Memory is a fragile thing. It’s been maybe three years or so since I did the Atkins induction phase. For those of you unfamiliar with this, the way you are supposed to start Atkins is to get your net carb count under 20 grams a day. One small glass of orange juice has more carbs in it, so, for folks who’ve never done it before, it’s sort of like tip-toeing into very, very cold water.
For those of you considering it, I’m not trying to scare you – I’m trying to prepare you. I think that maybe one of the reasons that Atkins fails most people is mindset. I think Atkins downplays some of the aspects of induction, while I tend to believe that understanding what’s ahead as you begin induction is critical to succeeding.
As I’ve mentioned, I had lost up to 90 lbs, but I’ve put 20 of those back on. Being I threw away all my fat clothes, there’s no going back. About a week or so ago, I was closing in on 200 lbs when I want to be 170. I’m about 188 now and have gone back on induction to help get the weight off.
People – I will always be fat, no matter what weight I am. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that inside every fat person is a thin person trying to get out. Well, inside every thin person who got that way by losing a lot of weight is a fat person who is really pissed and wants an entire box of Oreos – and maybe a quart of milk to wash them down – NOW!
That fat person in me has gained the upper hand as of late, so here I am doing induction again. I started three days ago, so I am experiencing again what it was like the first time round. So what’s it like? What am I doing exactly?
- I feel weird. Not bad, but weird. Induction induces ketosis which, to simplify, forces your body to burn fat as there’s no carbs to use as your energy source. As you are changing your body chemistry, you have to expect to feel something different. For me, it’s a mild lightheadedness, nothing really extreme, but noticeable. I’ve had people tell me that they can’t do Atkins because it makes them dizzy, but I think that it’s a change they weren’t anticipating and it’s focused on too much. If they thought about that mid-afternoon I-can’t-keep-my-eyes-open feeling as being an unnatural state, a mild lightheadedness would seem trivial in comparison, but they are used to being sleepy in the afternoon, so it seems normal. It isn’t normal, and for me I’ll trade one for the other in a heartbeat.
- I miss sweets. when you are on low carb and maintaining your weight, you can have fruit and chocolate and other sweet goodies, if chosen correctly. You can even cheat now and then. Induction, however, is pretty strict, so these are verboten. what do I do? I eat a packet of Splenda straight. It cleanses the palate, so to speak. People think I’m weird when I do this, but I’ve given up on caring what people think of me long ago.
- I’ve given up Nutrasweet. I have found that the artificial sweetener Nutrasweet (aka aspartame) stalls me. I can only tolerate a little bit on induction. I found that 4C has a Splenda-based fruit punch – cranberry/pomegranate – that I thought I wouldn’t like but I do. It also helps to quiet the cravings for sweets. When I’m maintaining, Nutrasweet doesn’t bother me, but I can’t have much of it during induction.
- I’m taking fiber therapy. I actually use psyllium (the main ingredient) regularly, but I think that this is critical for induction to work. I think Atkins glosses over this in his book, but I need the extra fiber. I have never bought the unflavored stuff that Atkins recommends – I use the sugar-free orange Metamucil – or the sugar-free store brand – Costco’s is my fave. Yes – it has Nutrasweet in it, but not enough to stall me. I completely ignore the directions for use and put up to a heaping tablespoon in half a glass of water, stir and drink quick. Not the high point of my day – the stuff is not a taste sensation, and if you don’t guzzle the stuff down fast enough, it turns into a gritty pudding that could be used as a torture device to elicit confessions from suspected criminals.
- I’m having a breakfast again. I’m never hungry in the morning – I’m a night eater. I’m forcing myself to drink an Atkins shake each morning. It definitely helps – yesterday it seemed that I wasn’t hungry after eating in the late afternoon and for the first time in a long time I didn’t eat at night.
- I’m eating the low carb cliche. What I mean by that is induction is painted by most people what low carb is like all the time – but it isn’t. I’m eating breakfast sausages, eggs, cheese. I’m having salads with Ken’s low-carb dressings. Today – the 4th of July – I’ll have some London broil and pork ribs on the barbecue – maybe try the spinach with sour cream recipe I found on the Low Carb Band-it blog. I’m restricting my food choices – not because there aren’t many, but because of time – I work full time and have two kids so I can’t spend hours in the kitchen. It’s a temporary thing, however. Induction is not Atkins – this is a pervasive myth. It’s a couple of weeks or a couple of months if you have a lot of weight to lose. It’s worth it for me because…
- My appetite is diminishing. Induction causes ketosis, and ketosis is an appetite suppressant. The irony of most diets is that they cause you to obsess about food – which is probably part of the reason we got fat in the first place. I’ve seen so many people on low-fat diets eat their tiny hockey-puck sized lunch in two minutes, look at the clock and sigh as they were still hungry as hell and they had five hours to go before their next meal. I actually forget about eating during induction.
- I’m noticing bursts of energy. It’s a good feeling. I did low-fat diets in the past and there were no energy bursts – just this excruciating effort, this relentless, tiring march that only a marine drill sargent would love.
- I’m avoiding headaches so far. Last time I did induction I would have mild headaches. I think this was from too little water. I’ve upped the water and haven’t had a headache yet. we’ll see if I can avoid them completely – stay tuned.
October 11, 2012 Update
I’ve added a post on what Atkins Induction feels like on Day 30 – you might want to check it out.
Low Carb Confidential 
I’m glad I found this today because I, too, am doing Atkins again, and I’d forgotten about the weird feeling. It goes away but it doesn’t feel good for a couple of days.
I am starting the Atkins again for my second time. After my first son, I lost 80 lbs while on the atkins. and I am looking to loose that amount again now that I have had my second Son. These first two weeks are a pain in the fanny. I hope that i have enough self control to stick it out. But after the first two weeks, you really do have so much more energy. I didnt try the fiber drinks or pills last time. does that really help?
All I can say is – try it – see what happens. It’s a daily ritual for me since 2003.
I just hope I am doing it right. I am usually vegan so meat can be mentally taxing on me… and I grew up vegetarian, organic, natural and my tummy doesn’t do well with soy sooo anyway this is what I am doing.
It’s day 4 and my 3rd time on this diet in 10 yrs. The hunger curbing is amazing.
I have lost about a pound and know I need to cut out the gum and Atkin’s bars to get this going.
My only major concern is the lack of anti-oxidants b/c I am high risk for… well I can’t even type it but you know… so am going to get into phase 2 and 3 as fast as possible even at the risk of losing less weight and just get the hunger cravings under control.
5am: black coffee with stevia.
9:30am-10:30am: egg or chicken. salt/oil/crystal light or green tea.
11:30-12:30 lunch: chicken, cheese and something green (lettuce if it’s a salad, broccoli if it’s warm, spinach) – We are a dairy-free home for medical reasons so any cheese is eaten outside of the home by me.
3:30: Atkins bar, gum, Crystal Light
7 pm-ish: Chicken cooked in oil.
Thanks for your help!
Hi Seema,
I understand going from vegan to low carb with meat can be challenging. I was a semi-vegetarian when I started Atkins 7+ years ago and I quit after 2 weeks – and 20 pounds of weight loss – simply because I could not believe that this could possibly be good for me, despite losing weight, not getting sleepy in the afternoons anymore, more energy, etc. I was also grossed out by all the fat and grease.
So I went back to my semi-vegetarian ways – and after 2 days, I felt *AWFUL*.
I’ve been low carb, high fat, lots of meat ever since. And I love fat in my foods.
There’s a lot of reasons why people go vegan: ethical, spiritual, health, environmental. They all have counter arguments. I spend way extra money and extra effort and restrict what meat I eat by making sure that the animals had an authentic life before becoming my meal. I avoid cheap meat from factory farms, and I pay extra for eggs from chickens that actually get to scratch in a chicken pen and are treated with the respect farm animals used to get 100 years ago. The health issues are obvious, at least to me – we’re not designed to live vegan. And the environmental issues – well, they come from the factory farms, not the farms I get my meat and dairy from.
I’m not perfect at this – it is very hard to find some products – and those those that I can find, I pay through the nose. But my car is also 7 years old and I have no plans on replacing it. I don’t spend extravagantly on DVDs, video games, Cable TV, subscriptions to magazines, etc. We pick our values, and sacrifice the things that are unimportant while focusing on what’s important to us.
Regards,
LCC
wow very impressed with your ideas and convictions. good for you!! best of luck
I just started two days ago and along with the light-headedness, I have zero energy today (day three). I sure hope this goes away soon. I drive for a living. I have lost 5 pounds already though. I have even had a few low carb beers!!
Very glad I found this, day three of induction & am definitely feeling fuzzy, but my head is pounding. Will up the water & see what happens. Down three pounds, attribute most of this to water loss, but great way to start. Thanks again!
On day 3? I’m on day 3 and nothing so far? That scares me. I hope I’m not doing all this for nothing.
Thank you so much for posting. I hope you post some more of your experiences. I entered a bet with my brothers and sisters last weekend. We agreed to throw 10 bucks in a pot. Anyone who reaches thier goal by Christmas get to split the pot. Anyone who loses no weight in a month every month from Aug to Dec. has to put in 10 bucks! I”m hoping this keeps me on this diet as I have a gigantic sweet tooth!
Have been on induction for 9 days and nothing. Cant get the keto skick to go past small. Even then, I ate an atkins bar for lunch, and the keto stick went to trace. How can that be? I think I am ready to quit. Im not cheating; not even doing net carbs, mostly just carbs. I eat a chickin tender (or two) for breakfast, a hard boiled egg for snack, tuna in a lettuce leaf for lunch, some type of fish/meat and a Small salad for dinner with no carb dressing. Wake up in the morning and the darn keto stick is negative. I give up! Scale hasn’t budged either. Im miserable! Any body have any advice?
Stick with it! My husband has been on Atkins and lost over 80 lbs and his Keto stick was like yours. We are always joking because we eat the same things and mine is always the darkest purple.
Vicky
You are not eating enough…and not eating enough fat…hard to believe I know but it helps to process. Stay away from the Atkins bars and other Atkins supplements for now. I have gone through what you are stating and it was the bars.
Eat eggs and bacon…or sausage…nibble on cheese…I will eat Tuna with mayo and use it as a dip for pork rinds (sounds gross but induction works best this way). Grill some marinated salmon, boil some shrimp in louisiana fish boil and put it on a 3 c. salad with any yummy dressing without sugar. I make the 7 seas from the package…my favorite. Or marinated grilled chicken, feta cheese with greek dressing on your greens.. My best loss on induction has been 9 pounds in 7 days. Tell me how it is going after that
This is too Vicky who can’t get the keto stick to show. Through trial and error, this is what I have found. The keto sticks seem to have the “best showing” between 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. for me. If that doesn’t work have a Phildelaphia (creamcheese that is) day. Eat nothing but Philadelphia cream cheese, the keto will register. Also check out Atkins book there is a section specifically for individuals who have problems getting into ketosis…
Vicky was having problems because she was eating like she was on a low-cal diet, i.e. salads and tuna. Increase the protein and fat. I use butter to cook my meat on, rib-eyes, chicken breast, eggs, italian sausages. Vegetables include zuchini and broccoli. If I do have a salad, I use romaine and mayonaisse as the dressing. 5lbs in 3 days.
I had headaches on day 2 and 3. OMG. it was awful, but maybe it was due to not drinking enough water. I’m drinking tons today (day 4). But I so caved last night by eating three granola bars, and three pieces of a kit-kat bar today. 😦 Hopefully it doesn’t throw me off. I wonder if it puts me back at day 1. I don’t think so, but we’ll see.
I wrote the following to Vicky:
Hi,
Just thought you’d like to know a number of people have posted responses to your post from a few weeks back. Thought you might like to take a look.
I personally fail more than I succeed on Atkins, but this does allow me to keep 65 lbs. off, and I’ll take what I can get.
Regards,
LCC
Mild light headedness. I see that this is to be expected. What is surprising is the overwhelming blood lust I have aquired. It has been a week and I am becoming concerned. My feeling is that not only will I not stop this diet, I can’t stop this diet. I sometimes consume raw red meat. Last night I put on an old Lou Reed record and past out. When I awoke, the remnants of the neighbors dog were stattered around my apartment. I have lost 25 pounds in three weeks. I feel energized but fear my thin veil of sanity is slipping. My life is now the reckless, relentless pursuit of flesh.
I think I love you.
Hi all I’m new to this just started induction 6 days ago and its going really well (i think) ive eaten nothing but sausages, bacon, eggs, cheese, chicken and beef and i’m not really finding it too tough.
Although i had bad head aches on day 2 and day 3 i have upped the water and started taking vitamin supplements for a quick energy boost.
I ate three squares of 85% cocoa dark chocolate today (very little carbs) and am wondering if my induction has been ruined??
This is encouraging. I am on the paleo diet (similar to Atkins but can have fruits but you cant have dairy) – still low carb. Anyway, I have also had pounding head aches and I started drinking water and they have gone. Major water loss too – in three days I have dropped 5 pounds. Feeling great today though and scarily I am not feeling hungry…..yet.
On day 5 of Atkins Induction and lost 6 lbs. Headaches are almost gone but I feel weak and have mild anxiety. Kinda like you feel when you drink too much coffee or something. It is scary but I think it’s just the Induction Flu. I’m taking tons of supplements but should drink more water I suppose. That’s one think I’m not doing and I probably should. Otherwise, I’m following the program 100% and not cheating. Hope the anxiety, lightheadedness and weakness passes soon!
I have found that what helps with the headaches is a boullion cube in 8 cups of water and an egg stirred in. Electrolytes – high salt (do not do if you have blood pressure issues or need to stay away from salt). It helps retain some of the water so it’s not slipping away too quickly the first week.
I got huge, dark under eye circles the 3rd day and regained 3 water weight lbs the next from my egg drop soup. It’s day 4. I am counting carbs and calories b/c that last time I did this I lost almost nothing. I am 144lbs now (size 10) and my goal is 115-125lbs (sample size 2).
Keeping my fingers crossed. 🙂
Jim – I have the same ‘anxiety’ that you mention, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s actually *energy* – it’s what feeling energized is to a body dulled by carb abuse. As we’re not used to it, it feels uncomfortable.
Perhaps that’s wrong, but it’s what I’ve concluded for myself.
LCC
I just read the posts about the anxiety energy feeling. I am on day two of my first time using this diet ever. But I do have Hypothyroidism and can provide some insight. Although it is a boost of energy, it may also be your motabolism speeding up (they are all connected by your thyroid gland). I have the same feeling if I’m overmedicated. It should eleviate with time, as your body adjusts to it’s new chemical balances, but it can take a couple of weeks.
Hi,
I just started Induction today and I really do not get it. I am so use to diets that require you to measure everything. I do not know how much to eat on Atkins. This is what I’ve had so far….
Breakfast
2 Eggs with Olive Oil
1 Slice of Deli Ham
1 oz. Cheese
8 oz. Decaf Coffee w/ 4 Tbsp. Cream
Lunch
2 cups Mache
1 oz. Cheese
1/2 c. Cucumbers
2 Slices of Deli Ham
1/2 Small Avacado
I’ve already drank all my water and it isn’t even dinner yet.
I am currently hungry and am afraid to drink the Atkins drink I brought to work because I think I am going to be out of carb.
I plan to eat a 100% all beef hot dog for dinner and some green beans.
Can somebody give me their input. Am I not eating enough? If I’m not, what should I add? I have one problem… I hate salad dressing and mayo.
Thanks,
Jen
read the book before you start the program !!!
I started Thursday October 23 and I have lost 9 pounds as of this morning!
are you allowed green beans?
I eat ’em
I too went back on induction recently after eventually going totally way off the path off O.W.L. [I am so regreting that I disregarded the plan]
So I am now in day 6 of induction. I remember the fuzzy or “wierd” feelings of inductions past. I also remember having headaches, which I attributed to huge loss of water in my body at a rapid rate in the first week. I used to get up 2 times during my evening sleep to unrinate and I would then urinate frequently during the day.
However this time is different. I did not seem to get headaches or feel the couple days of fatique and lightheadedness that I have experinced other times doing induction. I did not seem to loose large amounts of excess water from my body like I had in the past. [However last night I got up at 3;30 AM and NEEDED to go to the bathroom] I have been urinating more frequntly today than any other day.
This time I am a a bit stricter than I was the previous times I was on induction, this time I am limiting the amount of cheese I eat per day to 2 or 3 ounces. I used to eat a lot more cheese in previous inductions. This time I am giving up diet drinks entirely, drinking only water and green tea, previous inductions I used to drink caffinated diet drinks, and diet ice tea all day. This time I am limitng Atkins snack bars to 1 or 2 at the most per day, I used to eat 2 or 4 a day in pervious inductions. This time I am carefull of portions, I used to eat as much as I wanted of meat, fish, eggs, and cheese, but this time I am eating 2 eggs for breakfast instead of 4. 1 or 2 slices of bacon sausages instead of 4, I sprinkle some grated cheedar on my omlet instead of piling on a mountain of it. I have a fist size portion of chicken for lunch or dinner instead of 2 fists. I am have poultry, lean beef, or fish, instead of 3 or 4 cheeseburger pattys from In N Out burger [bunless of course]
I *THINK* I am eating enough, I am using the suggested guidlines of some of the induction menus on Akins website and what I remember from the book. I am actually wondering if I am getting 20 net carbs? I wonder if that could be detrimental if I am not?
I have only weighed myself once this week, I dont rely on my bathroom scale because it fluctuates every time I get on it, even within seconds of my previous weigh. I weigh in the340 lb. range so I dont think my digital bathroom scale is accurate at that high a weight. I use the readings as a “range”, I will use how my clothes fit as true means of measurement to my success.
I’m glad I found this site and this discussion, I just wanted to “weigh in” on the conversation. Good health to you all.
Thanks for your contribution and ideas. feel the same way about my scale. gives different read out within minutes of standing on it. so frustrating …
Hi Karl,
Thanks for writing. It sounds like you’re doing a lot of things right. I personally always want to try to have some high quality low carb veggies to be sure I’m getting the good stuff they contain. If I don’t, I feel like I’m not doing low carb healthy, but that’s my personal thing.
I’d wish you good luck, but we low carbers make our own luck, don’t we?
Regards,
LCC
I am starting again today lost plenty picked all up by just eating uncontrollably. This is the best way to loose weight. Love what all of you have to say. Keep going it works.
Regards
Karen
I started Atkins yesterday for the 20th time..
Had a question.. A friend told me for a snacl eat sugar free jello and cool whip. Is there anyone out that has done this? PLease let me know..
I have a long way to go, I just hope I can stick with it this time. I have the headaches today.
=)
April
Hey Guys….when I start craving candy, I buy orange Tic Tacs….no carbs.
I did that 9 years ago when I lost about 30 pounds on Atkins. It is a great snack and lets you feel like you had something yummy.
yes. Both low in carbs and sugar 2 TBS has less than one carb and sugar. Sugar free jello and some whip cream are my go to items to eat when I get that sugar craving.
Hi April,
Only 20? I must be in the triple digits 😉
Some people stall on nutrasweet, which is in sugar-free Jello – and I am unsure of the carb count of cool whip – or if it has nutrasweet.
You can try unsweetened gelatin and mix in some splenda-based drink mix (like 4C) – and whip up some heavy cream.
More work – that does suck – but avoiding nutrasweet might help make your 20th time the charm.
I lost 120 lbs. in 12 months on atkins then got sick and the dr. said to stop doing it and i did and gained 60 lbs. in 6 months. i started induction again last sunday and only lost 5 lbs. in a week when before when i did it i lost 10 lbs. per week for the first 3 weeks, what is going on with me? how can i do the 10 lbs. a week again?
