Search the Community

So I called Dr. Geiss' office a few weeks ago and they informed me that they had received all of the paperwork/info completing all of their requisites. The staff promptly sets up my surgery date and said she would mail me some paperwork that had dates, that I needed to fill out. Let me just say that I have had several problems with my Insurance paying for my (and my daughter's) doctor's visits/procedures (even though they are all covered). I have a liason that my company uses in case we have trouble with the insurance paying for covered benefits and have had to call upon his services 3 times in the past 6 months of having this Insurance (Amerihealth/Multiplan). Now I received my surgery date three weeks ago (for Aug21), and I have been checking on the Insurance website almost daily for any record of even a pre-authorization filed. There is none. I then called Dr. Geiss' office to see what was going on, and the staff said to me, "Oh its too early for us to file your paperwork thru insurance. Your surgery is more than a month away." WHAT!! WTF!! I have been on pins and needles since they gave me a date and they haven't even filed!?!!? What happens if the insurance stalls for the 30 or so days before approving? What if they deny and want additional paperwork? Am I supposed to scramble last minute for stuff before my surgery?!! What if I need the assistance of my liason and he goes on vacation (it is the summertime you know!) and I can't get in touch with him. I have to put in PTO time at my job and I don't even want to do that yet until I get approved and its a go ahead for the surgery. UGH. I swear, I think this is going to give me an ulcer. **And yes, I know I am ranting, but this situation is just stomach-turning.

My Drs. office does provide the option of taking medication if weightloss has stalled after a period of time. Now...it's not an option for someone that is just a couple of months out of surgery but it would be an option for somone that was banded in November. My Dr., and I have somewhat of a problem with this because I am a pretty slow loser historically, believes that you should take off 40 pounds in the first three-four months following surgery. I am two months out of surgery and have lost 25lbs and feel a twinge of failure...and I know that I shouldn't! My Dr. also does fills every 3-4 weeks until restriction occurs. I find that he is supportive in that regard. If he doesn't see 2lbs. a weak being lost he makes sure that you are in for a fill. I would talk to your Dr. or nutritionist and see what he says. I've taken Meridia in the past...but I didn't find it nearly as effective as I would have liked. I've wondered what it would be like now that I have the band. I'm going to give it until September and see if the first 40lbs. is gone. If it isn't, I'm going to ask my Dr. if I can take the Meridia that I already have in my medicine cabinet. I don't respond really well to meds like phentermine as they make my hands go numb and give me very bad heart palpatations.

I know what that feels like. I was banded May 21. I didn't loose antyhing for the first three weeks. Then suddenly I lost like 5 pounds last week. And for the moment, I seemed to be stalled again. I'm hoping that after my first fill July 3, something will give. I ride my bike for an hour each day and I def try to keep the calories down so I was expecting much bigger results my now but in the words of Jessie Jackson, "Keep hope alive."

For those who have successfully lost weight or are successfully losing weight--do you eat 3 meals a day, or do you split your food up between meals and Snacks? I'm about 5 weeks post-op, haven't had a fill, but seem to be one of the fortunate few that have enough restriction to feel a big difference already. I'm generally picking healthy foods and am finding that, without at LEAST one snack a day, it's hard to get up to 1,000 calories. (I never imagined myself with such a problem . . . :wink2: ) I stalled for three weeks at 800 calories a day, which is what eating 3 meals and only when hungry was adding up to, so I'm pretty interested in keeping the calories up around 1,000-1,200 for a while, especially as I'm getting more exercise in. Any thoughts on the meals only versus snacks approach?

