Ok...this is the beginning of my third week on Atkins. Just got the book, but have done a good bit of internet research and have read many posts here, so have at least a basic knowledge of the concept. I think I've followed the food very closely and am drinking at least 2 liters of water a day (have a nifty bottle I keep with me at all times). I've only lost 2 lbs. though and know that I did "cheat" by drinking a glass of wine and a couple of beers over the last 2 weeks. Could this have slowed my loss down that much? I was told on another post that I didn't have a clean induction. Can you start over on induction by just continuing to eat the foods on the list and staying under 20 carbs a day? I really just want to lose 20 to 25 lbs. so should I consider the 2lbs I lost (10%) acceptable/average? Although it sounded way to good to be true, I was told by folks in the beginning that I could lose 10 lbs in the first 2 weeks. Just would like one of the pros to help me out with what to honestly expect and if I should just keep on with the induction stage? Any advice if welcomed!!

I'd be happy with the 10% and not worry about doing Induction over. You can continue on with Induction, if you so choose - there is no problem there. Just keep in mind that it's going to be slower with less to lose, and since it's going to take a bit longer than you originially anticpated adding in a few more carbs to the tune of some berries and nuts might make it a lot more enjoyable.

Happy reading
-Nat

Hi Cindy:

Congrats on the 2 pounds! Yes, the beers and wine can really set you back that much. Your body will not lose weight unless you are in ketosis, and it takes a minimum of 48 hours to rid your body of the carbs and get you into ketosis. So basically, if you assume that each time you had the wine or beers that you kicked yourself back out, you were out of ketosis for at least 4 days (probably more like 6 to 8 days) and not losing. Usually you would have lost more than 2 pounds.

Suggestions:

1. Get ketosis strips at your pharmacy and check your ketosis level every day at the same time. Make sure you are in ketosis.
2. Write down everything you put in your mouth and count the carbs. There are so many hidden carbs out there (gum, mints, sauces, medicines etc) that many times you think you are doing good with the carb restriction, but in reality you are not.
3. Read the book, especially the induction phase part of it.

Yes, you can start your induction over anytime with results. Hope this helps! Good luck! mad

Hello.

>>"so should I consider the 2lbs I lost (10%) acceptable/average?"

Yep. At this stage of the game, weight loss will be relatively slow and "cheats" will matter more.

>>" Although it sounded way to good to be true, I was told by folks in the beginning that I could lose 10 lbs in the first 2 weeks."

That's only true for people who start out at a high weight.

I wouldn't keep doing induction - move onto OWL. Eliminating those drinks probably wouldn't have made much of a difference. You're on the right track.

(edit: ha! We all posted at the same time... sorry, I didn't mean to be a parrot. )

Mike said: "Your body will not lose weight unless you are in ketosis, and it takes a minimum of 48 hours to rid your body of the carbs and get you into ketosis."

Uh... not true. There are plenty of non-ketogenic plans out there, and they work. You still produce some ketones even if they're not in your urine. It just means you're not producing enough of them to spill over and be wasted. They're still being burned, and there's still a net loss.

Hello Cindy I am not a pro by far, but I did read the book and followed Atkins for alot of my weighloss. The book says most people lose 10% on induction, and then 5% a month after, but we are all different. It's probably going to take you longer than say someone who weighs a lot more. I think I lost 8-10 pounds on induction and then stalled for about 3 weeks after that. I do cheat, well sort of on the weekends, I basically do CAD weekends and that helps me maintain my weight while I do what I want while out of town (just about every weekend). IMHO I would just stay on induction for another week or two and see where that takes you. You can do induction safely for about a month, I know people who just stayed on induction though for months. You didn't get the real cleansing effect that induction offers you if you cheated on it. Good luck on your LC journey.

Hi Cindy, I'm not a pro here either but I do enjoy a beer every now and then, ok every now lol just joking, Just a note that a reg or light beer has about 15 carbs per but Mich ultra only has about 2.8 i believe the number is, It tastes really good and you really cant tell anything is different. Good luck to you.
kara

AmberAA1-- I don't understand how doing CAD on weekends and Atkins the rest of the time works? I thought it had to be "one or the other" since the carbs in the reward meal would kick you out of ketosis? I like the idea of the CAD, but I like the fact that you can snack while on Atkins. I'm just curious about how well it works for you...Enquiring minds NEED to know!