April – wow, it’s amazing that you’re on your 20th time and just now discovering sugar free jello and cool whip??!?! I’m on about my 8th attempt, and I couldn’t live without it! I honestly don’t know of any other sweets I could eat besides that, and it’s a true lifesaver – and yummy too!
You don’t have to feel guilty about eating it…I know everyone is different, but I can confirm I’ve NEVER been stalled by it – ever. And I’ve lost some large chunks of weight in the past, so give it a try (of course, start small just to make sure).
Has anyone tried a new product: Truvia? It is supposed to be Stevia with a little bit of something called Erythritol (supposedly a natural sweetener produced by a natural process and is also found in fruits like grapes and pears). I use Stevia but I have trouble finding it sometimes and this product is stocked in my Stop & Shop. It says it is zero calories and 3g of carbs.
Advice please….I have bad migraines and I’m scared of not having my diet cokes…no caffeine…bad headaches. I’ve been losing weight and my keto sticks are at the darkest levels. Should I take the leap of NO CAFFEINE or continue on? What does the caffeine really do?
I would like to know if it is acceptable to have Atkins
p.b. bars on induction because they say it is but Atkins in his books say it is not.
Your full of it!
You might be right, but you have to tell me why you say ‘I’m full of it’ for me to agree or disagree.
Question….Do I have to eat 3 big meals or 4-5 smaller meals a day? I normally eat 2 meals and drink tons of water to feel almost bloated, but sooner or later im starving and usually eat a fruit. Will this help, if I only continue eating 2 meals a day?
I have not started this diet yet, but thinking about beginning next week.
Also, for the induction peroid I will only be eating
Breakfast
Bacon & Eggs
Lunch
Chicken salad, with only mayo, onions, red pepper,celery and eggs
for the whole 2 weeks, is this OK
b/c unfortunatedly I do not eat vegetables i.e broccili & spinach , unless its a salad with ranch dressing.
Let me know what you think, and whether it will work with the foods I will be eating and the 2 meals
Thanks in advance
Hi Danielle,
The rule in Atkins is to eat at least every 6 hours, the point being to prevent your body from going into starvation-mode – and to keep insulin levels from spiking.
My own experience says that you should probably stick to that rule for induction – and of course the fruit is out the window.
As to what you are eating, yeah, you could probably get into induction – the onions might be a problem – but overall, it’s WAY too monotonous.
If you are the type that can eat the same darn thing over and over, then maybe it will work for you, but you have a lot more food choices available – and should vary what you eat.
I also think that you are going to have to work on the ‘I don’t eat’ mindset. Why? There’s a world of low carb food options out there – and you owe it to yourself to try new stuff – and try stuff you think you don’t like again, in new combos.
Really, I feel you are setting yourself up to fail. Unless you are trying to lose 10 lbs for an upcoming event – and you don’t care if they come back after, this might work.
If you want to keep the weight off forever, this is the start of a lifelong commitment to a low carb diet. Put it this way: I was in ketosis for 6 months when I lost like 60 lbs. There is no way I could have lived on your diet for 180 day in a row. I’m in year 6 of low carb – and happen to be in ketosis right now – I’ve packed on a few pounds and need to go into induction again to get them off. It’s a lifelong thing.
I always recommend checking with your doc – while some/most might not agree with low carb, at least you can cut a deal to get some bloodwork done before you start and 3 months after – and if your body isn’t responding positively, you’ll quit. There’s a good chance that the bloodwork will be better at the end of 3 months – especially if you’ve been eating a lot of carbs and had lousy cholesterol levels.
There’s plenty of low carb recipes out there – some on this site – better ones elsewhere. lowcarber.ca was the place I hung out to learn about LC when I started – and I got a lot of idea there that really helped me. Get the ketosis sticks – it’s amazing how carbs can sneak in where you least expect it.
In short, if you’re going to do it, set yourself up to succeed.
Good luck,
LCC
2nd time on Atkins. On induction phase 11 days and I am down 12 pounds. Here is my general day.
Breakfast
Scrambled eggs
fried salami/ham/sausage (Whatever meat)
Lipton Diet green tea
Lunch
Leftover meat from the previous night’s dinner.
Fried chicken/pork meat/ grilled steak
or
tuna and mayo with pork rinds as a tuna scooper.
Diet snapple/ water/pepsi max
Dinner
Lots O’ meat (fried, boiled, broiled)
Snack if hungry during the day
sugar free jello
a mouthfull of whipped cream out of the can
My rule during the induction phase, IF IT GROWS OUT OF THE GROUND DON’T EAT IT.
Been working for me so far, the ultimate and disgusting fat man diet. I also stay away from the cheeses since it has carbs. Do this for about a month you should be down 20-30 leafy pounds. After this you can introduce salads ,etc.
Been on induction for almost a 2 full weeks. definately can see a difference but i have cheated a few times with drinking, and once with sushi (the rice).
My question is how much does drinking affect induction? and also, would i have to start the process all over again?
People on Atkins tolerate alcohol differently.
As long as there’s no sugar in the drinks, for some people it slows ’em down – others it stops completely.
For me, personally, I’ve found I can’t drink and lose weight – bummer.
Once I get to my target weight, it’s not a problem though.
Good luck.
LCC
Is it true that when you starrt the atkins diet that you can eat until you’re satify?
It’s a bit more complicated than that. Atkins makes it easier to be full on less food – you’re less hungry. And while I found that sometimes I did eat til I was full – and then some more, and still lost weight, most times, when I ate too much, I lost nothing or gained.
i was on the atkins induction for 8 weeks and only lost 13 pounds, can someone tell me what im doing wrong! help
Maybe you’re doing nothing wrong. You’re on track to lose 78 lbs a year at this rate. I only lost 65 lbs in my first year.
lowcarbconfidential,
thank you for youre reply.
do you know any good web sides with good low carb recipes?
http://www.lowcarbist.com/
http://www.atkins.com/Recipes.aspx
http://solitarydancer.wordpress.com/
http://cleochatra.blogspot.com/
http://lowcarbohydrate.blogspot.com/
You could spend the rest of your life with just these sites.
And many of them are real recipes, rather than the random conglomeration of ingredients *I* call recipes…
Today is friday is may 8th, and i started my induction phase on april 28th. Today i bought the ketosis stix and i am in the negative. I eat bacon, carb free cheese, jello, chicken, sausage, pepperoni, ham steaks, low carb raps and im drinking only water, about 100 ounces a day. During the first week i was drinking coffee black. I had a dr’s appointment and i was weighed. I didnt want to weigh myself because i wanted to surprised with a big loss. I was 211 when i started the diet and at the dr’s i was 216. Im frustrated but also determined to figure out what is going wrong and how i can fix it and get into ketosis. I montior everything i eat and have been eating no more than 12 net carbs a day.
For the past to days i have had bad headaches and im hoping it leads to me finally reach ketosis. My goal weight is 175. I also was wondering if any medications could possibly have sugar in them. Please help
Mike I couldn’t help it I had to reply to your post.
Think about this, when you weighed 211 at home were you clothed? was it in the AM? was it before eating? then the 216 was about the same.
I weigh myself in the AM undressed before breakfst and after I relieve myself, to e the lightest truest count.
In the afternoon or after breakfst we weigh more. It is about:
1 lb. after breakfast
2 lb. after lunch
3 lb. after dinner.
then you have clothes, if you wear jeans and shirt etc. that is about 2 lbs.
And never wear shoes that throws off you weight completely. I know all this because I worked at a diet clinic and had to weigh people, we automatically took off about 5 for those wering heavy clothes, etc.
I hope this makes you feel better, a little?
One more tnhing Mike, medicatipn can actually caue weght gain, I had that problem.
Also, if you are truly doing this program right and you believe you should be dropping those pounds tell your doctor you may have thyroid problems that happened to me. I was a size 6 5 years ago and now I am a 12.
It took me all those 5 years to convince the doc. there was something wrong, Well I have thyroiod and am now take steps to fix it and already have lost 6 lbs in 10 days. Not much for the normal person but for me it is great.
Have started Atkins a week ago. I crave for sweets and other staff that make me fat and more of it. I fight temptation by believing in myself and remembering the statement below:
1. I want t lose 50 pounds and look good again with trim and shapy looking healthy body.
2. If I stay fat and become unhealthy because of my doing fat activities (eating junk foods, lazy, eat late at night, no exercise) then I deserve to be unhealthy and suffer heart attack, stroke, kidner failure, and other related fat/obese evil unhealthy consequences.
3. Atkins induction process is only for two weeks and this is only temporary. Anybody would probably stick with this process for two weeks rather than staying in hospital bed for two weeks or more due to sudden illness/disease cause by being fat/unhealthy.
3. After two weeks of induction and successful weight reduction, I will be able to do my favorite sports, fit into my slim size pants, and do a lot of things I used to do when I was slim and happier again.
4. I keep busy to get my mind off temptations. I go for a walk/jog everyday on same schedule. I accomplish various projects at home such as: getting my old trim pants from the closet and knowing one day soon, it’ll fit me.
5. Do more exercise to help my fat burn and lose that ugly fat. I notice I lose them quicker with atkins.
6. I do anything to visualize success by seeing that one day soon will come and new Mr Slim Jim will be styling.
So, I test/remind myself each time Mr. Temptation challenges me to cheat/quit by going back to Step 1 above and read on.
Success is not always easy to achieved. So I need all the encouragement I need.
If want this success so bad and enjoy life again.
I’m starting Induction Sept. 1st….I have diabetes,is Atkins a good diet for me? And if so, what do I do if my sugar drops? Will I have to start over again?
I suppose the answer is: it depends. Type 1 or type 2 diabetes? For type 2, some folks use it to control their blood sugar.
You sound like it’s type 1 you have, however. I’d talk to your doc if I were you if that’s the case.
to lowcarbconfidential, thanks for the response, i take insulin and pills. however, my doctor did tell me to try the atkins or south beach. i’m thinking about cutting my insulin down and maybe my pills.what do you think?
It seems more doctors are open to low carb, which is great. Since it appears you have type 1 diabetes, it will be harder than for other folks – but if you have type 1, you’re probably used to things being harder, right?
Again, if your doctor recommended it, you should follow your doctor’s advice – that what you pay him for – right? You’re used to measuring your blood glucose, so you can watch carefully what effect low carb has on you.
Not being a doctor, I can’t give you the advice you need, but I’d think you should ask your doc about induction and if that might be a little much for you. You have the opposite problem of most folks – you don’t produce enough insulin – the rest of us produce so much, our bodies become insulin resistant.
I’d probably think he’ll say: take it slow. If you take a lower-carb approach – like South Beach, it might be better for you. Induction and ketosis might be a problem for you – and while weight loss is great, you don’t want to make yourself sick just to lose a few pounds.
Really – low carb is mostly about eating healthy – and that means: good fats aren’t the enemy, veggies are great, protein is too, and fruits and starches should be taken in small portions now and then.
The pounds might not melt off, but if you hang in there, you’ll probably lose weight in the long run, feel better, and take fewer meds.
Sounds worth it – doesn’t it?
Be healthy,
LCC
thanks for the advice!
can you drink wine on induction and still lose weight?
Depends, Suzie. You can give it a try, but I think most folks would agree it ain’t gonna fly.
No, it will through you out of ketosis, but if you have a normal metabolism, you can go back into ketosis in about a day or two.
hi, i am just starting the induction diet of aktins..am from nigeria heard from it from a friend.. i am doing for the 3rd time and the last time rily.the first was rily dangerous.. the second was a bit .. but this last one has been good… i eat 3 scrambled or boiled eggs in the morning, cooked pumpkin leaves with meat cooked with groundnut oil and few meat in the nite.. becuz we have limited food in nigeria .i try to eat the three square meals because i rily dnt feel hungry..and this is my third day from 92kg..202pounds.. i am now 89kg.. i have a higher energy because i exercise alot with it.. aerobic and anaerobic.. it is fun…. and i remembered i had a strong headache.. but water quenched it… as well as i noticed that i urinate alot … would but my supplement becuz i noticed with my walking and jogging.. i have muscles cramps but it is getting good now.. can I use red oil?
Hi Adesewa,
I’m not sure what you are referring to when you say ‘red oil’, but muscle cramps are said to come from too little salt and potassium. The latest Atkins book recommends chicken broth with salt as a drink to get your level of salt up. There’s nothing magical about chicken broth – just anything with salt. Just a little should be needed, but you’ll have to experiment to see what works for you. You might want to read this article on sodium and potassium to learn a little more about it:
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/H/HE-0426/
Regards,
LCC
red oil is the oil extracted from palm kernel seeds in nigeria…. and is my food timetable okay? i want to know that i am doing the right thing.. thou i am feeling more energy and can go on longer time in my exercise..
hi, which potassium containing food can be recommended during the induction phase of the atkin diet ?
Hi. I am planning on starting the Atkins diet diet but I am too afraid. I recently lost some excess weight and want to lose more but I m too afraid of gaining it back,
I ate an boiled egg with De-cafe coffee for breakfast.
planning on eating a cup of cucumber, chicken and 30g of low fat cottage cheese.
is that okay?
please help.
I’m not sure what you eare afraid of, but it sounds to me you should be scared of doing Atkins wrong. If you’re eating cottage cheese – especially low fat cottage cheese, you’re not doing Atkins right.
Buy the latest book and take a read – or just check out atkins.com – they pretty much give away everything that’s in the book. Do your homework before starting Atkins.
This way you won’t trick yourself into thinking you’re ‘doing Atkins’, fail, then say ‘Atkins doesn’t work’.
Good luck.
LCC
I started atkins about a week ago for the first time. And I am ridiculously hungry today. I do not know what I may be doing wrong. I drink water as if a drought is on its way so that is absolutely not the problem. I have been following instructions to a t. I have eaten enough and I am afraid that if the hunger persists, I will start gaining weight. Cant do that. I have three weeks until my college reunion.
Maybe you aren’t eating enough, Tina. Or maybe not enough fat. A lot of people starting Atkins are fat-phobic, and don’t get enough at the beginning. Also – are you checking to see if you are in ketosis? Ketosis helps reduce appetite – and it’s a great way to check if you are doing Atkins induction or just *think* you are doing Atkins induction.
That might be it. I am definitely fat-phobic. To give you a glimpse… I dont even own cooking oil. And checking my ketosis is not a bad idea at all, especially if i want to ACTUALLY do Atkins. I did some research and finally found a store that sells them. Thanks for the advice!!! Hopefully I can get this thing under control.
Do yourself a favor and watch what fats you add. Atkins tends to stay with the demonized saturated fats and cold-pressed oils from olives – and canola oil. Believe it or not – the *type* of oil that is healthy is very controversial – and I’m not just talking trans fats. (Forgive me if you know this – I’m assuming as you say you don’t even own cooking oil as you don’t spend all that much time debating the good and the bad of the various kinds). Me – I try to stick to cold-pressed olive oil and saturated fats like butter – but I’m sure that there are many opinions on this that are better informed than mine.
Regards,
LCC
Hi I want to start the atkins diet ive read the book until induction sounds great but I need food ideas! especially for breakfast the thought of eating eggs all the time makers me sick and im not a meat eater but I do love chicken! For induction need help with food ideas!
I tried eating salmon today and heated it (oven baken with a lemon slice seasoning and drizzle of olice oil)!
I have a few question like with the chicken can I put spices etc on it and eat it (im asian! so love spicy stuff)
can i eat cheese and what type? philadelphia? with celery sticks?
Im having a tough time with the 20g carbs! idea!
thanks would be helpful!
my husbands not a big egg fan, however, try this it’s awesome.
3 oz cream cheese
blended with 2 eggs,
1 tbs sf syrup/flavoring
1 tsp cinnemon
fry like pancakes, serve w/ butter. SOOO good and not like eggs!
I’m on day 7 of Atkins induction, lost 5 lbs so far. I’m thrilled with that, I’ve already lost 75lbs through various other methods and only have about 10-15 more to lose, but it has not been budging for like a year. I think chowing on this Atkins diet and NOT feeling hungry is going to finish this journey for me. It freaked me out at first, it goes against everything I think I know about losing weight, but it’s working. After a few days on it i DID start to feel less hungry, far less cravings, and a lot less panicky about what I was going to eat and if it would be enough!
I am struggling with not eating too much cheese though. 4 oz is really not that much when you factor in cream cheese and I”ve been relying on it to stave off hunger and cravings this lass week. HOwever now that I feel less crave-y and hungry I feel I can cut back. I’m becoming less skeptical every day.
Also, I checked out the Atkins Diet REvolution from the library today, since I”m ACTUALLY following through with this, I aught to try and KNOW what I”m doing!
Thanks for sharing your experience. Even though this was a LONG time ago, really late to this party eh?!
Don’t sweat being late to the party. I’m still here – and so are a lot of other folks out there doing low carb.
I don’t want to blow you away with a lot of information too soon – I think that’a a problem with the low carb community: there’s a lot of people who have read a lot of research – and it’s all great – but you’re on a diet – you didn’t sign up for a PhD in nutrition.
I’m not saying you can’t grasp it – I’m just saying, for people new to low carb: one step at a time.
I read the entire New Diet Revolution when I started in 2003, but still didn’t understand all of it. I just followed the diet and lost 80 lbs. The cool part about science is you don’t have to understand it for it to work.
I say: if things are going OK, stick with it. As soon as you’re ready for more, I recommend checking out ‘A New Atkins for a New You’ – it’s a completely rewritten version of the book that came out a month ago – well done, in my opinion.
I also think (I’m not sure) they loosened up the cheese restriction.
I lost weight twice on low cal – and gained it all back in a year with interest both times. Low carb has allowed me to keep off 50 of that 80 for 7 years. Yeah, I’d rather be 80 down than 50 down, but nothing short of wiring my jaws shut has worked as well as this for me.
Good luck.
LCC
PS – I plan to try that recipe – it sounds good. I’ll report back.
I have read thru the posts above but i don’t know if i have an answer to my problem with getting induction off the ground. i have been doing induction eating for 2 weeks. i discovered i shouldn’t have nuts so this week i took out nuts, took out caffine and any alcohol. and now after 5 days ….nothing…in fact i have gained 2 lbs.
i am eating tuna and other meats and eggs and cheese and mayo and salad now and then with bleu cheese dressing.
what can i do? i am getting very discouraged.
wow…just came across this thread today and thrilled to see its still alive. i’m in the obesity prevention field, and everything i’ve heard from colleagues has made me turn my nose at atkins..until now. i was at my doctor about a month ago, and she explained to me that the problem putting people at risk for diabetes was not sugar, but carbohydrates. talk about a doc who gets it! also, i had a friend who is experiencing tons of success (and energy) on a similar lifestyle. but what made me SERIOUSLY reconsider all of this was getting a glimpse of the book “good calories, bad calories”. so, i’ve got about 3-4 low carb books (including atkins), i’m reading through right now. i havent started induction yet, but i’m slowly getting over my fear of fat.. and i have to say its a delicious experience. also, being freed of the compulsion of having to constantly buy carbohydrates while i’m out is liberating. but what to do with the $24 worth of bars and shakes i purchased tonight? i had a shake and 3 bars today. i know that wasn’t the point.. i may have to seal them for travel and earthquake kits only.
p.s. i plan to put off induction for after i get back from some travel. what can i do to prepare myself to succeed? for now, i’m going to stick to trying not to get re-addicted to desserts. low-fat foods, and the like…
Yeah – I’m still here after all these years.
The fear of fat is a weird one. You need to get over decades of conditioning that fat is bad. I *still* wonder if my arteries have narrowed to the diameter of a pencil lead, though it’s been nearly 7 years. Heck – I was afraid I’d kill myself just trying the diet for the first 2 weeks!
