Greek mythology isn't often a topic of conversation around my house, but it happened to be this weekend. I must admit that I segued the conversation to yours truly; I have weight loss on the brain at the moment, because a knee injury set me back recently and I've gained back a few pounds that I'd only recently lost.
We were talking about the Achilles Heel, that spot that you get "hurt" and you're surely done for. Aside from my trick knee, I'd say my other biggest weight-loss hurdle is sweetened drinks; one sip and I'm a goner.
That may be putting it too lightly. In fact, I think I am addicted to them. Seriously. I've tried kicking them "cold turkey" many times and I literally have withdrawal! I last a few days of cutting back and then I'm right back on the stuff. I could go through a liter of soda a day if I had my way!
Thank goodness for that little pink packet of sweetener ... it gets me through many a day (and night!) without the caloric cost of sugar-sweetened beverages. As long as some iced tea or a coffee maker is in reach, I (usually) can keep it together.
So, what's your biggest dieting or weight-loss hurdle on a day-to-day basis?
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
What happens when a man and a woman kiss?
That is to say, what happens to the various parts of the body when two people in love join their lips in bliss? Years ago, before our biologists knew of the existence of the glands in our bodies, one writer quoted a scientist as saying that "kissing is pleasant because the teeth, jawbones and lips are full of nerves, and when the lips meet an electric current is generated."
Saturday, December 8, 2007
PRE MAINTENANCE: PREPARE FOR PERMANENT SLIMNESS
YOU ARE ALMOST THERE ! ALL YOUR GOOD WORK AND HEALTHY EATING HABITS HAVE PAID OFF,AND YOU NOW HAVE ONLY 5 ñ 10 POUNDS TO GO TO REACH YOUR TARGET WEIGHT.GIVE YOURSELF A GOOD PAT ON THE BACK: YOU DESERVE IT.
HAVING SAID THAT,I HAVE TO INSERT A NOTE OF CAUTION.YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT FOLLOWS,BUT IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU HEAR IT.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN RACING ALONG THE ROAD TO YOUR DESTINATION,NOW IS THE TIME TO PUT ON THE BRAKES.MUCH AS IT IS TEMPTING TO SAY "ìI CAN BANISH THESE LAST POUNDS IN A FEW WEEKS NOW THAT I KNOW HOW TO DO THE ATKINS"îI STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO DO SOMETHING THAT SEEMS QUITE THE OPPOSITE ON PRE MAINTENANCE,THE ALL IMPORTANT THIRD PHASE OF ATKINS.AS YOU ADVANCE TOWARD LIFETIME MAINTENANCE,MY ADVICE IS TO PROCEED SO SLOWLY THAT YOUR WEIGHT LOSS IS ALMOST IMPERCEPTIBLE.I KNOW THAT THIS SNAILíS PACE CAN BE EXCRUCIATING WHEN THE END IS IN SIGHT.BUT REMEMBER,GETTING TO YOUR GOAL WEIGHT IS NOT YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL;YOUR REAL GOAL IS TO MAINTAIN THAT MAGIC NUMBER INDEFINITELY.
OUR FOCUS IS NOW DIFFERENT,THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT YOU CAN AND WILL REACH YOUR GOAL WEIGHT. THE ONLY DOUBT IS WHETHER YOU WILL STAY AT THAT WEIGHT FOR LIFE.THE PURPOSE NOW IS TO CREATE THE OPTIMAL LIFETIME EATING PROGRAM,ONE THAT FITS YOU SO PERFECTLY YOU WILL WANT TO STAY ON IT FOR LIFE.
WHEN YOU MOVED TO OWL,YOU DELIBERATELY SLOWED DOWN YOUR WEIGHT LOSS BY ADDING MORE CARBS AND MORE VARIETY TO YOUR MENUS.NOW I AM GOING TO ASK YOU TO SLOW THINGS DOWN EVEN FURTHER.THE MORE YOU LEARN ABOUT EATING AS YOU LOSE THOSE LAST FEW POUNDS,THE BETTER.YOUR NEXT ASSIGNMENT IS TO INCREASE YOUR CARB CONSUMPTION UNTIL YOU ARE LOSING LESS THAN A POUND A WEEK.THE ADDITIONAL FOODS WILL PRO VEIDE INCREASED NUTRITION.IDEALLY YOU SHOULD SPEND AT LEAST A MONTH OR TWO IN THIS PHASE.
THERE IS METHOD IN WHAT MAY SOUND LIKE MADNESS.IF YOU SEARCH FOR THE LEVEL THAT ACHIEVES A SMALL AMOUNT OF WEIGHT LOSS,BY THE TIME YOU REACH YOUR GOAL WEIGHT YOU WILL IN EFFECT BE ON LIFETIME MAINTENANCE,AT WHICH TIME YOUR WEIGHT LOSS WILL NATURALLY SLOW TO A HALT.DURING PRE MAINTENANCE YOU WILL BOTH ACCUSTOM YOURSELF TO YOUR LIFETIME EATING PLAN AND GET A GOOD INDICATION OF WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE. THINK OF THIS PHASE AS A LEARNERíS PERMIT,LIKE THE ONE YOU HAD WHEN YOU WERE JUST BEGINNING TO DRIVE.YOU WERE ALLOWED OUT ON THE ROADS,BUT ONLY WITH A LICENSED DRIVER BY YOUR SIDE.PRE MAINTENANCE IS LIKE THAT.YOUíRE OUT THERE DOING IT,BUT YOU STILL NEED SOME MORE HOURS BEHIND THE WHEEL BEFORE ITíS SAFE TO ALLOW YOU ON THE HIGHWAY ALL BY YOURSELF.
