by Westman, Dr. Eric C. ; Phinney, Dr. Stephen D. ; Volek, Dr. Jeff S.
• Make maintaining your goal weight a priority from Day 1.
• Enlist the support of family and friends. It’s a courtesy to tell them what you’re up to, but make it clear that you’re not requesting approval or permission. Remember, this is all about taking control of your life, and it starts with this decision. Even those nearest and dearest to you may have some ambivalence. Their assistance can buoy you up, but their doubt, scorn, or refusal to accept your decision could torpedo your efforts. Remind them that you need all the help you can get, which includes not sabotaging your efforts.
• In with the good and out with the bad. Stock your kitchen with the right foods and snacks (see Acceptable Induction Foods on page 82). Equally important, remove everything that’s off limits for now. If housemates or family members aren’t joining you on Atkins, isolate the foods that you’ll be avoiding for now. Also, be sure to have the recommended nutritional supplements on hand.
• Make meal plans. Advance planning puts you in the driver’s seat. Review the Acceptable Foods List and the meal plans for the phase in which you’re starting. Get into the habit of planning your meals before you go grocery shopping so you have everything on hand. Otherwise, you may find yourself grabbing the first thing you can find in the fridge or pantry.
• Dust off your scale and find a tape measure. These two tools are equally essential to establishing baseline figures for comparison in the weeks and months to come. Weigh yourself and take your measurements at the chest, waist, upper arms, thighs, and hips. Although the scale is not a particularly reliable tool on a day-to-day basis, it’s still useful to track your progress. (See the sidebar “The Myth of the Daily Weigh-in.”)
• Change small but impactful habits. If your morning ritual has been to stop by a bakery to get a jelly doughnut with your morning cuppa Joe, find a place where pastries don’t beckon when you get your caffeine fix. If necessary, take another route so you don’t wind up succumbing to the familiar sweet aroma.
• Duplicate behavior that’s been successful in other areas of your life. By regarding being overweight or in poor health as a problem with a potential solution rather than a personal failing, you’ll be more able to come to grips with these issues.
• Develop strategies for social situations. To succeed on any weight loss program, you must decide how to respond to situations that threaten your control before you confront them.
• Find an Atkins buddy in the flesh or online to share the load, the successes, and the inevitable times when you’re tempted to eat foods you know will undermine all your good work to date. Many people find that it’s perfectly possible to team up with a friend who lives elsewhere, checking in daily by phone or online.
• Keep a journal to track your weight loss and health improvements, as well as your feelings, goals, challenges, and victories. First record your current weight and measurements, along with your long- and short-term goals, and include a current photo. (Go to www.atkins.com/support to use our online journal or print out the format.) Make daily entries and review them regularly to see what’s working, where you may have gone off track, and what foods may be interfering with continued weight loss or causing cravings.
• Use interactive aides. The Atkins Web site offers a whole toolbox of them at www.atkins.com/tools. One tracks your daily carb intake and keeps a record as you proceed. Other tools include a way to track your weight and meal plans customized to your preferences for vegetables and protein sources, as well as any food allergies you may have.
• Participate in online support networks and blogs. The Atkins Community includes numerous chat rooms. There are also other low-carb and unofficial Atkins sites, but only www.atkins.com is monitored daily for accuracy by an Atkins nutritionist and incorporates the latest research and thinking on the diet.
One more thing: don’t obsess about perfection. At this very moment, you’re probably making promises to yourself about controlling your weight. If you’re like most of us, you’ll keep many of those promises and other times you’ll fall short. As long as such failures of will occur only occasionally, regard them as an opportunity to revise your strategy and take control from that moment on. We all make mistakes, but the biggest mistake is confusing a single error with failure. When you do misstep, acknowledge it to yourself and then keep going in the right direction. Managing your weight and enhancing your health are all about taking charge.
THE MYTH OF THE DAILY WEIGH-IN
THE MYTH: The scale doesn’t lie.
THE REALITY: Unless you wisely interpret what your scale says, it will drive you crazy! Even the newest digital scales suffer from an age-old flaw: they can’t tell what’s in your body with enough accuracy to give you day-to-day guidance on the progress of your diet. Here’s why. A typical adult’s body contains about forty quarts of water, but it can safely range between thirty-nine and forty-one quarts. Since each quart weighs 2 pounds, your body weight randomly varies across a 4-pound “gray zone.” Thirst and kidney function kick in only when you get to the bottom or top of this zone. Cutting your carb intake to less than 50 grams per day clears a few pounds of extra water, but that just pushes your 4-pound gray zone that much lower, without narrowing the range. Add to this the 2 to 5 pounds of water that premenstrual women typically retain, and you’ll see why the scale cannot possibly be completely precise in measuring progress when you’re losing, say, 3 pounds of fat per week. And forget about day to day. Instead, consider these options:
• Don’t weigh yourself at all, focusing rather on how your clothes fit and how good you feel.
