Please review my menu...thanks

[yankee4him]

B-3 eggs provolone cheese
4 slices turkey bacon

S-chicken salad

L-hamburger w/mayo and mustard
1 cup lettuce oil/vin

D-shrimp grilled with ms. dashes butter
hamburger w/mayo and mustard
1 cup lettuce oil/vin
S-cucumber w/oil and mayo mixed
radishes w/a little salt

Liquids-64 ounces water/coffee w/2pks sweet n low diet mt about 2 20 oz.
multi-vit everyday.

I've been on induction for 5 days and I am still craving sugar and I am still very tired. I work from 12pm to 8am. I've lost 8 lbs, but was wondering if my menu looks okay and if I stay on induction more than 14 days will I be able to lose at least 2lbs a week? Thanks for any input.

[Georgiana]

Could you please include quantities for everything? It would make it easier for us to review your menu properly.

The foods seem legal. The vinegar is not balsamic, right? Cheese limited to 3-4 oz? Do your veggies add up to 3 cups?

Do you drink regular coffee? Caffeine should be avoided, especially during Induction. It stimulates insulin release, which might be the reason for your cravings. Another possibility is a cephalic response to the artificial sweetener. Or both.

What's "diet mt"? If it's some diet soda, then you are above your sweetener limit, which could also contribute to cravings. You are allowed to have 3 servings/packets of sweetener per day. 8 oz of diet soda should be counted as 1 serving of sweetener. So if you are drinking 40 oz of soda (if that "diet mt" is soda), then you are having 5 servings of sweetener, plus another 2 from coffee---that's 7 servings of sweetener daily.

I don't know what "ms. dashes butter" is either....

As for your weight loss... It's impossible to say how much weight one will lose by staying in Induction longer than 2 weeks (some people stall while others lose just fine) or what one's weight loss rate will be if she/he moves to OWL. What are your stats (height, starting weight, current weight, goal weight)? When did you start Induction?

[JulieB]

I'm not sure what is in "ms. dashes butter" - you can use "real" butter. Assuming you have a low-sugar mayo ...your menu looks pretty good.

Sweet-n-low uses aspertame, which we generally avoid - can you get splenda? Is your coffee decaf? Some people have trouble losing when consuming aspertame &/or caffeine

The best way to kill cravings for sweets is to cut them out entirely, including artificial sweeteners. This post explains it well: http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...-response.html (Addicted to Sweets? The Cephalic Phase Insulin Response)

As far as how fast you will lose the weight, that is individual - it depends on how much you have to lose, how closely you follow the rules, and your own body. Another good link: http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ot-linear.html (Weight loss is not linear)

[yankee4him]

Thanks for the replies. My veggies are the right amount 3 cups. Ms. dashes is a seasoning recommended in atkins. My drink is a diet soda. My starting weight 5 days ago when I started induction was 221 and I am 214 now. I am 5'5 and my goal weight is 130. I didn't realize that diet drinks could trigger cravings so badly. thanks again for the replies. Hope you have a great day!