THATíS WHY IT IS CRUCIAL THAT YOU NOT MAKE THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT PRE MAINTENANCE AND LIFETIME MAINTENANCE MUST BE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING BECAUSE THEIR NAMES SOUND ALIKE.NOT TRUE: ONE IS A TRAINING PROGRAM;THE OTHER IS THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.IF YOU HAVE ANY MISGUIDED IDEAS ABOUT SKIPPING THIS THIRD PHASE AND GOING RIGHT TO LIFETIME MAINTENANCE,I IMPLORE YOU NOT TO DO SO.IN FACT I WOULD GO SO FAR AS TO SAY THAT PRE MAINTENANCE IS MANDATORY IF PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS IS TO BE ACHIE VED.LET ME REPEAT THAT: IF YOU OMIT PRE MAINTENANCE YOU MAY WELL BE DOOMED TO FAILURE WHEN IT COMES TO MAINTAINING YOUR WEIGHT LOSS FOR THE LONG TERM.
HOW TO DO PRE MAINTENANCE
PRE MAINTENANCE IS CRUCIAL TO GETTING YOUR WEIGHT UNDER CONTROL FOR GOOD,BUT IT IS ALSO ABOUT FAR MORE IMPORTANT THINGS,THE FIRST OF COURSE BEING YOUR HEALTH.TO REDUCE YOUR LONG TERM RISK FOR CONDITIONS SUCH AS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE,HYPERTENSION AND DIABETES THERE IS NOTHING MORE EFFECTIVE THAN MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WEIGHT.BUT IM ALSO THINKING ABOUT SUCH THINGS AS YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE CHOICES THAT ARE RIGHT FOR YOU.WHEN YOU REALISE YOU CAN BE IN CHARGE OF WHAT YOU EAT HOW YOU LOOK AND HOW HEALTHY YOU ARE,IT EMPOWERS YOU IN ALL THE OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE.INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT LOOKING GOOD TO PLEASE OTHER PEOPLEYOU ARE LIKELY COMING TO REALISE THAT WHAT MATTERS IS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT HOW YOU LOOK AND FEEL.YOU ARE LEARNING THE SKILLS THAT ALLOW YOU TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE. WHEN YOU WERE DOING OWL.YOU LEARNED TO INCREASE YOUR CARB INTAKE IN INCREMENTS OF 5 GRAMS.IN THIS PHASE YOU CAN SHIFT INTO A HIGHER GEAR INCREASE YOUR DAILY CARB INTAKE BY 10 GRAMS EACH WEEK SO LONG AS YOU CONTINUE TO LOSE. SEE POWER OF TEN BELOW.IF YOU INTRODUCE NEW FOODS SLOWLY AND INCREASE YOUR GRAMS OF CARBS GRADUALLY,YOUR CCLL SHOULD INCREASE GRADUALLY.THIS NEW AND HIGHER CCLL WILL REFLECT THE FACT THAT YOU ARE NOW LOSING WEIGHT MORE SLOWLY.
AS YOU CONTINUE TO MAKE 10 GRAM INCREMENTAL ADDITIONS,YOU WILL RATHER QUICKLY REACH A POINT AT WHICH YOU WILL FIND THAT YOU ARE NO LONGER LOSING.IF YOU ARE AT YOUR GOAL WEIGHT,STAY AT THAT LEVEL FOR A MONTH OR SO BEFORE YOU INCREASE YOUR DAILY CARB CONSUMPTION BY ANOTHER 10 GRAMS TO SEE IF YOU CAN CONSUME THAT LEVEL WITHOUT GAINING.ONCE YOU DO BEGIN TO GAIN,DROP BACK 10 GRAMS AND YOU SHOULD HAVE ESTABLISHED YOUR CRITICAL CARBOHYDRATE LEVEL FOR MAINTENANCE ( CCLM )
ON THE OTHER HAND,IF AFTER AN INCREMENTAL INCREASE YOU FIND THAT YOU ARE GAINING OR ARE NOT LOSING AND YOU ARE NOT YET AT YOUR GOAL WEIGHT,YOU NEED TO BACK DOWN TO THE PREVIOUS LEVEL.THE LINE BETWEEN GAINING,MAINTAINING AND LOSING IS A THIN ONE AND YOU MAY HAVE TO PLAY WITH YOUR CCLL AND CCLM FOR A WHILE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR BODY CAN HANDLE. WHILE IT MAY TAKE AS LONG AS 3 MONTHS TO DROP THE LAST FEW POUNDS AND CLEARLY ESTABLISH YOUR CCLM,I REITERATE:THIS LEISURELY PACE IS CRITICAL TO YOUR ULTIMATE SUCCESS.CONTINUE TO ADD NEW FOODS SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY SO YOU'LL BE LEARNING GOOD EATING HABITS AT THE SAME TIME.
SOME VARIATIONS ON THE RULE
ANOTHER APPROACH TO PRE MAINTENANCE IS TO CONTINUE EATING AS YOU WERE AT THE END OF OWL AND TO ALLOW YOURSELF A 20 GRAM CARB TREAT 2 OR 3 TIMES A WEEK. AD A PIECE OF FRUIT OR STARCHY VEG,A SERVING OF BROWN RICE OR SWEET POTATOES,FOR EXAMPLE.YOU CAN ALSO HAVE A GLASS OF WHITE WINE,A LIGHT BEER OR THE WHITE SPIRITS.
