My question is about being constipated. It's been over a week. I used to eat one fuji apple a day and that kept me sort of regular -- at least I think it was that. On induction, would I still be able to lose if I ate one fuji apple a day?

Apples are not added until phase two.
Are you eating all your vegetables, drinking all your water? Fiber will not interfere with your weight loss program. You need not count the carbs from the fiber since it is not digested .For best results use a soluble fiber like 1 TBSP Benefiber in the evening.

Blake Are you saying, by the chart, that a loss of seven pounds in fourteen days by someone who has 35lbs to lose is good or bad?

I would say that seven pounds in fourteen days by someone who has 35lbs is average to good.

It is a sign you will be OK with moving up the ladder. Just be careful to find your carb tolerance and always stay beneath that level to lose weight, at your level to maintain it.

I've been going to a weight loss clinic and have been in stage one of atkins for over 1 week and cannot get into ketosis. I need help!! For awhile I was in "trace" ketosis but now nothing. The only thing I changed was adding calcium & vitamin tabs.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I wanted to lose 20-30 lbs. I have lost 8 on induction. I was on atkins a couple of years ago and went back to the bad way of eating and gained the weight back plus a couple of lbs. I also had a baby. I now weigh 149 and my bmi is within normal range, however, I still need to get rid of the muffin top over my jeans. How do I figure out my rate?

I just want to make sure I'm understanding the chart correctly. I have over 50 pounds to loose and I lost about 13 pounds in the first 14 days...so that is good? That means I have a high rate of burning fat? Because I have had a lot of trouble loosing weight until I started Atkins...hmmm, maybe I was missing something the other times. I plan to stay on induction until I get closer to my goal weight. When do you recommend switching to phase two? I want to loose most of my weight quickly, but also want to keep it off so I want to make sure I don't make the switch too late. Thanks!

Does the term "metabolically resistant" cover all the reasons one may not be losing weight? For instance, if a person is on a certain medication, or has a certain illness, like hypothyroidism, they might look at the chart and say, "I haven't lost 2 pounds, so not I know I am severely metabolically resistant!"

Does the term cover all the various reasons, or only "actual" resistance?

And if it is not an umbrella term for all the reasons, should there be some sort of disclaimer on the chart?

I have lost nothing, no one single pound or inches, NOTHING AT ALL, and has been 3 weeks since I started the Atkins diet, no sugar, no carbs, only my 12-15 net carbs a day, someone help, I am just about the give up and come back to only way that I know for loose weight, starving myself, bad mood all the day because I am hungry and everybody here knows what happens in a normal diet, but I need some encouragement I am really just about the give up! Since I move to this country USA, 9 months ago, I have gain 50 pounds, the food is so fat, now I need stop before is too late, I just don`t know how, seems like Atkins is not working for me!
Someone please!!!! :)

Wow, I was in meetings all day. Sorry I missed all your questions. I will answer one at a time.

debbron... How are they testing ketone levels? If it with a urine keto sticks, they are not very accurate... The scale, inches, and how you feel are better indicators of movement.

StacyLee 13 lbs in 14 days is amazing. This means you have no metabolic resistance. Move to OWL soon. Slowly, carefully, and deliberately.

seahorse66... 8 lbs is pretty good since you don't have a lot to lose. It means you don't have much resistance to weight loss. That is great news!

Rebecca...metabolically resistant in this blog covers all the reasons one may not be losing weight.It is a way to help people have reasonable expectations for weight loss and to let those who lose very slowly know it is OK to stay in the low nd of carb consumption until the body heals, if need be. A disclaimer may be a good idea.

anaeick ... you need to give it more time and take your measuements with a tape measure once a week and check to see if inches are coming off

Hi Stacy,

Yes, let me be more specific, I am sorry I just came here talking about my disappointment and frustration, but I did not give any information about what I am doing, and If it`s right!

