atkins bars and drink

[sadiejune]

Are atkins bars and drinks allowed on induction?

[BellaCarol]

According to the book, the ones that said "this product is suitable for the induction phase" are allowed, i just dont eat them. The whole point of this woe ia a whole food, natural menu
Those bars and shakes for me are just glamorized candies. And the whole purpose of the induction phase is get rid of addictions.

[Elizellen]

To work that out for any processed foods you need to look at the ingredients and make sure ALL of them appear on the allowed list of induction foods.
How I do that without spending hours in the shops reading labels is to use one of the internet search engines (I like google) I googled for 'Atkins Advantage Bars' and 'ingredients' and found this info

Ingredients: protein blend [soy protein isolate, hydrolyzed collagen, whey protein isolate (milk), sodium caseinate], glycerine, polydextrose, dry roasted peanut, peanut flour, palm kernel and palm oil, cellulose, coconut oil, cocoa powder (processed with alkali), natural and artificial flavor, olive oil, butter oil, soy lecithin, maltodextrin, salt, guar gum, citric acid, sucralose, mono and diglycerides, dipotassium phosphate, acesulfame potassium. Nutrition blend: tricalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, vitamin a palmitate, ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, cyanocobalamin, alpha tocopheryl acetate, niacinamide, biotin, calcium pantothenate, zinc oxide, folic acid, chromium chelate, phytonadione, sodium selenite. Contains: soy, milk and peanuts.

Apart from all the chemical stuff about which I know nothing I can see that some items which I have highlighted are NOT on the list.

So that product is not an induction-allowed food. It would be allowed once you had passed the dairy rung and the legumes rung.

You might find that the shakes work out 'induction-legal' once you look at their ingredients, but then you need to look at the nutrition side of the label.

We are aiming at a ratio of 65% fat/30% protein/5% carbs in induction.

As far as I know the shakes are made of mainly protein, so might easily make your menus 'protein-heavy'.

You will have to do the maths using something like www.fitday.com to see if that amount of protein can be used with your menus and still keep your protein intake down to 30%.

Atkins is not a high-protein way of eating but a high-fat one, so if you want to use a predominently protein product you will have to make sure you balance it out with extra fat.

If you eat far too much protein than your body needs to repair itself and make you function properly it will efficiently convert that extra protein into glucose = carbs = more fat laid down!!

Hope this helps.

[MistyDawn1973]

I hate to confess, but I too bought some Atkins bars and shakes. I only eat the bar when I am totally craving sweets around TOM; which I restared Atkins on TOM....I have also lost my appetite at times, and when I do, I drink an Atkins shake. But I don't do this all the time. I do stick strickly to the Induction Phase, I just add a little if I need to. I am still in ketosis, and have lost 9 lbs so far, and this is just my 6th day. I also crave water like crazy and my mouth is always so dry. I'm not a water drinking person, but being on Atkins changed all that!

[sadiejune]

thanks for all the info. I will have to pack them away for a few more months., but after looking at them, they do say for induction phase I. HMMM, nope, I am going to pack them away.

[tabekat]

Everyone is different, but for me personally, I think the Atkins Bars and Shakes are a waste of money and a poor substitute for real food.

The company that sells these products doesn't honor what Dr. Atkins taught, and I choose not to support them for that reason alone.

[sadiejune]

I know this sounds silly, but I they are put out by the atkins co., so It seems as if they would be suitable, but I see your point, induction is supposed to be time of clensing and ridding off cravings.


This is a tough week for me. It is the end of our school year. I am a special education teacher for grades 3-6, so every classroom I go into, it seems there are parents bringing in popcicles, cupcakes, etc, etc, etc. But a pat on my back, I have had none, I am in my 2nd week of induction and have followed it faithfully. I am getting ready to go downstairs and weigh myself, so hopefully I will be down an lb. or 2.

[Elizellen]

Atkins the company seems to have conveniently forgotten the rule about 'eat nothing that is not on the allowed list' in DANDR, and have decided that it is the net carbs that counn not the ingredients, so it is OK for them to advertise something containing nuts for example as being suitable for a phase of Atkins where nuts are NOT allowed!!

Seems misleading if not downright dishonest!

Do you have an 'advertising standards complaints' government authority over your side of the pond? Maybe the bars should be reported to them as being in breach of whatever advertising standards laws you have! (tongue firmly in cheek here - as I assume it is too trivial a matter for them to get involved)

[meena-beena]

I have to agree with tabekat and elizellen here. The Atkins book says specifically that meal bars and shakes are not to be used for induction. And the reason is because we are trying to get rid of that sweet tooth and our cravings.

If I were to eat one of those induction friendly bars, I'd find myself right back where I started in a hurry. Why? Because I already know that sweet stuff triggers binges for me. One teeny tiny bar would be my undoing.

You are on Induction to try and get to know your body and what triggers your cravings. If you don't give the sweets a rest, you don't have anywhere to begin that when you get to OWL.

Anyway, that's just my two cents on the subject.
;-)

[sadiejune]

Thanks, sometimes you just need the reminders. What you are saying makes complete sense.