IVF diet?

[KAYJAY]

This an extract from an email I sent to my IF friends:

The Atkins diet, I thought long and hard about this and having read the book, it makes total sense to me.It changes my way of thinking and the myths and perceptions surrounding it. Heres some info that I found interesting.

BTW, I am not preaching or anything, just that I have changed my views about Atkins and thought I would share.

How your body processes food and putting on weight...

Carbohydrates provides energy, potatoes, pasta, rice, bread, etc. etc. When the body uses carbs it turns them into glucose (sugar). This is used to give us energy. When we overdo the carb intake the body has to pump more insulin in order to ship it out of the blood (hence why people get diabetes due to excessive carb overload). So where does the excess go? On the thighs, hips, etc as stored fat.

By cutting out carbs, your body (approx. 48 hours later) starts to use up the fat stores for energy. This is called lipolysis. This is natures switch. Everyday we eat food loaded with sugars, overloading our carbs. Breakfast cereals, milk, all products with flour, many fruits.....it all adds up.

Eating fats like butter, does not put fat on the body. Fats in conjunction with carbs do. Thats why people who choose low fat diets dont find that they lose weight, thats because low fat=high carbs (sugar). We are told that eating fats are bad for us, but natural fats are infact good for us. Fish etc. contain Omega 3. Obesity has risen over the past century due to convenience foods, fast foods, our busy lives. All loaded with carbs and sugars to give us the buzz we need to cope with our lives. Sugar addiction starts early, when we are children. This causes problems such as diabetes, high chloresterol and all the other nasties from being overweight later on in life.

Reducing carbs lowers chloresterol, reduces the chances of getting diabetes, gives you more energy, eliminates food intolerances, reduces heart disease, strokes, liver problems...

People with kidney disease must not do this diet. Atkins does not cause this disease only agrivates it.

Vegetarians would find this diet hard as much of what you are eating is in the form of meat.

I can eat, bacon, eggs, sausages, cheese, sour cream, salads, veg (watching carb content 20 grams per day for the first 2 weeks), fish, beef, lamb, pork, chicken. Advocados and olives (in moderation).

Downsides......bad breath, constipation and vitamin deficiencies. To get rid of contipation, eat, flaxseed grain, or natural wheat (small amount). Take extra vitamins such as calcium and potassium.

This is just a snippet of what Atkins is all about. I have not taken any of this from the book verbatim, its in my head so there may be bits I have left out.

I should lose quite a bit of weight without feeling hungry. Hunger is due to our body craving sugars...when this has been switched off, we should feel less hungry. I can be able to add back some more carbs in my diet as I go along, so it is not all doom and gloom.

I hope this has answered any questions about Atkins.

Yesterday:
* So far I have had bacon and eggs for breakfast
* lunch is salad (6oz) with lots of ham and mayo (yum!)
* Dinner, roast lamb with steamed asparagus/broccoli, with a dijon mustard mixed with 3 tsps of cream.

Today:
For my evening meal I am having, a chicken breast, coated with wholegrain mustard, pan fried in olive oil...on a bead of mixed salad leaves and avocado!

Now......does that sound nice?

As a snack during the day, I had a sausage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

KayJay

[jazzebluhk]

Hi

I am not a fan of the Aktins diet. I am a fan of reducing processed carbs and increasing good quality protein and balanced fat.

I understand that the Aktins is good for losing weight and pretty quickly. This may be a good boost to the morale and get one onto a healthier lifestyle qicker but I think it is not the best of diets in the long run. If you have a lot of weight to lose before starting an IVF cycle this may be good to get started. If you have done research and believe this is for you - great! I wish you success on the diet and for your forthcoming IVF. But if you haven't, I urge you to please look into it, from all aspects inc from a fertility point of view and not just a weight loss. Or use it as a weight-loss tool and then reintroduce more balanced meals leaning towards high protein but not obsessive Aktins when doing IVF.

These are some points that I believe:

For any diet to have a lasting effect one should aim for no more than 2llbs weight loss a week

Exercise

Limiting carbs does force your body to burn fats instead of sugar; the by products of fat-buring do depress the appetite;and because meals full of protein and fat move more slowly through the stomach to intestine, you tend to feel fuller for longer.

There is more to carbs than just counting grams. That doesn't tell you the whole story. Some carbs raise your blood sugar more than others do. They are said to have a high glycemic index. It is not just simple v.complex carbs but also high v.low. Aktins acknowledges this in his book but does nothing about it. In the end the nutrition establishment does come down against the Aktins diet.

1.No studies have compared the safety and efficiency of the Aktins diet with that of low-calorie, balanced or even low fat diets.

2.In the end Aktins is hard to stay with as it ends being pretty boring.

3. The most important is that the more protein you eat the more calcium you lose - very important if ttc'ing (are you replacing enough - coz surely the amount in MGs vits.mins is not enough to replace what one is not only not getting in the diet but also losing it!

4.Most people eating lots of cheese and red meat will see their cholesterol esp the bad one & homocysteine rise.

Points 3 and 4 are the most important

Be wary of the low carb treats by Aktins - containing Maltitol. It tastes good but it can rekindle your cravings for sweet stuff and there are some people sensitive to this ingredient. We shouldn't be eating these fake foods - more chemicals and so more stress on our bodies.

In his book, Aktins wants you to take 35 vitamins and minerals and metals because he needs you to balance the diet. Are they compatible with TTC?! Are MG's vitamins enough to make up for what you are missing?

In the long run it is important to have a as natural and healthy diet as possible esp on the IVF road.

All the best!
Jazz

[KAYJAY]

Jazz.....Thank you very much for your informative piece on the Atkins diet.

