting less and less as he goes on.
So if easing into it works for you...yes, it may mean slower weight loss, but you should strike while the enthusiasm is hot!

I "sort of" did it for 2 weeks before Officially Starting. I did a controlled tapering of the worst carby offenders...not enough to give me the Three Days Of Induction Hell (I'd lowcarbed once before so I knew that I'm one of those people who go through hell on <30 carbs/day, but this is emphatically not true for everyone). Here is what I changed in my "prequel," in this order:

• Switched from regular to diet soda
• Stopped having any form of dessert
• Cut out potatoes and substituted vegetables
• Cut pasta servings in half
• Cut out ALL refined sugars

I wasn't weighing myself then, so I don't know if I lost any on the scale. I was too horrified at how fat I was, to dare a weigh-in. My clothes didn't seem to change, anyhow.

When I officially started, I did not experience the dramatic drop in scale weight that most people get on Atkins...although I did start losing steadily at the rate of about a pound and a half a week. (I'm a drinker, otherwise I'm sure I would have lost faster.)

Emily

I agree with Rosebud. I would go ahead and go thu the motions of induction. Who knows, maybe that will help keep any weight gain, down. If nothing else, you will be preparing yourself for the induction phase ( pre-induction ).