Read The New Atkins Made Easy Online
Authors: Colette Heimowitz
The New Atkins Made Easy (14 page)
Q.
Can I eat more carbs one day if I cut back the next?
A.
By maintaining a constant level of carb intake from day to day, you're more likely to keep your blood sugar on an even keel. But a range of 3 or 4 grams of Net Carbs from one day to the next should not create a problem as long as your average intake is consistent. If you do overindulge one day, simply return to your current level the next day.
Q.
Why can't I do Atkins during the week and then take the weekend off?
A.
Doing so will mean that you're consistently returning to a primarily blood sugar metabolism for two days. It then takes several days to reignite your fat-burning engine. Stopping and starting, known as “carb cycling,” will lessen the likelihood that you'll lose weight or keep it off.
Q.
Will drinking caffeinated beverages interfere with weight loss?
A.
Caffeine itself doesn't slow weight loss. Drinking a few cups of coffee or tea each day actually produces numerous health benefits. However, have your beverages without sugar or honey. Noncaloric sweeteners are okay, but have no more than three packets a day. Also lighten these beverages with cream, half-and-half, or acceptable dairy substitutes, not milk.
Q.
Can I consume beer, wine, or other alcohol in Phase 1?
A.
No. However, once you transition to Phase 2, you can consume moderate amounts of most alcoholic beverages, assuming it doesn't interfere with weight loss, as we'll discuss in
Chapter 5
.
Q.
If the object is to stay at 20 grams of Net Carbs a day, why can't I have Atkins bars and shakes or a slice of bread instead of all those vegetables?
A.
You're not just tracking your carb intake; you're also aiming for a well-balanced meal plan full of vitamins and other nutrients provided by vegetables, along with fiber to help manage your hunger. One slice of bread might represent the balance of your daily carb intake in Phase 1, which would put your blood sugar back on the roller coaster.
Q.
Why can't I drink tomato or orange juice with my breakfast?
A.
The juicing process removes all or most of the fiber in fruit and vegetables, concentrating the sugar hit. You'll be able to introduce tomato juice in Phase 2. In Phase 3, oranges and other citrus fruits are acceptable.
Q.
Why is cream allowed in Phase 1 but not milk?
A.
Strange as it may seem, milk is higher in carbs than cream, thanks to the lactose (a form of sugar). In Phase 2 you can reintroduce small amounts of whole milk. Or dilute cream with some water, if you prefer.
Q.
I'm experiencing cravings for sweets and other high-carb foods such as muffins, bread, and chips. How do I stay in control of my appetite?
A.
Most likely your blood sugar levels have not yet stabilized, which usually occurs after the fifth day on Atkins. Once you're burning fat for energy, it acts as a natural appetite suppressant. Sometimes women have cravings right before their menstrual period. Or you may be going too long between meals or snacks, eating foods that contain hidden sugars or grains, or not consuming enough fat. When you experience cravings for high-carb foods, have an Atkins bar or shake, half a Hass avocado, some cheese, or some olives instead. Hunger and cravings can also be confused with thirst, so drink up.
In the next chapter, we'll tackle the all-important question of the right time to transition on to Phase 2 (Balancing) of the New Atkins Diet. For some of you it's likely to be after two weeks on the program. Or you may prefer to wait several weeks or even several months. It's your decision and many factors come into play, but I'll give you the pros and cons for each path so you can make the decision that's right for you.
Meanwhile, turn the page to meet Patricia O., who found some pounds returning after she'd kept them off for years. When she came to understand the changes she needed to make in order to stay on top of her weight and returned to her exercise regimen, the excess pounds beat a hasty retreat.
SUCCESS STORY
ATKINS PLUS EXERCISE ADDS UP TO SUCCESS
VITAL STATS
Daily Net Carb intake: 25 grams
Age: 25
Height: 5'5"
Before weight: 253 pounds
After weight: 152 pounds
Lost: 101 pounds
Nurse and aspiring physician Patricia O. lost weight six years ago on Atkins and kept it off while she was in nursing school. But after graduation she returned home to Houston, where juggling a demanding job while taking the college courses necessary to apply to medical school made it hard to stay on track. Finding time to exercise was almost impossible. It's not surprising that some of the lost weight returned. Working with the support
of an Atkins nutritionist online, Patricia was able to banish the pounds again and begin a maintenance program she can stick with despite her hectic schedule. Here's her story.
I've dealt with weight issues all my life. I remember once being teased so badly at school for being heavy that I came home crying. When I told my father what the other kids had said to me, instead of comforting me, he agreed with them. My father's attitude didn't help my self-image. Once he and I were shopping and in front of a group of other girls, he said, “How come you can't look like them? Just look at yourself.” It wasn't until later on in my life that I realized that was his way to motivate me to change my eating habits. Of course, losing weight was solely dependent on me to decide that I'd had enough of feeling bad about myself. Meanwhile, my mother would tell me to eat. I felt pulled in two directions.
