(It seems to me that with all the hombres doing the Atkins diet, we should have an Atkins thread.)

Anyone tackling this diet should be prepared to buy/borrow the Atkins book. I spent quite a few weeks cutting out the breads and high carb foods but seeing no weight loss. When I picked up the book and read it I learned that I had to TOTALLY eliminate the sugars (including my beloved fruits). It wasn't until I started paying serious attention to the labels that I realized exactly how MUCH sugar is in prepared food.

Meanwhile, I'm now on day 16 and only JUST got a reading on my Ketostix last night.

I don't think you need to buy the book to do Atkins.

Everything you need to know about Atkins is on their website at http://www.atkinscenter.com

You do have to read ALL the articles they have online though. I read almost everything they had about Induction before I started it. I lost almost 30 pounds before I finally got off the diet.

Xen,

How long have you been off? How much have you gained back.

The studies suggest that the system works, but that you can pretty much count on gaining back about a third of the weight within a couple of months of quitting the diet. That said, you WILL loose weight and keep off most of what you loose.


StrikeEagle

Xenono, how long did it take you to lose 30 pounds? I bought the book and I think it comes pretty handy with all those recipes and other information. I have not started on Atkins yet, have been planning for weeks, but thought of not having bread, rice, cereal, is just too frightening. But got to do it one of these days.

JKarp

Is pussy a carb?

I started the diet in late December and dropped from 211 to 190 in about two months. After February, I kind of got lazy and went on and off the diet, but I eventually made it to 180. That was on a strict induction schedule and included exercise. I was running a mile a day and doing 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise as well. No matter what I tried though, I could not get below 180.

When I went to Argentina I said fuck the diet and went back to my normal, crappy way of eating. I have been doing eating what I wanted ever since. I immediately went back up to 190 and now I hover between 190 and 200.

It is really hard to stay on the diet, especially induction since that is the real weight loss mode. They say two weeks; I did induction for two months.

Just remember, no sugar. Going to the zona, it is agua mineral only. No beer. Going out to dinner? Make sure that steak or chicken is not marinated in anything.

I am going to get back on it before I head to Brazil. I have started it a few times since I have returned but haven't been able to stick to the strict induction rules. But I can, it just a matter of limiting outside temptations. I did a better job of this previously.

SF_Hombre, only if it is sweet.

Xenono, thanks for the info. I am going to try it in the next 2 weeks or so and will share my experience.

JKarp

Jkarp,

It probably depends upon the person but when I go on a no carb diet my system finds the lack of fiber a problem so I add a fiber supplement. It's a powder you mix in a glass of water once a day. Psyllium fiber. I use the Atkins diet to drop 5 sometimes 10 pounds when I get up to 185. Eventhough Atkins says fat is OK, I minimize cheese and fatty meats.

I was 182 this AM after a 3 day Memorial weekend binge so it's time to drop a few pounds (and drink a lot of water for a change). ;-)

Atkins works (me losing 40 pounds is proof of that) but it's also hard to stick to, especially if you go out a lot. You also gain back almost immediately if you stop, and if you slip once you can expect a pause in your weight loss. I found that if I eat junk in small portions, and try to fill up on protein rather than other things (bread, pasta, fruit, chips, etc.) then I slowly but surely lose weight. My only rule now is that protein outnumbers everything else I eat so that I am primarily full on that, and if I am going to eat carbs, I only eat lean protein to help a little with the cholesterol thing.

Atkins is the fastest way to lose weight, but it's not the only way. Exercise a little more than you do now and change nothing else and you'll lose weight. Cut processed sugars out (cookies, candy bars, ice cream, regular sodas, etc.) and you'll lose weight. It's all a matter of what you want to do in terms of sacrifice. I work out about 45 mins 4 days a week and I eat anything I want and lose about 3 pounds a month. Not a lot of weight, but I have yet to gain a pound back and I eat anything from steak to ice cream. I just keep the junk portions under control and make sure I filled up on protein and low carb snacks (celery with cream cheese, etc.)

