Best tips for newbies

[Stephie]

I am sure there are plenty of folks here who have experience, what would you like to tell newbies that you wish someone had told you when you started? We can all learn something new and I know when I was a newbie I loved getting advice from veteran low carbers.
My best tip would be, cook up a lot of stuff for the week, get out the barbegue or foreman grill, or just heat up your stove and cook up enough stuff for at least a few days if not a week, hard boiled eggs, cut up cheese into sticks, cut up some veggies or salad, cook up some steak or chicken or pork chops, and then you just pick out each meal or snack time what you want to eat, it is so much easier and keeps you from cheating, you can grab a cold pork chop running out the door if you have to, saves a lot of cheat opportunies. This works very well for us, and I try to do this on Sunday for the following week. Stephie

[wendyw]

thanks for your tips. i start tomorrow - i'm going shoping today.

i'm still not sure if, during induction, i can have mayonaise and if i can have creamy cheeses like camembert & brie.

do you have any feedback?

[stephie]

I have always used mayo on Induction, I do not think there is a problem with cheese other than you have to watch how much you eat as it does have some carbs. so if you are just eating a bit, it should be fine. If in doubt, wait until induction is over to add the cheeses in question in. I have always thought you could have any natural cheese and some processed like Amercian if you watch how much you have.
I know that i have had cream cheese on induction, you can't much creamier than that !!! j
Welcome to the board and I look forward to watching your progress !! Stephie

[hgschauff]

Dear Wendy,

I have found that putting a number of internal commitments in writing helps a great deal. Here a couple of ideas:

1. Exactly what weight do you wish to attain and by when?

2. What will you do besides low carb eating to attain your goals? Such as:
* Exercise (how many times per week)
* Learning (read books, study this forum everyday,
surf around the Internet).
* Support (get friends and family involved in
supporting you - pledge your goals to them, etc.,
and visit THIS FORUM everyday!)
* Use affirmations - little sticky notes to yourself all
over your bedroom, bathroom, on your car
dashboard, etc. to keep your motivation up.

3. What emergency measures will you employ when you feel yourself slipping? (binging, not exercising, cheatin, etc.)

Good Luck!

- Henri

[wendyw]

thanks for the thoughts & suggestions. I DID find in the Atkins Book that mayo is ok (i missed it the first time).

i've also taken the suggestion and have a bunch of meat cooked and sitting in my fridge, as well as i treated myself to some low-carb bbq sauce, ketchup and flavoured syrup for coffee. i'm not having too much of any of them, but they're a nice treat.

I already feel thinner, which is crazy because this is day 3! but......i think part of it is a loss of retained water - the rest is just because i feel good about what i'm doing.

I don't have a huge amount of weight to lose (15-20 lbs); but what i really want to curb is the increasing addiction to carbs and sugar that i have found growing within me over the past year. I started going 'faithfully' to the gym last june, but i have not lost any weight at all. i'm in better shape and i feel better, but my clothes are definitely not fitting right, and i can see the fat hanging off of my body - yuck.

[stephie]

Wow, great advice Henri that we can all use, thanks for sharing them with us !!!Your experience and knowlege is a wonderful thing to have here on the board !!!
I recently bought a bunch of low carb books online and am imersing myself in them, it does help a lot. I come to my boards everyday too. I have been busy with renovations in our home and have not been here as much, but I try to get here everyday.
I understand the feeling thinner thing, I have done the same thing many times too. It is a great feeling isn't it !!
Stephie

[cheeseaholic]

I boil a dozen eggs at a time, and keep them in the fridge (Shelled), along with cold roasted meat slices, to graze on.

I`m not keeping cut up cheese as I LOVE cheese, and tend to over eat it.

Your right, you HAVE to have things ready to grab, or you may reach out for High Carb or convenience foods.

[stephie]

I love hard boiled eggs. I try to keep a bunch of them in the fridge too it really helps.
i am a cheeseaholic too, you are not alone. I love the stuff. I am also limiting how much I keep in the house. It can be bad for me if there is too much as that is what I will eat. Such good stuff, cheese is !!! Stephie

[Avariel]

Well, I guess I still count as a Newbie myself, but one this I have found great in the hot weather has been -

a whack of cucumber, skinned and cut down the length. Scoop out (and eat) the squishy pippy bit in the middle so you are left with 2 canoe shapes. Fill canoes with cream cheese! Yum!

It is very cooling and feels very luxurious!

[lowcarbloser]

Thanks for the tips Stephie...
I am new as of today here on the board and I can use all the help I can get.

[lowcarbloser]

Still cannot find anyone here..................

[nobread31]

I have been on this low carb lifestyle for over 3 weeks... I drink 2-3 cups of coffee in the morning and have lost 10 lbs but thought I would be losing weight faster. Is this the average weightloss time or Should I cut down on the coffee?

[nobread31]

WOW I guess no one chats on this page??!

[2fat4me]

Hi I'm a 2nd time newbee. Will be starting monday. A few years ago I did the low carb and did great and lost alot; but then made a decision (bad one) to go carbo crazy. I forgot alot of these tips, so I'm brushing up. I maintained this diet for quite awhile but this time i'll stay on it- it reminds me of smoking; don't go there. Too easy to get hooked again.

[sweetie]

Does anyone chat anywhere on this site