STILL ANOTHER WAY TO DO PRE MAINTENANCE IS TO AVERAGE OUT YOUR CARB INTAKE FOR THE WEEK.THIS IS HOW IT WORKS: IF FOR EXAMPLE,YOUR CCLL IS 80 GRAMS,YOU MIGHT DROP BACK TO 60
GRAMS ON TUESDAY,THEN DEVIATE WITH A BEEF,POTATO AND CARROT STEW THE FOLLOWING NIGHT,PUSHING YOUR DAILY TOTAL TO 100 GRAMS.(UP TIL NOW,WHEN WEIGHT LOSS WAS ESSENTIAL,I HAVE TOLD YOU TO SPREAD YOUR CARBS OUT THROUGH THE DAY,IF YOU DO HAVE A HEAVY DOSE AT ONE MEAL,MAKE SURE THERE IS ENOUGH FAT,PROTEIN AND FIBRE IN THE REST OF THE MEAL TO SLOW THE GLUCOSE LOAD ON YOUR SYSTEM) HO WE VER,IF YOU FIND SUCH DEVIATIONS CREATE CRAVINGS,IT IS PROBABLY BEST FOR YOU TO STICK TO A STEADY NUMBER OF CARBS SPREAD EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
BE CAREFUL ! THERE ARE A COUPLE OF REASONS WHY PEOPLE SOMETIMES GET INTO TROUBLE:
1. THEY DONíT RECOGNIZE THAT THIS PHASE IS STILL RELATIVELY RESTRICTIVE OF CARBS,COMPARED TO THE WAY THEY WERE EATING BEFORE THEY WERE DOING ATKINS.
2. THEYíRE STARTLED TO DISCOVER THAT WITHOUT THE WONDERFUL ADVANTAGE OF DEEP LIPOLYSIS,APPETITE SUPPRESSION HAS DIMINISHED
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
PHASE TWO: ONGOING WEIGHT LOSS
IF YOU ARE STARTING ONGOING WEIGHT LOSS (OWL),I KNOW THAT YOUíVE SUCCEEDED DOING INDUCTION.CONGRATULATIONS ON REACHING THE FIRST STAGE OF YOUR GOAL !OWL IS WHERE YOUíLL START TAILORING ATKINS TO FIT YOU SPECIAL TASTES;ITíS WHAT MAKES ATKINS SO UNIQUE AND A PLEASURE.
ALTHOUGH MORE LENIENT THAN INDUCTION,OWL WILL CONTINUE TO REVEAL THE WONDERS OD DISSOLVING FAT.EXPECT A GRADUAL DECREASE IN THE RATE AT WHICH THE POUNDS AND INCHES DROP OFF.THIS IS A DELIBRATE PART OF THE PLAN.I HAVE TO REPEAT ONE THING: ALLOWING A FEW MORE CARBS IN AT THIS PHASE IS NOT A LICENSE TO RETURN TO YOUR OLD HABITS OF DINING ON FOODS FULL OF SUGAR,WHITE FLOUR AND OTHER JUNK CARBS.THE QUALITY OF THE CARB FOODS YOU EAT CONTINUES TO BE AS IMPORTANT AS THE QUANTITY.
MAKE YOUR GOAL SPECIFIC
YOUíVE SET A GOAL,AND THATíS GREAT ! BUT MAKE SURE YOUR GOAL IS SPECIFIC.PLANNING TO LOSE 35 POUNDS,FOR EXAMPLE,IS FAR BETTER THAN PLANNING TO LOSE SOME WEIGHT,BUT YOU PROBABLY WONíT LOSE THHE FULL 35 UNLESS YOU HOLD IT IN YOUR MIND AS THE DESTINATION OF YOUR JOURNEY.
VISUALIZE
IN OTHER WORDS,ONCE YO UíVE SAID YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE 35 LBS,GO EVEN FURTHER AND VISUALIZE HOW YOUR BODY IS GOING TO LOOK,WHAT NEW CLOTHES YOU ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO WEAR,KEEP IN YOUR MIND HOW GREAT YOU ARE GOING TO FEEL AND LOOK.
HOW TO DO OWL
ON OWL YOU WILL
CONTINUE TO BURN AND DISSOLVE FAT
MAINTAIN CONTROL OF YOUR APPETITE
LEARN HOW MUCH CARBS YOU CAN INTAKE TO CARRY ON LOSING WEIGHT EAT A WIDER CHOICE OF FOODS
RULES OF OWL
TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON OWL REMEMBER TO :
KEEP PROTEIN AND FAT AS THE MAINSTAYS OF YOUR NUTRITIONAL REGIMEN
INCREASE YOUR DAILY CARB INTAKE BY NO MORE THAN 5 GRAMS EACH WEEK
ADD NEW FOODS IN THE ORDER LISTED IN THE CARB LADDER
ADD ONE NEW FOOD GROUP AT A TIME
EAT A FOOD GROUP NO MORE THAN 3 TIMES PER WEEK TO START,THEN EAT DAILY
STOP NEW FOODS IMMEDIATLEY IF THEY PROVOKE WEIGHT GAIN,THE RETURN OF PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS LOST DOING INDUCTION OR INCREASED APPETITE OR CRAVINGS
CONTINUE DOING OWL UNTIL YOU HAVE 5 ñ 10 POUNDS LEFT TO LOSE
HOW TO FOLLOW PHASE 2
THERE ARE 3 KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INDUCTION AND ONGOING WEIGHT LOWW
THE FIRST IS OBVIOUS.YOU WILL CONSUME MORE CARBS
SECOND WHEREAS DURING INDUCTION YOU ATE YOUR PROTEIN AND FAT FOODS PLUS 3 CUPS OF SALAD AND OTHER VEGGIES,OWL ALLOWS YOU MUCH MORE CHOICE. THAT MEANS YOU CAN NOW CRAFT A
WEIGHT LOSS PLAN THAT IS YOURS.BUT IT ALSO MEANS AND HEREíS THE THIRD KEY -- THAT COUNTING CARBS IS TRULY YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
IF YOU DONíT COUNT THEN YOU COULD GET INTO TROUBLE !!!