Once you’re used to fat, then you have anyone you dine with looking at your plate. Watching you eat the burger with a knife and fork off the bun with an eyebrow raised. You explain sheepishly when asked that you’re on a low carb diet, and a thin smile appears on their faces that indicates they think they are in the presence of a real lunatic.
I am used to being considered ‘peculiar’. Long ago I made peace with this aspect of myself. If you’re the type of person that likes to ‘fit in’, adhering to a low carb lifestyle puts you in the category of Dietary Weirdo, along with Vegans and Orthodox Jews.
If I was going to dole out one piece of advice, it’s this: experiment. Think of the low carb books you have as guidelines – not bibles. Take the long view and see what works in your case – everyone’s different. I, for example, can stay in ketosis if I keep my net carbs under 50. Try to keep a journal – as detailed as you can without driving yourself crazy. If you lose weight, you are essentially ‘artificially thin’. It means to keep the weight off, you’ll have to adhere to some form of low carb for the rest of your life. Find ways to make it sustainable. Try lots of new foods in new ways – ever have stir-fried celery? Yum.
Good luck, and write back after you’ve got some serious low carbing under your belt – it’ll be interesting to know how you’re doing.
Regards,
LCC
oh yeah..i didn’t just have a shake and 3 bars today.. i didn’t want you to think i was a complete meat and veggie-phobe.
Thanks for this page !!! This is my third time round on induction. It never fails if you do it right.
Day 1 today!!!! Think I´ll get by with the support of reading this page everyday. Will post the progress.
wish success to all my peers here!!!
I’m trying it now myself – you’re not alone.
I’m back on day one as well! Had great success back in 2003, and I hope to replicate it. Great site!!! I’ll be back. =)
thank god i am not alone. sometimes i think i am the only fat person on earth as I work at a place where everyone is super fit!!! thanks!!!
day 3 and i feel knackered…
Day 3 is always the roughest for me. You usually go into ketosis on day 3. I find when my body adjusts to this, I start to get a LOT of energy.
you´re right. just did the stick test…already very purple….ketosis, yes!!! I feel a lot better today!!! Day 4!!!
I´ve never been into chocolate and cakes but God how i wish i could have mashed potatoes. Ok, better grab a book and go to bed!!!!
How do you get your stick test purple? Im on day 8 and am in the middle.
Don’r worry about it. If you’ve been in ketosis for a while, the depth of color indicates the degree of dehydration.
For a mashed potato experience, steam or boil some cauliflower (1 cup), add a dash of heavy cream and/or cream cheese/sour cream. Delightful!
thanks christine!!! will shop for cauliflower in a minute.It sounds delicious indeed! day 9…but i´m doing a 21 day induction so still a long time till i can add some more carbs here.
hello again!!! had a bit of a slip last night. went to a friend. she had made soup, a broth basically with brocholis but also with some carrot and a bit of potato tiny slices too. Hope this wont affect my ketosis much. Will test later? How are you doing, Christine, Low Carb, BP?
Doing ok here, Patricia! Day three is about to come to a close. I find that exercising is an absolute must for me if I’m going to lose weight, so I have been ramping it up a bit; I normally exercise (which I think is why I haven’t gained more that I already have), so I’m adding a few new things. Tonight it was belly dancing, which was fun and TOUGH!!
I imagine that your minor slip won’t make much of a difference in the long-term!!
day 12 here and ok! how are u doing my friends?
Ok, I’m giving it a go. Headed to the store to grocery shop for induction!!
day 11 for me on induction!! not been exercising for the past 4 days,kinda scared of weighin myself.
off to the gym now,will update u guys!! anyone else on day 11? keep in touch-lets do this together
I’ve been eating low carb on the Atkins way of living for the past 5 years or so. After I started the diet, I really enjoyed the extra energy I have while eating low carb and it has increased my blood chemistry as well! I’m very thankful to Dr. Atkins. I would really recommend it to anyone looking to adopt a new healthy way of living.
Hi Amy,
Like your recipe site – I’ll have to explore it more.
Regards,
LCC
I think I’m on day 4.. I say that because I took the past three weeks to gradually work my way towards induction. I just didn’t feel like the all or nothing would work until I was ready to work it. Anyhow, yesterday, I finally had that lingering headache everyone talks about, and no appetite at all. I thought to myself, oh my goodness, its ketosis! 🙂
I am eating so much less than I used to. I am drinking tons of water to go with that psyllium husk 🙂 I finally gave up the half and half and moved on to heavy cream. I don’t feel tired in the afternoon. I’m doing some moderate exercise. I’ve lost 2 pounds since Saturday.
I can’t believe the past two paragraphs describe me. Thats how awesome this is.
On day 14 today. I have not weighed myself since last friday. And i was down 11 lbs. I am not sure if that is on track? I swear that the last time i did this diet 4 years ago, it came off much faster then that? no? any comments on that?
As for my induction results (this is my second time doing atkins) I am on day 10 and have lost 9 pounds! I even had a wild night with many a beer and a few shots and a sip of a mixed drink. i wouldnt reccomend it lol, but i thought I would have to start over but nope im still loosing =) The easiest way for me to stay under 20 carbs is by allowing myself only to eat salad and whatever few veggies on it to be my carbs..well the dressing has some too but it makes it easier I just eat a salad with everything for lunch, some type of egg and breakfast meat combo for breakfast, and a whole lot of meat- steak, chicken, fish whatever for dinner with a small salad and the sugar free jello and heavy cream recipe i saw on the atkins website for induction desserts if i get hungry…or ill trade chicken, tuna, or eggsalad for one of my meals. it works!! and I forgot how well!
hello LLC and everyone here. Starting again today. Induction day one. Blew it last week so back to ground zero;
so, I am getting so frustrated! I am still on the atkins now for about 4 weeks. and I have only lost 15 lbs and 14 inches. what am i doing wrong? I will have an occasional shot of whiskey now and again. I drink my 8 glasses of water. HELP!!! I really dont want to give up. but it just seems like nothing is happening.
14 inches is GREAT!! Keep going, it’s a whole lot better to lose than to gain. This is only my third day and I can’t wait to lose 15lbs. and 14 inches 🙂 Keep a positive attitude and it will come off. Good Luck!!
Hi Tenaya,
I personally think 15 pounds in 4 weeks is amazing. I have been on Atkins for a little over two months and have lost about 18 pounds. I think the hard part about Atkins is that you have to learn what your body can and cannot take. It is an individual formula you have to follow. I think as long as you see some changes you are doing fine. I think it is more important for you to keep your sanity and figure out what lifestyle changes you can make rather than hurting yourself to only fail in the end. That is, if you need some whiskey to keep your sanity and maintain your carbs otherwise, then whiskey away.
tina, while on the atkins for two months, have you noticed that you are loosing more in inches than you are in lbs. As I have stated before, I was on the atkins about 3 years ago, and lost 80 lbs in about 5 months. And I remember that the inches came off first, and then the pounds. but I can not remember how long it took for the lbs to start falling off. Anyone have advice, or input?
Tina, I think 15 pounds in 4 weeks is quite a good achievement!!! Keep up the good work!!!
Patricia
Hi
I am on Induction since 9 Days.At Beginning, I lost 1/2 pound every Day.but since 3 Days,Nothing ! my ketone strips are on there way(ordered).I eat only 20 gram carbs per Day.
Take it easy, the weight will go!!!
Hi
I’m new to this! Starting the induction tomorrow (well today really cause it’s after midnight and I’m just heading to bed) worried I won’t have the will power
I am on my 7th week. and have Lost 22 lbs, and 30 inches. is this on track? I am really starting to think that it is not going to work for me this time. I dont want to quit, but i have atleast another 80 lbs to loose. any advice anyone?
My advice is to relax – you are doing fine. It took me 2 years to lose 80 lbs. Be patient with yourself, expect setbacks, and focus on what you achieved as opposed to some possibly unrealistic goal you might not be able to achieve. Remember also that losing weight too fast is not healthy. Slow and steady wins this race.
I just started today. So far, so good. Though, avoiding going out tonight has been challenging. I just can’t see the sense in going out on a Saturday night, and not having at least one glass of wine. So, during induction – no going out for me 😦
How many times a day should I eat? I just ate an egg omelette wuth ham and a side of turkey sausage for breakfast. Planning to have a turkey burger with mayo for lunch, and for dinner, an egg omelett with guiyere cheese. is that ok?
Smaller meals more often during the day can help. I see nothing wrong with what you have there. Good luck!
Also, i totally love eggs. Is it bad to have them more thn once a day. Seriously, I could have them for every meal 🙂
I personally think eggs are the perfect food in so many ways. I eat them whenever I want. I always buy the organic if possible. While I don’t notice a big difference in taste, try an experiment: get a regular grocery store egg and the highest quality egg you can get in your area. I did this with local organic eggs. Break each into a plate side-by-side and look at the difference. When I did it, the yolk of the organic egg was a deep orange compared to the pale yellow of the grocery store egg. The yolk was also firmer and stood taller in the plate – even the whites were firmer and less watery.
I always consider how expensive chips are for a potato thin-sliced and fried in vegetable oil. What? $3? $4? I Skip the chips, put that toward the eggs and I’ve spent no more money and got much better food.
Hi everyone! I am on day 4 of Induction. I was on this diet once before back in ’99 and I did very well, lost about 60 pounds! I am starting again as I just had a baby (3 years ago =)…) and still need to lose the baby weight.
I never used the Keto sticks the first time around, but I would like to try them this time. Can anyone tell me where I can physically go to buy them? I’ve been doing well so far, however, about two hours ago I realized I cheated without even meaning to. I ate a mint that had 15 carbs in it without even thinking. So that, combined with the two pieces of gum I had (4 carbs) and the broccoli and cheese for the day (approx 5-6 carbs) is worrying me that I just threw myself out of ketosis! I sure hope not, but we will see.
Anywho, I am sooo happy I found this sight! I cant wait to look through the recipes!
Ask your pharmacist – any drugstore should have them, but some keep them behind the counter. Good luck this time around.
Thank, Lowcarb.
It’s Day 3, and I have already eaten 4 times today. I am hungry every two hours. i thought Ketosis was an appetite suppressant (sp?). This is awful – I am afraid that I will end up gaining weight after all this suffering. It’s 4:30 PM, and I already ate 5 eggs with two packs of Mayo, two (3oz) can of Tuna with about two tbls of Olive Oil, and two small instant coffes with light cream (about 1 1/2 oz) and a splenda in eah cup. Is this bad? I need to loss 20 pounds 😦
Suzie 17: I had a day like that a few weeks ago. It went away the next day though. It looks like you are eating enough fat but you didnt mention water. Are you drinking enought H2O?
Oh, yes. 6 liters a day 🙂
I am so dam tired, all day long :(…. I am afraid that I ate too much today, and I have zero energy to work out!!!
I am getting pretty bored with this diet. I don’t feel thinner, and I am sooooo tired. When will this change 😦
aah, hang in there Suzie! It gets better! I am starting this again too, and Induction can be a pain in the you know what. But, I’ve been finding that you just have to mix it up a bit. We get into our routines of steak, chicken eggs, pepperoni, etc…
Try googleing Induction diet recipes. You’ll come up with a bunch of things to try. Its helping me out. Are you taking a multi-vitamin? I take a one a day that helps with metabolism and has a boost of caffeine. Since I started back on the program, I quit coffee so the caffeine in the vitamin has been nice!
Hey Suzy, I would also try adding in a few vegetables.. 1-2 cups per day. That helps keep things moving, if you know what I mean. The flaxseed induction pancakes really helped me when the diet felt monotonous. I ended up going off of it for a while, because I couldn’t really exercise hard with it and started marathon training. If you could take it easy and go moderate on the exercise, you may feel a little better.
As far as me, I’m easing back into good carbohydrate choices (yes, I went off the deep end for a minute). I realized its worth it to avoid flour and sugar because I also get to miss out on horrible menstrual cramps (sorry guys, but this is seriously awesome for us ladies). I focus on the fat, protein, veggies, and as I said, good choices with other carbs. I never would have thought I could enjoy stir fry without rice, or go without having fruit as often as I wanted. Its not even funny how much fruit I used to buy that just went bad. Now, I keep one or two pieces around max.. any more than that and I’m horribly tempted.
Your thinking process will change, and will surprise you! Now, if I can just keep my hands away from the bad carbs ;0
one more thing… my “perfect” jeans are now saggy. my new perfect jeans are a pair i hadn’t worn in over two years. IT WORKS!!
That’s soooo encouraging. Thank you, PJ. I wish I could stop thinking about eating. Not necessarily carbs, but just eating. I don’t think I am lossing weight, either 😦
I am on my 8th week, and have only lost 22 lbs. and 34 inches. I am getting a little discouraged myself. I have not lost a lb in a week and a half. Does working out on this diet help? I have bad knees. but if it helps, i will do anything. I think that i have hit a platue
No problem, Suzy! I would recommend poking around the web for sample induction menus. I couldn’t stand avocado, or lots of cheese, for instance! Once I found the flaxseed pancakes on low carb forums, breakfast was handled (with 2 eggs on the side, of course!). Lunch was generally some type of meat and veggies. I ate hardboiled eggs for snacks. Dinner was meat and veggies again. The mashed cauliflower that so many rave about are really amazing. I also enjoyed some jello with heavy cream (but eventually realized i could eat it all….so I had to get rid of that 😉 It will be easier after the initial two weeks. Try to switch up your meats and veggies so your diet has more variety. I hope your appetite calms down soon. That can be very stressful!
Tenaya, working out on the diet helps a lot. Try to do moderate exercises that are easy on your knee (biking, elliptical, etc). I also like pilates and yoga for firming. If nothing else, please do get out and walk. Its a great way to start.
one more thing, Tenaya…have you been on induction for 8 weeks? Have you tried reintroducing some carbs? I know some people like to hang out there until they have lost a lot. I, on the other hand.. could not take it. Just be sure it is a slow reintroduction, or the pounds and cravings will return. Sometimes your body can get used to what you are doing. Make sure you are eating enough so it doesnt go into starvation mode, either. Try reading the sections of Atkins’ books that deal with plateaus.
In regards to exercise, Atkins was fond of saying that if you aren’t exercising, you aren’t doing atkins.
I have been trying on doing induction for the 8 weeks. but as a mother of a 4 year old. and a 6 month old. at least once or twice a day, i find myself throwing in One, or two gold fish crackers while feeding my children snacks. So it is me not being honest with myself. so to BE HONEST i am probably taking in between 30-40 carbs a day. and I know that i should be in the 15-20 carb range. but am still loosing. but not as fast as i can. plus I am not taking a multi vitamin. I am starting up a walking group in my neighborhood. I just need to make it a POINT to myself that I can not have a carb. It is sooooo damn hard.
Thanks, again, PJ!
Day Five the fatigue so far has lessened a bit, thank God! I had some wacky dreams last night, though. I also slept for 9 hrs which is totally absurd for me (usually 6). Are these two things common?
I happily found a mayo that is no carb (11 Fats, 100 Cal), and is cheaper than Hellmanns, and also totally yum.
I still don’t feel like I lost any weight. i didn’t gain any, but looking for that magical drop ~ it might encourage me a little ( a lot)
Thanks Suzie17! Is that what the weird dreams are about!?!? I am in day 4 and have had some crazy nights! The headache still persists but I am confident from reading here that they will go away soon! Going to the grocery store today…only shopping the outside aisles! That’s the way to do it!
i am restarting induction today. Does anyone here want to be my partner,plz?
patricia
patricia…. I am restarting tooooo. please be my partner. It is so hard for me. I took the weekend off. and i am kicking myself enormously. in the weekend I gained 10 lbs. HELP!!!
tenaya, ok… I am on day 3…I know day 3 and four are like lethal…let´s do it till the 14th!!!thank u with all my heart!!!I´ll check my msgs here everyday and post whatever happens…
I agree that day 3 and 4 are lethal – it’s a great way to describe it. Prior experience tells me that if you get beyond that point, you start getting the energy bursts – damnedest things – very unexpected.
“Atkins didn’t fail me, I failed IT”… I have a question about this concept. I’m 39, for the past from age 27 to age 35 I was about the same weight +/- 10 lbs. Then over the past 4 yrs have been about the same weight which is about 10lbs heavier than my previous decade.
I know Atkins works as I’ve done it once before and lost 20 lbs in 12 days. My question is, if my old program was keeping my weight effectively flat for long periods, will it all just come back after I end Ketosis? I don’t intend to be a low carb person long term.. but to keep it within reason.
Jeez – that’s a tough one. If your body is starting to gain weight, I doubt that a quick run at ketosis then back to what you were doing previous will result in perm weight loss. It would help to fit in those clothes you want to wear to your class reunion, but it would probably pop back on pretty quick if you return to your original ways.
The other aspect is: what a ‘low carb person’? Atkins is not about living your life in perpetual ketosis. There’s a lot of carbs in low carb – it’s just healthy ones. The book ‘Atkins For Life’ – about maintaining a low carb weight loss – is to me a pretty nice way to go through life.
Now, if you just want to do a ‘body hack’ and pull off the weight, then go back to your regular diet, you will have to do some sort of portion control or exercise. I think some folks could pull that off – I don’t think I could, but maybe you can.
Thanks for responding.
My body seems to be fairly static on the weight +/- 5lbs week to week but no real upward shifts, at least not lately. So as an example if I did the induction period, which I’ve found in the past is worth 20lbs for my body, and then went back to basically the same ways why would that result in a weight gain when Pre-Induction I was static?
I guess part of the reason I bring this up is after my previous experiment with Atkins I gained that 20lbs back fairly quickly, but at the time I was not exercising and was following the “see food” diet. (tongue in cheek).
These days, I’ve been trying to lose weight by cutting portion size and exercising a bit more, but it’s been very slow going so I thought I’d give myself a kick start with phase I. I just don’t see myself being a lifer on the low carb lifestyle. However I do intend to continue to exercise and hopefully 20 less lbs to start will make the jogging that much easier on my poor old knees.
Thanks for the advice.
For the last 8 weeks, on this dang diet, I am hooked. there is non other diet (((IHAVETRIEDTHEM “ALL”)) that makes me feel so much more energy and the actual….”I CAN DO IT” after the first week, It is honestly still a hard act to accomplish. and is still a working progress.
I had initially lost 25 lbs and 34 inches in all. in 9 weeks. and then my younger brother had is mission farewell, and I was not about to miss out on any emotion, food, or interaction. and it happens to be that the only thing that i regret completely is the food intake. all I ate honestly made me physically ILL!!!! I had to leave the party… But that is my damn problem. why cant I just look at something and say, NO THANKS. “EVEN THOUGH YOU WILL BE AMAZING ON MY TASTE BUDS>>>> I CANT”
SOMEONE PLEASE HELP>
I AM NOT HAPPY WITH MYSELF> I REALLY NEED SOME SUPPORT
Tenaya,
I’ve been at this a long time. Blowouts like that are going to happen. Where you trick yourself is when you say: ‘I screwed up, might as well quit the diet.’ If you lost 25 lbs., you didn’t gain it all back in one meal. So you gained some – now lose it. You lost 25 lbs. – you know how.
Lastly – don’t beat yourself up. Dieting can turn into a form of self-hatred. Forgive yourself and get back on the diet. And do it again – and again – and again, if need be. Keep forgiving yourself, keep going back to the diet, keep trying.
Tenaya, we all go through that!!
Thank you guys for you comments. I have started back on the diet and lost another 3 lbs. I cant give up on myself. I have been doing that for the last 3 years. So ….. We are back at it again… please keep the comments coming. they really do help.
BTW? suzie17? are you still at it? have you lost your 20 lbs?
