What would you guys/gals say is an average weight loss for a male in the induction phase of the Atkins?

Just wondering, i've never really done it before and i'm on day 4. I'm staying very strict to it as well.

Hi Mike,
It depends on how metabolically resistent you are and how much weight you have to lose, I think. Dr Atkins lists this in DANDR pg 158. Depending on your metabolism he lists anywhere from 4-16 pounds could be lost. But, as always, YMMV.
Good luck and post often and let us know how it's going

HTH

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Hi Mike and Welcome.
It has been years ago for me but if it helps...
When I started on Atkins, I was 275 and 45 years old. I was already active and going to the gym so the only change for me was my "diet" I seem to recall loosing about 15 lbs or so for the 1st 2 weeks of induction. I chose to stay on induction for about a month. I think my losses were about 25 lbs for that period.

I hope this helps. But remember as Shelley notes... Your mileage may vary. We each different metabolisms. As I've been on LC now for over 3 years now,and much older, my metabolism has dropped to a crawl. I am now at the point of controlling my intake of calories as well. In the early stages of Atkins such as Induction don't worry about calory intake. Your mission is to move from carb burning to fat burning for your body engine. You will naturally reduce your intake just by doing that.

Good luck on your journey. We are all here to help.
Tom.

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Tom
Restart LC 7/05/08

I too plan on staying on induction for a month. Maybe even a month and a half. After that, I never plan on eating like I used to again. Definitely low-carb for life here, assuming that it works for me, which I expect it will.

I firmly believe........ if you do this WOE correctly, you will lose weight and your health will improve. For some of us, it takes longer than others..... but this is not a "diet" ..... it is a way of life and has to be implented for the long term. Induction is difficult....... but it is the beginning of the journey that will be the foundation of long-term weight loss, a healthy you........ and long term success. Don't worry so much about the scale.... Truthfully, if you do l/c correctly, and by the book..... you will reap the success, albeit in your own body's time.

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196/135-135

Mike, I just looked at the notebook I kept. I started Atkins almost 2 and 1/2 years ago. I am 6 feet 5 and weighed 335 when I started. I lost 11 pounds the first week, 6 pounds the second week, 4 pounds the third week, and 5 pounds the fourth week. 26 pounds the first month. I stayed on induction level carbs for 9 months and lost 90 pounds before moving on to OWL. As has been previously mentioned, everybody loses at a different rate because of various factors. Good luck.

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Henry

Excellent. Thanks for the reply.

Induction is going smooth...given, it's only been three days, but I could do this for awhile.

I just want to drop the 40 or 50 lbs and then start the lifestyle for good, meaning, other than induction.

Mike, I stayed at Induction levels for a long time when I first started. It's a long story. I didn't know any better back then, not having any books or a website or anything. I wished I would have gone to the OWL phase after a few weeks because my body got used to the Induction level of 20 carbs per day and it didn't wanna give up any more weight when I finally started to add mroe carbs back in.

I looked up the Excel spreadsheet I made long ago, and here was my rate of loss for the first six months:

01-Jul-98 ......352.0
10-Aug-98.....338.0.....14 pounds
05-Sep-98.....324.0.....14 pounds
11-Oct-98.....297.0.....27 pounds
04-Nov-98.....285.0.....12 pounds
01-Dec-98.....280.0......5 pounds
01-Jan-99......271.0......9 pounds

I lost too much weight, too fast (over 150 pounds in 23 months). When I got 9 pounds from my goal weigh of 180, I learned about this web site and about the Atkins book and wanted to be healthy, so I went to the OWL phase and started gaining weight because I had stayed at Induction levels too long. It took me a long time to recondition my body to lose weight at appropriate carb levels (over 20 grams per day). I've truly made this a WOL now, and eat healthy levels of carbs -- mostly veggies and lean protein -- and am losing steadily now. Every body and everybody are different. Hope this helps

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mike-i did induction 2 weeks, and lost 12 pounds. it tends to go faster if 1. you have a lot of weight to lose, and 2. you have the y chromosone. guys lose it faster than women as a rule.

if you plan on losing about 50 pounds via induction, i'm wondering how much overall you're expecting to lose? that sounds like a lot of induction to me. while it's nice to get things off to a good start, actually owl is the most important part of the plan to me, since it's where you learn the skills that help you keep it off forever by integrating it into your life. induction, by it's very regimented nature, doesn't feel like "normal" eating.

of course, i understand the drive for speed. i was very much that way when i started too. and there's no denying, it's fun when it just peels off! someplace, though, something switched inside my head. if i'm going to do this forever, it matters mostly that i can be comfortable and integrate it into my life as painlessly as possible, not whether i "finish" in January or December or whatever.

also, do be aware that extended inductions can sometimes keep folks from losing. don't ask me to explain it, 'cause i can't! but if you find your losses slowing seriously or stopping on induction, try moving on to owl and see if it helps.

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Actually 50 lbs is what I want to lose... that would put me at 205... I could stand to lose a few more after that, but 50 is my overall goal.

I just figure take as much off with induction and then look at a switch when stop losing.

ahhhhhh. i see.

mike, if you haven't gotten the book, you may want to do that. and if you have, you may want to read about owl. it's actually much more important and helpful than induction in your long-term success. i'd rather see somebody skip induction than skip owl, and i'd put my money on the success of the person who skips induction before someone who does it the other way around every single time. they have a much better shot, even if it takes 'em longer.

essentially, by doing "all induction" you're using low-carb like a crash diet. it is effective and the losses tend to go at a good clip. the problem? you're cheating yourself out of the education you get about how your body works, what causes problems for you specifically and what doesn't, and the most important part of the whole thing: maintaining your losses for life.
i know you said you plan to "eat low carb" later, too. and it's good you understand the need. but you don't magically know what works for you and what doesn't if you've never done owl. it's a very individualized thing, exactly how many carbs you can lose at, when you maintain, when you gain, and even with the same levels, which specific foods are problems for you. it's a learning process.

i dunno. i know part of the reason i was fat to begin with is that i didn't have a sense of moderation and control regarding food. i could "diet" just fine: follow strict rules for short-term results. it worked until i got bored, fed up, or "finished" and ended up gradually going back to my old ways. but it didn't last, because i hadn't learned what i needed to in order to make it a part of my life, just how i eat. you've got the diet energy going, and in the long run, i don't think it will best serve you.

of course, the choice is always yours. good luck, regardless of the choices you make.

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In my case, I lost about 5 pounds a week, 3 times a month between September 20th and Dec 1st 03 (from my spreadsheet):

Sep 20 235/240ish
Oct 20 221
Nov 19 205
Dec 21 193

BTW, at the time, I was a 28 yo male couch potatoe, 5'8. I was also walking about 3 miles a day as well.

Should be very easy to do. In my case, I lost almost 50 pounds before my first major stall.

After 60-65, I had to start counting calories in addition to carbs and exercise.

As for the induction issue, I actually stayed on induction for about 2 months (if I remember correctly), but went onto OWL as soon as I found this site (which convinced me). Looking back on it now, I really don't think adding 5 g of carbs at a time would have had much impact on my weight loss. If you are really reluctant, you could stick to each 5 g increment for 2 weeks instead of one. That might give you the best of both worlds.

Just remember though, you are just starting. Some time in 2009 you will probably be at your goal weight, and struggling to remember the exact details of how long you stayed on induction. These are just details. In the grand scheme of things moving on to OWL will not hurt you, but not moving on to OWL could make it harder to loose in the future.

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Started Atkins on 9/20/03
235-->190; 150 goal

I dropped about 15 pounds during my first two weeks of induction.