by Westman, Dr. Eric C. ; Phinney, Dr. Stephen D. ; Volek, Dr. Jeff S.
• You suffer a ski injury and spend several months in a cast.
• You have a new baby in the house and find yourself stressed and sleep-deprived.
• Your doctor prescribes antidepressants to help you deal with a family crisis.
• A new job requires frequent travel, interfering with your fitness regimen.
Chances are that any of the above will reduce your daily energy use, meaning you’ll need to lower your ACE to maintain your weight.
Now let’s take a longer view. If you’re 40 years old, exercise regularly, and have no health issues, you may be able to continue to manage your weight by staying at your ACE for years to come. As we’ve discussed before, numerous factors—some in your control and others not (including your genes)—influence your metabolism, which in turn determines your ACE. Aging tends to slow your metabolism, so can certain drugs and hormonal changes. As long as you’re attuned to the implications of such changes, you can stay in charge of your weight by either eating fewer carbs, upping your activity level (which works for some people), or both.
TO ERR IS HUMAN
We know and you know that occasionally, there is the chance that you’ll slip up. The following three situations should help you handle smaller and bigger indiscretions.
Small Stuff. You find yourself chowing down a cherry Danish, a raisin bagel, or another high-carb food of dubious value. Recovery tactic: Once your weight has been stable for several months, it’s likely that such an indiscretion won’t impact your weight, although it might make you feel sluggish for a day or two. Once you realize what you’re doing, stop immediately and get back on track with the healthy way you’ve been eating.
A Week of Carb Overindulgence: You spend a week in Cancún and succumb to the lure of quesadillas and margaritas. Not only do you gain weight, you’re also plagued with carb cravings. Recovery tactic: Since most of the weight gain from a brief episode of carb overindulgence is water, the best antidote is to reduce your carb intake. As soon as you get home, drop 20 daily grams of Net Carbs below your ACE. If the excess pounds won’t budge and you’re still experiencing cravings, return to OWL for a week or two until things are back under control.
Falling off the Wagon: An event such as a breakup with a significant other, a lost job, or another major disappointment sends you back to your old, unhealthy eating habits. Even a positive event, such as beginning a relationship with someone who doesn’t follow the Atkins lifestyle, can trigger a lapse from your new eating habits. After several weeks and several pounds, you’re feeling disgusted with yourself. Your pre-Atkins symptoms have returned with a vengeance, and you can’t fit into your new clothes. Recovery tactic: First of all, don’t beat yourself up. Get off the guilt trip, which will just lead to more destructive eating. Instead, go back to OWL until your cravings are under control. Then move to Pre-Maintenance to restore your goal weight and maintain it for a month.
These three examples illustrate several points. First, the longer you wait to take action, the more aggressive your response needs to be. A minor slipup may require no action other than to examine why it happened and plan future defenses. A binge or period during which you depart from your low-carb way of eating demands more proactive measures. Regard any such departure as a learning experience of how thin is the line between your carb threshold and overdoing it. It also clearly demonstrates how a cascading series of events can threaten your long-term weight control program. More important, however, you’ll realize that you can reverse the tide. It’s as simple as this: You were in control. You fell out of control. Now you know what you have to do to take control again.
At this moment, while you’re still new to Lifetime Maintenance, you may honestly believe you’ll never backtrack. Maybe you’re one of those remarkably strong people who never do, but if you’re like many of us, you will occasionally slip up. Just remember that you have all the skills you need to execute a fast reverse and then move forward with the rest of your life full of health and vitality.
TWO OUTCOMES
Undoubtedly, the question running through your head is “Will I really be able to stay slim and control my eating habits for the rest of my life? ” Without claiming to be fortune-tellers, we can predict whether or not you’ll succeed in making your goal weight your permanent weight. That’s right. We don’t even have to meet you. Ask yourself these questions:
1. Are you someone who couldn’t wait to reach your goal weight so you could eat all those foods you’ve been missing?
2. Do you believe that now that you’ve slimmed down, you’ll be able to keep the excess pounds off by eating almost anything in moderation and practicing self-control?
3. Do you want to push your carb intake as high as you possibly can?
4. Do you “get it” that only by permanently changing your way of eating will you avoid repeating the past?
5. Do you understand the role that certain foods play in controlling your appetite?
6. Do you realize that it’s better to not push your carb threshold to the max but to settle at a level that you can sustain without cravings?
