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jgitzco
Tue, Jan-15-02, 17:30
OK, I am ready to be punished. I just couldn't help it. After a couple of weeks on Atkins induction, I just couldn't shove another piece of meat down my throat. So, one pint of Haagen Dazs Chocolate Chocolate Chip took that gastronomical journey instead. It was wonderful.

Ok, ok. Back to the restrictions. Someone else mentioned that they did not feel that they could stick to atkins for life. I agree with that. The food is amazingly boring and extremely expensive. I have more than enough incentive to stick with this until I lose the weight but something else will have to be used for maintenace. I won't go back to the high amount of carbos I did before, but atkins is just too far in the other direction.

AngelaR
Tue, Jan-15-02, 19:36
First of all, no Official Flogging happens here. :)

Everyone who starts goes through rough spots and learns from them.

As far as the expense goes:
What are you buying that is so expensive? The low carb bars and specialty food? You can get along without them. You can do just fine buy shopping from the veggie, meat and dairy sections of your grocery.

Is the cost of meat causing you a problem? It doesn't have to be beef evey day. Chicken is darn cheap where I live. I can buy 3 chicken legs (enough for 1 dinner for 2, and lunch for me the next day) for just a little over $2 compared to spending $14 for 2 steaks. Canned tuna and salmon are also good sources of protein. Ground beef, ground chicken, ground pork, are all good things to eat and reasonably priced. If bacon every day is out of your budget, don't have it every day. When you buy a pack, open it, repackage the whole thing by wrapping batches of 2 or 4 pieces up in wax paper, put them in a freezer bag and freeze them. Then you can have bacon once a week if you want it.

About the restrictive food:
The first 2 weeks of Atkins is restrictive on purpose. It's meant to detoxify you. After that you can start adding in more carbs according to the rules in the book. That means you can add in other veggies that are not on the list for induction, or have a bit bigger portions.

Still feel too restricted? Then check out the other plans. Protein power starts you off at 30 carbs a day, and has a wider list of suggested foods.

This is a big change to go through. It's not a short term fix or fad diet. To make it work for good, you need to adjust the way you think about eating and meal planning. It's overwhelming at first. But after a few weeks, it feels more comfortable. Hang in there. It gets better.

Are your meals boring? Wander on over to the recipe section of this site and see all the yummy things you can make. Most of them are so darn easy, it's wonderful. After a while you learn to become creative. This week I made both stuffed mushroom caps and stuffed tomatoes. I stuffed them with a mixture of grated cheese, sauted onions and red peppers, and leftover cooked broccoli, then popped them in the oven to bake until the cheese was nice and gooey. No recipe required. Just a bit of imagination.

K-Louise
Tue, Jan-15-02, 20:17
Boring??? Restrictive??? Expensive??? Have you read the maintenance section of Atkins??? It doesn't look that way to me.. and I can't WAIT to get there.

I also agree with Angela on the cost. My weekly shopping bill now is around.. ohh $120 Australian (about $60US) ... which seems a little expensive, but then I think.. I used to spend $50 a week buying breakfast (after I at it at home)... $50-$70 a week buying lunch, and then still had a $80 a week grocery bill. Now I am also not spending $5 for a cake, $2 for a bag of crisps (probably $30 a week on snacks). I figure I'm about $90 a week better off.

:D More money to spend on those new clothes.

My 2 cents worth ......

Kim

agonycat
Tue, Jan-15-02, 20:25
Originally posted by jgitzco
So, one pint of Haagen Dazs Chocolate Chocolate Chip took that gastronomical journey instead.

I won't go back to the high amount of carbos I did before, but atkins is just too far in the other direction.

Sounds a bit like you just did. Have you taken a look at other plans? Such as Protein Power? CAD? Not all low carb diets are as strict as Atkin's. Maybe you should stop and take a look at something you would feel more comfortable with.

After all, low carb is for life, not a quick weight loss scheme.

Whatever you chose to do, good luck with it.

Karen
Tue, Jan-15-02, 20:32
I have more than enough incentive to stick with this until I lose the weight but something else will have to be used for maintenace.

Have you read the Atkins book past the Induction chapter? Depending on your Critical Carb Level, ongoing weight loss and maintenance are not that restrictive. Reading the chapters on OWL and maintenance and following what Atkins says is crucial if you want to maintain your weight loss.

I agree with Angela. LC Doesn't have to be that expensive. Eggs, chicken thighs, lamb shoulder, beef shanks, etc. are easy to prepare and the leftovers can be re-interpreted. When I think of all the money I spent on lattes and banana bread and my pint of Hagen Dazs a day... :mad:... that's enough money to eat for a whole day.

I won't go back to the high amount of carbos I did before, but atkins is just too far in the other direction.

