OK. This ones going to be the biggest hurdle...

I have the thirst from hell.....

Drinks? I dont drink much tea or coffee, but need some flavour in my drinks even if its water...

Has anyone got some suitable induction time ideas for drinks?

Thanks again.

GM

I drink really watered down crystal light...it seems to work for me.
I can't drink just plain water all day!
Hasn't stalled my weight loss...

Diet cordial or diet fizzy drink. Both have artificial sweeteners but Atkins doesn't rule out having artificial sweeteners, just says you shouldn't have too much. He had a thing against aspartame but there has been decent scientific evidence since then that it's not a major health risk. You'll have to make up your own mind about whether you think artificial sweeteners are healthy. Some people find they make it harder for them to lose weight. But many of us have no problems with them. You'll need to try it and make up your own mind.

I'd say weak cordial would be best.

(Yes, I wrote this post using Australian terms since the OP is an Aussie. For the Americans, fizzy drink = soft drink, not sure what cordial translates as).

Atkins is also caffeine free (although many people don't follow that part of it, I don't), so if you're doing real Atkins and want fizzy drink, stay away from the diet coke/pepsi max and go for diet sprite, fanta or the oodles of home brand diet drinks in the supermarket.

Crystal Light? What is it? There may be an equiv' here in Australia.



No probs on the caffeine!

Ill check out the aspartame type drinks.

Thanks again guys...

GM

Lots of people add either lemon or lime juice to water which is allowed on induction
Also I have heard of adding a slice of cucumber or lemon/lime to make it more palatable

I tend to drink alot of iced herbal teas...most are decaf. I still drink alot of water but I like the variety of adding the herbal teas....and I'm not talking about the bottled tea, I'm talking about the tea bags you make yourself. I find I can drink almost a full gallon of the herbal tea a day and I simply can't do that with water.

do you guys have kool-aid down under? ok somehow this brings to mind the kool-aid pitcher guy yelling "CROIKEY!" instead of "oh yeah!" *smacks forehead*

crystal light is a drink mix powder, usually sweetened with aspartame, or possibly splenda. they've recently come out with individual serving packets... one packet will flavor 20oz of water. if you can't get those, you can get a bunch of packets of kool-aid and portion them out with splenda. that's something i've been meaning to do for a while now.

Funny stuff. hehehe
Not sure if that was intended....

No, we dont have kool aid either. Australian foods are mostly quite different. Especially when eating out. You breakfasts especially are different.
Ive been doing pretty well so far with mineral water and adding a squirt of lemon if I need a flavour fix.

The Mrs is a bit of a cafeine junkie so getting off the coke and coffee has been a bit more work for her. I got some caffiene free diet coke and decaf for her today. See how we go.

Thanks again.

GM

First thing in the morning when I get up I am always very thirsty so I drink a 1 litre bottle of water that has been sitting overnight in the fridge.
I refill the bottle and put it back into the fridge.

After that I have a cup of tea and then breakfast.

Later that day I drink 1 or 2 caffeine free diet pepsis (can or bottle) and then before the day is over I drink another 1 litre bottle of water and refill the bottle and back into the fridge with it.

I even sometimes add lemon or lime juice to my water if I get bored with it
and if I want hot drink before bed I have hot water from the kettle with a slice of lemon or lime in it.
I have tried herbal teas but find them nasty. I've yet to find one I like.

HTH.

Do you live near an Aldi's? I know they have them in Oz. If you do, I'd recommend seeing if they carry "Fit and Active Naturally Flavoured Beverage". It's sweetened with Splenda, 0 cals and no listed carbs (but you're supposed to count one serving of artificial sweetener as one carb). But as you said, there's a big difference in what you guys have to offer.

If mineral water gets to be too expensive, do they sell seltzer/club soda there?

I thought that only powdered ones counted because of the Maltodextrin.

Some people count all of them, some count the powdered ones. I count them all, just because it's easier. Just like I count each serving of cheese and each egg as one. I don't do fractions well and I like to be on the safe side.

It might be that I worry too much about nothing, though.

Ok, thanks. I use the artificial sweeteners a bit (liquid Splenda mostly). Just wanted to make sure I didn't count them.

I'm American and I always considered a cordial a liqueur after dinner. Hick!

lol I have since been enlightened by an very nice English woman that a cordial can also be en sorts of a fruit juice/drink.

Stevia is known for helping to balance blood sugars, and it doesnt' cause tooth decay.

I hate the taste of water. To get it down it has to be really really cold with lots of chopped ice in it. Except,....I found this new stuff, it's Stevia Sweetner that you put in water, tea, etc., It comes in lots of flavors, I love the peppermint, vanilla creme and root beer and cinnamon. I also have lemon drop. They sound expensive, but you use 1 drop of Stevia for every ounce (er, no sure how that translates, but in a fizzy/soft drink/pop that is 12 oz., you would use 6 drops.) There are about 240 "servings" - a serving = 5 drops in a bottle. I don't drink tea, but it makes the water much more palatable.

Says on the label you can put it in smoothies, milk, sparkling water, plain yogurt, coffee and tea. Needs refrig. after opening.

Has 0 carbs, 0 cal. 0 glycemic index. Contains: "proprietary blend .5ml" whatever that is, and purified water and Stevia leaf extract, natural flaors and grapefruit seed extract....If I remember right, the grapefruit seed extract is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and an all over "good thing." (But this is open to dispute.

Here is a place that ships International http://www.vitaminlife.com/file_inc.../file/new_items I've seen everything from $10 to $15 charged for a bottle. I don't notice bitterness either, but I've heard that depends on how much you use, just of the Stevia, e.g., less is better than more. I'm addicted! to Diet Coke and have been struggling to come off it...and this really helps to "satisfy" like the Diet coke does--that back of the throat "hunger"...not sure why.