New to Atkins! Let's get started!

[lefrye13]

hey all! my name is lindsay, and i'm 23 years old. i actually began atkins about 10 days ago, but i cheated tonight with some cheetos and cookies. pretty bad cheat, huh? during my "induction" though, i didn't really stick to just the items on the induction list. i would sneak a whole wheat ritz cracker every once in a while, mainly b/c my boyfriend was worried that my blood sugar was getting too low without many carbs. i would also have some sugar-free jello, jack and diets (i know alcohol is a no-no), and other little treats.

however, i have decided to get serious about this. i am starting induction over today, and i am gonna stick strictly to the items on the list. no alcohol is pretty hard for me. i mean, i'm 23 and hang with a pretty crazy bunch. i am determined though. i am worried about the whole blood sugar thing. on about my 3rd day of induction, i got extremely dizzy to the point where i thought i was gonna collapse. can anyone tell me why this is? i'm not too big on veggies. i really only like them raw...broccoli and cauliflower are my favs, but that can get pretty boring after a while. any ideas?

anywho, before tonight (probably added some pounds with these cheetos), i had lost about 8 pounds. i began at 161, and got down to 153. my goal weight is about 135. wish me luck, and best of luck to all of you!

any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Slidesdownmountains]

Hello - welcome!

Well done for getting on board with this new way of eating!

Now after a bit of a play with starting atkins, I think you owe yourself a good clean induction - read the book to give you the background on why this diet works, how it will benefit you and what you can expect (Dr. Aktins New Diet Revolution 2002 edition).

The purpose of induction is to give you a good kickstart, to kill off your sugar cravings and to bring you down to a minimal carb intake, from which level you can safely begin to add more back as time goes on.

Ironically, this diet will do wonders for your blood sugar levels - something cheetos and cookies will not!!
I would really strongly advise to steer clear of the alcohol until the appropriate stage in atkins - NeutronNorman posted a very interesting article about how alcohol not only adds carbs and calories, but can stall weight loss by becoming the fuel your body uses instead of the fat we want it to burn! Grrr!! (Also for me, if I have a night out and a few vodka slimlines, I find that though they weren't very much in net carbs, I get very low blood sugar all next day and crave pizza and bread!! But I digress....) ;-)
Seriously, though - do make sure you are eating enough, drink loads of water and take your supplements - you don't need to worry too much about calories, so don't feel guilty!

It's normal in the first few days to feel pretty bleugh, as the sugars leave your system and you adjust to burning fat as fuel rather than carbohydrate - you'll hear this referred to as 'induction flu' - but this only lasts a couple of days.
After about 3 or 4 days when you should hopefully start getting into ketosis, you'll notice a huge drop in appetite and a surge in energy levels, which makes it all worth it
There is a lot of help available here for you, so don't be afraid to ask!

Congratulations on your losses so far

[liv]

It is not really a blood sugar thing - it is the transition to ketosis that is happening around day 3. We call in induction flue. Most people experience it. Just take it easy drink water and it will pass very quickly and you are into ketosis burning.
Perhaps reading through some of the chapters in the book (if you have it yet) will help you understand some of the things that is happening so you will not worry and so easily get talked into eating a cookie.

Glad you are here and glad you have decided to give it a go. You will not regret it.

About veggies. I think most low carb diets really push veggies. Good nutrition and will not give any bloodsugar rush. Overall healthy stuff that if we all ate a lot of everyday we would do pretty good. I suggest starting out with the ones you do like. And then gradually try more things. We often find that we change a bit once on the plan. I eat veggies now I would not even look at before (like zucchini) and I have tried some new things that have expanded my vegetable horizon.
There are some cool recipes that allow you to do plenty of neat things with veggies. Like the crustless quiche

[IrishIrish]

And it is important to drink a lot of water. Dehydration may cause dizziness, too. If you feel light headed, have a low carb snack like a few pieces of pepperoni or slice of turkey or a small amount of cheese. It actually does work.

[imagood1]

We recommend you get a copy of the 2002 Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution (DANDR) the book we use for reference on this site. Until you can get a copy of the book check the stickies (information posts) at the top of the induction page - (Atkins Diet Induction FAQs)http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-diet-14-day-induction/77558-atkins-diet-induction-faqs.html – it’s a condensed version of everything you’ll need to know. Even through the stickies are a good start they don’t detail the entire program, so that’s why we suggest you have the book to follow.

Post often, ask questions join some of the challenges - the more you use the forum the more you'll get out of it.

Before you start:
*take your measurements and get on the scale so you have accurate numbers to start with - don't weigh again until the end of your 2 week induction.
*Eat a variety of meats, cheeses and vegetables. Also make sure you get your fats, carbs and protein in daily – www.fitday.com will help you keep track of this.
*Drink 64 ounces of pure water -nothing added daily (Legal water is considered Filtered water, Mineral water, Spring water and Tap water).
*Take your supplements and start an exercise routine today.

The Atkins shakes and bars are not legal on induction – there are non-induction ingredients in them and they are not listed on the acceptable food list. If a food isn’t listed on the acceptable food list it doesn’t belong in your mouth – no exceptions!

The recipe sites are a helpful meal planning tool – just make sure you use Induction Recipes to begin with.
Recipe Sites
http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/menus.html (Linda’s)
(Never ending induction recipes)http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-diet-14-day-induction/58513-never-ending-induction-recipes.html (Induction recipes)
(Induction Recipe Basics--More recipes added)http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-diet-14-day-induction/6807-induction-recipe-basics-more-recipes-added.html (Induction Recipe Basics)

If you need anything we’re here to help you!! Good luck.

[Lovebug3168]

Welcome.. what I was told was the only person you are cheating on is yourself!!! Best of luck!! You can do it.