Trying to keep it simple - please review my menu.

[APilgrim]

In order not to mess anything up for induction I plan on eating just about the same thing everyday. It doesn't really bother me, since I love the foods - but since its going to be just about the same thing I want to make sure I'm doing this right!

Breakfast:
3 oz cooked sausage (organ meat limit)

Lunch:
2 cups green beans
1 hamburger patty /w mayo OR 1 chicken breast

Dinner:
6-8oz steak OR 2 hamburger patties /w mayo

When I look at that I think to myself "well thats simple enough, who could screw that up" but I know myself all to well! Just wanted to check to make sure I'm doing it right...

[momtomany1]

Hello new Pilgrim, you need some tweakin'

Atkins Low Carb Dieting - FAQ's - Atkins Diet

In this forum you will find some essentials that will get you on the straight and narrow. For example, check the induction list sticky and you will find that although green beans are legal on induction, 2 cups of them is not. You may have 1 cup. Then you also need to get 2 cups of vegetable off of the 'salad vegetable' list. They don't have to be in a salad, eat a cup of cucumber and a cup of saute'd mushrooms if you want.

Spread your carbs through the day. Sausage is not an organ meat, organ meats are like liver and kidney. Have an egg with that sausage, and maybe the mushrooms, and it would be a great induction breakfast.

Change your veggie at lunch to one cup green beans.

Then at dinner get 1 more cup of 'salad veggies.' Try my personal favorite, quartered radishes cooked in bacon fat! Your lunch and dinner proteins are fine.

Drink your water, plenty of it! Don't skimp on the butter when you cook your eggs or chicken breast. Eat up!

[momtomany1]

Question, as I just read the post about you being a poor student. I completely understand budget constraints, just before I continue I would like to ask, are you the 'average' poor student who still buys a few soft drinks a week, or a really poor poor student, who doesn't have funds for cokes and root beers? I would really like to give you solid advice that will actually work for you.

[APilgrim]

Thanks for the advice - I am really a poor student - previous to the Atkins, I might have been drinking soda but it was only when it was free (free food attracts graduate students like moths to a flame). I will be less poor in the new year but not by much, I'll just get paid more as a PhD student. Not sure what extra I would be able to afford though, perhaps less canned veggies.

Unfortunately I already bought food for the week and won't be able to do anything but green beans. I looked at the can and it looks like I could do up 2 cups without going over 20 carbs per day even with the other food. I know its not the best thing to do, but what should I do when all I've got green beans and nothing else for the week in terms of veggies?

I had always heard that sausage was an organ meat, but Im glad to hear its not (I love sausage).

[Asclepius]

Originally Posted by APilgrim

free food attracts graduate students like moths to a flame.

LMAO

SO FREAKIN TRUE!!!!! And 75% of the time it's pizza until you get toward the more selective seminars! Sometimes they're every day and while I can't tell you about even half of the topics I've attended, I sure can tell you what we ate!

Too funny.

As for what to do - I'm an advocate of you do the best with what you've got. Any tiny step forward is better than one back. Something that helps on graduate level range of funds is to pay rent, pay bills, then hit the store and buy in bulk when you get your stipend check. Buy a family package of chicken breasts and then place each in an individual ziploc bag and toss them in the freezer. The first time you do it it may make you clench a bit financially, but after the 2nd or so trip to the store you find you have enough food to last you a month. Then you will have the extra funds for fresh produce weekly. Also, don't hesitate to shop the "reduced for quick sale" areas. The expiration date may be around the corner but as long as you use it right away or freeze it for later it's perfectly fine. It's all doable -just takes careful planning.

[APilgrim]

Well its been a busy week but I got through it - I'm trying really hard not to check the scales because while I know I'm losing I don't want to get down and out because of daily weight fluctuations.

I went to the store and got some cucumbers so now I'm at least 100% on the induction plan without having to make any sort of substitutions. Combined with the advice I got I think everything is set to go to do it right.

And finally..yeah it IS always pizza at seminars isn't it! For some reason its always got to be unhealthy - you'd think it would kill them to get a vegetable platter one day or something. I probably don't remember 25% of the actual topics myself..just the food, as asclepius said Most of the time I was covertly trying to get grading done or something, which is hard because I had to look like I was paying attention occasionally.

[Chicklady]

I just want to say that I hope you are taking vitamins.

[ceemarie]

Hello, I would like to suggest an egg or two in the morning and perhaps string cheese sticks as a snack. You can also have a hard boiled egg as a snack.

[APilgrim]

I am taking vitamins. I 've got fish oils and something that works like a generic version of the old atkins "daily 3" vitamins.