Part 5 (2/2)

If you're confused about the difference between dietary fat and essential fats, a helpful a.n.a.logy is gasoline and motor oil. Both gasoline and motor oil are derived from the stuff that gushes from oil wells, but the former goes into your car's gas tank and the latter into the crankcase. Gasoline is burned for energy, while motor oil lubricates the machinery so that it runs without friction, reducing wear and tear. Dietary fats differ from each other in many ways, but most contain a mixture of nonessential fats, the saturates and monounsaturates; and essential fats, the omega-6s and omega-3s that are in the polyunsaturated group. Think of the nonessential fats as fuel and the essential fats as metabolic lubricators.

THE REBALANCING ACT.

You now understand that to effectively reboot your metabolism, you'll have to change the ratio of carbohydrate, fat, and protein in your diet. If your first reaction is ”Yuck. I don't want to eat lots of fat,” please take a careful look at the Phase 1, Induction, meal plans in part III part III. You'll see that in a typical day, you'll be eating a cornucopia of vegetables along with ample muscle-building protein. To enhance those foods, you'll add your favorite acceptable salad dressings, sauces, and oils. If you're at a loss for ideas, our recipe section, also in part III part III, focuses on such sauces, dressings, and condiments.

SAVOR, DON'T SMOTHER It's essential that you eat enough natural fats to provide satiety, the satisfying sense of fullness, keep your fat metabolism humming along, and make foods tasty. But that doesn't mean you should eat so much that you wind up with a calorie bomb. For most of us on Atkins, our natural appet.i.te response gives us good guidance as to how much fat to eat. But here are some tips. Use enough oil when saute-ing food to keep it from sticking to the pan. Use about a tablespoon of oil (plus lemon juice or vinegar) to dress a small salad. These are general guidelines. Pet.i.te women may need less, and tall men may be able to have more. Feel free to swap out one fat source for another. For example, if you don't use cream in your coffee, you can have a bit more cheese. If you have two salads a day and need more olive oil for dressing, forgo a pat of b.u.t.ter. You get the picture. A typical day's intake of fat might include the following: - 2 tablespoons oil for dressing salads and cooking- 1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter- 1 ounce cream- 2 ounces cheese- 23 eggs- 23 servings of meat, poultry, fish, or sh.e.l.lfish- 10 olives and/or Haas avocado- 2 ounces nuts or seeds (after the first two weeks of Induction) REVIEW POINTS.

- Dietary fat is essential to good health and plays a key role in weight control.- In the context of a low-carb diet, natural fats pose no health risk; rather, it is the combination of fat and a high intake of carbohydrates that is linked to heart disease and other serious conditions.- As long as you're eating a high-carb diet, you won't burn your own body fat for energy. But reduce carb intake enough, and you will burn both dietary and body fat.- A low-fat version of Atkins is unnecessary and inadvisable.- Your body uses three kinds of fat for fuel: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated.- The standard American diet is tilted toward polyunsaturated fat. To restore the proper balance, use olive and other monounsaturated oils for cooking and dressing vegetables.- When you control your carb intake, there is no health risk in eating foods high in saturated fats.- Eating fatty fish several times a week or taking an omega-3 supplement can remedy the imbalance between omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids.- Your cholesterol levels are primarily a factor of your genetics, not your diet.

Now let's move on to part II part II, where you'll learn how to personalize Atkins to meet your needs and food preferences and embark on your healthy new lifestyle. But first, meet Sara Carter, who after losing about 100 pounds quit her job and started her own business.

SUCCESS STORY 5.

NEW BODY, NEW CAREER.

After Sara Carter trimmed 100 pounds from her frame, she got motivated to quit her desk job and start her own business. Eight years later, she's still slim and her business is thriving.

VITAL STATISTICS.

Current phase: Lifetime MaintenanceDaily Net Carb intake:5060 gramsAge: 46Height: 5 feet, 9 inchesBefore weight: 235 poundsCurrent weight: 135 poundsWeight lost: 100 poundsFormer blood sugar: 163 mg/dLCurrent blood sugar: 80 mg/dLCurrent HDL cholesterol: 50 mg/dLCurrent LDL cholesterol: 111 mg/dLFormer total cholesterol: 235 mg/dLCurrent total cholesterol: 175 mg/dLCurrent triglycerides: 66 mg/dL Has your weight always been an issue?

