I completed my 2 weeks of induction yesterday and I am having no problem eating only 20 grams of carbs per day. Can I stay on induction for longer? I have lost 12 lbs. and would like to keep going. Any advice? Should I just up my veggies a little???

189/177/120

Wow! You've done very well on induction! Congrats!

The purpose of induction--the only purpose--is to switch your body chemistry over to "lipolysis" or fat-burning mode, as opposed to carb-burning mode. It is meant to be a kick-start, and not a lifestyle. Keeping your carbs at the induction level will NOT "speed up" your weight loss.

On the contrary, failing to INCREASE your carbs may interfere with your continued success.

Time to move on up the carb ladder! Consult your plan--Atkins or whatever--and add those healthy carbs in the recommended five-gram increments. Green vegetables, some nuts, berries, or cottage cheese, perhaps. You choose. But DO add carbs. This is important for dietary balance and good health!

Also, LC eating is a learning process, so that you can make it a commitment for life. That will obviously require a lot more variety than induction provides.

Best wishes.

Barb L.
Started Atkins January 2003
162/141/130

GREAT answer, Barb!

Ditto everything she said!

Keeping your carbs at or below induction level for too long will only serve to slow down your metabolism. Try increasing your carbs with more fresh veggies first, then by adding nuts and berries and seeds. Steer clear of low-carb candies and bars however as they tend to cause stalls.
Keep up the awesome work; you are doing great!

Summer


www.herstorygirl.com

Speaking from personal experience, I, too wanted to remain on Induction. 20 carbs was more than enough for me and I thought I'd lose at a faster rate than if I added extra carbs. WRONG! I actually stopped losing for awhile, even though I was eating the <20 carbs per day. I finally raised my carbs, and increased amount of food I'm eating (still good stuff, just more throughout the day) and I'm finally losing again. Just eating between 22-25 carbs a day seemed to help.

Increase your carbs a bit and you'll still continue to lose as well as you are. Keep up the great work!

"The more I meet people, the more I love my dogs"

202/187

I have been on induction for 11 days now, but I had 2 days where I didn't stay under my 20 g. (Both days we had Thanksgiving) I didn't cheat alot, but I still did cheat. Should I continue Induction until I can say I did it for 14 days in a row?

Lynda Lou

I stayed on induction for 3 weeks and only lost 6 lbs. When I moved on, I started losing again. Barb, you said it all.

LindaLou, you might add a couple of more days, but move onto OWL as soon as you can.

I was sooooooo happy when I could finally add nuts and berries back into my diet. They are WONDERFUL things to munch on.

Barb
Atkins-3/14/03
174/146/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER

Lynda Lou, most people achieve a condition of lipolysis/ketosis within the first few days of induction. If you are using Ketostix, you can check. However, other signs of a successful metabolic switch are decreased appetite, absence of cravings, a boost in energy (after the first few days, which can be de-energizing for many people). How are you feeling?

It's all right to continue on induction level for a short while. Just keep in mind that it isn't a way to "speed up" weight loss, so your goal is to gradually increase carbs to a level where weight loss proceeds at a more or less steady rate. YMMV!

Barb L.
Started Atkins January 2003
162/141/130

Great advice from every one! Just want to add one more thing! If you stay with induction levels.. it will make you sensitive to carbs.. no matter if it is good or bad ones! That is what happend to me. I can now finally eat 30 net carbs a day! And to tell you the truth... 20 carbs a day can make for a boreing day of eating! That is why a lot of ppl fall off the wagon.




Tanya
Member since Jan 2002
re-started on 1-3-03
272/185/172<--(next goal)

Thanks for all the great info. I'm a bit afraid but I'll do it anyways because I know you guys are right, but it seems like I have a hard time reaching 20 grams of carbs per day so 25 should be even harder! I've fallen in love with mashed cauliflower and broccoli with a teeny bit of orange sharp cheddar drizzled on it. I'll try my best!

Thanks guys!
Gen

started Atkins 11/17/03
189/177/120

Hey Gen!

Try picking out something that you like that is not on the induction list.. such as berries or a veggie that hasn't been allowed so far. Add it to what you are already doing. it's not that difficult. You really need to have enough carbs to keep losing.

Keep up the good work!
Jeanny

I would say depending on how much weight you need to lose you can stay on Atkins for much longer than 2 weeks. If you only have 20 pounds to lose it's probably not worth it, but if you have 200 to lose, you can safely do it.

FutureDoc

Barb L, I actually have no idea. I'm a college student and this is the time of the year where sleep is a luxury I can't afford. I know I don't have the cravings...Tonight my roommate had a french fry, I wanted to try just one and it didn't even taste good to me!

I was told needing to go to the bathroom alot more is a sign, but for me...I went from hardly drinking any water to over a gallon so I don't see how that one would be pertain to me with the increase in liquids.

I guess since I can't tell what my body is doing on my own where I can get the Ketostix, and roughly how much do they cost?

Thanks
Lynda

Lynda,
I bought mine in Meijer for $13. They are Thinz brand Metabostix. 25 of them to a pack. When I started Atkins I wanted to know for sure that I was in ketosis so I bought them. It turned dark pink instantly. Then as synical as I am I thought, "maybe they always turn color no mattter what you eat" So I tested them with my mother. Her's was white!
Now I only use them if I think I have gone over my carbs.
Remember also, that drinking lots of water "waters down" your urin and it will be lighter colored on the strip. I try to test later at night after I have pee'd all I'm gonna or right before I start my water drinking for the day. Atkins recommends testing in the evenings.

Jen

Atkins since 11/11/03

140/135/115

"Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we will reap a harvest if we faint not." Gal. 6:9

i've read in a study, participant stayed on induction for six months with no problems. i think that's a little extreme! but if you go on to OWL and the weight lose slows, i would think that going back to induction for a few days would kick-start the process again.

Not sure... just my opinion!

Jeanny

I found that after completing induction, if I varied my carb amounts (25 one day, 40 the next, etc.) my weight loss increased. So changing it up once in awhile doesn't hurt. Don't be afraid to up them once in awhile with ALLOWED foods.

As far as the ketostix go, I found mine at Walgreens in the pharmacy section with the diabetic supplies for about $10.99 and there were 50 of them in the package. I used them daily during induction. Now I only use them maybe every 2 weeks or so. As long as they show pink, you are in ketosis. They don't HAVE to show purple.

Barb
Atkins-3/14/03
174/146/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER