Hi everyone, I am very very new to this, only started yesterday.

I lost 16 kilos 18 months ago on Easyslim (like WW) and managed to keep most of it off for the whole time. But I filled my diet with mainly carbs, breakfast, lunch and dinner, at night I always eat pasta or rice. I was taught that it's a low fat, nutrient. I have been very run down, tired, lethargic, and generally suffering malaise. Along with all sorts of stomach problems when I eat. I started to think along the lines of a wheat allergy, but heard about Atkins. When I read the book I was convinced that my problem was overdosing on carbs and sugar addiction. So although I do also want to lose more weight, I also want to feel better. Hope someone can reassure me that you do feel better and have more energy!

I find it all a little bit overwhelming and confusing. In the book and on the computer, it states the rules of induction. Clearly giving the foods you are / aren't allowed to eat. But then in the sample recipes it has foods that I didn't think you could eat on induction. So are you allowed to eat mayonnaise? Some of the recipes have it in it. Also told that I can eat a caesar salad, which I love, but wouldn't the sauce have sugar in it, particularly from a commercial place? You can see my confusion.

I will have many more questions to follow with OWL etc. I don't really understand it all but am focussing on Induction and getting myself through the changing lifestyle, then I will worry about it the rest then.

I find breakfast probably the hardest meal to deal with. I guess I am so used to toast, cereal etc. It kind of goes against everything I have ever been taught to feel comfortable eating bacon and eggs.

Any ideas/suggestions/hints etc would be soooo much appreciated. The other hard thing is that I am so confused with pounds etc as to kilos. Plus all the Atkins products which we don't have here obviously in Australia is a bit confusing.

Hope some of you long-time Atkins-ers can help a newy like me!!!!!!

Cheers,
Kell

Hi Kell
If it is any help, the lowest carb mayo I have found is in Woollies and is made by Marketta. It is yummy & very LC.
You may feel very tired for the first couple if weeks - but it will pass.
As far as converting pounds to kilos - there are 2.2 pounds in a kilo, so get your calculator out. Actually you will find that a few Ozzies weigh & record in kilos anyway.

Good luck!

Lucy

Thanks Lucy, I will have a look for it.

I feel tired most of the time anyway, so I'm not too worried about the first few weeks, although the headaches and sugar cravings are pretty amazing! I know I can get through it and that they will pass soon!

Thanks for your help
Kell

Hi Kell,
Welcome! It's always great to see another Aussie come on board.
Re the Atkins induction foods, just eat what he says. I agree it is confusing but his recipes are for when you can cope with more carbs.
If you're not sure of the carb counts of Aussie products, try looking on www.dietclub.com.au
You don't need to be a member to type your food into the "food database." I have found it to be very helpful.
As Lucy says, you may feel pretty yuck at first, but it will pass and you'll be feeling much better.
If you need some brekkie ideas, there's a "breakfast ideas" section in the "Kitchen:low carb recipes" forum.
To get there, either click the little "home" icon at the top right of the page and scroll down the main page till you reach "Kitchen:Low Carb Recipes" OR go to the bottom of this page to "forum jump" and scroll down till you reach "Breakfast Ideas."
While you're on the main page, have a look at "Newbies Questions" (at the top ). Heaps of useful info there. Another useful place to look (when you have time! ), is the orange bar at the top of the page. I found "Low Carb Tips" to be very helpful.
Good luck, Kell.

Rosebud

PS: Whereabouts in Oz are you?

Thanks Rosebud for your encouragement.

So far so good!!!

I am in Sydney. Another question is re: supplements. What supplements is everyone in Australia taking ie. obviously not the Atkins supplements. At the moment I am on a multi vitamin. Do you think that's enough?


Cheers,
Kell

Stick to induction - it isn't that bad, just think outside the square. I am still on a plan close to induction with only 3-4 items added just for variety.

Fabulous link for coversions for recipes and just working out pounds to kgs...

convert.french-property.co.uk/cgi-bin/convert.pl


To use it - just click on which coversion you want, length, mass etc. Then type in what you want to covert, choose the measure and ta dah.

Good luck LCing. It is truly wonderful.

Hi kell,

you'll probably find you need calcium, magnesium and potassium supplements.

Cal/mag will prevent muscle ramps hich a lot of LCers suffer from...usually after about a week. The Potassium is good for fatigue and generally feeling on top of things.

The main reason we have to add the supplements is do to the amount of water we must drink. All that peeing also gets rid of a lot of essential minerals.

Welcome aboard ...always good to see more of us from down-under

Lesley

Thanks everyone for your help and ideas. They have been great.

So far so good and my hubby and I are thinking of great ideas - using our imagination, chicken with boscaiola sauce (cream, bacon and mushies) rich pumpkin soup, cauliflower and a creamy cheese sauce (a bit runnier without flour, but that's okay.).

Only days into it the weight is dropping off. My husband is already down to a weight he hasn't been at in about 5 years. We are feeling good about it.

So thanks for your support and help, I am sure I will be posting more questions soon........

Kell



"And now these things three remain - faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" 1 Corinthians 13:13

Just to let you know of a Caesar Sauce dressing that is very carb friendly. Cardini's Original Caesar Dressing is available in most supermarkets and only contains 2.1g carb per 100g. The mayonnaise we use is Norganic Golden Soya Mayonnaise which only contains 1g carb per 14g serving.

When you are past induction, look out for Alpha Life bread from Country Life bakeries, usually available in Health Food stores (they order it in for you). It is only 5g carb per slice. I agree that it is easier to have cereal and toast for breakfast. The cereal we have is Lowan's Wheat, Rice, Oat and Soy MultiBran Cereal which is also readily available in most supermarkets and is so full of fibre, the carb count is very low.

Mind you, we didn't start the bread and cereal until we were about 40 carbs per day, so stick with it and you know there is something to look forward to eventually. The caesar dressing and mayo we had from the beginning though.

Good luck.

Thanks so much,

Advice like this is great, because it's the only way to pick up handy little hints.

That bread also sounds wonderful, so once I am off induction, I will definitely chase it up.

I am trying to stay on induction for as long as I can....

Thanks again,
Kelly