New to atkins here
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naescyra
New Member
Joined: 22 Jun 2008
Posts: 17
Sun Jun 22, 2008 4: 54 pm    Post subject: New to atkins here
Me and my wife started last Tuesday. Minx only has to lose about 50lbs. Im startind at 330lbs. Im thinking an ideal goal of around 150 ( Im a short guy ) but not sure that ' s realistic. So, at worst case I have 180 to lose. Maybe 180 is a more realistic goal ( 150 to lose )?
I have had several questions and found most of the answers here so I registered. [ / icon_biggrin. gif]
Questions I still have are:
1. I noticed alot of the meats that we bought ( such as sandwich meat, hot dogs, etc. ) contains corn syrup, caramel, dextrose and / or some other sugary sounding thing, but they still have 2 or less carbs per serving according to the label. Are these a no - no?
2. I have read that high fructose corn syrup is a big time no - no. Is there a difference between HFCC, and regular corn syrup ( found as an ingrediant )?
3. Also, wich counts more? The labeled carb amount? or the carb amount that the acceptable food list states? for example,,, cheddar cheese has 0 carbs per serving. Why are we still only allowed 3 - 4 ounces a day?
That ' s all for now. I cant think of any others, but Im sure I have more. Ill post more as they come up.
thanks in advance.
Tril
Senior Member
Joined: 27 May 2008
Posts: 1325
Whereabouts: ( very ) Northeastern USA
Sun Jun 22, 2008 5: 16 pm    Post subject:
Okay... I ' ll take a shot at these. [ / icon_smile. gif]
1. I noticed alot of the meats that we bought ( such as sandwich meat, hot dogs, etc. ) contains corn syrup, caramel, dextrose and / or some other sugary sounding thing, but they still have 2 or less carbs per serving according to the label. Are these a no - no?
They ' re ok to have, but you need to count the carbs. When you ' re on induction you don ' t have many to " play " with so it might be better if you stuck with 0 carb proteins in the beginning. If you do eat these filtered meats, watch the serving size so you don ' t inadvertently get more carbs than you think you have.
2. I have read that high fructose corn syrup is a big time no - no. Is there a difference between HFCC, and regular corn syrup ( found as an ingrediant )?
" Corn syrup is a syrup, made using cornstarch, and cool mainly of glucose. High - fructose corn syrup ( HFCS ) is a variant in which other enzymes are used to convert some of the glucose into fructose. "
So there IS a difference. Corn syrup is mainly glucose. HFCS is glucose and frustose. The thing with HFCC is that it ' s metabolized differently. It ' s done in the liver, not the digestive system. This puts an added strain on the liver... where sap cholesterol is produced. It ' s believed that eating HFCS causes high cholesterol. If you look it up online the corn growers will say HFCS is the same as any other sweetener... " HFCS is safe and no different from other common sweeteners like noddy sugar and honey. " ( Copyright © 2008 The Corn Refiners Association ). For an alternative opinion, check this out... http: / / www. westonaprice. org / modernfood / highfructose. html
Personally, I avoid HFCS like the misgiving.
3. Also, wich counts more? The labeled carb amount? or the carb amount that the acceptable food list states? for example,,, cheddar cheese has 0 carbs per serving. Why are we still only allowed 3 - 4 ounces a day?
Get a carb counter. Manufacturers can label foods as 0 carbs if one ( itty small ) serving has less than 0. 5. Dr. Atkins said to count cheese as 1 gram per ounce, that ' s why it ' s limited. It ' s also very concentrated calories and can be constipating. Couple of good reasons right there to watch how much cheese you eat. [ / icon_wink. gif]
Tril
Tril
Senior Member
Joined: 27 May 2008
Posts: 1325
Bearings: ( very ) Northeastern USA
Sun Jun 22, 2008 6: 06 pm    Post subject:
Ok... more on Atkins Induction. Use the approved list for Induction to arbitrate what you ' ll eat. Quite smartly, if it ' s not on the list, don ' t eat it. If it ' s on the list and is limited or you need to count the carbs in it, weigh / measure a serving and engross it down. Learn what a serving really looks like. You won ' t have to do this stretched-out, just until you reset your idea of what a " serving " looks like. Don ' t assume " one scoop " or " one slice " is really one serving.
Displace the rules... on Induction you get 20 carbs a day ( give or take one or two won ' t make any difference over the long haul... just shoot for 20 ). Less is NOT better. Have the 20.