Thanks guys....Today was a better day. I made sure I drank a lot which is something I have not been following through with and I planned my meals. I had my eggs this morning at my desk and then had one of those little cottage cheese and fruit pack thingies for lunch. I will admit I was still a bit hungry after that but I waited out my hour and then drank a lot. For dinner I had tuna..and sdome frozen yogurt. Tuna didn't taste as great as I expected, but I didn't put any onion or anything in.... I must say...I am loving my magic bullet...it makes life so easy. We have to leave at 4:30 a.m. tomorrow to go to CT for a basketball tournament. It is like 4.5 hours away. Thankfully, I don't have to drive. Wasn't sure driving a 12 passenger van three weeks after surgery with 10 teenage boys was such a great idea! So we got one of the coaches to drive. I have packed my food. I am very proud of myself...I made up two small dishes with my boiled eggs for breakfast the two days, and then three chicken salads in small containers for lunch and dinner as well as a cottage cheese thingy. I am also going to bring one or two yogurt cups and a banana so I am not tempted by all the food the boys have in the room. I WILL DO THIS LADIES...oh and the kicker is..I lost another pound this morning after all my worrying last night. I think sometimes you have to mix it up a little...not with junk food, but mix it up a bit to keep the weight loss from stalling... SO>>>in two and a half weeks I have lost 12 pounds add that to the 9 pounds pre op diet and I have lost 21 pounds in a month! I'll take it. Enjoy your long weekend. Cindi

I think my doc is one of the most strict out there..... Days 1-5: Water only Two Weeks: 115 calorie Protein shakes x 3 each day I'm now at mushy foods and they say I should be having between 500-800 calories / day. When I graduate to real food, the calorie count will be the same. I have really been feeling like I'm just not getting in enough calories. I'm also three weeks post-op and this is the first week that I've felt like I've had enough energy so that I don't have to take a nap every day. My weight loss has also been stalled this week -- I lost 20 pounds in the first two weeks and now just 1 pound this week. I'm trying like crazy to stay with my doc's recommendations and will probably continue to do so for the next couple of months. His practice is a Center of Excellence. The care is amazing. It's just this one thing that I'm taking issue with. But...on the other hand...it makes sense that food would be the one thing I take issue with since I'm such a foodie.

Coolcrystal is absolutely right! When you stall, you have to switch things up, be a little bit bad for a few days, and them right back to the strict diet. I'm telling you, I've done this like three times already. I spent the first two months eating nothing but grilled fish and green veggies. After some very fast weight loss, I went through three weeks of gaining and losing the same three pounds over and over. Quite by accident (because I was absolutely FED UP!) I was a little bad over one weekend. If I wanted a beer, damnit, I had one! (Several, actually. It's hot here in Texas, you know.) Low and behold if the weight didn't start falling off again. Now, I ease up a little on the weekend, and I stay very strict during the week. I haven't had any huge stalls since. I'm losing a very healthy 8 to 10 pounds a month right now. For someone my size (Currently approx 185 lbs) that's all you want to lose. So, cut yourself a little slack, ease up on the diet for a few days (like go really wild and have 1500 calories for a couple of days) then right back to your strict diet. I betcha it'll work for your too. Your body thinks you're starving it to death, so you have to go, "See? We're not starving! There's plenty here!" Eventually, your metabolism will figure it out.

I'm really having a hard time getting a hang of this band. When I first had my surgery I was full easily and it seemed like I barely had time to eat the little bit of food I got on the full liquid stage. I was at about 600-800 calories then. Then I got my first fill even though I wasn't sure I needed one. I lost for about 3 weeks, then hit a plateau and even gained 3 back over a three week period. At that time my calories slowly crept from 800 to about 1200. Last Tuesday I got my second fill and had 1072 calories that day then went down to 660-950 most recent right in the 700-800 range. I lost weight fast again. Took off the 3 I gained plus another 6 but over the last two days I've stalled again. Also, I don't feel quite as tight though I know I still have restriction because I almost threw up the last two nights at dinner. I'm also hungry fairly often. Okay, now the questions. Do I just need a fill, even if just a small one? Is this just a normal body fluctuation or cycle? Am I hungry more often because I've boosted my metabolism? Should I kick up the calories for a couple days then drop them way down for a couple to shock my system? Do I need to change the kind of food I eat? I'm trying to stay low carb but I've been getting around 50-60g, couple days I was down to 40ish. Sorry for all the questions but I'm really worried and don't want to gain any back. I love when I'm losing fast and want to do my best to keep that going. Also, I'm doing about the same amount of excercise for the last 3 weeks though I added aerobics one day. And my next fill is on 6-10. Anybody have any ideas on my million and one questions or ideas I might try?