**Yes I am getting my 20 net carbs a day and 12-15 of veggies. sometimes not all the 20 net carbs but for sure the 12-15 from veggies.
**Yes, I drink my water, sometimes more than the 64oz, I drink a lot of water, I love water
**NO EXERCISE - :) I really dislike exercise, that is why I was looking for a diet that would not be a obligation exercising, but I have a very busy life, I live in a farm, so work with wood for warm up our wood stove, I work also in a Organic Farm, 3 days a week 10 hours a day, and I sit down to eat for 10 minutes, even I want eat something else that I can`t I would not have time to do it only in 10 minutes.

My menu ( I am a very flexible person, and very easy to make diet, I can eat every day the same and don`t feel bored, so I`ll just give a little idea about what I eat every day)

Breakfast

Omelet (2 eggs, olive oil, 2 slices of ham, 1 tsp of cilantro, 1 ounce of cheese (asiago or parmesan)
Sometimes ....
4 slices of pastrami and 1 oz of cheese
I started eating bacon, but they are to fat so I just decide cut them out.

Lunch

Sometimes ...
chicken breast - 1 or 2 (about 10 ounces)- grilled with garlic and salt.
Sometimes ...
Bratwurst - 1 or 2 grilled ( I started at the first 3 days then I cut it out, because I thought was too fat also)
Sometimes ...
Fish fillet - with garlic, salt and olive oil
Sometimes ...
3 hard boiled eggs
Every day, never change....
8 ounces of romaine lettuce (1cup)
2 tsp of blue cheese salad dressing
1 tsp of olive oil

Dinner

Sometimes...
Fish fillet - with garlic, salt and olive oil
Sometimes...
Actually the majority of my meals at night are shrimp, I love it - :)
Shrimp fried in a non stick fried pan, with olive oil and garlic (My favorite) about 2 cups
Sometimes...
Rotisserie Chicken - breast and wings - about 8 ounces
Sometimes...
Sirloin steak - grilled, garlic and salt, about 8 ounces (only in a weekends)
Sometimes...
Chicken wings, about 8 deep fried
Sometimes...
Chicken breast, skinless and boneless, grilled, garlic, salt and pepper.
Every night never change:
1 cup of broccoli boiled
1 cup of cauliflower boiled
or
1 cup of romaine lettuce
2 tsp of blue cheese salad dressing, olive oil and salt

I thing I am doing very good, very health and trying not to eat the fat foods, what was fat I cut it out, I try for a couple of day the Atkins bars and they were making me hungry and the shake also, so I just stop it!


I used not snack, I just don`t like, I don`t feel hungry, but when I do, is sandwich meat: hard salami, pastrami, gouda cheese, asiago cheese, smoked ham, turkey sausage,

What I drink every day, 2 sometimes 3 a day, is my soda, Diet Rite, every day, 2-3 canes sometimes, especially at weekends, because I can`t drink and I love beer, has been 3 weeks since my last one and has been a sacrifice!

SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME IF I AM DOING SOMETHING WRONG?????
Because If I am doing everything right and not loosing weight, maybe I should stop, I don`t know, I don`t like to be negative but since I started that diet, 3 weeks ago, I don`t see any difference, maybe a little bit here and there, but not significant`s changes, someone please tell me that is normal and at the next feel days I am going to loose at least 15 pounds!! :)

Thank you Stacy for you words of encouragement and thank you every body that will reply my post.

God Bless you All
Forgive my english, I am working on it, It will be better next post.

dear anaeick - the Diet Rite soda might be the problem. I find that when I drink diet drinks I don't lose any weight no matter how well I stick to the plan. I drink plain fizzy water (la croix) to get the satisfaction of a carbonated beverage.

You said you work on a farm - if that is physical work it counts as exercise. Sounds like you get plenty of "exercise" just living your life! most americans do nothing but sit all day and that is why "exercise" is part of the program - to get us off of our fat behinds :-)

I had a hard time starting as well - I hope things turn around for you when you stop drinking the soda. Good luck!

anaeick,

I too am a farmer, and as a general rule, farmers get plenty of exercise and I do nothing else for exercise but my farm.

