The goal of part of the Atkins program, the induction phase, is actually to put you into ketosis. It's not a healthy place to be, as Clod says. You do lose weight but unless you eat quite a lot of healthy complex carbs your biochemistry really goes out of balance. Most people do eat too much saturated and animal fat on the diet (and Atkins never specified not to, just said to always eat full fat rather than reduced-fat foods) and that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease among other things.

It all depends on how it's done. The 'no refined sugar-no white flour' diet is a healthier version of Atkins, cutting out refined carbs but allowing any whole food (in reasonable portions). The big thing is to include a variety of plant-based whole foods, most of them with lots of color and fiber (i.e. cruciferous vegetables and greens in preference to white potatoes), leave out the refined carbs (those apple fritters!), and as Clod says, include nuts and legumes as protein sources. Although every food has protein - you don't have to go overboard on the legumes if they don't agree with you. Eating a variety of whole foods, it's almost impossible to get too little protein.

Some stuff about it here on the American heart assoc.

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Gettin...89_Article.jsp

When I say low carb, I mean a whole food diet packed with lots of green vegies and lean protiens. If anything, doing a low carb diet actually increases my intake of fresh raw vegies in the form of salads, and that's got to be good.

I do usually have a nasty breakfast of bacon and eggs with fried mushrooms, but i balance it a bit by having it on top of a pile of baby spinach and grated carrot. It's a reasonably nutritious breaky if I poach the eggs and dry fry the bacon.

Besides that, for lunch it's normally a mostly green salad with either chicken or some kind of canned fish, and dinner is steamed veges eg. broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, carrot, with either fish or red meat. Sometimes I might make a cheese sauce if I feel I've been pretty good on the fat intake for the day.

That'll be for the first few weeks. After that, I'll revert to untoasted muesli for breaky, either with milk or mixed into yoghurt. Either way is yummy.

For a treat for desert I might make some cheesecake type stuff using philly cheese, splenda, cream and some kind of berry. It's quick to whip up, and can satisfy that craving for something sweet in the evening.

I think it's actually a pretty healthy diet. Yes I'm dropping almost all sugar and definitely all processed carbs, but I do replace those fillers with more veges, which is ideal.

i'll try if men are allowed. i'm blown up like a tick and i need to shed some pounds quick

Can you check with ur doc first sarg? I would feel very bad if i ejcouraged you in something that might be detrimental.

Ah, that sounds pretty good Ali.

It's like I said earlier: it's the extremes that are where the danger lies. Yours sounds liek a healthy diet.

What you're doing sounds very healthy - big salad, lots of different veggies. In that context the meat or fish isn't the primary, overwhelming thing. It's the people who abandon complex carbs in favor of more fat and meat that run into trouble.

When did you start the program? Are you finding it easy to keep to? My big failing when I get hungry or stressed is carb cravings. I want that apple fritter!

I crave breads! Plus it seems to be the only thing that doesn't make me sick. Oh, and don't forget the Sierra Mist

I'm trying to stay away from wheat. Something to do with my liver. Can't remember what.
I'm not being very strict, but I'm not eating pasta, bread, potatoes (not wheat!) or any number of the things I used to.

And I'm not craving. Which really surprises me. Then again, I've been on this since November and went through that period where I was barely eating at all. They may have broken the cycle.

Dani are you thinking of Ashton Kutcher playing Steve Jobs?
He ended up in hospital by trying to get into character following Jobs' vegan/ fruitarian/ sometimes even wackier diet.

Sarge, if I paint my body parts with fruit will that stimulate your appetite ;)

yes!!!! Thankyou!!!! That's what it was:)

I'm expecting Sarge'll say the same ;)


Sent by thought transference

Baby, I'd become the best vegetarian in the world. :blush:

I'm not sure I could manage a cucumber though...

*snort*

Girl, I can provide the cucumber. You can handle the rest of the salad!