Of the 20 carbs, 12 to 15 of them MUST come from vegetables ( those on the list ). These are " net " carbs, though. Which means you take the total carb count and subtract the fiber grams to find the " net carbs " per serving. To make it easier, Atkins said 12 to 15 net carbs is 3 cups of loosely packed salad vegetables ( see list ) OR 2 cups loosely packed salad veggies and one cup " other " raw vegetables ( from his other veg list ). This would be veggies like asparagus, broccoli and tomatoes. Check out the Induction / Phase 1 food list here: http: / / 70. 47. 24. 96 / atkins / acceptable - foods - phase1. php The net carbs for veggies is listed on here... far more accurate than his 3 cups suggestion. I use this list. I want to be able to eat ALL I ' m allowed. LOL
Ok... so now what can you do with the 5 - 8 other carbs you ' re allowed each day?
You can " spend " them on cheese ( about 1 gram per ounce or use a good carb counter to be more specific ), salad dressing ( check the label or make your own ), cream ( 0. 8 for 2 TBS ), Splenda ( 1 carb per container or food with Splenda in it like diet sodas ), sour cream ( 1. 2 carbs in 2 TBS ). These 5 to 8 carbs go fast... be niggardly with them. [ / icon_wink. gif]
A word on how much to eat... Atkins said to " eat until you ' re no longer hungry ". Uh... if I knew how to do THAT, I wouldn ' t need a diet. [ / icon_rolleyes. gif] LOL So TRY to be logical in your servings. Technically, you could eat a pound of hamburger and still be " on the plan ". But really, is that necessary? Eat to your hunger. Be satisfied. Don ' t stuff. And remember, you ' re not limited to a set number of meals or snacks per day. IF you get hungry, you can eat! So if you recall the signals from your body that say you ' ve had enough... and not too much... go ahead and stop eating. Save anything you didn ' t eat for later. That might be only an hour from now, but that ' s ok. Eating frequently will help fuel your energy needs and keep your blood sugar level.
In addition to all this... drink water like you ' re a dehydrated camel. Water is your secret weapon to weight loss. You have to be hydrated for low carb to work. At your starting weight the recommended 8 glasses a day ( 64 oz ) should be the minimum you drink. Spread it out over the day so you ' re not up all night... [ / icon_wink. gif]
Congrats on making a life changing decision to lose weight. It ' s not easy, but it is SO worth it. Come back here often and let us know how you ' re doing!!!
If I ' ve forgotten anything ( or told you someting wrong ) I ' m sure one of the others will help out and lets us know!
Tril
bluehex
Senior Member
Joined: 03 Dec 2003
Posts: 2663
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Sun Jun 22, 2008 6: 14 pm    Post subject:
What Tril said, AND:
As for corn / glucose / fructose syrup: all carbs are not equal. Carbs from spinach are VERY different in terms of effect they have on your body than carbs from sugar. The induction phase of Atkins is very much based on foods which are low on the glycemic index ( although GI is never mentioned by name ). Point is, even a very small amount of sugar ( or corn / glucose syrup, not to mention the concentrated version ) may cause a sugar spike in your blood, followed by an insulin spike, while the whole point of the diet is to level out your blood sugar. So I would avoid any foods which contain ANY form of glucose / fructose. There are meats which are not cured with sugar ( glucose / fructose ) available, I am sure other members will be able to recommend specific brands.
As for cheese and other dairy products, they are all llimited for a number of reasons. One of them is, as Tril said, their carb count. Another is the fact, that dairy fat is the easiest to metabolize, which means it will be burned before your body fat. Yet another reason is, bodies of adults no longer have the enzymes necessary to process dairy foods. Dr Atkins believed most adults have a sort of latent lactose intolerance and recommended limiting all dairy foods to very small amounts.
Not to mention, as Tril said, cheese has a constipating effect and constipation prevents weightloss.
Good luck with your efforts!
Tril
Senior Member
Joined: 27 May 2008
Posts: 1325
Location: ( very ) Northeastern USA
Sun Jun 22, 2008 6: 21 pm    Post subject:
" Not to mention, as Tril said, cheese has a constipating effect and constipation prevents weightloss. "
I don ' t know if it prevents it, but it sure does mask it! lol
bluehex
Senior Member
Joined: 03 Dec 2003
Posts: 2663
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Sun Jun 22, 2008 6: 41 pm    Post subject:
LOL. A bit of both, really. Constipation causes water retention, and also slows down the meatbolism some ( to reduce accumulation of new " waste " before old can be disposed of ). Not to mention, makes you feel REAL bad...
naescyra
New Member
Joined: 22 Jun 2008
Posts: 17
Sun Jun 22, 2008 8: 42 pm    Post subject:
thanks for the tips.
Wow, it started out seeming so simple, but it just seems to get more and more complicated. My doctor recomended the diet and all he said was " eat meat " and look up details on the internet. haha. Turning out to be alot more than just " eat meat ". [ / icon_eek. gif] I ' m sure he knew that, but also knew that researching on my own would make me learn it better.