I'm also watching what I eat and exercising every day for at least 45 minutes on the treadmill. So far, my weight loss has stalled and for the last three weeks I haven't lost any weight. In frustration I put my scale away and plan on weighing in at my next fill appt. Also, I had my psych follow-up (8 wks. after surgery) today. He suggested I drink more water, at least 72 oz. and to break-up my exercise into two segments daily. He also mentioned that I should get in enough protein (about 100 grms.) He explained that as the body gets rid of the water and breaks down the protein you boost your metabolism. Good thing my fill has kicked in and I'm not as hungry otherwise I would have gone back to my old eating habits by now. My perspective on weight loss has changed now that I have the lap-band, I know eventually I will lose weight, so that's comforting.

Just wanted to get back onto this thread. You all seem like such a great support system for each other. I was banded in June 07 and have lost 85, but have been stalled since February. I recently started getting back into serious exercise the past two weeks and have starting logging all my food again even though I loathe doing it. It's been frustrating. Got an unfill in February and three weeks ago I got a fill three weeks ago after being too loose for too long. However, the fill, which is .1cc higher than before I got an unfill isn't making too much of a difference right now. So it's been a tough road. And not to see any loss after my fill has been discouraging. But I'm sure working out so much lately has caused my body to retain a lot of water, and I know I need my thyroid meds changed, so I have an appt with that doc next week to get that taken care of. Hopefully soon I will start seeing some progress again. Keep your fingers crossed!

Here's where I am right now. I sort of feel like I wasted two weeks. First I ate way too much on vacation and gained weight. Got a fill as soon as I got home, got too tight, got a slight unfill, lost the weight I gained on vacation and now I'm stalled. I think I just have to let my body get used to the up and down it just went through. I think I need a little more fill but I get so much swelling with the fill that it's painful, so I am going to ask the PA not to take out all the fill and then replace it all with more. I will instead ask them to just add a little bit, since it seems the action of plunging it all in, activiates the swelling and pain I get at the fill. I guess we're all so different. Hopefully this week, I will see the scale move down again, I know I am back on track with eating, but less we weigh, less food we need to continue to lose. Keeping busy won't be a problem for the next month. My busy time of year is here. Time to get our beach rentals cleaned, weeded, painted etc. so I'll be moving a lot. My trunk is loaded with paper towels and windex and other cleaning supplies ready to go. Weds is the start! Stressful getting three furnished houses and yards ( plus mine own home) done in a short time but somehow it always gets done. Oh and my dog is having some surgery Monday. Poor guy is 15 years old and has a mass on his leg. They'll remove and biopsy and we'll go from there. Wound care could be an issue, the area of mass has very thin skin, so closing wound could be difficult. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Hey November Nymphs.... Not sure if you all were in on some of my previous posts, but for the last several months I have REALLY stalled. I have excuses, which I know are like A$$holes, but I have been subject to a hostile working environment at work, and some other stuff that I don't need to mention because it is uncomfortable for me to ride the "poor-pitiful-me" train. Anyway, I asked to be removed from my work environment and although I still support the group, I have been put into a new office environment for now until they can permanently replace me. So that is good. I have begun a little counseling for emotional eating, AND, I have exercised at least 6 times a week the past three weeks. All of these things combined, the scale is moving downward (except for an unfortunately blip up the scale that was really in-explainable but it came right back off). Taking part in the Cynco deMayo challenge has helped. A few other things that I intend to do for me in the coming month, go to an orthopedist about my knees, re-gain my commitment to journeling my food, not eating after 7:30pm (even though I REALLY REALLY want to right now), and start trying to work out in the morning to get my metabolism kicked up early. A down side happened today though, I went for my second fill and the doctor could not find the port. I do think it has moved. He poked for about 4 minutes, then it really starting hurting. He finally asked for me to come back next week and if he cannot get it, he will need to do it under x-ray. I've been down, but I'm not out yet. Thanks for being here you wonderful bunch of people!

