Atkins Diet Quick Hits: Are all sugars eliminated?

[bowulf]

@joel4360 Sorry, I don't agree. Eliminating all vegetables would definitely not be Atkins or personally healthy in my books. Why do a diet you have to supplement to get everything you need? I think it is pretty clear humans were designed as an omnivore body, and trying to eat otherwise is only tilting against nature.

[jewie27]

Overall best to watch out for empty calories. Yes its true hfcs isnt healthy but so many foods in america.

[bowulf]

@jewie27 For me, eliminating the junk carbs and restricting the good ones solved all my problems.

[jewie27]

Your body does not differentiate between fructose and added sugar. Sugar is sugar mo matter what form...

[bowulf]

@jewie27 True, but the sugar from say tomatoes is different than the HFCS and much less concentrated. People prior to the invention of HFCS and prevalence of corn syrup weren't getting fatty liver disease because fructose wasn't nearly as prevalent. Eating 20g of natural fructose (as opposed 200g most Americans do) obviously won't affect the blood glucose the same way.

[SeattleLumbeeGirl]

Thanks you for clearing up the "natural" sugar vs. the "added" sugar question for me. I recently purchased some sauerkraut and it contain 1 gram of sugar per serving but sugar was no listed as in ingredient. I have a question regarding sugar alcohol! I'm day 8 of INDUCTION and I recently purchased a container of Ice Breaker's Ice Cube gum. Looking at the ingredients I wonder if it's okay for me to have. Total Carb 2 g(1%DV) Sugar 0, Sugar Alc. 2 g. Does the sugar alcohol cancel out the carbs?

[bowulf]

@SeattleLumbeeGirl You would still count the sugar alcohol carbs against the total for the day -- check out my net carbs vs. net impact carbs video. I generally am not a big believer in sugar alcohols (check out "acceptable sweeteners video"), but it should be fine. Just count each gum against daily sweetener limit too.

[Daisyacero]

hey i had haribo sweets for the last couple of days, have i ruined my atkins diet and has this stopped my chances of losing weight this week?

[bowulf]

Check out my video called "I cheated... What now?" It talks about this very subject. The whole point in short is understand the why you cheated or ate off plan, how to prevent it from happening again, and what your next meals are going to be. You can't change the past, but you can prevent it from reoccuring.

[anarky4321]

Atkins imo knew that the best cure for obesity was zero carb but he was too much of a wuss to promote it as such because he knew he wouldnt be financially successful since zero carb is perceived as too 'extreme' even by the low carbers

[bowulf]

I doubt that. He knew the benefits of phytonutrients more than anybody, and the only way to get them naturally was to eat the vegetables and fruits. In today's world and beef, eating a diet of caribou meat like Stephannson did is not going to provide the same nutrition.

[TheNextAnnaNicole]

Question: Splenda is part sucrol"ose"...wonder why mthis "ose" ingredient is ok when low-carbing? I use quite a bit each day and I am not stalling yet!

[bowulf]

Splenda's generic name is sucralose. (Splenda=sucralose) It is one of those few exceptions to the all -ose as it is NOT either sugar or starch, like sucrose (simple sugar), dextrose (starch), fructose (fruit sugar), or lactose (dairy sugar). Maltodextrin is just another example of a complex starch to stay away from as an ingredient.

Dr. Atkins recommended no more than 3 servings per day as insulin can be released with artificial sweeteners too. (cephalic insulin reaction)

[Patrizia817]

Thank you for this video. Have you heard of a product called "Agave" as a natural replacement for sugar? It's suppose to be of organic nature with no sugar products in it; sold only at Trader Joes. Also, many products indicate "0" sugar, but when you read the ingredients, "corn syrup" is listed as the second or third ingredient. What do you know about that? Thank you again for your prompt responses. I can see you have much knowlegde about this diet, and I appreciate and respect that.

[bowulf]

Thanks for the comments.

I have never used agave nectar or syrup, but its Glycemic Index is low. That however is not the whole story as its serving size is 1 TBS with 16g of carbs. This means while its insulin shock may not happen, it will encourage insulin release over a longer time.

Yes, anything with corn syrup or fructose or most any -ose being advertised as sugar free or "0" sugar is just lying. "0" sugar could be because the total amount is below 1g, but it still could mess you up.

