Nuts in induction

[pixypie]

I know atkins recommends against nuts in induction - but is it ok to have like 5 macadamia nuts (1 grm carbs) and just count it in? Or is there some other reason its not recommended during induction?

[Twinkie_30]

I cant seem to remember WHY it was not allowed, i'll try to find it in the book. But for now just dont eat it. it is definitely not allowed and at least for 14 days just follow the book blindly. Trust me you will have no more cravings after day 3 !
best of luck !!

[losetocruise]

I've also wondered the same thing. Why certain things are not allowed on induction as long as it falls within the carb count. I figure there must be a reason though so I went along with it. It may just have been to keep it simple and easy to follow.

I did use nuts once during induction though. We went to a baseball game and I knew I would be hungry. You are not allowed to bring snacks or food in and I doubted there would be induction legal foods there. (there weren't). So I packed a small bag of shelled pistacio's in the bottom of our camera case. While my husband enjoyed hot dogs and funnel cakes, I muched a ew of those. Just enough to keep the hunger away. It worked, I made it past all the tasty treats, never left ketosis and lost the next day.

My point is, even if not legal on induction, I think you have to make the diet work for you and in this instance it was my best choice.

[TheDogAteMyName]

The reason nuts aren't on induction is because they can stall you and/or they can cause another food addiction/cravings. I would wait until you move to OWL and go through the rungs. If I would've eaten nuts on induction I would not have been eating my veggies.

[atkinsrock]

I just started induction (day 4) and allow myself 100 calories (1 net carb only) worth of plain, natural almonds (about 1. That's my 3:30 ish snack to get me through the afternoon. It hasn't affected my weight loss as I have lost almost 3 lbs. already. If I don't eat those I get very light headed and feel gross.

How far along are you on the diet and how much have you lost so far? I only want to lose about 20 lbs. I'm hoping it comes off quickly.

[not2late]

Originally Posted by pixypie

I know atkins recommends against nuts in induction - but is it ok to have like 5 macadamia nuts (1 grm carbs) and just count it in? Or is there some other reason its not recommended during induction?

As the Moderator for the OWL forum, I would advise against it. Next to Grains, nuts and seeds cause MAJOR weight loss issues for people. We see it when they get to OWL and add nuts/seeds to their diets. The problems are caused by the inability to control portion size to previously unknown food intolerances. So my advice is to wait until OWL to incorporate nuts/seeds into your diet. Remember OWL is the time for experimenting and learning about what foods your body can and cannot tolerate. Induction, especially the first 14 Days, is to detox your body and get it ready for weight loss. You don't want to do anything to hinder that weight loss potential because how you choose to do the rest of your Atkins hinges on how much weight you lost during the first 14 Days.

Why certain things are not allowed on induction as long as it falls within the carb count.

Because Atkins is a specific low carb diet with specific rules. 1 teaspoon of sugar has about 4 net carbs. It is technically "low carb" and could possibly fit into a diet consisting of 20 net carbs daily. Yet, added sugar is not a part of the Atkins Diet due to its effect on insulin.

[brandywine1241]

Dr. Atkins supervised thousands of patients on his diet and, based on that experience, set up the rules to give the most people the greatest chance of success. As Megs said, you may have unknown, mild food intolerances. They might not appear to affect your weight loss in the beginning, but later on, when you quit losing, you won't know why.

[not2late]

Originally Posted by skgagnon@bellsouth.net

I just started induction (day 4) and allow myself 100 calories (1 net carb only) worth of plain, natural almonds (about 1. That's my 3:30 ish snack to get me through the afternoon. It hasn't affected my weight loss as I have lost almost 3 lbs. already. If I don't eat those I get very light headed and feel gross.

How far along are you on the diet and how much have you lost so far? I only want to lose about 20 lbs. I'm hoping it comes off quickly.

If you're feeling lightheaded and gross in the late afternoon, it's probably due to hypoglycemia, which means you aren't eating a noon-time meal that sufficiently combines fat, protein and carbs or you aren't simply eating enough food.

Dr. Atkins said to eat a combination of fat, protein and carbs for your meals/snacks because it keeps you satiated longer. Also, if you are eating "low calorie", you'll feel lightheaded simply because you aren't eating enough to satisfy your basic energy needs.

[atkinsrock]

Thanks for the info; I appreciate it. But I'm confused now as I ate a 600 calorie steak and 300 calories worth of cheese for lunch and ate approx. 1750 total calories that day which I don't consider low calorie. Help! I thought Atkins doesn't require calorie counting.
My total carbs that day was around 6. I thought the less carbs you eat the better since 20 is the max. right? Thank you for any input. I want to do this right and the most effectively.
Today, though, I did limit cheese to 4oz + elimated nuts to follow induction accurately.

[TheDogAteMyName]

Skgagnon - You are right...Atkins isn't based on calorie counting, but by carb counting. Although we pay close attention to our carbs, Dr. Atkins said that calories do matter. Atkins isn't about having no carbs, but by eating the right carbs.

If you've eaten 300 calories worth of cheese, I'm assuming that's more than half a cup of cheese. Cheese is limited to 2-4 ounces on induction. Also, if you've only eaten 6 carbs for the day I'm worried that you're not eating enough vegetables. You should be eating two cups of salad veggies (see the list in the book) and one cup of other veggies (again, see the list in the book). Dr. Atkins never stated to my knowledge that 20 carbs was the max to eat during induction and that fewer would be better. It is stated in the book that the carb count during induction should be 20 net carbs. Would you mind posting your menus for the last few days so we could get a better idea of what you're eating?

I'm excited to see that you're wanting to follow to WOL correctly That's awesome!