Hi Everyone,
This is my second, no actually my third time on Atkins. I always forget about the time I was a senior in high school and did it with my Mom, that was more than 20 years ago!!
Anyway, I have been cheating I little here, a lot there. My big question is do I need to go back on induction? A full 2 week induction? I am really struggling with this wol right now. My DH is supportive, my friends are supportive and I still struggle! I have been on this since Dec. 28th and have lost 7 pounds but not a pound more.
My other question is, do you guys write down your food counts everyday or do you just know what you can and can't eat?
Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks!!

I would just stick to staying under 20 grams a day. On days that I go over, I just pick myself up and get right back on the wagon the next meal.

Thank you! Thats pretty much what I have been doing and I think thats what makes this wol ok for me, knowing that I can always just start over. And I guess I've always been on induction anyway! Thanks again.

The only problem with going off and on is that eventually, according to Atkins, it stops working for you. Look under "abuses of Induction" on Atkins.com, I'm pretty sure they have it there...

I don't know what the book says about abuses of induction but I figure for myself since I have not done it right I need to, so that I can get a handle on cravings etc...so that I can do a better job on this woe. I have not been as careful with sauses etc. and I think that is why I often fail. i get cravings from hidden or not hidden carbs and then cave in. I am really trying to do a clean induction to get myself on the right track. (Not trying to do it my way this time)

This is what it says on the Atkins Website:

The Uses and Abuses of Induction
Phase one of the Atkins Nutritional Approach™ not only jump-starts your weight loss, it is also a convenient refuge to which you can retreat when necessary.

Properly used, Induction can help you get off a weight-loss plateau (see What Is a Plateau?) or to get back on the program after a lapse. So if you've fallen off your Lifetime Maintenance program for whatever reason, you can return to Induction and, like the ignition of an automobile, it will get your engine to turn over and start you down the road again.

If you reached your goal weight before slipping off the wagon for a brief period, you won't have to do Induction for long, just until you get back into lipolysis and the secondary process of ketosis. You'll know that has happened when you once again experience the ability to be in control of your appetite—the feeling that was such a revelation after the first 48 hours on Induction. These are perfectly appropriate uses of Induction.

However, Induction can be abused, and that abuse can ultimately threaten your ability to maintain a healthy weight. First of all, if you retreat to Induction every time you stray, you may begin to reinforce a dangerous pattern of behavior. By knowing Induction is there as a refuge, it may keep you from following the guidelines of the stage you are in. For a minor infraction or even a day of cheating, there is no need to go back to Induction. Simply drop your carb consumption down 5 or 10 grams for a couple of days, or go back to the previous phase. It is important that you learn how to eat properly as a way of life. Zigzagging back and forth between Induction and Maintenance means you have not integrated this new, healthy eating pattern into your life.

Another more serious concern is the impact this going back and forth can have on your metabolism. (See “The Wrong Way to Do Atkins.”) You may have heard people say, “I love doing Atkins because I can cheat on the weekends, then go back to Induction on Monday morning.” While this behavior pattern may work for the short term, it will probably backfire in more ways than one. It's likely that your metabolism will adapt at a certain point—in a sense, developing a tolerance. People who repeatedly regain weight and go back to Induction sometimes find that they do not experience the dramatic and easy weight loss they initially enjoyed. Add in the facts that none of us is getting any younger and that our metabolism's natural tendency is to slow down with passing years. Finally, your body pays a price healthwise if you dramatically switch back and forth repeatedly from a fat-burning to a glucose-burning metabolism.

Go back to Induction when you have to. However, understand that If you retreat regularly, you may be in for a nasty surprise. After repeated weight gain, forays to Induction may not always work as effectively for you.

Thanks so much for your responses! I've pretty much stayed on induction carb levels from the begining. I do have thyroid problems and find weight loss to be very slow even at less than 20 a day! I haven't yet reached my goal weight so I don't think all of it applies to me, but I also haven't gained any weight with my cheats. I guess so far I have been lucky in that regard. Thanks for the help.