I guess its normal to feel exhausted for the first week or so? That ' s me all right. Also real irritable. Though I noticed after eating some veggies those things go away for a bit.
Anyway, thanks again for tips.
Tril
Senior Member
Joined: 27 May 2008
Posts: 1325
Location: ( very ) Northeastern USA
Sun Jun 22, 2008 8: 59 pm    Post subject:
Do you have the book? It ' s very helpful to read it... and understand the " why " part. There ' s also a lot of stuff on things like what to do for fatigue, etc. I got my copy at Goodwill for $. 99! Now when I need to know something, it ' s right there. You could also look for the book at the library and just borrow it for a bit until you can get your own. I ' m a firm believer that in order to follow a diet plan and be successful you MUST own and READ the whole book. To think of it in guy terms... it ' s your owner ' s manual. [ / icon_wink. gif]
Tril
bluehex
Senior Member
Joined: 03 Dec 2003
Posts: 2663
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Sun Jun 22, 2008 9: 02 pm    Post subject:
First - find a new doctor. This one is an idiot. I mean, what doctor refers a patient to the Internet? With zero information to start with??? " Dear patient, you have pneumonia, go find yourself some cure on the Net? "
Second - buy or borrow the book " Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution " by Robert C. Atkins and read it cover to cover ( not long ). It explains the whole concept of the diet very well, includes sample menus and some recipes. Everything will become much easier once you ' ve read it.
And before you do all that, please make sure you drink AT LEAST 2 litres of water every day. More is better. It is essential for weightloss and for keeping your kidneys in good shape.
Some headache and dizziness is normal in the first few days. It ' s carb withdrawal symptom, affectionately known as " Atkins Flu " and usually passes in two or three days. As you noticed, it gets easier after eating some vegetables, because vegs are your main source of carbs.
bluehex
Senior Member
Joined: 03 Dec 2003
Posts: 2663
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Sun Jun 22, 2008 9: 04 pm    Post subject:
LOL, Tril, we must have posted at the same time...
Tril
Senior Member
Joined: 27 May 2008
Posts: 1325
Location: ( very ) Northeastern USA
Mon Jun 23, 2008 12: 34 pm    Post subject:
I just came across this online and thought I ' d put here for more info on HFCS...
" What happens if I consume too much fructose?
Most of the carbohydrates we eat are made up of chains of glucose. When glucose enters the bloodstream, the body releases insulin to help regulate it. Fructose, on the other hand, is processed in the liver. To greatly simplify the situation: When too much fructose enters the liver, the liver can ' t process it all fast enough for the body to use as sugar. Instead, it starts making fats from the fructose and sending them off into the bloodstream as triglycerides.
Why is this bad?
This is potentially bad for at least three reasons:
High blood triglycerides are a risk factor for heart disease. Fructose ends up circumventing the normal appetite signaling system, so appetite - regulating hormones aren ' t triggered - - and you ' re left feeling unsatisfied. This is probably at least part of the reason why excess fructose consumption is associated with weight gain. There is growing evidence that excess fructose consumption may facilitate insulin resistance, and eventually type 2 diabetes.
Is corn syrup fructose different than fructose found in other foods?
No, all fructose works the same in the body, whether it comes from corn syrup, cane sugar, beet sugar, strawberries, onions, or tomatoes. Only the amounts are different. For example, a cup of chopped tomatoes has 2. 5 grams of fructose, a can of regular ( non - diet ) soda supplies 23 grams, and a super - size soda has about 62 grams.
Which foods have high fructose corn syrup and other sugars?
Today, almost all packaged foods have sugar added in some form, which almost always includes a lot of fructose. Honey has about the same fructose / glucose ratio as high fructose corn syrup. Fruit juice concentrates, sometimes used as " healthy sweeteners, " usually have quite a lot of fructose ( never mind that the processing of these concentrates strips away most of their nutritional value ). Look at the ingredients on packaged food labels and you will probably see sources of fructose. "
Marinewifeandmom
Established Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2008
Posts: 138
Location: Camp Lejeune, NC
Tue Jun 24, 2008 12: 18 am    Post subject:
Very interesting about the portion in regards to latent lactose intolerance
in 2004 when i did atkins for the first time, obviously you cut out milk - i used to drink a lot of milk but it wasn ' t hard for me to cut out - when i went off atkins completely i no longer was able to have milk at all! i could only consume the dairy lactose intolerant ppl can have like yogurt and cheese - i sometimes couldn ' t even have particular ice creams! could i be an example of dr. atkins theory?