[monteroex]

its me lol....I have a few questions. I went grocery shopping and on my list was sugar free gum but they all seem to have aspartame in them...aghh...do you know a brand with no aspartame in it or you think its ok to have a piece or two a day? Also, Im on my 7th day of induction and my headaches are getting worse and worse ive been taking alka selzer and tons of tylenol when will this go away? lol...one more is the inside of a mcdonalds ok to eat. just the patty and cheese?

[bowulf]

Sorry -- I am not a gum eater, so I never browse the candy aisle. However googling aspartame free gum came up with elimitaste gum, which I believe is online only. As for aspartame, it is definitely a YMMV thing. 1 or 2 pieces should be ok, but everyone is different.

I go to McD's at least 2x per month and always get the same thing - 2 double cheeseburgers no bun with only lettuce and onion and a packet of mayo.

As for headaches, keep drinking water, but they should be over soon. 2-3 days

[Patrizia817]

According to Adkins' new book, tomatoes are allowed during the induction phase, right? Do you not like tomatoes with your McD burger? I go there at least x2 a month for breakfast when I have no time to make it in the AM. I buy the sausage-egg and cheese without the bun. It's an easy and quick breakfast but I keep it at a minimum because I prefer turkey sausage and egg whites. I call this my x2 a month splurge. Looking forward to your response. Thx again.

[bowulf]

You are right. Tomatoes are fine for Induction under 1 cup per day. I am just not a big fan of them raw.

Your fast food breakfast should be fine too. I eat sausage about 2 or 3 breakfast per week, but I make sure mine do not have sugar as an ingredient. It looks like you are definitely on the right track.

[darrensylvander]

Hey Kent,

Do you have a pumkin recipe you like?

I'm guessing it's baked with splenda and cream cheese & pumkin pie spices, but just thought I'd ask.

Thanks for making the videos.

[bowulf]

I am not personally a huge pumpkin eater, but my wife and kids are. There are of course the pumpkin cheesecake recipes that would fit your idea, but the two different recipes would be JODY'S PUMPKIN BAKE and DOTTIE'S PUMPKIN POUND CAKE at Linda's Low Carb that make a nice banana bread like consistency or bake custard dessert. If you like pumpkin, you'll like those two recipes.

[bowulf]

I just wanted to post I noticed I have my first honors:

#98 - Premium Most Viewed (This Week) - Howto & Style - South Korea

#100 - Premium Most Viewed (This Week) - Howto & Style - Hong Kong

#72 - Premium Most Viewed (This Week) - Howto & Style - Taiwan

That is pretty cool, and I am honored that Asian people find me interesting enough to watch.

[millernancy]

Thanks for all the info , this time around because of your video's my diet is becoming a success . 20 lbs down in 1 month. (I've ben on and off for 4 months) I made it through the hard part for me. Congrats on the races!

I have a quick question. I have 2 teenage daughters who are trying to lose weight. They have been doing Atkins with me , Do you think Atkins is safe for them ? They loved your chicken !

[bowulf]

Thanks for the comments and congrats on your success.

As for your teenage daughters, I am not sure Induction is a great place for them to start, but certainly OWL and Maintenance are very healthy no matter who is doing it. Their CCLL may be different than yours, so they may be able to eat more and still lose. I would find it hard to believe anyone would recommend teenagers have to eat refined carbs to be healthy. Havng healthy school lunches is the only difficulty I have seen.

[quotidianlight]

Tell me about it. My kids are low carb and it's done wonders for there concentration and ability to do well in school. Fat fuels the brain and helps regulate all those new teenage girlie hormones! That said, I make a lot of lunches every morning *sighs*

[bowulf]

I haven't quite made it that far yet, but it is atrocious what they serve for school lunch and call it healthy. What do you suggest for school lunches?

[quotidianlight]

I feed the kids a very low carb breakfast so I have some room to work with for the lunches and my son doesn't have an ADD spiral. For lunch they will have a small fruit bunch of berries, soy milk or water for a drink. I buy alvarado bakery bread, it's whole grain organic with no corn syrup or Ezekiel bread for the sandwiches. The love meat loaf sandwiches but usually we do cheese or avocado or cashew butter etc. I do allow one treat in there lunch because...