My recommendations:

Definitely get rid of the Diet Rite soda. These have other sugar substitutes that are not good for you. I'm sure Colette can state what they are, I don't remember. I've not had a carbonated beverage is years because my understanding of any carbonated beverage is it leeches the calcium from your bones.

Additionally, I'm concerned about what you said about cutting out fatty items. The body needs the fat. My understanding is that trying to do Atkins AND a low-fat eating does not work. The body needs the fat and this is where low-fat diets are completely wrong and don't work. Frankly, I eat literally bunches of fat. I drink heavy cream, not milk. I eat nothing but butter, Whole fat butter. I never remove the skin from my chicken and I also eat most of the fat on my steaks and other meats.

I'm sure Colette will get back to you about these things if I've mis-spoken.

Good luck dear
Diana

vj711, Diana
Yes I`ll cut it out the Diet Rite, I am not a sugar maniac :-) But after a meal seems like something is missing, so I was drinking the soda, but not anymore, and because I miss my beers very much :-), I`ll try what vj711 suggest fizzy water (la croix).
And If someone have any suggestions about what I can substitute the sweets, I`ve tried jello (not very good but I`ll keep trying) Atkins bars (they are good, but 16g of carbs right? so If I have one I just can have more 4 net carbs at the same day right?)
I work at an organic farm three days a week.
I work in the kitchen = preparations of salad's and pesto's and I would like to know If I can eat these greens in the induction phase:

*baby sunflower greens,
*baby pea shoots,
*red lettuce,
*Iceberg lettuce
*kale,
*Napa cabbage

Actually is not a heavy hard work, my daywork are 10 hours in a rush for a whole day and on the weekends cutting and splitting firewood for about a hour!
And this morning I bought a "step machine" is a old one, manual, but works, and I have a "walk machine" at home and a "bowflex" I just don`t like exercises, but I`ll give one more try :-)

We don`t have many animals Diana, that is what I understand take more work in a farm, so at my farm exercises "only firewood"
I would like to have some cow`s, but we just have some chickens, the best part it`s the fresh eggs, but I thought I wasn`t loosing weight because I was having 2 eggs every morning, and bacon, so I stop it with both!
My concern about fatty items is about "calories" seems like since I cut them out, I feel more thin, or it`s just my mind because at the scale nothing change and measurement`s nothing at all.

I`ll keep doing the same, just not anymore Diet Rite and more exercises.

Thank you all girls Collete, vj711, Diana, for the help and I just want know If I am doing right! The weight loss is slow, because you have high expectations about that diet and when you see week after week and nothing happens is a kind of discourage you.
We are coming back to my country for vacation at the end of this year and I don`t want come back 50 pounds heavier than when I live and I want feel good with myself again, and the only diet that I ever knew was the "starvation diet" I decide to give a try in this one, I just want know If worth it!
I hope so!

God Bless you All.
Thank you again for your precious time.

Collete,

I am 57 year old male, I lost 4.8 lbs in the 1st two weeks of induction. I need to lose 40-50 lbs, so by your chart I am metabolic resistant. What can you do to solve this problem? If I test ketone levels I am only in trace or none. I am diabetic and the DR just started me on 500mg Metformin. I was recently diagnosed, I was a weight watcher member for 9 months prior and had only lost 12 lbs, it was very frustrating. So I switched to Atkins almost 3 weeks ago.

What can I do do decrease my metabolic resistance!

One thing that I thought would help is I ordered some Atkins Basic 3 and will start that as soon as I receive it.

Will caffeine slow metabolism?
How about diet sodas?

