I do "Atkins with STGWW and YGT." What's that? I eat in the Atkins style and never count carbs because the only carbs I eat (in small quantities) are yogurt/plain, lettuce and stone ground whole wheat bread (the lowest glycemic bread out there, next to sourdough). I believe I have found the balance between controlling my cravings for carbs and good health. I probably consume 50 -75 carbs a day and am in maintenance, doing just fine. I'm regular, feel good and never crave sugars/junkfood or any other carbs in any larger quantities.

So. I've arrived. I'm there. Am I doing Atkins? Well, after 2 years on induction before moving to the other stages, and now 5 years out, I'd say - yes. I have learned that it is all about controlling my blood sugar/insulin levels. If I'm going to eat carbs, I eat the lowest in glycemic effect that I can (whole grains or plain yogurt or vegetables) and no other kinds.

I'm happy and feel great. Yes, you can get your bread back one day - I have - and I consider it to be "maintenance" or doing Atkins with CONTROLLED GOOD carbs that do not have drastic impacts on blood sugar.

I do believe that when starting Atkins you need to count every carb and leave ANYTHING off the induction list OFF your plate, however, many years away from that - like his new book promotes, there are carbs that are better (lower glycemic) than others and it pays to learn which those are and stick to those in measured quantities when moving on to way of life eating.

My typical day : (I rounded UP)

Bacon, butter - 1 piece stgww bread (20 carbs)

lettuce, chicken, mayo, 1 cup yogurt - (10 carbs)

green vegetable, fish, butter - 1 piece stgww bread- (20 carbs)

snack - yogurt 1 cup (5 carbs)

total - 55 carbs - for the day. See? You can eat low glycemic AND low carb meals and do just fine during maintenance.

Most days I eat the same thing each day. When eating out, ordering is a snap, and no, I do not eat the WHITE bread they serve/I might bring my own or eat mine as a snack when I get home.

Including this FIBER and good bacteria into my system again has made all the difference. I'd like to hear from others in maintenance or close to it who have a plan similar to mine - or just some responses for encouragement.

Nsmith4366

It was wonderful hearing from someone who has done Atkins for so long. Congratulations. I noticed that cheese is not in your typical day. Is there a reason? It looked like you are on the low side of the calorie range. Is this because you are small? Are you still losing? I found the glycemic index to be very interesting. What other low glycemic/low carb food items have you found? Dallasalis

Oh, thanks for writing! Yes, for example I use mayo at home as a salad dressing (Hellmans only!), but if I'm out at a restaurant I will always use Ranch and/or have some cheese with my meal. I do try to keep my calories low and my SATISFACTION high - this has been the KEY to my weightloss. I once lived by the "lots of fat and protein" mantra of Atkins, and yes, I needed to during the first few years - but now, I believe ADEQUATE amounts (or what I call "just enough" amounts - are not only more appropriate for me, but actually keep me at my goal weight without any deprivation or carbohydrate cravings.

There are many books on the glycemic index and I suggest you read one or two of them. The best ones are -


The New Glucose Revolution: The Authoritative Guide to the Glycemic Index--the Dietary Solution for Lifelong Health -- by Jennie Brand-Miller, et al; Paperback
Buy new: $11.17 -- Used & new from: $8.95

2. The New Glucose Revolution Pocket Guide to the Complete Glycemic Index Values -- by Jennie, Ph.D. Brand-Miller, et al; Paperback
Buy new: $6.95

3. The Glucose Revolution Pocket Guide to the Top 100 Low Glycemic Foods -- by Kaye Foster-Powell, et al; Mass Market Paperback
Buy new: $5.95 -- Used & new from: $3.73

Basically, the less processed the food, the more fiber - and protein is in the food - and the slower it is digested (the slower and LOWER it raises your insulin levels, the lower the glycemic index.

But don't be fooled. There is also the Glycemic LOAD factor.

http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/9566.html

This you can learn. It is taking into account the amount of carbohydrates in ONE serving of a food. So if a food has a very high glycemic index (like carrots) however carrots have a very LOW carbohydrate content PER SERVING, you'd have to eat like 3 pounds of carrots to have the insulin effect equal to (for example) sugar by the way.

