I've been on Atkins since 9/15/03. Lost 11 pounds during induction and then moved into OWL. Up my carbs by 5 the first week but have not really gone beyond 30 carbs a day. I gained some weight back and have been losing and gaining those same 5 pounds since. I have not lost any inches either. So I called the Atkins Center yesterday hoping they could help. What I was sold before they even really asked me any quesitons is that I should not have moved into OWL, that I should have stayed on Induction until I was 10 pounds from goal weight. I know the book says that if you wanted to you could, but I don't recall it saying you HAD to. She bluntly said I was doing it wrong. Then I was asked if I ate 20 grams of carbs of veggies. That's a bit difficult if you can only have 2 cups of salad and 1 cup of veggies. I have not ate anything that is not on the acceptable foods list. Except on day on my birthday a week ago when I was so frustrated I was ready to give up.

I really don't recall reading or hearing that you HAD to stay on induction until you lost most of your weight. I'm confused and frustrated.

This person never even asked me what i ate on a daily basis. I mentioned eggs and all she said was they had no carbs. What? Even Atkins says a regular egg as .6 carbs...if you have more then one...it adds up. Sheesh

Kris

They need a little TLC training.
I've been on since April 2003 and have not moved from 20-25 carbs a day. I think if you stay w/ your OWL you will continue to lose, just at a much slower rate. Are you excersising?
I'm not hungry and I don't feel deprived at my 20-25 carbs a day.

It does contradict the book. And it isn't the first time you've called a place and gotten contradictory information, I'm sure. Chalk it up to inadequate training.
It's normal for loss to slow down once you leave Induction, which is why some people stay on for a while. And if you stayed on Induction until you were ten pounds from goal, how would you get the learning experience of OWL and PreMaintenance?
Some things that might be stalling you are how much water you are drinking and whether you are trying to be more active. And how much veggies are on your daily menu?
And how are you feeling? If you feel good and energetic, that's a sign it is working for you.

I wonder if the girl who took your call had ever been on Atkins -- or any LC program.

That's why I love this site. The people here have been where you are. They have read the books and lived LC. They have had troubles as well as wonderful successes. And, everyone wants you to succeed! Ask away!

P.S. The 20 carbs are supposed to come from vegetables AND the carbs that are in other foods. As long as you are getting at least 3 cups of vegs per day (i.e., 3 cups salad greens, 2 cups greens plus 1 cup of other vegs), the rest of your carbs can come from cream, cheese, eggs, splenda, nuts (after induction), more vegetables, etc. You'd have to eat gallons of salad greens in order to get all 20 from vegs alone.

P.P.S. Adkpam is right -- a post induction period stall/slow down is normal. You do not have to stay on induction, though. Be patient -- and if you want to move to OWL go ahead.

Um, no. You are suposed to stayon induction for a minimum of two weeks, whether you choose to stay on it longer then that is up to you. By 10 pounds from goal weight you should of moved through OWL, learned your critical carb limit, and be started on premaintanance. I wonder if they make thier phone operators actually read the book......

Maybe she wasn't really listening. It would have made more sense to say you should be on OWL until 10 lbs from goal, then you should switch to pre-maintenance. Maybe she was Christmas shopping in her head. I was doing that at a meeting on Tuesday and ended up not having a clue what my boss was talking about when she asked me something.

Sorry about your slow loss. I actually lost better this summer when I upped my carbs (35-40 a day) and fat. The weeks when it was really hot I didn't eat as many carbs (lots of salads though) or fat and I barely lost at all. When I ate my turnip hashbrowns, had sauteed mushrooms (ummm butter) and lots of whipped cream, the weight came off (1 - 2 lbs a week). Not sure if it was the increased fat or the increased carbs. They go hand in hand when I eat. Drinking more water always helps me, especially from gaining when I overindulge and get my carbs up where they shouldn't be. Are you carrying a bottle with you? I now carry at least two seltzer waters with me so I always have a spare handy. I know some plans say seltzer doesn't count as water but I'm downing 5 bottles a day and my body seems to recognise that I'm just giving it plain water with some added carbonation.

