Brand New to Atkins--a few concerns

[babypiggy]

Hi I'm babypiggy. I'm brand new to Atkins and will be starting induction tomorrow morning. I'm excited, and nervous! Over the past week (while I've been reading DANDR and contemplating this new way of eating) I've started "practicing" induction-type eating to try to get a feel for it before I officially start.

For the past month I had already mostly eliminated wheat, dairy, and sugar from my diet so I'm hoping that will make the shift to Atkins a little less difficult.

Atkins is completely different from anything I've done before so of course I'm grappling with all the stereotypes! But I'm very open to trying something different since nothing else seems to help me lose fat. I do have a few concerns going into this:

1. I'm not a huge meat eater and find it very difficult to shift my thinking to so much meat, but am willing to do it if it works.

2. I'm concerned because limiting to 12-15 net carbs from vegetables seems like a huge restriction. I'm used to thinking of vegetables as "free" and consuming lots of them. I'm probably more worried about giving up veggies than I am about giving up cookies and chips!

3. I don't have a lot to lose. 20 pounds would be fantastic, but to be honest I'd be thrilled to drop even 10. I already eat a pretty good diet (carb count excepted!!!), already exercise a lot, already like vegetables, already drink lots of water...so I really wonder if I've got any chance at this new WOE helping me lose the stubborn fat. Will Atkins really work for me? Most of the inspiring success stories on this board are people who have lost 50, 100, or more pounds. Are there some longtime board members who were in a similar situation to mine?

[Kellen]

Hi Babypiggy... Since you don't have a lot to lose, the going will be a little slower than some of the others you read about who have a lot to lose. I think folks lose 5 to 10 percent of what they need to lose during induction, so you may only show a couple pounds loss during induction. The main thing induction does for us, is reduce or eliminate our cravings, and reset the metabolism to burn fat as fuel instead of glucose. Once you complete induction, I think you would want to move into OWL right away, and start adding veggie carbs back in, and move up the ladder fairly quickly.

Do you eat eggs and fish? If so, that might be a good way to approach things for two of the day's meals. It's not so much eating a LOT of protein, as it is eating enough protein and lots more fat. I am RE-inductioning now, after running a holding pattern through the holidays. I have a lot to lose, and lost 33 pounds in 2 months, and gained back 3, and 96 to go. There are folks on this board who didn't have a lot to lose, but are meeting with success. Give it try for a couple months and see what happens. You might like the way you feel, once your body adjusts. At first it feels kinda weird

PS, are you the babypiggy from 'anafricangrey' ???

[babypiggy]

Kellen,

Thanks for taking the time to share your suggestions and advice. That's kind of what I was thinking too, that I should do induction for 14 days and then if I'm feeling good with this WOE I should advance to adding in more vegetable carbs as quickly as I can. I think I can do without fruit, but will really miss vegetables and nuts. I would be real happy if I lost even a couple pounds during induction as long as I feel better and feel like Atkins is "working."

Yes, I do like to eat eggs, fish, chicken...it's just that I'm used to maybe 3 times a week, not 3 times a day! And I'm definitely not used to eating fat on purpose so that's a huge mind shift. I bet my diet was 90% carbs (mostly "good" ones, but still!).

Oh, and I didn't know what 'anafricangrey" was until I googled it, so no, I'm not the same babypiggy from that forum. Weird coincidence though!

Thanks again.

[leesh]

Welcome to the board! I agree I sometimes have a hard time eating bacon and fried hot wings, it feels like I'm doing something wrong, even though I'm not! Good luck!

[imagood1]

hi and welcome to the board. Each person is different in how they loose but you will loose with this WOE. I swear I've eaten better in the the 5 days I've been doing this and I've lost 7 pounds as of this morning...so whatever it is that makes it work I'm so happy to have found this WOE and all the people here.

If you don't like meat try eating cheese, if you need help figuring out what to eat there are plenty of websites (Linda's, Shiela's, etc) with wonderful suggestions (and Linda's has pictures of nearly every dish she made). I've spent a few hours looking at recipes and saving them so I could make them later. I've made a few this week and just can't believe how much FLAVOR we have at our fingertips. I don't ever remember a diet that had flavor...but then...this isn't a diet...it's a way of life! Big difference.

You'll do fine. Keep with it each and everyday. Join a few challenges and post as often as you can. If you have questions you'll find more people willing to help you than you can imagine!

Carole

[babypiggy]

Thanks Carole! So far, so good. I'm so anxious for time to pass so I can know whether I'm actually going to be successful losing fat with this new approach. Atkins WOE hasn't been too difficult yet for me--I'm sure it helps a lot that I'd already (mostly) broken my sugar obsession and my wheat obsession before I started controlling my total carbs on Induction.

[imagood1]

I think we're both lucky -- I didn't have any trouble geting use to eating this way either. I thought I'd had a time with sugar and starches but amazingly I haven't and I am so happy. I think the challenges help me and drinking water is my other godsend!

I even ate out at lunch today -- ordered a hamburger without ketchup - threw away the bun and had a side salad with 1/3 of the dressing so it only counted as 1 carb....I was actually full when I finished. Before I'd have a double hamburger, fries & a shake...amazing what a week will do. My mother sat across from me eating fries and honestly they didn't even appeal to me. I even was able to go to the store today and didn't pick up anything that wasn't allowed.

It's easier than we think -- we just have to put our minds to it. Good luck with your progress...I'll watch to see how you're doing. If you need a shoulder or want to talk let me know!!

Carole

[Sarina D]

I wanted to pop in and say hello, welcome to the board!

All the best to you,
Sarina
---------------------------
Heaviest weight last year- 400 lbs. (2007)
April 1, 2008 - 387 lbs.
Atkins start weight – 347 (July 19, 2008 )
(100 lbs. lost as of Oct 2, 2008 - Hit 300 lbs. on this day )
Current weight – 251 lbs.
Goal weight - 150 – 160