Shaky Day 4 of Induction

[locarbliz]

Hi everyone,
I have been doing very well since Sunday 6/7/09. But yesterday was a very shaky day. Breakfast was the danish egg recipe and lunch I had chicken salad with mayo on top of 2 cups lettuce. Everything was fine until I came home from work and felt very restless.

So here is where I had a compulsive time period. I made a danish and then another danish (egg, creme cheese recipe) and then I ended up having 2 Italian sausages. That's what I ate. I know it was "mindless eating" but I tried to stay off the carbs.

My question is: Do you think this messed up my induction by overeating protein? I am feeling better this morning and planned my meals for today. I am continuing on and am excited about not having the cravings.
Thanks for your help.
Liz

[not2late]

Originally Posted by locarbliz

Hi everyone,
I have been doing very well since Sunday 6/7/09. But yesterday was a very shaky day. Breakfast was the danish egg recipe and lunch I had chicken salad with mayo on top of 2 cups lettuce. Everything was fine until I came home from work and felt very restless.

So here is where I had a compulsive time period. I made a danish and then another danish (egg, creme cheese recipe) and then I ended up having 2 Italian sausages. That's what I ate. I know it was "mindless eating" but I tried to stay off the carbs.

My question is: Do you think this messed up my induction by overeating protein? I am feeling better this morning and planned my meals for today. I am continuing on and am excited about not having the cravings.
Thanks for your help.
Liz

You probably didn't overeat the protein. So I wouldn't worry about it this early in your Induction.

The danish runs about 3 net carbs due to the cream cheese, the egg (about 1 net carb per egg) and the sweetener. You'd have to look but your sausage may have had carbs too. Plus eggs, and cheese are high fat items. So it may have balanced out.

Anyhow, what is important is to figure out what caused the "compulsiveness". Were you hungry? If so, look at your lunch meal. How long had it been since lunch? you might need to have a snack between lunch and dinner, if so choose something high fat, like a hard boiled egg or a piece of cheese.

Start developing coping mechanisms. When I started Atkins, I used to eat a snack of a couple ounces of cheese around 3 PM. That held me over until I could eat my supper at 6-6:30 PM. Once ketosis kicked in, I didn't need the snack anymore. But it certainly helped in the early days of the diet.

[locarbliz]

Thanks, Megs. You're right. I eat my breakfast at around 7am.Then I try to hold out until 1pm for lunch. I was actually hungry between lunch and dinner. Didn't know what to have as a snack. Thought the carbs in cheese would add up fast. I usually have a chicken, tuna or egg salad in the fridge too. Could I have some of that for a snack in between, and how much? I did Atkins 10 years ago and even went to the Atkins Center in NY. I think I was allowed to have the bars. But I don't want to take the chance of any stalling.

Thanks for your response!
Liz

[kaylinsmom]

You did well! At least you stuck with the diet during your cravings. They'll go away. I've been on induction for 16 days now and after about a week, had no cravings. I feel like I have to force myself to eat at times.

Best of luck to you!
Robin

[locarbliz]

Thanks, Robin. I know "this too shall pass." So I just need to keep doing what is suggested and I know I will feel physically better. I guess I could have a hard boiled egg or some protein for a snack in between meals?
Liz

[Elizellen]

Well done for sticking to only induction-legal foods, Liz

And well done for being prepared and having 'legal' food in the fridge too!

You can eat any 'legal' foods for a snack to tide you over till the next meal, so eat some of the chicken, tuna or egg salad you have available.

The bars can be used later in your Atkins journey if you really want them - just check the ingredients to decide which rung of OWL they are allowed on. However many people find they affect their losing progress - the old Atkins company website used to have a page mentioning this problem telling people to stop them if they suspected they were doing this. For some reason this seems to have vanished

[imagood1]

I count 6 ounces of cheese in your 3 danish - you may have lucked out and balanced things out this time but remember, we are limited to 3 ounces of cheese daily.

In your purse or lunchbag pack a baggie of cut up radishes, colored peppers (watch carbs), celery, and some thin slices of cheese (weigh these so you know how much you are eating). Also take a small container and fill it with mayo or low carb salad dressing. You can also have chicken, deli meat or a can of tuna handy to dip into mayo or dressing when you are hungry.

You should always eat when you are hungry, not because of the time on the clock. If you are too hungry when it comes to mealtime you will eat something you shouldn't.

If you think you are going to overeat when you walk in the door at night drink a large glass of water (you should be drinking 64 ounces of pure water daily anyway) and eat a small amount of meat or some veggies then make your dinner.

What I did when I first started was after dinner I sat down and decided what I would be eating the next day -- each meal and snack written down...then I made sure I had everything ready before I went to bed that night. In the morning I knew what the plan was and didn't deviate from it. Maybe if you get a gameplan in place you'll do better at night. Good luck.

[not2late]

Liz, I always keep a "dessert" type cheese like Brie, Camembert, or Port Salut in the fridge. The creamy richness of these cheeses makes one ounce very satisfying for me.

[locarbliz]

You all ar great. Thank you so much for the help you've given me. I am drinking a lot of water. I am feeling better. Today I had a little egg salad in between meals. I also planned my meals for the day. I always make my lunch for work and I planned to have chicken thighs and broccoli for dinner tonight. It's amazing how good vegetables taste when I don't have a potato or carb with the meal. I've always struggled with eating my vegetables since I was a kid. But I do remember that the last time I was on Atkins, I discovered that I started to enjoy different veggies. Today is day 5, and it was a very good day. I love these bulletin boards. It's the first time I've ever participated on any bulletin board on the internet. Thanks again!
Liz

[LCer09]

Originally Posted by locarbliz

My question is: Do you think this messed up my induction by overeating protein? I am feeling better this morning and planned my meals for today. I am continuing on and am excited about not having the cravings.
Thanks for your help.
Liz

Dr. Atkins never, ever wanted people to feel deprived on his diet. It's a point he really drove home in all his books from 1972 to 2002. Some finer points of the diet were adjusted over time, that was not. He enjoyed eating, and understood that he was not alone. Stick to legal foods, and you're doing great!