Astoroth, your making a mistake by choosing lean meats. when you are on Atkins, you're encouraged to eat a lot of fat, and a reasonable amount of protein. The fat keeps you satisified (like the pussy!), the protein builds your muscles (like the viagra, ha ha!!), and some low carb vegetables help flush everything out (like a week in Rio...)

you don't need to worry about cholestoral, your numbers should improve on this diet. This is because without carbs, your body doesn't know how to convert the fat you eat into anything harmful, it only knows how to burn it. All the studies that indicate that eating fat has adverse effects on your blood chemistry are in fact studies of high fat AND high carb diets. Take away the carbs, and the results change dramatically.

Another point, this idea that you gain the wt. back someone while still on Atkins is nonsense. I know some recent studies suggested that, but I'm waiting to see the fine print, it just doesn't make any sense. Everyone I know that has stayed with the diet has kept the wt. off, myself included. I've been on it for almost a year - lost over 30 pounds.

Finally, I personaly find the Atkins diet very easy to stick with. Like I said, I have been doing it for almost a year, and I can't imagine eating any other way. Although when I go to Brazil in a few weeks, I know I wont be able to resist the Brahmas and coxinhas and feijoada... So I'll gain some and loose it as soon as I get back, big deal..

To me, Atkins is the first food plan I've ever experienced that I can actually do. It doesn't take will-power, just a bit of planning. I find it slightly difficult to make mesh with a typical restaurant menu, and fast-food that is Atkins friendly is very hard to find. But a few boiled eggs are all that is really necessary to overcome those sorts of cravings. There's no "Omigosh I have to resist I have to resist" moment, ever. If you're hungry, have some wings! Wahooo! Just make sure there's no breading or sweet sauce.

In-N-Out burger restaurant in No. Cal now has Atkins friendly burger, they call it protein burger. It is a hamburger with cheese wrapped in lettuce. I tried it and it tastes great. Just don't get French fries and soda with it.

There are now a couple of restaurants in San Diego that have Atkins menu's. Local television news was talking about them yesterday with an interview with the chef/owner. Unfortunately I was not paying much attention and don't remember exactly the name, but I think the name was Tava.

The food looked very good with scollops, chicken and beef. Sadly all food looks good to me

Going to an In-N-Out burger place and ordering the combo double cheeseburger, fries, and milk shake is like chugging a half pint of good rum. Initially you feel the impact of the taste, then an almost immediate rush that spreads throughout the body in mere seconds. It is impossible to take it slow and all you can do is to open wide and hope the kechup acts as a lubricant.

But then........ about an hour or so later you start to feel that first funny queeziness in your stomach that starts to rise upward with an unpleasant sensation of constriction. Within minutes a similar discomfort starts to work its way downward although this time the feeling is one of expansion. You know that you have made a serious mistake. And that obnoixous jerk in your head that won't ever shut up, except when you are eating the In-N-Out cheeseburger combo, starts to laugh.

LOL ... spoken like a true addict. I noticed a diner in St. Pete (Florida) that advertised "daily Atkins specials" on its sign. It's catching on!

Thought I would share some of the reasons I decided to go on the Atkins diet last January:
(1) Pictures of me having sex with Eden Club girls in BKK ruined because of the pot belly that got in the way of some of the shots;
(2) 2 separate soapie girls in BKK, who probably knew about 10 words of English in total, were still able to point at by stomach and say "Babee" thereby demonstrating lack of knowledge that only women can become pregnant;
(3) another soapie girl, who did not even know 10 words of English still was able to communicate through pointing that my tits were bigger than hers (in fairness, she was not very well-endowed).

Actually, I was not in THAT bad shape at that time but heavier than I should have been: about 167 pounds on a 5'8" frame. Since going on the Atkins diet I have lost about 12 pounds (not dramatic, but I chose not to stay on induction very long) and even managed to lose a couple during my recent 10-day trip to Rio despite eating more beef than I probably had consumed throughout the entire last year. I am aiming for perhaps another seven or eight pounds, which should be easier once I start exercising more (my Atkins weight loss has really been in the absence of exercise owing to some minor knee injuries that seem to be healing).
I recently noticed that Trader Joe's (supermarket-like specialty food store on the west-coast and maybe other places) has started stocking low-carb foods such as Atkins Crunchers, low-carb bread, and an assortment of non-sugar chocolates and other candies that actually taste rather good. Although I know some find it difficult to stay on a low-carb diet, it is getting easier as it gets more popular and a greater number of compatible food products and snacks are becoming easily accessible. For me the key is staying away from bread (other than low-carb versions), rice and potatoes, as well as sugar (Hansen's diet sodas with sucrolose help alot in the soft drink department). Also, I don't particularly like beer so I stay away from it, although I still have a scotch or two a day (as did Atkins).

