THE NEW ATKINS FOR A NEW YOU
Page 15
Are you using all the tools and help available?
Writing in your journal and reviewing it a few days later can often offer valuable perspectives. That seeming regain of a pound or two suddenly isn’t so bad a week later, when you’ve relost it along with a couple more pounds. Having a buddy and/or tapping into the online support network on the Atkins Web site can also prove invaluable when you need a shoulder to cry on or a platform to crow from.
Do you have more energy than before you started Atkins?
If you’re eating enough protein, fat, vegetables, and salt, you should be bursting with energy. If not, once again, we remind you not to skip meals or skimp on protein. To maintain your energy if you’re middle-aged or older, you may need to increase your protein intake within the recommended range for your height by eating a bit more meat, poultry, and fish. Cutting out sugars and other poor-quality carbohydrates should also have eliminated that all-too-common affliction, the midafternoon slump. If you’ve started exercising or increased your physical activity recently, you’ve probably also noticed that both your energy level and endurance have increased.
How about your moods?
Most Atkins followers report a sense of exhilaration, along with increased energy, during or shortly after the first two weeks on Atkins. That’s another benefit of the Atkins Edge. Hopefully, you’re also experiencing a whole complex of positive emotions about other changes you can make in your life. Physical activity is a known mood enhancer as well. That’s not to say that you probably haven’t battled temptation and perhaps occasionally succumbed to it. We’re willing to bet that on at least one occasion you’ve found yourself in a situation where there was nothing you could eat. At such times, when the scale and the measuring tape just won’t budge or seem headed in the wrong direction, you may have wondered whether this new lifestyle is worth it. All of this is perfectly normal. The mere fact that you’re now transitioning to OWL is proof of your success to date.
BEGINNING IN OWL
If you’ve decided to start in OWL rather than Induction, you presumably have one or more of these reasons:
• You’re 15 or fewer pounds from your goal weight.
• Your weight loss goal is modest and you’re physically very active.
• No matter what your current weight is, you want more variety in your diet than Induction offers and are willing to lose weight a bit more slowly.
• You’re a vegetarian or a vegan.
• Weight isn’t an issue, but you want to feel better and have more energy.
HOW TO DO OWL
Initially, you’ll increase your daily carb intake by just 5 grams to 25 grams of Net Carbs and then gradually move up in 5-gram increments, slowly building upon your Induction carbohydrate food choices. In addition to the Acceptable Induction Foods (page 82), you can now begin to select foods from the Acceptable Foods for OWL below. (Be sure to also check out the meal plans for Phase 2 in part III, which incorporate many of them.) Our recommendation is that you add nuts and seeds first, then berries and a few other fruits, then additional dairy choices, and only then legumes. Those of you who remained in Induction beyond the first two weeks are probably already enjoying the satisfying crunch of walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, and such. But if the sweetness of a few berries (with the emphasis on few) matters more to you than a few nuts, rearrange the order to suit your preferences. We call these different food groups the rungs on the carb ladder. (See the sidebar “The Carb Ladder.”) Later we’ll address the needs of those who want to limit their intake of animal protein or omit it altogether or have a Latino culinary heritage.
Add only one new food within a certain group at a time. That way, if something reawakens food cravings, causes gastric distress, or interferes with your weight loss journey, you can easily identify it. So, for example, you might start with a small portion of blueberries one day. Assuming that they cause no problems, you could then move on to strawberries in a day or two.
THE CARB LADDER
The carb ladder assists you in two ways. First, it provides a logical progression with which to add carbohydrate foods. Second, it prioritizes their amount and frequency. On the lower rungs are the foods you should be eating most often. On the top rungs are the foods that—even in Lifetime Maintenance—will put in an appearance only occasionally, rarely, or never, depending upon your tolerance for carbs.
Rung 1: Foundation vegetables: leafy greens and other low-carb vegetables
Rung 2: Dairy foods high in fat and low in carbs: cream, sour cream, and most hard cheeses
Rung 3: Nuts and seeds (but not chestnuts)
Rung 4: Berries, cherries, and melon (but not watermelon)
Rung 5: Whole milk yogurt and fresh cheeses, such as cottage cheese and ricotta
Rung 6: Legumes, including chickpeas, lentils, and the like.
Rung 7: Tomato and vegetable juice “cocktail” (plus more lemon and lime juice)
Rung 8: Other fruits (but not fruit juices or dried fruits)
Rung 9: Higher-carb vegetables, such as winter squash, carrots, and peas
Rung 10: Whole grains
REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
If you shed pounds quickly on Induction, know that this reliable and exhilarating pace won’t continue indefinitely. Your average weekly loss will almost certainly slow as you increase your carb intake and your weight drops. This is deliberate as you gradually add more carbohydrates in greater variety and slowly adopt a new, sustainable way of eating. You may find the path ahead much like driving in heavy traffic: you’ll crawl along at a snail’s pace for a few miles, perhaps picking up speed for a while, and then stopping, slowing, and so forth. This bumpy progress will try your patience, no doubt, but knowing that it’s not unusual should help you cope. We’ll revisit how you may be able to influence your progress below.
