Please check my food plan?

Sounds like you already know that some of what you're eating, eg the
extra salad, is not strictly following Atkins induction. However, if
you're not having cravings, are turning Ketostix purple, and losing
weight, then you should be fine. Though you may lose weight slower.
According to Atkins, the caffeine in coffee can be a problem for some
people, so if you are having any problems, you should try switching to
decaf. It seems to me most people here report drinking regular coffee
in moderation with no problems, so you'll probably be ok. Overall,
what you're doing looks fine to me. One thing you didn't tell us is
what you daily total carb intake is?

For someone trying to stick to induction, I'd be suspicious of that
salad with balsamic dressing, which has a negative net carb count that
makes no sense. It's possible the fiber is not even being included in
the 8g of carb. Some straight balsamic vinegars in the stores have
quite a bit of carb. When made into a commericial dressing, it's not
unusual for it to have more added carbs.

Hi,
I a not an expert but since I also eat Avocado I just wanted to point out
that between the two meals you are eating a minimum of 13 carbs. If are on
induction maybe you are eating to many carbs since the book indicates 20 per
day.

Augie
366, 10.2, 175 since 11.07.2005

"Annie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all,

I've been on and off the Atkins yo-yo for the last 2 years or so (I'm
silly!). My biggest downfall has always been special occasions
(birthdays, holidays etc) so this time I am going to try triple hard
because I know that after I've been on it a while, I always feel
healthier, more energetic and spend less money on food. Oh yeah.. and
sometimes I lose weight 🙂

With that in mind, here is what I typically eat on a day to day basis..
I would be so so so appreciative if you would comment here on how
appropriate the plan is.

FYI I am 29 years old, around 71 kgs, about 5'3" and on my second week
of induction (with strips showing purple)

Breakfast:
Usually 1 packet of king prawns (around 200g) mixed with about 2-3 tbs
of mayo and sprinkled with paprika
or
3-4 rashes of Oscar Meyer bacon (god I love this stuff! is it really ok
for me? UK packaging does not state carbs) mixed with 1/2-1 (depending
on size) avocado and 2-3 tbs of mayo
or
1 can of oil-packed tuna mixed with 2-3 tbs mayo and sprinkled with
paprika

lunch:
Almost always Avocado, Spinach and Bacon salad (has aged balsamic and
olive oil dressing) from Marks (8.4g carbs, 9g fibre.. so negative
carbs?) with an extra pack of pre-crisped bacon (no sugar, 0.4g per
100g although this pack is 55g)

dinner:
steak cooked with a little bit of brandy, cream, sun dried tomato paste
(I have a brand that is very low carb) and peppercorns
or
crispy chicken cooked in olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and chilli
or
grilled salmon with lemon on top

dinner is always served with an above-average salad (a huge bowl, to be
honest) which will always include: lettuce (anything but iceberg, as it
is not nutritionally great), radishes, spring onion, tomatoes and pizza
express dressing (I can't remember the carb count, but its the lowest
cream-based dressing.. I put in about a shot glass worth) and usually
loads more bacon (Oscar Meyer.. around 3-4 slices)

I will definately have cream (2-3 tsp) in my morning coffee, but the
rest of the day the coffee will be black (around 2 cups plus morning
coffee, so 3 cups all day)

In addition I try to get a few glasses of water in a day, but mostly I
have to say (somewhat sheepishly) that I drink around 3-4 cans of Diet
Coke a day.

So.. thats it. I love the plan above but if theres anything in it that
I am seriously doing wrong, please tell me. My biggest worry is my
vegetable intake - I eat a LOT of salad and I know you're only meant
for 2 cups on induction but I can't keep to this. I'd be happier losing
weight slower but still getting the salad veggies I love so much.

So thats about it.. any comments would be very appreciated!