I understand that there are pro's and con's of every diet, we loose vital vitamins in our quest to become thinner and healthier.

I have tried very hard to eat more healthily...but still no baby despite my pint of milk each day and the handfuls of vitamins I take. After ttc for 4.5 years and many failed tx's under my belt, I have to do something. I aim to exercise 3 times a week, when I can fit it around my busy career...but it is not always possible.

The Atkins diet is not for everyone, and anyone considering it should weigh up all the pro's and con's before doing it in conjunction with any tx. Also, it is a starting point for anyone who wants to lose weight but does not know how...like me. I am not strictly following his regime, just using his book as a guide to low carb dieting!

As with anything concerning IF, always speak to your Doctor first, they are the experts.

My goal is to loose weight b4 I embark on IVF, BMI is very important when it comes to baby making...so I have a choice...stay fat (outside BMI)...or optimise my chances by reducing my weight.

I am not going to continue with Atkins forever and a day, it is a quick fix and it suits me.

Whether we are doing Atkins, low carbs, low fat, weight watchers, and slim fast etc. etc., like IF, we need support too. The fact that we are trying to do something about our weight, if not only to improve our self esteem but to help crack another area of IF...then good luck to us all!

[Misty]

KayJay, I wanted to pop in and wish you the best of luck with your Atkins diet. After reading the information you provided on it, it seems to make very much sense! I think reducing your body weight prior to IVF can only be a good thing and that is currently what I am also aiming to do. So best of luck to you and of course it will be great to support each other during the next few months as we try to slim down prior to IVF! BTW I wanted to mention that I use some "calcium chews" from our local GNC (nutrition) store....perhaps those would work if you cannot drink milk on the Atkins. Keep up the good work- your sample menu sounds yummy!

[MariM]

Not drinking milk may be one of the more positive things about the Atkins. As you may know, there have been some research into how galactose (a milk sugar) is bad for the ovaries. There are some people who are galactose intolerant and who are infertile because of the damage to the ovaries (you would know from birth if you were, but by extension one Harvard scientist did a study to see if milk was harmful to the general population.) So drinking milk might do more harm than good (of course some populations can tolerate milk and dairy more than others).

KayJay, I see you're in England like me! If you've been following MG's advice already you know that she's not keen on: red meat (because of the chemical used to keep it red, I'm not sure if organic meats use this too, but I bought some organic mince the other day, and boy was it red), and processed meats. I love bacon (especially American bacon; I used to love going back home to the States just to have some), but have given it up as well as all ham, roast beef, etc.. Also, I hope you've been able to find organic sausages, because what goes into the commercial ones is not very good.

Ultimately, you must trust your instinct and go with what makes you feel better, not necessarily what may or may not make you lose weight, or even what may or may not make you more fertile/ better egg quality etc. For me, I find that fruit and veg juice, nuts and seeds, lots of green leafy veg, sometimes fish, suits me best. I have occasionally red meat after af, but even that I can do without.

Best wishes for a happy outcome,
Mari

[KAYJAY]

Thank you Misty! I will consider the chews (if I can get them). I am taking calcium tablets, but they are HUGE!! I find it difficult to swallow them, so I cut them in half.

Mari...hey thanks! I tried to send you a PM, but could not. So you are from the states living in Blighty? Hey!....you could be my next door neighbour and I would not know...hee hee

Thats an interesting point about the milk...neverheard of it, I am a simple girl with a complex life

I have IBS, and it may be irritated by dairy products or wheat....so cutting these 2 things out should help to find the cause of my IBS. I will introduce one or the other food group back into my diet and see how I react to it. Already I am less bloated and my stomach cramps have subsided....so the Atkins diet is helping in another way too.

MG's advice is brilliant, I am glad to see that you are following her programme. I introduced her to this site and a there are positive results on the Alternative BB.

I have never had American bacon, whats it like?

Anyway, thanks for your response and keep up the good work!!!

KayJay

[jcs35]

oh American bacon... yummy! chewy, salty, greasy strips of heaven! he he... think of pork with ribbons of fat cut into thin strips and fried... my description just doesn't seem to do it justice, maybe someone else can help out...

i chew the calcium chews from GNC and i think they have sugar in them (they sure taste like it) and since sugar is a big no-no on Atkins, i'll check for you when i get home tonight!

hugs, julie

[Misty]

Oh I LOVE bacon! But I never eat it anymore due to my high cholesterol. Pity, b/c we used to eat it frequently for weekend breakfasts (probably why I got high cholest in the first place!) and I also LOVE to make BLT (KayJay if you don't have those- it is bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo, on toasted bread). YUMMY! BLT are wonderful in the summer when the tomatoes are fresh! Last summer I did make BLT 1x. We used to eat them a lot before the darn cholesterol entered my life! I will probably have to "break down" and at least make it 1x this summer. YUMMY!!!

So KayJay- now I am wondering- what is the bacon like in England? I am familiar w/what is called Canadian bacon, but to me that is just like a piece of ham. Not really bacon.

[jcs35]

unfortunately these are not an option for you, each chew contains 3 g carbs and ingredients are corn syrup, calcium carbonate, sugar... and more

sorry hon, don't eat these if you are on atkins!

sorry hon!

hugs, julie

p.s. misty i love them though! thank you so much for telling me about them

[KAYJAY]

Misty to answer you question.....

We have streaky bacon in England which sounds very similar to the stuff Julie described. Streaky bacon is good on the Atkins as it has low carbs.

Thanks Julie for the info on calcium! I will stick to my horse pills then!

I am also taking L-cartinine as that helps fat convert to fuel. Zinc is a good one for cellulite and also great for IF....so thats good news

Thanks guys!