Tenaya, i bet we´ve all re started a dozen times here…I have
Has anyone had this happen? On day 2 1/2 I used one of those Ketosis strips and was at medium Ketosis. Now day 3 1/2 I used one and it was barely on light Ketosis. I don’t get it? I’m 100% sure I didn’t eat more than 20 net carbs, quite a bit less actually.
Don’t sweat it. It means you were less hydrated the first day and the ketones were less diluted. A really dark test strip is more an indicator that you need to drink more fluids than anything else.
Hi, girls and guys, Day 7, and holding on…woke up with a sudden urge for orange juice but managed to have eggs and decaff…Everyone ok here today?
patricia
still here, and barely hanging on. I did do horrible last night, but not the best either at a girls night out gathering. Does it matter if you just pick up where you left off? or do you need to start back at day one again?
Tenaya, have you ever met a flawless person who isnt a phony? Pick up from now…we all do it , baby!!!
patricia
thanks patricia.
The thing is, my dear friend just got engaged. and wants me to stand in her line. I refuse to do it with the way i am now. i have never ever been this large in my life. marriage struggle, and this baby have packed on the pounds. I just need to loose at least 70 lbs before mid February. is it possible? AAAhhhh!
I am on day 2 and I feel surprisingly well compared to the previous times I have started (about 4). When I started in 2008, I lost about 15-20 pounds and was using Sparkpeople (free wight loss website) to log my loss and minutes of exercise. I stopped, gained just about all my weight back and looked in the mirror. I give everyone else advice about how to lose weight but I just can’t seem to practice what I preach. I love how I feel when I lose weight but I am a carb-o-holic. Rice, potatoes, noodles, juice, soda…oh man, anything sweet really. I am so done with not being able to fit into my smaller jeans… I will be bookmarking this page to keep in contact with others who understand my pain and the struggle to keep yourself on track. I know I saw website for food combinations/meals but I can’t find it anymore. Anyone know what they are?
Hello everyone, after reading this blog 4 days ago I started induction, today is my 3rd day, I felt kinda tired, but had a busy day so I kept going anyways. I feel a little thinner but I keep telling myself: “it can be my imagination”, after all I’ve been on the diet three days, according to the weight I haven’t seen any change yet. I am a little worried wondering if my sacrifice will work, but anyways I will keep you posted. Oh and by the way VonnieBaby, I KNOW HOW IT FEELS FOR A CARBOHOLIC not to be able to eat rice, pasta, pizza, bread, sweets and all that… But for soda try Pepsi Max, it doesn’t sacrifice the flavor, and for juice I drink Ocean’s Spray Diet Cranberry Pomegranate and Peach Tea Diet Snapple and you can also use Splenda to sweetened. Good luck!
I went crazy with food these past two weeks. I am at a new job and they are big on birthdays. Who can resist birthday cake? And the gourmet chocolates are to die for. Considering the hecticness of my new life i had not been to the gym in two weeks. I was absolutely scared to go considering that where I weight myself. I stepped on the scale and took a deep breath before i looked down. Whaaat? I was down 3 more pounds. It must have been by some miracle that, not only did i NOT gain weight but i lost a few pounds. So, three and a half months in and I have lost 25 pounds. 5 more pounds and I will officially reach my goal. Now I just have to figure out how to not lose more than that. I dont want to look stickly. And apparently birthday cake and gourmet cookies dont hurt my waistline. However, I am not willing to bet on it again.
you guys, I quit. I do not really know why. It is so weird, at night, I dream that I should, or talk about being on the Atkins diet. But I dont know what will work for me. I like Vonnie, and Claudia L.O.V.E carbs. but I want to make a lifestyle of something. I have gained A>L>L the weight back before, and Want to make a change, PLEASE give me some advice!
Hi Tenaya,
I’m doing *awful* at present, so I know how you feel. You know what advice I give myself every day?
‘I’ll try again tomorrow.’
Seems to me there are just those days where things ‘click’. They don’t come all that often.
The only way to tell if today is that day is to try again.
Try. Fail. Try again – maybe with a slightly different approach.
Regards,
LCC
i am restarting today …let´s go …
Today I started induction for about the 10th time. It has always worked well and I’ve been maintaining most of my 40lb original weight loss. However, I have been high carb for a few months and I’m getting bloodwork done this week for a physical. I want to see how bad it has gotten (and set a baseline) then get it checked again in a couple months to see how much it improves.
Hi everyone, on day 3 of induction myself, just tired of being “plump”, plus I am in school (DVM) with kids who were born AFTER I graduated from high school. So I feel the need to be at least not the class “DOUGHBOY” . I need to lose @ 25lbs to be back to my playing weight and BMI of 23. Not too bad, but the 27 credits a semester and no time to do anything but study and eat/drink lifestyle has caught up with me. Wish I could run in the mornings, but that is just not going to work on my schedule.
Anyhow, I just wanted to say to Tenaya if she is still on here; losing 22lbs means you are down 77,000 calories. Considering most people eat only 1500 kCal per day, you have already lost the equivalent of 7 1/3 weeks worth of food intake in 8 weeks. That is simply AMAZING! I do not know how you could possibly wish for more, in fact I really think that is too much weight too fast if you ask me. But I am impressed nonetheless. The weight did not appear overnight, so how can we expect to lose it any faster? Hang in there, and just try. If you trip and fall, simply pick yourself up and start again. Don’t beat yourself up so much!
Anyhow, cheers everyone, and thanks for being here and so supportive.
Tenaya, Jennifer, Kai, how are you doing? xxxx Patricia
Weight loss is slowing down now, but still firmly into ketosis. 6lbs, 8 days. I am OK with 2-3 per week from here on out. How goes it for you!
Sounds like you’re in the groove, Kai. The first few days on low carb you shed a lot of water, after that the actual weight starts to come off. Beware the trap of fast weight loss – it feels great – then it stops and can be discouraging. Weight loss is healthier and more sustainable when it is slow. Don’t beat yourself up when you hit plateaus – consider it an adjustment phase for your body – stay the course and give your body the time it needs.
In our ‘instant-everything’ society, patience is almost obsolete as a virtue. Your body is old-fashioned, however, and demands it for this endeavor.
A big thing to remember in any weight loss diet, but especially on a low carb weight loss diet is water intake. When burning fat you must flush out the body and keep it well hydrated. I read several people mention headaches, and increasing water intake helped…More water!
My weight loss clients are told to consume about a gallon of water per day, especially the men. Women, who make up about 90% of my clients, are encouraged to get there too.
Think about it, burn=fire=ashes…water to flush.
Also remember to keep the green veggies as the primary source of carbohydrates in a low carb diet, they are actually very low in carb count when looking at their fiber and that burning the veggies out actually tends to make the body work harder than the calories in the veggies in the first place.
Remember that the idea of weight loss is to get to a target weight and maintain it. Most get somewhere and then let it fall apart…don’t let that happen to you;-)
Make a good change for life and stick with it.
I’ve dealt with weight loss for clients for about 20 years, but have worked on it personally for my entire life…Low carb dieting has been used in my own life off and on since the 80’s. I’ll put up a blog post to shed some light on the subject next week (this week if I can squeeze a minute;-) at http://www.primephysique.com/blog/
Drink your water and eat your veggies…stay healthy!
Brett A. Riesenhuber,
Prime Physique Fitness
i Just checked in to see how everyone is keeping up. I have been meaning to start up again. It is just so dang hard. I have been trying to do the eat less calories thing. but that seems to not be working either. I am going to start this diet over, I need to do this, not only for me but for my family. who wants to have a fat mom? thanks for all your comments. It is getting me in the mind frame to start this up again.
good luck to all.
i am restarting today, Tenaya!!!! How are you doing?
if you want to protect the integrity of your heart, then low fat foods should be the thing to go ;-,
LLC, have you heard about Dietrine. Do you think it´s safe. i am on lo carb but I am just wondering…
thanks,
patricia
The problem, Patricia, is sometimes these things have ingredients they shouldn’t have, don’t have the ingredients they claim, or the ingredients themselves don’t do a damn thing. Me, personally – I gave up ALL vitamins and supplements about 6 months ago. Not that they aren’t beneficial, but how do I know they don’t have contaminants or are in the proper potency?
My concerns lie in eating anything that came in a chemical container from India or China – which is where most of the ingredients for these things are sourced.
I’m painting with a broad brush here – of course many, if not most supplements are what they say they are. Plenty of ingredients are produced in China and India that are of excellent quality – but remember when a Chinese manufacturer put an industrial waste called melamine into baby formula to make it appear that there was more protein in the product – and babies started dying?
So how to you know which ones are safe – and which aren’t?
LLC, ok , you ´re right about those dietrien pills…ok, tenaya is back an so am i and u…so let´s do it this year friends!!!!!
Here I go again… This time i am literally giving it my ALL! will keep you all posted!
tenaya, let´s do it together… today day one.ok with u?
yeah. the 3rd was day #1. today is day #3. still going really well.
does anyone know if I can have at least one or two diet drinks a day…. I seriously went from one every hour…. I started drinking a 16 oz bottle of water every hour now.. but I NEED some of my diet dew…
Stay away from nutrasweet and stick to drinks with splenda – nutrasweet causes some people to stall.
always with splenda, tenaya, as llc has already posted.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with induction. I had done Adkins about 6 years ago and lost 80 lbs. Unfortunately I have gained it all back and just started the induction 8 days ago. BTW, you are not strange, a Splenda packet has been my dessert on at least two nights so far.
Hey there guys..
I am 25 and from New Zealand.
Have two gorgeous girls, 5 and 3.
Started Atkins about 2 months ago and people
noticed a difference 2 weeks in but only lost like 2 kilos which I think roughly is 1 pound to you guys.
Before I started that time I could get my old jeans past just above my knees then 2 weeks later I could do them all the way up properly. Because I didnt see the scales change I got dis heartened and stopped then in weeks went back to 80 kilos, I think you double that for pounds. I am day 5 now and am making this a life thing, I will stay in induction for a while as I love how much energy I have. These are a few snack type things I have come up with already. Chunky peanut butter with cream cheese and cocoa, roll in nuts (optional)…Quantities depend on personal taste. Or mixing dark chocolate with marscapone cheese and sweetener for a fudge like dessert. I also will try a cheesecake made of nuts base and cream cheese with heavy cream on top, only a cup size for now. Anyhoo will let you know how I go, I have given up on scales and follow how I feel and how loose clothes get. I also did the ketostix and am pink so pretty happy 🙂
I am very interested in how things are still going for you. And if you have any other interesting recipes for this diet. I kinda am getting sick of the same ol same ol stuff.
day six. still doing pretty okay. I measured myself today, and I am down 7 inches. I still will have one or two diet mt dews a day. but put down plenty of water. How is everyone else doing?
I want to start the induction phase tomorrow. However, I have a few questions that I’m curious about. I work a 12 hour shift overnight. When I get off at 6am, I’m typically either starving or not hungry at all. If I eat breakfast consisting of eggs and plenty of meat and then go to sleep, I’m not hungry again until probably about 7 or 8 pm when I go back to work. Will it be sufficient for me to then eat meat and probably a salad or something and not eat again until 6am when I get off, which would be eggs and meat again? With my schedule being the way that it is, I’m not sure that I can always fit in 3 meals, because I’d rather sleep sometimes than eat. If the eat “every 6 waking hours rule” is to help you not to get hungry, does it hurt you, if you don’t eat that often? I’m planning to force myself to drink about 100ozs of water while I’m at work, but I just want to make sure that I’m not hurting my weight loss by not eating enough. Any advice would be appreciated.
I’ve sworn off giving ‘advice’ until I peel off my own extra weight, but I’ll tell you this:
My understanding is the ‘eat at least every 6 hours’ rule is supposed to prevent your body from going into ‘starvation mode’, where your body thinks it’s might not get fed for a while, which can slow weight loss.
I think every body is different, however. It might work for you, as long as you get enough nutrients at each meal. Eating ‘enough’ – not too much, but also not to little – is important.
Is their any chance you could sneak in ‘mini-meals’ at work? Hard-boiled eggs, maybe a few ounces of some hard cheese – something like that. This way you can eat 3 meals – it’s just that one is really simple and easy to grab at work.
Just found your site, LCC. I did Atkins in Jan. 2005. Had perfect weight loss, left induction after 2 weeks as was losing a lb per day. Did all the phases and maintained beautifully until I moved to England to live with my partner. Long story short, I gained all the weight lost (24 lbs) plus another 22 lbs in the last 3 years. Yikes! So I am hunkering down now, started induction 2 days ago. Losing about a lb per day as before.
My question is: this morning my partner noticed a red spot on my side under my left arm. Tonight, I noticed a red spot on my left forearm and a darker one in the crook of my right elbow. The first two are slightly raised.
Any ideas?
Hey all, i just started atkins again after so many years,…i have done this in 2003 and lost lots of weight but later gained again when i had my first child…back then i was 157-170 lbs but now after my second child i am a whopping 253 lbs…I want to go back to 157lbs. I am currently enrolled in water aerobics at the gym and have started atkins on february 7,2011 and so far i have lost 3 lbs, am overly excited…Yesterday was my 3rd day and i felt really light headed and couldnt feel full no matter what i ate maybe my body was going into ketosis, however i stuck it out throughout the day and today (day 4) i feel wonderful, although i ate breakfast, i wasnt feeling hungry, am elated..Am also consuming 64 oz of water per day…is anyone else here on day 4?
I am on day two. Starting once again. This time I am not going to weigh. It just frustrates me. I just want my clothes to start falling off.
i am back on day one…so let´s do it together, Tenaya.
I would love to. Do you want to keep intouch some other way…. Email… Maybe. Totally just an option.
LETS DO THIS!
How are you doing Patricia? What do you think the reasoning is that we cant stick to this dang diet? I HAVE to this time. There is no other option. It worked so great the first time that I ever did it.
me too Tenaya, let´s bloody do it …my email pactis11@hotmail.com – let´s check it each other on a daily basis…
Tenaya- I’m back on Atkins. The three times before I didn’t do the induction phase, I just kept total carbs between 35 and 45 per day. Each time I lost 50 lbs in 70 days. This time I am into it 20 days and my total weight loss is 24 lbs. It works when I do it.
Tony in Las Vegas
Hey guys, I stumbled upon this website and I love it. Not sure if anyone still posts here, but I’m starting induction today. I’m super paranoid that I’m not going to do it right, but I’m certainly going to give it my all. I think I’m eating too much cheese lol. My goal is 30pds! Anyway, this is my blog where I’m going to keep track of my food intake; http://countingtehcarbs.blogspot.com
Best of luck to you all, and if you have any advice I’d love to hear it!
Hi Chelsea,
Yeah, this blog is still alive and kicking – and so am I – though I haven’t had the chance to post lately.
If I were to give any advice, it would be: patience.
Regards,
LCC
thank for the advice LLC. Couldn t be wiser.
bjs
Last week I cut the carbohydrates out of my diet again…this time to get the winter fat off and get ready for spring and summer (not to mention that I put a few pounds on with an injury…and wine…over the winter;-).
And I realized that a few months ago I promised this list/blog that I would put up a multiple part series on carbohydrates and diet for weight loss, and it is now live on my Personal Training & Weight Loss Blog.
Sorry for the delay!
The link is kind of long, so I apologize, but you can just go to the link in my profile to search for it too:
http://primephysique.com/blog/bid/56804/Weight-Loss-The-Carbohydrate-Question-The-Best-Way-To-Lose-Weight
There are 8 or so parts to the article and they are fun, with funny pictures too;-)
Enjoy and I hope it helps everyone understand carbs and weight loss…It is always good to understand all about what you are doing, rather than just blindly following a diet (I see so many people just follow any new diet than comes around!).
Obviously the people reading this blog understand carbohydrates, or want to learn more!
So best of luck and your comments to any of my articles/blog posts are always appreciated and will receive a response as soon as possible.
Have a great day, a great diet, and a great workout!
Brett A. Riesenhuber
Prime Physique Fitness
http://www.PrimePhysique.com
San Jose Adventure Boot Camp
http://www.SanJoseBootCamp.com
Hi everyone.
i currently on day 4 of introduction and i pray that i doing it correctly. Yesterday and today have had slight headache, just dont feel myself. Can some pleaee let me know if my diet is ok. for example:
Breakfast: 2 eggs 2-3 sausage patties
Lunch: roamaine, spinach and chicken breast salad with ranch dressing. I measure the dressing out, it say 2 tablespoons for 3g carbs i use 3 teaspoons.
snack: tuna with mayo and 1 egg
dinner some type of meat and cooked brocoli or spinach.
also, sometimes i have bacon instead of sausage for breakfast.
i just scared that this died wont work for me and i’m desperately trying to lose this last 25 pounds. i’ve already lost 55 pounds by just diet and excersie, but was struggling to me my goal weight, so that is why i deceided to try the atkins diet.
Hello LCC,
I am 20yrs old and i weight 220lbs! =( my self esteem sucks, so i finally decided to do something about it. So im on day 3 of introduction and i dnt feel much changes but the light headed (just a bit). After reading this, i will be sure to drink MORE water thought and maybe this will help. I have been trying to eat meat, chicken, eggs and cheese ONLY but it after i eat it seems like my stomach gets bloated way more than wht it should! like just 20min ago i ate a bowl of chicken (grilled) with cheese and 1tbsp of sour cream and i feel like i ate a cow!! why is this happening? & also im not VERY familiar with indroduction but am i supposed to eat 0 carbs or is there a amt that u are suppsed to eat? Please help me as i do NOT want to “throw away” a week of trying!
Thanks in advance!!
Hi everyone!
I just stumbled upon this page when randomly searching for atkins diet tips, and ‘ve gotta say, It’s great to hear all your stories!
I’m 37 and I’ve always had to be careful with my calorie intake. Unfortunately I just look at a cookie and gain 10 lbs! But, after some eating issues in my teens and early 20s, I’ve managed to stay at around 8stone – 8st 7lbs (at a height of 5ft 2) by calorie counting. I’ve had a few periods of loosing it and shot up to 10stone but always manage to get back to the start with a bit of will power.
Over the last 2 years my weight has piled on and I haven’t really been able to shift it. I’m guessing age is a factor, I do NOT excercise (although, I’m a nurse, so I don’t sit behind a desk all day), and my will power isn’t what it used to be. I think the moment you start trying to accept your ‘bigger’ body and extra weight, you fall into a trap and just eat whatever you like to stop yourself feeling miserable, and inevitably, end up piling on even more weight! At least that’s how it’s been for me, until now that is!
Today is Friday 20th May 2011. On Wednesday 4th May 2011 I started the Cambridge diet, weighing in at 11st 2lbs. By Tue 10th, 6 days later, I’d lost 6 lbs, but I was hungry and needed solids rather than soups and shakes so I decided to give the atkins diet a try. I’ve been on induction for 10 days now but only lost a further 3lbs and seem to have been stuck at 10st 7lbs for the last 5 days :o(
I’m starting to wonder if I’m doing something wrong??? A typical day for me is:
Coffee with 2 splenda tablets whenever I feel like one. (I was on regular but have switched to decaff in the last few days)
Water but not always the full recommended amount.
3 scrambled eggs with 3 oz cheddar cheese.
150g of smoked salmon or lean beef or 300g of smoked haddock with 15g of butter.
A whole, small avacado.
30 mls of heavy cream in my coffee. (I’ve cut out the cream in the last few days as I thought this might be stalling my weight loss.
I also had a packet of pork scratchings/pork rind the other night as I thought maybe my fat contenet was too low? I think I’m averaging around 1200-1400 kcals a day and trying to add fat where I can. I haven’t really been adding any of the carbs appart from the cream and cheese.