I only find it hard to stay on a low-carb diet if I haven't done my induction properly. If I induce myself into Atkins properly, my appetite changes and I don't actually WANT to eat carbs. I crave cheeses and meats, when I get the itch to snack.

(Message edited by book_guy on June 08, 2003)

I started Atkins again last night. I am in the Induction phase right now which is the weight loss phase. I plan to stay in Induction for a while as I have a LOT of weight to lose.

If you remember, I started Atkins last December and lost 31 pounds. I went from 211 to 180. Right before I left for Argentina I chucked the diet completely. In those two months I have gained back almost all of the weight. I am around 200 as I write this.
So I am going for it again. I am going to try to detail and log my weight loss on this board. Those of you that are interested in Atkins, I have linked to the Induction information above. You do NOT need to purchase the book to do Atkins. At the information you need is on their website for free at atkins.com

Plus, I love their Advantage Bars but they are too God Damned expensive. The best deal I have found on them so far is between $1.50 and $1.75 a bar at Wal-Mart. Most other places they are well over $2.00 per bar so there is no way in hell I am buying his book.

Two good articles to start yourself off with if you want to do Atkins and the Induction Phase are Acceptable Foods and Rules of Induction

YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES STRICTLY. If you don't you won't get into Ketosis and if you never get into Ketosis you won't lose weight. If you cheat, you are only cheating yourself and wasting your time.

Since I started last night, I won't be in Ketosis for another 2-4 days because my body has to burn all the stored sugar in my system. They say the body usually stored about two days of sugar. Once that is used up and I am no longer taking in any carbs, my body is forced into Ketosis and forced to burn fat for energy. Some people say they have more energy and feel better once they enter Ketosis. Also, since you are controlling blood sugar now you lose your cravings for sugar.

I always use KetoStix to tell whether or not I am in Ketosis because I like to know for sure. Some people have said you can tell by noticing the physical effects of it. I can't, so I use the Stix. When your body start burning the fat they turn that fat in Keytones for energy or something like that. The excess Keytones that aren’t used are discharged in your urine. So by peeing on these Stixs you can tell if you are in Ketosis or not.

I weight in this morning around 200. So we'll see how it goes from here. I am also trying to exercise at least 20 minutes each day.

It is not easy to do Atkins, especially if you need to stay in Induction and lose a lot of weight like me. I am sure no diet is easy. But Atkins is by far the easiet and most effective and QUICKEST way I have ever lost weight before. If you can follow the rules and stick to them, you will lose weight.

Xenono

Thanks for the links. Since "the gout" precludes me from having my daily beer for a while it might be a good time for me to knock off some weight too. I read the info you linked to and it looks like my previous attempts have had so-so results because I ate too much cheese and drank beer.

Good luck!

A few internet sites I go to for low-carb foods/supplies include www.vitacost.com (they have the Atkins advantage bars for $1.66 each as well as alot of other stuff; go to their "low-carb" category or if you are only interested in Atkins products, the Atkins brand category); www.carbsmart.com (alot of different types of low carb food and snacks; and www.lowcarboutlet.com (ditto).

Note, Xenono states that the "induction" phase is the "weight-loss" phase. But I had understood, to the contrary, that "induction" under Atkins is what is necessary BEFORE your body will begin to burn fat instead of carbs. Basically, in induction you starve your carb-incenerator to the extent that your body changes metabolic "preferences" to that of being a fat-incenerator. So, "induction" is PRE-weight-loss.