Don't panic at all. What you are going through is all normal. I didnt' lose anything for 3 weeks a week after I got banded. Just don't give up and start eating crap food during that time. My weight loss is weird. I wont' lose anything for a week and then I'll lose 4 pounds the next week. But, when you get on solid foods you will stall big time. You might even gain some weight.. like 3-5 pounds or even more. This is totally normal. Some people even eat too few calories and this will stall you out too. When I didn't lose anything for three weeks I ate something bad.. a few chips and an enchilada and I lost 3 pounds within the next two days. It jolted my system back into weight loss mode. Then I started eating healthy again. But again, you guys just got banded this month... the weight loss right now doesn't really mean much, especially if you lost it on a liquid diet. I say all of this, but I freaked out too, so I've been where you all are. Trust me, it gets better and you will start to see the weight drop.

Hey Guys! Congratulations on the over 100lbs. lost to you all! I am so very close to 100lbs. and have stalled/plateaued in the last month or so. Takes about two or three weeks to lose 1 or 2lbs. So....when you come this close how do you kick it into high gear to hit the mark. My goal is/was 100lbs by my 6 month Bandaversary. Any words of wisdom? Cindy

Thank you Lesly!!! Don't worry darlin, it will come off slowly but surely. There may even be a time when I stall and you catch up to me! I have been learning that weight loss is a funny thing. It's varies by individual and even varies for that individual. I have a tendency to loss about 10 lbs all at once and then will stall for two or three weeks before I suddenly cascade downward again. Others lose about a pound a week. So just keep at it. It will have. Maybe sooner, maybe later, but you WILL get there!

After my Weekend of Steak, I'm stalled this week. Although, to be frank, I don't know if that's because of the steak, or because I lost so much in the days leading up to the Weekend of Steak, and this is just a natural re-equilibration of whatever. I'm not worried; I'm keeping my intake low and am more active than I've been for a long while. Indeed, just yesterday, I suddenly realized that, without thinking, I'd walked to the top of a hill that had always made me puff and pant. And I hadn't noticed it at all, or even thought about having to walk up the hill. And I walked it FAST. Tomorrow is my six week week anniversary - uh, forgive me, *bandiversary*. I'm all healed, so tomorrow I'm going to start doing yoga again, something I haven't done for probably three years. Last time I did it I was about 50 lbs lighter, but the practice is fairly forgiving. We shall see!

Ditto for me! One to two pounds a week is just perfect. Tomorrow it will be five months out and I've lost 40 pounds, which is the way I want to lose it. I will admit, when I've had the scale stall (for three weeks) and then suddenly jump down four pounds, I kinda wish it would do that more often!!! My boss's daughter and his son had bypass and he said his son (13 months out) is way below his goal weight and looking pretty drawn (too thin). He went to his surgeon for the one year checkup and they just said "Wow--we have to get pictures for our website!!" No thanks, I'll take my time thank you! And by the way, another consideration is that we can exercise our butts off - while the bypassers lose so quickly there's no way they could keep up--thus plastic surgery is a must (boss's daughter is shelling out $13,000 to shed her excess skin!)

Sades: At least it's one pound gone! I had my fill today. I had planned to ask for .5 cc and then last night after dinner, I was feeling tighter/fuller after dinner than the few days previously. Figures, doesn't it? Like when you have a rash and make an appt and the day of the appt comes and the rash goes away. Day after appt. rash comes back LOL So we decided on .25 cc's instead. On liquids for two days, before I know what this one does. But I have another appt in two weeks anyway. I do feel really close to good restriction and weight loss that was stalled, has dropped again. To make my mother of the groom weddng dress goal, I have to consistently lose 8 pounds a month! Yikes! I've only lost at the rate of a little over 9 per month so far, so don't think that is attainable. Have you tried an all liquid day to jump start weight loss again? I do that. Here's what I have: Protein drink every 3 hours. 8am: One can Atkins advantage shake 160 C 15 gms protein 11 am 1/2 bottle (10 oz) Isopure CLEAR pre-mixed drink. 80 c 20 gms protein. Repeat every three hours until 8pm. If I can't make it all day on the cold drinks, I substitute a bowl of Soup, butternut squash soup 190 c for the Isopure drink at the 5 pm meal and then at the 8pm, I substiute the Atkins shake with the 5pm Isopure drink. 640 calories if you stick to original plan with (85 gms protein) and about 770 calories ( 70 gms protein) if you substiute the last two. That plan got me off the last plateau. The steady protein keeps me satisfied. I don't do that more than once every week or two. Hang in there. all of a sudden, you lose a few.

