I'm sure I would miss eggs on this w.o.e., but if you can't do them, consider: a small breakfast steak; Fage Greek strained yogurt (not mentioned in Atkins, but very low in carbs and full of good fats, which you'll need in ketosis), half an avocado (after induction), chicken salad, 1/4 cup stewed pumpkin w/cinnamon mixed with 1-2 ounces of cream cheese. Those are a few of my favorite non-egg meals.

Which version of Atkins do you do? 72, 92, or 2002? I'm doing 92 which seems like the most middle-of-the-road to me. 72 is quite strict, and 2002 gets too much into the "frankenfoods" instead of whole foods for me to feel good about.

I've been out all day so I haven't dug my book out but I'm pretty sure it's the 2002 version. I hadn't thought of Fage yogurt. I love that but didn't think I could have it on Atkins. Thank you! One thing I will miss is mayonnaise - there's egg in it. But maybe if I mix a little Fage with a little sour cream...(can I have sour cream? I don't even remember.) Yes I think I could have chicken in the morning. This morning I had rolled ham and a slice of cheese. It felt weird preparing it for breakfast but it was yummy.

Just be sure you measure the Fage and include it in your carb count. You can have sour cream--look for brands with only 1g carbs per 2 tbsp. (Breakstone is low, if you can get that one where you are.)
I have made chicken salad with sour cream and thyme or dill instead of a mayonnaise base. It wasn't bad at all!

In the 1992 version, once you're out of induction, you can have any foods you want as long as you stay within your carb limits. On 2002, I think he recommends that you move up a ladder of carb-inclusive foods in a particular order. I like the freedom of 92 because I can get more variety, but I do have to watch for trigger foods--those foods that, even if they're in my allowable # of carb grams per day, may trigger cravings and throw me off course. I can't have watermelon at all, for example. Even a small amount sets off a sweets craving for me.

OK this is more difficult than I remember from years ago. Three false starts but it's not like I'm eating ice cream or anything really bad for me. I went grocery shopping to make sure I have all the right foods now. It's difficult trying to start before you have what you need. Went to a few cookouts in the past week and that made it hard to stay on course. I had fruit and I know that's a no-no during induction. Back on today! And I should really buy a scale but for now I feel emotionally good about myself and maybe not buy one until later when I know I've achieved some results. And how are YOU doing? It gives me hope to hear others' success stories.

I think I'm going to re-induct for a few days. I had a terrible migraine last week and I've had "aftershock" headaches all week. As a result, I have not exercised and I've been a little sloppy with tracking what I'm eating. I could stand to repower my ketosis engine. How about we induct together? I'd like to do induction-level carbs for 3 days straight. That's long enough to get me back into deep ketosis and remember all the things about this plan that really work. And you could set some good patterns for the rest of the 2 weeks at the same time, now that you're stocked and ready.

I know you can't do eggs, but they're really a mainstay for me. I'd like to post my meals for the next few days. Want to do the same?

Today, breakfast: 2 eggs cooked in 1/3 tbs butter. Coffee (2 cups--I am a slow-starter in the morning), each w/1 tbs cream. Total calories: 275 Total carbs: 2g.

Off to make lunch now.

Oh dear I think I'm too lazy to list each and every thing I eat every day. LOL But I will be checking in. Sorry about the headache. I had an awful one yesterday. Do you drink coffee with caffeine? I think I'm having withdrawals. I think I may have to go off it slowly.

I do drink coffee with caffeine. I have never cut out the caffeine. I know Dr. A recommended it and felt (probably rightly so) that daily caffeine was a stimulant along the lines of pharmaceuticals and he wanted his patients to live free of medicines and chemicals and stimulants as much as possible. But I do get caffeine withdrawal headaches, and I'm a terrible insomniac who can't get started easily in the mornings. So, I'll give up sugar and I'll give up wheat, but for now, I'm hanging on to my caffeine in the mornings.

