Hi fellow low-carbers!

[L00ty]

Hi all! I've been following the Atkins plan for almost 3 weeks now, and I'm continuing with the induction phase for a few weeks, as I have quite a lot to lose.

I've been battling with my weight for about 10 years, gradually getting bigger and bigger until I finally started noticing helath problems - sleep apnoea, joint pain, difficulty walking up stairs etc. Figured I needed to address these before they get too bad!

I'm now a size 18-20 (UK) and I weigh about 225lb - although this is approximate as I don't actually weigh myself regularly. I tend to look more at inch loss as I do have a lot of muscle underneath the fat, which weighs heavier. I want to get down to a size 12, which should put me at about 125lb (about 9st). I'm 5ft 4 so I think that'd be a good weight for me.

I have a low carb blog which I use to keep track of recipes which have turned out well for me, and also recipes which I plan to try. I also keep notes of little tweaks or replacements which I come across. The blog helps me to stay on track and keep trying new dishes - my partner is a chef and he's doing the plan with me, so we come up with some interesting and tasty meals now and again!

Our biggest hurdle at the moment is the cost involved. It's no secret that convenience foods and carb-laden foods are lower in price as well as nutritional value, so we've spent most of the last 3 weeks eating variations on eggs, bacon, cheese and chicken.

Anyway, that's my story - hope to make some new friends here and get some great meal ideas too!

[Kirsteen]

Hi there, I'm in Scotland. I think being in the UK gives a great advantage in terms of so much less sugar added to food, plus very good value low-price price vegetables and free-range eggs in places like Lidl.

Smoked mackerel kippers, tinned sardines and mackerel are quite economical choices, and pack lots of flavour into foods, so are fun to experiment with for cooking. Also, a can of coconut milk can go a long way if you freeze it in batches.. You'll soon discover that low-carb is a wonderful way to eat, and needn't be terribly expensive. You are simply cutting out a lot of the starches. The saving on alcohol is considerable, even if you're only an occasional drinker, as I was.

[L00ty]

Hi Kirsteen! Do you really think the UK has an advantage when it comes to low carb foods? I find that other than the net carbs being already worked out for us on food labels, we do have a bit of a disadvantage over places like the US. Mainly in terms of availbility of ingredients' low carb just doesn't seem as popular over here, and getting hold of things like atkins bake mix or other low carb replacements isn't easy, or it requires expensive shipping from online suppliers.

I do agree about the fish though! I love kippers, and I'm surprised I haven't thought to have them before now!

[peauk]

Hello & welcome :) I'm on the south coast of the UK.
Nice to meet you!

[Kirsteen]

Hi Kirsteen! Do you really think the UK has an advantage when it comes to low carb foods? I find that other than the net carbs being already worked out for us on food labels, we do have a bit of a disadvantage over places like the US. Mainly in terms of availbility of ingredients' low carb just doesn't seem as popular over here, and getting hold of things like atkins bake mix or other low carb replacements isn't easy, or it requires expensive shipping from online suppliers.

I do agree about the fish though! I love kippers, and I'm surprised I haven't thought to have them before now!


Atkins doesn't really allow products on the diet. Essentially it's a clean diet, especially at the beginning. As for "low-carb" products, unfortunately, they are based on the theory that the body won't digest a lot of the carbs, but most people find they do, making the "low-carb" products as bad as the real thing. Concentrate on making nice meals with good quality ingredients - that's what the Atkins diet is - and you'll get that you don't miss the rest.

I don't know whether you get to Asda, but they do lovely boil in the bag kippers and butter for under £1.. Youngs also do boil in the bag kippers in the freezer section for around the same price - they're quite salty, but still good.

I was thinking about you saying that you don't always feel like eating, or don't always have food in the house. It would be really good if you were able to stock up on a few stand-by foods.. I always have:

tinned mackerel - nice covered with cheese and grilled
tinned sardines - nice fried with olive oil, oregano, garlic and tomatoes.
tinned tuna - nice mixed with mayonnaise, curry powder, and chopped red pepper
boil in the bag kippers - good with butter and a side salad
smoked mackerel - mix with cottage cheese and serve on tomato slices.
bacon, eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms - tasty fried, but also handy for other recipes
beef mince (we buy the Tesco organic, as it's good).. Just shape mince into burgers, add some fresh black pepper, and fry with onions - about 5 mins a side or more. Serve with the onions, and anything else you fancy.
frozen shrimps or prawns - nice for curries & prawn cocktail

Try making a big pot of soup to last a few days.. celery soup, mushroom soup, chicken soup.. I can give you some recipes if you need them, or check out the recipe area.
A big pot of tasty stew or curry is a good way of eating for several days.

