suviko

I am trying out Atkins as one of my male friends lost 25kg in 8 months with it and I read a good food instructors opinion that it won't harm or kill you like some media hype suggests if you are healthy and a bit overweight to begin with.

Beign used to eating lots of fruits and milk products and little meat, the diet is starting to bore me in 2 weeks but the actual weightloss will start soon so I have decided to keep going. Anybody else been on this kind of diet? What kind of daily menues you have?

Cynthetiq

I think ratbastid is someone who's been on the diet for some time now.

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ratbastid

That's great, suviko! Welcome to Atkins! I've lost 26 lbs in about 4 months.

For your first two weeks, it's all about fat and protein. There's actually a list of acceptable foods during the Induction phase. <a href="http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/12/15-464579.html">See the List</a>.

This diet is really a process, not a menu. After your two week Induction period, you start adding foods back into your diet, one by one and category by category, until you're eating a very well-balanced (though still low-carb) diet.

This morning I had 3 slices of bacon, 3 eggs, and a cup of cottage cheese. For lunch I had 2 bratwurst and a big spinach caesar salad. I had a half cup of peanuts as a snack. For dinner tonight... I'm not sure what I'll have. But it better include some veggies--I'll probably grill up some zucchini and yellow squash in butter.

Note that there are things in what I just listed that you can't have yet (the peanuts and cottage cheese, in particular).

My main piece of advice is to go pick up Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution (I imagine there's a Finnish translation?), and read it. It has a whole section of recipes in the back.

Incidentally, if you haven't lost weight in the first two weeks of the diet, you're probably not doing it right. Most people lose 8-12 lbs their first two weeks. It slows down to a sane level of weight loss after that. Go get the book and read it, that's the main thing.

sadatx

Ratbastid and Suviko,

It's great that you were able to loose weight, Ratbastid, and that you are trying to change your eating habits for the better Suviko, but, even though there are great aspects to the Atkins diet, it will probably cause problems in the long run.

Watching those carbs (and controlling your blood-sugar level as a result) is a good thing. Getting way too much protien and saturated fat is a bad thing.

It's not like Atkins prolonged his life on his own diet. He only lived to 72. Not even up to the average age of death for the American male.

For Books (not sure about obtaining these in Finland) I'd reccomend:

HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING by Mark Bittman This is just a great all around cookbook with plenty of recipes that can be made to fit into and Atkins type diet.

THE PERRICONE PRESCRIPTION by Nicholas Perricone A book about eating to improve the health and look of your skin may seem an odd choice but the truth is that this is one of the better diet books I've seen. It has a great section of recipes in back that are all quite good and very healthy. AND easy to follow.

Also I'd reccomend that you find time to exercise no matter what diet you go on. It's more than vital. Diets won't work by themselves.


Well, I'll get off my soapbox now.

Thank you for your time.

ratbastid

I'm sure you don't mean to get me started. Do you? I'm warning you; don't get me started.

Dr. Atkins died of head injuries suffered in a fall. He was in excellent health at the time of his death. Please don't crap on the man's legacy by implying otherwise.

Exercise is a required component of the Atkins Diet. You're dead on about that one.

Any other Atkins myths you'd like to regurgitate?

Boo

Stick with it Atkins works! Don't cheat.

I am 3-4 pounds lighter than I was a week ago. I weigh 5 less but always gain the water back at about 20%. I lost a solid 34 pounds last year, NONE gained back by doing induction a few times.

I may be the exception as I gained weight all at once when I stopped smoking. Maybe it is easier for me to lose the weight back to my "norm" weight.

I do think that people have taken the "liberal quantities of fats" to a level beyond common sense. Ease up a bit on the fat. If you get ANY reddish rashes it means you are getting too much fat (Or possible worse, see a DR. Link to info:

http://www.skinsite.com/info_xanthomas.htm

Low carb does not equal no fat!

Take your supplements!

Fiber....if you know what I mean.

Eat ONLY until you are full DON'T force food in and your stomach will shrink. I can't even finish a "normal" lunch from 3 weeks ago.

Menu items:

Lean steak like sirloins. 4-6 oz size.

I like chicken in oriental sauces as it seems easier to eat a meal of it.

Mexican food is easy too, leave out the rice, beans and shells.

Lean hamburger steaks.

Lean hamburgers smashed very thin with pizza toppings.

My latest greatest is stolen but very good:

CREAMY CUCUMBER AND ONION SALAD

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:20
Categories : 0-5G Low Carb Salad-Cucumber

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp splenda
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups cucumber -- thinly sliced
1/2 cup onion -- thinly sliced

Combine sour cream, sweetener, vinegar and salt; stir. Add cucumbers and onions; toss gently. Cover and chill for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.

Per serving: 93 Calories (kcal); 6 grams Total Fat; (57% calories from fat); 2 grams Protein; 9 grams Carbohydrate; 13 milligrams Cholesterol; 283 milligrams Sodium

Works good as a dip too.

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suviko

I took this up here and not in Health cos I wanted recipes, not ideologies.

1) I am changing my eating habits for the worse. I am only slightly overweight but my bf constantly picks on me and I would like to fit back to the clothing size I wore in high school.

I usually eat pretty well balanced diet, but it was low fat as is normally told to do. The problem was I ate same stuff as my bf and then my weight was the same as his. :I Too big portions of healthy food will get you fat.

This diet is gonna wreck my pulse, I can feel the change when I train at gym. I am not doing this for life but for like 6 months. By that time, I will change back to "normal" low calorie diet and I've gotten my form back and can keep maintaining it by aerobics & cycling.

