I'm on day 3 of Induction for Atkins. It's *working* in that I'm in ketosis, I've already lost 2 pounds. I"m willing to go the 2 weeks to break the sugar habit and get a kick start.

But, I'm researching other options for ongoing basis. I totally get that the whole low fat thing doesn't work.

But, being very limited for fruit and veggies makes no sense to me. Intuitively, I think fruits and veggies should be liberal.

I'd appreciate any feedback and experience.

Oh, and I want a "whole food" approach. My perception of The Zone has included much manufactured food (such as bars, certain shakes, etc).

Thank you!

hi!

I think you'll find most of the long-term people here agree with you about whole-food eating.

Even Atkins does not intend for people to keep at 2 cups veggies and 1 cup cooked veggies beyond induction. The low end of OWL he suggests is 30-45 grams per day; on the high end (for most men and other lucky folks!), 100 grams per day is fine, too.

As you ease your carbs up, I'd advise first choosing more veggies. If you subtract fiber grams (and you really should), you'll find that a 5-cup spinach salad with a bit of feta, olives, sliced red onion and oil/vinegar dressing only comes out to 6 ECC (grams less fiber grams) grams of carbs. In the evening, a 4-cup serving of mixed brocolli and cauliflower would only be 10 ECC grams. Add a bit for cheese eaten during the day, and you can see that the lowest-carb, highest-fiber veggies are hard to raise your carb count on!

So at the end of induction you can add medium-carb veggies, like carrots, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, peas in their pods, and avacados. (By the time winter comes around, you can probably even eat an occasional small serving of winter squash or yam.)

Next, as you increase your OWL carb count, add berries and melons--both the lowest carb counts AND the highest phytonutrient counts! Later, add other temperate zone fruit like apples, pears, plums, peaches, etc. One fruit a day is what I--and many of the people further into their plans--eat. The more your vary your foods, the better for you. (Tho I think most of us find it's best to avoid tropic fruits, like bananas, papayas, etc.)

You might want to check Protein Power Life Plan out of your library--the Eades focus more on whole foods, organics, good fats versus bad fats, and so on.

You're absolutely right that bars, shakes, "sugar free candy" and the like are no good for you. Not only will they slow most folks' loss, they're fake foods, full of additives you don't need, and keep us addicted to the concept of 'dessert' and 'sweet treats'--and that's an idea that got us fat, so it's best to divorce it!

It sounds like you're right on track and very wise about this. Keep reading, keep on track, and you'll be a success story, I'm sure!

I'm big on whole foods as well, and I like my fruit! Another diet you could consider after induction is The Schwarzbein Principle. She encourages you to eat only whole foods. There are a lot of manufactured foods marketed for the Zone, but you certainly don't have to use them, and you'll have better results if you don't use them. Same goes for all the other low carb junk food out there. I use it occasionally for a treat, but it's certainly not part of my daily diet. Good luck!

Jen