Here's a cauliflower salad we really love:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?p=8554332#post8554332

I made that salad today, and had all the leaves of the cauliflower left over, so I added some celery leaves and blue cheese and blitzed them to make an enormous pot of soup. Most people chuck out the leaves of those veggies, but the soup's great - I had some at lunch and dinner (as well as main courses), and am planning more for my supper, and there'll be loads left for tomorrow!

Here's a celery and blue cheese soup which is really good. If you don't like blue cheese, just swap it for a cheese you like:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showpost.php?p=8554341&postcount=6

Roast chicken's another easy option: buy a chicken, check there isn't a plastic bag of bits inside it, then stick it into the oven for 20 mins per lb plus 20 mins. (About 1 1/2 hours for a three hour chicken). Some people leave the chicken uncovered, so the skin will go crispy. I prefer to put some chopped vegetables and liquid around the chicken, and cover it with a lid, so I'll get the juices to serve with the roast. We make gorgeous butter chicken with the left-overs, and then chicken soup with the bones.

A bit of advance preparation will mean you always have something quick for a meal.. I also buy cream cheese, so if I'm starving, I can have a teaspoon while we sort out something more sustaining.

You need to keep your calories up, or you might go into starvation mode, leaving you no energy and your body hanging onto every lb.

Good luck x

[mviesprite]

Hello and welcome! As you can see, there is great support and information on here. Good luck to you.
Kirsteen, once again I have learned something from you! Thanks for the tips and I do chuck the leaves on my cauliflower - I'll now have something else to do with them!
Kat

[RachelBB]

Oh, don't fall into that "low carb product" trap, it doesn't lead anywhere good! I mean, once in a while, pick a product you like, but don't eat them even every day. That's not what the good Dr A intended, all those products were put out by the company after his death. Go cleaner, as mentioned, with fresh ingredients mostly. Oh, and good luck!!

[robynsnest]

[QUOTE=L00ty
my partner is a chef and he's doing the plan with me, so we come up with some interesting and tasty meals now and again!
[/QUOTE]
Hello and welcome :wave: , as Atkins said, as close to nature as possible, never mind that stuff :nono: :thdown: , you can make great stuff for alot cheaper, especially if you have a chef in the house! Here are some great ideas someone shared with me, pancakes were aweasome!!! :yum: http://www.nourishingdays.com/2011/...akes-revisited/

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=126696


http://forum.lowcarber.org/gallery/....php?i=33007&c=

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/o...conut_flour.htm

http://mariahealth.blogspot.com/sea...0&max-results=7

http://www.dakotaflax.com/recipes/lowcarb.html

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=351805

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=405857

http://pinchof.blogspot.com/2008/06...colate-and.html

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/l...se-muffins.html

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/br...hnutmuffins.htm

Also,... copied from page 30 and post 446, of Kathleen24's journal...

"I have a recipe for you. It's LC donut holes; please consider trying them. I followed a link from PJ's blog over to this--I think it was an Alice that invented them.

Take a stick of butter, melt it, beat a large egg into it (make sure butter has cooled enough not to cook the egg). Season it w/cinnamon, vanilla, etc., and then add a scoop of 100% whey protein, either vanilla or chocolate flavored, sweeten to taste. I find about 4 drops of liquid sucralose (Sweetzfree) is about right. Cooking methods vary--some people pour them into an inch of hot oil in a fry-pan; I followed one recommendation to cook them in an aebleskiver pan (looks a little like an eggs benedict pan), in a little bit (really just took a spot) of coconut oil. Flip, remove from heat when finished (just a few quick minutes here). If desired, roll in granulated splenda-and-cinnamon mix.

When you have to have comfort foods, give yourself the best. Gotta try this one."

[Kirsteen]

Thanks for the tips and I do chuck the leaves on my cauliflower - I'll now have something else to do with them!

