h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Cheese is fine. There are also a few companies that make special low carb bread and candies, you'll probally have to poke around in a health food store to find them though. The bread is normally kept in the freezer section.

I would again say go get the book. Or go to a public library and go to the atkins site and look up the program. Honestly.

I've not tried the low carb baked goods...are they any good, Andrew?

Montana, i had every intention of trying to get the book today, but ended up side-tracked again!! I always do end up side-tracked.

Andrew, thanks for that

Your wecome,
Some of the breads are ok, some aren't, its best to put some butter or jelly on them. There better than nothing though.

Worth a try i guess

Strawberries were mentioned as being allowed - is this really true

I'll try to find out on the Atkins site, but if somebody else could tell me, that would be great.

Unfortunately, I honestly haven't got time to get to my local library, + I owe them £20!

I've just spent some time trying to find the 'official' Dr Atkins site, but without luck! If somebody could point me in the right direction, I'd be very grateful.

Try this

http://atkins.com/

Seamus

A guy i know is doing the diet, and he said that one of the only fruits you could eat was strawberries, which he said is great, cos of the tennis, it means he can eat the strawberries and cream

Thanks Seamus!

I'll have a look on the website for Strawberries.... mmmm..

Wow! They really are really low in carbs! The lowest of all fruit! That'll be my weekend treat!

berries of all sorts actually.

the big fruit to stay away from is the banana. oh, and avoid french baguettes, because apparently, your body thinks they're pure sugar (99 on the glycemic index).

I guessed bananas would be quite bad.

Avoiding all bread is a good plan! Play it safe!

Just info. for anybody considering Atkins...
It's Day 3 and I feel fine! Little bit tired but I think that's more due to working 14 hour days! Brain feels 'fresher' must be all that protein!

Thank you Montana for the tips

Interesting points..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/3102070.stm

Anyone any idea how the late Dr Atkins died?

I think it was heart problems. No wonder with all that cholesterol.
How can such a saturated-fat-rich diet be healthy ? Anyone who thinks so is kidding themselves because they like the bad food it promotes (which in moderation is fine). There is no way by rejecting such a major food group as carbohydrates can be beneficial. And as with all weird diets, if it's used for a quick weight reducer, as soon as you start eating 'normally' you will put it all back on.......and some.
If only people could concentrate their energy on eating more healthy food, rich in fibre and nutrients, resist the fry up completely rather than having one every day, plus actually exercise, then there would be more healthy people around. I witness a few people at work who follow stupid cabbage diets etc, never end up losing weight, make themselves miserable by not even eating a slice of wholemeal bread or a jacket potato (very healthy) and who will not even consider walking the two bus stops from the train station to work. It's a crazy world.

Actually, he died last winter after slipping on an icy sidewalk and cracking his head.

And you're right to a point, Citizen S. But that's sort of the point with Atkins...I eat more veggies now than I did before, and I'm doing just fine in all heart healthy indicators. I don't eat potatoes or bread, because I have a blood sugar imbalance, and if I eat them, I go off the charts, because both of them are simple carbohydrates that convert rapidly to sugar in the blood. I don't eat a lot of fried food, but I do eat a lot of chicken, fish, and lean red meat. My total cholesterol is 150, my LDL/HDL ratio is quite good, my blood pressure (normal 180/72 to begin with) is now 170/65, and I no longer binge on crappy foods. Is Atkins for everyone? Certainly not. He says from the outset that people with ANY history of kidney problems, even one infection as a kid, should get throughly checked out by their doctor before beginning.

Like all diets, it will fail if you look at it as merely a diet, a quick fix. It is a complete lifestyle change...my life has changed for the better. I eat better, am no longer obsessed with food, have enough energy to exercise...

Oh, and I started at 225 pounds, and am now down to 185, and I've done it slowly enough that it stays off with little effort. I am working on loosing the rest, but don't feel that I have to starve myself to be healthy, or thin. I am in better shape than I've been in 10 years.

What I guess I'm saying is that people have to find what works for them. What has to change is the attitude towards food, and Atkins has helped me do that.

Must have been a bad joke rumour about the heart attack then - Sorry !
The thing that puts me off is all these people saying how great it is because they can eat as many helpings they want of bacon and eggs and tons of cheese. Perhaps these people are taking it to the extreme. Your diet sounds healthier.
I remember there was a programme on TV with people trying out different diets. Aitkins was in the lead for weight reduction for a while but I think the ultimate winner was Weight Watchers combined with good exercise. Partners of Aitkens complained about the low energy of their other halves plus the bad breath. Enough to put me off !

I've never experienced a lack of energy...just the opposite, in fact. I think people who are diabetic, or insulin resistant, have the best chance on Atkins, because so much of what people eat is refined carbs (read: sugar), and once they get off those, their blood sugar stabilizes.

And that's sort of the problem with Atkins, is that people think they can eat greasy foods in huge quantities...his book stresses NOT overeating, and limiting processed meats, etc. It's how we used to eat before the invention of restaurants and super sizes.

I spent the first 2 days of induction sleeping, the third day I got very bad withdrawal symptoms (exactly matched my withdrawal symptoms when I gave up caffiene), by day 4 this had all passed and my energy levels evened out. I wouldn't say I have more energy - it's just evened out - I don't feel sleepy in the afternoons anymore and I'm not hyperactive in early evening.

5 weeks in and I'm actually feeling very very good. Gradually easing up my carb intake with more fruit and veg. The weight loss has slowed but it hasn't stopped (it seems to have moved from my belly to my face ). I also find it incredibly easy to eat out on (and was delighted to find that prawn crackers are only 1/2 carb and they weigh almost nothing so I can satisfy my crisp craving without resorting to crisps).

I am missing my puddings a little though - and chocolate, but they were my weakness