Last year I lost weight by aerobics and eating basically just soups. Atkins and aerobis is better than that.

2) I work at gym! So I do exercise a lot at times and then I lose the motivation when I feel that "now I am in good shape, I don't have to do 5 times a week, just gonna skip it today..".

-----------------


Ok, to the food:

What snacks do you eat when you watch movies and stuff? Olives and sausage bits or ham and cheese like feta seems to be ok.

mtsgsd

Those snacks are ok, if you watch the carbs. Even cheese has 1gm of carb per ounce. I sometimes buy thin sliced ham at the deli and roll them up after spreading a thin layer of cream cheese on them. Works well. Unflavored pork rinds are good too, but might take some getting used to. Celery with cream cheese is good. I sprinkle powdered chipotle pepper on them.

sadatx

Look Ratbastid, this thread is about recipes and I would never mean to get you started here by saying that Atkins was not as healthy as his followers claim. Or that, say, following a strict Atkins diet could lead to kidney disease, clogged arteries, and heart disease. Nor would I ever try to goad you on by putting a similie such as this one in my reply.

I am now done "regurgitating".


post-script: And no. I'm not trying to crap on his legacy. There are many great aspects to his diet as I have said. But I have serious concern with people who follow his diet to the letter despite serious health risks.

Bowlcut

ive been living the Atkins way since the week of Thanksgiving. I thought maybe wait till after the holidays so I could enjoy myself....at that point i said to myself....self , dont think like that thats the wrong attitude. So I started it that week. Ive never felt so good in my life, literly. I no longer have cravings, my head hurts alot less, my back has slowly quit hurting, ive got tons of energy, and overall Im better. Ive droped some serious poundage, I dont know how much cause I am still way to heavy for a scale. I have droped 7 holes on my belt. I was wearing size 56 pants which were farily tight. Now I fold them over with the belt, im too broke to buy anymore right now. So Im looking at sub 50 pant size. Im 3 holes on my belt past the smallest size i got 4 years ago in college where i started a low fat diet with exercise. after that i ballooned up to this size. 3 months later now almost, and im smaller than when i left high school and i was huge then. most people hardly believe me when I say how much I had waid cause im 6'4" and have like 3 foot broad shoulders so I carry the weight better than some.

im staying on Induction for no less than 6 months maybe longer. Ive recently started working out, i did all this loss in the wrong, no exercise. I now go to the gym 5 times a week 30 mins of cardio and an hour of weight lifting. So hopeing to speed it up, and tone.

but experiment with the recipies listed on atkins.com. some are good some taste like butt to me. i love the cheese and chilli chops they are about my favorite. oh....eat atleast romaine lettuce dont eat iceburg, it is nothing but water

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Boo

Bowlcut - Congrats on your achievements so far. Remember your supplements and water! Your exercise will only help you. I only have 4 old belt holes down.

Try these out for recipes (more like menu's):

Hamburger steak (lean beef 1/2 pound or so) covered in guacamole, lettuce, shredded longhorn cheddar cheese and a tsp of hot sauce. Serve with a side salad or I like brocoli.

Chicken breast with the lowest carb teryaki sauce you can find. I usually use up about 4-6 carbs on this one meal. I Wok it with cabbage and onions. Water down the sauce if you have to to get it all over the food.

Shrimp, shelled and cooked. Add it to salads, but watch for the cocktail sauce carbs.

I also crave pizza, so I make a huge wafer thin hamburger patty and cover it with pizza goodies (I like mushrooms, pepperoni and onion). You may have to make your own sauce using splenda to avoid carbs.

Lay out some 1/8" lean ham and spread cream cheese and chives on it, roll up and cut into 1 " mini rolls.

Remember some people lose MORE weight AFTER moving up the carb ladder.

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Hedgehog

Buy unflavored whey protein powder. 100% whey.

3 scoops whey
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 oz (guesstimate) of cream or milk
2 tbsp Splenda
water to proper consistency

whisk and pour on hot griddle. Zero-carb pancakes!

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Hedgehog

get a deep fryer and fry chicken wings, too.

I make a hot, sweet teryaki sauce with soy sauce, splenda, guar gum (for thickener), mustard, garlic powder and tabasco. Make it on the stovetop in a saucepan.

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suviko

Pancake recipe is much appreciated.

My solution to dip-problem has been salmon mayo. Works for me, I like salmon a lot and can eat it raw or steamed or in whatever form. I use it like I used to use ketchup.

I ate a fillet beef last Sunday with a good side dish: big basket of fresh button mushrooms, cut in 4 pieces, let them cook on a pan and get color, then take half of regular red pepper and small onion, chop 'em and add to the pan. A few mins more and it's delicious, looks good too.

Hedgehog

Dieting would be so much easier if I only liked mushrooms.

Try using portobello caps as halves of a hamburger bun sometime. Saw that one on Iron Chef.

I also leave out the vanilla and add some salt to that pancake recipe to get a decent bun for my burgers.

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renaldorick

I worry though that it's so high in fat...

my friend's dad went on it and actually had a heart attack after a while cause the fat intake was so high...

is there a way to control the fat?

sadatx

Yes, don't eat so much of it.

You can always try another diet. The South Beach Diet seems to be gaining some leeway in the medical community. But I don't know much about it.

Also, you can check out the Pritikin Diet for a different approach.

Boo

Yes.

I use fake butter, both heart smart and the powdered kind.

Use lean meats. Drain the fat or better yet, use a grill.

I eat halibut, tuna, shrimp and salmon.

Limit fatty cheeses.

Watch the fat in salad dressings.

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