If you answered yes to any of the first three questions, we predict that your weight will creep (or maybe even lurch) back, along with the attendant health problems. Before you know it, you’ll be starting Induction again or trying a new diet. But if you can honestly answer yes to questions 4, 5, and 6—and abide by them—we predict that you’ll achieve long-term success. If you’re in the second group, you should be able to get on with your life without worrying constantly about your weight and health.
ADVICE FOR LIFE
If you didn’t pass the test above with flying colors, memorize the correct answers to all six questions. For sustained success, also remind yourself frequently of all the things that you’ve learned in your weight loss journey. Continue to consume at least 12 to 15 grams of your Net Carbs in the form of foundation vegetables and abide by these twenty tips, and you’ll make your goal weight your lifetime weight:
1. Rely on satisfying foods. Protein foods keep you feeling pleasantly full and are fundamentally self-limiting. Almost everyone has eaten a couple of dozen cookies in an evening at some time in his or her life, but how many people have eaten as many hard-boiled eggs at one sitting? Other than a contestant at a county fair, probably no one!
2. Don’t skimp on natural fats. Even though you’re now at your goal weight, you’re still burning mostly fat for energy, along with a relatively small portion of carbohydrates. Since you’re no longer losing weight, it’s your dietary fat that’s keeping your body warm and your muscles working. Never forget that getting enough fat in your diet keeps your appetite and cravings under control.
3. Remember the magic number. Never, ever let yourself gain more than 5 pounds without taking action to restore your goal weight.
4. Go easy on fruit. Eating too much fruit pushes up your insulin level and makes you store fat. Even with a relatively high ACE, you should probably confine yourself to no more than two daily servings. With a low ACE, you’re better off with at most one serving of berries. Regardless of your carb tolerance, concentrate on those with lower carb counts and more fiber, such as berries, cherries, melon, and that vegetable that pretends it’s a fruit: rhubarb.
5. Keep sipping. Drink plenty of fluids and take your supplements.
6. Always read labels. Be alert to added sugar and other ingredients best avoided in packaged foods.
7. Steer clear of trigger foods. You know what they are. Keep them out of the house if at all possible.
8. Make compromises with excess carbs an increasingly less common behavior. It’s unlikely that the occasional slice of pizza or ice cream cone will never pass your lips. But if you’re going to succeed long term, you’ll figure out how to recover, return to your ACE, and minimize such lapses in the future.
9. Keep moving. Staying active will increase the likelihood that you’ll keep your weight under control. Increasing your activity may also help in the event that your
weight starts to trend upward. Weight-bearing and resistance exercise will increase your strength while toning your muscles so you look even better.
10. Track your numbers. Weigh and measure yourself weekly or use weight averaging so you can nip in the bud any gains that result from “carb creep.”
11. Eat before you go. Having a protein-plus-fat snack or even a meal before you go to a foodcentric event will take the edge off your hunger and make you more able to resist inappropriate items on the buffet table.
12. Take it with you. For work, on the road, or even a movie, pack snacks such as nuts or cheese so you won’t be tempted by the usual sky-high-carb offerings.
13. Use low-carb specialty foods carefully. Bars, shakes, and other specialty foods can replace their high-carb analogues, eliminating any sense of deprivation.
14. Compromise when necessary (and learn from the experience). When there are no good options, make the best choice available.
15. Stay in touch. Continue to share with another Atkins “graduate” and check in with others on the Atkins Community Web site. The challenges don’t cease, although they should get easier over time, and you may be able to help others reach their goals.
16. Get rid of your “fat” wardrobe. If you have nothing to wear that hides extra pounds, you’ll have an early alert system if you start to regain weight and an economic incentive to take immediate action.
17. Prepare, prepare, prepare. If you’re eating out, check the menu online beforehand. If you’re going grocery shopping, make a list and stick to it. Anticipating situations in which temptation might well rear its ugly head is a powerful strategy.
18. Act quickly. If you detour from Atkins for a day or more, get back on track ASAP. The longer you’re off, the harder it may be to resume.
19. Remind yourself. Review your diet journal occasionally, and take a peek at your “before” photo.
20. Savor your power. Remind yourself regularly of the tremendous accomplishment you have made and how it impacts not just you but your family and friends. You’ve made yourself healthier and more attractive and inspired others to do the same.