YOUR OWN PRIVATE NUMBER
LIFE IN THE 21ST CENTURY MEANS LOTS OF NUMBERS TO REMEMBER,WHAT WITH CELL-PHONE NUMBERS,BANK NUMBERS AND THE LIKE,BUT IíM GOING TO GIVE YOU THE TOOLS TO FIND ANOTHER NUMBER THAT IS JUST AS ESSENTIAL FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE.REMEMBER THESE TWO BASIC PRICIPLES WHEN YOU DO THE ATKINS DIET YOUR RATE OF WEIGHT LOSS IS GENERALLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE AMOUNT OF CARBS YOU CONSUME.THE LEVEL OF CARBS YOU CONSUME CAN BE MEASURED,BY ATTACHING NUMERICAL QUANTITIES TO THE CARB FOODS YOUíRE EATING,YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAFELY EAT
YOUR DAILY THRESHOLD OF CARBS CONSUMPTION IS YOUR CRITICAL CARBOHYDTRATE LEVEL FOR LOSING (CCLL)STAY BELOW THIS NUMBER AND YOU WILL EXPERIENCE ONGOING WEIGHT LOSS.GO ABOVE IT AND YOUR WEIGHT LOSS STALLS.HEREíS HOW YOUíLL DETERMINE YOUR CCLL.EACH WEEK YOU WILL INCREASE THE QUANTITY OF CARBS YOU EAT BEYOND THE SALAD AND ONE CUP SERVING OF VEGGIES ALLOWED DURING INDUCTION.THESE INCREMENTS SHOULD MEASURE ROUGHLY 5 GRAMS OF DAILY CARBS,REPRESENTING ONE ìLEVELî
DURING THE FIRST WEEK ON OWL,INCREASE YOUR DAILY CARB INTAKE FROM THE 20 GRAMS A DAY ON INDUCTION TO 25 GRAMS A DAY---------------------------------------- GOING UP ONE LEVEL
I RECOMMEND YOU ADD EITHER ANOTHER SALAD,HALF AN AVOCADO,A CUP OF CAULIFLOWER OR 6 ñ 8 STALKS OF ASPARAGUS OR ANOTHER VEGGIE.CONTINUE TO EAT THIS WAY FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.AS LONG AS YOUR WEIGHT LOSS CONTINUES STEADILY,YOU CAN GO UP ANOTHER LEVELóTO 30 GRAMS DAILYóTHE FOLLOWING WEEK.IF YOU ARE A VEGGIE LOVER,YOU MAY BE HAPPY CONTINUING TO ADD MORE SALAD GREENS AND OTHER VEGGIES.OR YOU MAY CHOOSE TO ADD A HALF CUP OF COTTAGE CHEESE,AN OZ OF SUNFLOWER SEEDS,OR A DOZEN MACADAMIA NUTS.IF YOU HAVE BEEN FEELING FRUIT DEPRIVED,NOW IS THE TIME TO ADD BERRIES,THE FRUITS LOWEST ON THE GLYCEMIC INDEX.(13 AVERAGE SIZE STRAWBERRIES CONTAIN 5 GRAMS OF CARBS)
LOOK AT THE ìPOWER OF FIVEî SET BELOW FOR OTHER SUGGESTIONS OF FOODS YOU CAN ADD TO YOUR DAILY MENU.MOST PEOPLE FIND IT BEST TO ADD BACK FOODS IN A CERTAIN ORDERóWHAT I CALL THE CARBOHYDRATE LADDER( SEE BELOW)
NOTE THAT FEW PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO ADD BACK ALL THESE FOOD GROUPS IN OWL.THOSE ON THE SECOND HALF OF THE LIST TEND TO RANK HIGHER ON THE GLYCEMIC INDEX AND ARE MORE COMMONLY INTRODUCED IN PREMAINTENENCE.FOLLO WING THIS ORDER TENDS TO MINIMIZE BLOOD SUGAR SURGES THAT COULD REACTIVATE CRAVINGS.
