I am into week 3 and have lost 19 lbs so far. I have not increased my daily carbs allowance and at the moment do not seem to need to. Is this a good idea or will it effect my weight loss?


Joe

You really should start adding carbs back in. Why? Your body will adapt to the levels you are currently at and could make the diet ineffective later on. Plus staying at those low carb levels also makes the diet pretty boring and bland after a while. Adding more carbs back in means you can start having things like berries with breakfast.

I have been on induction phase for about 2 months now.. But its not as strick as the actual induction.. I have started adding berries as an afternoonsnack... I have increased some now.. after hearing others say that its better to increase..Even though I find that im still eating around 20-25 carbs a day after the fiber is subtracted... Mabe i need to increase up another notch In that case... So far I have been happy with what I eat.. and some days i am on the board side thats when i have the tendencey to have a few more carbs.. I know that since i have increased my carb count a bit more that the weightloss has been great.. i loose normaly arround 1-2 lbs a week right now.. Do i need to increase a bit more as in order to slow it down a little more or is it ok to stay the same.? Guess this is an answer and question all in one..

Would also apreciate any advice anyone can give me..

If you start thinking ahead to maintenance, to a long-term way of eating, you'll see that you need a lot more veggies than induction levels for optimal health. So I say, yes, begin add them in now. Atkins says to 5 g every two weeks or so...you'll be making the trip down the road to excellent long-term eating habits this way.

The problem with determining CCLL this way is that you may stall, which has nothing to do with your carb level (just a normal stall), and you'll feel compelled to lower your carbs again. If you wait two weeks to up the carbs every time, and only cut back the same 5 g in case of a stall, you should be able to find the CCLL.

If you're lucky enough to be able to lose at 40 g or more (which is a bunch of veggies!), start adding berries and melons regularly as well, as well as extra nuts and seeds. (though, rtj, I would not eat berries alone--if you're severely hyperinsulinemic, this could be a problem. Have cream with them and perhaps a piece of cheese, too, to mitigate the insulin reponse.) You can also add in higher-carb veggies--peas, carrots, winter squash. All these foods have wonderful health benefits and give you variety, as AC said, as well.

True, Thanks so much.. I sill start increasing 5 carbs a week every 2 weeks.. I usualy eat my berries with heavy cream and drink alot of water behind them... so far so good .. I would love to eat a carrot.. I have been wanting them for a while now.. Everytime i cook a roast them carrots look so inviting.. Can live without the potatoes.. Oh yes I love eating them walnuts.. I usualy snack on a few during the week... Every vegie i like seems to have a high fiber count... Been eating around 1-2 cups of vegies a day along with 1-2 cups salad vegies... like cucumbers mushrooms salad lettuce and stuff... Hubby got some cantelope yumm may have a serving this weekend.. Thanks again so much....I plan on making this a WOL.. I have enjoyed eating this way and my family (haha) has been eating this way right along with me... I cook nothing seperate for dinners at night.... THey eat what I eat...

THanks so much

Tammy

As per a previous thread: Lisa N wrote:

In DANDR page 159, Dr. Atkins says this: "Before you even think about stepping up from induction, consider the possibility of staying with it for a while longer. A lot of people think of induction as ONLY two weeks, but it can be followed for a longer time. If you have a lot of weight to lose or have difficulty losing weight, you might want to do induction for quite a while. That way you'll see dramatic progress before moving on to the more moderate phases of the program." Definitely keep up with your supplements, though.

I am on week 4 still on induction, and not going off it till I drop about another 50 pounds. Sometimes I will eat a few more then 20 carbs, but not much more, kind of like a treat. Maybe 25 or something, but only occasionaly.

Mindbreeze,

I was wondering what your meals were like during induction. I am on week 3 of induction and I plan on staying on induction for a much longer time, too. But I am sort of getting tired of eating the same things.

Have you gotten tired of your food and what kind of foods are you eating?

Also, does anyone know if it's ok to eat unsweetened chocolate products during induction?

Hi kal,

I love steak with brochlie and a nice salad with sautaeed mushrooms , love colieflyed rice... its a great change.. its under the recipee orange tag up top.. Cabbage with some fat back and collards also.. I try to make a variety of meats with different vegies.. cooked different ways. I also have a chocolate snack once every two weeks.. Made from 3 tlbs spoons heavy cream , 1/2 oz of melted bakers chocolate unsweetened and 1 pk of splenda... Its a nice treat sometimes...it does taste different than regular chocolate stuff but its great. Also you can find some good recipes in the recipe part of the fourm...

Hope this helps

Tammy

Yeah the food is getting old, but really I only have myself to blame. I mean there are plenty of great recipes on the forum, but I am just to lazy to cook. I'll use the guy thing as an excuse

Breakfast : Scrambled eggs, with cheddar cheese sprinkled on top and some bacon or sausage. Or maybe a Mock Danish. They are a nice change of pace.

Lunch: Salad and Steak, or a couple cheeseburgers. Maybe some chicken and broccoli. Sometimes my wife makes a roast, and I will take that. Also keep on hand some celery and cream cheese for snacks if necessary.

Dinner: I seem to be living on chicken wings lately. The spicey hot kind I really love. It hasnt seemed to hamper my weight loss so I am gonna keep eating them. Also usually have some salad or whatever. Sometimes I make a mock danish for desert.

My menu is not complicated at all. And not a lot of variety. I might change some things up here in a couple weeks if I hit a plateau. But I am pretty happy with what I am eating for the most part. I am happy to say that it has been a month without caffeine, and I am feeling pretty good. Hope the next month goes as good as this one did. I know I wont lose as much, but I will be happy with 10-15 pounds for the month.

Good luck!

Thanks rtjdk2 and mindbreeze for the menus. I will keep looking around for more ideas for induction menus.