It's time ...

[Iulia]

Hello everyone,

I have been reading the board for a long time but it is just recently, namely a couple of days ago, that I finally decided to sign up. This is such an inspiring online community that I always make time to check what's new no matter how busy I am.
I will go ahead and introduce myself ... My name is Iulia and I live in Denver, CO, but I am originally from Romania. Back in Romania, I had never had problems with my weight. I was a model and all my girlfriends had perfect bodies so I would always watch what I would eat but it wasn't a chore whatsoever. My appetite was naturally regulated and I would never eperience radical weight fluctuations. Before I came to the US, I had started dating this guy and the long-distance relationship thing proved to be the problem of my life. I was feeling lonely all the time and I soon found out how comforting food can be in those moments. In a matter of months, I developed an eating disorder and my obsession with food and dieting officialy started. I first managed to get back on track and lost 15 pounds. I felt like I had gotten my life back but then new problems in my life appeared and I gained everything back plus ... My eating disorder got worse and worse until one day when I couldn't handle it and told my parents what was going on. I felt much better after that discussion and in the months to follow I had lost again all the weight. I swore to myself nothing like that would ever happen to me. Unfortunately, it did! And this June I found myself weighing the most in my entire life, after having gained 35 pounds. None of my clothes would fit me. I closed into myself, stopped going out, sopped caring how I looked like. I was in a deep state of depression and desperation. I would look at my clohes and tried to imagine how I was able to fit in them. From getting dressed up all the time, I soon started wearing sweatshirts and sweatpants ONLY!
In June my parents came to visit me and had a shock when they saw me at the airport. My father made me go on a diet and little by little I started losing weight. Then he left and now I feel like I'm losing control again. I binged a couple of times and I'm scared to death! I refuse to have a social life and take pictures of myself because I lost all my self-confidence. I want to have my health back ... and I need to start working hard to get it RIGHT NOW! I need a lot of support because I cannot do it by myself Tomorrow is Monday and I have no excuses not to start eating healthy and exercise again.

[Georgiana]

Salut, Iulia.

I think I'll continue in English.... Once you finish Induction and determine your metabolic resistance, you will likely find it better to move to OWL rather than extend your Induction. Dr. Atkins thought moving to OWL is better than staying in Induction if you don't have a lot of weight to lose. We have also seen on the Board that those who don't have many lbs to lose often stall if they do extended Induction (it happened to me too ).

So did you plan your foods for tomorrow?

[keriann_forgoodthistime]

welcome!! first off you have come to a FABULOUS place! you will meet some of the most fantastic people here who really know what they're talking about (as I see you already have, Georgina! )...

As far as atkins goes - I have had weight problems all my life - lost and gained and lost and gained.
BUT - Atkins is the one and only diet I've ever felt like I WASN'T dieting on. It does for the first couple of rungs - but once you move through the rungs - it's just absolutely fabulous. What I personally love about this way of eating is that I'm re-learning to eat the most healthiest WHOLE foods out there.
What's great is that I've finally found a HEALTHY relationship with food. I know what to eat and anymore (8 months in) I really don't even have to think about it that much anymore. For the past few years - I've OBSESSED over counting points (weight watchers) or calories, etc...and it started to overtake my life. But now - I just know to eat whole unprocessed foods - no junk food - and it's great...
I even sneak a bit of dark chocolate in every once in a while (obviously don't do this during induction or really until you're close to goal and feel like you can handle it...)

I know you'll get a few more responses with tons of links to look at...here are two of my faves.

first - recipes - you don't have to be a gourmet chef to make these - just follow the directions:
Linda's Low Carb Recipes
also
Low Carb Diets at About.com - Atkins South Beach and More Low Carb Diets

second - blogs - my favorite blog online to read and be inspired is:
Jimmy Moore's Livin La Vida LowCarb.com
and another:
Protein Power.com

Ask ANYTHING on these boards - You will get GREAT answers.
Just make sure to follow the rules - and the weight loss will follow you.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

[FatNewMomma]

I started today, so will look to you for encouragement as well. Maybe you will be so busy encouraging me and the others that your induction phase will be a piece of cake! I haven't done anything FOR MYSELF in so long...I'm too busy taking care of my kid, my husband, my mother, my sister, and my two bosses. This next 14 days is way more about weight loss...it's about me. Come with me on this trip.

