Where Do I Begin?

A number of people have been tracking my progress via my facebook page & have asked me how I've been able to do it... Without God's help I am completely incapable of anything. I have proven this for years and years while continuing to put on weight through high school and post-secondary education. Once I gave up control of my health and weight loss to Him and acknowledged His sovreignty in my life - the weight started to fall off! I have been blessed with a plethora of information about low carb/gluten-free way of eating via the internet & blessed me with great sources of information, inspiration & encouragement.

The first phase of the Atkins diet is called Induction. Typically, if you have less than 40lbs to lose, then you would only complete this phase for 2 weeks. But extended induction can be maintained if you have a lot more weight than that to lose. You have to limit total net carb intake to 20g carbs/day for those two weeks. How do you do that? You learn how to read nutrition labels and you start reading ingredient lists as well. You look at carbohydrate grams and fiber grams. For example, Heinz Ketchup lists 5g carbohydrates and 0g fibre in 1 tbsp of ketchup. So, this means that there are 5g carbs in a tbsp of ketchup. Look at a cup of raw broccoli. It has 6g carbs & 2g fiber so it has 4g net carbs. Now, compare that to Wonder brand white bread. 2 slices contain 25g carbs & 3g fiber. \this means that there are 22g net carbs. That means if you eat this bread during Induction, you have just gone over your limit for the DAY in ONE MEAL! You have to be so careful about the fruits & veggies you eat. Choose ones that have low level glycemic index (that means they have little effect on your blood sugar levels). When you eat corn - 1 cup of canned, yellow corn has 30g carbs & 3g carbs = 27g net carbs. Once you become more aware of what you're putting in your mouth - things do get easier.

I have chosen to follow the Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution (DANDR) but you should chose the lower carb option that works for you. Make sure that you have support in place to get you through the tough spots. You always need a "buddy" even if its a stranger on the internet that is going through the same things (or has gone through them).

I strongly recommend the website http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com for extra support. This is where I've met some fantastic people who have encouraged me when I wanted to quit. Also, I recommend Jimmy Moore's videos on YouTube under the username livinlowcarbman. He's got some great videos with his wife Christine & they will give you the basic tools to work with. Another great inspiration of mine is Kent Altena. He's also got videos on YouTube under the username bowulf. He's got some great low carb cooking videos that have given me the confidence to try new foods and new recipes. Let Kent inspire you! He's also got some great videos that can help you as a new low carber. Finally, I recommend Jamie VanEaton's (Cleochatra) website for great low carb recipes. Her recipes have been featured on Dr. Oz's tv show and help you to make low carbing a simple part of your every day life!

As you educate yourself about living the low carb lifestyle, you'll find other websites, recipes & people who inspire you... Don't forget the words of Dr. Robert Atkins "Exercise is not an option." You can lose a lot of weight by "just" low carbing but you are working towards a healthier lifestyle. Exercise will tone & strengthen your "new" body if you use exercise along the way. It doesn't even have to be "working out" per se... Just some movement.... Walking... Using your exercise games on your Wii... Weight training... Jogging/running... Yoga... Anything that will get you moving!