If for example, your ccll is 80 grams, you might drop back to 60 grams on Tuesday, then deviate with a beef, potato and carrot stew the following night, pushing your daily total to 100 grams. (Up til now, when weight loss was essential, I have told you to spread your carbs out through the day, if you do have a heavy dose at one meal, make sure there is enough fat, protein and fibre in the rest of the meal to slow the glucose load on your system) however, if you find such deviations create cravings, it is probably best for you to stick to a steady number of carbs spread evenly throughout the day.

Be careful! There are a couple of reasons why people sometimes get into trouble:

1. They don't recognize that this phase is still relatively restrictive of carbs, compared to the way they were eating before they were doing Atkins.

2. They're startled to discover that without the wonderful advantage of deep lipolysis, appetite suppression has diminished

Power of 10

the following portions each contain roughly 10 grams of carbohydrates. Food groups are arranged in the general order in which they should be added.

Nuts & Seeds 60 g almonds 30 g cashews 60g hazelnuts 60g macadamias 60g roasted shelled peanuts 90g pecans 50g pine nuts 35g pistachios 80g walnuts 60g pumkin seed 55g sesame seeds 60g sunflower seeds

Starchy veggies 75 g carrots 230g winter squash 60g yams or sweet potatoes 230g peas 240g beets 90g parsnips 60g white potatoes

Legumes 23g lentils 60g kidney beans 60g black beans 60g haricot beans 55g chickpeas 60g broad beans 60g pinto beans

Fruit ½ apple 12 cherries 1 peach 12 grapes 110g strawberries ½ grapefruit 180g cantaloupe melon 1 kiwi 230g fruit cocktail canned in water 1 plum 1/3 banana 1 guava 1/3 mango

Grains 40g long grain brown rice 80g porridge 100g sweetcorn 1 slice wholemeal bread 40g barley 30g spinach pasta

All figures are for cooked veggies.