In that induction phase, you must be very very strict about carb intake, and limit it (in ALL its forms) to nearly zip. I have found that if you succeed at that, then you will indeed induce fat-digestion and become a different person. My body smells different, my breath changes, my attitude and energy, my sweating patterns, my appetite, everything. It's a bit creepy, actually ...

Actually induction is the first phase of the program which includes the most rapid loss of weight. While Atkins says you can stay on induction for as little as two weeks, and then proceed to the next phase, there is nothing that says you can't stay on it for months. I believe the Duke University study, which was one of the recent studies that has added to the credibility of the Atkins approach, had their subjects stay on induction for six months, during which there was dramatic weight loss (if it is not the Duke U. study, then it was another credible study that did this) greater than on some other diet (I believe the American Heart Association low-fat diet; I'm not sure though).
According to Atkins you continue losing weight, but at a slower pace, on the two phases that follow induction, only stabilizing at the last (fourth) stage of the diet.
Assuming I have not misread Atkins, greater detail about the above topics can be found at www.atkinscenter.com.


(Message edited by laguy on June 09, 2003)

Xenono, I'll looking for your progress report as you mentioned above. All the posts I have read so far on this thread makes me wish my weight was like any of yours so I am not going to mention my weight. Let's just say it is more than any other weight mentioned (pre and post Atkins) on this thread.

Thanks,
JKARP

jkarp: Given your post, I would highly recommend that you try the Atkins diet for awhile. One of the things about it that sets it apart from many other diets is that you will see results within a week or so, which then acts as a motivator to stay on the diet. One of the problems with dieting I think is that it often seems hit or miss as to whether you will see any sustainable results; also, if the diet is essentially one of "eat less food" it is very difficult to keep this up. On the other hand, I have found with Atkins that I am not food deprived; I have simply lost the desire to eat a lot of the foods (carbs) that used to get in the way of any weight loss. While my situation is different from yours in terms of the weight I started at, and perhaps I shouldn't speak too loudly in giving advice, I believe you would have a good shot at some significant weight loss if you read the information on the Atkins website, particularly about the induction phase, and then gave the diet a try while trying hard to avoid cheating.

After two days I have already noticed a change. It is mostly water, but I am now 196. That is down from 200 on Sunday morning. Like another poster mentioned, the quick results help motivate one to continue on the diet.

I have been on the diet for 6 weeks and have lost 22 pounds. The only modification to my diet is that I occasionally eat fruit in the morning but no bananas. I am 6'3", so I have room for weight but I was getting a little soft at 225. I am now 203 and will modify the diet once I reach 195. I am working out 4 days a week but mostly cardio as I have little energy to lift weights. Two weeks ago I was feeling very week and ate a bunch of fruit and it helped and I didn't gain any weight. Io also try to eat almonds and peanut butter now and then as nuts are low in carbs.

I am looking into Atkins. It would be hard for me, as I eat out alot and only cook for myself once a day.

So I can get more for my money and spend less time eating, I frequent buffets in the area. I thought I could make out well on the Atkins diet by loading up on the carnivore items and salad. This only works, though, if you strip all skin from the meats and test all other items for carbs, because their coatings and marinades are unknown in substance, even to the manager.

I asked one buffet manager to tell me about the carbs in his foods. He was kind enough to take time to do it, but his knowledge was less than mine on the topic of carbs in breadings, etc.
Bottom line guys... don't eat carnivore style at the buffets and expect to stay in ketosis. There are carbs laced throughout buffets.

Guess I will have to learn to cook again.

Laguy, thanks for the post. I think my problem is that I am on the road 5 days a week and only eat 3-4 meals a week at home. Last yeat I flew over 200K miles and have already done 100k this year. So just thinking of going on Atkins kind of scares me as I think I may not be able to avoid carbs due to my travel. But all the tips on this thread are very informative and helpful.

