Hi! My name is Karen and I am from Boston, Massachusetts. I have been following the Atkins diet for 10 days now and I posted to another board a few days ago expressing my frustration at having gained 3 lbs after 8 days. Thanks to a few fellow locarbers' advice, I have modified my diet to exclude luncheon meats (I didn't realize they were not carbo-free), and made some other modifications which I am hoping will result in a weight loss. I am confused at what items I should and should not have. Such as fried pork rinds...they have no carbos but plenty of salt...and ham (same deal). The Atkins diet says you can have a salad each of the first 14 days, yet if you add up the carbos in tomatoes, cheese and other salad bar items that are allowed, the carbos add up to more than 20 per day!

I just want to make sure I am doing this right. I had my first baby last year and am still trying to lose the last 25 lbs (I gained a whopping 70 lbs!) I have a vacation coming up the second week of June and I'd like to feel comfortable wearing a bathing suit.

Any advice is much appreciated (and thanks to those of you who have offered your advice so far)!

hi Karen,

Salty foods can be a staller, but generally if you're drinking lots and lots of water (minimum 8 glasses a day) that will keep things flushed out. The problem with ham and lunch meat isn't so much the salt as the CARBS. Yes, ham, even the whole hams that you cook yourself have dextrose or sugar used in the curing process. You have to be a detective, and read those labels. I've seen some Black Forest Style hams rack up 4 carbs for a 3.5 oz (100gm) serving. Bacon is another -- ya gotta check those labels carefully. There ARE brands that are very low in sugar, so these are the ones you buy.

Um, are you following Atkins plan as per the New Diet Revolution book? Or are you kind of winging it, from a friend's advice and reading the net? You really really need to read the book to understand how lowcarbing works, how it affects your body and your metabolism, and how you will eat from now on. If you actually had the book, you would see the lists of food you can eat during Induction, and menu planners. The book is $6.99 US, paperback, available everywhere, or you could borrow a copy from the library ..

Have you had the chance to read the Basic Lowcarbing and Frequently Asked Questions articles in our Tips column? Just click on the red menu bar at the top of the page. Also, while you're there, check out Karen's Jazz Up Your Induction, for some great quick menu ideas.

Generally, leafy green vegetables, and most dark green cooked veggies are the lowest carb. Sweet onions, tomatoes, carrots, beets ... are way too high in carbs for the induction level. Click here for a BASIC list of foods to eat while on Induction. If it's not on the list, don't eat it. Period.

Read and learn! You can do this ..

Doreen

Thanks for the info, Doreen!

I actually do have the book and have read most of it. The reason I am confused is that I initially interpreted the list of free foods and others allowed the first 14 days as those that I can eat all that I want of. I have discovered, as you pointed out, that I can't eat all the ham that I want and I can't have a tomato and onions and cheese in my salad without exceeding my limit of 20. I don't think he made this clear in his book. I went to fitday.com yesterday and was amazed at how many carbos I had consumed when I thought for sure it was less than 10!