Annie

Thank you very much for your comments! Just to clarify, here is the
exact nutrition label on the avocado, bacon and spinach salad I eat for
lunch:

Ingredients:
Avocado (23%), Baby Spinach (19%), Aged Balsamic Dressing (19%), Cherry
Tomatoes (16%), Cos Lettuce, Cooked Smoked Crispy Bacon (6%), Frisww

Aged Balsamic Dressing contains Sunflower Oil, Aged Balsamic Vinegar
(16%), water, extra virgin olive oil (7%), sugar, salt, fresh lemon
juice, black pepper

Cooked smoked crisp bacon contains pork belly, salt, antioxidant:e301,
preservative: e250

For this tub, amounts are:
Energy KJ: 2140
Energy kcal: 510
protein (g): 16.60
carbohydrate (g): 8.4
of which sugars (g): 8
fat (g) 46.40
of which saturates (g) 8.4
fibre (g) 9.0
sodium (g) 0.8
equivelant as salt (g) 2.0

What does that label tell you? I just subtracted the fibre from the
carbohydrate and ended up with a negative amount. Is this possible?
Have I been doing this wrong all along?

Annie

Hmm this is a good point. I think it might be best if I limit my
avocado to once per day.. thanks for pointing out the (blindingly)
obvious which I'd missed!

Oh and I'm trying to keep carb intake to 20g, however I know I go over
this by eating a bit too much salad.. I will try and get an accurate
measure and report back!

I don't see a problem with most of the food, other than the commercial
condiments, which could put you over your carb allotment for the day. Maybe
you can also replace some of those diet colas with something else, like
green tea.
The bacon/avocado/mayo breakfast looks like a lot of calories. It may not
be(for you), if you are an active person.
It seems you know what should be eaten and are able to do it short term.
Maybe think about why you are not sticking with it consistently. Lifestyle
factors?

Quoted message said:

I've been on and off the Atkins yo-yo for the last 2 years or so (I'm
silly!). My biggest downfall has always been special occasions
(birthdays, holidays etc) so this time I am going to try triple hard
because I know that after I've been on it a while, I always feel
healthier, more energetic and spend less money on food. Oh yeah.. and
sometimes I lose weight 🙂

I am definately not an active person.. I work an office job and don't
exercise as much as I should.

I guess I thought for induction I shouldn't be thinking about calories.
Actually now that I think about it, I have mayo on a lot of things..
mayo and bacon I eat a lot of, avocado in moderation usually. Could
this be my problem?

The not sticking to it part is definately lifestyle. I want to go out
clubbing with my friends once a month and drink a bit too. Or eat out
for special occasions (birthday etc). I know that these things are
possible low carb, and I'm going to do my best to do it the LC way. At
the end of the day, I can go on my own experiences past to know that no
other way works for me.

"Annie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am definately not an active person.. I work an office job and don't
exercise as much as I should.

I think it is important to become more active. It will help a great deal
with maintaining weight.

Quoted message said:

I guess I thought for induction I shouldn't be thinking about calories.
Actually now that I think about it, I have mayo on a lot of things..
mayo and bacon I eat a lot of, avocado in moderation usually. Could
this be my problem?

High fat is not the problem. Over eating is. There is no magic in low
carb that allows you to eat more calories then you expend. Low carb can be
useful to stabilize blood sugars and allow you to eat less without feeling
seriously hungry.

Quoted message said:

The not sticking to it part is definately lifestyle. I want to go out
clubbing with my friends once a month and drink a bit too.

I go to the bar occasionally too. While everyone else drinks beer, I
drink vodka and soda. I usually eat before I go out. If I do get hungry or
haven't eaten at home, I'll order a chicken caesar salad, or dry ribs.

Quoted message said:

Or eat out
for special occasions (birthday etc). I know that these things are
possible low carb, and I'm going to do my best to do it the LC way. At
the end of the day, I can go on my own experiences past to know that no
other way works for me.

Since no socializing is not an option for many people, including myself,
you must find a way around the situations that cause you to eat stuff that
is off plan. Remember that successful dieting is about changing the things
that made you fat in the first place. Most people can temporarily lose some
weight in the short term.
As for the way fiber is deducted from carb counts, realize that some
labeling can be tricky. Some have the net carbs already calculated, others
do not. You can not have a negative carb count. Likely for that salad label
you listed, it would be a total of 17 gr carbs, of which 9 are fiber.
Leaving you with 8 net carbs.