Name...................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go Momto1plus1...............228.8..............228.4.................218 .8.........9.6 Trixie...........................241................224.5............. ....221.............3.5 Osangriared...........262..............255...............250.......... .5 wnt2lose...............226..............219...............216......... ..3 TxArcher...............345..............337...............325......... ..12 Shortgal................188..............185...............182.............3 Can't believe the big numbers you guys post every week. At least the scale is going down again for me, after being stalled for a while! I should be able to make goal. Ok, totally messed this up. I really couldn;t remember last weeks weight, so i went back and checked week three. I started at 189 and goal was 184. Oops. Well I guess I'll leave my new goal at 182 after all! Even better! I do weigh 185 though, I did remember that! I should, I weigh myself obessively.

JowJow, I think expecting big weight loss to continue after losing over 35 pounds, just doesn't happen. We lose fast in the beginning, we plateau, we lose steady, then we stall again. This is normal, just hard to accept. As stated before a lot has to do with how much we have to lose. Your current BMI is not that high so weight loss will slow down. I know you tried uping your calories a little and gained. What I do when I'm stalled is a day of liquids and then continue my regular intake and then one day have a couple hundred calories additional. I think our bodies get used to stablizing if the calorie intake is the same everyday, rather than mixing the intake up and down. Within a week it might be the same average of 1000 per day, but one day is 800 and one is 1200 another is 1000 etc. Your weight loss has been great, don't worry so much. And nobody here would hate you for doing well! Here's my formula for a low calorie day. Some days I can't make it all the way through, by dinner I cave and have Soup. 8am: Atkins shake 11am: 1/2 bottle of Isopure CLEAR 2Pm: Same as 8am 5pm: same as 11am 8pm: Same as 8am. you can reverse any two, but I find the high Protein every three hours works to keep me satisified. If I feel I can't make it all day, I substitute a box of butternut squash soup at the 5pm time. If you do have soup, change the 8pm Atkins to the glass of Isopure CLEAR. Sades: Made an earlier appt for a fill. Going in on Thurs. Last one brought me to about 7 cc. I had a couple great feeling days while on the two days of soft food after the last fill. Felt full all morning after a small b'fast. Yes! That's what I want! So I'll ask for .5 cc this time and then keep my appt for 3/20 in case I need another .5cc. I can still eat apples as well, altho that is one food I have to eat slowly. The PA that gave me the last fill has been banded and when I told her I could eat apples, she said "with the skin on?" and I said yup! And she said oh yeah, you need a fill! She asked about bread, but I don't eat that often and if I do, it's whole wheat and toasted. But before my last fill, I had a whole grilled cheese sandwich! I know we keep saying this, be we must be close to restriction soon!

Hello all my July band friends: I'm trying to decide if I should go in for my third fill. The past month my weight loss has stalled and I noticed I was eating larger portions. I called and made an appointment for a fill which is scheduled for Tuesday. Now the past three days my band seems tighter. I ate three little pieces of beef last night and thought it was going to come back up. It feels like I just got a fill even though I didn't. Now I'm trying to decide if I should cancel my appointment for next week. Has anyone ever noticed their band being looser during TOM? What do you think I should do about my fill? I pay for my fills and would hate to waste $300. Just looking for an opinion. Thanks, Sonya

I keep toying with the idea of getting more fill but i am not sure I want my eating to be any more difficult. I only can get liquid down in the morning and soup at noon. Then it seems to magically open up and if I chew well I can eat most foods by dinner. The stalled weight thing is upsetting so I'm meeting with the nutritionist next week to discuss normal eating for normal people. Isn't that where we all want to be in the end . . . eating like normal weighted people. She told me to journal my food, water, and exercise for three days before I come. The first day i only ate 1100 calories, yesterday was more like 800, so I'm working at getting in 1200 today. On the 'biggest loser' they always are talking about eating more to lose more. So I'm trying to get my mind out of this 'only drink protein and water to lose' mentality.