I was heavyset for years. I carried most of my weight below my waist and when I was wearing stretch pants and standing with my legs together, I looked like a double scoop on a sugar cone. My weight would fluctuate, depending upon what diet my mother had me on, but I was always hungry, cranky, and sneaking food.

What motivated you to try Atkins?

My mother was diagnosed with diabetes about eight years ago and told to lose weight or else. Her weight just started coming off. Well, I was not about to have my mother be thinner than me! So I started Atkins too, and wow! I lost 8 pounds the first day and 70 pounds in three months. This was the only diet that felt natural to me. Every other diet was a fight, like ”die” with a ”t.” Eating the Atkins way was how I always wanted to eat but was told was wrong.

How long did it take you to lose the 100 pounds?

I stayed in Induction for two weeks to get rid of my carb cravings, then moved to OWL, where I lost most of the weight. I lost weight every single day. When I got close to my goal weight, I started adding carbs until I got to between 50 and 60 grams a day. All in all, it took me six months to go from a size 24 to a size 6. Later, when I would grocery shop, I would pick up a fifty-pound bag of dog food and heft it over my shoulder just to see what it felt like; I would be amazed that I'd lugged around the equivalent of two bags for years.

Did you see any health benefits?

After three months, my total cholesterol went from 235-interestingly, the same number as my start weight-to 175, all the while I was eating a four-egg omelet with cheese for breakfast every day. My blood sugar went from about 163 to 80. Once I was taking many pills for depression and pain from fibromyalgia and sometimes had to walk with a cane because my knees were starting to buckle. Now that I watch my carb and gluten intake, I only need to take ibuprofen sometimes. My mother is doing well too. She lost 60 pounds and doesn't need any diabetes medications at this time. And my dad is doing Atkins too.

How did losing weight change other things in your life?

For twenty years I sat in a chair working as a secretary until I decided to start my own business. I clean up foreclosed properties, which means that I'm lifting things, mowing lawns, and hauling trash all day. I'm not an exercise person, but I'm so active now that I don't need to be.

After eight years, do you watch what you eat?

It's still a battle but I keep a tight rein on myself. I can eat pretty much what I want because I'm so active, but I weigh myself every other day. It's become a habit not to put sugar in my coffee. It shoots through me like a rocket. And eating bread makes me feel tired and sick. It's difficult to stay away from certain foods, but I know how I'll feel if I eat them and ask myself whether the price is worth paying. Usually, it isn't.

What advice can you offer other people?

Always have food that can quell cravings handy. I precook chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s and nuke them in the microwave when I'm in a hurry. I often have to leave the house without making breakfast, so I keep sliced pepperoni and roast beef in the fridge so I can grab them and go. I'm in the car a lot, so I always keep Atkins bars and a can of mixed nuts there for snack attacks. And I know where the convenience stores are so that if I get caught without a snack on me I can pull in.

Part II

WHAT TO EAT: How to Tailor Atkins to Your Needs and Goals

Chapter 6.

ATKINS FOR YOU: MAKE IT PERSONAL.

You can customize Atkins to your own metabolism, goals, and time frame, for example, choosing to start in OWL instead of Induction. Just as important, you can mold the program to your culinary preferences and dietary restrictions.

Now that you understand why and how Atkins works, let's focus on the nitty-gritty of doing it. After covering the basics, we'll show you how to tailor it to your needs, including deciding which path to pursue at several forks in the road. As long as you understand and adhere to the underlying principles of the program, this approach will provide you with lots of freedom as you give your body permission to burn primarily fat for energy, which, as you've learned, is the essence of the Atkins Edge. But first let's review the principles underlying Atkins.

Atkins is based upon seven concepts that ensure optimal health and weight control. We introduced most of these principles in part I part I, but let's review them quickly.

