Low Carb Forum for Atkins Diet & South Beach Diet

[nsideirish]

Hi ya'll. I plan on starting the diet tomorrow. I am not worried at all about not being able to eat pasta, breads, etc. as I usually have eggs and bacon for breakfast and a chicken breast for lunch. However, I noticed in the induction phase, it said that one should try to consume a certain amount of carbs from veggies daily. Is this absolutely necessary for the diet to work? I do not really enjoy the vegetables listed. And I am not sure how to add up the carbs from the veggies (I have never been on any kind of set diet before). I am guessing that the veggies are necessary for fiber and digestion. Would it be acceptable to have a fiber supplement as a replacement?
Thanks for any help.

[maxomo]

Yes you NEED veggies!

Try to find ones you like. Not only is it important for the fiber but also for the vitamins and other nutrients.

I found when I started I hated salad veggies. But I quickly got over that by eating salad with tons of meat, cheese and dressing on it. I also made stir fries with bell peppers, celery and onion. Now I crave salad and absolutely love it. I always have a large bowl of salad prepared in the fridge so that I can quickly make a meal.

Personally I never measured the induction friendly veggies but I do keep track of the higher carb veggies and limit those. There are several sites than give nutritional info for veggies and something like fitday . com can help you keep track.

[Tril]

The induction foods list on the Atkins site has the net carbs for each approved veggies. And yes, you need to eat veggies if you're going to follow Atkins. It's not Atkins if you don't. Even his '72 version required it.

There are vitamins, minerals and fiber in those vegetables that your body requires for health. Will you lose weight without them? Probably. Will you be healthier without them? Doubt it. Does it take time and effort to learn the carb counts and actually tally the carbs each day? Of course. If that effort isn't worth it to you... then perhaps this diet isn't the one for you. But I always tell myself that anything worth having is worth working for.... and despite all of the info-mercials that tell you otherwise, weight loss IS WORK.

Tril

[hodja]

Veggies aren't so bad. You only have to eat three cups of them anyway. That's one cup per meal. A cup of salad greens is like nothing.

There are lots of recipes to make cauliflower a good substitute for potatoes or rice. It helps to have something to put the butter on.

It's also a good idea to read the book, cover to cover, and really understand it. I believe Atkins got a bad reputation among nurses and others because people were simply dropping their carb count and living on meat and low carb beer and calling it "Atkins". When you hear Atkins is safe and healthy, that only applies to Atkins the way the good doctor wrote it out.

I'm new too. If you can see your way to eating those greens we can help each other through the infamous Atkin's Flu.

[Tril]

The three cup rule on veggies was rewritten. The expectation for vegetables now is to eat 12 to 15 net grams of carb from the approved vegetables per day. If you're eating lettuces, that's a LOT more than 3 cups. If you're eating onions and avocado, it could be 3 cups. Oh, which reminds me... olives and avocado are now on the veggie list. They aren't part of the "other" carbohydrate foods you can have, like cream, salad dressing and cheese.

Get used to eating vegetables and you'll never regret it. BTW, the first rung of the OWL ladder is 5 more net grams from vegetables. So after Induction, each day you'll be eating 17 to 20 net grams... from vegetables. You'll be eating MORE, not less. Keep experimenting with different vegetables... both the kind you're eating and the way you're cooking them. Some people prefer fresh over cooked, or roasted over steamed. Try not to get into a tossed salad rut... make other salads like caprese, cole slaws and chopped salads. Toss cooked veggies with a vinagrette for a change. Make a cheese sauce for broccoli and cauliflower. Make a spicey, chunky tomato sauce for spaghetti squash (my favorite way to eat veggies) and top with fresh grated parmesan reggiano.... have this with garlic chicken. YUM!

So yeah... veggies ARE important for the success of this diet AND for your long term health,.

[tracyred]

roasted cauliflower with olive oil and salt (or onion powder...or garlix powder...or all 3) is incredibly good (tril put me on to that) - even better mixed with roasted broccoli !

also - bag of frozen broccoli, cup of chicken stock, cook til brocc is softened, puree and add heavy cream for soup (i like it with lots of black pepper too) - also good with cauliflower, asparagus, canned tomato etc....


a cup is worth around 4-5 nc of carbs....depending on the veg used of course.

t

[Batyaboo]

[hodja]

[Tril]

From the Atkins website:

"Vegetables:

You should be eating approximately 12 to 15 grams of net carbs per day in the form of vegetables, which is equivalent to several cups depending on the actual carb content of the veggies you select."

[hodja]

So, three one cup salads containing five grams of carbohydrate each can be measured by volume if the vegetables used average five grams per cup raw.