Good luck and hang in there.

I actually got a phone call from my mothers boss's sister today. She is trying atkins and she doesnt have a computer (I dont know how she functions) but she was having the worst time on it and couldnt see how she could live on it. She called up the atkins center a bunch and they kept giving her bad information.

They told her she couldnt use garlic powder for her cooking
they told her she couldnt eat tomatoes and onions on induction even though they are on the induction approved list
They told her she couldnt eat bacon or pepperoni at all because of the nitrites

They were filling her head with I dont know what and she was eating steak 3 times a day with only salt and pepper and eating 3 cups of iceberg lettuce and saying she cant stand to do it anymore.


I dont know what they are telling people and honestly no wonder why some people feel they cant do this if this is the type of info they are giving.

She said she felt that they just wanted to get her off the phone and once they heard she was taking medications they were very rude to her.

Hi I am a new member, and no one has responded to my question. I wanted to know, being on induction, what they have as supplements so you don't get constipated and what kind of bacon and sausage can you eat? Actually how much can you eat, if you find out it does not have sugar or carbs in it?

Almost all bacon and sausage has sugars in it. I use extra lean turkey bacon because it's the one kind I found that doesn't, plus it crisps up great

Go to the Atkins web site and look at the acceptable foods list. "Processed meats, such as ham, bacon, pepperoni, salami, hot dogs and other luncheon meats—and some fish—may be cured with added sugar and will contribute carbs. Try to avoid meat and fish products cured with nitrates, which are known carcinogens. Also beware of products that are not exclusively meat, fish or fowl, such as imitation fish, meatloaf and breaded foods. Finally, do not consume more than four ounces of organ meats a day." I think an earlier version said to limit these products to only 2 servings a day.
http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/12/15-464579.html

Also read the rules for induction. They answer alot of questions and are good tips to review and rememebr ona regular basis anyway http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/12/15-325810.html

For constipation, make sure you are eating your veggies, those are extreamly important for fiber as well as nutrients. Getting the recomended amount of can can also kind of help things go. If you have constipation alot you may also want to cut out cheese for a few days as this can stop some people up.

Something that can help are psyllium husks and what is recomended in the book. You can buy these in powder form, or in pill form. There are some pills that contain both psyllium and senna. Be very careful though as senna can be a very strong laxative as well as cause nasty abdominal pain, gas, bloat and so on. Many diet teas contain small amounts of senna.

I did a modified induction (added foods, but kept my total net carbs below 20 a day) until I was 10 lb. from goal weight. It worked out great for me, so I would definitely recommend it as an option. But to say that's what we "should" do is ridiculous. Most people are happier going into OWL, having more flexibility, and don't mind the slower losses.

actually in the book it says it is safe to stay on induction up to 6 months, I just read that the other night. I don't have the book right here, but I think it's in the chapter on induction. If I have time I'll try to look it up soon.

Well it makes sense to me. You were losing fine on induction, ongoing weight loss isnt working, so the logical thing to do would be to stay on induction. The book says you can stay on induction for up to 6 months. I know it contradicts the book, but thats probably still good advice....

I don't think telling people they HAVE to stay on induction is good advice. boredom can be the kiss of death and movinng on to OWL is much preferable to quiting.

Yes you can stay up to induction for 6 months or more, it's your choice based on if you are losing and if you would like to incorperate new foods. Someoen who is doing 20g carbs a day but added in food snot on the acceptable list is still on OWL, just at 20g. That is very different then telling someone they "HAVE" to stay on induction or they are doing it wrong.

Hi Kristines,

I think the most frustrating thing is simply not knowing what you're doing wrong (or right, for that matter). Perhaps if you could give us an idea of what you are eating, we could make come concrete suggestions.

If you're like a lot of us were in the first few months, there's even a possibility you're not eating enough! Are you recording at Fitday? http://www.fitday.com I know when I first started at Fitday, I discovered I was only eating about 900 calories a day--way too low. When I increased my fat intake to 65-70% (and therefore the total daily calories), I started losing again.

Hang in there....you're not alone!

judy