Atkins Diet

A low-carbohydrate (Low Carb Diets) approach to Physical Fitness. From Robert Atkins

Vegetables are OK. He has an "Atkins ratio" of antioxidants per gram of carb, as a way of picking which veggies to eat most.

• salad greens: escarole, spinach, parsley, watercress, arugula and their dark-green cousins

• asparagus, bamboo shoots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, eggplant, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, okra, onions, pumpkin, scallions, snow peas, spaghetti squash, string or wax beans, Swiss chard, tomato, turnips, water chestnuts and zucchini

• not OK: starchy vegetables: corn, potatoes (and sweet potato) and parsnips. Carrots are also not great.

Meats, fowl (including skins), shellfish, and eggs are all good. But beware processed meats like ham, bacon, deli meats (because of both sugars/carbs and nitrates). And avoid barbecue sauce and ketchup, because of the sugars; avoid breading.

Nuts are OK (in moderation, there are some carbs). Peanuts seem OK too (though they are actually a legume, not a nut)

Cheese is OK (in moderation, there are some carbs). Cheddar, gouda, mozzarella, swiss

• non-cheese dairy (milk, yogurt) is avoided. Use cream in your coffee! Get calcium from dark vegetables, nuts, cheese.

Other fats are OK: Olive Oil, butter

Sweeteners: no sugar or aspartame/Nutra Sweet. Saccharin and sucralose (Splenda) are preferred.

Olives and avocado are OK, though they can slow weight loss in some people.

Caffeine is avoided, or at least minimized.

Fruits are minimized, at least during early stages.

• best: Berries are best, next are plums, green apples, cherries and kiwi. Eating them with nuts will slow the glycemic processing, which is good.

• not bad: grapes, low-sugar citris (grapefruit), melons

• bad (>20g net carb): bananas, dates, figs, apricot, pear, prunes, raisins. Kinda bad (10-20g net carb): apples, nectarine, orange.

• avoid fruit juices

Starch is avoided: white rice, standard pasta, bread (eek, pizza crust!), corn (eek, chips and burritos! Mexican is good if you take everything out of the wrapper/shell), beans (Mexican alert? The article on eating Mexican doesn't mention it), cornstarch

• actually, on the snacks page, tortilla chips and potato chips come out much better than pretzels.

Alcohol is minimzed. Wine and vodka are OK, scotch not great, beer worst.

Fast-food http://atkinscenter.com/Archive/2001/12/14-689420.html |guidelines

what about medications, hormones, blood pressure, antipsychotics, antidepresents,

Why can'tIhavedietpop?

I have just heard from several pople that this diet makes you smell like dog food. Why is this ?

what about blood prssure

On your fruits you have nectarines under best and under worst. Is there a reason or is just a typo?

• good question: their text put nectarine as good, but their carb counter contradicts that. I put nectarines on the "kinda bad" list.

I need help. I have been doing this diet for 7 weeks and have only lost 3 pounds. I keep my carbs to below 20 a day. Most days less than 10. No sugar. Does it just not work for some people? I do take Topral (Beta-blocker) every day is that my problem?

I don't understand what is meant by "net carbohydrates". For instance the Atkins diet bar has over 20 carbs, but says it's only 2 "net carbs" ?? I like steel cut oats which are very complex carbs (slowly absorbed) Shouldn't there be some extreme netting out of the 20 or so carbs in steel cut oats? Where do I find this information

• It appears that he subtracts out only grams of "fiber", which are typically specified on the nutrition label.

Why can't I have diet pop?

I'm really afraid to fail. I have MS and fibromyalgia, but my doctor said to try it. Alot of my friends have been very successful, but I know I am a carb junky. Even my husband is willing to try, how does everyone get through the first two weeks?

I have been on the Atkins Diet for four weeks and have only lost 10 pounds. I have been very strict keeping my carbs 15/day. I have yet to get into ketosis. I eat no sugar and have a salad a day. What am I doing wrong?????

apart from water can you please tell me what else I can drink that has either no carbs or virtually no carbs in it as I have only just started the diet.

what are net carbs?

drinks --2003/06/19 15:03 GMT
other than water what else may I drink and why not diet soda

2003/07/05 16:12 GMT
I have been following this diet very strictly going on 5 weeks now and have only lost 5 lbs. I feel very good and I have been walking and riding my bike 3-5 days a week. Could I be gaining muscle by doing this? It is very disappointing when all I read is people who keep losing all this weight on Atkins and I'm still in induction my fifth week and have only 5 lbs to show for it. I only need to lose approx 10lbs to be at my goal weight, could this be the reason? Is it because I am not grossly obese (this is a medical term, not a put down to anyone)?

hearth disease --2003/07/14 15:46 GMT
If you already have heart disease and stents implanted how safe is this diet?

2003/07/14 22:04 GMT
how do you calculate the grams of carbs or salad/veg to eat daily ive only just started and feel i dont understand what to do?

no carb drinks --2003/07/24 19:33 GMT
crystal light has no carbs and also Fruit2o, I heard that diet soda is OK, but not as good as the other 2

Answers --2003/08/16 12:31 GMT
Where are they?

• from Bill Seitz: I'm definitely not anything resembling an expert on the Atkins Diet. I'm not even a "believer" in it. I suggest you go to their site and ask questions there.

only losing 5lbs in 5 weeks --2003/09/07 14:14 GMT
if you follow atkins properly and make sure you are only eating 15g a day buy the book and use the low calorie low carb diet for a few days

eating salad --2003/09/07 14:18 GMT
try to do without salad eat only protein food after 2-3 days your body will be in ketosis. if not do not kid yourself you are eating some carbs . i have lost a stone was only 9 stone to begin with and 5ft 4in and have stopped induction 5 weeks ago stayed on induction for 21 days

atkins a modern miracle for weight loss --2003/09/07 14:20 GMT
atkins if followed properly will not do your body harm it actually lowers chlosterol after 6mths

re drink on diet --2003/09/07 14:22 GMT
apart fom water you can have coffee and cream decaf and also tea decaf

diet soda --2003/11/24 17:18 GMT
its it ok to drink diet pepsi or diet coke? if not which kinds of soda can i drink during induction?

• response from Bill S: I'm not expert, but it looks to me like they don't like diet soda much more than regular soda - while not having any biological references, they say (pseudo-quote) "it seems like people who drink diet soda have just as much trouble losing weight as those who drink regular soda". How about flavored selzer?

drinks? --2004/01/31 17:47 GMT
apart from water what drinks are OK on the atkins diet??

what can you drink on the atkins diet? --2004/02/05 11:01 GMT
i am wanting to start the atkins diet but want to know what i can eat and drink, before i start. i also suffer from headaches would this effect me, as ive heard that this diet causes headaches.