[quotidianlight]

If I don't their friends take pity on them and they end up eating 15 times more junk. They are eating probably a higher end maintenance level of carbs (I'm guessing around 100-120g on a regular basis; my son eats a little less) with most of their carbs being saved for lunch. I also put veggies with peanut butter or ranch dressing in their lunches along with veggies in their sandwiches. I will say, kids know what makes them feel better and after 4 months ...

[quotidianlight]

I noticed a lot of treats and left over drinks coming home. My son complains about higher carb foods making him feel funny. My daughter seems to have a similar response and her carb levels go up naturally during growth spurts similar to the way mine do during TOM. Adults gravitate toward foods they ate as kids so I believe in low carb for kids pretty strongly. They may go non-complient in college or during their teens but the pattern is set and they'll be able to go low carb easier as adults.

[rippedwrangler]

I'm curious as to whether you also found that you can eat unlimited low-glycemic vegetables. For example, I can eat an enormous salad, along with cooked broccoli for dinner, and a whole head of raw cauliflower for an evening snack. That's on top of a big salad for lunch, and I still won't come out of ketosis as defined using urine indicator strips. I literally cannot eat enough of the low-carb veggies to screw up the diet.

[bowulf]

I am perhaps more limited in my vegetables, but that still does not prevent having 10-12 servings per day. It is probably more taste-related related than anything, but I can say at Mongolian BBQ restaurant or stir-fries at home, I am loaded with peppers, cabbage, broccoli, and onions (less). Some of the other veggies -- like onions and tomatoes -- you could perhaps over-do, but after Induction, you are somewhat charged to discover what that upper limit is.

[rippedwrangler]

Is it BD's Mongolian BBQ that you go to? That is my favorite restaurant in the whole world. I can pile up the tallest heap of vegetables you ever saw on top of my beef,chicken, and shrimp. People I go with have the tortillas and rice, but it doesn't bother me; I'm not even tempted.

[bowulf]

No, it's called HuHot. I am sure it is real similar however to BD's. Same all you can eat meat and veggies with sauce although I am mainly szechuan (1g) and oil -sesame and garlic and chili. Very good!

[quotidianlight]

I can eat a lot of veggies but I can also eat too much and set off massive cravings. It won't toss me out of ketosis but man.... a good stir fry can certainly turn into a binge and I can feel the blood sugar change. That said, I can still eat way more veggies than most people on high carb diets would even think of eating.

[bowulf]

Pumpkin is certainly allowed -- check your acceptable foods list. Pumpkin pie filling has other stuff in it, like added sugar and spices. Check your cans, and make sure it is 100% pumpkin and then you are allowed 1 cup per day (other veggie).

[hycaliber007]

arg! I'm so frustrated. I feel like EVERYTHING has sugar in it. We're trying to start the induction faze and failed after 44 hours. We're big beer drinkers, gum chewers and we like our food to look like something recognizable (tried a few recipes I found on Linda's site and even the fake danish.) Are we just bound to fail at this diet or what? I'm only 18 pounds out from where I look and feel good (ultimate goal was 40 lbs.) I weigh 158 and am 5'5". ARG! SO FRUSTRATED!

[bowulf]

Obviously this diet forces you to make choices, and only you can determine if what you are giving is worth the price. As to food looking recognizable, I haven't had a problem recognizing steak, vegetables, chicken fajita salads, sausage,& stir frys. The diet may force you outside your comfort zone and comfort foods, but you can certainly do it and eat well.

It is work to start a new way of eating, especially one that runs contrary to main stream food industry of injecting sugar to cover up.

[bowulf]

Obviously this diet forces you to make choices, and only you can determine if what you are giving is worth the price. As to food looking recognizable, I haven't had a problem recognizing steak, vegetables, chicken fajita salads, sausage, stir frys. The diet may force you outside your comfort zone and foods, but you can certainly do it and eat well.

It is work to start a new way of eating, especially one that runs contrary to main stream food industry of injecting sugar to cover up.

[gtulman]

thanks for that reply! You are absolutely right. I keep on making excuses. How many kids do you have now? Is your wife on Atkins as well? Another question. Since I've started atkins, I've noticed that whenever I stand up I feel very dizzy as if I will pass out. Perhaps I am not eating enouph. Have you experienced anything like that?