Hi Kat :)

Generally the leaves are the most nutritious part of vegetables, so it's a shame to discard them.. According to the internet, you can put cauliflower leaves into salad. I'd try one before i put in loads, though, because they're quite fibrous. They'd probably be really good stir-fried - just chop them, then stir-fry them with a shake of chili powder and a splash of soy sauce and mellow vinegar (I use Chinkiang black rice vinegar, though balsamic would work too). This is the brand I have - it's really good - smoky, subtle and rich so you only need a spot, and it's not as sweet as balsamic:

http://0.tqn.com/d/chinesefood/1/0/R/2/blackrving.jpg


With regard to my soup, I did say to my BF that I wouldn't share the recipe but I liked it, :lol:.. I did add a couple of stock cubes, and another vegetable too, but I wanted to keep it simple, just to see how plain I could make it and keep it palatable. The great thing about using leaves only is that they are really low-carb, so I can eat lots more of it. The celery & leaves added a lot of flavour, so if you weren't adding those, then you'd need something else for flavour - e.g. mushrooms.

[Kirsteen]

Hi Robyn,

You're always so generous and kind, and I hope you won't be hurt by what I'm going to say..

I love cooking, so I avidly opened all your links, then shut them hastily again, because it just opens doors to cravings and temptation. Maybe it is just me, but personally, those pictures would just send me to the fridge, and out of control. A lot of people whose insulin is out of whack, or who have emotional eating or sugar addiction problems can't really add stuff like that to their diet and make a success of the diet. They either start binging on the subs, or over-eat them, or they just hanker after the real thing, and eventually cave. My insulin is so out of whack that I cannot even look at pictures of that type of food without setting off cravings and sending my blood sugar onto a roller-coaster ride. [I was getting better, thanks to low-carbing for several years now, but I had a bit of an alcohol fueled binge a few days ago, so I seem to have relapsed, :lol: :nono: ]

The idea of dieting and still enjoying sweet "treats" is very seductive, but changing our diets brings different rewards, and that is really what Dr. Atkins was trying to share with us all, and that is what has made his diet so successful.

With a few exceptions, the people you see on this site who share and cook recipes like that are people who've been dieting for years without losing much, or people who were never terribly overweight to begin with. The majority of the successful dieters who have achieved and maintained a considerable weight-loss say that cutting out sweet stuff, real or artificial, was key to success. Lots of people cook the odd low-carb dessert for special occasions, but not so many people include a lot of them in their diet. It's great to have a few crutches at the beginning, of course, but fake sugars can stall, and nuts shouldn't really be added till later in the diet. The most important thing at the start of the diet is that people will get some positive signs of success to prove to them that the diet will work, and that is most likely if they stick to Dr. Atkins' diet as it is described in the book.

I hope you don't mind me saying that.. Your heart is so kind.. but we just see so many people saying the diet doesn't work, because of all the extras they added too early in the diet.

Of course, all that said, this is just my personal opinion, and I am aware that some people would never be able to even start the diet without substitutes.. and in the end, if someone has managed to keep their weight steady for years by using these substitutes, it is still a "win" situation, rather than them gaining by eating the real thing. I personally just want to lose weight if I am going to the bother of dieting.

On the same subject, I was listening to a podcast by someone who ate thousands of calories a day and lost weight, who states that he thinks xylitol is fine, and has no problem with using it - and he seemed to know what he was talking about, having researched quite extensively. This is the podcast, in case you are interested:

http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/the-llvlc-show-episode-569-theres-so-much-more-to-dave-asprey-than-his-famous-bulletproof-coffee/13998

Most of the other speakers say that sweet is something we need to wean ourselves off, so it is quite interesting to hear someone with a different opinion.

Someone I have a huge respect for posts videos on Youtube under the name Bewulf. He lost a great deal of weight through Atkins, and he has kept it off. He posted his weightloss journey on Youtube, and also has a big selection of cookery demonstrations and tutorial videos. He uses sugar substitutes, so he is one of the people who has successfully incorporated those into his diet.

Here's his tutorial on induction foods:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcGTz8Hj0YM&feature=related

Here's his own very successful diet story:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmRaD683OXU&feature=relmfu

Check out his other videos too - they are very good and encouraging.

As I say, I hope you don't mind me saying this.. You're such a sweet person, I'd hate to offend or hurt you.

[QUOTE=L00ty
my partner is a chef and he's doing the plan with me, so we come up with some interesting and tasty meals now and again!

