I am new to this idea and I have some questions.
My dh and I plan to start a low carb eating plan (life change not diet) After the new year, on Thursday, grocery day.
We have a weekly tradition of Saturday pizza and movie night.
We have a friend of dhs come over and the 5 of us watch a dvd, play games and I make homemade pizza. I make 1 lg pizza for each of us. I need to know, if this tradition can continue on this diet. I know pizza crust is a bread, with yeast. Since I hand make it I know there are no preservatives in it.
Also, I wonder about yogurt. I like the fruit ones, but I am concerned over the sugar in them. I like the asparatame (SP?) ones, but that sub gives me migraines. I know I need more dairy, but are these yogurts worth it? I have yet to try Splenda to see if I tolerate it well.
I have already given up sodas, which fruit juices are best? I gave up tea as well, since the caffiene is dehydrating. Right now I only drink water. I did have an orange juice yesterday but that is rare.
Why are pineapple and bananas not good? I understand about potatos, corn and peas being high in starches. Why are all root veggies no good? Do carrots have lots of starch? Onions?
I got the original Dr Atkins book at a yard sale yesterday. I have not had a chance to read it yet. The print is really small so it will take time to muddle through it.
I do beleive from my own research I do have pcos, I had a scratch test done years ago and found out of the 96 things they tested for I am allergic to 95 of them (only dogs escaped!)
Highly so to yeasts and molds. I was told at the time to cut low my breads and yogurt (I didn't eat yogurt at the time)
But according to the test results I am only supposed to eat lettuce with water, and the lettuce is iffy!
I am sort of overwhelmed by it all. I am tired of being tired, restless, the fog isn't so bad lately, I do have add tendencies, odd periods, no libido, am not able to lose weight, even with diet and lots fo excercise. I have discovered sodas, while effectively controling my seasonal allergies and asthma, make me bit grouchy.
So I obviously have more than 1 demon to battle. The eating change is the first step. Next will be adding excercise back into my day (when is didnt work out neither did I!) I plan to start with walking, and then yoga then perhaps light aerobics.
I may add weights in the spring or summer.
I know this is a lot to read, and if you made it this far, you are very patient!
Thank you all for giving me the inspration to start, and the hope that there is a way to make it work!
Any suggestions for me? Am I on the right track at least?

Hi Melissa, Well Atkins really does do what he says it does. However, there are so many things that you must give up. There is NO milk, NO yogurt, until a few months down the line, then only plain. NO fruit, and the induction diet only allows for 20 carbs a day for the first two weeks, so NO pasta, bread or potatoes. I am overweight and I have always wondered just what made me that way, because I do not eat anything any different from the people I know, yet I am the heaviest.
Typical Atkins Day Induction Diet (1st 2 weeks)

Breakfast 2 eggs any way
sausages about 4 or 5
decaf coffee or tea

Lunch meat any kind your choice (lean is best) as much as you need to feel satisfied
hard boiled egg
hunk of cheese maybe 1-1/2 oz
celery w/cream cheese 2 stalks
decaf coffee, tea, soda or water


Dinner any meat (onlything cannot be breadded)
salad
vegies

This diet does not count alories, I ate more calories than a regular non atkins diet and still lost
You can eat any kind of unbreadded meat, but keep things like organ meat to a minimum (liver, kidneys, etc)
You eat NO Margerine only Real BUTTER
Cream cheese, sour cream, Real whipping cream, real mayonnaise, half and half in coffee or tea or cooking,


On this diet you need a carb counter, I got one in a bookstore for about 3.95. The first two weeks is unlimited meat and 20 carbs daily but none of the above high carb foods (breads, pastas, etc). Also NO SUGAR, read labels. If it ends in ose, dont eat it. This diet seemed like it was too much to remember, but after the first two days it was wasy. If you get a carb counter you can be most inventive about how you eat your 20 carbs, I chose not to always waste my 20 on lettuce, but maybe cauliflower, artichoke or tomatoes. I use splenda too. Dh is daibetic and he has been doing this diet under his doctors care and has gone from 2 pills a day to one with a blood sugar of 64-90. It has always been very hard for me to lose but this diet seems great. I did not personally go to my doctor about it, but Dh's doctor says it is a great diet if you go easy on fat red meat and eggs. He prefers we eat whites mostly focussing on chicken, turket and fish. I hope you can try it if it sounds appealing. This diet would be awful for a person who does not like meat. When you are hungry eat a piece of cheese or a hamburger pattie, or a piece of chicken. Pm me if you need any q's answered I have the books and carb counter I will help anyone who wants help.... P.s. The following weeks on this diet increase carbs 5 a WEEK until you find that you are no longer losingm then you go back to the previous week, Typically a lifetime carb total of 65-90. (Doable I think)

go to www.atkinscenter.com and it will give you a list. My mom does pizza on tomatoes, instead of crust, the first 2 weeks on the diet you have no breads pastas, ect. *no fruit either.* or milk. then you decide how many carbs per day you want to do. *mine was under 20!* and i need to get back on it. tons of protein, check out the site thought it has a ton of information on it.

Oh one more note to this while I am singing the praises of Atkins... Dh's doctor says that because of the high protein in the diet, it is IMPERATIVE to drink as much water as humanly possible. This diet makes ME very thirsty so I do not find it hard to do. The best thing about it is the energy. For those of yu who feel so overwhelmed with lack of energy I think it would help (this is not medical advice, but friendly sharing from an excited participant.) I am going back on induction Jan 1 or 2 ( I too have to go shopping)

Heaven, did you mean,
http://atkinscenter.com/ ?
I think I will be doing a modified version. But I want to get all the info I can on the whole deal. I know from my reasearch that yeast and white starches are bad for me (plus they were all high marks on the scratch allergy test!)

yes i edited it after i found the site. sorry at first i had it wrong. :eek:

There is info on his books about people with allergies, yeast infections and things like that. Use the index to look things up. Thats how I used it. Too much information for me to read cover to cover.

I am doing a modified Atkins and am allowed 60 carbs per day.

Just scrape off the top of the pizza to get the protien and veggies and other stuff.

Do a cheese bake...all the goodies, cheese, especially from the lower carbs and some sauce for taste. Slowly bake it about 250-300...It is great!

Root veggies have a lot of sugar in them, that is carbs. Bananas are VERY high and it is the sugary things that make the pancreas spurt more insulin resulting in extemely efficient fat storage rather than fat wasting.

Protien actually causes the fat to NOT be stored.

When the balance of carbs exceeds the protien, then the body start doing the insulin release, that is why he want the first two weeks to be 20, so you go into ketosis.

You can also make huge omlettes....don't worry about the yolks and cholestrol, it isn't an issue unless there is starchy carbs around.

As for health, my doc suggested Atkins to me. Said it was great, to follow it through, not decide to do anything silly, like NO carbs or stay on what they call induction for longer than 2 weeks at a time.

Fats....are VERY important here.....if/when you reach a platau, it is suggested you increase fats.

Fats are BAD WITH CARBS!!!! Fats are GOOD with protien because they curb appetite and can't be stored. Carbs increase appetite.

This is NOT a low fat diet! You will read why when you start his book.

I know a lady at work who lost lots of weight on Atkins and ate the yolks and all, she ended up with lower cholesterol than before the diet, now her heart doctor is on the diet...

Originally posted by mrscornbread
I know a lady at work who lost lots of weight on Atkins and ate the yolks and all, she ended up with lower cholesterol than before the diet, now her heart doctor is on the diet...

I have also heard that low carb helps to lower the LDL "bad" cholesterol and raise the HDL "good" cholesterol.