JKarp

jkarp: I also tend to be on the road a fair amount, and while it doesn't help stay on Atkins it is not impossible; in fact, I lost a few pounds during my recent Brazil trip while on Atkins (and while devouring every variation of beef and chicken). The key I think is to avoid bread like the plague, and ask for vegetables rather than potatoes or rice with entrees. Unsweetened iced tea rather than soda. I find that ordering steaks with vegetables on the side and some chicken or fish other times works for me. The biggest problem is if you are on the road stopping at places like McDonald's; in that case I eat the hamburger and cheese but toss the bun and avoid the fries, something that others may find hard to do.
Maybe not for everyone, but I really haven't had any problems adapting to this. It is easer to do at home (a George Foreman grill for fish and beef comes in handy) but not impossible on the road.

Indyla and others,

About cooking and Atkins - I find it very convenient to put a corned beef or pot roast in my crock pot (covered with water) at night before bed, set it on low, and then in the morning you have a lot of meat that will last 1.5, 2 days. 5 minutes prep time, max. Get a big crock pot.

I just started a workout/diet plan with a pesonal trainer and a nutritionist. When I quizzed both separately about Atkins, they both agreed it was a good way to loose pounds, but the diet isn't terrific for a lifetime change of eating habits. One tends to regain the weight when the old habits are resumed. With little or no exercise, people end up with pounds off, and lots of loose skin.

The nutritionist went further in this discussion with me. He explained keotosis as an action that eats away at you from the inside out. The body has used up its preferred fuel reserves, glycogen derived from carbohydrates, and instead burns fat. This generates substances called ketone bodies, which can be smelled in the breath. He said these diets can cause muscle breakdown, weakness, nausea and dehydration. They limit the intake of entire categories of food that provide certain nutrients, such as potassium. He said that because of the absence of carbs in the Atkins diet, the body cannabalizes itself by eating the stored fat and some of the muscle as well. The ridding of the stored fat is desirable, the muscle is obviously not.

In my case, he recommeded a protein supplement 2x daily, eating steak, fish and chicken, veggies, and whole grains (oatmeal) nuts and raisens., taking my carb intake down to about 100g a day. That, with the exercise program, should make a healthy difference, they believe.

RJ

RJ,

What you are doing seems to make sense.

I have lost 22 lbs since starting a rather intense workout program on January 2, 2003. I have done no dieting other than no desserts, candy, ice cream, etc.

Last night I had a large filet mingon (12oz) mushrooms cooked in butter, a ceasar salad and a dinner roll with butter. also a glass of red wine.

The weight lost has been gradual and I workout 1 1/2-2 hours at least 4 days a week, but try to do 5 days a week. Mostly aerobics with 1 hour on a stationary bike and then 15-30 minutes on a tread mill, which burns off 700-900 calories according to the indicators on the machines. I then do setups and free weights for about another 30 minutes.

I feel great after the workout and have gone from a 42 inch waist to a 38 inch waist in a little over 5 months. I started at 235 and I now weigh 213 lbs. My goal is to get down to 195.

It is slow and sometimes frustrating and you will at times have set backs such as injuries or miss 4 or 5 days for whatever the reason, but hang in there.

You will get to a point where you look forward to the excercise.

Ranchojeffrey: I think you have to take every piece of info in the diet area, whether from Atkins or your nutritionist with a grain of salt. With respect to Atkins and other diet "gurus" the problem is compounded by the fact that their adopted diets become hopelessly entangled with their financial health, making it difficult for them to objectively evaluate new research--both pro and con. With respect to nutritionists, unless they head the nutrition department at Harvard Medical School (for example) they often are not in the best position to fully understand the research, including experimental methods, etc.; moreover, they often are subject to confirmation bias, i.e., the general phenomenon whereby people pay attention to data that support their pre-conceived ideas and ignore or forget contrary evidence.
While I have heard the claim that ketosis results in cannabilizing your own body, some of this may be due to a confusion with ketoacidosis, which is an abnormal situation that diabetics have. I am unaware of any research that actually shows that ketosis is bad, although some still speculate that it may have some bad side effects. My personal physician, who is a Stanford Med School grad and keeps current on the medical literature, seems favorably disposed to the Atkins diet (with the exception that my doctor is very anti red meat, for reasons related to cancer); he also told me that there was no evidence that a low-carb diet would adversely affect the kidneys, one of the claims that anti-Atkins people sometimes make.
The reason I am not terribly worried (although this is subject to change as new data comes in) is that the most recent studies of the Atkins diet seem to show that at least over a six-month period, one's blood work improves rather than deteriorates when on the diet. If ketosis was so terrible, you should probably see some adverse effects over this time period. More research is clearly needed though.
Incidentally, five years ago I would not have considered the Atkins diet. But over time the research began to show quite clearly that the notion that fat is bad for you is not only wrong, but opposite from the truth (with the exception of trans-fats which appear to be horrible, and saturated fats which may be slightly bad, the jury is still out I think). Then looking at the recent favorable research on low-carb diets I decided to give Atkins a shot. I know that if I go back to the old way of eating I will have gained nothing; Atkins is not for the diet dabbler. However, for me (and this is a personal choice) I believe I can stay on Atkins without too much trouble, at least so long as I stay in the U.S. or other westernized country. In fact, I enjoy what I am eating now (more fish, meat, and salads) than what I used to eat (alot of junk food including many useless carbs). But if the research starts to show the Atkins diet is indeed harmful (I haven't seen any yet but there is not enough research on this) I will re-evaluate.