Hello and welcome , as Atkins said, as close to nature as possible, never mind that stuff , you can make great stuff for alot cheaper, especially if you have a chef in the house! Here are some great ideas someone shared with me, pancakes were aweasome!!! http://www.nourishingdays.com/2011/...akes-revisited/

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=126696


http://forum.lowcarber.org/gallery/....php?i=33007&c=

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/o...conut_flour.htm

http://mariahealth.blogspot.com/sea...0&max-results=7

http://www.dakotaflax.com/recipes/lowcarb.html

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=351805

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=405857

http://pinchof.blogspot.com/2008/06...colate-and.html

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/l...se-muffins.html

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/br...hnutmuffins.htm

Also,... copied from page 30 and post 446, of Kathleen24's journal...

"I have a recipe for you. It's LC donut holes; please consider trying them. I followed a link from PJ's blog over to this--I think it was an Alice that invented them.

Take a stick of butter, melt it, beat a large egg into it (make sure butter has cooled enough not to cook the egg). Season it w/cinnamon, vanilla, etc., and then add a scoop of 100% whey protein, either vanilla or chocolate flavored, sweeten to taste. I find about 4 drops of liquid sucralose (Sweetzfree) is about right. Cooking methods vary--some people pour them into an inch of hot oil in a fry-pan; I followed one recommendation to cook them in an aebleskiver pan (looks a little like an eggs benedict pan), in a little bit (really just took a spot) of coconut oil. Flip, remove from heat when finished (just a few quick minutes here). If desired, roll in granulated splenda-and-cinnamon mix.

When you have to have comfort foods, give yourself the best. Gotta try this one."[/QUOTE]

[L00ty]

Thanks for your suggestions everyone, and the recipe links! Robyn; I found that a lot of yours went to a 404 error page; have you checked them recently? I'm definitely going to try those donut holes though, they'll keep my partner happy if nothing else! I'm not a fan of donuts so I'll have to let you know what he says about them :)

Kirsteen: I understand completely what you say about avoiding this and that 'low carb' product, and up to now we have. Our meals have primarily consisted of cauliflower, celery, salad veg, mince, bacon, mushrooms, eggs and cheese.

I think we've just reached the point that we're getting bored of the same flavours and want to try something a bit different. Because the Atkins products are difficult to get over here we probably won't end up going for those, or perhaps later on when we're in phase 3 or 4.

But we're still looking for low carb replacements that we can make ourselves. We've gone and bought things like soy flour, flaxseed, whey protein etc and are ready to experiment a bit! I tried some almond pancakes the other day which turned out OK and smelled wonderful. Here's the recipe:

5 tbsp Almond Flour
1 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cooking oil (I used walnut oil)
2 tsp Splenda (or other sweetener of choice)
Splash vanilla essence

You just mix all the ingredients together, spoon them into a hot pan and cook as normal. This recipe makes 3 regular sized pancakes (American style that is) and works out at 4 net carbs.

[mviesprite]

"Chinkiang black rice vinegar" ooo that sound so good. Thanks for sharing. Well put, Kirsteen - you said that very well - I understand what you are saying. RachelBB -I've found that to be true as well. Some low carb products make me hungry and spike my insulin in spite of the package that says no sugar/carbs.
Robyn, I get very excited when I see those kind of recipes - I copy them all but mostly I am keeping them for maintenance stage when I get there. Even with LC ingredients, some things just spike my insulin anyway, to my dismay (like heavy cream! Shoot me now!) . Everyone's body is different and some people may be able to handle these foods. I know I love my Somersize Protein Shake but it it too high carb for me and I notice a difference. (Disappointing!) But, yes, an occasional dessert is something some of us need on this WOE.
Oh and thanks L00ty for the almond flour recipe - sounds delish.
Kat

[mviesprite]

I meant almond flour pancake recipe
Kat

[Kirsteen]

That's interesting about the heavy cream, Kat, because I am the same. I thought I was alone in that, because everyone else seems to throw it into everything in vast quantities. I generally put on several lbs after a heavy creamy sauce. I never buy cream now - it just sabotages me. Funnily enough, I can have small amounts of cream cheese without noticing the same effect.. Perhaps I eat less because it doesn't just disappear, and the protein satiates.

[Kirsteen]

I think we've just reached the point that we're getting bored of the same flavours and want to try something a bit different.