• Weigh yourself once a week to get a sense of your general progress, thus providing yourself fewer opportunities to hate your scale.
• Weigh yourself daily and record the number in your journal. Each day, take the last three values, average them—you can even do this on your cell phone—and write that number down in a second column. This running three-day mean smoothes out much of the random noise. Even better, keep a running average for the whole week.
Whatever method you prefer, don’t let a stupid scale and a few pounds of water control your mood or sense of self-worth.
WHERE SHOULD YOU START?
In the next chapters, we’ll guide you through the four phases. But first decide whether to start in Phase 1, Induction, or a later phase. You’ll find many opportunities to customize the Atkins Diet to your needs, starting with this important decision. For many people, Induction is a brief jump-start phase to get them off on the right foot before moving on. Others may remain there longer to achieve considerable weight loss before transitioning to the next phase. We advise people with more pounds to lose or certain health issues to start in Induction, but otherwise you can start in Phase 2 or beyond if you prefer. The self-test that follows should help you make the choice that’s right for you. Obviously, the more grams of carbs you’re consuming—progressively more in each phase—the more slowly excess weight will come off.
Do you have less than 15 pounds to lose?
If so, you could probably start in Phase 2, Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL), especially if you’re young and active. On the other hand, if you’re a bit older, you might choose to start in Induction, as weight loss will likely occur more slowly.
Do you have from 15 to 30 pounds to lose?
You’ll probably still want to start in Induction. You can also start in Ongoing Weight Loss if you want to add more variety in food options in exchange for slower weight loss.
Do you have more than 30 pounds to lose?
You’ll definitely want to begin in Induction.
Do you lead a sedentary lifestyle?
Start in Induction unless you have less than 15 pounds to lose, in which case you could start in Ongoing Weight Loss and lose more slowly.
Have you gained and lost and regained weight for years?
You may have become resistant to weight loss. Start in Induction to get off on the right foot.
Are you over age 50?
Your metaboli
sm usually slows with the passage of years. Start in Induction and move to Ongoing Weight Loss after two weeks if the pounds come off easily and you’re so inclined.
Do you have type 2 diabetes?
Start in Induction and remain there at least until you get your blood sugar and insulin levels under control.
Does your waist measure more than 40 inches (if you’re a guy) or is it larger than your hips (if you’re a gal), and do you have high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and low HDL?
Chances are that you have metabolic syndrome, or prediabetes (see chapter 13). Have your doctor check your blood sugar, blood pressure, and insulin levels. Then working with him or her, start in Induction, and remain there until you get your blood sugar and insulin levels under control.
Do you have high triglycerides?
Starting in Induction will help you improve your triglyceride level more quickly.
Are you a vegetarian or vegan?
See pages 70–71 for guidance on where to start.
Even if you decide to start in a later phase, be sure to read the following chapter to understand what foods you can eat and what to expect in your first few weeks on Atkins. Then take a few minutes to make the acquaintance of mom-to-five Jennifer Munoz, who gained weight with each successive pregnancy.
SUCCESS STORY 6
KEEPING UP WITH THE FAMILY
With a family and a full-time job, Jennifer Munoz was short on time and low on energy. After struggling with her weight for years and giving birth to five children, she decided to do Atkins. More than halfway to her goal weight, she loves that she now has the energy to keep up with her kids.
VITAL STATISTICS
Current phase: Ongoing Weight Loss
Daily Net Carb intake: 30–40 grams
Age: 33
Height: 5 feet, 3 inches
Before weight: 198 pounds
Current weight: 159 pounds
Weight lost: 39 pounds
What motivated you to do Atkins?
Because of my weight I was tired all the time. My cholesterol was high and so was my blood pressure. There is a history of heart attacks in my family, so I knew I needed to get the extra weight off. Five months after the birth of my daughter, it was time. One of my office mates at the order management firm for car dealers where I work and I decided to do Atkins together because we’d heard that it was the best way to lose weight.
Had you put on excess weight during your pregnancy?
Actually, I didn’t gain that much when I was pregnant, but I sure gained it afterward. I was eating everything in sight, and on the weekends, I’d eat fast food. My family is from Mexico, and I love Mexican food—rice, beans, and enchiladas—so those high-carb foods weren’t helping either. I’ve moved away from them because I’m still afraid of them, although I have started using low-carb tortillas.
How did the first few months go?
The beginning was a breeze; I started in Induction and lost 25 pounds in the first two months. My blood pressure has normalized, so I no longer need medication, and I’m full of energy. Recently my weight loss has slowed down to about 3 or 4 pounds a month.
How are you dealing with that?