I've always been an emotional eater, and I loved sweets, potatoes, mac and cheese, and anything white. By the time I graduated from high school, I weighed 204 pounds. Then, instead of the usual “freshman 15,” I gained 50 pounds in my first year of nursing school, and my emotional state was terrible. Another nursing student introduced me to Atkins and told me what to eat and not eat. Doing Atkins put me more in control, so I was able to lose the excess weight and keep it off for three and a half years. I also began working out at the same time I started Atkins. In the process, I overcame my insecurities. One thing I knew for sure was that I never wanted to go back to that dark place where I was before!
That made it all the more upsetting when I started regaining lost weight. I was frustrated but knew I had to do something. I
had completed nursing school and was working full-time. I had decided to apply to medical schoolâI want to go into cardiologyâbut needed to take postgrad courses in physics and organic chemistry. There didn't seem to be enough hours in the day to handle work, school, and homework, plus establish a routine that allowed me to eat properly and exercise. I was doing Atkins during the week but bingeing on carbs on the weekend. Not surprisingly, I couldn't lose the 12 pounds I'd regained.
I now realize that I wasn't
really
doing Atkinsâor I wasn't doing it correctly. I'd never read a book about why and how it works. And I didn't get it that Phase 1 was not the whole Atkins program. I thought I would just have to eat that way for the rest of my life to keep the weight off. After reading
The New Atkins for a New You
and getting a pep talk from an Atkins nutritionist, I was motivated to get on the right track. I started keeping a journal, added nuts to my meals, and slowly added other carb foods. I'm back to running 5 miles five times a week. I now know that staying active is key to maintaining my weight. Even thirty minutes a day makes a huge difference. My mood has lifted, and best of all, I've lost the weight I regained. And it wasn't even that hard! My next goal is to lose another 5 pounds. And now that I'm doing everything right, I know I will get there!
MAKE IT EASY
Always plan ahead. If you don't have the right food with you at all times, you may be tempted to eat whatever is handy.
âP.O.
WHAT'S NEXT? TRANSITION TO PHASE 2âOR NOT
A
fter two weeks on Atkins, it's decision time. Assuming you've been following the program correctly and have lost weight over the last two weeks, you can choose to remain in Phase 1 (Kick-Start) or transition to Phase 2 (Balancing). Although you should spend a minimum of two weeks in the first phase to train your body to burn fat, initiating weight loss, there's no maximum limit. In the second phase, you'll get into the steady rhythm of weight loss that will carry you until you're 15 pounds from your goal weight. By then, you'll understand how your body reacts to certain foods and to gradual increases in carb intake. The decision about when you start to move up the Carb Ladder is a purely personal one.
Many people come to regard Phase 1 as a “security blanket,” because for the first time in years they feel in control of what they put in their mouth. And their continuing positive results reinforce this inaction. However, at some point weight loss is bound to slow, even if you stay at 20 grams of Net Carbs a day. It can be a false security to feel that you cannot leave this phase. In the long run, it's essential to find out what
you can eat while maintaining a healthy weight. Moving up the Carb Ladder enables you to do this. Learning a way to eat for a lifetime is the real objective of Atkins.
That said, you may remain in Phase 1 as long as you want, assuming you don't become bored with the food choices or get within 15 pounds of your goal weight. In fact, there's no health risk associated with staying in this phase indefinitely. (See “Carb BalancingâSteps to Weight Loss” on page 17 to visualize the two paths, known as Fast Track and Slow and Steady, described below.) The trick is not to get stuck there. Feel free to hang out in Phase 1 longer than two weeks if you have a lot of weight to lose. Weight loss typically slows after the initial dramatic drop that occurs when you switch to burning primarily fat for energy. But that natural slowdown is actually a good thing, as we'll discuss here. In addition to reducing the possibility of boredom, there's another reason why staying too long in Phase 1 can be a problem: you'll have no place to go if and whenâand it's almost inevitableâyou experience a weight-loss plateau. That's because you can't drop below 20 grams of Net Carbs a day without sacrificing foundation vegetables, which is not negotiable. (We'll discuss plateauing in
Chapter 6
.)
If you're motivated by quick weight loss and thrive on structure and a minimum of choices, you may choose to stay in Phase 1 beyond two weeks. To make this process easier, as well as set the stage for when you do decide to move on:
â¢Â Continue to consume 20 grams of Net Carbs a day beyond the first two weeks.
â¢Â Try adding nuts and seeds to your list of acceptable foods. Nuts are full of protein and healthy fats and are relatively low in Net Carbs, thanks to their high fiber content.
 To make it easy, simply follow the meal plans on pages 62 and 64, swapping out 3 grams of Net Carbs from other foods, such as
1
/
2
cup of green beans, a smallish tomato, or 1
1
/
2
cups mixed greens, for 3 grams of nuts or seeds, but without letting your intake of foundation veggies dip below 12 grams of Net Carbs. (You'll still have 5 grams for Atkins bars and shakes, sweeteners, dressings, or condiments.)