hi all- was wondering if there was anyone here that lost their weight with atkins but switched to another diet plan for maintanence. i'm almost at my goal weight and still pretty much in induction. i want to switch to a plan less stringent but am afraid of weight gain...advice?

Like you, I'm getting pretty close to goal so I've been experimenting with different maintenance options, a week or two here and there. Options include:

1. A Zone type plan with calorie counting - I did this for two weeks with experimenting with different calorie levels ranging from 2300 to 2900, and gained 1.5 lbs from water retention (which quickly came off of course).....really liked it though, could eat a great variety of foods

2. CAD on weekends and a looser LC plan during the week. This is what I've been doing the last 3 weeks, and have lost 2.5 lbs. Very easy to do, but resembles the plan I've been doing the past year and a half, so I didn't like it as much as the other plan

3. Off weekends and loose LC during the week - a friend of mine who lost 50 lbs does this and has kept the weight off for a year.....seems to work for him

Hi there!
Being almost at your goal weight I would suggest to go beyond induction levels (OWL and premaintenance) so you can incorporate much more variety on your diet. Seems that Atkins have work for you, so it could be a good idea to give it a chance to maintenance...

I am 30 pounds from goal and have already planned a switch to a non Atkins plan. I am thinking South Beach. If it doesnt work , then I will be back to the Atkins though!

I agree that close to goal you should be working through OWL and premaintanance. That not only helsp you find out how many carbs you can tolerate, but helps rebuild resistance to carbs and can help pinpoint any foods which you are sensative too.

Staying on induction until goal, then trying to switch to any plan would either lead to weight gain, more weight loss you don't intend, or a frustration at always being aon a plan and not eating "normally".

Work through all the stages of Atkins, but research other plans to see if any others may suit you. If you switch plans, then make sure to follow each stage of that plan including the maintanance phases.