I find that listing what I eat somewhere (here, on FitDay, or in a written journal) really helps keep me accountable and lets me see when I've gone over what I should eat. While you're in induction, you don't need to count calories at all. Just give your body what it needs from the appropriate food choices to keep yourself satisfied. But after induction, most people do find that portion control and limiting the number of very calorie dense foods (like cheese, for instance) is necessary for them to lose weight. I am definitely one of those. Portion control is absolutely a requirement for me. So, here's how lunch and dinner shaped up today:

Lunch: another cup of coffee (last chance for the day!) with 1 tbs cream, 3 roast beef roll-ups, filled with 1 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, spinach leaves, and 1/4 of a medium tomato. 245 calories 6g carbs

Dinner: chicken alfredo primavera over sauteed zucchini ribbons, 1 slice tomato on the side. 630 calories 10g carbs

80 ounces of water today

Total for the day: Calories 1150 Carbs 18g

I'm a little low on calories today, but my meals were totally satisfying. I'll try to have a slightly more "up" day tomorrow to prevent any fear of starvation messing with my metabolism. But 1150 really isn't that low, so it shouldn't be a problem.

I'd love to hear what types of things you are eating, especially since you can't eat eggs. I'm always looking for more variety. I think keeping the program interesting can make it easier to stick with it. Best wishes! Hope you aren't plagued by any more headaches.

Hi eklektos,

Your lunch yesterday sounded good! I did get some roast beef and I have the cheese already. Yesterday I had ham and cheese for breakfast. I have to be careful not to overdo the cheese thing.

So the food plan works for you and you do drink caffeine? I was thinking of trying 1/2 caffeine and 1/2 decaf but my husband needs the caffeine. I just got diet soda with no caffeine and I thought he'd faint!

I have to say, the protein does fill me up and I haven't really felt hungry.

I have had sweet cravings. I had a manicure and pedicure yesterday to make myself feel pretty and pampered I've never had one before and you know? When I got out I didn't want icecream. I wanted to feel healthy and pretty. I'm keeping that feeling in my pocket in case the icecream man rings his bell today. I have two boys 10 and 14 which also makes the whole sweet challenge difficult.

I will pick up a pretty journal for after I am off induction. Thank you for the idea.

I've had chicken wings on the grill, cheeseburgers, salad, greens, etc. We've been cooking a lot on the grill it's so hot out.

My husband loves scallops and last week I made a very nice scallop with mushroom and spinach recipe. I think I can incorporate that recipe into Atkins. It's topped with a few grates of parmesean cheese and was out of this world. I will look it up again and bring the recipe to GW. The only thing I think wrong was it had white cooking wine in it, which I can easily do without because I don't drink. (It was delicious though!)

I have Atkins shakes for breakfast. I am just so rushed in the morning (I'm off today) that if I can't have breakfast quick in the car on my way to work sometimes I don't eat until I get home at 3:30 - big mistake!

I am hoping this food plan will give me some more energy so I can get out of bed earlier and have more time to prepare for my day. I, too, toss and turn all night. At night I am exhausted but it takes hours to get to sleep. Then I'm a zombie in the morning.

DH is getting me a bicycle for my birthday and I can't wait to ride! I think that should tire me out after supper.

I love to have (not a lot, though, I know, although I could eat them like french fries) green beans sauteed in olive oil with salt and fresh garlic. If you haven't tried it, you must. May sound icky but yum! I almost burn some of them to make them a little crispy. My kids think I'm nuts.

Yes--green bean fries. I like those too, but I could easily eat too many of them. They are very satisfying, imo.

Your sleep pattern sounds exactly like mine. Exercise does help, but I'm also prone to restless leg, which can get worse initially after starting or increasing an exercise routine. I'm really starting to think my body is turning into that of an old woman--always something to complain about!

The bike will be great. Good exercise and fun too. That's the way to do it.

Here's how eating has gone for me today:

Breakfast: 1 egg cooked in cooking spray. 1 strip bacon. 2 cups coffee w/cream: 210 calories 1.5 g carbs

Lunch: 1 5oz can tuna w/ 1 tbs mayo on 1/2 a small tomato, diced: 220 calories 3g carbs

Snack: 2 roast beef rollups, this time spread with 1 oz cream cheese and just a tad of horseradish. 140 calories 1g carbs (We went swimming today, and I came home hungry, so I wanted a hearty snack.)

I don't yet know what dinner is going to be. I'm really not hungry at all after that snack, but I've got to make something for the family.

I had a cup of Wendy's chili with cheddar cheese and a diet coke for supper. Green beans and a cheeseburger for lunch. I have to drink more water that's for sure. I have to dig out my book. This doesn't sound right does it? I should be eating more greens, I think - like lettuce.

I bought a scale today. I was feeling so good until I stepped on. 155 still. Whew I weighed 160 when I was pregnant. I have a ways to go. Still feeling good about sticking to it. It's been a few days now and I thikn if I can just down some water...

eklektos do you add anything to your water to drink it? I hate the taste. Even just a little lemon or Crystal Lite. Does it matter?