There is no minimum daily carbohydrate requirement for health. Any harm that could come from eating too little salad is not from the carbohydrate count but from the lack of vitamins and minerals in the vegetables. Having a variety of these is more important than adjusting the volume of specific foods to maintain a specific minimum carb count.

I don't know who is maintaining the "Atkins website" or which one you meant, Tril, but the one I saw was too clunky to read, and I got turned off by the advertisements for the snack bars and shakes.

[Tril]

The website I quoted is "the" Atkins website... www.atkins.com. There are certainly advertisements (they ARE in business to make money, right?) but the information is still there for anyone who wants it... skip the ads and read about the 4 phases, check out the science part and the FAQ.

The diet on this site is the updated version of the last edition of Dr. Atkins' book. Some people prefer the 1972 version, others like the last edition (2002?) and some use the updated guidelines. Personally, I like the latest diet... it's based on information that wasn't available when Dr A was alive and LOT has been learned about eating low carb since then.

[merlot]

nsideirish -

One of the most fun things I have found on my 6 months on Atkins is discovering there is a global cornucopia of veggies at hand!

For more detail, ask me or better still, go on the Internet and google. Try Linda's Low Carb site or any others that come up. You will be amazed at the variety of recipes available. NOW the question, "Do you like to cook?" This is your chance to become a gourmand!!

Pumpkin - once on OWL (Ongoing Weight Loss), pumpkin is very versatile.

From Mexico, buy an ugly Jicama - pare it like a potato, slice it and enjoy it as a snack! Dip thinly cut slices (instead of potato chips) into sour cream dip. (Watch how many, tho...veggies DO have carbs!) Spread it with Philly Cheese flavors you like, even for breakfast! It is crunchy and juicy, like a VERY mild apple. You can shred it, and after you fry your bacon for breakfast, brown it in the bacon grease for a "hashbrown" substitute. (ALSO can do the same with daikon, turnip and plain old grated radishes!) NOT exactly like potatoes, but something nice as a side to "sop up" egg yolk!!

Another "South of the Border" veggie is Chayote Squash. Peel it and IMMEDIATELY wash your hands and rinse the veggie and dry it with a paper towel. It is sticky!! Once you do that, many think it resembles apple enough to make a low carb apple dish, using brown SugarTwin and butter (save for after Induction) I like it simmered a long time (it's dense) until tender and serve with parmesan and butter. It stays crunchy, unlike American squashes.

The Asian influence gives us Daikon...your "foot long white radish" - and I love it in salads and sliced in rounds to spread my Salmon Philly Cheese on. Also Bok Choi cabbage...it's long, not round like ours. Think of ways to steam a little and use it for a wrap instead of lettuce!

Cauliflower makes faux mashed potatoes, faux rice, even faux corn and wheat tortilla shells! It's quite "faux" as you can see. I like it raw, sliced in salads and steamed with cheese as well.

Zucchini makes all kinds of substitutes, just like cauliflower. Breakfast patties after squeezing them dry and adding egg substitutes and spices are good. Some say you can make a pizza crust from them. Haven't tried yet so can't say.

Eggplant - you CAN make a very low carb and delicious eggplant Parmesan. If on Induction, make sure all the ingredients meet the standards. POM sieved tomatoes are the lowest carb I have found but be sparing. It's safer to wait until OWL for spaghetti type sauces. Otherwise, just steam and add Parmesan for a good side dish.

Marinate cucumbers in vinegar overnight for a GREAT side dish. After draining, you can smooth them out with a Tbsp of sour cream and a dash of black pepper for a nice side salad.

Stuff celery with Kraft Old English spread for that "need for a snack."

Use red leaf or butter (Boston or Bibb) lettuce as the "wrap" instead of a flour tortilla for a burrito or fajitas. Use all the same filling, but wrap instead.

Don't forget authentic soul food from the American South ... greens. Collards, simmered in low salt chicken broth and flavored with ham or bacon is SO good!

Portobello mushrooms can be sliced SO thick they can be a base for a pizza-type snack or meal.

Artichokes in lemon butter...mmm. Fresh asparagus, wrapped in bacon and grilled...spectacular.

And do NOT forget the absolutely creamy avocado, simply divided up squirted with lemon juice OR made into delicious guacamole!! And what about a taco salad for dinner with lettuce, avocado, a little diced tomato, celery and green onion, Mexican spiced-up hamburger, with crunched up pork rinds and cheddar cheese on top and 1-2 Tbsp Ranch Dressing? Who needs the "shell" and the beans?

[Bliss Pirate]

Just a quick note for those who don't like vegi's - give them another chance after 2 weeks of induction - you will find them sweeter and more tasty then you remember.

Once you eliminate the sugar, you can actually start to taste what real food tastes like.