Quoted message said:

Tom,
Thanks for your great advice.
Regarding negative carb count, are you saying that there are no foods
which have more fibre than carbs? (thus a negative carb count?)
If so.. I bet I am being tricked by a lot of labels 🙁
Annie

Annie said:

I've been on and off the Atkins yo-yo for the last 2 years or so (I'm
silly!).

Have you remained on Induction each time or have you followed the
basic instructions by moving on to OWL on day 15 each time?
There is an asssortment of reasons why I ask that question.

One reason is that if you've been on and off the plan several times,
what's kicking you off plan? Staying on Induction can be using
Atkins as a fad diet, or it can be an attempt at all-or-nothing. The
most common result of an all-or-nothing approach is nothing. When
it comes down to it folks who stay on the fad variation have a higher
drop-out rate than folks who continue into the process and move
towards making it a permanent system they can live with.

Quoted message said:

My biggest downfall has always been special occasions
(birthdays, holidays etc) so this time I am going to try triple hard
because I know that after I've been on it a while, I always feel
healthier, more energetic and spend less money on food. Oh yeah.. and
sometimes I lose weight 🙂

Another reason is the crash-and-burn effect. One of many points of
OWL and the carb ladder is to learn your trigger foods. Once you've
learned those you know exactly what foods are and aren't a risk
for you to eat. Fail to learn those and every carby meal you'll ever
encounter is a minefield of unknown risks. Knowledge is power and
the OWL process is a knowledge builder.

Quoted message said:

With that in mind, here is what I typically eat on a day to day basis..
I would be so so so appreciative if you would comment here on how
appropriate the plan is.

In general your food is fine.

Quoted message said:

FYI I am 29 years old, around 71 kgs, about 5'3" and on my second week
of induction (with strips showing purple)

At that height and weight you're not particularly overweight. Have
you considered just going with no junk food and as natural as you
can pull off? That is, a non-extreme system that should be easy
to live with that should have you drift down in weight?

Quoted message said:

In addition I try to get a few glasses of water in a day, but mostly I
have to say (somewhat sheepishly) that I drink around 3-4 cans of Diet
Coke a day.

Note that aspartame is the artificial sweetener with the highest
rate of problems. None of them have zero problems but aspartame
is the worst. Have you considered switching to Diet Diet and moving
down in the number of cans?

Quoted message said:

So.. thats it. I love the plan above but if theres anything in it that
I am seriously doing wrong, please tell me.

The biggest issue is the aspatame followed by the caffeine. Plenty
of people have no problem with either but your history of falling
off plan is worrisome.

Quoted message said:

My biggest worry is my
vegetable intake - I eat a LOT of salad and I know you're only meant
for 2 cups on induction but I can't keep to this.

Are you deducting fiber? If you are then the cup guidelines are
obsolete and irrelevant to you. The cup guidelines were a simple way
to teach easy carb counting when folks used total carbs not net.
If you are using total then it's your choice between switching to net
or cutting back on the salad.

Quoted message said:

I'd be happier losing
weight slower but still getting the salad veggies I love so much.

Yup, switch to the net counts and ignore the obsolete cup guideline
that only applied to total counts.

Quoted message said:

So thats about it.. any comments would be very appreciated!

Consider carefully exactly why you fell off plan previous times. Would
you have been able to stay on-plan if you had followed the basic
directions, moved on to OWL, used the carb ladder, learned your
trigger foods, and known exactly what you can and can't eat during
a splurge? Because the problem sure isn't your gourmet food.

"Annie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tom,
Thanks for your great advice.
Regarding negative carb count, are you saying that there are no foods
which have more fibre than carbs? (thus a negative carb count?)

The labels are deceiving. Fiber does not cancel out other carb counts.
Fiber is a carbohydrate that can not be digested. The labels are giving you
the net carb count after fiber has already been deducted. Then they also
tell you how much fiber there is in the meal. Many people are fooled by this
and figure the food has a very low carb value, or in this case a negative
one.
As an example; Lets say I wanted to make a new product called "High Fiber
Coke". I mix 42gr of Metamucil in a can of pop. The pop already has 40gr of
carbs(as sugar) already in it. If I was to make up a label for this product,
I list the carb count as 40gr. Then I also list the fiber count as 42gr of
fiber. What happened? Did I just create a consumer product with a negative
carb value? Nope. What I did was list the net carb count since the fiber is
not digestible and not counted. Then I told you how much fiber was in the
can as well.