I reached Ketosis today. It took me a little less than three days to get into it. I don't yet feel noticeably different and my weight was the same this morning as it was yesterday. But I am in for sure.

According to the Ketostix I had a small amount of Ketones in my urine. Now the trick is just staying in Ketosis and continuing to lose weight.

I think the nutritionist / personal trainer who advised Ranchojeffrey was confusing (or combining) (a) ketosis and (b) ketoacidosis. Contrary to the trainer, I had understood that were very few negative side-effects of ketosis, which is what Atkins-style no-carb diets attempt to induce; whereas ketoacidosis is a very negative state in which the body cannibalizes itself, caused by factors similar to famine and fatigue in combination. Unfortunately, the two terms have similar names (because they both have something to do with biochemical ketone metabolism). The traditional medical community is still struggling with accepting Atkins' contributions (and, of course, it's quite reasonable of the scientists to wish for independent verification) and one of the many growing pains, I think, is this common misconception.

As far as the use of the term "induction," whoever corrected my correction was, indeed, correct. A quick check of the recommended web pages confirms what was asserted by others (contrary to my own assertions), that Atkins-ites do use the words "induction phase" to mean "weight loss phase." This is annoying if you know standard English and have a dictionary nearby, because the usual use of the verb "to induce" means something like "to cause to start." But they don't use it that way. So, get this: according to Atkins people, by using their induction-phase diet you can induce a new metabolic rate that will aid weight-loss, and then you can stay in induction even after that rate has been induced. Doh!

Anyway, that's just a semantic distinction. Thought I'd add it all up to make sure there wasn't any miscommunication or animosity, is all. Happy losing!

This morning I experienced the most dramatic overnight weight loss since I started the diet again last Sunday night. Last night before I went to bed, I was at 195-196. This morning, I was at 190-191.

That is almost ten pounds in less than a week. I have heard some people say that losing that much weight so quickly is bad for you. But I am not starving myself. I am just following the diet and eating lots of food on the acceptable foods list.


(Message edited by xenono on June 13, 2003)

Except for a chicken Ceasar salad for lunch on Wed, I've had nothing but fresh meat for a week, (chicken breasts, pork chops, steak), and eggs, no beer/wine/booze. About a 5 pound drop, but more importantly, I had blood drawn this AM to check the lipids and all the other measurements they make.

I'll have the results next week. We'll see what eating a lot of fat does to the blood chemistry.

I'm feeling great! But that's propbably largely due to the abstinence dictated by the gout bout last Friday.

Congrats Xen on your weight loss.

The hard part is the constipation. 25 pounds and counting...

psyllium husk fiber every AM

Constipation? I haven't ever had that problem. In fact, if there's any ... umm ... irregularity that I've experienced associated with the Atkins diet, it's of the underly constipated kind. Sort of the near-to-diarrhea that's too much details already sort.

The conditions both you guys are writing about are symptomatic of the same problem. This diet includes only a tiny amount of fiber. The bowel needs fiber to do its work and stay disease free.