I keep myself motivated. When I started Atkins, I found a Web site that takes a photo of you and manipulates it to show how you’ll look when you’ve reached your goal weight. When I am tempted by foods I know I shouldn’t eat, I look at that photo, and it keeps me going. I also religiously write down everything I eat. My work friend and I try to incorporate exercise by taking three 10-minute walks every day, and I walk everywhere I can. I also get on the treadmill to watch a video when I get home from work. Every day I fill up a gallon jug with water and make sure to drink it all.
What do you eat in a typical day?
For breakfast I might have a sausage and cheese slices minus the bun. For lunch, it’s usually a salad topped with chicken or steak. Or I’ll have a taco meat salad without the taco shell. Dinner is similar. I’ll grill chicken, a steak, hamburgers, or turkey burgers and serve it with lots of salad. I’m not big on cooked vegetables. My usual snacks are string cheese with cucumbers or pork rinds with lemon juice.
What tips do you have for other people?
Keep junk food out of the house, not just for you but for your kids as well. Have a diet buddy to help you out. Keep your eye on the ball.
Chapter 7
WELCOME TO PHASE 1, INDUCTION
Food is necessary for life. And a major component of succeeding on Atkins is enjoying what you eat. If it’s blah, boring, or nutritionally inadequate, there’s no way you’re going to stay the course long enough to become slim and healthy.
Induction, as the name implies, is your initiation into the Atkins Diet. In Induction, also called Phase 1, you’ll consume 20 grams of Net Carbs each day, which will come primarily from foundation vegetables. It’s not essential to start here, but Induction is the fastest way to blast through the barrier that blocks your fat stores, transforming your cells into an army of fat-burning soldiers. Induction will also likely energize and empower you.
At the end of the last chapter, we asked a series of questions to help you ascertain where you should start Atkins. (We’ll do the same at the end of this chapter and the next two chapters to help you decide whether to stay there or move on.) There are no ironclad rules about the timing. Instead, we’ll give you the tools so you can make the choice that’s right for you. For example, if you have a lot of weight to shed, you’re more likely to see significant results sooner if you stay in Induction longer than two weeks. However, if losing more slowly is a trade-off you’re willing to make for reintroducing nuts and berries into your diet and upping your carb intake slightly, that’s your choice.
If you haven’t already decided whether to start in Induction, a glimpse of what you get to eat in Phase 1 should also help you make up your mind.
ACCEPTABLE INDUCTION FOODS
This is an extensive list but cannot include all foods. When in doubt, leave it out!
MEAT, FISH, AND POULTRY
Most fish, poultry, and meat that are not breaded contain few or no carbs. We’ve noted those that do in the footnotes below.
All fish, including:
Cod
Sardines
Flounder
Sole
Halibut
Trout
Herring*
Tuna
Salmon
All shellfish, including:
Clams
Oysters‡
Crabmeat†
Shrimp
Lobster
Squid
Mussels‡
All poultry, including:
Cornish hen
Ostrich
Chicken§
Pheasant
Duck
Quail
Goose
Turkey§
All meat, including:
Beef
Pork, bacon, ham
Goat
Veal
Lamb
Venison
* Avoid pickled herring prepared with added sugar and all “batter-dipped” fish and shellfish.
† Avoid artificial crab (surimi), sold as “sea legs,” and other processed shellfish products.
‡ Oysters and mussels contain carbs. Limit your consumption to about 4 ounces per day.
§ Avoid processed chicken and turkey products, such as chicken nuggets and other products with breading or fillers.
Some processed meat—think pepperoni, salami, hot dogs, and the like—bacon, and ham are cured with sugar, which adds to their carb count. Also steer clear of cold cuts and other meats with added nitrates, and meat products made with bread crumbs such as meatballs, meat loaf, and Salisbury steak.
Eggs any style, including:
Boiled
Omelets
Deviled
Poached
Fried
Scrambled
Note: One egg contains 0.6gram Net Carbs.
> SOY AND OTHER VEGETARIAN PRODUCTS
Product
Serving size
Grams of Net Carbs
Almond milk, unsweetened
1 cup
1.0
Quorn burger
1
4.0
Quorn roast
4 ounces
4.0
Quorn unbreaded cutlet
1
3.0
Seitan
1 piece
2.0
Shirataki soy noodles
½ cup cooked
1.0
Soy “cheese”
1 slice
1.0
Soy “cheese”
1 ounce
2.0
Soy milk, plain, unsweetened
1 cup
1.2
Tempeh
½ cup
3.3
Tofu, firm
4 ounces
2.5
Tofu, silken, soft
4 ounces
3.1
Tofu “bacon”
2 strips
2.0
Tofu “Canadian bacon”
3 slices
1.5
Tofu “hot dogs”
1
2.0–5.0 (depending on brand)