Can anyone see something I’m doing really wrong here? I expected to lose more weight than this in the induction phase. My ketone sticks are deep purple every day.
Good luck to everyone with the weight loss/ maintainance on this diet. I’m reading the original book at the moment and can’t believe how revolutionary it is!!! Haha! I love it!
Lou xxx
Ps….I’ve had 2 fried eggs and 3 rashers of bacon today and I’m about to go and have the same again. A freind lost 4 stone in 3 months and said that’s all she pretty much lived on. Hope I’m doing the right thing!? I think I might measure myself too and see if any inches are coming off, although I don’t feel like they are. Still, I’ve lost 6ilbs on the cambridge diet and a further 3 on the atkins so I’m not ready to give up just yet!
Lou xxxx
Hey all. I’ve been slowly gaining weight since highschool (im 24 now) and have recently reached my breaking point at around 205 pounds. Now on day 2 of induction. I don’t think the food selection will be a big problem for me, as I wouldn’t consider myself a sugeraholic, though years of not caring about what I eat/drink have clearly taken their toll. The only real big side effect I’ve noticed so far is persistent drymouth, regardless how much fluid I drink. I suspect part of it is that im also a smoker, a habit I’ve never been successful in breaking. Anyone else experienced this, and any suggestions to combat it? I’ve had a problem with drymouth for awhile but this diet seems to be amplifying it a lot. Going to be pairing this diet with copious amounts of exercise and will try to check back in with my results.
Hi all!
Nice to see this post going strong. I am on day 3 of induction. I tried about 10 years ago and maybe lost a few pounds but I don’t think I was as focused and knowledgeable as I am now.
However, I haven’t seen any loss yet. I am getting dark sticks though. So hopefully a couple days and I will see some change.
Please keep posting…it’s encouragement!!
Good-luck!
xxxx
Jai
24 days on Real Induction (and three weeks on Pretend Induction-I ate cereal and yogurt with fruit) and I have lost NO pounds but my clothes are fitting better so I have lost quite a few inches. Whenever I feel frustrated by the scale showing nothing lost or even a weight gain, I go to my closet and pull out the box of too small clothes and try things on. I usually find something that fits again.
This doesn’t mean I am not disappointed in the number on my scale. I am. I read the forums, the Atkins books etc looking for a clue as to what has gone wrong. I am drinking more water which is making me feel bloated. Has anyone had this experience with Atkins?
LLC,
my question is : does low carb work every time,plz? Have you tried induction more than once?
Interesting question.
It will be 8 years for me in September 2011. I’ve kept off 40 lbs. during that time. Given that, of people who are able to lose any weight at all, 95% gain it all back, I feel I’ve accomplished something.
That doesn’t answer your question, but it does provide the backup for my answer.
There’s a term that low carbers use: ‘The Golden Time’. It’s that first go at low carb. Your body doesn’t know what hit it when you go from 300 grams of carbs per day to 20 grams. If you’re like a lot of folks, the weight comes off.
Unfortunately, like the villain in a movie that survives in the end so they can come back for a sequel, the tendency for getting fat is still there – and 8 years is a long time. And the creep of time is no help either. Each decade we tag on sees our metabolism slow.
Your next go at induction is harder. It’s worked for me, but the results aren’t as good and it takes longer.
My personal take – for me – is that I have always noticed that I simply feel better on low carb. A family tendency toward diabetes hasn’t hit at the ages it hit my older siblings. My cholesterol is OK. I don’t have GERD, which I always have the symptoms of when I eat too many carbs. My head is more clear – I feel more mentally sluggish and tired when I eat too many carbs.
I started on low carb just to lose weight – but stayed for the other benefits.
And I keep plugging away at the ‘ol waistline. It’s the only thing that’s worked long-term for me.
Wow I love this blog! I hope everyone is still around!! I have a question I’m on day 4 I haven’t lost anything =( I know I’m eating right, is it bad that I haven’t lost anything? Also am I allowed to have coffee? I hope the blog is still alive to help me out
Hi Kristine,
Yeah, I’m still here.
I personally drink about 2 pots of coffee a day – it never seemed to matter.
As to eating right – what are you eating? Food choices can be tricky, especially for folks just starting out.
Regards,
LCC
Hello,
I am also on the induction today (5dys). I havent lost nothing but I feel different I am not eating as much and I am craving for sugar. I am peeing alot is that normal?
Hi Indy,
Last first – yeah – when you ditch carbs your body sheds water.
As to your eating – aside from sugar cravings – are you satisfied with what you’re eating? Enjoying it?
My gut tells me you’re NOT.
You need to enjoy what you’re eating. Maybe you need to find more foods you like and mix it up, or you might end up another ‘low carb sucks’ person who got off on the wrong foot.
Regards,
LCC
Hello again LLC ,
Thank you for your quick response. This website is AWESOME!!!
I meant to say I am not craving any sugar and I am enjoying my food options .
This morning when I got up I weigh myself today is my 6th day in my induction and I am down 4lbs is that possible.
Yesterday when I weigh myself there was no weight loss and today down 4lbs. WOW!
My only concern I have is that I am not a big veggie eater , will this be a problem?
Thank.
Is it possible? Yep. That’s the way it works for me sometimes. Plateau, then drop – plateau, then drop.
As to veggies – and food in general: it’s great that you’ve lost weight – it’s great motivation – but you are going to wake up one day and say: I can’t look at another egg again or I’ll puke!
I highly recommend opening your horizons and trying some veggies. Try prepping them in different ways. Really can’t stand a particular veggie – try some others.
My own example: kale. Ugh. Makes a lousy stir fry in my opinion. BUT – I tried making a soup and it’s awesome. I did take the risk of blowing $20 on the ingredients and tossing it, but I didn’t.
Search the blog for ‘kale’ if you want to check it out – at least as an example of trying to fit new veggies in your new lifestyle.
My own experience has shown me that if I didn’t expand my horizons and try new stuff, I wouldn’t have been able to keep it up.
And if you’re anything like me – there’s a bunch of great foods you’ve never tried before – you just have to experiment and allow for some failures to find them.
Hello LLC
,
Its been 4 dys i lost nothing.
I am eating
Breakfast:
2 eggs and 4 slice of turky bacon with water
lunch:
The same for breakfast and cheese(1oz) and olives(6)
Dinner:\
cabbage (steam) with stew beef olives (3)
I drink alot of water.
A lot of sugar free gum and zero calorie water.
Am i eating enough and am i doing the right thing your suggestion counts thanks
Hi, I am new to this as well, I started on Monday Oct 3, and probably had about 80-100 carbs, then for the rest of the week, I think I have been staying at about 20 carbs a day. I felt terrible all week, but am feeling better today. I have not tried the sticks so I am not sure that I am in ketosis, but since I am starting to feel better I take that as a good sign. I am down 3 lb since I weighed myself about 2 weeks ago. I am worried that I am eating too much, I eat 2 or three eggs with a splash of milk and cheddar cheese and or deli ham, atkins bar for a snack, deli ham, a salad with ranch or, LF swiss and pickle rolled up with broccoli and some ranch dressing for lunch and some kind of meat and veggies at dinner. If I feel hungry before or after dinner I eat string cheese or an atkins bar. I am going to try the different prep ideas for cauliflower. Any suggestions?
I did not mention that I am drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day, I do have a little diet soda maybe every couple days, and I drink alot of tea so I am going to try the truvia instead of sugar.
Hi Kate,
Seems to me from what you wrote that you’re not doing all that bad. Me personally would try to keep the Atkins bars to no more than 1 per day – and be sure they are the ones for ‘all phases’. Diet soda that uses Splenda doesn’t seem to bother me in terms of weight loss. Nutrasweet does. I wouldn’t eat anything low fat – go for the full fat version.
Have you noticed any bursts of energy? Or that mid-afternoon tiredness disappear? Those were two big and unexpected things I still remember from my first go.
One thing I recall from my first go was none of it was agony. I didn’t starve myself, but I was pretty satisified most of the time. I felt good, and my bloodwork was fine. Overall, it was a very healthy approach for me. Losing weight can be slow at times, but losing weight should be a byproduct of a new healthy lifestyle.
Good luck.
LCC
I have been counting calories over the past few months and have lost about 10 lb, but wanted to lose a little faster. I think i am starting to feel like I have more energy, is it okay if you go over 20 carbs during induction, like if I end up with 23 or 24 carbs one day will it throw me out of ketosis? Also, if I completely fall off the wagon one day will I have to start over again?
Everyone has a different level where ketosis stops. I can get up to 40-50 grams and still stay in ketosis.
As to going off the plan now and then – it’s going to happen. It does to me. I don’t sweat it anymore. Enjoy the occasional ‘off the wagon’, then get back on the next day.
Well. everyones posts are really informative and helpful. i have read quite a bit on the atkins website but it is nice to hear how other people deal with a low carb lifestyle long term…..i am going to try to stay on induction for a few more weeks and see how much I can get off before I go to phase 2…….I will keep you all posted, thatnks again for the words of wisdom:)
Kate
It has been about a week since I started induction and I have lost about 5 lb so far, and am feeling pretty good for the most part. This week is going to be a challenge, I have my friends bridal shower to get ready for on Thursday, hopefully I can be strong and stick with this…..crossing my fingers:) How does everyone else get through the holidays with all the goodies that are so high in carbs….work is especially tough, everyone is always bringing in stuff I can’t eat.
I deal with this Every. Single. Day. Honestly, sometimes I cave.
If you don’t think there will be low carb stuff to eat at the shower, eat before you go – enough to be full – not a tiny snack, and when there, tell then you are on a stupid diet that prevents you from even having a taste of the goodies. This way, it’s not ‘you’ rejecting the food, it’s the ‘diet’. Don’t rave about the diet – just tell them that you’re trying it, and you want to give it a fair shot at working for a month, then you’ll decide if it makes sense.
At work, you can use a similar approach for the food pushers – and make sure you got a stock of stuff to stave off hunger if it hits and the cookies in the lunchroom start calling. You’re better off overeating foods on your plan than eating the cookies.
Hello – I’m new to this site, and t’s very helpful! A very specific question is about sugar-free gum. I’m addicted to gum and like to chew new sticks often. (maybe 4-5 a day) Is that a problem? What is the best low carb sugar-free gum available?
If it was me, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Here’s what other people think, however…
http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/atkins-nutritional-approach/689259-sugar-free-gum.html
I started induction a good 2 weeks ago, on day 5 I had lost 5lb, then a cracked one day and ate a stupid cupcake, the next day I kept going with induction…..it has been another week and I actually gained 3lb back…..is my body confused, i am not sure, I have read that alot of people restart induction many times so it should still be working right?I really do not think I am going over 20 carbs a day but I guess I will start keeping a food journal just to be sure….I hate to think this way, but I am feeling a little discouraged. I hear alot of people say they lost like 10 to 15lb in the first 2 weeks alone. This is a little frustrating, perhaps I am just expecting too much…..
I am on day 4 of my 1st ever induction. I think im doing ok but im so worried in case I dont lose any weight or worse still put some on. Im spending a lot of time reading up on Atkins and recipes etc. Im also spending lots of time trying out different recipes. Its like a full time job but it will be well worth it if it works. Today for breakfast I had a sausage 2.6 carbs, 1 egg omlette filled with cheddar, lunch was homemade cream of asparagus soup, dinner was grilled chicken breast with salad leaves and tomatos with mayonaise. Iv been snacking on green olives, no sugar jelly and slices of gammon. Iv also had 2 cups of coffe with cream and sweetness and light sweetner. Sounds like a lot doesnt it. Im worried.
Hi Angela,
First off – relax. Worrying does not help with weight loss. Neither does starving yourself. You need to eat and if low carb works for you, what you are eating seems fine.
The only thing I’m not sure of is your sweetener & lightener. I try to go natural and just use heavy cream when I want something more than black coffee – and stick to pure Splenda – but that’s me.
Regards,
LCC
Yeh I was worried about the Sweetness and Light as its aspartimine. I bought some Splenda today so Im gonna start using that from now. I got my ketostix today and done the test and its pink so at least that given me some positive results. Today I had 2 turkey rashers, cheese omlette. For lunch I had 4 slices of roast beef and a full tub of cream cheese! Iv just had a cup of home made asparagus soup and a slice of gammon and im gonna have chicken sald with mayonaise for my dinner and probably some olives and a sausage later.
So how are you feeling? And have you pulled off any weight? Also – how much are you looking to lose?
I weighed myself yesterday and had lost 2 lb (this is the moirning of day 6). My weekly weigh in will be on Monday so im really hoping that iv lost another 1lb by then. I need to lose 28 lb and im prepared for the fact that its gonna take a while. My worry is that im eating a lot of cream cheese. Do you really need to stick within the 4oz max on induction. Iv heard some people saying you can eat as much cheese as you like. One thing I am enjoying just now is cold cooked chicken breasts with salt. I am a bit hungry and I am eating as much as to feel satisfied but with no carbs. I dont even want carbs any more
I think the trick is to find out if eating cream cheese works for *you* – we all have different body chemistry – I find that cheese does slow my weight loss, but a full-fat Greek yogurt doesn’t – go figure. Try cycling out the cream cheese for a week and see if it helps with the weight loss.
In general, dairy does slow me down, but I like it too much to give up, so I trade rapid weight loss for not being miserable. I think thats a fair bargain.
I totally agree with you because if you dont have some enjoymenrt nout of it you wont stick to it long term. I weighed myself this morning and I was exactly the same as I was the other day. I was a wee bit dissapointed at not losing more but at least I have lost 2 lb this week which is something. If I can lose that every week then I will be happy. I’m definately gonna cut down on the cheese and the cream this week so hopefully will lose a bit more. I have a question. The fat we eat on this diet is higher than normal. Does this fat get stored during ketosis just the same or does the body not store it. Maybe im eating too much fat or is fat a good thing?
To your questions I gotta start with: I dunno. The longer I do this, the less sure I am as to WHY it works for me. Or for anybody.
What seems apparent to me is that the notion that ‘fat makes you fat’ isn’t always true. For me, leaving out the junky carbs and upping the fat causes me to lose weight – not gain it.
Then after a year of doing it, I went to the doctor for bloodwork and they told me it was perfect – not ‘normal’ – perfect. Their words.
Really – people are different – I’ve heard that the increase of protein is bad for people with existing kidney disease, and some folks get problems with their gall bladder. I didn’t. In the long-term it might drive one toward hypothyroidism from a lack of carbs, but ketosis is supposed to be for only a few weeks or months – not forever.
These are some of the chances you take – but I took the chances and now I am no longer obese, my bloodwork is better, my constant indigestion disappeared, and I am managing a tendency toward diabetes without medication.
In my figuring, the benefits – for me – made it worth taking the risks.
Been seven months on Atkins. I started a new Induction 2 days ago just to see if I could move a stall forward. I can see that I was using too much Splenda, eating larger than necessary servings of things, and not drinking enough liquids. In the seven months I have lost 19 pounds (which doesn’t sound like enough) but have NO cravings for cake, bread or pasta. I make this stuff for my family and I don’t eat it, don’t want to eat it. I feel like an addict who has beaten the drug.
I wish things were moving along quicker but they aren’t. I am wearing smaller sizes in clothes, feel healthy and am not constantly wanting to eat things like chips and crackers. I actually eat when I feel hungry and then forget about food until I am hungry again in 3 to 6 hours depending on the amount of fat and protein I had. If I know I won’t be able to eat till later, I add more olive oil or cheese to my morning eggs and sausage.
Thank you for this site and your blog. It has been a lifesaver these past months.
Hi Joanie,
This sounds like a total success. So many people just focus on the damn number – but you see there’s way more to it than that. I’m beginning to think that it’s that focus on the number alone that trips people up. They don’t take into account the mind game – that appreciation of all the other things that come from weight loss – and they are the ones that gain it all back.
Losing weight is easy compared to keeping it off forever – and I think, given your thoughtful description, you’re on the track to keep it off for good.
Thanks for the kind words. I am happy to think that something here – somehow – helped somebody else.
Regards,
LCC (a guy who’s lost abut 30 lbs. this past year)
hi, i have gained a lot of weight. went for blood test and dr confirmed
that insulin n cholesterol was high. No meds were prescribed but
advised to follow low gi diet. i have decided to try out the atkins. starting tomorrow i wil be on induction. please support me as i am quite
hopeless esp
as i love rice, bread, cakes, sugar, etc. more than dieting i m worried
the insulin. so for health reason – please kick me on my ass if i fail. thnx
No need to kick anyone’s ass.
So how much you weight now? What should you weigh? How old are you? Male or female?
And what do you enjoy eating that is already low carb?
my first day – nov 16 – was absoulutely terrible. had severe headache which started in the afternoon, went home and just slept. felt like i was dying.
the next day and the whole week thereafter i BINGED on bread, chocolates, pizza etc. i dream of toast/rice.my body cannot function without it.
i weigh 69 kg. i would like to weigh 58kg. i am a 41 year old female. and my height is 5f3inches.
i am starting again today. Atkins has to help get my insulin fixed before end of
january.
i love chicken, steaks eggs etc BUT it has to be accompanied
by bread, rice, pasta, potatoes. tea and coffee has to be accompanied by
cakes and biscuits.
i cannot believe how successful everyone else is !!!
What can I say? Yeah – giving up bread, chocolate, pizza, toast, rice, and potatoes IS going to be hard. You have a psychological addition to them as well as a physical addiction. It’s usually the first 3 days or so that are the absolute worst. It gets better after that (not like the cravings are over by any means, just better – a little).
Here’s what I do – maybe you can come up with something similar that works for you.
For me, carbs don’t satisfy hunger – they cause hunger. When I’ve gotten myself addicted to carbs (again), I go on a ‘fat fast’ where I try to limit my foods to fatty stuff. Good fats, like butter and greek yogurt, eggs and fresh, unprocessed meat. I drink all the coffee I like (cream and splenda OK). I toss splenda into the yogurt when I need a sweet. I’m still eating low carb veggies and am sure to get my protein, but the most important thing is eating the fat. For me, it seems to reduce the out-of-your-mind cravings for carbs after a couple of days. Eat as much as you need to eat of just these items. You might still have cravings, but you will never be able to assert to yourself that you are hungry.
After a few days, you’ll have weakened both the psychological and physical addiction, and can begin to try balancing out your diet more.
As you’re just starting out, drinking water doesn’t hurt and might help. Atkins shakes were a big help for me when I started out as well.
Don’t worry about the pounds right now. This is all about the addiction. I guarantee it WILL be tough to get under control, and it WILL not go away completely, but it WILL get easier to manage.
Do you have a test kit so you can measure your blood sugar? If you test it and see the number go down, it might be a great motivator while you work your way though this period.
The latest Atkins books mentions that headaches are due to a lack of salt and recommend cups of chicken broth during the day.
Really – the latest Atkins book is really quite good – it might be a good idea to pick it up. Their website also has tons of information – all free.
hi, sorry for writing so much here. since none of my family and frends r
interested in my journey with Atkins – this is the only place i can talk. so
yesterday went very good at work. until i got home and cooked rice for
supper. i tried ignoring it – but in the end dished out just a little to satisfy
craving. then – i just had to have some chocolate, followed by some
biscuits. got up this morning looking so bloated.
i think it wil take some time to eliminate these carbs completely. another thing i noticed – i m so scared of FAT. i actually hesitate to add the butter, cream when i am cooking. and meat has to have all the fat taken off when cooking. i actually dont have much “fat” at home. eveything is low fat or fat free YET I have never lost weight.. my husband and kids are very thin. and with teenagers in the house – there
is always lots of crisp, sweets, biscuits, bread at home.
i wil take one day at a time.
