I went on the Atkins diet 3 years ago and I accomplished my goal. A year ago I had radio active iodine to kill part of my thyroid gland due to an over-active thyroid gland. I've gained about 30 pounds in the last year and I am trying the Atkins diet once again. I've about starved myself for the past 3 months trying not to eat over 500 calories a day and I am at my witts end. Is there anyone that has had the same issue and can give me some hope of finally getting rid of these extra pounds!!! My next question is what is the difference between 2 net carbs and the total carbs??? I'm so confused!!! Every low carb bar has 2 net impact carbs but when I read the label it saids 17 carbs.....help!!!

quote:trying not to eat over 500 calories a day : end quote.

That was a typo -right?

Please do not starve yourself.

No that was not a typo....I was desperate!! Due to health issues I could not continue to starve myself. Thank you..

Not eating over 500 calories a day! Yow! Your body probably thinks it's starving so it is storing fat instead of burning it off. I would suggest that you take up your calorie intake. Your body needs food in order to have the energy to burn off the fat!

The difference between impact carbs vs. total carbs is as follows:

"Effective Carbs & Non-impact Carbs. The FDA previously preferred a disclaimer on all wrappers, which was an asterisk noted on the bar stating that, "not all the carbs were counted in the total carb count as they have a neglible impact on your blood sugar." This was the standard until recently, when the FDA contacted manufacturers regarding a change in guidelines. They now require full disclusure of total carbohydrates, but because they recognize that not all carbohydrates effect the body, the non-effective carbs (Maltitol, Glycerin & Fiber) are subtracted from the total to give the consumer the number or carbs that will effect their body and blood sugar.

All carbohydrates cause a spike in blood sugar. Simple carbs cause it quickly and complex carbs more slowly. (Simple carbs consist of all sugar, white flour, white flour pasta's, all rice and potatoes, to name a few. Complex carbs are veggies and salad greens, just to name a few) To complicate matters, carbohydrates are comprised of several sub-groups, which include dietary fiber, sugar, sugar alcohol, and "other" carbohydrates-kitchen sink grouping of gums, lignans, organic acids and flavenoids. (These individual items can be assayed.) The FDA requires that a nutrition label include the total carbohydrates.

Not all types of carbohydrates behave the same way in your body. For example, when your body digests table sugar, it turns immediately into blood sugar. So sugar and most other carbohydrates are what we call "digestible carbohydrates." Other carbs, such as sugar alcohol or glycerin, can be digested but do not turn to blood sugar. Still others, such as dietary fiber, are indigestible and pass through your body without impacting your blodd sugar level at all." from www.thinkproducts.com/effective.html

So when you see impact carbs those are the bad boys that can effect your blood sugar levels much quicker than the "good" carbs.

Hope this helps!
Kiks

Thank you very much!!!! Can you clarify something for me...in the Induction phase which is one should I count, the net carbs or the total carbs?

Wish I could help ya there... I've been doing BFL (Body For Life) which is very different from Atkins. Hopefully someone else can help you out with this question!

Kiks

Net - although I know some people do count total.

Speaking as one who has done a seriously low calorie diet, you really have to re-educate your system regardless of what way you choose to eat. You should be eating at least twice what you are eating. Your body will grab hold of those extra calories for a few days, maybe even a few weeks given how low you were, but then when it realizes food is here to stay it will start releasing fat and pounds. But you have to be patient. Our bodies are like big chemistry experiments - take some time to see how it reacts to certain things before deciding the reaction you get is the wrong one.

hang in there and good luck.

PecanPie

If it doesn't have that little A for Atkins with the carb count on the product, I do not eat it. There are a lot of copy cats out there.

On induction, you should only subtract fiber.

Some products list:

Carbohydrates: 25
Sugar Alcohol: 20
Dietary Fiber: 2

NET CARBS: 3

On induction you should count sugar alcohols. In this case, this product would be very bad for induction with 23 carbs.


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And on the 500 calories not, you MUST get more calories than that. Your body is definitely in starvation mode and is going to retain fluids and fat while eating away your muscle. Try to get AT LEAST 1200 calories.

Also, try reading the book. Many of the negative outlooks on the Atkins diet have come from people that don't follow the diet and 'wing it', then end up with medical problems. At 500 calories per day, you will end up with very serious medical problems and the media and your doctors will blame the Atkins diet.

You need to eat more calories. When you cut calories that much your body goes into preservation mode. YOU are STARVING and your body knows it.
When you go that low your body eats itself for food (muscles)
Your thyroid slows down and so does your metabolism!
You need to know how many calories to eat a day.
Go here and calculate your BMR! http://www.ecybex.com/education/cal...s/bmr_calc.html
if you are exercising then multiply your BMR by your activity level. THEN ONLY CUT THAT AMOUNT BY 10-15 % MAX.
If you go below that your'e starving your body and it WILL HOLD onto EVERYTHING it can.
YOU need to eat MORE NOW!
Jag

Read this Article Please;http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=182859

Gloria B can you give an idea what your eating!
Jag