Steady does it.

Where can I learn more about your low carb ketogenic diet?

http://www.amazon.com/Low-Carbohydrate-Ketogenic-Diet-Manual/dp/1482781255/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381679043&sr=8-1&keywords=Eric+Westman

It's the "induction" phase of the new Atkins plan in the book New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight and Feeling Great

Dr Westman, one of the authors of the new Atkins book put out a separate pamphlet with just the induction instructions and "allowed" foods. The principle is that you want to restrict all carbohydrates to about 20 carbs TOTAL per day. Carbohydrates come from low glycemic and cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage, salade greens, peppers, etc. You concentrate the majority of your intake on the fats and proteins in meats, olive oil, nut oils, butter and cream if you can tolerate dairy. This makes your body go into ketosis, burning fat as a fuel source, rather than glucose from carbohydrates. You lose weight (if needed) and improve a host of lab results to the point of reducing or not needing medications for things like high cholesterol, high blood sugar, triglycerides.

Dr Westman also has a monthly support group meeting that I go to, but you can join the FB group if you want. Lots of info, recipes, and help there too. https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeLowCarbSupportGroup/

Thanks for the link, I bought the Kindle version of the pamphlet.

way of thinking about food from the traditional nutritional advice.



If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them as best I can, point you in the right direction of the experts. This is my second time on low carb nutrition. I tried Atkins in the early 2000s but got side tracked due to an illness and because I thought I could occasionally incorporate some foods back into my eating, mainly flour-based goods like pasta and bread. Nope.

I love proteins, veggies, and fats and fruit, but might have to give up fruits from the looks of it.

Any tips or links are appreciated!

Last edited Mon Oct 14, 2013, 12:19 PM - Edit history (1)

As you go along you will learn to pick out which foods for you are safe and which ones cause you problems such as weight gain or even some outward sign of spiking blood sugars, such as after-meal sleepiness in my case. My Beloved gets restless leg syndrome if he eats a too high carb content food, for instance. The "list" is a good frame of way of eating safe foods to train yourself with. And Dr Westman is very adamant that people start with Page 4. LOL.

Some fruits are OK as you approach your goal weight. How much of that you can eat and how often depends entirely on what you learn about your body's response to these foods.

Some tips:

- Be prepared for the "Atkins Flu." When you first go LCHF, there is a period of about 2-4 days where you can feel BLAH. It's your body using up the glucose in the blood and not quite producing ketones yet. Don't get discouraged. After a day or so, that goes away and you find you have tons of energy and some report better mental focus.

- Get a kitchen scale. It's much easier to count amounts based on known quantities. Although you can have as much protein and healthy fats as you like, carbs add up quickly.

- Try to do without artificial sweetners if at all possible. They make it harder because your body still craves sugar. If you do absolutely have to have them explore Erythritol and Xylitol. Stay away from aspertame and saccharin. And carbs from these sweetners do count.

- Learn to cook of you don't already do so. Most cooking techniques are fine, except deep fat frying (the breading, usually). Lots of restaurants and take out places depend on starchy carbs to round out their plates: rice, potatoes, pasta. When I eat out, I leave off the bread, rice, and fries. If you can get them to not bring it at all, even better.

- Get a means to measure keytones. The most accessible is ketostix for urinalysis. Inaccurate in that it's measuring the excess you are excreting. To read the ketones you are using, get a blood glucose meter that also measures ketones. The readers are cheap, but the sticks are expensive. Many people buy those from Canada. Like the scale, it's another way to see how you are doing.

Useful Links:

Dr Westman's Intro Talk about this diet:

(The same as your pamphlet) He goes over the info in the pamphlet and explains why it works. Near the end are a couple of links for recipes.

Livin La Vida Low Carb podcast: http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/

This is a wonderful show with many LCHF professionals and some Paleo folks as well. Stephen Phinney, Dr Westman, Peter Attia have all been interviewed. I've met Jimmy Moore. He's a good guy, though not of our political tribe. And it's the best known show for all things LCHF. You can also get some great recipes from paleo folks, like Mark's Daily Apple. Jimmy keeps a running list of low carb blogs that he updates the first of every month. I've learned an incredible amount of nutritional info listening to these shows.

Low Carb Dietician: http://www.lowcarbdietitian.com/ I met Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE on FB. She really is trying to get people to go low carb for better health and weight management overall, even if you don't have metabolic issues. Good professional info.

Pinterest Board with recipes http://www.pinterest.com/denicesharpe/low-carb-life/. Most everything on that page with the odd exception is Page 4 friendly.


Facebook
Dr Westman's Low Carb group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeLowCarbSupportGroup/
Nutrition and Metabolism Society: https://www.facebook.com/groups/276354325431/


Congratulations! You are about to take charge of your health through food.

Slow and steady wins the race.



aA
kesha

You're on track, for sure.

Thank you, I also want to try this diet!

I did it before and did very good. I do love bread but I can give it up in order to be healthier. Thank you for sharing the links.