I've got the small AP band, and the owners manual gives general instructions on fills being every 4 to 6 weeks. I've followed that schedule and never had issues with fills until my fourth, which was the beginning of October. I have waited over four months to lose restriction and finally have, so will be making another appointment in the morning since my weight loss has significantly stalled. It took a lot of soul searching and paying attention to every bite I put in my mouth to decide to finally have another fill. So you see everyone is different, and even the same person can vary widely from fill to fill. All docs vary, but my doc gives instructions to be on liquids for two to three days following a fill to allow for any swelling to go down. I hope you got relief and didn't lose all restriction. The band is a phenomenal tool, but needs monitoring so we can use it to be the healthiest we can be.

Holly: I do love the oatmeal and I hated oatmeal before surgery....hehehehehe so that is a good thing I think. Because I know how healthy it is and you are right it sticks to my bones. It holds me til my next meal. I love my tuna salad and it too is long lasting, it hold me very well. I have tried to spice things up a bit I found when I eat the same things over and over my body get to used to it. I have also found if I eat something a little higher calorie once a week it helps to get that 2 pounds off in a hurry. For example I lost one pound last Friday and then on Saturday I had an oatmeal cookie and on Sunday I lost 2 more pounds......I know it works this is the second time it happened to me.....LOL I do limit any sugar though, and I don't have much, my carbs are controlled and so is my fat.....I think it is very important not to fall into that eating disorder mode that they spoke to us about in our classes preop. There are alot of people who get so scared to eat they live on shakes and Soup and that is setting yourself up for a eating disorder they told us. So I am trying really hard to eat all my calories. I will be giving up the shakes when I hit my three months out here in a couple of weeks. And then it is get all my Protein from my food!!!! Holly as for drinking the Water I am literally constantly drinking, and I mean that literally I carry my water bottle with me everywhere even to the bathroom.....LOL I know that my bottles of water are two cups and I try to drink 5 of them a day. I manage 4 1/2 right now and that is drinking constantly when I am not eating....LOL I know is I do not get in my water, I have a stall in my weightloss......

