Starting Atkins and menstruation

[dublincgal]

Hi guys, Im doing Atkins in Ireland but the availability of food products isn't good. I have a question for any women who have Aunt Flo in town...I am so mad at myself as after 2 weeks of not touching any cookies etc, (and even giving up our sacred irish potato !)and all other carbs we cannot have, this morning I caved as Aunt Flo is due and i had 4 cookies that totalled 50 carbs..Do you think all my hard work for the last 2 weeks is gone? Strangely my ketosick tonight said i was in modearate stage but the last 2 weeks when i have been good the ketosticks said i was in trace stage so i dont understad...I think i have lost 4 or maybe 5 pounds in the two weeks i have been so good and sticking to 20 carbs but it doesnt seem like a lot of weight lost.I am 33 have had no kids and weigh 165 pounds...I know i sometimes hod waterweight but am wondering isf anyone has had a slow rate of weight loss in induction like me and also can you reccommend anything to stop the sugarcravings areound the time of the month...many thanks,Sorcha

[kaylinsmom]

Oh! I am dreading Aunt Flo! I crave chocolates during my time. I can't answer the questions about the Ketosticks, but get back up on that horse. You haven't ruined a thing. At least you know what not to do next month.

Eggs, rashers, bangers, and the like. I miss Ireland!

Keep it up,
Robin

[dublincgal]

Thank for your reply! Thank God for rashers and the full irish breakfast or Id be in trouble- black pudding too! Many thanks and good luck to you too, Sorcha

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by dublincgal

Do you think all my hard work for the last 2 weeks is gone?

It's impossible to say. Everyone's reaction to sugar and to certain amounts/types of carbohydrates is different.

Strangely my ketosick tonight said i was in modearate stage but the last 2 weeks when i have been good the ketosticks said i was in trace stage so i dont understad...

The color on the ketostix indicates the concentration of excess ketones (to be accurate, only acetoacetate among the three kind of ketones) spilled over in your urine. It can be affected by the amount of water drank, by exercise, by what you had for your last meal and so on. Plus, ketones don't just disappear from your body when the cookie goes into your mouth, so the ketones you pee won't vanish either.

Everyone has a certain carbohydrate level at which they are still in ketosis. If yours is lower than the amount of carbs you took in today, then they'll put you out of ketosis.

I think i have lost 4 or maybe 5 pounds in the two weeks i have been so good and sticking to 20 carbs but it doesnt seem like a lot of weight lost.I am 33 have had no kids and weigh 165 pounds...I know i sometimes hod waterweight but am wondering isf anyone has had a slow rate of weight loss in induction like me

You may want to post a few menus in the "Review My Menu" forum and let other members suggest possible improvements. Don't forget to write quantities for everything.

Are you doing your exercise? Drinking enough water? Taking nutritional supplements? Any medication you're taking?

And even more important, how much do you have to lose? What are your stats?

also can you reccommend anything to stop the sugarcravings areound the time of the month...many thanks,Sorcha

For sugar cravings, Dr. Atkins recommended 500 to 1000 mg of L-glutamine. Legal foods usually do the trick for me though and I never took L-glutamine.

Originally Posted by dublincgal

Thank for your reply! Thank God for rashers and the full irish breakfast or Id be in trouble- black pudding too! Many thanks and good luck to you too, Sorcha

Black pudding is not "legal" for Induction as it contains oatmeal and milk. If you ate it, that probably slowed down your weight loss.

[kaylinsmom]

Oh, that was a bummer. I was going to the butcher shop tomorrow to stock up. I love Black Pudding. I remember it having oats. Another thought, I know our local butcher puts bread in his bangors. DublinCGal, you may want to check that out.
Robin

[dublincgal]

thank you so much- really appreciate the tips and questions to ask myself...I read on the atkins site that its ok to eat one or two atkins advantage bars but now on this site i saw that we are not supposed to - do you know if we are allowed any atkins products during induction?

[keriann_forgoodthistime]

in all honesty - it may take a while - but those sugar cravings at that TOM do eventually go away - at least for me they did...i've been strong on atkins now for 6 months - rung 5 (finally as I have missed my michelob ultras! lol)...but as far as TOM goes - it probably took 2 - 3 months but those chocolate cravings DID subside. PLUS now that i'm past the berries rung - a handful of blueberries, blackberries or strawberries does the trick when my BRAIN starts wanting sugar...not so much a physical craving anymore - more just a "i've eaten chocolate for 30 years now...i just know how good it tasted"

as far as those cookies - no they weren't legal in any way shape or form. as far as being on this plan, you shouldn't have eaten them, but you did...it's in the past now. all you can do is look at the list of legal foods and eat something from that list if you're hungry. and DON'T do it again. it might mess with your weight loss it may not - but either way you know that you should NOT eat those if you want to get to your goal. but don't give up only because you messed up and ate those cookies. look at what you did...learn from it and move on. just like Dory the fish says, "just keep swimming".

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by dublincgal

thank you so much- really appreciate the tips and questions to ask myself...I read on the atkins site that its ok to eat one or two atkins advantage bars but now on this site i saw that we are not supposed to - do you know if we are allowed any atkins products during induction?

According to the Rules of Induction from DANDR 2002, which is the book we go by at ADBB, you should not eat anything that is not on the Induction Acceptable Foods List. The Atkins Advantage Bars contain peanuts, soy and milk products, so they are not allowed as per rule #5.

But besides them not being "legal", the bigger problem is that they are infamous stallers. If you want to lose weight at your full potential, my advice would be to avoid the bars/shakes like the plague.

[dublincgal]

thank you...i knew the cookies werent legal but i was wondering if the atkins advantage bars are?
You look fab in your pictures- well done!