CARBOHYDRATE LADDER
1. MORE SALAD AND OTHER VEGGIES ON THE ACCEPTABLE FOODS LIST
2. FRESH CHEESES ( AS WELL AS MORE AGED CHEESE)
3. SEEDS AND NUTS
4. BERRIES
5. WINE AND OTHER SPIRITS LOW IN CARBS
6. LEGUMES
7. FRUITS OTHER THAN BERRIES AND MELONS
8. STARCHY VEGGIES
9. WHOLE GRAINS
EACH WEEK YOUíLL GO UP ANOTHER LEVEL,ADDING ANOTHER 5 GRAMS UNTIL EVENTUALLY YOUíLL REACH A NUMBER AT WHICH YOU STOP LOSING.THATíS HOW YOU FIND YOUR CCLL.ABOVE IT YOU LOSE NO MORE,OR YOU BEGIN TO GAIN.BELOW IT YOU CONTINUE TO LOSE.THE LOWER YOUR METABOLIC RESISTANCE TO WEIGHT LOSS AND THE GREATER YOUR LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACT IVITY,THE HIGHER THAT NUMBER WILL BE.
ONCE YOU CALCULATE YOUR CCLL.YOUíLL BE ABLE TO SAY TO ANOTHER ATKINS FOLLOWER.î MY CRITICAL CARBOHYDRATE LEVEL FOR LOSING IS 45 GRAMS.WHATíS YOURS ?î OR IT MIGHT BE HIGHER ñ SAY 50, OR AS LOW AS 25.TO GET AN IDEA OF THE RANGE THAT IS POSSIBLE,SEE THE TABLE SET BELOW,AS IíVE MENTIONED BEFORE,METABOLIC RESISTANCE IS INFLUENCED BY AGE,GENDER,ACTIVITY LEVEL,HORMONE ISSUES,LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY,PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS AND OTHER FACTORS, SO THE RANGE IN CCLLs CAN BE GREAT.
IF YOU EAT BEYOND YOUR CCLL,YOUR SCALE AND MEASURING TAPE WILL HERLAD THAT YOUíVE CROSSED A LINE AND YOUíLL MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ACCORDINGLY.MOST PEOPLE SIMPLY DROP BACK DOWN TO THE PRIOR LEVEL OF CARB CONSUMPTION.
LIPOLYSIS TESTING STRIPS ( KETOSTIX ) CAN HELP YOU ASCERTAIN YOUR CCLL IN MAY CASES.THEY GENERALLY STOP TURNING COLOUR AT A POINT A LITTLE BIT BELOW YOU CCLL.WHEN THAT HAPPENS YOUR CCLL WILL BE ONLY A FEW CARBS HIGHER.HOW EVER YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT ONCE YOU ARE CONSUMING 50 OR MORE CARBS A DAY,THE LTS WILL NO LONGER REGISTER A CHANGE IN COLOUR. SO LONG AS YOU CONTINUE TO LOSE POUNDS AND INCHES AND EXPERIENCE NO RECURRENCE OF YOUR PRE ATKINS LEVELS OF HUNGER,CRAVINGS AND OTHER SYMPTOMS,REST ASSURED THAT ALL IS WELL.YOU ARE STILL FUNCTIONING ON A PRIMARILY FAT BURNING METABOLISM EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY NOT BE PRODUCING ENOUGH KETONES TO SHOW UP IN YOUR URINE.
CARBOHYDRATE GRAM LEVELS AND METABOLIC RESISTANCE FOR LOSING
| METABOLIC RESISTANCE HIGH AVERAGE LOW REGULAR EXCERCISER* A REGULAR EXERCISER IS LEAST 45 MINS | APPROX CCLL RANGE <15 GRAMS OF CARBS PER DAY 15 ñ 40 GRAMS OF CARBS PER DAY 40 ñ 60 GRAMS OF CARBS PER DAY 60 ñ 90 GRAMS OF CARBS PER DAY SOMEONE WHO DOES VIGOROUS EXERCISE FIVE DAYS A WEEK FOR AT |
THE WISE OWL MIND SET
THE OWL PHASE IS ALL ABOUT CHOICE.THE CHOICES YOU MAKE SHOULD FOCUS ON HEALTHY AND PLEASURABLE ADDITIONS,WITH A STRONG EMPHASIS ON FOODS THAT CONTRIBUTE BOTH.AS YOU ADD FOODS IN ROUGHLY 5 GRAM CARB INCREMENTS,YOU CAN PROBABLY MOVE BEYOND VEGGIES TO OTHER FOODS,SUCH AS NUTS,BERRIES AND POSSIBLY GRAINS.ALTHOUGH YOU WILL BE EATING PRIMARILY NATURAL,UNPROCESSED FOODS,YOU WILL FIND AN INCREASING NUMBER OF CON VEINIENCE FOODS CREATED FOR PEOPLE SEEKING TO FOLLOW A LOW CARB NUTRITIONAL APPROACH.REMEMBER: READ THE LABEL !
THE POWER OF FIVE
THESE PORTIONS CONTAIN ROUGHLY 5 GRAMS OF CARBS.FOOD GROUPS ARE ARRANGED IN THE GENERAL ORDER IN WHICH THEY SHOULD BE ADDED.