I am beginning the induction phase of the atkins diet on Monday. Does anyone want to join me in this???? I really need to focus on adding Protein and cutting carbs. Here are the rules for the induction phase.. Search Site recipes <LI class=plain id=portaltab-atkins-university>eggs and red meat, as well as pure, natural fat in the form of butter, mayonnaise, olive oil, safflower, sunflower and other vegetable oils (preferably expeller-pressed or cold-pressed). 2. Eat no more than 20 grams a day of carbohydrate, at least 12 – 15 grams of which must come in the form of salad greens and other vegetables. (see Acceptable Foods). 3. Eat absolutely no fruit, bread, Pasta, grains, starchy vegetables or dairy products other than cheese, cream or butter. Do not eat nuts or seeds in the first two weeks. Foods that combine protein and carbohydrates, such as chickpeas, kidney Beans and other legumes, are not permitted at this time. If you feel you must eat bread or some other grain product, only high Fiber low-carb products with 3 net carbs or less per serving are allowed, and you can eat only one serving a day. Be aware that even that amount may slow or stall your progress, and if that happens, drop the product immediately. 4. Eat nothing that isn't on the Acceptable Foods list. And that means absolutely nothing. Your "just this one taste won't hurt" rationalization is the kiss of failure during this phase of Atkins. 5. Adjust the quantity you eat to suit your appetite, especially as it decreases. When you're hungry, eat the amount that makes you feel satisfied, but not stuffed. When you're not hungry, eat a small controlled carbohydrate snack to accompany your nutritional supplements. 6. Don't assume any food is low in carbohydrate—instead, read labels. Check the carb count (it's on every package) or use a carbohydrate gram counter. Be aware that the law allows manufacturers to round off if a product has fewer than 0.5 grams of any carbohydrate, so that will show up as zero. The only way to detect some fractional carbs is to look for them in the ingredients list, where they must be listed if they’re added to a product, regardless of the amount. 7. Eat out as often as you wish but be on guard for hidden carbs in gravies, sauces and dressings. Gravy is often made with flour or cornstarch, and sugar is sometimes an ingredient in salad dressing. 8. Use sucralose or saccharin as a sweetener. Be sure to count each packet of any of these as 1 gram of carbs, because of the fillers and bulking agents which are added. 9. Avoid too much coffee, tea and soft drinks that contain caffeine. Excessive caffeine has been shown to cause low blood sugar, which can make you crave sugar. 10. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of Water each day in addition to anything else you may drink, to hydrate your body, avoid constipation and flush out the by-products of burning fat. 11. If you are constipated, mix a tablespoon or more of psyllium husks in a cup or more of water and drink daily. Or mix ground flaxseed into a shake or sprinkle wheat bran on a salad or vegetables. 12. At a minimum, take a good daily Multivitamin with minerals, including potassium, magnesium and Calcium, but without Iron. Acceptable Foods These are the foods you may eat liberally during Induction: All fish, including ... All fowl, including ... All shellfish, including ... All meat, including ... All eggs, including ...tuna chicken oysters* beef scrambled salmon turkey mussels* pork friedsole duck duck lamb poachedtrout goose clams bacon**soft-boiledflounder Cornish hensquid veal hard-boiledsardines quail shrimp ham** deviledherring pheasant crabmeat venison omelets *Oysters and mussels are higher in carbs than other shellfish, so limit them to four ounces per day. **Processed meats, such as ham, bacon, pepperoni, salami, hot dogs 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 foods. Finally, do not consume more than four ounces of organ meats a day. OTHER FOODS THAT ARE ACCEPTABLE DURING INDUCTION Cheese You can consume three to four ounces daily of the following full-fat, firm, soft and semisoft aged cheeses*, including: cheddar cow, sheep and goat cheese cream cheese Gouda mozzarella Roquefort and other blue cheeses Swiss *All cheeses have some carbohydrate content. The quantity you eat should be governed by that knowledge. The rule of thumb is to count 1 ounce of cheese as equivalent to 1 gram of carbohydrate. Note that cottage cheese, farmer’s cheese and other fresh cheeses are not permitted during Induction. No "diet" cheese, cheese spreads or whey cheeses are permitted. Individuals with known yeast symptoms, dairy allergy or cheese intolerance must avoid cheese. Imitation cheese products are not allowed, except for soy or rice cheese—but check the carbohydrate content. Vegetables You should eat 12-15 net carbs a day of vegetables. These salad vegetables are high in phytonutrients and provide a good source of fiber: alfalfa sprouts daikon mushrooms arugula endive parsley bok choy escarole peppers celery fennel radicchio chicory jicama radishes chives lettuce romaine lettuce cucumber mâche sorrel Other Vegetables Within the 12-15 net carb daily vegetable requirement, these vegetables are slightly higher in carbohydrate content than the salad vegetables listed above, but they also provide important nutrients and add variety to your daily food intake: artichoke celery root pumpkin artichoke hearts rhubarb asparagus chard sauerkraut