Getting Started on the Atkin's Diet -Induction Phase

First of all, I recommend purchasing the book, Dr Atkin's New Diet Revolution. Read the book through and get an understanding the diet and why it works. I would also recommend buying the Ketostix. These sticks measure the ketosis in the urine. You want to stay in the small to moderate range. This tells you that you are burning stored fat for energy. I would get a cholesterol level, too. Mine fell 50 points in the first 6 weeks. After about the third or forth day, you get a burst of energy and you appetite starts to fade away! That is the BEST benefit of the Atkin's Diet - you lose your appetite!

Be sure to read the labels and be aware there are hidden carbs everywhere! Just one piece of sugarless gum is 2 carbs! Get a tape measure out and get your starting measurements. The inches fall off very fast and are a much needed encouragement. So....

I hope you have read the "Book". You need to understand how and why it works. Basically you will be changing your body over from from a carbohydrate-burning machine to a fat-burning machine. That process takes about 2 weeks. After that, you can SLOWLY add back in the 'good' carbs (more veggies, nuts, whole grains, dark rices, & fruits) But that is in the On-Going wieght loss Phase. We'll get to that later. We absolutely have to eat smart and healthy the rest of our lives.

Induction is about 2 weeks, though Dr. Atkins did say you could stay on it longer if you felt okay. The important thing is, that you under stand it is a LOW-carb diet, NOT a NO-carb diet. I tried to stay around 20 carbs or less. I gaged my ketosis level by the ketostix. If you are burning body fat, you are in ketosis. Pink or light purple is good. Dark purple means you aren't getting enough good carbs and most people don't lose when they eat no carbs at all.
You will be eating a lot of fatty foods. That's okay, it is what you want. Fat burns quickly. You burn off what you eat very quickly and then your body goes for your stored body fat for energy. Since you are allready in that fat burning mode, your body uses what fat is available all the time. Thats why you lose inches so quickly.

Now if you get going and decide cheating is all right, consider this: You are eating a lot of fat which is the source of your energy, so it is good. But by cheating you knock your body out of the fat-burning mode and start burning carbs again. What happens to all the fat you are still eating? Your body wants t to store it and you gain weight and line your arteries with fat that it can't store so quickly.. Just a thought. It is all or nothing.

These below are foods you can choose from for once a day:

1. small leafy green salad example: lettuces (iceberg, romaine,etc.) celery, green pepper, onions. No tomatoes yet...you can add them later. You can add grilled chicken, bacon bits, any meat, shredded cheeses, and/or boiled eggs. You can use regular Ranch or Blue Cheese...no fat free dressings! (they contain more carbs by replacing fat with sugar)
2. Sliced mushrooms (approx 1/2 cup)
3. Asparagus (approx 1/2 cup)
4. Spinach (approx 1/3 cup)
5. Black or green olives (4-7), pickles are okay also
6. Onions (couple slices) or green onions (2-4 stalks)
7. Celery stalks (2-5)
8. Cauliflower (2/3 cup)
9. Cream cheese dip
10. Green beans (1/2 cup)
11.Cottage cheese (1/3 cup)

There are more low carb veggies in the book and on my carb counter, but try to stay at 10-15 carbs here until you start turning your Ketostix pink. That should take about 3-5 days. They aren't very expensive, about 9-10 bucks for 100 stix. Ask the pharmacist you want the urine dip sticks that measure ketosis in the urine.

YOU CAN'T HAVE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING (during the Induction Phase):
Sugar, pasta, potatoes, rice, corn, dried beans, peas ... anything that is over 20 carbs a serving.

*    Remember to drink lots of water.
*    Get those Ketostix! They encourage you! You know that when you turn the       sticks pink or light purple, that you are using your stored body fat as energy.
* Try to walk some if you can...doesn't have to be much at first.
* Get lab work done so you can watch your cholesterol levels drop.
* Get a multi-vitamin/multi-mineral pill and take it daily.
* Make everything with either Pam, butter, or veggie/olive oil. No Margarine.
* Grill out. Invest in a gas grill...I use mine every day! Even if it is snowing! (Thank God for porch roofs!)
* I ate a lot of Spanish omelets with ham, cheese, green onions, mushrooms and green peppers.
*   I also ate the sugar-free jello with either cream cheese or sourcream in it EVERYDAY! I took a box to work and got a large Styrofoam cup, poured the jello in it and added a third of hot water, dissolved the jello and then added 2/3 ice water. Sets immediately. After it set, I stirred in the creamcheese.
*     Some of the condiments you can have freely is: Worcestershire Sauce, Real Mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip), mustard (yellow and brown types), and horseradish. Just check the labels and you will be fine.
*    Stay away from ketchup, Miracle Whip, most steak sauces, or BBQ sauces. The reason is that each serving is at least 4 carbs and you don't want to waste those carbs on ketchup, when you can have a whole serving of veggies or such.
*   You can't have any kind of sugar on this diet . You have to use sugar substitute. No honey, brown sugar, any sugars. The only sugar you are allowed is fructose from fruit, but not on the induction diet. I will give you a list of fruits you can have later on. Splenda is good, Equal or Sweet-n-Low is okay, but use in moderation.