HOW TO REINTRODUCE CERTAIN FOODS
There are three important points to understand as you begin to reintroduce foods. First, if you’ve been estimating carb counts, now is the time to start counting them. Second, you’re increasing your range of foods but not the amount of food that you’re eating day to day by very much. As you continue to add small amounts of carbohydrate foods, you don’t have to do anything other than make sure you’re not overdoing your protein intake. Let your appetite be your guide. Stay hydrated, and the moment you feel you’ve had enough, stop eating. If you’ve always been a member of the clean-plate club, now is the time to resign. Or dish out less from the get-go. Finally, not everyone will necessarily be able to reintroduce all the acceptable foods for this phase; some of you will be able to eat them only rarely.
As you add new foods, you’ll substitute some of them for other carb foods you’re already eating, but not your 12 to 15 grams of Net Carbs from foundation vegetables. For example, you can now have cottage cheese in lieu of some of the hard cheese you’ve been eating in Induction. Instead of an afternoon snack of green olives, you might switch off with macadamias. You’ll still be eating those Induction-friendly foods, but you can branch out a bit. As long as you’re tracking your carb intake, eating the recommended amount of vegetables, and feeling full but not stuffed, you should do fine. Your protein portions at each meal should remain within the roughly 4-to-6-ounce range.
We can’t stress enough that writing in your diet journal is particularly important as you start to add back foods. This process doesn’t always happen smoothly, and you’ll want to know which food is causing which response, so, if necessary, you know which to back off from. Keep on noting what you’re adding, how much, and your reactions, if any.
ACCEPTABLE FOODS FOR OWL
NUTS AND SEEDS
Most people start by reintroducing nuts and seeds and butters made from them. Avoid honey-roasted and smoked products. An ounce or two of walnuts, pecans, or pumpkin seeds makes a perfect snack. (The following list provides portions equivalent to an ounce.) Or sprinkle them over salads or cottage cheese. Salted nuts are fine, but understand that they can
be notoriously difficult to eat in moderation. Store nuts and seeds in the fridge or freezer to avoid rancidity. Peanuts, cashews, and roasted soybeans (”soy nuts”) are not true nuts. The latter two are higher in carbs than true nuts, so go easy on them. (Chestnuts are very starchy and high in carbs, making them unsuitable for OWL.) Heart-healthy fiber helps moderate the carb counts of nuts and seeds, but their healthy fats make them all high in calories, so keep your intake to no more than 2 ounces (about ¼ cup) a day. Almond, macadamia, and other nut or seed butters are a great alternative to peanut butter, but avoid products such as Nutella that include sugar or other sweeteners. Nut meals and flours broaden your cooking options.
Tip: When you buy a large bag of nuts or seeds, divide it into 1-ounce servings; place them in small resealable bags and store in the freezer. There’s no need to weigh anything; if it’s a 1-pound bag, simply divide the contents into 16 equal portions. When you’re ready for a nut snack, consume one—and only one—bag. Or count out the suitable number of a particular kind of nut, following the portion guidelines below, and return the rest of the bag or container to the fridge.
Nut or Seed
Serving Size
Grams of Net Garbs
Almonds
24 nuts
2.3
Almond butter
1 tablespoon
2.5
Almond meal/flour
¼ cup
3.0
Brazil nuts
5 nuts
2.0
Cashews
9 nuts
4.4
Cashew butter
1 tablespoon
4.1
Coconut, shredded unsweetened
¼ cup
1.3
Macadamias
6 nuts
2.0
Macadamia butter
1 tablespoon
2.5
Hazelnuts
12 nuts
0.5
Peanuts
22 nuts
1.5
Peanut butter, natural
1 tablespoon
2.4
Peanut butter, smooth
1 tablespoon
2.2
Pecans
10 halves
1.5
Pine nuts (piñons)
2 tablespoons
1.7
Pistachios
25 nuts
2.5
Pumpkin seeds, hulled
2 tablespoons
2.0
sesame seeds
2 tablespoons
1.6
soy “nuts”
2 tablespoons
2.7
soy “nut” butter
1 tablespoon
3.0
sunflower seeds, hulled
2 tablespoons
1.1
sunflower seed butter
1 tablespoon
0.5
Tahini (sesame paste)
1 tablespoon
0.8
Walnuts
7 halves
1.5
BERRIES AND OTHER FRUITS
There’s a good reason why the first (sweet) fruits you’ll add back are berries. They’re relatively high in fiber—the seeds help—which lowers their Net Carb gram count. They’re also packed with vitamins and antioxidants. The brighter the color of a fruit or vegetable, the higher its antioxidant level. And what could be bolder than the blue, black, and red of most berries? Melon (but not watermelon) and cherries are slightly higher in carbs than most berries. Eat them in moderation—and only after introducing berries—to ensure that they don’t stimulate cravings for more sweet things. All fruits should be regarded as garnishes, not major components of a meal or snack.