Hi Shen,
Your note, line for line, could be me – or a thousand other people on low carb. I was scared of fat when I started, so much so I thought that eating all the fat would literally kill me in a week or 2. Eight years later, I’m still fine – and people still give me strange and concerned looks when I tell them how I eat.
Fat is necessary for Atkins to work. There is no such thing as a low calorie or low fat Atkins. You have to eat, and you have to eat fat.
As you have a house full of thin folks who love the foods you have to avoid (same here), have some tasty, fatty treat ready for the difficult evening time. When the craving for rice comes, eat the fatty treat instead. Don’t worry about portion control just yet – eat whatever quantity you want. The sole goal here is to begin repatterning yourself to go for the fatty, atkins-friendly stuff instead of the starches.
As to the ‘low fat’ stuff you buy…don’t. It’s a waste of money.
Sot tell me, what are the foods that you are trying to base your diet on? You are in New Zealand, right? AFAIK you have some of the most wonderful meats there – grass-fed is the rule rather than the exception. Get some of that and buy the cheaper (and fattier) cuts.
Also, as you cook, check out the recipes on Atkins.com. It’s a great place to start. You are doing 2 of the classic mistakes people fall in to when starting Atkins: fear of fat, and an unnecessary limiting of their food choices. Both will set you up to fail. When I cook, the stuff I make I can usually add a starch to and serve that to my family while I eat it without the starch.
Example: I made a wonderful thick tomato pasta sauce from ground beef. The wife and kids ate it with pasta, I ate it without.
Lastly, it would be a shame to put all this effort into this and fail because you are doing it wrong. Get the Atkins book – it’s a great starting point. Or check out their website, which pretty much has everything their book has.
Low carb does not work for everybody, but if you try and fail, you are better off trying Atkins correctly, failing, and *knowing* it doesn’t work for you than doing it wrong and *thinking* it doesn’t work.
thanks so much for always responding. I am from south africa. and it is now
summer here. beautiful weather. well – like i said i dont have much fats at
home – so i went shopping for cream cheese, butter, haloumi cheese,
gouda cheese. also packed away my “juicer’ coz i was juicing carrots,
beetroot etc. and these veg are not on the “allowed food” list.
i am getting the hang of it. went out the other day and i ordered fish and
salad. the dressing was a bit suspect – but i ate it anyway. coz i almost died
when they brought out the basket of bread and butter and eveyone tucked
in.
tonite i am having chicken and some brussel sprouts. i want to also fry
some haloumi cheese. my keto stix have from yesterday startted turning
pink. and my scale shows a 2kg weight loss. i am trying not to get too
excited as yet . south africa is well known for it biltong. so i am trying to
get some of that for a snack. didnt know wat to snack on at the movies
yesterday while everyone was eating popcorn. so i bought a small packet
of nuts.
the thing is for the past two days i am not very hungry – where before i was
constantly looking for snacks. on sunday i had a coffee for bfast and then
didnt feel like eating. got a bit worried coz Atkins says not to have a gap of
more than 6 hours. so before bed i ate some cream cheese. i have also been eating some coconut oil coz i heard it helps with weight loss, and it is a gr8
anti fungal etc. so i thought if the bloat is due to candida the coconut oil might
just help with that too. at one stage few years back i had chronic thrush coz
of anti biotics for chronic sinus. i have learnt to deal with my sinus over the
years with steaming etc. so dont use the anti biotics anymore.
thanks again for letting me ramble and for your support. with your help
i can do it.
You said it – it sounds like you’re getting the hang of it.
The biltong sounds like a great idea – I’ll have to keep an eye out for it around here.
Watching others chow down on popcorn – and all the other stuff *IS* a killer. But each time you resist (as long as you are not really hungry because you are starving yourself) you get stronger at resisting the next time. There’s still those certain favorites that will always be a problem, but the number of foods not on the plan that you swoon for will lessen.
Have you noticed other things besides the weight loss and appetite reduction? Early on I noticed my heartburn lessened and that mid-afternoon blood sugar plunge *disappeared* after a few days. There’s other benefits to low carb, in my opinion, than just the weight loss.
Keep up the good work and don’t let the occasional failure get you down.
hi LCC, heres my update. i noticed i am so good in the week and then my carb intake is higher during the weekend. at first i was ready to give up the minute i cheated with extra carbs – but then i took your advice – and on Monday i am right back on track. i weighed myself today and am now down to 66kg. that is 3 kg down (6 pounds). and i must admit it is all from my tummy. (even with cheating weekends with extra carbs) i am still losing weight. i have dug deep in to my cupboards and pulled out my “thin” clothes. i am so motivated now.
what i have also noticed – like u mentioned – is that i am not falling off to sleep at my desk around 3 o clock anymore. and at night when i sleep it is such a deep restful sleep. I was having a problem with Insomnia for quite some time. i am doing very very light excercise for about half an hour. more like yoga type stretching – about three times a week.
our schools and universities are closed now till mid january. and my office is closed also till second week of january. i am confident – that i can still maintain this low carb eating habit – with the occasional cheat and still lose weight.
Now i have a question. Lots of low carbers use Splenda. I couldnt find that in south africa. so i have been using Canderel. But when i googled it – all these WARNINGS about the the dangers of these sweeteners scared me. warnings that they contain toxins, cause cancer, dangers of aspartame etc. so i have been using about a quarter tsp sugar in my coffee again.
Anyway, enjoy your holidays. I too wil be going to the coast for a week. Drive safely. And most importantly – ENJOY YOUR FOOD!! i know i will 😉
thank u for the gr8 advice. at least now when i cheat – i dont give up. i just get right back on track….
Hi Shen,
It’s great to hear low carb seems to be working for you. And I have to thank you – after the new year, I am going to look into getting a food dryer and trying to make my own biltong – I had to look that one up, and it sounds like even a bad facsimile of the stuff would be a great snack for low carb folks. We in the US would call it Jerky, but if I take the plunge, I would like to try and imitate the South African version as much as is possible. Any recipes or advice you have would be welcome.
As to artificial sweeteners. Sigh. I know the problem. I looked up Canderel and it is aspartame, which has been known to cause people on low carb diets to stall. And yes – there is a ton of information on nearly ANY sugar substitute giving them the most horrible effects on people – including cancer.
I’ll tell you this. Right now I use a stuff called EZ-Sweetz I get off Amazon. It is pure liquid Splenda – nothing else. As part of my goals this year (I have a lot – I spend weeks on writing and refining my goals each year), I would like to minimize, if not eliminate, all artificial sweeteners. Big problem, though – I like *some* sweets. I am way better than I was, and can enjoy a dark chocolate with (to me) an acceptable amount of sugar, but I still like I cold, sweet, fizzy drink.
Honestly, right now, for you, I’d continue to use it like a crutch – it’s helping you through a big change in eating. Try to get the Splenda – and the EZ-Sweetz, at least claims to have no other chemicals – it’s just pure Splenda (Sucralose).
Continue the weight loss course. Get a little more steam. Lose more weight. Tackle the artificial sweetener a little down the road. Try not to use too much if you’re concerned.
And if I figure out some way to solve this problem, God Knows I’ll share it.
Happy Holidays,
LCC
Hi LCC, good to have u back. Lucky u to have gone off to the Carribean. Hope u are well rested.
I am on holiday and have been chilling at home. And stuffing my face since 23 Dec with HIGH CARBS. The kids taught me to play computer games (i am 41 and never played before) so i have been playing non stop and eating potatoe chips, chocs, cold drinks etc. In these few day of indulging my tummy balooned and was so uncomfortable. So today i am back on track……
I wil just start eating low carb for the holidays and not focus on the weight – coz that is going to make me miserable. Next week we are going off to Durban on the north coast of south africa for vacation. A week spent on the beach, relaxing and eating. so i am not going to count calories etc. just stick to low carbs. one thing i have noticed – that when i was on my carb and sugar binge these last few days – no matter how much i ate – i was never satisfied. i kept eating and eating – and never felt it was enuf. it felt like this overdosing of carbs and sugar released a monster in my tummy that kept crying out for more and more carbs and sugar. i was so greedy, and then i am bloated. and the IBS symptoms return.
but when i am strictly on the low carb plan – i find i lose my appetite completely. sometimes i had to remind myself to eat.
As for the biltong – i have never made it before. but i will find a recipe for u. i buy from the butchers most of the time. I am a muslim – so we eat only halaal meat products. over the years after trying out diff biltong from diff butchers- i personally love the biltong that is shredded thinly and not so dry – like in strips – in small pieces.the reason being – when i used to buy them in thicker longer pieces – and then try to bite a piece off (esp if it is dry) i end up loosing a filling. unfortunately when i went the other day to buy this finely sliced biltong – my butcher was not stocking it anymore. so i wil hunt around for it again.
As for the sugar – i see our health shops have stevia and xylitol. maybe i wil give it a try. i normally have one tsp in a cup of coffee.
. Next week when i am on holiday – i too will set out goals for 2012. I hope to start excercising again. Lately – i get as far and putting on my gym clothes and thats it. sit in front of the tv, computer, read a book. Pathetic – isnt it. i am such a fool sometimes.
Anyway – enuf of my ramblings. just missed chatting to u – since my family made it very clear they are not interested in my low carb journey. i will update u when i get back in mid january.
take care – enjoy the holidays and wish u n your family – all the best for 2012.
You know what, Shen? You are probably better off NOT having your family ‘supporting’ you.
I’m kinda suspicious of the notion of ‘weight loss buddies’ – great when both are motivated, but when one fails, they can pull the other down with them.
It’s best to find your own strength in all this. And from what you write – you are.
You also performed a great self-experiment with the chips, sugar and snacks. Yeah – you are seeing how you do low carb and you react one way, then high carb, and you feel another. I did the same thing a number of times, swapping in or out foods and behaviors to see what happens. It’s a good way to learn what works for you.
Quick case in point. I ate LOADS of carbs in the Carribean – I also weighed myself every chance I could get on the hotel gym scale, and sometimes throttled back the eating a bit because of it. I also didn’t waste my eating on stuff I could get at home, but saved my eating for the local delicacies. They know how to make a baguette there (flour, water, salt – how hard is this?!?), and also sell a butter infused with actual crystals of sea salt which is so good that I can only assume Americans are crazy not to have this stuff available here. They also have some of the best restaurants in the region and a couple of nights we went to a few. I had a duck breast in some sort of honey sauce with sweet potato that was to die for.
The kids also founds some chips – chips! – plain old potato chips flavored with mustard that were awesome. I had those, too.
The result of all this? I gained 3 pounds. Meh. I’ve already took 2 off. I enjoyed myself, didn’t feel deprived, didn’t feel like a freak when the family bought a plate of French pastries – I had a bite of each. There was no suffering, and no martyrdom, though I watched my weight closely – not to freak when it went up – just to notice, to be aware.
I DID notice my indigestion creeping back in toward the end of the trip – low carb seems to control my heartburn. Didn’t expect that – I always thought it was having my weight below 215 that controlled my heartburn. New learning for me.
Have a great time on your vac, and realize that every experience like the one you describe is like money in the bank. It’s learning about yourself, even if outwardly it seems a failure, it’s not – it’s learning, it’s strength that isn’t dependent on others, it’s wisdom, this practice.
Regards,
LCC
Well I took the Atkins plunge into induction Jan2nd. I am 5’6″ about 217lbs. I work in a position where i sit nearly 12 hr a day. I am planning on weighing myself for the first time after two weeks (jan/15)
I usually eat an egg or two with a sausage patty or couple slices of bacon for breakfast.
I snack on celery between meals, for lunch i usually have some meat left over from the night before. then for supper i eat some type of meat with a salad and a dressing that has about 3 carbs. and for a snack i enjoy some jello.
Other than a killer headache on day two, i have had no bad feelings, and am actually not hungry, i mean i have to make up my mind to eat some celery or snack on some meat. and my energy is so much better than before.. no highs..no lows..
i drink between 3-1/2 and 4-1/2 16.9 oz bottels of water each day
. I exercise on my stationary bike for at least 30 min a day.
i did have a atkins bar once, and two of the drinks. but the other days just desire anything.
I know my carb count is pretty low each day(5-10) but i am feeling great and not hungry at all.
I actually like meat, etc.. just cutting out the sweets, taters, bread etc.. and dont miss them. i am planning on staying in induction for awhile longer than the two weeks, from what i read as long as i enjoy what i am eating that wont hurt me.
It’s pretty much how *I* started (except for the exercise) 8+ years ago. Only thing I’d caution is the Jello – got aspartame (Nutrasweet) in it? That can stall some people. Splenda typically doesn’t. Please let me now what weight you are now after the weigh-in.
Hey everyone…hope you all had a great holiday. I started induction on Oct 7 with only minor setbacks, and have lost about 28 pounds. Then the holidays did set me back a bit, I gained 4 pounds, but I am trying not to let it bother me too much. I did notice that eating the high carb foods did kind of unleash my appitite, once I started it was very difficult to control my hunger or cravings, however you look at it. I do have a major sweet tooth, especially for chocolate. I have found some very good sugar free chocolates by Russell Stouffer and also Dove, I love Dove dark chocolate, and I could have a few pieces every day without it affecting my weight loss. I started out using the atkins bars, which I still eat occasionally, but I have found the dark chocolate satisfies my cravings much better so I just go with it. At first I would obsess about everything I ate, now I just eat when I am hungry or when I am craving sweets, I just eat a square or two of dark chocolate and the weight keeps coming off. Also I found going back to low carb cold turkey after going off for two weeks is killing me so I have been gradually easing myself back into it and it is much more manageable for me…I will keep you updated.
I wonder if you are still out there, five years later, doing this lifestyle. Today is my fifth day of serious induction- this is the third time in ten years. I am really only ten or 13 lbs over my ideal weight, but I tend to get off track and nothing ever works but low carb eating for me for a couple of reasons. 1. Eating sweets makes me want more sweets, so as long as I try the portion control method, I lose no weight, and in fact, tend to gain. 2. Atkins forces me to focus on vegetables and protein- not useless white fluff like white rice, rolls, sugar cookies, etc. Challenges to this way of eating come from thin people that I know who eat whatever they want- but I persevere. Turns out they feel over their ideal weight anyway, but wonder why. Could it be the 2 cups white rice with breaded orange chicken at panda Express followed by 10:00 p.m. Ice cream? Maybe. Yes, eating out is a challenge. At Pizza Hut last night, I got them to make me a supreme sandwich as a salad, and since I am in induction and had done perfectly all day, I totally felt guilty for even gingerly eating 2. 7 OzS or sugar FREE frozen yogurt because of the milk carbs = 19g per 4 oz. then I had an Atkins bar this morning because I am sick of bacon and eggs already and then realized they are not for induction phase- drat it! Still, I believe I still have this under control and will continue to hold a strict line. Oh, by the way- if I were dining alone, I would not have gone to pizza hut nor the fro yo shop, but with the hubby and kids- and while they are very understanding and supportive, I don’t wish to hold them hostage to my “special needs”. However, after dinner we went to the grocery store and I got some Atkins shakes and bars, different type of cheese, and roasted sunflower seeds, some of which is only approved for o.w.l.; and also lots of veggie/ salad makings. I am also doin Zumba for Wii, maybe 2-3 days per week. I have an on my feet job , but my body has easily plateaued on that level of activity and it does not raise the heart rate. I am a 43 yr old woman, 5’4 with small- medium frame ( not super petite). My goal weight is 125-130. I am currently at 139. I started this at 141. I am beginning day five. I am all in , because just reducing my carbs overall has not worked. On my first go round with this I began at 147 and got down to about 132-135 in the first 8 weeks- the first 8 seemed to fall off near the end of the induction phase- sort of retroactively. That seems to be how my body works- so it was like week 3 1/2. I will keep charting my progress and observations as I go. Talk about steel will. My first Atkins experience: It Was 2003- I was a girl scout mom and co-leader. My first day of induction coincided with the cookie sale kick off overnight in the gym event – locked in with girl scout cookies and never touched a crumb. Talk about tough!
This is my third serious induction event: in the many years since I first discovered Atkins and low -carb eating, people still don’t understand- wih the exception o those who’ve done it and succeeded. You can show he science to people, and they can even “get it”, but only a few will actually committ and do his, because it SEEMS counterintuitive and contrary to current “whole grains!” religions that abound.
How I feel: we’ll, the first three days, I felt deprived , hungry and yet not- I did not have a gnawing hunger but rather more like withdrawal symptoms- especially watching the family pour corn syrup over their white flour pancakes . I know how deadly this kind of food is. It provides very little nutritional value and a ton of useless sugar. Now day five – I can ignore that aroma an visual appeal . My husband supports all my efforts and is even cooking eggs and bacon for me now; even though he and the kids are having blueberry pancakes- again. He used to be a lean runner- and pasta was the fuel of the elite athlete, but back then, he had no fat reserves to burn- he had to provide himself with fast fuel. But I have those fat reserves that won’t be burned as long as there is quick sugars coming in to use first. For the past 2 days, I have had very little true hunger- evidence that fat is now being metabolized. I have been muc more thirsty for water. Ketosis seems to make you excrete retained fluids first, so there was an apmost immediate appearance of weight loss in my face and hands evident around day 3. Today is the first day I have seen the scale judge downward slightly. I have decided not to weigh daily- will move to weekly. Biggest potential pitfalls at this stage: eating stage 2 foods too soon out of boredom with meat and eggs or a sweet tooth, and getting cajoled or pushed into eating foods that others are eating or out of ignorance of the presence of sugar or carbs in the food. Example: I work in a retail/ grocery store. I forgot to bring the lunch I carefully prepared. At lunch I head over to the deli and choose a baked chicken thigh and pea/ bacon salad, convinced it is low carb. After my fourth yummy bite, I notice not only sugar but corn syrup in the ingredient list, and it’s a deli item, so grams are not listed. Mistakes like this have slowed me down, but I will refine and continue!
Still here after all these years – and have decided to do some hard-core ketosis for the first time in a long while. Yep – still living the lifestyle though I mix things up to keep it interesting 😉
Hey everyone, I started induction about 5 days ago. I bought a scale and I don’t know if i regret it. I know that it isn’t healthy to be checking it everyday, as weight can go up and down pretty quickly. I ‘feel’ a little thinner, but I don’t think I’ve really lost anything. It’s kind of discouraging but I’m hanging in there and NOT any close to giving up that’s for sure. I would just really like to see a definite change.
I drink diet soda w/ splenda, but is there a real limit as to how many of those we should have a day? plus i’m pretty sure i eat more than 3oz. of cheese. just because there isn’t much we can snack on at all. however, I’m pretty sure that I don’t go above 20 carbs.
The changes I have noticed: 1) I have more energy, and I don’t get tired once I am fully awake. 2) I am usually starving when I wake up, but now my appetite is more suppressed (like the book said it would be) I’m feeling these changes that the book said would happen, BUT I’m pretty sure that I’M NOT LOSING A THING. Very discouraging. I’m going to keep going though.
I weight myself every day. I don’t get hung up on the number too much, though. It’s a practice that allows you to learn what works for your body. Different foods have different weight loss responses for an individual person. Experiment a bit with what you eat, and you’ll find some foods seem to lead to faster weight loss. For me, it’s beef.
are the atkins bars ok in the induction phase?
Yep. You do want to limit them, though. If you can limit them to one a day, you should be fine. Eating a whole box in a sitting won’t cut it.