THE WAY WE WERE DESIGNED TO EAT
To conclude this portion of the book, we remind you once again that by controlling your carbohydrate intake, you make your body burn primarily body fat and dietary fat for energy. This, in turn, allows you to lose weight and later maintain that new weight, while also improving a host of health indicators. Known as the Atkins Edge, this metabolic adaptation also allows you to enjoy a steady source of energy, making excessive hunger and cravings for carbohydrate foods a thing of the past. With that tool at your disposal, permanent weight control is within your grasp.
After reading part III, “Eating Out, Eating In: Atkins in the Real World,” move on to part IV, where we discuss the compelling research that confirms that consuming a high-fat, moderate-protein diet, which describes Atkins, improves a broad range of health indicators that impact heart health, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes.
Part III
EATING OUT, EATING IN: Atkins in the Real World
Chapter 11
LOW-CARB FAST-FOOD AND RESTAURANT MEALS
From fast food to fine cuisine, we’ve got you covered. Check out our restaurant guides, and then, in chapter 12, move on to our delicious low-carb recipes and meal plans for every phase.
EATING ON THE RUN
When you’re on the road, grabbing lunch between appointments, or taking the family out without breaking the bank, chances are that you’ll be patronizing some of the big chain fast-food eateries. Here are some lower-carb options that won’t blow your diet. This is not to say that these foods should be your daily fare or that some of them aren’t high in calories, have a few grams of added sugar, or contain trans fats.
ARBY’S/WWW.ARBYS.COM
Thumbs Up: Minus the bun: Roast Chicken, Roast Turkey, Roast Ham, Roast Beef, Roast Beef melts, Reuben Corned Beef, and BLT sandwiches and contents of all subs; Chopped Turkey Club Salad with Buttermilk Ranch dressing.
Thumbs Down: Popcorn Chicken; Chicken Fillets; most salad dressings and condiments.
A & W/WWW.AWRESTAURANTS.COM
Thumbs Up: Minus the bun: Hot Dog, Cheese Dog, Coney Dog, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, Grilled Chicken sandwich; Ranch dipping sauce.
Thumbs Down: Chicken Strips, Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Corn Dog Nuggets, BBQ and Honey-Mustard dipping sauce.
BLIMPIE/WWW.BLIMPIE.COM
Thumbs Up: Minus the bun: Deli Subs, Super Stacked Subs, Hot Philly Cheese Steak and Hot Pastrami subs; also Antipasto, Chef, Grilled Chicken, and Tuna salads; blue cheese, Caesar, and oil and vinegar salad dressings.
Thumbs Down: All panini grilled subs, Hot Meatball Sub; Chile Ole and Roast Beef’n Bleu salads; Blimpie Sauce and Dijon Honey Mustard.
BURGER KING/WWW.BK.COM
Thumbs Up: Minus the bun: All burgers and Whoppers and Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich; Tendergrill Garden Salad (remove the carrots in earlier phases); Ken’s Ranch dressing; Ham Omelet Sandwich with/without bacon/sausage (minus the bun and honey butter sauce); Veggie Burger okay for Phase 3 (minus the bun).
Thumbs Down: Tendercrisp Chicken, Tendercrisp Garden Salad, Chicken Tenders; Honey Mustard and Ken’s Fat-free Ranch dressings.
CARL’S JR./WWW.CARLSJR.COM
Thumbs Up: Low-Carb Six-Dollar Burger (wrapped in lettuce leaves); minus the bun: Famous Star, Big Carl™, Guacamole Bacon Burger, most other burgers/cheeseburgers, and Charbroiled Chicken Club; Charbroiled Chicken Salad (lose the croutons); house and blue cheese salad dressings; house and Buffalo wing sauces.
Thumbs Down: Teriyaki Burger, Parmesan Chicken Sandwich and all other fried chicken and fish dishes; thousand island and low-fat balsamic salad dressings; BBQ, honey mustard, and sweet and sour sauces.
CHICK-FIL-A/WWW.CHICK-FIL-A.COM
Thumbs Up: Minus the biscuit: breakfast egg, cheese, sausage, and bacon dishes; sausage breakfast burrito (unwrap and discard the tortilla); Chargrilled Chicken Club and Chicken Salad sandwiches minus the bread; blue cheese, Caesar, and buttermilk ranch salad dressings; Buffalo and buttermilk ranch sauces.
Thumbs Down: All breaded and fried chicken dishes; Chick-fil-A sauce and barbecue, honey mustard, and Polynesian sauces; fat-free honey mustard and other low- or no-fat salad dressings.
