is bacon a free food?

[FairyCute]

i saw on the label that bacon had 0 carbs. are there any hidden carbs or is it like 0.6 carbs or something?

[agonycat]

It really depends.

What are the ingredients? If they list sugar or one of the many "ose" sweeteners then no it's not.

[Natrushka]

Originally posted by FairyCute
i saw on the label that bacon had 0 carbs. are there any hidden carbs or is it like 0.6 carbs or something?

The only 0 carb foods are very lean cuts of meat/fish/foul and fats. Everything else contains carbs. Hidden carbs, however, are not what you are dealing with here. Hidden implies that they are not listed on the label along with other carbs. Bacon and many other foods like it are in a different category - but only if you live in the US (and only on the second Tuesday of the Month -- Ok I made up that last part ;) )

For more on labeling laws in the US please refer to this thread (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28869) . For more information on foods that are 'free' please refer to your copy of DANDR.

Nat

[otenn]

Originally posted by Natrushka


The only 0 carb foods are very lean cuts of meat/fish/foul and fats. Everything else contains carbs
Nat


Nat:

I'm not sure what you meant here. Why the "very lean" distinction in the cuts of meat/fish/foul? Is a very fatty cut of meat more carby somehow? I know you also state that fats are 0 carb, so it would follow that a very fat cut of meat would also be 0 carb, but I'm still not sure what you meant by "very lean". Just wondering if I've been missing something all along here.

Mari

[Natrushka]

Mari, "very lean" is a distinction made between things like sirloin and sausages, pork chops and bacon, chicken breasts and chicken wings. A more appropriate word would be "unprocessed".

Nat

[otenn]

Ok, get it now. I was just confused by the term "cuts" I guess. I thought I had it right, but was seriously wondering when I saw that post...just semantics, but unprocessed makes more sense to me now.

Thanks
Mari

[Natrushka]

Unfortunately, though, Mari, "unprocessed" doesnt take 'cuts' of meat like liver into account. It is not processed but has carbs. The same is true for many kinds of seafood.

Nat

[otenn]

Right! I forgot about seafood, and shrimp is one of my favorite low carb foods. So I guess neither "lean" nor "unprocessed" really work in every situation. Thank heavens for fitday!

Mari

[schnebbles]

So then bacon is not really a free food? I thought DANDR says all meat, well in fact all meat! and, the coffee thing REALLY confuses me because he says you can drink decaf as free drink. I was not counting the carbs in my coffee, I now do.

Do you think that Atkins perhaps intended on those "free" foods to be just that, and we are supposed to keep our carb count to the items where we see carbs on the label? I hate this diet because of that, just when I think I'm doing it all right, I find out some new tidbit that totally screws everything I thought up!

[otenn]

Kathy:

I totally understand and empathize with your confusion. I am not sure about the coffee thing, can't really help you there. But the bacon issue is still kind of questionable. Some meats have carbs in them, even in their natural or unprocessed states. Nat mentioned liver for example, or some shellfish etc... I think you would do yourself a disservice if you were to consider them as "free foods" and overload your carb limit by a great deal if you were to indulge in them too liberally...

Bacon is "iffy" because not all meat processors use the same ingredients to finish their product. Sometimes fillers and sugars are used in processed meats, and those fillers can and sugars can accumulate quite a few carbs per piece if you aren't carefully comparing brands.

I remember for example buying two different brands of premade hamburger patties from the store. One was all beef, no filler...0 carbs per piece, and the other brand had SEVEN carbs per burger because of the bread/wheat based fillers they added. HUGE difference if you are considering meat to be a "free" food!

I think you do have to give yourself a break every once in a while and not get too hung up on the difference between a cup of coffee's worth of carbs every once in a while, but at the same time, maybe what is really good about this diet is that it has forced me to seriously consider and even research the smallest morsel of food that goes into my mouth. Atkins can be a pain in the butt, BUT, it sure beats mindlessly popping back donut after donut... :D

Mari

[schnebbles]

Mari -
Thanks for your reply.

I am going to get my DANDR book out and read more I think.

