[not2late]

This is helpful, but I'll add somethings on to your post that are specific to ADBB.

Originally Posted by kaylasgram

Welcome To The Atkins Nutritional Approach (ANA) Program!!!!

Below I Have Listed Some Helpful Hints For Those New To Atkins To Help You Get Started!!!

1) Do you have a copy of "Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution" (2002)??? This is a must have & will
become your best friend during this program & you will find your self re~reading parts of it over & over again.

2) Also if you are just starting there is another book "The All New Atkins Advantage"(200. You will want to get this book as It is completely up to date.It is very helpful as it takes you through the program week by week for the first 12 weeks, it helps you with customizing the plan to your specific needs. It also has an exercise routine to help you achieve your goals. Read it, it will make a big difference!!!

We only use Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution 2002 edition here on ADBB. The publications after his death have been illogically altered by Atkins Nutritionals and we've had people who have followed those books and the website come here with plenty of weight loss problems. So we stick to the book that Dr. Atkins wrote.....not what was revised after his death in 2003.

3) You need to eat ONLY what is on the list of Induction Acceptable Foods and get 20 net carbs each day, with 12-15 from vegetables. Not under 20, but as close to 20 as possible! Induction should last for a minimum of two weeks.

(total carbs - fiber = net carbs)

The book says that we eat no more than 20 net carbs per day and that the majority of our carbs are to come from vegetables. That 12-15 net carbs from vegetables thing comes from Atkins Nutritionals' attempt to make Atkins more "mainstream"---as is their advise to eat lean meats.

That 12-15 veggie carb thing is really ridiculous because Atkins Nutritionals allows one to pick and choose any vegetable from either list. This completely ignores the fact that Dr. Atkins divided the vegetables into 2 lists because one list has fewer carb and typically a lower glycemic index than the other list.

Using Atkins Nutritionals method, it would be possible to eat 12-15 net carbs of tomatoes or onions or to eat them as your majority vegetables. Unfortunately their glycemic indices are high enough to completely mess up your blood sugar.

Also the 12-15 net carb rule allows one to eat 12-15 net carbs of lettuce daily. 12-15 net carbs of lettuce is about 12-15 cups of lettuce. Dr. Atkins acknowledged that many of us overeat and we don't know what proper portion sizes are. Eating 15 cups of lettuce isn't a proper serving of veggies and it doesn't help an overeater learn what is a normal serving. In fact, it only serves to perpetuate and encourage a bad eating habit.

4) During Induction you do not have to count calories, as long as you continue to loose weight. However a women should be eating 1500-1800 calories per day unless she is morbidly obese,usually no more than 2000. For a man, its 1800-2000 minimum with 2200 maximum. Too many calories can stall weight loss, and too few can push you into starvation mode, resulting in little if any weight loss.

Dr. Atkins wrote that we don't have to count calories, but they do matter. He wanted us to listen to our bodies and eat the amount of food our bodies need. I can say that during my Atkins journey I did what Dr. Atkins suggested and on some days I ate more than others. I still do.

Also Dr. Atkins talked of a metabolic advantage with his diet. That shoots all the standard caloric requirements out of the water. The metabolic advantage with Atkins is that we can actually eat about 200-300 more calories than someone on a low fat/low calorie diet and still lose weight. So theoretically, if you eat the recommended lowfat/low cal diet calorie restrictions, you might throw yourself into starvation mode because your weight loss caloric threshold is higher on Atkins.

5) You Should eat 3 regular meals per day or 4 to 5 smaller ones if that seems to work better to spread
them out so that you are not hungery. If you find that you are hungry & running out of carbs for the day
by all means "EAT" Protein Foods that have little to no carbs in them such as Meats, Fish, Chicken & Cheese.

Actually, Dr. Atkins suggested eating a high fat snack, not a high protein snack, because Atkins is a high fat diet, not a high protein one. Atkins Nutritionals, again, has been trying to re-make the Atkins Diet into a high protein one.

But Dr. ATkins knew better than they do, because he knew that excessive dietary protein is converted to sugar which is eventually converted to fat. So eating a high protein diet may result in making you fatter rather than skinnier.

7) You should weigh all your food on a Food Scale for accuracy. There are Spring Models & Digital Scales
& they are sold at many Grocery & Dept Stores such as Walmart & Online.

Dr. Atkins never said to do this. He was an American and used the volumetric measurements used in the USA.

The problem with weighing foods, especially vegetables, is that Dr. Atkins never wrote how a vegetable is to be prepared. That is, he never said you had to slice a vegetable or mince a vegetable etc. If you look at the USDA Nutrient Database, it's very apparent that how a vegetable is prepared (sliced, cubed, etc.) affects its weight.

10) You need to limit Atkins Bars/Shakes to no more than 2 per day during Induction, if you choose to eat them. Some find that they will stall or impede weight loss!!!

Dr. Atkins wrote that these products were to be eaten during emergencies. he advocated eating whole, natural, minimally processed and refined foods---something the bars and shakes are not.

Here at ADBB, it's been our collective experience that these products slow or stop weight loss in some people. So we do not support nor encourage their use, especially during the 14 Day Induction, when it is vital to maximize your weight loss.