Atkins Products???

[julie3524]

Hello I'm new to the program. I just bought a whole bunch of atkins products(bars, shakes, etc) they say they are good for all phases. Reading through some of the threads I saw that some people say this is not correct for the first 14 days. Please advise. I just started yesterday and feel like I screwed up already. Thank you!

[Nick9973]

Julie,

You are fine... don't worry. Personally, I steer clear from any sweet low-carb products simply because my sweet tooth cravings would throw me overboard. But if this isn't a problem for you, there's no reason you can't enjoy an Atkins product every now and again. There are a few stipulations, though:

1) You should only have a maximum of two products a day... no more!
2) They are not meant to be used as meal replacements, just snacks. It might be a good idea to have a veggie with your bar or shake.
3) If you experience slower-than-you'd-expect weightloss, stop using them immediately.

Some people find they slow weightloss down. When I used to use them, they worked fine... except for promoting my sweet tooth cravings, like I mentioned. Personally, I frown upon products in general. I believe Atkins can be done using whole, unprocessed foods. But I realize that not all people are the same. Whatever method you choose, make sure it works to your benefit and not to your detriment. Hope this helps!

Best of Success!

[Nick9973]

Oh... and also, only Atkins bars and shakes are okay for induction... no other low-carb product. The other low-carb products are only okay for later phases. But the bars and shakes are okay.

[Lisa]

Julie, I posted my answer to your other post in the 14-day-induction
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...-products.html (Atkins Products???)

In short....my suggestion..return the products and buy the fresh veggies, meat, and dairy to get you off to a healthy start.

Sorry to disagree here, but the products are meant for higher rungs, not Induction. Read more of the benefits of a clean induction in the book or the threads noted in the Induction parts

[Nick9973]

The bars and shakes wouldn't say they were okay for all levels if they weren't. I agree that you should have a clean induction, but if you absolutely must have some form of sweets, they are the best way to go. Not all people can go whole-hog. If you can't, the Atkins products are fine.

[Nick9973]

Julie,

To help you make up your own mind based on professional advice, here's a quote from Colette Heimowitz, the Vice President of Education and Nutrition at Atkins:

<As a nutritionist one of the advantages of the Atkins Diet that I like the best is that it can be individualized to suit a person’s likes, dislikes, tastes and lifestyle. We are all heading in the same direction of permanent weight control and vibrant health but the paths we choose to get there may be very different.

There are 14 studies to date showing results of 6 month to 1 year follow up in which participants were given two serving of Atkins Bars or Shakes daily as part of the research protocol. The products did not interfere with weight loss and, in those studies that allowed Atkins products; there was better compliance and retention. In fact there was one researcher in another study from the Veteran's Administration who was opposed to using Atkins Products with her patient population and she had a tougher time with compliance and retention. At the end of the year, her study participants were consuming far higher levels of carbohydrates than the patient population who were allowed to use Atkins products, and the drop out rate was much higher.
While I agree that there are some individuals who may need a two week period of withdrawal from sweet tasting foods to break an addiction, there are also those individuals who would not succeed without a healthy substitute.

So my advice is usually as follows; if you can't stop at one bar or drink at a time, if products are sacrificing your intake of whole foods, or you find yourself eating more than two per day, then stay away from Atkins products for two weeks until you have things under control. Each individual has to determine for themselves what works or doesn't work.

Otherwise there is no reason why one should avoid Atkins products in Induction.>

[julirama723]

Nick, I disagree.

Atkins nutritionals is a BUSINESS. They don't care about the intricacies of the diet, they only care about making money. The way they make money is by getting you to believe that shakes and bars are necessary and healthy. They're NOT!

Julie, in DANDR, it says to only eat foods off the acceptable foods list. If you look at the shakes and bars and read the labels (which is what every Atkineer should be doing! ) you will find many ingredients not allowed until the higher rungs of OWL. Usually the shakes and bars are made with dairy, nut, and soy products. These are NOT allowed on induction.

In addition to illegal ingredients, the bars also contain sugar alcohols. Unless you get explosive diarrhea upon consumption of said bar, your body processed every single gram of those sugar alcohols like real carbs, and you MUST count them. So, ignore the "2g net carbs" statement on the wrapper, and simply subract fiber from total carbs. That's the REAL net carb amount. That being said, most bars can only be consumed once you reach Rung 6, Legumes, as there are usually soy ingredients.

So, once you get to the appropriate rung, the bars and shakes are technically legal, but still not a good idea. Dr. Atkins states that they are to be used only in an emergency, when a better food choice is not available.

[Nick9973]

Julirama, I also disagree.

As I have previously said: FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T GO WHOLE-HOG, they are fine. "Can't" is the operative word. If it is possible to do Atkins without this crutch, then obviously, it is the best way to go. Not all people are like you and me... and you need to be sensitive and supportive to those who are just starting and may not know what they are capable of. Many people have successfuly moved through the phases of Atkins, using Atkins products along the way. I, personally, am not one of them. But I know many who have, and they are just as successful as you or I or any other member of this forum.

Lisa, it is important to choose the path that you find best suits your needs. If you need them, use them. If you don't... then don't. It's cheaper not to, anyway.

Best

[Sherri]

Ditto what Julirama said.

[mitzimarie]

Nick, there ARE boards that follow the program put into practice by Atkins Nutritionals, the company. This particular board, however, is centered around the 2002 version of Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution and advice is given based upon that book.