Quoted message said:

If so.. I bet I am being tricked by a lot of labels 🙁

Exactly.

Quoted message said:

Annie

Annie,

Please quote the part you're responding to. It's UseNet standard
practice. Notice how I use insert arrows below, or use some
other quoting method.

Annie said:

I guess I thought for induction I shouldn't be thinking about calories.

While the carb cravings of early Induction are still happening eat
what it takes to get through them. From then on both overeating
and undereating are forbidden though no definition is given for
either term. Sure, you shouldn't be "thinking" about calories.
As long as you keep your portions okay and you know what okay
portions are you'll do fine. Some folks know okay portions when
they see them, others don't.

Quoted message said:

Actually now that I think about it, I have mayo on a lot of things..
mayo and bacon I eat a lot of, avocado in moderation usually. Could
this be my problem?

Very unlikely. The higher your percentage of calories from fat
the more fat is withdrawn from storage. Very much not obvious
but the chemistry does work that way. Fat is calorie dense so it
is easy to overeat high-fat food so portion control becomes important.
Your description of your portions sounds fine.

Quoted message said:

The not sticking to it part is definately lifestyle. I want to go out
clubbing with my friends once a month and drink a bit too. Or eat out
for special occasions (birthday etc).

I don't get how those are a problem. Alcohol is only forbidden
during Induction and real Induction only lasts 14 days. Even if
you extend the restrictions become optional.

Quoted message said:

I know that these things are
possible low carb, and I'm going to do my best to do it the LC way.

Given a little practice and thought, ordering low carb from menus
becomes easy.

Quoted message said:

At
the end of the day, I can go on my own experiences past to know that no
other way works for me.

Then think about your options. Keep on-plan or regain. Those are your
choices. Those are my choices as well.

Annie said:

Thank you very much for your comments! Just to clarify, here is the
exact nutrition label on the avocado, bacon and spinach salad I eat for
lunch:

Ingredients:
Avocado (23%), Baby Spinach (19%), Aged Balsamic Dressing (19%), Cherry
Tomatoes (16%), Cos Lettuce, Cooked Smoked Crispy Bacon (6%), Frisww

Aged Balsamic Dressing contains Sunflower Oil, Aged Balsamic Vinegar
(16%), water, extra virgin olive oil (7%), sugar, salt, fresh lemon
juice, black pepper

Cooked smoked crisp bacon contains pork belly, salt, antioxidant:e301,
preservative: e250

For this tub, amounts are:
Energy KJ: 2140
Energy kcal: 510
protein (g): 16.60
carbohydrate (g): 8.4
of which sugars (g): 8

So, virtually all the carbs listed are in the form of sugar.... 8gm,
which is about 1/2 of all the carbs you would be allowed for the day on
induction.

Quoted message said:

fat (g) 46.40
of which saturates (g) 8.4

Quoted message said:

fibre (g) 9.0

The only way that this makes sense is that the fiber carbs were excluded
from the "carbs" above, and the "Carbs 8.4 g. " are "NetCarbs" rather
than total carbs.

Quoted message said:

sodium (g) 0.8
equivelant as salt (g) 2.0

What does that label tell you? I just subtracted the fibre from the
carbohydrate and ended up with a negative amount. Is this possible?
Have I been doing this wrong all along?

In the USA, the indigestible carbohydrates in fiber are required to be
reported in the carbohydrate content. Technically, they are a
carbohydrate in the chemical sense.

In the USA, then, one subtracts out the indigestible fiber carbohydrates
from the total carbohydrates to get the "NetCarbs".

If you are not in the USA, then check with any local "low carb"
authority for how your food is labeled. And, thus, do you are don't you
subtract off the "fiber" from the "carbohydrates" to get the amount of
carbs that your body could digest.

Sawdust is largely a carbohydrate (cellulose fiber in the wood is a
carbohydrate, but it is indigestible to humans, although termites on the
Atkins diet would have to treat the cellulose differently). But, few
people would recommend a diet containing much sawdust, even though it
could make your bowel movements regular and interesting.