Remember, carbs got you here. Do you really want to go back? Atkins has to be extreme because you were extreme in the other direction. Ask any long term low-carber. One carb easily leads to another, and another and another...

Karen

lauraW
Wed, Jan-16-02, 08:43
Well,

If there is a flogger, I need one too. I did have a terrible day yesterday, I had an Anatomy test last nite and let myself get wayyyyyyyyy too uptite over it. I had a donut during the day and some kettlecorn, and boy did I feel it for the rest of the day..wont make that mistake again.


I am on my way into OWL after a few more days of induction..after yesterday, I feel like I need it. I have actually found that I might spend a bit more on the things now, that I SHOULD have been eating all along..the veggies for one. I never used to eat them..now I love spinach salads with mushrooms and cucumbers..

This is going to be a way of life for me..I dont have a choice..but, that is okay.. ;)

Good luck to you~
Laura

jgitzco
Wed, Jan-16-02, 08:49
I guess the real problem is that I hate to cook. I have not used an oven in almost 15 years. Everything I used to eat was either raw, came in a can, or could be prepared in a microwave. I never even boiled water.

When I look back, the vast majority of my food was carbohydrates. Other than canned tuna, meat eating was rare and never prepared at home. Omelets at the company cafeteria were great but filled with vegetables. Other than that, lots of vegetables, fruit, Italian food (especially lasagna), and lots of chocolate.

This is really a very cheap way to eat. My food bill has definitely gone up since starting Atkins. The food preparation time has gone way up. The switch to lots of meat has been very tough.

At the start, I bought a pan for cooking my own eggs. I also bought one of those George Forman thingies (very hard to clean!) to cook the meat. Maybe I'll get used to this eventually, after more time has passed. But it is very doubtful I'll ever be the type of person who actually "prepares" meals.

I understand that I can't go back to that very high carbohydrate way of eating. I do feel better and the weight loss, although extremely slow, is working. I certainly don't feel hungry. But, in a few weeks, I will start looking at the other plans mentioned. As mentioned, if this is to be long term, I have to use something that fits the way I live better.

animaldoc
Wed, Jan-16-02, 09:17
I agree with agonycat....if Atkins seems to restrictive to you, try reading one of the other books until you find one that sounds like you can live with it. I think that I eat much healthier when I stick to this WOE. It may be a little cheaper to eat bagels all the time (probably not when I buy them out!) but I feel so much better when I don't and I like how my clothes fit as well! I like to cook, but I have no time, and one thing that helps me is making things on the weekeknd that I can eat all week. Deviled eggs and string cheese are great for breakfast, the grocery store has veggies that are already cut up and you can buy dip (check the label!) and eat that with canned tuna for lunch! Also, don't beat yourself up about the occasional slipup-we're all human.

-animaldoc :wave:

BlueCarGal
Wed, Jan-16-02, 18:44
I'm not much of a meal preparer, either.

But part of what got me to be soooooo big was my seeming inability to recognize as "food" something which did not come in a box with a picture on it!

I have one of those George Foreman grills. I find it really easy to use-- it requires minimal preparation to shove a hunk of meat in it and close the lid. I live in an apartment with a Pullman-style kitchen, meaning zero counter space, so finding things that can be made easily is a priority of mine.

It's nice to see that there are other people who aren't really into the whole cooking deal. Makes me feel a bit less alienated when someone posts an elaborate-looking recipe. Although, to my credit, I'm going to try to make the low-carb whipped cream tonight-- only three ingredients and I don't have to turn the oven on!

LC Sponge
Wed, Jan-16-02, 19:19
Originally posted by jgitzco
I guess the real problem is that I hate to cook My food bill has definitely gone up since starting Atkins. The food preparation time has gone way up. The switch to lots of meat has been very tough. I also bought one of those George Forman thingies (very hard to clean!) to cook the meat. Maybe I'll get used to this eventually, after more time has passed. But it is very doubtful ...


Everything has a price. Even your health.

Marlaine
Thu, Jan-17-02, 17:02
I didn't actually go and look at your age, but I have to say this. I wish I'd had the forethought to take care of my weight problem before I hit fifty! I don't dwell on it, but I do regret all of the years I wasted packing around the pounds and vegetating on my butt!

I LOVE Atkins and I LOVE LCing! I've never felt better, healthier or more energetic in my life!

Marlaine

razzle
Thu, Jan-17-02, 17:27
Dana Carpender's current ezine has more cost-cutting LC tips. www.holdthetoast.com, then follow the archived newsletter links to the most recent one.

Odd, though--I've found that my grocery bill is LOWER, despite the free-range organic beef and organic eggs and high-quality oils and other high-ticket items I give myself. I never have days where I eat a $4 bag of chips and $4 bag of designer cookies and a $12 order out pizza anymore...and then still feel hungry after all that! :)