I was pretty much trying to stay at the 20 limit, did this for probably 3 weeks, was doing good, then I started gaining, cheated for 2 days (i'm not talking major cheating, but i was having candy bar, little candies and 3 cookies - not what I would call a binge, but definite cheating). So 2 days ago, I started back up, after small cheats for 2 days. Now i am back to within 1pound of what I had initially lost before I started gaining.

anyhow, so I'm back on induction. My boyfriend says, aren't you supposed to quit eating the fat after while?

I said, I don't know. Maybe?? I am not consuming huge portions of fat, i make my eggs in butter, eat some sausage and bacon, but don't eat all of these foods daily, and have pepperoni and cheese for snacks sometimes. I'm cutting out the cheese like that for a while because I am not having a good time not going to the bathroom! I am wondering if the calcium pills i am taking are aggravating tha problem as well. I may search around for an answer to that.

But, yeah, this diet can be very confusing. I look at every single thing that goes in my cart at the store, compare meat, compare sausage...

Anyhow, thanks!!

[Natrushka]

Originally posted by schnebbles
anyhow, so I'm back on induction. My boyfriend says, aren't you supposed to quit eating the fat after while?


Kathy, the bulk of your diet should be fat. 70% of your calories will come from it - and this is just what you want. Eating fat is not what makes you fat - it is what makes you full and satiated. It was the carbs that made you fat. You cut them out and the rules change.

Once you've lost your desired about of fat then things will change slightly - you'll be adding in more carbs and will have to change the ratios around a bit. But fat will always comprise the bulk of your calories.

As for your constipation - increasing fiber in the form of green veggies will take care of this. So will drinking more water and eating sufficient fat. The combination of fat, fiber and water helps to keep you regular. If you have been trying to cut down on your fat I think is the reason for the constipation. There is a great article under "Low Carb Tips" by Doreen called "Intestinal Health" that you should look at - it will provide some tips on what else you can do to help with this.

Try using www.fitday.com to keep track of carbs/fat and calories - track your food for a few days and you'll get a feeling for what you should be eating.

This 'diet' is not that complicated - but you do have to forget everything you've been told about what is 'healthy' and 'good for you'. LC must also become more than a diet to you if you are to be successful - it has to be something you do for the rest of your life.

I would suggest getting a copy of Protein Power by the Drs Eades for your LC library. It's a great book that explains in detail why LC is healthy and why it works so well to repair the damage that our modern diet has caused most of us.

Nat

[schnebbles]

Nat-

thanks! Actually I hadn't been cutting down on my fat, but I wonder if I am eating enough. I'll have to try fitday, and get some specific food items set up. I have used it before when I was following a low fat.

I'm one who doesn't have a problem eating fat!!

I think the Atkins book made me afraid to eat many veggies, because you are only allowed 1/2 cup. So, I haven't even been messing with that. I need to pick up some broccoli, I love it.

Another thing, I have not been eating my salad either, which I probably should??

I've been drinking metamucil, and do try to keep my water intake high, at least 64oz and there are days when I get more. I picked up some aloe vera gel tabs 2 days ago, I'm hoping that helps too, it has in the past.

I believe this WOE works, it's just getting used to all the rules. And like I have said, just when I think I am doing it right, I find out that say my coffee is adding carbs, when I thought it was free. But now, i'm counting them too, which makes it tougher to stick to 20! But, i'm trying.

thanks - I'll go over to fitday. I just think I learn alot more out here than in the DANDR book, his book is very informative, but there are a ton of things I have learned out here that Atkins doesn't say. I'm glad I found this place :spin:

[Natrushka]

Kathy, DANDR was re-released in Dec 2001 - sounds like you've got an older copy. Salad and veggies are not optional! They are to be eaten every day. For Induction you are allowed 3 cups of salad or 2 cups and 3/4 cup of veggies. I'd be sure to get in the veggies - they are where the fiber and micronutrients are. Once you're through induction add in more veggies still - if you want add them to salad or replace the salad with them.

Increasing fat is fun and it tastes great :) Use more olive oil, salad dressing, butter and mayo. Eat the skin on your chicken!

Water, fat and fiber will all help with the constipation - I've also heard back good reports about the yoga exercise Doreen explains.

Best of luck
Nat

[schnebbles]

Nat -
thanks! I do have the white cover DANDR, I think that is the new one, and I must have mis-understood. I'll start making sure I get the salad & veggies!

Might do a world of good :)