Jim

Quoted message said:

Annie

--
1) Eat Till SATISFIED, Not STUFFED... Atkins repeated 9 times in the book
2) Exercise: It's Non-Negotiable..... Chapter 22 title, Atkins book
3) Don't Diet Without Supplimental Nutrients... Chapter 23 title, Atkins
book
4) A sensible eating plan, and follow it. (Atkins, Self Made or Other)

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

What does that label tell you? I just subtracted the fibre from the
carbohydrate and ended up with a negative amount. Is this possible?
Have I been doing this wrong all along?

Based on your vocabulary, I'm guessing you are in the UK or thereabouts.
Nutrition labels in the UK show the carb count with the fiber ALREADY
subtracted. So you know it has 9 grams of fiber as an FYI, but those 9
grams were subtracted from 17.4 TOTAL carbs, not 8.4. In the US, we
have to do our OWN math :-)

--
Saffire
205/129/125
Atkins since 6/14/03
Progress photo: http://photos.yahoo.com/saffire333

*** This post originated in alt.support.diet.low-carb -- its appearance
in any other forum is deceptive and unauthorized. ***

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

What does that label tell you? I just subtracted the fibre from the
carbohydrate and ended up with a negative amount. Is this possible?
Have I been doing this wrong all along?

Based on your vocabulary, I'm guessing you are in the UK or thereabouts.
Nutrition labels in the UK show the carb count with the fiber ALREADY
subtracted. So you know it has 9 grams of fiber as an FYI, but those 9
grams were subtracted from 17.4 TOTAL carbs, not 8.4. In the US, we
have to do our OWN math :-)

--
Saffire
205/129/125
Atkins since 6/14/03
Progress photo: http://photos.yahoo.com/saffire333

*** This post originated in alt.support.diet.low-carb -- its appearance
in any other forum is deceptive and unauthorized. ***

Doug Freyburger said:

Annie said:

I've been on and off the Atkins yo-yo for the last 2 years or so (I'm
silly!).

Have you remained on Induction each time or have you followed the
basic instructions by moving on to OWL on day 15 each time?
There is an asssortment of reasons why I ask that question.

Actually I've tried to stay on induction as long as I could handle it.
After that, I would slowly introduce things like low carb berries and a
small amount of nuts. Definately no chocolate, potatoes, bread or any of
the other stuff generally high carb.

Quoted message said:

One reason is that if you've been on and off the plan several times,
what's kicking you off plan? Staying on Induction can be using

Mostly things like the occasional latte at Starbucks, or wanting my
favourite alcohol beverage (scotch/whiskey).

Quoted message said:

Atkins as a fad diet, or it can be an attempt at all-or-nothing. The
most common result of an all-or-nothing approach is nothing. When

I know 🙁

Quoted message said:

it comes down to it folks who stay on the fad variation have a higher
drop-out rate than folks who continue into the process and move
towards making it a permanent system they can live with.

I see what you mean. I sometimes feel that I don't lose that much weight
with induction, so I figure as it is most effective, its best to stay on
it for as long as possible.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My biggest downfall has always been special occasions
(birthdays, holidays etc) so this time I am going to try triple hard
because I know that after I've been on it a while, I always feel
healthier, more energetic and spend less money on food. Oh yeah.. and
sometimes I lose weight 🙂

Another reason is the crash-and-burn effect. One of many points of
OWL and the carb ladder is to learn your trigger foods. Once you've
learned those you know exactly what foods are and aren't a risk

What is a trigger food? And even if you know what it is, how can you
resist it all the time? I don't think I could follow any WOE that says
"you can never, ever have french fries again"

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

FYI I am 29 years old, around 71 kgs, about 5'3" and on my second week
of induction (with strips showing purple)

At that height and weight you're not particularly overweight. Have

I am a UK 16, sliding slowly downwards. I'm quite short and carry all my
weight on my thighs, stomach and a little on my butt. It really really
shows. I feel like I look pregnant half the time!

I'm not expecting miracles, but to be honest for my height I should be
less than 70kg. More like 55kg.

Quoted message said:

you considered just going with no junk food and as natural as you
can pull off? That is, a non-extreme system that should be easy
to live with that should have you drift down in weight?

