Induction? Pshhh...what a Breeze!

[iDoWork]

Hows it goin' for everyone? The community seems great and I'm looking forward to "dieting" and becoming a loser like the majority of you!

I've been trying this Atkins thing out for 4 days and... I've been a bad boy . Since cutting out all the sugar/carbs in my diet, I've realize I'm no different than an alcoholic when it comes to sweets. That was a huge shock! I really believed, deep down, that I could quit cold turkey. I deprived myself of sweets carbs for the first 3 days, and as a result had to indulge in a 32 oz. Arizona Iced tea - 2 nights in a row. Disgusting! It started out with a sip, and ended in a very depressing gulp each time.

Last night, however, I accepted that I was an addict and realized those cravings weren't for food at all, but rather for bread (not nearly as much as anything sweet) and sugar. I can't even describe how strong the cravings (for sweets) were last night... I couldn't sleep! I pretty much wasted 3 days, and gained like 2 pounds because I combined all those simple, insilin spiking carbs, sugar, and all that caffine with Atkins (Not to mention, I love me some water retaining salt).

It turns out though, that I got my mind right, and didn't give in to sweet temptation. I had never felt so exhausted, I would druel, and I actually got headaches lol. Felt like I was suffering from withdrawl symptoms, similar to an alcoholic, straight up and down! After holding back last night, my craving have dropped 50% easy. Not bad for a nights work

Anyway, thats over now, and I'm treating today as day uno. It's Monday and I'm starting off right - at least, thats why I'm here! Thanks to this forum, I found FitDay . com and its a great help, especially now that I've learned of the 65/30/5 ratio (also thanks to this forum). Luckily, I'm finding these bits and peices to my puzzle early on. Nothing worse than working on a puzzle for awhile only to find out that your missing a piece- it wont come together!

How's my diet folk's? I'm quite fond of it...

Today I've eaten:

Break - 2 Large Eggs, 1 Pat Butter, 1oz (Actually 22 Grams) Cream Cheese (Good God! [Add natural jalepeno juice and peppers and its allll over folks])

Lunch - 1.5 cups Romaine Lettuce, 8oz 80/20 Ground Beef, 1oz (Actually 22 Grams) Cream Cheese, Mustard, Iodonized Sea Salt, pepper, Garlic Powder, 1 Tbls. Butter (Work in progress lol)

Dinner - .6 lbs Rib Eye, fat trimmed, Choice Steak, 2 cups Romaine Lettuce

(No dressing on Lettuce, and I trimmed the fat off the steak because the fat % was getting up there.)

Thats 67/32/2 and 1647 Calories according to FitDay and should be compliant with Induction, but I have to be honest, it feels wayyyyy to good to be true.

The only aspect of the diet I feel I need to aprove upon is adding some more Poly and Mono UnSat. Fat to the mix. I'll add Extra virgin Olive Oil to my lettuce from now on and cut back a bit (like... a nano bit :P) on the butter and cream cheese...should balance things out.

Whats the verdict? All feedback appreciated.

EDIT: Im also worried about muscle loss. Would 1.5g of protein per pound of lean body mass negate any adverse effects on my muscles? Would i permit anaerobic exercise (pushing myself to the limit on my elliptical)? I also lift.

[Slapshot]

For the sugar cravings, you may want to consider trying L-Glutamine.

Low Carb Nexus - Article - L-Glutamine: The Craving Fighter!

The only comment I have on your food intake is that you should consider getting a little more variety (i.e. nutrients) from your veggies. Romaine lettuce is a little weak in the nutrient density department.

[vector2]

Originally Posted by iDoWork

EDIT: Im also worried about muscle loss. Would 1.5g of protein per pound of lean body mass negate any adverse effects on my muscles? Would i permit anaerobic exercise (pushing myself to the limit on my elliptical)? I also lift.