Have fresh berries with a little cheese, cream, sour cream, or whole milk yogurt to mute the impact on your blood sugar. Add some berries to a breakfast smoothie. Toss them into a green salad or blend them into a vinaigrette dressing. You may also have small (1-tablespoon) portions of preserves made without added sugar. Each tablespoon should provide no more than 2 grams of Net Carbs.
Fruit
Serving Size
Grams of Net Carbs
Blackberries, fresh
¼ cup
2.7
Blackberries, frozen
¼ cup
4.1
Blueberries, fresh
¼ cup
4.1
Blueberries, frozen
¼ cup
3.7
Boysenberries, fresh
¼ cup
2.7
Boysenberries, frozen
¼ cup
2.8
Cherries, sour, fresh
¼ cup
2.8
Cherries, sweet, fresh
¼ cup
4.2
Cranberries, raw
¼ cup
2.0
Currants, fresh
¼ cup
2.5
Gooseberries, raw
½ cup
4.4
Loganberries, raw
¼ cup
2.7
Melon, cantaloupe balls
¼ cup
3.7
Melon, Crenshaw balls
¼ cup
2.3
Melon, honeydew balls
¼ cup
3.6
Raspberries, fresh
¼ cup
1.5
Raspberries, frozen
¼ cup
1.8
Strawberries, fresh, sliced
¼ cup
1.8
strawberries, frozen
¼ cup
2.6
strawberry, fresh
1 large
1.0
CHEESE AND DAIRY PRODUCTS
You can now also reintroduce the remaining fresh cheeses, which are slightly higher in carbs than the ones you could eat in Induction. A half cup of either cottage cheese or ricotta with an ounce or two of nuts provides plenty of protein for one meal. Avoid low-fat and fat-free cottage cheese and ricotta products, which are higher in carbs. Top some salad greens with either one for a quick lunch or some berries for breakfast. Yogurt lovers can now savor plain, unsweetened, whole milk yogurt. Greek yogurt is even lower in carbs. Do make sure you buy the “original” whole milk, unflavored kind. Sprinkle on some sweetener or stir in a tablespoon of sugar-free fruit syrup or no-added-sugar preserves, if you prefer. Berries, either fresh or frozen, and yogurt are natural partners. But steer clear of processed yogurt made with fruit or other flavorings or with any added sugar. Likewise, avoid low-fat and no-fat yogurt products, which invariably deliver a bigger carb hit. Once more with feeling: “low calorie” doesn’t necessarily mean low carb.
Cheese or Dairy Product
Serving Size
Grams of Net Garbs
Cottage cheese, 2% fat
½ cup
4.1
Cottage cheese, creamed
½ cup
2.8
Milk, whole, evaporated
2 tablespoons
3.0
Ricotta, whole milk
½ cup
3.8
Yogurt, low carb
4 ounces
3.0
Yogurt, plain, unsweetened, whole milk
4 ounces
5.5
Yogurt, Greek, plain, unsweetened whole milk
4 ounces
3.5
LEGUMES
Most members of the bean family, including lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, split peas, navy beans, black beans, and dozens of others (but not snap beans or snow peas, which are fine in Induction) are known as legumes. Many of them are dried; a few, such as lima beans and edamame, are also available fresh or frozen. Vegans and many vegetarians rely on legumes to help meet their protein needs. Their high fiber and protein content make legumes filling. Despite their fiber, they’re significantly higher in carbs than the foundation vegetables y
ou’ve been eating in Induction. There’s also a wide range in their carb counts, as you’ll see below. If and when you do begin to reintroduce legumes, use small portions and regard them as a garnish. Avoid baked beans, which are full of sugar, and other products such as beans in tomato sauce made with sugar or starches and bean dips. Always check carb counts and the ingredients list before purchasing any product.
Tip: Black soybeans are far lower in carbs than black (or turtle) beans (1 gram of Net Carbs per half cup of cooked beans, compared to 12.9 grams for black beans), with no trade-off in taste.
Legume
Serving Size
Grams of Net Carbs
Black/turtle beans
¼ cup
6.5
Black-eyed peas
¼ cup
6.2
Cannellini beans
¼ cup
8.5
Chickpeas/garbanzo beans
¼ cup
6.5
Cranberry/Roman beans
¼ cup
6.3
Fava beans
¼ cup
6.0
Great Northern beans
¼ cup
6.3
Hummus
2 tablespoons
¼.6
Kidney beans
¼ cup
5.8
Lentils
¼ cup