VEGGIES
340g (12oz ) COOKED SPINICH 110g ( 4oz ) RED PEPPERS 1 MEDIUM TOMATO
75g ( 2 Ω oz ) COOKED BROCCOLI 8 MEDIUM ASPARAGUS 75g ( 2 Ω oz ) CAULIFLOWER 40g ( 1 Ω oz ) CHOPPED ONIONS Ω HASS AVOCADO
120g ( 4 Ω oz ) SUMMER SQUASH
DAIRY
140g (5oz ) MOZZARELLA CHEESE 1 10g (4 oz ) COTTAGE CHEESE 160g ( 51/2 oz ) RICOTTA CHEESE 110 ml ( 4fl oz ) WHIPPING CREAM
NUTS AND SEEDS
30g ( 1oz ) OF :
MACADAMIAS (APPROX 10 ñ 12 NUTS
WALNUTS ( APPROX 14 HALVES )
ALMONDS ( APPROX 24 NUTS )
PECANS ( APPROX 31 NUTS )
HULLED SUNFLOWER SEEDS ( 3 TABLESPOONS ) ROASTED SHELLED PEANUTS ( APPROX 26 NUTS ) 15g ( Ω oz ) OF CASHEWS ( APPROX 9 NUTS )
FRUITS
37 g ( 1 1/3 oz ) BLUEBERRIES
23g ( æ oz ) RASPBERRIES
60g ( 2oz ) STRAWBERRIES
60g ( 2oz ) CANTALOUPE.HONEYDEW MELON
JUICES
60 ml ( 2 fl oz ) LEMON JUICE 60 ml (2 fl oz ) LIME JUICE
110 ml ( 4 fl oz ) TOMATO JUICE
CONVENIENCE FOODS
YOU CAN SELECT FROM THE VARIETY OF CONVENIENCE FOODS ( BARS AND SHAKES ARE THE TWO MOST AVAILABLE) BUT BE SURE TO DETERMINE THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF DIGESTIBLE CARBS IN ANY PARTICULAR PRODUCTS
LIPOLYSIS TESTING STRIPS ( KETOSTIX ) PROOF POSITIVE
LIPOLYSIS TESTING STRIPS (LTS) (KETOSTIX) MEASURE THE KETONES- THE MARKERS THAT CONFIRM YOUR BODY IS IN LIPOLYSIS AND THE SECONDERY PROCESS OF KETO SISóIN YOUR URINE.THE STRIPS WILL CHANGE TO PINK OR PURPLE,DEPENDING UPON HOW MANY KETONES ARE PRESENT.THE MORE KETONES YOU EXCRETE AND THEREFORE THE GREATER DEGREE OF KETOSIS YOU ARE IN,THE DARKER THE COLOUR.
WHAT IF THEY DONí T TURN COLOUR ?
FIRST MAKE SURE THAT NONE OF YOUR FOODS EXCEPT YOUR SALAD AND OTHER VEGGIES CONTAIN CARBS,MEANING NO HIDDEN SUGARS,NO BREADING ETC.THEN STRICTLY FOLLOW INDUCTION FOR FIVE DAYS,IF THE LTS STILL HAVENíT CHANGED TO AT LEAST PINK,MEASURE YOUR SALADS TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT EATING TOO MANY VEGGIES,STILL NO CHANGE ? TRY CUTTING OUT THE TOMATOES AND ONIONS,WHISH ARE BOTH RELETIVELY HIGH ON THE GLYCEMIC INDEX.FINALLY MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT CONSUMING EXCESS QUANTITIES OF PROTEIN,WHEN EATEN TO EXCESS PROTEIN CONVERTS TO GLUCOSE. HOWEVER SHOULD YOUR LTS NOT TURN PINK OR PURPLE,DESPITE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE DOING EVERYTHING CORRECTLY,YOU MAY STILL SHOW A DECREASE IN APPETITE,AN IMPROVEMENT IN WELL BEING A LOOSENING OF YOUR CLOTHES AND A SLOW BUT STEADY WEIGHT LOSS AND REDUCTION IN INCHES.THIS SIMPLY MEANS THAT YOU ARE NOT PRODUCING ENOUGH KETONES TO REGISTER ON THE LTS BUT ENOUGH TO BURN FAT.REMEMBER THE STRIPS ARE TOOLS ;MAKING THEM CHANGE COLOUR IS NOT THE SOLE OBJECT OF THE GAME.
Friday, November 23, 2007
OTHER FOODS ACCEPTABLE DURING INDUCTION
CHEESE
YOU CAN CONSUME 90 ñ 110 g (3 ñ 4 oz) DAILY OF THE FOLLOWING FULL FAT,FIRM AND SEMI SOFT AGED CHEESES INCLUDING :
CHEDDER,COW,SHEEP AND GOAT CHEESE,CREAM CHEESE,GOUDA,MOZZERELLA,ROQUEFORT,SWISS.
SALAD VEGETABLES
YOU CAN HAVE 230 ñ 340 g (8 ñ 12 oz) PER DAY
ALFA SPROUTS,BOK CHOY,CELERY,CHICORY,CHIVES,CUCUMBER,DAIKON,FENNEL,LAMBíS LETTUCE,LETTUCE,MUSHROOMS,PARSLEY,PEPPERS,RADICCHIO,RADISHES,ROCKET,ROMAINE LETTUCE,SORREL.
THESE SALAD VEGGIES ARE HIGH IN PHYTONUTRIENTS AND PROVIDE A GOOD SOURCE OF FIBRE. ALL CHEESES HAVE SOME CARB CONTENT,THE QUANTITY YOU EAT SHOULD BE GOVERNED BY THET KNOWLEDGE,THE RULE OF THUMB IS TO COUNT 30 g OF CHEESE AS EQUIVALENT TO ONE GRAM OF CARB.NOTE THAT COTTAGE CHEESE AND OTHER FRESH CHEESES ARE NOT PERMITTED DURING INDUCTION.NO DIET CHEESE,CHEESE SPEADS OR WHEY CHEESES ARE PERMITTED.INDIVIDUALS WITH KNOWN YEAST SYMPTONS,DAIRY ALLERGY OR CHEESE INTOLERANCE MUST AVOID CHEESE.IMITATION CHEESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT ALLO WED.EXCEPT FOR SOY OR RICE CHEESE ñ BUT CHECK THE CARB CONTENT.