Even when I was eating carby stuff I rarely ate junk food. Maybe once a
fortnight I'd have McDonalds. I also rarely snacked on biscuits,
chocolate, chips etc. My biggest problem was that I always had to have
a carby "side" with every meal. Mashed potatoes is my alltime favourite.
Sometimes rice, rarely pasta. But mostly potatoes. Chipped, mashed,
roasted. Breadcrumbs on schnitzels.. that sort of thing. Still loads of
salad though (which I still can't give up!)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

In addition I try to get a few glasses of water in a day, but mostly I
have to say (somewhat sheepishly) that I drink around 3-4 cans of Diet
Coke a day.

Note that aspartame is the artificial sweetener with the highest
rate of problems. None of them have zero problems but aspartame
is the worst. Have you considered switching to Diet Diet and moving
down in the number of cans?

I haven't seen any diet drinks available here in the UK which don't use
aspartame 🙁 But you're right, it is too much. I will try to replace
fizzy drinks with fizzy soda water (the only water I really like)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So.. thats it. I love the plan above but if theres anything in it that
I am seriously doing wrong, please tell me.

The biggest issue is the aspatame followed by the caffeine. Plenty
of people have no problem with either but your history of falling
off plan is worrisome.

Sorry for my ignorance - but what does aspartame and caffeine have to do
with falling off plan?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My biggest worry is my
vegetable intake - I eat a LOT of salad and I know you're only meant
for 2 cups on induction but I can't keep to this.

Are you deducting fiber? If you are then the cup guidelines are

Err no. To be honest I've been slack with those carbs. I have not
limited myself with vegetables - lettuce, cucumber, tomato, spring onion
are all incorporated into lunch and almost always dinner. I don't count
the carbs, the cups nor the fibre. I think I am fooling myself into
thinking "vegetables are good for you, therefore eat as much as you
need"

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'd be happier losing
weight slower but still getting the salad veggies I love so much.

Yup, switch to the net counts and ignore the obsolete cup guideline
that only applied to total counts.

Would that mean weighing everything?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So thats about it.. any comments would be very appreciated!

Consider carefully exactly why you fell off plan previous times. Would
you have been able to stay on-plan if you had followed the basic
directions, moved on to OWL, used the carb ladder, learned your
trigger foods, and known exactly what you can and can't eat during
a splurge? Because the problem sure isn't your gourmet food.

Well the original problem was me asking if the food I had listed was OK
or too much.

As it is, I now eat 3 times a day and thats it. No snacking or feeling
hungry between meals. I wanted to make sure this result was not because
the foods I listed were either "bad" or the quantity was too much. I'd
hate to put myself through a period of semi-deprivation (I really do
miss mashed potatoes) only to find I wasn't doing it right in the first
place and it was all for nothing.

I thank you for your comments as they are really helpful. This group is
fabulous and very supportive!

Annie

Doug Freyburger said:

Annie,

Please quote the part you're responding to. It's UseNet standard
practice. Notice how I use insert arrows below, or use some
other quoting method.

Hi Doug,

I apologise - I was using Google Groups before to post and it doesn't
allow you to reply with quote. I've now changed news reader and
hopefully you can understand me!

Quoted message said:

Annie said:

I guess I thought for induction I shouldn't be thinking about calories.

While the carb cravings of early Induction are still happening eat
what it takes to get through them. From then on both overeating
and undereating are forbidden though no definition is given for
either term. Sure, you shouldn't be "thinking" about calories.

Hmm.. thats the hard part. I'm a definition kinda girl. Sometimes I work
better when something is in black or white. At least with a low-fat
lifestyle the rules are pretty clear (not a lifestyle that works for me,
hence the switch to low-carb)

Quoted message said:

As long as you keep your portions okay and you know what okay
portions are you'll do fine. Some folks know okay portions when
they see them, others don't.

How do you know the right sized portion? I mean, I eat until I am full
and not stuffed.. I never walk away from the dinner table feeling like I
"ate too much" like I used to with my favourite carby meal of schnitzel
coated in breadcrumbs with a side of mashed potato. But still I feel
like I eat a *lot*

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Actually now that I think about it, I have mayo on a lot of things..
mayo and bacon I eat a lot of, avocado in moderation usually. Could
this be my problem?