[Iulia]

Thank you all soooo much for your support! It means a lot to me ... I was talking today to my cousin and she told me smth very powerful. You cannot expect to succeed in anything if you don't trust in yourself and above all, if you don't love yourself more than anything else. So YES, it is time for all of us to become who we really want! I am ready to go on this trip and nothing should stand in my way!!! I will make sure of that!
Today I threw away all the food one shouldn't have on induction so I wouldn't be tempted. Also, I have plenty of eggs, bacon, spinach and cheese in the fridge that I absolutely love! It is so sad that I read a lot about nutrition and health but i do not practise what I preach! I know Atkins is the best diet/ way of life ever because it proved to me before to be so. Even when I knew nothing about nutrition, it was common sense for me that carbs are fattening because this is what my grandma and my mum told me and I guess I managed to maintain my weight until 3 years ago by following this advice.
Also, I wonder why staying on extended Induction stalls people ... I know that depriving yourself of carbs kind of slows down your metabolsim but what if you have a carb up day every 2 weeks? So have several Inductions separated by this high carb low fat day ... I've done some research and apparently it helps regulating your hormones.

[imagood1]

Originally Posted by Iulia

Also, I wonder why staying on extended Induction stalls people ... I know that depriving yourself of carbs kind of slows down your metabolsim but what if you have a carb up day every 2 weeks? So have several Inductions separated by this high carb low fat day ... I've done some research and apparently it helps regulating your hormones.

Hi and welcome to ADBB.

We follow the 2002 Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution (DANDR) it would be a helpful for you to have a copy of the book to refer to. The best thing you can do is read the entire book so you will know how the plan works and why Georgiana said when you don't have much weight to loose you should only do 2 weeks of induction then start adding foods back -- that way you'll keep the weight off then you reach your goal -- please read the book! At the top of the induction page you’ll find a condensed version of the book to help you start until your book arrives - (Atkins Diet Induction FAQs)http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-diet-14-day-induction/77558-atkins-diet-induction-faqs.html

Make a copy of this list (What foods can be eaten on Induction?)http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-low-carb-dieting-faqs/6781-what-foods-can-eaten-induction.html and take it with you when you go to the store. If a food isn’t listed on the acceptable food list don’t eat it. Learn to read the label on all foods you buy - don’t just look at the “carb” number look at the ingredients list of everything and check the ingredients against your list. Just because it says "low carb" doesn't mean you can eat it. Also check for hidden sugars (learn the names used in place of the word “sugar”).

The recipe sites are helpful for meal planning – just make sure you use Induction Recipes to begin with.
http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/menus.html (Linda’s)
(Never ending induction recipes)(Never ending induction recipes)(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)(Induction Recipe Basics--More recipes added)(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 to you!

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by Iulia

Also, I wonder why staying on extended Induction stalls people ...

It can be because of a vitamin/mineral deficiency, which is why adding more veggies helps. I don't think it is the carbs per se.

I know that depriving yourself of carbs kind of slows down your metabolsim

Depriving yourself of carbs or of micronutrients? If it's carbs, I doubt the information is correct. Where did you read this?

but what if you have a carb up day every 2 weeks? So have several Inductions separated by this high carb low fat day ... I've done some research and apparently it helps regulating your hormones.

Dr. Atkins had a low fat, high carb day as a method to break stalls in the 1992 plan. The problem with this (and I imagine this is also the reason why Dr. Atkins removed this "trick" from the 2002 plan) is that the longer you eat low carb, the more it reduces your glucose tolerance. So when you carb load on your low-fat, high-carb day, your plasma level of free fatty acids will increase. Research has shown that increased levels of plasma FFAs cause insulin resistance and a whole bunch of other health issues typically associated with diabetes, such as eye, skin and arterial damage.

[Iulia]

You are being all super helpful! I wasn't even expecting anything else! I did read the book and I know all the allowed foods by heart ... I don't even bother to buy any so called "low-carb" foods cause i know they are a whole bunch of crap. When you look at ingredients you can only see 8 out of 10 names you have never heard of in your entire life. So I just prefer sticking to wholesome foods. Nothing processed, no matter how healthy it may sound. I don't even buy mayo from the store ... I make it myself if I want some ... I hate how they put canola/soy oil in EVERYTHING!
Georgiana, it's good to know that carb up day would be a waste ... I won't consider it anymore. However, I don't feel good eating carbs to be honest. I am constantly hungry and I lack energy. So I'd rather eat super low carb and sticking to protein and fat. Even when I started gaining weight, it was mostly from eating WAY too much! I did not binge on cakes or other crap. Nuts, seeds, peanut butter (the whole jar) and cheese were my fav comfort foods. I have started to think that addictive foods are hiding some sort of allergy ... Like cashew and peanut buter for me. If I don't eat hem for about 2-3 weeks, I stop craving them.

P.S. My Induction is going awesome. I am having tons of energy and the first thing in the morning I can think of is going to the gym and work out.

[chinadoll]

On the carb up day proposal--my reason against it is much simpler. I find a carb up day invariably turns into a carb up week. I know I am far from alone. For many of us the reintroduction snowballs into a huge lapse and not just a planned strategy.