strictly only 3 cups of veg on induction ?

[muzza]

hello guys , ive lost my dandr and i cant recall exactly why , but im wondering on induction what is the harm of eating more than 3 cups a day of veg ? theres so many really low carb veg like asparagus , brocoli ,cauliflower ,cucumber , spinnach , mushrooms to name a few , can i not eat more of these yummy vegies as long as i dont go over 20 carbs a day ? cheers muz

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by muzza

can i not eat more of these yummy vegies as long as i dont go over 20 carbs a day ? cheers muz

You may, as long as you stay below 20 net carbs. Dr. Atkins told us that pretty much everyone will switch to ketosis and lose weight when eating 20 net carbs. So eating more than 3 cups won't harm you. Choose a variety of vegetables, to give your body the micronutrients it needs to create those chemicals required in order for your metabolism to run efficiently.

And get yourself a new book. It's money well spent on your health.

[not2late]

Originally Posted by muzza

hello guys , ive lost my dandr and i cant recall exactly why , but im wondering on induction what is the harm of eating more than 3 cups a day of veg ? theres so many really low carb veg like asparagus , brocoli ,cauliflower ,cucumber , spinnach , mushrooms to name a few , can i not eat more of these yummy vegies as long as i dont go over 20 carbs a day ? cheers muz

The rules state that you eat no more than 20 net carbs of the allowed food daily and that most of those carbs are to come from the allowed veggies---3 cups worth.

Don't make the mistake some people do and eat 20 net carbs of veggies in addition to carbs from eggs, cheese (1 ounce of cheese is counted as 1 net carb), sweeteners, cream, processed meats, salad dressings/sauces etc.

Of the veggies you mentioned asparagus, broccoli, spinach and cauliflower are on the "other" veggie list which are limited to 1 cup. 1 cup of asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower are approximately 4-5 net carbs. 1 cup of spinach is approximately 1 net carb.

Cucumbers and mushrooms are on the "salad" list. 1 cup cucumber is approximately 3 net carbs. 1 cup of mushrooms is approximately 1 net carb.

About eating more of these veggies.....it's a subject of debate. But I can assure you that even the Induction veggies affect people's weight loss. We had a member named 2Big who couldn't eat celery in any amount because it caused cravings. And we've had diabetic members who have documented blood sugar spikes after eating broccoli. So during Induction, I would advise you to play it safe and play by the rules. IF you want to increase your vegetable consumption, move to OWL phase on day 15.

[JulieB]

Portion control is also an issue that you should consider. After years of low-cal diets where veggies were practically "free" foods, many of us continued to overeat (to eat more than our bodies actually need), especially veggies. I think it is wise to follow the rules of induction to the letter for the 1st 14 days - it teaches us good habits.

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by JulieB

I think it is wise to follow the rules of induction to the letter for the 1st 14 days

I guess that depends on how you read them. The "3 cups" statement in Rule #2 is nothing else than a guideline, imo. It is also what Brook wrote that she was told when she called the Atkins Center:

Originally Posted by Brook

I respectfully disagree. The "cups" rule was a general guideline given by Dr. Atkins because the vast majority of people didn't have a food scale and/or were severly under estimating the amounts they were eating, so the "cups" rule kept them in check. - No, I'm not pulling that out of my hat - that came from the Atkins Center back in the day when Dr. Atkins was still around running things. I know cuz I called them and asked. If they had told me that in the last year and a half, I'd have been loathe to trust them, but they were pretty right-on with Dr. Atkins back then and I trusted them.

Originally Posted by JulieB

Portion control is also an issue that you should consider. After years of low-cal diets where veggies were practically "free" foods, many of us continued to overeat (to eat more than our bodies actually need), especially veggies.

I've heard this argument before and... even repeated it a few times myself (), because it does make sense....... if you want to believe it!

Are you saying that eating more than 3 cups of vegetables (measured raw) is "overeating"? Because with my CCLL, I must then be seriously overeating vegetables to get most of my net carbs from them. I often eat 10 cups of vegetables per day, because what I am counting is carbs, not cups. I understand there is a difference between OWL and Induction. But if eating 3 cups of vegetables is a "good habit" in terms of portion control, then OWL forces/allows most of us to break this good habit (unless one has a very low CCLL, meaning <20, which is rare).

One can indeed overeat on Atkins. Eating too many calories and/or carbs will cause one to gain weight. But I do not believe that eating "too many" (whatever that means) non-starchy vegetables, full of vitamins and minerals, is overeating as long as one stays within one's carb limit. I think Dr. Atkins explained this best (Ch. 3):

Instead of envying them, realize that these slim friends are actually cause for celebration. The fact that they are not fat is living, breathing proof that being overweight needn't mean you're greedy, weak-willed, lazy or self-indulgent. Instead, in all probability, it may mean you are only metabolically less fortunate than they are. Doesn't that make a lot more sense? Most people eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full. And if that's the case, how could they be overeating? They're doing what their bodies tell them to do.

Which is why the critical factor is not how much you eat, but what you eat. And if you're overweight, the what is likely an excess of carbohydrates.

[not2late]

Sigh...the 3 cups rule...again.

I think we can all agree that for the first 14 days of this Diet, eating 3 cups of vegetables won't derail you.

And I think we can all agree that if you feel vegetable deprived there is no rule that prohibits you from moving to OWL phase.



I realize that we follow DANDR 2002 here, but I was reviewing ATkins Diabetes Revolution, the book Dr. Atkins was writing when he died. In the Appendix there is the Rules for Induction. Those Rules for Induction state :

Salad Vegetables: 2 to 3 cups

and

cooked vegetables: 1 cup. You can have 1 cup (measured cooked) per day of these vegetables, if salad does not exceed 2 cups. A few vegetables, such as spinach or tomatoes that cook down significantly, should be measured raw.

Also in Atkins For Life, the book published shortly after Dr. Atkins' death, it states

You may also eat 3 cups of salad greens (dressed with your favorite low carb dressing) or 2 cups of salad and a cup of fresh, non-starchy veggies such as broccoli or zucchini each day.

So, we have DANDR 2002 (which we follow here on ADBB), AFL and ADR-- written texts--- that specify the 3 cup rule and we have verbal sources from the Atkins Center that basically say eat whatever amount.

Since ADBB does specifically follow DANDR 2002, you can't err in following the 3 cup rule, which is supported by two books written by Dr. Atkins.