I've never eaten a lot. I switched to Atkins because I was hungry all the time and gaining weight. I was very low energy all my life.
Since I started Atkins about 2 weeks ago I have lost weight 8lbs and have a lot of energy, and not getting tired. However I find I need much less carbs than the book suggested. 20-25 was about what I had been eating. I started off at 5 or less and am still there. I felt my body switch to fat burning at the end of the second day, but after that I felt great. How long do I do induction and is it OKAY to stay under 5 carbs per day?

Tobethin...
I don't mean to sound harsh, but...it will be the opinion of all, I am sure, 5 carbs per day, is totally not acceptable. You are flirting with danger, in my opinion. 20 carbs, as suggested on induction is considered low. You should be striving for 20 carbs at the least. Your body needs at least that to keep from breaking down muscle and other vital organs. Please try to up your carb count immediately with veggies, protein, berries, and nuts. I cannot concieve of anyone existing on 5 carbs per day and staying healthy for very long. If you have an eating disorder, please seek help immediately; hopefully I have the wrong impression. Please let us know how you are doing, and good luck
HTH

Shelley

sg
*LC WOLF*

I will have to respectfully disagree that 5 carbs a day would be immediately dangerous. The human requirement for dietary carbohydrates, as carbohydrate, is zero, as the body can produce glucose from an adequate intake of protein and fat.

HOWEVER, eating less than five grams of carbs a day on an ongoing basis will serve no purpose, it will make your diet very very boring, and you will be putting yourself at risk of having to permanently keep your carb intake very low in order to lose.

You need vegetables and low-glycemic fruits in your diet - not because of the carbs in them, but because of the fiber and other nutrients.

Atkins style induction lasts two weeks (as you know from the book, right? ) After that you must begin adding carbs to determine your own personal level.

Laurelyn

LC Links

[This message was edited by Laurelyn on 01-18-04 at 08:16 PM.]

From the research I've seen, and read in the Atkins book, you won't lose weight any faster by eating less that 20 carbs per day. At 20 most perople lose faster than at 30, but 20 seems to be the cut-off for making a difference.

Besides, as mentioned above, there's no way to get the nutrients and fiber you need to stay healthy if you're eating less than 20 carbs. It's also very likely to decrease your energy levels even more.

I'd strongly suggest that you see your doctor for a complete checkup, including tests for thyroid and blood sugar levels.



Always eat your veggies first!
LCE member since March 2002

First, I think you would probably find you're eating more than five carbs a day if you did a more accurate count. A lot of foods have rounding estimates instead of exact totals. For instance, zero carb sodas have about half a carb. Eggs, the same. Anything that says it's zero carbs is usually not accurate.

I agree with a lot of what was said before. It's safer to eat more carbs so you can get your vegetables in. That can ensure you're getting enough variety of minerals and vitamins.

I don't think there's any advantage to eating fewer carbs than what it takes to put you into ketosis. If you're already in ketosis, cutting your carbs further isn't going to put you even more into ketosis.

Eating too few carbs for a long time can make your body just adjust to the lower level of carb intake. To a certain extent, I believe that happens to all of us on this diet, and it accounts for quite a few stalls. It's nice to leave yourself a little air-space so you can cut your carbs WHEN you NEED to.

**************
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door."

Ditto what everyone said -- if you're actually at 5g carbs it may be dangerous.

If you could post a sample day's menu, we'll let you know if perhaps your 5g carb count is a low estimate, and make suggestions.

Best of luck!
Kristen