Soooo.....after my first week and a half on Atkins, I have GAINED five pounds- which makes sense for someone eating bacon, salami and cream cheese for 10 days straight. I broke down in hysterics, then searched until I found the culprit- Splenda. The book says it's ok, and several people on this forum have suggested sprinkling it on this or that with cinnamon......so my favorite treat has been cream cheese dipped in a pile of it. I discovered today that Splenda has "less than one carb" per TEASPOON( which I safely count as one carb now that I know this) - which means I've been going WAY over carb each day by having CUPS of it.
So due to this aggressive weight gain I'm suffering a terrible loss of spirit- I find myself thinking that all it takes is for me to miscalculate how many ounces of leeks I put into my stirfry, or accidentally pick a soy sauce with traces of hidden sugar and I'll once again pack on the pounds one would expect to gain shoveling down FAT every day!
I'm about to throw in the towel and BURN my Atkins book now that i have to start from scratch with MORE weight to lose than before AND less food choices than I thought I had.....

I could use some words of wisdom/support if anyone has free time or has had experiences like this........

I'll give you the match if you can show me anywhere in the Atkins book that says you should be downing cups of Splenda,along with salami, bacon and cream cheese.

Maybe you want to READ it before you burn it?

Words of wisdom? Yes, don't eat cups of Splenda. Atkins does work well for the vast majority of people, if they do it correctly.

Bacon and salami have a lot of salt in them and can stall some people or cause them to retain water (extra weight gain?). Also, unless you didn't mention it you aren't eating any veggies, which gives you nutrients and roughage to digest and process the meat you eat so it passes through your body.

Please take the advice of others here---go back and carefully read the book---since you have very little to lose it might take longer and be a little harder as your body may not think it wants to be at the same goal weight you've chosen for it.

I might also suggest upping your exercise if you haven't already as a boost to losing.

Whatever you decide, just take care to eat healthy. Any thing in too high of portions can be damaging.

Take care!!

You aren't supposed to have ANY artificial sweeteners on Induction.. sooo.. I don't know why you would be blaming the book for this, I'm pretty sure it says it in there. Also, CUPS of Splenda?? Geez. You should be (especially on Induction!) eating WHOLE, REAL foods.. as you move past Induction, THEN you can eat that stuff. I don't get it. You said that we all mention sprinkling a little Splenda on this, a little on that.. but it should Never EVER end up being a CUP.

Hidden sugars? Some people take these seriously, I never do. If I did, I couldn't eat ANY ketchup or Ranch dressing, and sorry, those are 2 things I won't give up. I am still on Induction level cars (or about that amount) and I eat just fine.

It does say sweeteners are allowed in induction in the book. It specifically says to limit the number of packets, due to the carbs in the filler.

Wow. Cups of Splenda daily? I'd be interested to know how you manage that. There must be some serious sprinkling going on!

Well, when I think about it, Rev Rolls are allowed on Induction and there is Splenda in that.. But only 1 packet for the whole recipe. Minimal for each Rev Roll at best. But I'm wondering if the OLD Atkins Book says something about sweetener on Induction? I know it is okay in the NEW book because even the products they sell say they are Induction safe, and looking at the ingredients, they say otherwise.

I hear you.

You don't need to be reprimanded, but encouraged. :-)

Then, I'd say:

No worries. You slipped and its not totally your fault because you didn't know SPLENDA was a safe food to eat.

Then, I'd say:

It happens to all of us to slip without even knowing it, or knowing later after. Cause, labelling may be wrong, we failed to account for this or that... etc.

And,

If you feel like a food item is "too good to be true", then it probably is. Play is safe and eat "real" food. Things you know are good for you, like a steak with salad, or a cup of other veggies. Cheeze is ok, since you also need to eat fat.

I've learned that this is not a diet but a way of life WOL. What that means is that, you don't really wan't to be eating fake food items for the rest of your life, but finding things that you like and that low in carbs.

Finally, with time, if you eat real low carb foods you will feel better, more energy, and feel less and less hungry.

I know how discouraging it is after slipping and gaining weight, but in the end you MUST NOT GIVE UP, because I know that you have the will to change your bad eating habits and becoming the you that you really are, slim and healthy.

chÉ

:-)

Everyone has given excellent advice, and I agree with them 100%! Read the book and do not put it away on a bookshelf. Keep it by your side at all times, so you can refer to it when you need to.

You are not a large person. Unless you are extremely active, with a regular daily exercise routine, then you need to pay attention to calories as well as carbs. You don't necessarily need to count calories, but be aware that if you eat too much food, you will gain weight. Dr. A. said to eat "until you are satisfied, not stuffed."

MischaM, first I have to say take a breath...that post was awfully negative for #8 and what I'm assuming is a newbie to Atkins. You're frustrated and upset and you did the right thing by posting, but you MUST remember with any diet/WOE/WOL (I don't assume which this is for you) that fine-tuning it to YOU takes TIME. You are right that gaining weight in the first week as you did is not the right bodily reponse, but also keep in mind how much water retention is going on (I can speak to that firsthand). Also too, if you're going by weight, proceed carefully as to when you weigh yourself, how often, and HOW (i.e., same factors, same time of day, etc.) That being said, you are right to realize that too much Splenda (or really, too much of anything) won't work. Moderation is still a key factor in this approach to health and weight control. There is no such thing as a free ride. As said above, if something seems to be too good to be true, it very likely is. Hang in there, give this time, and carefully measure your food until you get the hang of what your body will respond well to...good luck!

Not to jump on you but how much cream cheese are you eating to have the Splenda come out to cups? I have a problem with portion control so I do feel your pain. Why don't you post what you have been eating and the amouts of everything so we could help you tweak your menu. Hang in there!

<- not a newbie to Atkins.. (#8).. Um, I just didn't know if the Old book said anything about sweeteners or not because I know the new book is revised and a lot of it has been done by people other than Dr. A himself, and the Atkins products (like the bars for meal replacement and breakfast) are marketed as being Induction safe but they aren't because of the ingredients on the back.

I don't think she meant you, LStump (with post #8), I think she meant the OP, who has only posted 8 times. I think everyone here has been very supportive, much more than my initial reaction was, anyway.

A cup of splenda has something like 24 carbs. That's why many of us use liquid splenda from SweetzFree (http://www.sweetzfree.com/). It doesn't have the fillers, thus no carbs. (I still wouldn't use cups of it, though!)

You will get out of this WOE what you put into it. You've gotten great advice, your next step is to decide whether or not you want to follow it. Either way, good luck.

Ahh got it my mistake