Dear Newbies!

Firs of all: welcome to this forum! I'm not exactly a veteran but I hope I'm qualified enough to give you some friendly advice.
Take it as a "check-list", I surely wish I had one when I started this......

1. Read the book! Atkins, Protein Power, any other book about the plan you're about to start.
2. If you have decided to do Atkins - use www.atkinscenter.com
It's a great site with all essential info you'll need and they are really giving it away for free. List of legal foods, rules of Induction, possible effects of medications, things to be prepared for in the first days, info on how much you can lose and how soon, success stories, FAQs - it's all there.
3. Check with your doctor to rule out a possible kidney disease since people who suffer from it are NOT supposed to do the plan. A good health check before you start is good anyway: are you taking any medication which can interfere with the plan?
4. Come to this forum.... , well, I guess you have! You will find lots of great info and support here.
5. Get rid of all bad carbs you have at home or/and say to yourself those illegal foods don't exist for you anymore.
6. Do some real Atkins shopping, buy foods which are allowed on Induction. Try to pick those you really like to motivate you even more.
7. Go to fitday.com food calculator and use it to calculate what you're eating. I know I'm not Einstein and I could never calculate all this without fitday. Besides, fitday will also calculate all the nutrients in your daily food.
8. Stick to Induction rules to 100%. Doing it right the first time is a key to success.
9. Be strong to face cravings and sugar/carb withdrawal symptoms (nausea, headache, bad mood etc) Those go away after a few days if you stick to the plan.
10. WATER! Drink the amount of pure water rec. by Atkins and more. This WOE is a natural water-pill and most of the weight you'll lose in the beginning will be water. Drink in order to avoid dehydration, this will make your body reach the water balance. Also, the process of carb detox makes kidney work overtime and they really need oceans of water to get rid of the toxins.
11. Eat smaller meals 4-5 times/day. Eat even when you're not hungry. Don't skip meals. Don't be afraid of eating fat. No fat - no fatburning.
12. Eat fresh veggies from those allowed on induction: they contain fibre your body needs and the small amounts of natural sugar to supress your cravings. Believe me: even cauliflower tasted sweet to me and still does!
13. Set up realistic goals, a fair loss for first two weeks is 10%, but some medications/conditions can affect that.
14. Learn to aprecciate other benefits of lowcarbing, see a link below.
15. Refuse to be a slave to your scale! Measure your body and watch it melting. Example: I had the very same weight for 4 weeks but I've lost 4 inches in my waist only.
16. Take it easy on salt and salty foods, they make you retain water which shows on the scale.
17. Finally: give this plan at least 2 months try. Some people need a longer time before their bodies reach a balance needed.
18. Come here to post your questions.
19. Check the links below and my Fitday.
20. Have a great success!

I'm sure I've forgotten something anyway, everyone is welcome to continue my list.
If this can help just one person, it was worth it!
Welcome and good luck!
Alina
My best measure: vintage 1995 jeans!

Great list! The only 2 things I can add are:

21. Take your supplements!

22. Go to the recipe section in this forum and try different recipes to keep things interesting and to not get in a rut.

That's all, folks!

N.

Thanks, Nikki!

Of course, the supplements. A good multivitamin with minerals is a basic thing.
a

Great thread Alina! I love it when the newly converted are out there helping others!

23. Don't worry about making mistakes. It won't be the end of your low-carb world! Everyone does and that's how everyone learns. It's nothing to feel guilty about or beat up on yourself for.

24. Every few months, re-read the book of your chosen plan. You will be amazed at the information you missed on the first reading.

25. Low-carbing is a learning process, just like anything else you learn how to do. Just keep on learning! When you feel comfortable with low-carbing, expand your horizons a little. Learn what does and what doesn't work for you.

26. If you're feeling a little weak, take it "one day at a time" or even one minute at a time. You can do anything for just one day or one minute. The next day, do it again! That's how you'll turn what started to be a diet as a permanent lifestyle change that will give you years of health and energy.

Karen

An addition.....

27. Exercise. Cardio for your heart and health, weight lifting for your metabolism and lean mass. You won't be sorry you did.

Nat

Karen and Nat - I think I
Thank you!
Alina

What an encouraging post! Way to go everyone on being positive and giving excellent advice.

Cindy

Wonderful Advice from all of you thank you.

I have been struggling with pretty intense cravings and withdrawals for my first two weeks and so far have not messed up. I leave all my books on Low carbing in my spot next to the couch and will reach for any one and re-read a chapter or so and it does pass and helps to remind me of why i am doing this after all.
Peachy

Alina,
Great thread and all the other additions from the experts what a wonderful idea. Pat S

I wish this had been here when I started! Great idea!

What a very helpful thread... here's something I wish I'd have known...

28. Your progress will likely look like an EKG chart... 2 pounds down, 1 UP, 3 down, 2 down, 2 UP...etc. It is over the long-haul that you will see the downward trend...so don't stress over the zig-zag pattern on the scale! Staying the course will even that all out.

29. Just because you're finished induction and are no longer losing every week...you are NOT necessarily in a STALL... there are many changes that are happening in your body that are not measurable on the scale. This WOE takes patience...remember it's not a diet!!

this is a great discussion--

DDMariana--28 and 29 might just be the best advice i have ever seen for the just past induction crowd...way too much stress on weight lost--not the overall change of habits and learning to treat ourselves well with good food and exercise and fresh water.

30. VISUALIZE the healthier, happier, muscular, thinner, shaplier, YOU. Forget worrying about all the details, and picture in your mind at least once a day how great you feel and look, and in the
FUTURE.


Ally

Thank you guys for doing the job for me!!!

31. LADIES ONLY
Don't panic when you suddenly gain water weight or feel bloated before/during TOM. Don't stop drinking water, drink more. Stay away from the scale during those days, unless you are interested in how much water your body can retain.
I can see some patterns here, may not apply to everyone, but still:
I'm never hungry on this WOE except one week before TOM. And I mean, I AM HUNGRY. The best thing to do is to eat legal foods and don't care about calories. Avoid stuff that can trigger sugar cravings, but do not go around hungry. On one ocassion I ate a whole chicken
After this - a whoosh finally comes.
Alina

32. On the waterfront , Nat once posted somewhere that for every gram of carbs you consume you retain 3 grams of water (protein negates this retention to some extent during the normal course of LC eating) so if for some reason you wander off plan and take in say 1500g of carbs - expect that the next day you will be carrying around at least 4500g of retained water NOT fat. If I was better at math I could tell you how many pounds 4500g is, but I'm terrible at math, so I can't!

great thread

33. keep a journal in here and keep track of what you're doing right and wrong so that people can help you when you need it. Also feel free to look through other peoples journals for help and also it's a great way to get extra support and make friends.



my 1/2 a cent worth.


Jon