- Focus on Net Carbs. This means that you count only the grams of carbohydrate that impact your blood sugar level, not of total carbs, since fiber doesn't sabotage your body's use of fat. This means that you count only the grams of carbohydrate that impact your blood sugar level, not of total carbs, since fiber doesn't sabotage your body's use of fat.- Eat adequate protein. In addition to building and fortifying all the cells in your body, protein helps you feel full and keeps your blood sugar and insulin levels on an even keel. Have a minimum of 4 to 6 ounces of protein with each meal. Taller guys may need closer to 8 ounces. In addition to building and fortifying all the cells in your body, protein helps you feel full and keeps your blood sugar and insulin levels on an even keel. Have a minimum of 4 to 6 ounces of protein with each meal. Taller guys may need closer to 8 ounces.- Understand the power of fat. Fat carries flavor, making food satisfying and filling, working hand in glove with protein. Increase your intake of monounsaturated fats, while holding back on most polyunsaturated fats with the exception of omega-3s. Saturated fats are fine in the context of a low-carb diet. Fat carries flavor, making food satisfying and filling, working hand in glove with protein. Increase your intake of monounsaturated fats, while holding back on most polyunsaturated fats with the exception of omega-3s. Saturated fats are fine in the context of a low-carb diet.- Get adequate fiber in food. In addition to its role in blood sugar management, fiber is filling, so it helps make you feel full, moderating your hunger. In addition to its role in blood sugar management, fiber is filling, so it helps make you feel full, moderating your hunger.- Avoid added sugar and refined carbs. Eliminating these empty carbs is essential to good health, appet.i.te management, and weight control. Eliminating these empty carbs is essential to good health, appet.i.te management, and weight control.- Supplement your diet with vitamins, minerals, and other vital nutrients. Although Atkins is a whole foods diet, it's hard to achieve optimal levels of some micronutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, on any eating program. Although Atkins is a whole foods diet, it's hard to achieve optimal levels of some micronutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, on any eating program.- Explore and find enjoyable forms of physical activity to incorporate into your lifestyle, as your weight loss and improved energy level allow. to incorporate into your lifestyle, as your weight loss and improved energy level allow.

WHAT YOU'LL EAT You now know that your objective is to curb your carbs while eating more healthy fat, along with adequate protein. You'll be getting your carbs primarily, at least in Induction, from the leafy greens and other nonstarchy vegetables known as foundation vegetables. You'll find an extensive list of Acceptable Foods for Induction in the next chapter, along with foods to avoid in this phase. With each of the next two phases, we'll provide similar lists of acceptable foods. (Foods for Lifetime Maintenance are the same as those for Pre-Maintenance.) Some people will be able to add back most or all of these foods; others will not. We'll help you understand what works for you and what doesn't. Unless you're blessed with total recall, photocopy these lists. That way, you can have this crucial information-which will be the key to your success-with you at all times. Over time, of course, it will become second nature.

LEARN TO COUNT.

Central to doing Atkins is lowering your carbohydrate intake enough to unlock the gate that blocks fat burning. The initial amount that works for just about everyone is 20 grams of Net Carbs a day. So for at least the first two weeks of Phase 1, Induction, your objective is to stay at or very close to that number. Counting grams of Net Carbs allows precision as long as your portions match those listed in the carb gram counter. (For most packaged foods, you'll have to read the Nutrition Facts panel to find the carb count, subtracting fiber from total carbohydrate to calculate Net Carbs.) Our Induction-level meal plans in part III part III are designed to ensure that you eat about 20 grams of Net Carbs per day, of which 12 to 15 grams will come from foundation vegetables. are designed to ensure that you eat about 20 grams of Net Carbs per day, of which 12 to 15 grams will come from foundation vegetables.

Be sensible, not obsessive, about both carbs and portions. You needn't split hairs about whether a serving contains 0.4 or 0.8 gram of Net Carbs. Round off to 0.5 gram in the first case and 1.0 gram in the second, as we've done in our meal plans. Nor will you hit 20 grams of Net Carbs on the b.u.t.ton each day. Your intake may be a couple of grams under 20 one day and a little over the next. Don't count calories, although we do ask you to use common sense. In the past, some individuals made the mistake of thinking that they could stuff themselves with protein and fat and still lose weight. If the pounds are falling off, forget about calories. But if the scale won't budge or it seems to be taking you forever to lose, you might want to do a reality check, caloriewise. (See page 107.) You could probably guess that too many calories will slow your weight loss, but here's a surprise: too few few will slow down your metabolism, also threatening your progress. will slow down your metabolism, also threatening your progress.

THOU SHALT EAT REGULARLY ...