OTHER VEGGIES
YOU CAN HAVE 140 ñ 200g (5 ñ 7oz) PER DAY IF SALAD DOES NOT EXCEED 230g(8oz) THESE VEGGIES ARE SLIGHTLY HIGHER IN CARB CONTENT THAN THE SALAD VEGGIES ARTICHOKE,ASPARAGUS,AUBERGINE,BAMBOO,BEAN SPROUTS,BROCCOLI,BROCCOLI RABE,BRUSSEL SPROUTS,CABBAGE,CAULIFLOWER,CELERY ROOT,CHARD,COURGETTES,DANELION GREENS,FRENCH BEANS,KALE,KOHLRABI,LEEKS,MANGE-TOUT PEAS,OKRA,ONION,PUMPKIN,RHUBARB, SAURKRAUT, SPRING ONIONS,SPRING GREENS,SPAGHETTI SQUASH,TOMATO,TURNIPS,WATER CRESS
IF A VEGETABLE,SUCH AS SPINICH OR TOMATO,COOKS DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY,IT MUST BE MEASURED RAW SO AS NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE ITíS CARB CONTENT.
SALAD GARNISHES
CRUMBLED CRISP BACON,GRATED CHEESE,MINCED HARD BOILED EGG,SAUTEED MUSHROOMS,SOUR CREAM
SPICES
ALL SPICES TO TASTE,BUT MAKE SURE NONE CONTAIN ADDED SUGAR
HERBS
BASIL,CAYENNE,CORIANDER,DILL,GARLIC,GINGER,OREGANO,PEPPER,ROSEMARY,SAGE,TARRAGON,THYME FOR SALAD DRESSING USE OIL AND VINEGAR(BUT NOT BALSAMIC VINEGAR,WHICH CONTAINS SUGAR) OR LEMON JUICE AND HERBS AND SPICES.PREPARED SALAD DRESSINGS WITHOUT ADDED SUGAR AND NO MORE THAN TWO CARBS PER TABLESPOON SERVING ARE ALSO FINE
FATS AND OILS
MANY FATS,ESPECIALLY CERTAIN OILS,ARE ESSENTIAL TO GOOD NUTRITION.OLIVE OIL IS PARTICULARY VALUABLE.ALL OTHER VEGETABLE OILS ARE ALLOWED,THE BEST BEING CONOLA,WALNUT,SOYBEAN,GRAPESEED,SESAME,SUNFLOWER AND SAFFLOWER OILS,ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE LABELED ìCOLD PRESSEDî OR ìEXPELLER PRESSED ì DO NOT COOK POLYUNSATURATED OILS,SUCH AS CORN,SOYBEAN AND SUNFLOWER OIL,AT HIGH TEMPERATURES OR ALLOW TO BROWN OR SMOKE.
BUTTER IS ALOWED.MARGARINE SHOULD BE AVOIDED,NOT BECAUSE OF ITíS CARB CONTENT,BUT BECAUSE IT IS USUALLY MADE OF TRANS FATS ( HYDROGENATED OILS )WHICH ARE A SERIOUS HEALTH HAZARD.(SOME NON HYDROGENATED MARGAIRINES ARE AVAILABLE IN HEALTH FOOD SHOPS)
YOU NEED NOT REMOVE THE SKIN AND FAT FROM MEAT OR FOWL.SALMON AND OTHER COLD WATER FISH ARE AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS.
I CANNOT STRESS STRONGLY ENOUGH THAT TRYING TO DO A LOW FAT VERSION OF ATKINS WILL INTERFERE WITH FAT BURNING AND DERAIL YOUR WEIGHT LOSS
BEVERAGES
CLEAR BROTH/BOUILLON ( NOT ALL BRAND S;READ LABEL)
SODA WATER,CREAM ( DOUBLE,WHIPPING OR SINGLE);LINIT TO TWO TO THREE TABLESPOONS A DAY;NOTE CARB CONTENT
DECAFFEINATED COFFEE OR TEA
EXCESSIVE CAFFEINE MAY CAUSE UNSTABLE BLOOD SUGAR AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED BY THOSE WHO SUSPECT THEY ARE CAFFEINE DEPENDENT,EVERYONE SHOULD TRY TO AVOID CAFFEINE.GRAIN BEVERAGES(COFFEE SUBSTITUTES) ARE NOT ALLOWED.ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE ALSO NOT PERMITTED DURING INDUCTION; THOSE LOW IN CARBOHYDRATES ARE AN OPTION,IN MODERATION,IN LATER PHASES.
