This is hard for me. I have made an art of being anonymous and unreachable but, success on this program has driven me out of my books and onto my computer for assistance.

I started Atkins on Feb. 22 losing a quick six the first week. Then week two hit and I gained a pound and am still there after seven days. I take the proscribed vitamins, minerals etc. and have been keeping under 20 carbs a day. I drink my 8+ glasses of water every day. I joined a gym and work out (hard) 3x/week. I try to get on my treadmill twice a week if only for 20 mins. Ketostix indicate I am burning fat like mad. Although, I just read that they also indicate fat burning when it is the fat you are consuming. This got to me. Most of my 20 carbs are fat. I can not for the life of me figure out how to make the majority of my carbs vegs as Atkins advises. Eggs, cheese, shrimp, spices, herbs, the list goes on and on, all have some carbs. By the time I put a bare bones meal together I'm pushing 5-6 carbs. I know the fat is important but it seems like every veg carries so many carbs it's basically not worth eating unless it is enhancing the protein dish. As a highly skilled cook it's important that the food taste good and not be bland (a piece of meat tossed on a plate). I have come up with many recipes that are delicious however, their carb count after seasoning and fat (heavy cream, sour cream, spice, herbs) leaves little room for a few brussels sprouts on the side.

I'm rambling, sorry. My question is, should I attempt to cut out some fat, maybe count calories (ugh!) or, ideally by me, not worry about getting so many carbs from the vegs? Indeed, is it acceptable to limit the vegs from the 2-3 cups recommended per day? I would still use some (tomato, capers, calamata olives on a great big veal chop or fish steak over spinach) just not focus so much on those salads which, by the way, seem to generate cravings afterwords anyway.

Thanks for any and all advice and encouragement.

Jones

Don't forget to subtract your fiber! If you look at the carb counts on a lot of vegetables you will find that half of the carbs come from fiber, which can be subtacted.

I don't care much for salad myself. I usually have lo-carb oatmeal for breakfast (NEED MY FIBER ). That only accounts for 3 carbs. At lunch I will have something to the amount of grilled chicken breast marinaded in italian dressing with green beans swimming in butter . That only counts for about 5. That leaves about 12 for dinner and a snack. Have a steak and some some broccolli and you have it made.

To make a long story short...keep the fat high, but don't cut out the veggies. A lot of people find that they don't lose well until they up their vegetables. Others watch calories. Since I don't, I can't offer much advise in this category.

Good luck!

Hi Jones,

KDdid is right, you have to subtract the fiber grams from the total carb grams, because it passes through your body unmetabolized. You might want to reread the induction chapter, or check out the induction rules here , because it's really important that you get those vegetables. Twenty grams of carbs isn't just the upper limit, it's what you should be getting - no less. You can't "spend" all your carb allowance on dairy - you're limited to 3 or 4 oz of cheese and 2 fluid ounces (4 Tbsp) of creme. Sour cream is to be used sparingly. Spices shouldn't be a problem if you stick to what's on the list.

Remember, too, that it's perfectly normal for weight loss to start and stop, especially after the first week or two. Unfortunately, it isn't a directly downhill journey. What you're experiencing is normal. Happens to us all. Hang in there!

Wow, I wish I knew about y'all the day I started this. I really appreciate your responses to my questions. I am now going to begin the long journey through this sight to gather the plethora of info, wisdom and experience offered here.

I have been deducting the fiber but, I had suspected that it was the dairy and I take your comments as a confirmation of that. At the very least I will tweek my eating plan and see how my body responds. It is obvious to me that this program is very individual and requires attention to one's own bodily reactions.

I checked out "fitday" and while I have been recording my data in a notebook, I think I'll take advantage of the enhanced data processing offered by that program. Looks good to me!

P.S. THAT PESKY POUND DISAPPEARED TODAY! (No dairy yesterday)

Many thanks,
Jones