The Atkins Diet - Special category foods.To add variety, each day you can also eat ten to twenty olives, half a small avocado, one oz of sour cream or 3oz of unsweetened whipping cream, as well as 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice or lime juice.But be aware that these foods occasionally slow down weight loss in some people, and may need to be avoided in the first 2 weeks.If you seem to be losing slowly, moderate your intake of these foods.
Convenience foods.
Although it is important that you eat primarily un processed foods, some low carb food products can come in handy when you are unable to find appropriate food, can't take time for a meal or need a quick snack.More and more companies are creating healthy food products that can be eated during the induction phase of Atkins. Just remember two things:
1. Not all convenience food products are the same, so check labels and carb content.
2. While any of these foods can make doing Atkins easier, don't over do it. Remember, you must always folow the rules of induction.
Lipolysis testing strips (ketostix).
Proof positive.
Lipolysis testing strips (lts) (ketostix) measure the ketones- the markers that confirm your body is in lipolysis and the secondery process of ketosis.In your urine.The strips will change to pink or purple, depending upon how many ketones are present. The more ketones you excrete and therefore the greater degree of ketosis you are in, the darker the colour.
What if they don't turn colour?
First make sure that none of your foods except your salad and other veggies contain carbs, meaning no hidden sugars, no breading etc.Then strictly follow induction for five days, if the lts still haven't changed to at least pink, measure your salads to make sure you are not eating too many veggies, still no change? Try cutting out the tomatoes and onions, whish are both reletively high on the glycemic index. Finally make sure you are not consuming excess quantities of protein, when eaten to excess protein converts to glucose.
However should your lts not turn pink or purple, despite the fact that you are doing everything correctly, you may still show a decrease in appetite, an improvement in well being a loosening of your clothes and a slow but steady weight loss and reduction in inches.This simply means that you are not producing enough ketones to register on the lts but enough to burn fat.Remember the strips are tools;making them change colour is not the sole object of the game.