HERB TEA ( WITHOUT BARLEY OR ANY FRUIT SUGAR ADDED)
LEMON JUICE OR LIME JUICE ( NOTE THAT EACH CONTAINS 2 ñ 8 GRAMS CARB PER OZ) LIMIT TO 2 ñ 3 TABLESPOONS
MINERAL WATER
SPRING WATER
WATER
ARTIFICIAL SWEETNERS
YOU MUST DETERMINE WHICH ARTIFICIAL SWEETNERS AGREE WITH YOU,BUT THE FOLLOWING ARE ALLOWED: SUCRALOSE ( SPLENDA) SACCHARIN,CYCLAMATE,ACESULFAME-K.NATURAL SWEETNERS ENDING IN THE SUFFIX ì-OSEî SUCH AS MALTOSE,FRUCTOSE ETC.., SHOULD BE AVOIDED.HOWEVER CERTAIN SUGAR ALCHOLS SUCH AS MALTITOL DO NOT AFFECT BLOOD SUGAR AND ARE ACCEPTABLE. SACCHARIN HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY STUDIED AND HRMFUL EFFECTS WERE PRODUCED IN THE LAB WHEN FED TO RATS ONLY IN EXTREMELY HIGH DOSES.THE U.S FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION ( FDA) HAS REMOVED SACCHARIN FROM ITíS LIST OF CARCINOGENS,BASING ITíS DECISION UPON A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE MEDICAL LITERATURE AND THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCEíS STATEMENT THAT THERE IS ì NO CLEAR ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SACCHAIN AND HUMAN CANCER.î IT CAN BE SAFELY CONSUMED IN MODERATION,MEANING NO MORE THAN 3 PACKETS A DAY.SACCHARIN IS MARKETED AS SWEETEX OR SUCRON.WE DISCOURAGE THE USE OF ASPARTAME ( MARKETED AS NUTRASWEET,HERMESETAS AND CANDAREL BECAUSE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT ITíS SAFETY. MY PREFERENCE,HOWEVER IS SUCRALOSE (SPLENDA) THE ONLY SWEETNER MADE OF SUGAR, SUCRALOSE IS SAFE NON CALORIC AND DOES NOT RAISE BLOOD SUGAR.IT HAS BEEN USED IN CANADA FOR YEARS,AND THE FDA RECENTLY APPROVED IT AFTER REVIEWING MORE THAN ONE HUNDERED STUDIES CONDUCTED OVER THE PAST TWENTY YEARS.
NOTE THAT EACH PACKET OF SUGAR SUBSTITUTE CONTAINS ABOUT 1 GRAM OF CARB,SO DONíT FORGET TO INCLUDE THE AMOUNT IN YOUR DAILY TOTALS.
SPECIAL CATEGORY FOODS
TO ADD VARIETY,EACH DAY YOU CAN ALSO EAT TEN TO TWENTY OLIVES,HALF A SMALL AVOCADO,ONE OZ OF SOUR CREAM OR 3OZ OF UNSWEETENED WHIPPING CREAM,AS WELL AS 2-3 TABLESPOONS OF LEMON JUICE OR LIME JUICE.BUT BE AWARE THAT THESE FOODS OCCASIONALLY SLOW DOWN WEIGHT LOSS IN SOME PEOPLE,AND MAY NEED TO BE AVOIDED IN THE FIRST 2 WEEKS.IF YOU SEEM TO BE LOSING SLOWLY,MODERATE YOUR INTAKE OF THESE FOODS.
CONVENIENCE FOODS
ALTHOUGH IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU EAT PRIMARILY UN PROCESSED FOODS,SOME LOW CARB FOOD PRODUCTS CAN COME IN HANDY WHEN YOU ARE UNABLE TO FIND APPROPRIATE FOOD,CANíT TAKE TIME FOR A MEAL OR NEED A QUICK SNACK.MORE AND MORE COMPANIES ARE CREATING HEALTHY FOOD PRODUCTS THAT CAN BE EATED DURING THE INDUCTION PHASE OF ATKINS.JUST REMEMBER TWO THINGS
1. NOT ALL CONVENIENCE FOOD PRODUCTS ARE THE SAME,SO CHECK LABELS AND CARB CONTENT
2. WHILE ANY OF THESE FOODS CAN MAKE DOING ATKINS EASIER,DONíT OVER DO IT.REMEMBER,YOU
MUST ALWAYS FOLOW
ACCEPTABLE FOODS FOODS YOU MAY EAT LIBERALLY
ALL FISH INCLUDING : TUNA, SALMON, SOLE,TROUT,FLOUNDER,SARDINES,HERRING
ALL FOWL INCLUDING : CHICKEN,TURKEY,DUCK,GOOSE,POUSSIN,QUAIL,PHESANT.
ALL SHELLFISH INCLUDING : OYSTERS,MUSSELS,LOBSTER,CLAMS,SQUID,PRAWNS,CRABMEAT. ALL MEAT INCLUDING : BEEF,PORK,LAMB,BACON,VEAL,HAM,VENISON.
ALL EGGS INCLUDING : SCRAMBLED,FRIED,POACHED,SOFT BOILED,HARD BOILED,DEVILED,OMELETTES
PROCESSED MEATS SUCH AS HAM,BACON,PEPPERONI,SALAMI,HOTDOGS AND OTHER LUNCHEON MEATS AND SOME FISH MAY BE CURED WITH ADDED SUGAR AND WILL CONTRIBUTE CARBS.TRY TO AVOID MEAT AND FISH PRODUCTS CURED WITH NITRATES,WHICH ARE KNOWN CARCINOGENS.ALSO BEWARE OF PRODUCTS THAT ARE NOT EXCLUSIVELY MEAT,FISH OR FOWL,SUCH AS IMITATION FISH,MEATLOAF AND BREADED FOOD S.FINALLY DO NOT CONSUME MORE THAN FOUR OUNCES OF OFFAL A DAY.
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