bamboo shoots collard greens scallions dandelion snow peas bean sprouts dandelion greens spaghetti squash beet greens eggplant spinach broccoli hearts of palm string or wax beans broccoli rabe kale summer squash Brussels sprouts kohlrabi tomato bean sprouts leeks turnips cabbage okra water chestnuts cauliflower onion zucchini If a vegetable, such as spinach or tomato, cooks down significantly, it must be measured raw so as not to underestimate its carb count. Salad Garnishes crumbled crisp bacon grated cheese minced hard-boiled egg sautéed mushrooms sour cream Spices All spices to taste, but make sure none contain added sugar. Herbs basil garlic rosemary cayenne pepper ginger sage cilantro oregano tarragon dill pepper thyme For salad dressing, use oil and vinegar 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. Acceptable Fats and Oils Many fats, especially certain oils, are essential to good nutrition. Olive oil is particularly valuable. All other vegetable oils are allowed, the best being canola, walnut, soybean, grapeseed, sesame, sunflower and safflower oils, especially if they are labeled "cold-pressed" or "expeller-pressed." Do not cook polyunsaturated oils, such as corn, soybean and sunflower oil, at high temperatures or allow to brown or smoke. Butter is allowed. Margarine should be avoided, not because of its carbohydrate content, but because it is usually made of trans fats (hydrogenated oils), which are a health hazard. (Some nonhydrogenated margarines are now available.) You don't have to remove the skin and fat from meat or fowl. Salmon and other cold-water fish are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Remember that trying to do a low-fat version of the Atkins Nutritional ApproachTM may interfere with fat burning and derail your weight loss. Artificial Sweeteners You must determine which artificial sweeteners agree with you, but the following are allowed: sucralose (marketed as Splenda™), saccharin, cyclamate and acesulfame-K. Natural sweeteners ending in the suffix "-ose," such as maltose, etc., should be avoided. However, most sugar alcohols have a minimal effect on blood sugar and are acceptable. Saccharin has been extensively studied, and harmful effects were produced in the lab when fed to rats only in extremely high doses. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed saccharin from its list of carcinogens, basing its decision upon a thorough review of the medical literature and the National Institute of Science’s statement that there is "no clear association between saccharin and human cancer." It can be safely consumed in moderation, meaning no more than three packets a day. Saccharin is marketed as Sweet'n Low™. The Atkins preference, however, is sucralose (Splenda™), the only sweetener made from sugar. Sucralose is safe, noncaloric and does not raise blood sugar. It has been used in Canada for years, and the FDA approved it after reviewing more than 100 studies conducted over the past 20 years. Note that each packet of sugar substitute contains about 1 gram of carbohydrate, so don’t forget to include the amount in your daily totals. Acceptable beverages Be sure to drink a minimum of eight eight-ounce glasses of water each day, including: Filtered water Mineral water Spring water Tap water Additionally, you can have the following: Clear broth/bouillon (not all brands; read the label) Club soda Cream, heavy or light (limit to two to three tablespoons a day; note carbohydrate content) Decaffeinated or regular coffee or tea* Diet soda made with sucralose (Splenda™); be sure to count the carbs Essence-flavored seltzer (must say "no calories") Herb tea (without barley or any fruit sugar added) Lemon juice or lime juice (note that each contains 2.8 grams carbohydrate per ounce); limit to two to three tablespoons * Caffeine can cause cravings or blood sugar spikes with some people. If you’re one of them, you should drink only decaffeinated beverages. If you don’t have a problem with caffeine, you may drink one or two caffeinated beverages a day, because evolving research indicates there may actually be health benefits to a limited amount of caffeine. However, if you have a true caffeine addiction, it will be best to break it during Induction, because any food addiction can cause problems if it isn’t taken care of. Once you’ve broken the addiction and moved on to OWL, you can carefully try adding caffeinated beverages back into your food intake, as long as it doesn’t trigger the addiction again. Special Category Foods To add variety, each day you can also eat 10 to 20 olives, half a small avocado, an ounce of sour cream or three ounces of unsweetened heavy cream, as well as two to three 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 two weeks. If you seem to be losing slowly, moderate your intake of these foods. Convenience Foods Although it is important that you eat primarily unprocessed foods, some controlled carb food products can come in handy when you are unable to find appropriate food, can’t take time for a meal or need a quick snack. More and more companies are creating healthy food products that can be eaten during the Induction phase of Atkins. Just remember two things: 1. Not all convenience food products are the same, so check labels and carbohydrate content. (See the Online Store for Atkins brand products.) 2. While any of these foods can make doing Atkins easier, don’t overdo it. Remember, you must always follow The Rules of Induction.