Atkins conflicting with my job...

[Julie in CA]

Although I'm doing fairly well sticking with my induction, I do have a conflict between my job (creating specialty desserts) and my new way of eating.

Sweets aren't really tempting to me, and never have been, but it's part of my job to sample new desserts. Since I don't crave sweets, I usually eat only one very small bite--just enough to measure the quality of the finished product, about once every week to 10 days. I am unable to pass that responsibility to anyone else and still do my job well.

Is there any hope that I can make Atkins work for me while still fulfilling the requirements of my profession?

[Alexa]

Hi Julie,

Wow, that is a toughie! I can imagine that it would be really hard to keep on track with Atkins if you need to taste sweet things - which I presuming is a job requirement?

I think, however, that amount that you eat might be doable. I was doing reasearch over the past year in a situation where it wasn't appropriate to turn down food that was offered. So I did Atkins aside from what ever I had there. However, it was not easy - partly because I had whole meals and I tend to go a bit carb-craving when I eat anything not allowed.

If the portions are tiny and irregular (as they sound) and you think you can eat them without then going for other non-allowed foods then I think you could probably cope.

However, it might throw you out of ketosis each time and going in and out of ketosis is not good for your health. Maybe you could see how you feel and use ketostix to see if the amounts you are tasting make you come out of ketosis. If they do, you may have a real problem long-term.

Best of luck with it.

[EmDee]

1 small bite every week to ten days? that shouldn't rock your boat terribly. I think the biggest danger is what the sugar will do to your system that day.

And remember, too, that long term you are not going to be IN ketosis.


(ps ~ want to switch jobs??)

[DarlingBri]

Because this has the potential to be a slippery slope, I would log the food in FitDay, including the off-plan food, and still stay within your carbs for the day.

One 10th of one muffin or whatever every ten days just can't throw the whole show off - a muffin at 48 carbs would probably seriously jeopardize ketosis and weight loss, but 4.6 carbs (and, okay, a boatload of sugar) is not the same thing.

You know that phrase "eat to live, don't live to eat"? Well the plain fact of the matter is: you have to work to both live and eat, and at the end of the day, you gotta do what you gotta do.

[liv]

Well that is a dilemma -
I would try to work it out though
Can you have something fatty and a piece of protein to go with your sweat - to limit the impact on your bloodsugar?
Reduce the rest of the carbs that day so you stay within your limit (not ideal but it would work)

[sallyseachange]

This might sound gross, but can you do what wine tasters do? i.e. taste and spit?

[not2late]

Originally Posted by Julie in CA

Although I'm doing fairly well sticking with my induction, I do have a conflict between my job (creating specialty desserts) and my new way of eating.

Sweets aren't really tempting to me, and never have been, but it's part of my job to sample new desserts. Since I don't crave sweets, I usually eat only one very small bite--just enough to measure the quality of the finished product, about once every week to 10 days. I am unable to pass that responsibility to anyone else and still do my job well.

Is there any hope that I can make Atkins work for me while still fulfilling the requirements of my profession?

Survir Saran is a chef/restauranteur in NYC. He runs Devi. Anyhow, he is able to interpret Indian homecooking and street food to fine dining, giving traditional lamb, chicken, fish dishes new interpretations. Here’s the catch: he’s a vegetarian on religious grounds, so he doesn't even take "one bite" to taste any of the meat dishes he makes.

Also a few years ago, Gourmet magazine had an article where they analyzed the "tasting" calories consumed by one chef during one service---it was well over 1000. So those little bites have the potential to add up.

It might be best if you move to OWL Phase on day 15, that way you will be able to minimize any conflicts between your job and your health.

[Julie in CA]

Originally Posted by not2late

Survir Saran is a chef/restauranteur in NYC. He runs Devi. Anyhow, he is able to interpret Indian homecooking and street food to fine dining, giving traditional lamb, chicken, fish dishes new interpretations. Here’s the catch: he’s a vegetarian on religious grounds, so he doesn't even take "one bite" to taste any of the meat dishes he makes.

Also a few years ago, Gourmet magazine had an article where they analyzed the "tasting" calories consumed by one chef during one service---it was well over 1000.

Wow! Well, I'm clearly not that skilled, because there's no way for me to know if something's good or not without tasting it. I definitely know it's not 1000 calories for me though!

That's all really interesting, thank you!

[Julie in CA]

I appreciate your input. I've been wondering because I've not lost any weight in the last 2 weeks, even though the sticks show that I've remained in ketosis the entire time. Even after a small bite of a dessert sample, I'm still purple. I guess that's the good news. The weight not dropping *at all*, I guess that's the bad news. I'm fairly good at my job, and not really qualified to do much else, so I'm going to keep plugging along and give Atkins a bit longer.

I'm also going to post my daily menu for review once in a while, just to make sure I'm not making any stupid mistakes. It's amazing how easily something can slip through.

Thanks again,
Julie

[not2late]

Originally Posted by Julie in CA

Wow! Well, I'm clearly not that skilled, because there's no way for me to know if something's good or not without tasting it. I definitely know it's not 1000 calories for me though!

That's all really interesting, thank you!

Don't sell yourself short! Since you're a pastry chef, you have an advantage over Survir Saran and others because your cooking is more precise---you measure/weigh everything in order to keep the product consistent. Chefs have to keep adjusting and re-adjusting their product because they aren't as meticulous as pastry chefs.