[bowulf]

I still have 4 kids not doing the diet, and my wife is doing moderate carb after doing Atkins for quite awhile. She restricts her carbs after noon.

I used to have that dizziness or syncope episodes occasionally as I was losing. I always attributed it to low blood pressure as the body was shedding pounds and blood vesesls were shrinking or hydration. If it continues (past the once a week occurrence), certainly have it checked out. They should be able to test for a deficiency of some sort.

[gtulman]

I've been trying to do the induction part for the past week without success. I am constantly tempted to eat something I shouldnt. For example the other night I was cutting watermelon for my 18 month old son and couldn't help it but grab a piece of watermelon. I feel like its super difficult when you have a baby and a hubby who eats everything they put their hands on. Having said that I was still able to loose about 8lbs since starting induction. Do you have any advice for someone like me. Thanks

[bowulf]

When I started I had 4 kids and a wife that I had to cook for as well as myself, they weren't low carbing it, so I either had to make a meal versatile enough to be both or make two meals. Sometimes like with Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli I would make pasta for them and faux rice for me. That way the main meal was not doubled. Ultimately it comes down to making the commitment to controlling every thing that enters your mouth. Make each bite subject to your commitment.

[rul3r2003]

Hi, i'm on 8'th day of induction, i drink everyday a glass of juice made by squeazing half a lemon, mineral water, and sucharine(like splenda). I also drink 2 liters of mineral water a day. It is ok to drink mineral water or only simple water ? It is ok to drink 1 glass of that "juice" a day ? I've lost 9 pound in my first week, and i'm right on the track :). Hope you will answer.

[bowulf]

It should be fine. You are allowed per day :

"lemon juice or lime juice (note that each contains 2.8 grams carbohydrate per ounce); limit to two to three tablespoons"

so be sure to count the carbs, but you should be fine on the lemon juice.

Mineral water is treated the same as water.

[rul3r2003]

Tnks , you are an inspiration to us all.

I've also prepared for a semi-maraton just like you in summer but then i got some things to do, and i let training for a while... i hope to do an oficial semi-marathon next year. I've run 21km(semi-m) last year in november in a training sesion and it was real real hard :). I'm 23 year, 6 feet,212 lbs last week, 203 now :D, and want to reach 184lbs for a better training. Hope you do well on your trainings. Greetings for Romania!

[bowulf]

Thanks for comments from Romania. Congratulations on your losses so far - 9 lbs in 8 days is impressive! My running is going well so far, but I am still behind. With 7 training weeks to go, I only have a 16 miler under my belt. In the next 4 weeks though I should have a 12,18,15(Race), and 18 mile runs before I start my taper for my marathon.

It's hard to believe that race week is almost here!

[gtulman]

hi, I just came from the supermarket and I saw no sugar ice cream. It's on Splenda. So it has 3 grams of sugar, 90 calories and 3 grams of fat in a cup Is that allowed on induction? I am assuming if pumkin is allowed why wouldn't this ice-cream be allowed?

[bowulf]

Read the ingredients - are all the ingredients on the acceptable foods list? Chances are it is has regular milk in it and a whole host of other things (preservatives and sugar alcohols), which aren't allowed. Pumpkin is a natural vegetable as opposed to a processed food. If you want to have ice cream, look for a ziplock ice cream recipe where you make your own with cream, vanilla, and Splenda.

[Sadekat]

Wow, thanks for this video... I didn't even know that pumpkin was allowed on induction! My mind is racing with new goodies I can make with that! I am on day 5 of induction and I must confess it has been some time since I read the Atkins book.... gonna go dust it off right now and study some more.

[bowulf]

There are some great pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin soup recipes that can be Induction friendly. Just be aware it is an "other vegetable," so you are limited to one cup per day. Other than that - it makes for an interesting colorful supper ingredient.

[love9boy]

thanks! are sugar alcohols good or bad?

[bowulf]

They vary widely from malitol (bad due to its higher glycemic index and bad gastric distress) to some ok or good, like erythritol -- much lower GI (ability to be consumed for energy and lower gastric effects. It might only take one dose of malitol for you to seek the facilities to 26 doses for erythritol. Either way I count them as carbs and include them in my net carb count.

[love9boy]

ok thanks for letting me know about counting those as net carbs!