You can do a tiny bit of lemon or a splash of cider vinegar to help you get your water down. I don't. I really do like water. Be careful not to overdo the lemon, though, because even a squeeze has trace amounts of carbs, and if you add it up over a day's worth (8-10 glasses), you can hit the "hidden carbs" barrier.

The basic induction menu is
protein/fat for breakfast
protein/fat for lunch plus 2 cups of salad veggies off the list
protein/fat for dinner plus 3/4 cup cooked allowable veggies or another cup of raw veggies

Make sure you are getting some fat at each meal. If you are going too heavy on the protein and trying to eat low fat, then your body will turn the protein into glucose and you might have trouble getting into ketosis. For me, the glucose can easily become enough to fuel my slow metabolism. I need the full metabolic advantage of being in ketosis, and then I need to carve back my total calories while still eating fat in order to lose weight. (This is why I have the most success while journalling. I'm a tricky science experiment.)

I have a real challenge tonight. Dear friends have been inviting us over for weeks to have her homemade Asian food. It sounds wonderful, but I'm sure it will not be Atkins-compatible. I've been saving all my carbs for dinner tonight, but it will still be tricky. I hope I don't throw myself off. I haven't lost anything this week, after a gain of 1 pound last week. (Female things going on that are contributing to water retention, I'm sure, but it's still frustrating!)

Have you had any trouble with "Induction Flu" symptoms? Fatigue, headache, shakiness? I got a bit of that at first, but it was gone by day 5 when all the glycogen had been used up and ketosis kicked in.

No flu symptoms but I can't keep my eyelids open. They are heeeaaaavvvyyy. I am drinking plain water as I type and I think I know about every public restroom in the city now.

It is hard when you are invited as a guest to dinner. I get anxious telling people about my egg allergy but then I'm stuck if there isn't any food for me there. They usually serve a salad or green on the side that you can pick from.

Hmmmm Asian. Hope fully there will be a lot of greens. Good luck and good idea to save the carbs for tonight!

Thank you for the advice. No problem getting enough fat here! lol

eklektos how did you make out at your friend's Friday night?

Well, I succumbed. There was nothing Atkins legal on the menu, and I did want to try her homemade pad Thai. It was wonderful, but the carbs in it had me sliding off into sleep on her couch an hour after dinner.
Oh well...I was pretty strict the next 2 days afterward, so I think it is all out of my system now. Back at it.
I was 138 this morning, so in spite of the high carb meal on Friday, I've managed to lose 1/2 of the pound I had gained previously. Moving on ahead...

How are you doing?

We'll be on vacation from Saturday to Saturday, so I won't be posting much, but I'll definitely be back after we get settled in again.

138 is great! Don't beat yourself up over slipping. You have to live a little too. I think I'm down 5 lbs. I'm 150. It's not coming off quickly because I am eating too many almonds and not drinking enough water. But I do feel better and there's a bicycle in my future in two weeks...

5 pounds is great! Good for you!
I love almonds too, but they have become too expensive for me in the last couple of years. I also love pecans (raw) and I have been blessed by the family farm I grew up on, and my parents who still live there. There is a grove of pecan trees that produced like mad last fall. My parents (both retired) picked up nuts by the hundreds of pounds, took the time to crack out a vast amount, and gave me 2 gallon zipper bags full of pecans last fall. I put them in the freezer. One has been consumed by our family (including me). One is underway now. I'm trying to make them last because the trees do not produce that well each year. They usually have an on year and then an off year. We're in an off year now.

I'm glad you're feeling better with this w.o.e. I know it makes all the difference in the world to me.

Pecans..yummy! And to own the farm, wowweee! That must have been one very tasty childhood.

My almonds are gone. I think I just won't buy them for a while. No control. They taste sweet to me now that there's no sugar in my body, and that mixed with the salty...OMG!

Tonight we went shopping and stopped at Kelly's Roast Beef. I would normally have a big fat wrap with fries but tonight I had a nice garden salad with roast beef on it and oil & vinegar dressing. It was delicious. I can't even believe I'm finally doing Atkins again.

I am starting to feel really good about myself and I hope you are too. This is not an easy food plan to follow if you have a sweet tooth.

PS I had no idea you could freeze nuts! Good to know.

2 more pounds - drinking more water is the key...