I am worried about doing Atkins and being a Vegetarian. I have done this before, with success, but I always see others post about eating 0 carb tuna and other meats. I just think to myself, well no wonder they are doing so well, they can eat more calories/protein without any added carbs. If I eat those Yves veggie meats, they contain quite a few carbs (the evaporated cane juice.) I also find myself eating more cheese than Dr. Atkins' recommendation of 4 oz per day (I'm on induction levels still). I understand that I have to make some accommodations to make Atkins fit my lifestyle/eating choices, but I sometimes feel a little insecure. Any help/advice would be appreciated!

Assuming you are doing - or are willing to do - a regular exercise plan which includes a minimum of 3 days per week of resistance exercise, you can do a vegetarian CKD.

hi PB girl!

I think that any type of lifestyle change is always scary and worriesome. I was also worried starting out on atkins. Just believe in yourself and that you can do this and you can!! It may be hard at first. It was hard for me also. But it will become so easy in time that it will become second nature!

If you go a little over 20 grams because of the veggie meat, if it seems to be working for you, I would not be worried about it. When starting atkins I made a few changes as well such as eating veggie meat on induction and not limiting my veggies to 3 C.

Just keep a positive attitude and you will do great!

i agree with etoiles. don't worry if you go a little over the 20 gram carbs per day...remember, we are naturally eating less fat, so it balances out (you may recall that fat levels go down in the OWL period as carb levels go up).

also, if you do eat eggs and dairy, make these your staples for the two weeks. look for the lower carb cheeses as they do vary.

thanks guys!

Yup. I have to weigh in and agree-- I'm a lacto/ovo veggie (21 years) with NO fish or chicken included in my diet. I did well on Atkins by using veggie meats, eggs, cheese, low carb bars, keto premade drinks, (you can find these at Vitamin Shoppe) and lots of salad with full fat dressing. I probably kept my carbs at around 30grams, as I did not count salad carbs at all. I also exercised, and I always got into ketosis. Morningstar Farms had veggie bacon and veggie sausage. I used the sausage for snacks. I also allowed myself an Atkins caramel nut chew, or some other type of lc candy, each day to keep my sanity. The first two weeks on this diet were monotonous, but it really paid off. My BP dropped to better than normal, and I felt healthier. I also learned that I had been allergic to wheat-- a fact that I had never known, and that had been keeping my tummy bloated for most of my life. Oh-- and when I ate out, I had fried tofu in a local asian restaurant, or I had scrambled eggs or omelets with a salad at diners. If you like Indian food, I had a paneer dish made in the tandoor, served with veggies but no sauce. That's about all I could eat away from home during induction. I also carried string cheese with me. A cheat would be hummous with veggie sticks-- but as I said, you don't have to be perfect if you are exercising.

Good luck and do not be intimidated by all the people who decide to put meat and fish back into their diet. You don't have to do it that way. And you don't have to be at 20 grams of carbs to get into ketosis, especially if you are exercising. I lost 21 pounds last summer doing things this way.

Faith

Excellent post.

Oh my stars. It's such an honor getting this reply from one such as yourself, Steve!

Faith (blushing.)