I'm trying this for the first time to control my blood sugars. I have Dr. Bernstein's book. Walking two miles a day and feel better already! In one week I have gone from avg 200 fasting bg to 130 fbg. I am not losing weight. Thinking I'm taking to much protein? Two body building type shakes with 4 carbs and 30 protein, plus 3 egg omelet with pastrami and cheese, salad with grilled chicken breast, and maybe chicken or steak if I get hungry later. I'm 5'11 265. Thanks for your help.

Can I damage my kidneys eating too much protein?

hello again can someone help me please?

over consumption of protein can prevent fat loss.why dont you get the newest atkins book. it has a lot of information on diabetes,and also calculating the correct amt. of protein to consume.atkins is a low carb, moderate protein and high fat diet. it will take a while to stabilize your blood sugars.your high insulin levels lead to the storage of fat.till that is normalized good things are happening to your body but you may not see weight loss.don't forget to eat plenty of low carb foundation vegetables!keep up the good work and don't get discouraged.

Hi newlowc,

Making your kidneys explode is one of the great low-carb myths (see #4).

In order to get used to a low-carb way of eating (WOE), I suggest you eat real food exclusively; that's what our bodies evolved to process. Unless you're competitively body-building, it's doubtful whether anyone needs elaborate, specialized nutritional practices to work out effectively. For example, I work out early in the morning, in the fasted state (see myth #9), and I don't "bonk"/hit a wall. (See this blog post, too). I do, though, make sure to eat a high-fat (72% of calories) breakfast afterwards.

Thanks Lynn and AJ, I'm not bodybuilding but want to start lift to build muscle. I used to work out on an empty stomach but had two episodes where I did hit the wall. One resulted in the paramedics being called. I am afraid right now to try and work out. I currently walk 2 miles a day.

Lynn is there any reason you prefer Atkins over DR Bernstien? I'm really worried about the diabetes aspect of LC eating. I have Atkins for Life, someone actually gave it to me 5-6 yrs ago. I'll read it and report back. Thanks again, and happy new year.

It's impossible to argue with that experience! But can you eat some real food, then wait an hour before you begin your weightlifting routine?

BTW -- Atkins for Life is a book about weight maintenance on Atkins. DANDR and NANY are the books for the weight loss phases of Atkins.

Welcome!

Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution
NANY =?

NANY = New Atkins for a New You

Thanks AJ, Picked up DANDR today, 11 yrs ago I lost 80 lbs eating fruit, salad, grilled chicken, tuna. Did 1 hour cardio a day. I did not know enough to call it anything. This LC eating feels familiar but I'm eating a lot of meat. Is that healthy? I feel lie a heart attack waiting to happen. After one week I'm tired of meat.

today I ate: two eggs over hard and about 8 oz steak for breakfast, lunch: huge salad with chicken breast and light ranh dressing. snack 10 almonds, dinner 12 baked chicken wing/drumettes. 80 oz. of water and a diet soda(opps)!

besides the salad where are your veggies?it has helped me to try to incorporate vegetables into every meal with just a little more work.example--instead of steak and eggs--how about making a crustless quishe a few times a week.i make mine with broccoli or spinach,eggs,cream,spices.i eat with a few cherry tomatoes.i think we all need some live food with all the enzymes that go with them.our plates should be as colorful as possible.also i don't think most people need 2 eggs and a steak.Pretty sure the extra protein will be stored as fat if it cannot be used.and that's a lot of protein.also be careful with the light dressings. many ful of carbs and other fake foods.use real olive oil and make your own dressing.there are such great recipies out there . why do i like atkins?i think the research is out there and that it is a tried and true method....anyway time to go for a good jog with my dog Babu! have a great day!

I don't know about Bernstein's plan, but Atkins' plan calls for eating until you're satisfied. Many of us, though, have broken our innate sense of when enough is enough. The technical way to determine how much protein you need per day is to calculate it. The rule of thumb I've seen most often is to eat somewhere between 0.5 and 1.0g of protein per kg. of lean body mass. The 0.5 g figure is if you're not exercising at all, and the 1.0g figure is if you have a physically demanding job, like a stone mason or landscaper. This page on about.com will walk you through the calculation process.

Once you know protein needs in grams, divide that by 7 to determine how many oz. of meat to eat, because 1 oz. of meat contains 7g. of protein. Of course, you can get your protein in other ways: eggs (6g protein/egg), cheese (just a few oz./week), and even some veggies, like cauliflower, have a little bit of protein. If you want to be accurate in figuring out how much protein you're eating, you'll have to record everything you eat in some nutrition software, like the MY P.L.A.N. tool on this site (it's free).

Moreover, a LC WOE is a high-fat diet, not a high-protein diet. Many forum members find that eating 65-75% fat, 15-25% protein, and 5-10% carbs is optimal for them.

I wish you good choices and success on your low-carb journey.

Dear A.j.--i like the way you think.i wish people would do their research before starting on a program. if not...they become frustrated when it doesnt work.i agree atkins is low carb,high fat and protein adequate. i'm very worried about newlowc. Why the episodes of hypoglycemia?if she is not diabetic this is probably an indication of developing type 2 diabetes.please newlocarbc--slow down and do your research. then commit to a plan and follow it as designed.get your dr's approval before attempting to exercise and then do so in a moderate fashion.Walking is a great exercise--start slowly.resistance bands are great as to begin muscle building.try to center yourself and get plenty of rest.do something nice for someone else everyday. when you start to live in the present and slow down things will start to change for you.i hope to hear from you both again--lynn

I have to agree with you Misslynn, AJ is a bad man. I also like the way he thinks. I am type II, Without a doubt MALE, hi stress high pressure job. second generation type II, it ravaged my father. That was not enough to scare me straight. Dr. Bernstein has. I'm shocked because my body is reacting in new and different ways. He has a way of explaining the disease that I understand.

I'm testing more than ever and that's good. I have never eaten in such a manner and while the weight is falling off, the blood sugars seem to react to almost anything I eat.

I eat very well and no BM for 4 days has me really worried. Could be the meds, could be the diet. I know when I was eating carbs and no/limited animal protein I was quite regular.(Dr. Barnard). Hence the confusion.

I really don't know what else to say, Thanks for the words of wisdom and clarity. I see my doctor in a few weeks. Thanks.

Newlowc,

Thanks for the compliment. Regarding the constipation issue, there are three strategies to take, in order of preference:

1. more water
2. more magnesium
3. more fiber

During the early days of low-carbing, you lose a lot of water from the stored glycogen. You need to replace it to the point where you're urinating a few times/day, and it's always straw-colored.

When you lose so much water in a short time, your electrolytes get out of whack. Magnesium's one of them, and you should supplement; it helps keep things moving in the GI tract. Glycinate's the form forum members report the best results with; malate's next best. Avoid the oxide form; you don't absorb much of it. As an alternative, take some epsom salts (Mg. sulfate) baths. Just be ready to hit the sack immediately afterwards if you've never done this treatment before.

Fiber's the treatment most people have heard of, and it's the hardest on your body. The reason it works is that it damages the lining of the colon. As the colon repairs itself, it secretes a lubricating fluid, and that's what moves things along.