Sound complicated? Don't let it all intimidate you. Just go here:
http://www.mendosa.com/gi.htm

and read all you can. Also : http://www.mendosa.com/low_carb_low_gi_foods.htm

----------When it comes right down to it, staying low carb means keeping your insulin levels in check. This can be done by combining low carb AND low glycemic foods - get your FIBER, get your PROTEIN and get enough CALCIUM (that's where yogurt and sardines come in - love them!)...studies show that bodies low in calcium will refuse to lose body fat also:

June 2000 OMR Press Release
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 12, 2000. The June issue of OBESITY MEDS AND RESEARCH NEWS will be on-line next week. Here's a look at our two main stories for the June issue:

Calcium and obesity. Everyone knows that the stars in those "Got milk!" ads have healthy bones and teeth. Could it be that the calcium in milk also keeps them thin? Recent epidemiological studies indicate that high calcium diets stimulate fat metabolism. In June we will cover abstracts from several recent meetings, recent research, in addition to a brand-new published study on calcium and adiposity. -----

http://newsnet.byu.edu/print/story.cfm/39390

Dietary Calcium Reduces Body Weight
Reference:
Heaney, R.P., Davies, K.M., Barger-Lux, M.J., "Calcium and Weight: Clinical Studies," Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 21(2), 2002, pages 152S-155S.

Summary:


The following information is available at Pub Med and was not written by Atkins professionals.

Data from six observational studies and three controlled trials in which calcium intake was the independent variable (and either bone mass or blood pressure the original outcome variable) have been reanalyzed to evaluate the effect of calcium intake on body weight and body fat. Analysis reveals a consistent effect of higher calcium intakes, expressed as lower body fat and/or body weight, and reduced weight gain at midlife. Similarly, studies relating nutrient intake to body composition report negative associations between calcium intake and body weight at midlife and between calcium and body fat accumulation during childhood. There is a fairly consistent effect size, with each 300 mg increment in regular calcium intake associated with approximately 1 kg less body fat in children and 2.5-3.0 kg lower body weight in adults. Taken together these data suggest that increasing calcium intake by the equivalent of two dairy servings per day could reduce the risk of overweight substantially, perhaps by as much as 70 percent.


----------------------------See? Each meal I just look to see if there is PROTEIN, FIBER from only LOW GLYCEMIC carbs (and not more than 1-25 carbs per meal - and some/not tons of FAT AND calcium in the form of broccoli, sardines, yogurt or cheese.

It's a no brainer. I eat, I wash my dishes and I go. All food I eat must be REAL food, nothing "boxed" or processed/think buy foods at the walls of your supermarket/not boxed on the shelves as much as possible - REAL lean meat/proteins, veggies, whole grain breads, yogurts, fresh fish....sounding good? Sounding healthy? No, I don't eat fruit, even fructose is one of the lowest glycemic index sugars out there - oh, maybe a handful of berries or two once in a while, but thats it. And I'm happy.

Want to know more? Just ask.

Enjoy

I was on Atkins Maintenance for about 4 years and did really well. Sad to say that I let myself revert back to high sugar high Bad carbs and gained 40 pounds last year. I restarted on Induction in Feb, and couldn't believe I ever went off the LC eating! Right now I am pregnant and I am doing the Maintenance phase. I eat similar foods to you and keep around 60 to 70 carbs a day. The one craving I keep having is for bread and unfortunately I gave in to some high carb bread 2 days in a row. But since then have replaced it with a low carb and that seems to satisfy my craving. Otherwise I have had none of the horrible early pregnancy symptoms that all my sister and cousins keep telling me if I should have because they did. No morning sickness, close to normal energy level, no acne, no mood swings, no bloaty feeling. One of them even asked me if I was sure I was pregnant!

I plan on staying on Maintenance throughout the pregnancy and nursing and then going on Induction to continue the weight loss. Just wanted to give my own experience.

If anyone's interested, I found a sugar-free whole wheat bread at Wal Mart.

Only 7 effective grams of carbs, minus 2 for fiber. I can't have it in the house because I'll eat the whole loaf, but I'm planning on using it for maintenance.