So add some psyllium silly. Works for me.

Ldvee: I don't believe the diet includes only tiny amounts of fiber. Since going on the diet, I have had two green salads a day, which is allowed during induction as well as the later phases of the diet. I suspect I am getting more fiber than before I went on the diet. I also have not had any problems with constipation on the diet.
For a discussion of the issue of constipation (including the role of fiber, liquids, and exercise), and how to deal with it on the Atkins diet, go to www.Atkinscenter.com and do a search for the term "constipation."

I did what you suggested and found

http://atkins.com/shop/products/Psyllium.html

If irregularity is a problem, this stuff works. BTW it's available in any drugstore in powder form that you mix with water.

I have been on the Atkins Induction for 3 weeks now, started at 210, went all the way down to 195 in 2 weeks, today I was at 197-198. As many as you guys, constipation has been a problem. I will give psyllium fiber a shot.

Beer has been an important part of my diet for the past 20 years. So like many of yous guys, I have suffered without it.

I have substitute it for Scotch with water, (I know I should stay away from alcohol, but its hard).

Saturday I went into a liquor store and found that Miller (or Michelob) does a low Carb light beer with only 2.6 grams of carbs. This to me is enlightment, so I bought a 12 pack and enjoyed my saturday like the good old days.

Up to today, I have not noticed much of a difrence in my weight loss, I hope this low carb beer is OK to drink.

Have anybody of yous tried this beer? Any suggestions as to keep drinking it or go back to Scotch?

Regarding scotch and other brown liquors, I find that they actually increase my metabolism. If I drink heavily on a binge, as I am wont to do with bourbon or scotch, I tend to skip meals. I find that as I lie awake with the spins in my bed after returning home, my body churns out the heat like nobody's Atkins-induced ketosis. I believe I can subjectively determine a significant level of ketosis simply by observing the temperature of my body between the sheets, especially when compared to a relatively stable nighttime thermostat setting, and I must say that as far as inducing ketosis goes, scotch and water is king of the ketogenic factors, followed closely by bourbon neat, and then carbohydrate-free latenight buckets of buffalo chicken wings.

Really. No lie.

This factoid brought to you by the same man who advocates smoking a pipeful of tobacco whenever you feel peckish, to stave off the munchies.

Hey, I didn't say it was healthy. I just said it worked to lose weight.

jkarp, here is your update.

This morning I weight myself and I was around 188-189. That gives me only 8-9 more pounds to lose to get back to where I was at my lowest point when I first started the diet before.

I do not have the problems some others have experienced with constipation, but I am drinking lots of water. My volume of crap seems to be a lot less than when I eat what I want normally and the movements are a lot softer now. Ok, enough about shit.

The one problem I did experience the first time around on the diet was night leg cramps due to a lack of potassium. I now take a potassium supplement. Also, the Atkins bars I eat (Morning Start Cinnamon in the morning and Advantage Cookies N Cream, Peanut Butter, or Chocolate Decadence in the evening) as well as the EAS Advantage Chocolate Shakes (that have 2 grams of carbs) seems to have enough potassium in them combined so that I no longer cramp up.

For cramps I eat dill pickles. Old marathoner's remedy.

Thanks Xen for the update and keep up the good work. Did you ever try the Atkins Basic #3 vitamins? It suppose to provide you with all the potassium and all other vitamins thay you may need when you are on Atkins. If I am not mistaken I think he recommends that even if you are not on Atkins. Very much interested in your other adventure as well. Let me know the progress on that as well.

JKarp

just got back the blood chemistry results, everything normal, no elevated nothing. Interesting seeing that for 6 days before the test I bet 50% of my calories were from fat and eggs.

YMMV

I started Atkins, too. I've lost about 5 lbs in 8.5 days. I was actullly down 2 more lbs but gained it back somehow. I ate a lot of chicken that day, including the skin. I seem to sleep less, but I'm having difficulty making my workouts as vigorous as when not on this diet. I like the Peanut Butter Bars the best with Cookies and Cream in second place. It's not too difficult for me to stay on but I do miss my flavored Mochas and Frappachinos. I've had no problems with constipation.