hello all. I've read ahead in my Atkins Book and know that at the end of next week (end of 2nd week) I should be moving on. I've visited other forums and people there are saying they stayed on Induction up to 6 months! When do I know when it is time to move on? Are there any drawbacks from staying on Induction more than the two weeks? Any benefits for staying on it longer? I'm sort of afraid of moving on and adding more carbs...

shygirl

As someone preparing to move into pre-maintenance, I know how scary it can be to start adding.

However, since the only purpose of induction is to jumpstart the fat-burning process, there is NO advantage in continuing at this low level. You're learning how to eat for life, and that means making new choices, now and later as well.

So...add some veggies. Or some legal fruit like berries. Or some cottage cheese. Aim for a five-carb increment in your daily menu this week. Another five next week. Then maybe see how it goes for a while. There's a list of 5 carb portions in DANDR.

Everybody's CCLL (critical carb level for losing) is different, so you're performing an experiment of ONE. With patience and experience, you'll find your way to what works for you. I'm doing the same thing!

Best wishes.

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Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Welcome, shygirl.

There are many good reasons for moving to OWL to find your CCL. From my perspective, among those reasons are variety, education and lasting results.

Once you start adding a few carbs at a time, you can now include other foods, such as nuts and fruits, giving you a much more interesting menu each day. Boredom does not usually help you stay with something as a lifestyle.

Further, the "search" for your CCL is your opportunity to really learn something about your own metabolism. It's an education in exploring different foods in different amounts and finding what works for you. I always think of my OWL as getting my PhD in ME.

Finally, this exploration period is really a long term preparation for your maintenance. Once you have your education, it will be much easier to find your maintenance groove.

Now, there may be some countervailing reasons to remain at induction levels for an extended period, but you have to weigh them against the benefits of taking a slower methodical approach - learning to eat differently so that you can normalize your weight and maintain it for life.

Hope you'll make yourself at home!

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Thanks for the input. I'm not in a rush to lose the weight, I just don't want to see the weight stop dropping...adding more carbs seems counter productive...I still have one more week in Induction, but will move on in week three.
Thanks guys.

shygirl

I personally have kept my carbs in the 20 - 30 range because it seems as though once a week I have a much higher carb day (60-100). I was doing fairly well with this approach until last summer when the weight loss really slowed. I think I also have messed up my metabolism. I recently added a few good snacks -- even if I am not hungry -- and that seems to have helped get things moving in the right direction.

I think it depends on how much weight you need to lose. You will need to figure out how your body responds as you move into OWL. My biggest suggestion is to not give up even though you might have to try a few different approaches.

Best of luck to you!

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Atkins - 11/03/03 (lost 103 lbs)
Restart Atkins - 11/03/08
269/247/150ish

LovinLowCarb how long have you been on this diet? 95lbs!!!!! OMG THAT IS WONDERFUL!!! I HAVE 65lbs to go and you are an inspiration! How long have you been at 20-30?

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