Some atkins questions

[slackerinabox]

I'm on induction for the 4th straight week (my first 2 didn't go so well) and have a few questions (I have the book but can't find straight answers to these):

1) I know you can have up to 20g/carbs a day during induction.. Is this a CAN or SHOULD? In other words- Will having 4 carbs on a given day really slow down my progress and should I go out of my way to make sure that I get as close to 20 as possible?

2) Spinach - Fitday list's spinach as having 1.05 carbs but also having .81 grams of fiber per serving.. Following atkins advice (total carbs - fiber=net carbs), I measure spinach as having only .24 grams of carbs per serving.. Since it's so low I often have a pretty large amount of spinach - sometimes 5 or 6 cups worth during a day (for a total of about 2g/carbs).. Is this safe or should I cut back?

3) Is there any way to reduce the stress put on your body by eating so much high sodium products? I drink over a gallon of water but am always bloated and irritable because the bacon/hotdogs/etc. that I eat causes me to retain water.. Any supplements/ tricks out there?

4) Any other advice for getting out of a stall? I quit atkins the last time that I was on it because I stalled in the 4th week and am currently stalled again.. I won't quit this time but would love any advice..

Thanks so much!

 

[rahvin]

Don't eat so much salty meat. Have broiled poultry and fish. You need to eat higher quality meats.

 

[SoylentGreen]

1) You're ruining your body in the sake of losing weight, so go for the 4 carbs a day.
2) You'll just grow huge forearms. No biggie
3) Eat a bunch of bananas a day. Have more fun with ION imbalance in your bloodstream
4) Try a normal well-rounded diet and exercise.

 

[jfall]

http://www.geekfitness.com/forums

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: jfall
http://www.geekfitness.com/forums

He posted this same thread there first. Check the diet and nutrition forum.

 

[conjur]

20mg??? That's like 0.

It's 20g not 20mg.

 

[Wingznut]

1. No, less than 20g of carbs per day will not slow down your progress... Unless you get burnt out on the lack of food choices.
2. I never realized spinach was so low! Eat away, my friend.
3. Don't eat products that are so high in sodium. Go for the fresh, non-processed meats.
4. Plateaus can be very evil... But they are part of the process. If you accept that, and just stay the course, you will overcome them. At 4 weeks was when I hit my first one, as well. Step up the exercise just a bit, cut out the artificial sweeteners, and think twice about foods that might contain "hidden carbs".

 

[notfred]

haha, you're being careful of your spinach intake, but eating plenty of bacon and hotdogs.... that sounds absolutely retarded.

But I haven't read the book, so don't listen to me.

 

[Wingznut]

Originally posted by: notfred
haha, you're being careful of your spinach intake, but eating plenty of bacon and hotdogs.... that sounds absolutely retarded.

But I haven't read the book, so don't listen to me.

Ah yes... notfreds obligatory single (hit-and-run) anti-atkins post.

Seriously... Why do you even bother?

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: Wingznut

1. No, less than 20g of carbs per day will not slow down your progress... Unless you get burnt out on the lack of food choices.
2. I never realized spinach was so low! Eat away, my friend.
3. Don't eat products that are so high in sodium. Go for the fresh, non-processed meats.
4. Plateaus can be very evil... But they are part of the process. If you accept that, and just stay the course, you will overcome them. At 4 weeks was when I hit my first one, as well. Step up the exercise just a bit, cut out the artificial sweeteners, and think twice about foods that might contain "hidden carbs".

Thanks again for yet another informative and helpful reply!

 

[Dedpuhl]

I have a question: In the recipe sections of the book, some recipes call for soya powder and protein powder. What are they and where can I get them?

 

[ThaPerculator]

It's not bad to get under the 20g. Actually, if you are stuck in a plateau, the book recommends to go back to phase 1 for a few days (hardcore mode) and kinda "shock" your system back into releasing mass amounts of FMH. Rule of thumb... if you are stuck in a plateau, exercize more, and it can't hurt to keep a dilligent log of exactly what you eat for a few days... who knows, maybe you are accidentally going over. I'm starting my 5th week, and just got over a plateau... basically I just ate a lot of steak/chicken/salad, ran/weight lifted my arse off, and popped some vitamins and after half a week i started losing again. I think it's relatively normal for the 4th week to kinda slow down for most ppl.

So far, in 4 weeks, i've lost 22 lbs, got about 20 more to lose. Keep it up, and don't give up just cuz your on a plateau. Eventually, it will subside and youll be losing again.

 

[Arkitech]

Some people don't do well on extremely low carb diets. If you find that you are'nt losing any weight and your carb intake is less than 20 grams I would say after 2 weeks to start gradually adding carbs back into your diet. Also try to at the minimum take a one a day vitamin tablet, sometimes not having enough of the right vitamins in your diet can stall weight loss. But most important try to exercise at least 3-4 times per week, dieting is good to a certain extent but nothing takes the place of exercise.

 

[rickn]

get some ketostix. they are the best way to judge if you're in ketosis, and also a great way to determine how many carbs you can take in without throwing you for a loop. The higher your carb intake, the lighter the color will be. When you are in full blown ketosis the test strip will turn really dark maroom. Drink lots of water, (diet soda's, flavored drinks like crystal light, don't count). and if you slip up, start back on phase 1 again. And for bloating, try some water pills. On Atkins, you are allowed up to 20g of carbs per day for the induction period. After induction you can increase them. That is why ketostix come in handy

 

[Turkish]

<<< ====== lost 37 lbs in 2,5 months with no stupid diets. just get off your ass and run.

 

[TubStain]

My diet/program is as follows...the target being weight loss. So far I've noticed I'm losing exactly a pound a week:

1) Dont eat carbs after 6pm, your body doesnt have enough time to burn em off, so they turn to fat when you sleep
2) Eat meat, but cooked in a healthy way, roasted/broiled, so that the fat drips off the meat. I eat lamb/salmon/chicken, some beef, and shrimp occasionally.
3) Drink 1 gallon or more of water (you seem to be doing that enough).
4) Do HIIT (High intensity interval training) for 20 minutes or more a day. <--- this is much tougher than I thought it would be.
5) Eat plenty of fresh fruit to get your fiber. or supplement with a pill.
6) Take a multivitamin and a fish oil capsule daily