Well, after the spurging over the holiday, I am finally back on track!!! The good thing is I only gained about four to five pounds….the bad thing is , I am suprised at how difficult it was to go back to low carb eating habits after only a week or two off. I do not think I will go off for that long ever again. I am still relatively new to this in the first place though. Since my husband and children do not participate in my low carb way of life, I am pretty much on my own, although…my hubby is more supportive than he was to start out with, maybe because he can see that it is working…The one thing that really shocks me is that this really does kill the cravings, I did not expect it…I know they say it will, but I did not believe it really would. that is not to say that I don’t want to eat chocolate or ice cream, but it is not like before where I felt like I had to have it. I have found some great low carb “sweets” that are very good, which is nice to mix it up so I don’t feel like I am eating the same stuff all the time. I have recently found some recipes that I am excited to try and will let you know how it turns out. I am sorry to ramble on and on….I love hearing everyone else’s stories…keep me posted!!!
Oh, on another note, I was able to go off of my blood pressure meds a couple weeks ago, which I am so thrilled about. I know at some point I should probably get my bloodwork checked to be sure I am not killing myself with all the fats, but my pressure going back to normal seems like a good sign to me.
I did Atkins several years ago and lost about 25 lbs but I found it hard to give up my potatoes so I went off it. I’m a meat & potato girl. My cholesterol dropped from 200 to 130 on it so I know it is a great way to eat. I have since gained all my weight back plus 5 lbs and now have to take cholesterol meds so I need Atkins back in my life.
I can give up pasta, breads, donuts etc but I will have a real hard time giving up potatoes. I plan to restart Atkins after I get back from a cruise. I leave next weekend and I refuse to start a diet when vacationing. I plan to start induction when I return. One thing I’m reading here is that you can eat the Atkins bars and drink the Atkins shakes on induction. When I was on induction before, you could not have those things until past the 2 week mark. Maybe those that were having trouble losing is because of this. Cut those things out.
I already have my grocery list made out for when I get back from my cruise. The ladies at the office are going to start walking with me during lunch break. I have another cruise planned end of April and want to drop at least 20 lbs by April 29th. 🙂
Hi Lisa,
As to potatoes, I’ve enjoyed the cauliflower mock mashed potatoes, and turnips can fit some other uses, but I believe I read somewhere that white potato eaters are statistically fatter in mid life than people who don’t eat them that often. Sucks, right? I love potatoes, but I don’t have them when going for induction and control my portions when I’m in a period of higher carbs.
Atkins shakes and bars – yeah – you can have ’em during induction, but I’d limit the bars to 1 per day at most. You can have more of the shakes if you like or need to. The bars have sugar alcohols which can stall weight loss of you have too much of it.
Enjoy your cruise and good luck on you’re attempt at induction when you return. I’m going for induction right now myself and even after doing it countless times, I still mess up – but I don’t *give* up.
Regards,
LCC
hi, i confess. i binged on carbs badly during my hols. and when i came back home i had the most terrible flu. but i have slowly tried to get back into groove. and it was so damn hard. but good news is i have finally ditched the sweetner in my coffee. now if only i cud ditch the coffee. today i had about 6 mugs coz i was bored.
todate, i think i started this around nov 2011. 4 kg lost. and my tummy feels so good. i am just starting to hate weekends….
It’s awfully hard to be perfect when you’re surrounded by people eating carbs. Don’t beat yourself up over it. If low carb works for you, just keep at it.
Hi….I am still at it, and doing fairly well. When I started back in October, I never thought I would be able to stick to this, but I guess the fact that the weight keeps coming off is a big motivator. So far I have lost about 37 lbs and I am nearing the 200 lb mark, which has me excited because I have not weighed less that 200 lb in nearly 14 years. Also I have not started to exercise yet so I decided to start doing bodypump again. I feel so much better with the weight I have lost so far. It is really hard to not eat like everyone else, but I always keep something to snack on with me so I won’t be tempted too much. I have not encountered any problem with the sugar alcohols, though I try not to over-endulge, it is nice have a treat sometimes.
I started last Monday and I have lost 10.4 lbs and just got below the 200 lb mark. I am very happy. I know I will plateau probably this week but I am determined right now. It sure is hard to keep it under 20 carbs a day. I have actually been closer to about 25 per day because even the veggies have some carbs. I’m on a roll though. Keep up the good work. 37 lbs is an awesome achievement. My first goal is to get to 180 by April 29th and I was 198 this morning. I can do this & so can you.
That is great, I know I do not always keep it under 20 carbs daily, I do my best though and as long as I am sticking with it, I continue to lose….I have had some bumps in the road, but that is because I was eating things I was not supposed to. My long term goal is to get to about 140-150 lbs, though for the short term I would be happy at around 170lbs. Not sure how long it will take, I have done bodypump before and lost weight so I am hoping it will keep the weight coming off. Thanks so much for the encouragement….keep me posted on how things are going for you!!
I did Atkins 10 years ago…i went from 16 stones exactly to 11 stones 2 lbs in less than a year comfortably.
I kept the weight off for years and years, didnt drink a lager for nearly years too! Vodka and diet is good for me.
Well im at Atkins again and thought id put some of my tips on here.
Honestly, take 1 week off work! You will thank me for this! You will start to become a little light headed from day 2 or 3 in my experiance….if you need to have a nap…take one!
The worst is over after probably day 5 to 7 and when you see the water falling off you and starting to lose weight from literally the end of the first week, you will be very happy with yourself imo.
Breakfast…eggs(of any type), bacon, ham, cheese, etc.(no tomatoes!!!) if you route around your supermarket you will find a sausage that has low carb content…you can have one of these with your breakfast too.
Lunch….chicken, ham, cheese, loads of salad, boiled veg(check up on your veg!) veg soup, chicken/veg soup, spinach and cheese, radishes(love em!), celery with low carb dressing/salt/pepper/unsweetened chilli sauce, dash of soy, etc etc …i use lots of onions, garlic, cabbage, lettuce in my soups/broths and put double cream in…you can poach your chicken/posk in the broth and make a soup and a main meal with an added twist of your choice….once you get into this, you will breeze it me thinks.
Tea time….a nice steak, fried egg, side salad with tastey low carb self made dressing, …just look up lists of low carb foods on the net and get imaginative!
I snack on raddishes
I actually have small treats….i have milky coffee with a tad of lactose free milk…i find one cup of this a day is fine.
Donts
=====
dont go out and get plastered and waver from your low/no carb drink….you will undo it your good work….be disciplined and you will find this discipline shines through into your life too!
If you are going to go out for a drink make sure you have low carb snacks for when you get home.
Dont drink too much diet drinks…have some…fine…but too much can kick you out of ketosis.
Dont skimp on the water…VERY IMPORTANT…colder the better!
Dont get obsessed about your weight…make sure you have the mindset of this is a new start and this is a new way.
After losing weight to your target weight you will have introduced a measured amount of carbs back into your diet and you will be more knowledgable of those that can pile the weight back on.
For me the worst culprits are breads, sauces, sugary drinks and calorific alcohol, lager in my case!
When you have got back after losing the bulk of your weight, try introducing rice instead of past and bread!
DO’s
====
do go for a walk every day, get fresh air…get into this routine of exercising if only lightly.
do make people around you aware what you are doing.
weigh yourself once a week…i usually do it on a monday night…this takes in the weekend and any cheating should show up!
Treat yourself when you meet targets! Buy a bike(of the manual variety i mean! lol)
Enjoy the ride!
This is my story and is no way instruction.
It is not for everyone, but works easily for me.
Good Luck
Speak soon slim Jims
Rob
Wow – a great list, Rob – thanks for posting it!
its all mental strategy…you either employ it…or you dont!
You live once! …get out there and pund your energy…do it…do it tomorrow!
come on!
stop making excuses!!!!!
ffs
get out there and do the business boys and girls!
we are bettert han this!!!
love to all
bit between the teeth
rob
x
I have just started, first time trying it and am on day 2. So far so good, i have all the easter eggs looking at me and i feel really proud i can actually say no. I have tried other diets but i have no limits on choc etc so i thought this one gives me no limits either..am not going to have any. I need to lose 2 stone but wouldnt look daft if i lost 3:). I am determined as i am sick of having low self estem it effects every part of my life…i just want to feel good and i think that will come from me:)
Ok, so I have been at this for about 7 months now, and I seem to be stuck. I am beginning to get a frustrated with myself. Any ideas on how to get past this plateau?
You don’t tell me how much you’ve lost, Kate – perhaps your body just needs some time to rest before proceeding on to the next phase of weight loss? I plateaued for nearly a year when I first went on to Atkins. I just figured my body needed time to adjust and I actually relaxed a bit – I had lost 65 pounds and felt way better – why not relax a bit? The remaining weight came off after that. It was almost as if my body was ready.
Sorry…I have lost about 40lb so far, but for the last month or so, I have not lost anything. I have not gained either, I do fluctuate by a few pounds. I do feel much better, but I really want to get under 200lb. I recently started exercising hoping that would get the weight to come off faster, but it is not.
Hi Kate,
May I take a stab at reframing this for you?
You’ve lost 40 lbs. That’s amazing. Every day that you maintain that 40 lbs. off, you improve your health and beat the odds as most people gain it back. You’re exercising? Great – you are further improving your health, both mental and physical. While exercise doesn’t always show dramatic increases in weight loss, that’s no reason to quit. You shouldn’t be trying to lose weight just to get to a specific dress size. You should be doing it to arrive at that dress size not only slim but feeling the best you’ve ever felt in your life.
You are well on your way. Weight loss *will* slow and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The slower you lose, the less traumatic it is on your body. One example is the toxin load: your body stores toxins in your fat. Burning the fat releases these toxins. Losing weight slower minimizes the hit of these toxins.
Also – the slower you lose, the more likely you are to keep it off.
You’ve made awesome progress. Don’t lose sight of that. It might take time for more weight to come off. It might take time for exercise to help. Your body might just need time to acclimate to your current weight before it can shed more. You’re getting frustrated with yourself because you are comparing now with when you were losing the 40 pounds. Compare how you feel now with how you felt *before* you lost any weight – when you probably thought it impossible. *That’s* the comparison you need to make.
Regards,
LCC
I just start atkins 5 days ago. I am in ketosis. This worked a lot easier when I was 17, now i am 40. I have had 2 other failed attepts in my 30s. The fiber and the water are good tips. With the new atkins snack I feel I am going to make it this time.
Be careful with the atkins snacks while on induction. There are a lot of things you can eat – concentrate on the things you CAN eat without restrictions. Read every label, because there are hidden carbs in a ton of products.
Have been on Atkins Induction for 12 days now — and have lost only 0.6 pounds. No. Cheating. At least, not that I know of.
I was reading other low-carb threads, before posting on here, to find out about Crystal Light (the kind I use is sweetened with maltitol) and did learn that an 8 oz serving contains 0.2 g of carbs, so 80 oz = 2 g, but since I dropped down to 5-15 carbs per day (rather than the standard Induction 20)about a week ago after actually gaining more than 2 lbs since my first day, I can easily accommodate those two carbs per day into that count. (CL DOES allow me to drink far more than if it were plain water.) Does anyone have any other advice about CL? Is that, in fact, what’s stalling me? Or is it my food choices:
Breakfast — 6 oz salmon, 1/2 c sliced cuke or 1/2 c asparagus (2-3 carbs) w/1 T homemade olive-oil dressing (so no carbs in it)
Lunch — not very hungry so 2 oz turkey (home-cooked, no additives) w/1T homemade mayo (no carbs); 2 c salad greens w/1 T dressing (1 carb).
Dinner — 8 oz fish, chicken or meat cooked in olive oil, 1 oz cheese or so (1-2 carbs); 1 c. vegs (usually about 4 carbs dep on veg)
During the day — a few Sweet & Lows in coffee (1 carb each) as well as half-&-half (ditto)
Bedtime snack — 2-3 oz of sliced (home-cooked, additive-free) turkey w/1 T of homemade mayo (no carbs). Maybe another 1/2 oz or so of cheese.
Average daily carb count — 7-14. Average daily cals count — 1200-1400 (and the 2010 Atkins book does, in fact, warn about needing to somewhat limit cals if one’s loss is stalling).
Advice/input, anyone? I drink 70-80 oz of fluid per day (at work, usu green tea sweetened with maltitol) and more at night (usu the CL). I’m very frustrated.
Hi Karen,
It could be the malitol – and the aspartame in the Crystal Light – and the Sweet n’ Low, which contains Saccharin.
Malitol is a form of sugar. It’s slower-absorbing, but it’s sugar nonetheless. Aspartame (the stuff in Crystal Light usually) is well known to cause weight loss stalls. Sweet n’ Low? I frankly don’t know if that causes stalls.
What I do know is most low carbers with a sweet tooth use Splenda. It doesn’t seem to cause the problems that the others appear to.
When I did sweeten stuff (I gave it up this year for the most part but certainly understand why one would do so) I bought EZ-Sweets (http://www.ezsweetz.com/). It’s pure Splenda. The stuff you buy in the store is mixed with malitol, I believe. This stuff is just pure liquid and a drop or 2 equals a packet. (Note: I don’t sell the stuff – I just bought it on the recommendation of a reader.)
Regards,
LCC
Thanks for your input, Low. I did send away last week for the EZ Sweetz (from a site called Netrition), so am now using that in coffee and for other potables that need sweetening (at least for my palate!)
As it turns out, I went up about 2 pounds from my weight on the first day of this plan, then on the 12th day lost that, and now on the 13th day have lost another pound, so net loss in nearly two weeks is (drum roll) one pound. Woo. Hoo.
It may well be that the maltitol has been stalling me … next step is to find something else that I can sweeten with the EZ Sweetz and drink in iced form in huge quantities (plain water, oddly, seems to cause me to choke). Ideas?
Thanks again!
Karen
Not a big water-lover myself. UI used to be fond of the Splenda-based products from 4C (http://www.4c.com/documents/products.html) though they are hard to get in my area. I was pretty pleased with the new MiO drink mixes wich come in neat little squirt bottles you can carry with you. I wrote about them here (https://lowcarbconfidential.com/2011/12/29/mio-drink-mix-sorry-water-enhancer-a-replacement-for-the-sodastream-soda-mixes/). Lastly, I got a SodaStream seltzer maker and used their sodamixes. They are also Splenda-based for the calorie-free versions – and some mix OK with plain water. They are meant for soda, however, and while they have a lot of varieties, they are all over the map in terms of flavor. Some are great – and some really sucked.
As to the low carb diet blues, I don’t know if you’re tying to lose 200 lbs or 2 lbs, 6ft or 4ft, so I can’t say if a pound loss is good or bad.
Try it for another 2 weeks without the Mailtol – if you’re still having no motion – have you had your thyroid checked? Have you tried any other diets and had success? Low carb isn’t for everyone, but severe carb restriction *should* result in *some* weight loss – especially if you’re coming off a high carb diet.
Oh, and I also do exercise. Lightly — but it’s more than what I had been doing.
Damn. It. Weighed myself this AM and am up 2.2 lbs.
This is SOOO discouraging. Back to where I was last week.
Yes, I ate salty foods yesterday — a dry rub on swordfish, a T of parm on my broccoli rabe, about two oz of cheese during the day (an oz of Swiss, an oz of Jack), sliced turkey; and I have known problems w/edema (have been taking a blood pressure med w/a diuretic for 7 years) … but still. I have been SO compliant (other than potential issues w/sugar-free sweeteners, as mentioned above). It would have been so nice to see the scale moving down again. But nooooooooo…
So, all told, I’ve gained 1.2 pounds net. Today is the 14th day.
Thanks for the suggestions, Low (above) — hadn’t seen your post when I wrote in just now. Thyroid is a distinct possibility, although four years ago I did have it checked and was told that all was normal. I suspect I’m also having cortisol issues, but have never had those levels analyzed. It may be time to do so, along with another thyroid test.
I’m about 5-3 and need to lose about 40-50 lbs. I’d lost about 70 in two stages a few years ago — 16 on South Beach and the rest on Weight Watchers, but in about 3 years I’ve regained 20. WW stopped working for me for a number of reasons, but I may have to go back to it if I keep gaining on this plan. In any event, I’ll try what you suggest and see what happens. I feel pretty darn hysterical this minute.
Can anyone advise about the Adkins bars??? I’m on day 4 and have allowed myself this afternoon treat and just noticed something…….I knew to choose the bars that stated “all phases” so i chose the Dark Chocolate Almond, coconut crunch…..itis delicious! I havetwo boxes in my pantry….one reads “all phases” and the other reads “phases 2, 3 , 4…….It’s the exact same box with identical ingredients word for word!!! Net carb being 3grams. Why would one box say all phases and the newer version now only be recommended for stages 2& up??? It’s making me skeptical about using the products if they are being manufactured under the wrong guidelines…….anyone????
I’ll bet you that if you go to the boards at Atkins.com, they’ll be able to answer this exactly. I think I know why, though.
Net carbs are a simple subtraction of fiber from total carbohydrate. Years ago, Atkins Nutritionals found that 2 different foods with the same net carb count might have a different impact on blood sugar. Therefore, the ones with a slower and more gradual impact on blood glucose might be for all phases while others with the same net count that spike the blood sugar more quickly are better for later phases.
Sounds like I’m all smart and stuff, eh? Don’t bet on it – it’s a recollection from a looong time ago. I might be right, but I’m not sure. The friendly folks at Atkins will have the answer.
I am 4 weeks into the Induction phase, have been totally faithful to the recommended foods, weigh myself once a week, walk about 2 miles every day…and have lost only 4 pounds. I don’t think I should move on until Imsee more progress. I’d like to lose between 10-12 pounds more. Should I stay in Induction or move to OWL? The only things I haven’t done are the cups of broth twice a day, and 4-6 oz protein at each meal – it is just too much food for me. Any ideas?
Sometimes eating too little can prevent weight loss. You might want to try eating a little more.
I’ve read that, but I am so full all the time!
Im starting atkins again for the fourth time in my life. Thanks For the honesty. I really want to succeed this time.
Im starting. Induction. Today ive gained 10lbs.173 now183
Today is my day 1 Induction…I am excited….
Hi All – a relief to find this place. Am starting induction tomorrow and have a question or two. Can’t seem to find bacon without nitrites – same with breakfast pork sausage. Even though the amounts seemed very small, I got the impression from my research into Atkins that NO nitrites were acceptable. Can anyone help? Also, is their a detailed book or site devoted just to the induction phase? Have several books and they all have different bits of information and it would be nice to have induction info consolidated in one place. Thanks to anyone that can help.
I think the best book you’ll find on the subject is
The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living: An Expert Guide to Making the Life-Saving Benefits of Carbohydrate Restriction Sustainable and Enjoyable
Stephen D. Phinney (Author), Jeff S. Volek (Author)
http://amzn.com/0983490708
Get the Kindle edition and save $10. Read it on your computer if you don’t have a Kindle or a smartphone with the Kindle app. You want detail? This has it.
As to the bacon, I get nitrate-free at Whole Foods. Other upscale grocery stores might carry it as well.
One more question please – Is Coffee-mate Sugar Free Hazelnut coffee creamer legal in the induction phase, or in any other phase. Label says Zero Sugars but the first ingredient reads Vegetable Oil (partially hydrogenated coconut or palm kernel, hydrogenated soybean), corn syrup solids …” Coffee will be a totally different experience for me if it is not. Thanks again!
Davinci syrups makes a sugar-free hazelnut, if I recall correctly. I’d use that with some heavy cream instead of Coffee-Mate. The only artificial sweetener that I’ve found doesn’t mess me up in induction is Splenda.
Hello….2nd day in Induction. Approaching my 30th Birthday and looking for a total loss of 60 lbs. (I’ve lost 20 lbs so far in 4 months), so I have 40 lbs to go! I did HCG for a month, nothing on the next, Advocare on the 3rd and nothing last month. I’ve heard really good things about Atkins and hope that there’s more people out there that I can get food ideas from in this blog. I am afraid of fat becuase of the teachings in other diets so I am soooo scared of the butter, mayo, ranch. Is this really all okay??