DAIRY QUEEN/WWW.DAIRYQUE EN.COM
Thumbs Up: Minus the bun: Grillburgers, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, cheese dogs, grilled chicken and turkey items; side salad (lose the carrots in earlier phases); BBQ, Wild Buffalo, and ranch dipping sauces.
Thumbs Down: All crispy chicken items; blue cheese, sweet and sour, honey mustard dipping sauces, all fat-free salad dressings.
HARDEE’S/WWW.HARDEES.COM
Thumbs Up: Hardee’s Alternative Options menu: Low-carb Thickburger, low-carb Breakfast Bowl, and Charbroiled Chicken Club “Sandwich” salad.
Thumbs Down: All other burgers with buns.
KFC/WWW.KFC.COM
Thumbs Up: Roasted Chicken Caesar or Caesar side salad, both without croutons; roasted chicken BLT salad; Heinz Buttermilk Ranch Dressing; most wing dishes; green beans, KFC Mean Greens.
Thumbs Down: All fried, breaded, or crispy dishes and salads; biscuits, most sides.
MCDONALD’S/WWW.NUTRITION.MCDONALDS.COM
Thumbs Up: Minus the bun: Burgers or cheeseburgers; Premium Bacon Ranch or Caesar salad with or without grilled chicken; scrambled eggs and sausage patty minus the bun; Newman’s Own Creamy Caesar Dressing.
Thumbs Down: Burgers with buns; Chicken McNuggets; all breaded chicken and fish dishes; wraps; all other salad dressings.
SUBWAY/WWW.SUBWAYFRESHBUZZ.COM
Thumbs Up: Any sub can be ordered as a salad (toss any croutons), including cold cut combo, Subway Club, tuna fish, BLT, Black Forest ham, turkey breast, and roast beef; omelets minus the sandwich; vinaigrette dressing.
Thumbs Down: Any sub.
WENDY’S/WWW.WENDYS.COM
Thumbs Up: Minus the bu
n: Any hamburger or cheeseburger; chicken BLT or chicken Caesar salad (omit croutons) with Ultimate Chicken Grill Fillet and Supreme Caesar Dressing.
Thumbs Down: Burgers with buns, chicken nuggets, crispy chicken dishes; all wings; Southwest Taco salad; most salad dressings.
DINING OUT
Whether your tastes run to shish kebab or sashimi, Chicken Piccata or Tandoori Chicken, fajitas or fatoushe, you can eat out with ease in almost any cuisine while complying with your low-carb lifestyle. Here’s a peek at what’s good to go and what’s off the table so you can navigate menus in ten different languages.
ITALIAN RESTAURANTS
Order dishes that feature chicken, veal, seafood, or pork with the flavorings that mark the cuisine, but without the sides of pasta, rice, or polenta.
Thumbs Up: Prosciutto with melon (OWL) or asparagus; Parmigiano Reggiano; antipasto (assorted meat, cheese, and marinated vegetables); caponata (eggplant and caper salad) and most other salads; meat, fish, and poultry entrees, such as Veal Saltimbocca, Chicken Piccata, or Veal Scaloppini (if not breaded, floured, or battered).
Thumbs Down: Any pasta or risotto dish; pizza; deep-fried calamari or mozzarella; garlic bread; baked clams; Fettuccine Alfredo; Eggplant (or veal or chicken) Parmesan.
Tip: For starters, ask for a bowl of olives instead of the bread basket. To end the meal, order caffè breve, made with half-and-half, instead of cappuccino, made with milk.
GREEK RESTAURANTS
Olives, olive oil, lemons, eggplant, zucchini, spinach, fennel, grape leaves, yogurt, garlic, mint, dill, rosemary, and tahini (ground sesame seeds) play starring roles in this healthful cuisine.
Thumbs Up: Tzatziki (cucumber, yogurt, and garlic dip); Taramosalata (creamy fish-roe spread); Avgolemono soup; feta and other sheep and goat cheeses; roasted, skewered (souvlaki), or grilled or braised lamb, beef, pork, and chicken; gyro platter; grilled shrimp, octopus, or fish.
Thumbs Down: Pita bread; rice-stuffed grape leaves; Skordalia (garlic-potato spread); Spanakopita or Tyropita tarts; Moussaka, Pastitsio (lamb with pasta), pilafs, fried calamari, and baklava.