That's right. No starving yourself! Regardless of the phase in which you start, you should be eating three regular-sized meals (with your choice of up to two snacks) every day. You may be surprised how quickly that old devil hunger diminishes when you eliminate the blood sugar roller coaster. One reason we want you to put something into your stomach at least three times a day is to provide enough protein to prevent lean-tissue loss, as well as to avoid cravings that may tempt you to hijack the office doughnut cart. Also, a low-carb late-afternoon snack, perhaps half an avocado or a couple of ounces of cheese, will make you less likely to chow down everything in sight at dinner. Are snacks mandatory? Not if your appet.i.te is under control at meals and you're not feeling fatigued. Try cutting out one or both snacks, see what happens, and proceed accordingly. Or simply cut back a bit at meals and continue the snacks. Some people do best on four or five small meals. Do what works for you.

... AND DRINK REGULARLY There are numerous health reasons for drinking adequate fluid. When you're not properly hydrated-and many people are borderline dehydrated much of the time-your body releases a hormone that makes your kidneys retain salt and water, but it does this at the expense of wasting your body's stores of pota.s.sium. This essential mineral is vital to keeping your muscles and heart happy. The key to maintaining a healthy amount of pota.s.sium is to drink plenty of water, eat your foundation vegetables, and and consume a modest amount of salt every day (unless you're on a diuretic medication). We'll discuss how to do this in detail in consume a modest amount of salt every day (unless you're on a diuretic medication). We'll discuss how to do this in detail in chapter 7 chapter 7. Consuming adequate salt, particularly in Induction, keeps your circulation primed and your energy level high. People often misread the body's signal for more fluid as hunger, so staying well hydrated also helps you not overeat.

To determine if you're drinking enough fluids, simply check the color of your urine, which should be clear or pale yellow. Also make sure that you're pa.s.sing urine at least every four to six hours. Thirst is clearly a sign as well, but you need to rehydrate long before you actually feel thirsty. Despite the old saw that everyone should drink eight 8-ounce gla.s.ses of water a day, individual needs vary. Larger, more active people need more than small, sedentary folks. Vigorous exercise or airplane travel (thanks to the dry air) increases your needs as well.

The bulk of your daily fluids should come from water, clear broth, and herb teas. Drinking coffee and other caffeinated beverages increases urine output, but research indicates that it doesn't contribute to creating water or electrolyte imbalances.1 Caffeine also gently a.s.sists the body in burning fat. Caffeine also gently a.s.sists the body in burning fat.2 That means that you can count coffee and caffeinated tea (in moderation) toward your fluid intake. You won't be drinking fruit juice (with the exception of small amounts of lemon and lime juice) or sodas sweetened with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, all of which are full of carbs. The same goes for milk-and that includes skim milk, which is naturally rich in milk sugar (lactose). Spread out your fluid intake over the day, although you may want to stop a couple of hours before bedtime to avoid middle-of-the-night trips to the bathroom. That means that you can count coffee and caffeinated tea (in moderation) toward your fluid intake. You won't be drinking fruit juice (with the exception of small amounts of lemon and lime juice) or sodas sweetened with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, all of which are full of carbs. The same goes for milk-and that includes skim milk, which is naturally rich in milk sugar (lactose). Spread out your fluid intake over the day, although you may want to stop a couple of hours before bedtime to avoid middle-of-the-night trips to the bathroom.

SUPPLEMENTARYINSURANCE.

Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other micronutrients in food are just as vital to your health as protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Vitamins and minerals help convert calories into useful energy and perform a host of other functions that are vital for your body's optimal performance. With lots of vegetables, ample protein, and healthy fats, at the very least you'll be getting the daily minimum of micronutrients that you need. You should also take a daily multivitamin with minerals that includes magnesium and calcium but no iron (unless your doctor has diagnosed you as iron-deficient). Also, take an omega-3 supplement to ensure a proper balance of essential fatty acids. Finally, consider taking additional vitamin D if you don't spend a lot of time in the sun.

BECOME GOAL-ORIENTED.

As with any new endeavor, the first step is to set specific goals. We encourage a realistic long-term weight goal. If you're dealing with health issues, work with your health care provider to quantify both long-term and short-term goals. Blood sugar, insulin, triglyceride, and blood pressure indicators usually improve quickly on Atkins, but changes in some markers may take up to six months. As with any journey, you need to know your destination or you might get lost or distracted along the road. The more specific your goal, the more likely you'll achieve it. For example: - I want to lose 30 pounds in six months.- I want to be able to fit into Mom's size 10 wedding dress for my wedding in June.- I want to get my blood sugar level down to normal in the next three months.- I want to maintain my 30-pound weight loss for a year.

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