Is fat OK? I don’t know. Depends on who you ask. All I can tell you is that I went from a low fat diet 9 years ago to eating the amount of fat in one meal that used to last me a month and my health became better for it. I lost weight, ditched a nasty Tums habit, and stopped nodding off mid-afternoon from the post-lunch blood sugar crash. I’n still at it 9 years later. I’m not dead yet. I have postponed the full-blown diabetes my siblings got before my current age.
Any diet – and no diet at all – is a ‘you bet your life’ proposition. Nutrition science isn’t neat and tidy like rocket science. We know how to make rockets fly; the best diet to keep people healthy is still hotly debated – and both sides can get nasty when arguing about it.
If you decide that low Carb is for you and want to try, just Google ‘low carb recipe’ and you will be presented with more links than you could possibly sift through. I have a bunch of my own recipes on this blog, and Atkins.com has a wonderful complement of recipes they give away for free, and there are a thousand other places you could look.
If you are a total newbie to all this – start with Atkins.com. They give everything on their site away for free – they want you to buy their products. You don’t have to in order to enjoy their resources. They have plenty of recipes that don’t contain their products as ingredients.
As much as many doctors might want to see it, I know of no class action lawsuits from the millions of people harmed by the Atkins diet – no lawyer commercials asking you to call if you or a family member were injured by Atkins. I was scared of all the fat when I started: 9 years later I can still eat a stick of real butter a day – if not more.
If low carb is if you, you won’t be short of friends on the Internet. There’s a lot of us – all not dead yet.
It’s so hard to let go of all ways, you know?! Well I’m on day 3 of induction and I’ve lost 2 lbs so far, I’ll take that 🙂
Eating huge amounts of fat scared me too in the beginning. I still marvel at it. My kid says her health teacher would be very uspset with me 😉
Hi all starting this for the first time in the morning so excited,need to lose about 28 lbs! So glad to read all your stories praying i can do as well
I am so thankful for your blog! I did atkins 7 years ago, lost 90 lbs and continued my low carb lifestyle for many years. Only gained 9 lbs back before I had my first child 4 years ago. Had my second child 1 year later, gained a total 20 lbs since the full on atkins diet. Then my 4 year old was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes two years ago (when she was 2), since her diagnosis, I have gained 50 lbs because I had strayed away from low carb and was grieving. The depression was too much to handle.
We are now 2 years into her diabetes and it is maintained and things have become so much easier. I am day 3 into induction and it was definitely easier when I didn’t have kids! :o) Thank you for reminding me how great this lifestyle is. You have an amazing blog with a ton of useful information :o) Thanks!
Welcome back! Second time around is always a bit tougher but you have an edge over other people – you know low carb works.
Hello everyone. I am new here and new to Atkins. You won’t believe it but I only heard or read about the Atkins in January 2013. Strange huh? Now to it, when I started in January shortly after reading what to eat and what not, I only lost 1kg in 7days. Then I caught a virus from my daughter and my gastritis came in full swing. I had to interrupt induction. I drank milk that morning and ate a wheat roll, for lunch I ate some brocolli and cauliflower and some more bread and milk. And this is what happened; The ketostix turned dark purple that evening for the first time since I started the diet. What is happening here? Can someone explain to me what happened? Now I am back on induction and the same story with the ketostix just reading traces. I don#t cheat. I eat between 12 and 17 Carbs a day. One cup of cooked veggies and 2 cups of salat veggies as base for my carbs. What am I doing wrong?Thank you.
Don’t drive yourself nuts over the keto stix. Their color is dependent on how many ketones you excrete and that depends on how many you are burning as well as how diluted they are by how much fluid you take in. If you’ve got even a trace – you’re doing OK.
Want to see ketones? Eat butter or coconut oil – these contain fats your body pretty much has to turn straight to ketones – but the point is the ketostix are a handy measurement to see if you’ve got any hidden carbs in your diet – and that’s it – don’t obsess over it.
Thank you for the swift response. I am calmed. Still using the ketostix and still getting traces or small. I have these two further questions: I started today to incorporate 1tbs of flax seed in my salat. Can I do this everyday and do I still need to get psyllium? All mutivitamines here in Germany have either sugar or some sweetener. Can I still buy one and count each tab as maybe 2 carbs? I only take two caps of seafish oil a day, Thank you
As flax and psyllium do much the same thing, you don’t need to take both – you might not have to take *either* – it depends on whether you are feeling constipated – and while low carb can make some people constipated and fiber helps with this, it is not automatic that low carb diets ’cause’ constipation. some researchers believe a tendency toward constipation on a low carb diet is prevented by adequate intake of salt – but researchers believe a lot of things, don’t they? Men should avoid flax as there are some tiny studies that implicate it in prostate cancer, but women appear fine with the stuff. Use it if you need it.
As to vitamins, the amount of sugar in a vitamin is trivial – don’t worry about it.
Hello, Im new here also, and on day 5 of Induction, i had a headache on day 2, but that went away, I drink a gallon of water a day, and i too have a loss of appetite. I also get burst of energy thru out the day. because im a beginner i walk a mile every evening.. Im nervous, but my first weigh in is this coming Wednesday, My goal is 70 lbs by summer…
Thank you everyone for your stories — this is my first true diet, and i’m in day four, and I have the urge to break into my local bakery for carbs. But reading through all of your stories — I realize i’m not alone and that it will pass. I started at 298lbs and currently at 288lbs, again all water, but it’s a start. Thank you so very much.
Yep – we’ve all been there. I’m currently dealing with french bread fantasies myself – but I find if I stick with the low carb for a few days the fantasies tend to subside a bit. It gets easier. It never goes away, but it DOES get easier. Good luck and hope you find other stuff here worth your time.
Hi guys! 2nd time round try of induction for me, on my 4th day and down 6lbs. How’s everyone else doing? 🙂
Me – awful. I’m trying again, though.
All the best Lou, I stopped after induction with 2kgs off my 62kgs. After reseaching and reading a lot on this sunject, I finally discovered that I wasn’t consuming the healthiest sourses of protein. I had a benign carcinoma in situ 6years ago and lately started experiencing some disturbing itches in that breast. I was soo frightened considering the immeasurable amounts of homones and antibiotics pumped into the animals here. Alternative ecological or exclusively grass-fed meat in Germany is exorbitantly expensive. I could afford this for a short time, but what good does it bring if I have to give up soon again?Now I have my perpetual acne that had been tames just after one week into induction, coming back. But surprisingly, my weight has stayed the same for 2 weeks now since I quit Atkins’. My feelings and impressions are soo discombobulated at the moment.
Hey guys, quick question. Will having semi skimmed milk in my tea set me back? I desperately needed caffeine today. on another note that last pound shifted so I am now 7lbs in 7 days. 🙂
What’s wrong with a little heavy cream? Honestly, if all you have is skim it won’t kill you, but the cool part of low carb is enjoying all that yummy fat.
I too am doing Atkins Induction a 2nd time. I had done it successfully many years ago, but over time I succumbed to my sweet tooth. This time I have made an ABSOLUTE decision to really stick with it and then use Atkins for Life. In 3 weeks I have lost 16lbs and I am still losing. I was 14 1/2 Stone and want to reach 12St. so I am currently just over 13St. The key changes for me this time are ensuring that I drink loads of water, and also ensuring that I add greens with every meal. (I find Spinach is excellent and is a good source of iron.) These 2 changes help me to avoid any headaches or constipation.
I did reach a ‘mini-plateau’ until I realised that my liking for cafe latte (with sucralose instead of sugar) and lots of milk in my tea (no sugar/sucralose) was providing ‘hidden carbs’ which in itself was blowing away most of my 20g-a-day Carb allowance. I now drink Americano’s instead and use a lot less milk in my tea.
I used to get breathless just bending over to tie my shoelaces as my fat belly (It was only on my belly) would push up into my lungs and heart! I knew then I had to change!
I already have lost my big belly and can look down and see my doo-dah again! 🙂 I have taken my belt in by quite a few notches and my wife says my tummy is much flatter and I am getting my waist ‘curves’ back again.
It is not easy; I have to remain disciplined, however Atkins has been great in getting rid of those pesky CRAVINGS! I used to be addicted to wine gums and Belgian buns but after 4 days those cravings just disappeared! I also have ‘Ketosis Breath’, but I don’t mind this as I can mask this with chewing gum and I see this as a good sign that my body is telling me that ‘This Atkins Diet is Working!’
The most important thing is that I feel good! I think Atkins is like a lot of things in life where ‘conventional wisdom’ turned on its head is actually closer to the real truth.
Final thought: It is said that ‘Sugar is the Devil’s food!’ How true this is. Sugar is in absolutely EVERY processed food we eat; no wonder so many people get obese and don’t understand why. Sugar works just the way the devil does; temptation followed by the sucker punch!
‘”Drink Water – No Sugar!” is my new motto.
Wishing you all every success with your new Atkins Lifestyle!
Best Wishes,
Jim.
What a great comment, Jim – made my day – thanks!
Can we drink any wine? That is what I miss! Just started Induction and I have noticed that I’m not bloated and I’m not really hungry. I don’t eat sweets or chocolate, etc., but I do LOVE carbs — pasta, bread, potatoes, mac and cheese, black eyed peas, limas, etc. Being a Southern girl, you know. I have 40 lbs to lose. Always been skinny until menopause and then, I blew up – Went from 135 to 179!
STOP – you’re make me hungry 😉
As to the wine: can you drink some? Depends. Are we talking glass or bottle? Are we talking sweet or dry?
WIne is alcohol and alcohol is not a carb – but it is calories and they get burned first. BTW – as carbs slow down absorption of alcohol, you get more of a buzz faster from less.
Keep the amounts reasonable and you might be able to stay in ketosis and lose weight – some people do it. Try it for a few weeks and see how it goes. I do find personally it makes me hungry so you might want to have it before bed.
I say don’t make yourself miserable. Even if it slows the weight loss a bit, if the scale is going in the right direction – and you have your wine – it’s a win-win. Can’t beat that.
As to carbs – I’m the same. I’m telling myself that: for now I’m not having those. I’m not giving them up forever – just for now. When you get to your target weight you can get away with a regular routine of having carbs for a day, then going back on LC, lose the weight, then repeat. It takes some practice but it can be done – and it can be fun.
Good luck.
you CANNOT drink wine…its a NO NO! You will not make it work drinking wine i tell you! I drank a spirit with a diet mixer in a tall glass…worked a treat, i easily lost the first 3 stones…the hardest part is the initial 2 weeks…you will feel tired and be craving carbs like mad….i cheated a wee bit after 10 days and still managed to comfortably go from 16 stones to 11 stones in 14 months ie. 5 stones …im doing it again now years later form when i lost that weight to go from 14 stones to 13 stones…the more religious you are with the diet, the better the results…a tip from me….if you really really cant take the pangs for carbs have a tablespoon of sweetcorn or a small tomato…its not for everyone thats for sure, i did my research and took the first 10 days off work and when i felt tired i simply went to bed…eventually the body starts working differently and the fat literally in my case started falling off.
Good luck, its not for everyone and should be managed and you should let you closest people know you are doing it imo.
I can’t drink wine and lose weight and you can’t drink wine and lose weight – but some people can.
I think it varies by individual and their approach to life in general. As yoni freidhoff of weighty matters said: don’t choose the best diet you can tolerate – choose the best one you can enjoy. (I might have spelled his name wrong and paraphrased his quote, but you get the jist)
Hello, my name is Luca, I am a 20 year old male from England. I have been trying to lose 20lbs since the new year and have only managed to shed about 6lbs from general changes in diet and low calorie- and am having trouble getting past the last 14lbs to budge -so am turning back to LC!
I say turning back because I went on it a couple of years ago and did pretty well – getting over the induction flu and the carb withdrawal around days 3-4 is hell, but after that there were some very positive changes, better energy, lower appetite, no cravings, mental clarity and substantial weight loss. Unfortunetly again I have a big carb addiction so its a good time for me to break free of that again!
I have just completed my first full day. Stocked my fridge up with loads of LC goodies. I always lack veggies but will work on that. Today’s menu was (brunch) 2 chicken thighs, handful of cooked crispy bacon strips, tuna w/mayo, small amount of diced green peppers.
(dinner) lamb steak cooked in own juices, tuna w/mayo.
(snack) 3 more chicken thighs. mouthful of clotted cream just to fulfill a craving for a ‘desert’. small piece of cheddar.
(drinks) sprite zero, water.
will keep you updated! (: ~ Luca
I hear you on the carb withdrawal – I love carbs and always will. It takes me a week to get over the major cravings – after that, there’s still the temptations of the carbs my family brings in and stuff like pizza and donuts at work. I also felt the carb withdrawal pretty hard this time.
The one advantage you have on me is you’re starting young. It’s going to be easier on you at 20 as opposed to me starting at 40.
You got a solid plan from what you mentioned. Keep at it, don’t let the occasional failure discourage you. I’ve had more failures than successes and I’m still down 60 pounds from when I started.
Do keep us informed of your progress.
Regards,
LCC
Thanks man! I look forward to reporting back here on how it all goes. Thank you for the awesome blog and info.
Second day today. Not feeling any adverse affects yet, but imagine that will kick in tomorrow or the next day! Brunch was 3 chicken thighs, chopped up diced small amounts of green pepper, onion and celery, helping of tuna mayo, couple of bacon strips, cube of mature cheddar cheese, and a handful of small prawns.
Dinner is going to be – helping of small prawns, tuna mayo with pork rind scoops and, 1-2 teaspoon of clotted cream for dessert!
Drinks – water, 3 pints, diet cherry coke 500ml.
Tomorrow I plan to cook a whole hen and divide it up and do creative things with it for the following days meals and snacks. I also plan to make some cheeseburgers tomorrow with some pure 0g carb ground beef I bought.
Hope I hit ketosis soon..
Sounds like a plan.
Do you tolerate the aspartame in the coke ok? Some people get stalled by the stuff. Splenda doesn’t seem to have that effect – but it’s a bitch to find sodas with Splenda.
Again – it might not have an effect on you – but you aren’t seeing any results you might want to switch artificial sweeteners.
I never really had an issue with the diet soda, compared to what difference they make to me sticking on the diet anyway! I also drink a fair bit of water so I hope it balances out. I use splenda for my coffee. But I will certainly keep an eye on this and if no ketosis in the next few days I will switch things up and drop the soda. Thanks for the support again.
Bit depressing today to find out that I had gained about 1.5lbs. I can’t feel ketosis yet. I feel very disheartened even though I know thats stupid as I am only on the start of day 3. I am cooking a whole hen as we speak which I will eat today and tomorrow, and have some 100% beefburgers which I will have with a small amount of cream cheese.
If I have not lost any weight by Saturday I think I will stop. 😦
Our bodies have their own cycles and don’t care about our scale obsession. You could be retaining some water or waste – if you weigh yourself daily, do it to learn your own body rhythms and not to get too tied up in fluctuations.
Also – how do you feel otherwise? Is what you are eating so horrible you can’t hang in there for a few weeks and let your body adjust?
Fast results are great, but weight that comes off fast usually comes back fast, while weight that comes off slow has a better chance of not coming back even if you indulge yourself occasionally.
This blog is a excellent resource for the newbie coming to LC. The variation of affect’s from the different posters does help when things you do yourself don’t always coincide with the reported plan.
I don’t need this myself but decided to give it a go to help my wife drop 10lb for an upcoming wedding. We do run for exercise at least 5 times a week but like so many on here she likes almost every variation you can have to deliver a carb in the human body 😉
Being a regular runner she is able to keep her weight in check to an extent but knowing first hand and after reading some of the science behind LC it becomes obvious that raw exercise alone is not an efficient way to lose weight, it can be done but it’s hard work.
This is only day 3 and we are not used to eating a high fat/protein diet so intensely and have found ourselves a little confused about how we thought that food we would love to eat all the time but didn’t can quickly lose their appeal.
We have mixed up the meals a little and different combinations in the right quantities can make a big difference. Who would have thought that changing your diet for only 2 days could have such a large impact on your body.
Woke up on day 3 and for the first time in I don’t know how long I was awake. I do wake early but like most, don’t get up. This morning I just felt awake!
One thing I miss is some pasta. I do like fresh pasta cooked with some nice home made meatballs in a home made sauce which is usually just chicken stock a Philadelphia cheese. If I can go back to that a couple of times a week and my blood works remains normal(as it is at the moment) I could actually stick to this for good even though I am only here for the wife.
To add to the debate about wine, you are right, it’s individual to the person. I personally can drink wine and not put weight on, even quite easily lose weight as long as I watch what I eat(normal eating, not LC).
I can confirm the alcohol gets burnt first comment though hence the fat most are trying to lose is pushed back in the queue. I could still lose weight eating a normal(higher carb) diet while indulging in the vino but the exercise rate would have to increase.
Still can’t help having concerns over the amount of fat I am eating after the way we are warned about it but I am very surprised that by just keeping my water levels up any new strange feelings have subsided and I seen to be the same energy wise when running even though people I know were saying “you will struggle with the running without the carbs”.
Excellent blog, keep up the support. I hope that most of the names from above who are struggling stick with it at least for 2-4 weeks just to give your body a chance to adjust. Even normal dieting with heavy exercise can stall for a week of two for no reason, it just happens.
Good luck everyone.
For the record:
Male 46
5′ 10″
10st 14lbs
Female 43
5′ 2″
9st 10lbs
This is an excellent blog! So many people have commented throughout the years, which is really cool to see. I just started induction – this is my 2nd day. I am excited to pull this weight off. I am currently experiencing a tummyache… I have eggs with cheese and sausage for breakfast. Then I ate some celery and drank some water. I don’t know why I have the tummyache. I hope everyone who is moving toward a low carb lifestyle has success! It’s time for a change!
I am on my 8th day of Atkins on the induction phase. I’ve been following and marking down everything I eat, staying under 20 carbs a day. I feel like there have been no changes. I started at 206, and on my 4th day I was 207 now on my 8th day I’m back at 206. Not sure what’s going on here. Should I just give up?
I don’t know – are you a ‘give up’ type of person?
If you are – go for it. If you aren’t, there could be a number of reasons why you’re experiencing what you’re experiencing. Please note I know nothing about you (male, female, age, trying to lose 5 pounds or 50) so I can only comment on the things *I* watch out for as they mess me up.
1. You think you’re cutting carbs but something in your diet has hidden carbs that is bolloxing you up.
2. Too many calories. You can still eat too many calories on a low carb diet. I personally notice I don’t gain weight when I do this – but I don’t lose, either.
2. Too much protein. Atkins is not a high protein diet – it’s a high fat diet.
3. Eating the wrong fats. I like to get my fats from animal sources, olive oil and coconut oil. No seed oils. Some believe that not only is too much of them bad for you, but they might also increase appetite.
4. Eating too many processed low carb foods. For example, if I have more than one Atkins bar in a day it usually sets me back.
5. Aspartame/Nutrasweet – some people have mentioned that this particular artificial sweetener causes stalls. I try to have little to none of this stuff.
6. Splenda packets – they *say* zero grams of carbs but actually have 0.6 or 0.7 grams. Because it’s under 1 gram they company can legally state it is zero.
7. A perfectly acceptable low carb food that just happens to cause *you* (and nobody else) to stall. Swap out foods one at a time to see if you can find the culprit.
I also use the ketosticks to measure for ketones and have found that there’s things that prevent ketosis despite my being under 20 grams of carbs. Especially if you’re new at this, the keto sticks help as you reconfigure your diet.