First let me say that I am a new member of this forum and I am on the Atkins Diet which I started on October 24th, 2001 and as of today I have lost 17 pounds. First and foremost, is that safe? And secondly when you lost weight, body fat, or whatever, how do you lose it? Does it excrete your body through bowel, urine, or sweat or am I completely off? Someone educated please help me!!

Welcome to the board!
I have also given thought to this. I've been LCing for three months. I think the weight comes off in a few ways:
Its burned as energy, it becomes waste, and we exhale it out.
I figured, where water goes fat goes...

Welcome to the board, Kitty And congrats on those 17 lbs, you must feel wonderful. Let me assure you that your loss was quite 'safe'. You've probably heard that you shouldnt lose more than 2lbs of body fat a week and that is just what happened, the rest of the weight you lost was water weight. Excess water weight, but water weight nonetheless.

When we begin a LC WOE our bodies flush out all the excess water that the carbs we've been eating have been holding on to. 1g of carbs will attract 3g of water. After you've depleted your glycogen stores (fuel that your body used which was made from carbohydrates) your body will switch to an alternative fuel; ketone bodies.

Ketone bodies are produced when stored body fat is burned for fuel. The biochemistry is quite complex, but essentially what happens is these ketone bodies are being broken down and used as fuel, however they are only being partially broken down. What is not being used for fuel is thus excreeted or "spilled" over into your urine and breath, via the lungs. You are now running on fuel that is being primarily produced by fat stored in your fat cells. The net effect is the cells shrink and so do you

Remember 2 lbs a week of body fat is normal for women (3 lbs for men or there abouts); it is quite acceptible that weight loss slow down after Induction, however fat loss continues at the same rate.

HTH
Nat

Thanks for the help!! I love this website!! So many people and therefore so much support!! Thanks, I wish I would have found you guys like 3 years ago!!!!!!

Hi Kitty and welcome here. U are certainly lucky to start off with a quick weight loss!! congrats! I would think the more water U drink the faster your sysytem will flush out getting rid of fat.