I hear what you're saying. I couldn't last more than about three days on that tiny list of foods you have been eating. I have a massive variety in my diet, and the food is fantastic.

I suggest you go back to the Atkins book, and go over it again, checking out his food lists. I eat wonderful Indian and Thai curries, stews, burgers, shellfish, stir-fries, soups, pates, tons of variations of veggie/fish/shellfish/meats/eggs, etc.. Prawns with garlic mayonnaise is great and so simple. In fact, all the meals I eat are simple and really tasty.

When I started Atkins, I kinda missed certain things, and I made crepes using coconut flour and stevia.. however, I quickly realised that I prefer to eat yummier things.

Watch out for the Splenda, because some people can eat it and it stalls other people.. The granular type (according to someone on this site) is 75% sugar. Sugar is very addictive, and often the reason people want the substitutes is to feed the addiction. If you really try to cut down the sweet stuff, you'll have better success on the diet.

Also, nuts are added later on Atkins, because they can stall people if too much is eaten. I'm definitely going to try out almond flour myself, though, once I am a lot further on with the weight-loss. For now, I'm being strict, because I want to lose weight.

I think a lot of people feel the need for "crutches" when they start the diet, but a lot of those find they just eat too many of the subs, or that they cannot lose weight with this type of addition. It's just a case of trial and error to see if you can still lose weight or not when adding things like that in.

Anyway, best of luck with the diet.

[mviesprite]

"I can have small amounts of cream cheese without noticing the same effect"
Kirsteen, I notice that other dairy doesn't affect me in the same way, either. I still do the whipped cream on a shake but I don't use a lot (like in my decaf coffee a few times a day or with a Mock Kahlua and cream... like I used to.
Kat

[L00ty]

A 'Mock Kahlua'?? Please do tell!

[Kirsteen]

A 'Mock Kahlua'?? Please do tell!

Lol.. I noticed that in Kat's journal - it sounds totally decadent, and I'd be scared to try it.. I tend to overdo certain things - and that would be one of them.

[mviesprite]

Mock Kahlua - and actually, I have to be careful with it too! Too much and I flash. But it's delicious...
You need cold decaf or high octane coffee if you still use it - Put some ice cubes in a martini glass or tumbler, fill with cold coffee, leaving some room - stir in a tiny amount of stevia or sweetener of your choice, pour in a touch of vanilla extract. Add a splash of heavy cream and watch how beautifully it marbles. And it's really good.
When I brew coffee I always have a little leftover so I keep it in a jar in the fridge so I always have some.

[peauk]

I'm the same as Kirsteen, sweet things send me on a mental battle of craving the bad stuff! And too much artificial sweetener in diet drinks stall me badly. So I avoid them & now have lost any desire for anything sweet. If I want a treat I have 2 squares of green & blacks 90% chopped finely & mixed into 25g of Cornish clotted cream. But I try & keep that to once a month though. I also can't imagine eating fake bread or pancakes. There's enough natural low carb foods & spices out there to experiment & make a fantastically varied diet for me.
Each to their own though :)

[Kirsteen]

I lost any desire for anything sweet

Same here, and amazingly quickly... although I didn't have a terribly sweet tooth, so perhaps that made it easier.


If I want a treat I have 2 squares of green & blacks 90% chopped finely & mixed into 25g of Cornish clotted cream.

Wow! I cannot imagine stopping at one piece of chocolate. I cannot touch a piece without eating the whole lot and sending out for more. I am the same with coffee - one cup triggers off the whole addiction thing and I cannot stop drinking it. I only drink it as a treat when I am out and that works for me.


There's enough natural low carb foods & spices out there to experiment & make a fantastically varied diet for me.

I feel the same. I absolutely love the diet.. The longer I am on it the better it gets, because I love to experiment and try new things.

[mviesprite]

"I also can't imagine eating fake bread or pancakes." You know, I made a Suzanne Somers recipe for cream cheese pancakes with cinnamon butter "syrup" one weekend AM and it seemed to spike my insulin.... It was completely LC but - I hear ya. The oopsie rolls weren't too bad. It seems the more complex the recipe the more I am affected. The mocktails have very little stevia in them but still - same effect sometimes.
I do find, though that some of the LC food is so very rich that I just can't eat a lot of it. Like the dark dark choc. Although I haven't had that - that is allowed on my maintenance and I have a long way to go.
Kat
Kat