Very unlikely. The higher your percentage of calories from fat
the more fat is withdrawn from storage. Very much not obvious

Well in this one instance I should be ok. I use mayo on most things,
olive oil on almost everything.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The not sticking to it part is definately lifestyle. I want to go out
clubbing with my friends once a month and drink a bit too. Or eat out
for special occasions (birthday etc).

I don't get how those are a problem. Alcohol is only forbidden
during Induction and real Induction only lasts 14 days. Even if
you extend the restrictions become optional.

I know, but once I get past the 14 days, I always think to myself "I
worked so hard to keep my cravings under control for 14 days, why should
I let that all go for the sake of a night out?" and then what happens is
I feel resentful about not having alcohol, then the guilt kicks in, then
I think "bugger it, I deserve a night out", then I drink, then it takes
me 3 days to get back into ketosis and during that 3 days I just think
"why do I bother? I'll only have to do this again when I feel like going
out" and then I think well I may as well have a sandwich for lunch
today, then it gets worse and thus the cycle continues.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I know that these things are
possible low carb, and I'm going to do my best to do it the LC way.

Given a little practice and thought, ordering low carb from menus
becomes easy.

I just feel so embarassed doing it. My friends and partner seem
embarassed when I ask for details on the menu. I think its a lot more
acceptable WOE in the US but here in the UK (and in Australia, before I
moved here) its not as accepted so waiters/waitresses are not as
understanding.

Quoted message said:

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At
the end of the day, I can go on my own experiences past to know that no
other way works for me.

Then think about your options. Keep on-plan or regain. Those are your
choices. Those are my choices as well.

I agree. I am trying hard this time. Its really not that difficult for
me, once I get rolling. I don't really crave things as I've done this a
few times before and know what the drill is, but I just need to make
sure that I am starting in the best way possible, hence my first post.

Thank you for your well thought out comments, it is really appreciated.

Annie

Tom,

Your Metamucil example really helped me understand the issue here. Thank
you.. I was thinking exactly that way.

In which case, how do you know if the fibre has already been subtracted
for you? There will be cases where it won't be obvious like a "negative"
carb count. Is there a quick and easy way to tell? Or is it just better
to assume that all labels are tricky and just go on the carb count?

Annie

Tom G said:

"Annie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tom,
Thanks for your great advice.
Regarding negative carb count, are you saying that there are no foods
which have more fibre than carbs? (thus a negative carb count?)

The labels are deceiving. Fiber does not cancel out other carb counts.
Fiber is a carbohydrate that can not be digested. The labels are giving you
the net carb count after fiber has already been deducted. Then they also
tell you how much fiber there is in the meal. Many people are fooled by this
and figure the food has a very low carb value, or in this case a negative
one.
As an example; Lets say I wanted to make a new product called "High Fiber
Coke". I mix 42gr of Metamucil in a can of pop. The pop already has 40gr of
carbs(as sugar) already in it. If I was to make up a label for this product,
I list the carb count as 40gr. Then I also list the fiber count as 42gr of
fiber. What happened? Did I just create a consumer product with a negative
carb value? Nope. What I did was list the net carb count since the fiber is
not digestible and not counted. Then I told you how much fiber was in the
can as well.

Quoted message said:

If so.. I bet I am being tricked by a lot of labels 🙁

Exactly.

Quoted message said:

Annie

Saffire,

Thanks for letting me know! And I gotta say
aaaaaaaaaaaarrrggggggggggghhhhhhh! I think I've been doing this thing
wrong for *months*.. how is it possible I turned the ketostix purple??!?

Is this a general rule about labels in the UK or is it pretty much
always?

Annie

Saffire said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

What does that label tell you? I just subtracted the fibre from the
carbohydrate and ended up with a negative amount. Is this possible?
Have I been doing this wrong all along?

Based on your vocabulary, I'm guessing you are in the UK or thereabouts.
Nutrition labels in the UK show the carb count with the fiber ALREADY
subtracted. So you know it has 9 grams of fiber as an FYI, but those 9
grams were subtracted from 17.4 TOTAL carbs, not 8.4. In the US, we
have to do our OWN math :-)