Definitely (although you could probably get away with 1g protein per lb body weight), but only if you're lifting pretty hard. Otherwise, that's a lot of protein that's just going to be used to make more glucose. Also, make sure you're getting a good amount of protein that contains branched chain amino acids.

[liv]

You are a bit afraid of the fat. Don't be. It is what you are going to need on this diet to put you in ketosis, to make you feel good and to make you lose weight. I have 75% fat days sometimes. And I like them. How many grams of fat was that?

I also recommend over time adding different kind of veggies to take advantage of the nice nutritious value in veggies.

[iDoWork]

Thanks for the quick reply's. I'll take all your tips regarding protein/glucose, veggies and L-Glutamine (turns out I forgot I have some).

For some reason, I've gained a couple pounds. Honestly though, I think we can contribute that to my sleeping and eating habits. Long days make me either skip or add meals at weird intervals (7 meals Tuesday, 3 meals Monday). I still manage to keep my calories under 1700 though, but I use alot of salt, so theres always water retention.

I'll work on loving fats but I might take it easy with the cream cheese (heard it stalls some). I'm wondering if Im in Ketosis 'cause I'm not hungry at all, my breath has a different odor to it, and my urine has this...dense, oily type smell to it (Yes, I can smell density lol).

EDIT: It was SUPPOSEDLY 120g of Fat (Sat. Fat 50g, Poly. Fat 5g, Mono Fat 47g) on Monday, but as you can see, its not adding up so there's either hidden Trans fat, an error at fitday or I need some sleep 'cause I'm missing the obvious lol. Also had 127g Protein - 7 Carbs.

Question though: I have a few things in the fridge that claim to have "0g Sugar", but when I check the ingridents, I see sugar listed as the 6-7th ingridient which means that, like the label says, theres hardly any in there. But, its still there, and induction forbids it. However, in my mind I'm thinking "There's no way that can hurt anything" Am I wrong?

I also don't understand how milk is forbidden during induction, but cheeses are allowed, which is why I'll try to reduce that. A little light on this would be nice. Is it strictly a carb issue?

[msanjelpie]

Originally Posted by iDoWork

I also don't understand how milk is forbidden during induction, but cheeses are allowed, which is why I'll try to reduce that. A little light on this would be nice. Is it strictly a carb issue?

Yes, it's a carb issue... cheese has a very small amount of carbs, same as heavy cream... but milk has tons of carbs...

[JohnSantos]

Cream cheese is good with eggs? Seriously? I gotta try this. I've been using picante sauce.

[iDoWork]

You all are quick.Thanks.

And yes, cream cheese is incredible with eggs. Gives them a notable flavor boost, but adds an amazing creamy texture you wouldn't get otherwise. This, alone will hit the spot, but I'm telling you Jalapenos (and a conservative amount of Jalapeno juice) will set the dish off. When cooking, make sure the eggs aren't well-done...it'll screw up the texture. Leave them a little mushy, but not too slimy you know? Enjoy.

[iDoWork]

Hey all, still have that question about the sugar. Is it acceptable that sugar is listed as an ingredient, is number 6 on the list? Label says 0g of sugar or doesn't even list it on the nutrition label (Best foods Mayo).

I'll say this, I no longer crave sweets nor carbs. I have this huge bag of Doritos that is staring at me in my room 24/7 (along with Jalapeno dip) and no urge to even touch it. Don't even have to hold back. Would that indicate that my insulin levels are not spiking even with the limited amount of sugar on the labels I'm asking about and my blood sugar is not compromised?

Not trying to get you to say what I want to hear, just want all the facts out there. Thanks.

[liv]

Now there is a chance I would not take. I cannot be trusted around Doritos ever.
The ingredient list is more important than the nutrition label. Because the rules for the nutrition labels are such that if for a small serving portion the product has less that one carb it can say 0 carbs. So even if things have zero carbs it does not mean that it is in any way legal.

Now that I said all that. We make an exception for mayo (and as far as I know it is only product) If mayo has sugar but it is listed far down on the list of ingredients it is OK to use.