Please help. Thx

Hi Collette or anyone that may be able to answer me

I have a couple of quick queries please. I have about 30lbs to loose, I'm just at the end of my 2 weeeks induction, I lost 7lbs on the first week when I wasnt eating enough veggie carbs (using the cups) but then put 4 lbs on when I started using various online carb counters and was eating more veg than the 12 - 15 g as someone pointed out they were inaccurate. It was also just after my period so i'm not sure if that had anything to do with it. I think I am beginning to get the hang of induction now, got my calories about right (around 1600), my fat to approx 70%, my protein 18 - 25% and am having 12 - 15g of veg per day and drinking approx 1.5 - 2 litres of water plus herb teas (nettle). Someone has given me some good tips & recipes for MiMs re the 2 weeks worth of constipation (surely that has to weigh something :)), I have done the online courses and have started to use fitday but just wanted to clarify something. When I am tracking my carbs on fitday I subtract from the total the fibre. So to ensure I am eating 20 carbs, if my fibre is 10g I ensure my carb total on fitday says 30g to account for the 10 g of fibre. (I'm a big veggie eater so my count for the other carbs is only ever between 5 & 7g)

Therefore, regarding calculating my metabolic resistance, as I am going to do the induction for another two weeks to try and correct the mistakes I was making, do I use the amount I lost in these first two weeks even though I wasn't doing it right or do I count the amount I loose over the next two weeks when hopefully I will be doing it right.

Could anyone also please tell me when I can have unsweetened soya milk and marmite (ingredients yeast extract, salt, vegetable extract, niacin, thiamin,spice extracts (contains celery), riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin b12) again please as I kind of miss them. I presume the soya is on the last week of OWL but I wasnt sure (the fibre is greater than the carb count) and have no idea re the marmite as I wasnt sure where yeast would fit it, if at all.

Many many thanks for your help

Fleur

Hi loyalwarrior ... correcting your blood sugar will correct the situation. The body will burn sugar before fat. Once your blood sugars are closer to normal the rate of weight loss will improve. Metformin will help also because it will treat the insulin resistance. Increasing activity will help burn off some of that blood sugar as well.

The focus of the Atkins approach is blood sugar regulation. So you can overcome high blood sugar using Atkins. The reason for this is because protein, fat and low-carb veggies have the least effect on blood sugar and insulin, which means they will not cause your blood sugar to go too high or drop too low. Therefore, you will not subject yourself to the hyperglycemic reactions that can be caused by eating high amounts of sugar when following a high-carbohydrate diet.

However, even when following Atkins, it is important for you to eat six small meals or every three or four waking hours to help steady blood sugar.
If you are on blood sugar lowering medications you need to work closely with your doctor to adjust medication dosage. The need for medication diminishes dramatically and quickly. You run the risk of a low blood sugar response if you don’t adjust medication. DO NOT attempt to adjust meds on your own. Until your doctor finds the right dose for your new eating habits, be alert to the signs and symptoms of the onset of hypoglycemia for the first few days of Atkins and if you feel it is necessary, select higher carb foods that will not interfere with the program. These could include tomato and cheese, broccoli and other higher carb veggies, nuts and seeds or a half cup of tomato juice.

Metformin is NOT blood sugar lowering meds, no need to worry about that one.

Hi Fleur ... yes you should count the weight you lost the first two weeks, even though it was not perfect. I agree, you should master Induction before moving to OWL. You can add the unsweetened soy milk in the first week of OWL as long as you are getting 12 to 15 net carbs from veggies
( total carbs minus fiber). You can challenge with marmite , for your second challenge in OWL as long as the scale is still going in the right direction.

Colette,

I am also questioning induction....I started on April 3 2009 and have only lost 6 pounds total. I exercise at least 30 minutes a day and have been tracking all my food on fitday. I measure myself once a week and also have not seen any progress. I am willing to try the "fat fast" Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I have done the atkins diet in the past and stayed on inductioni for over a year. I had a lot to lose. over 100 lbs. I did lose it. I also gained it back. I have done this several times in the last 6 years. I think this has built up my resistance to metabolic change. I am back on it and looking to make this a lifetime change and move into the owl and maintenance phases correctly this time. I have found over the past 30 years of over weightness that the Atkins approach makes you feel healthier and more stable. I saw that the loyalwarrior asked a secondary question on the effects of caffine on metaboloic resistance. I do a lot of caffine during the day. should i cut that out of my diet to make induction work better and get down to my weight goal and properly move into owl this time?

thanks

Cdogg

flossytrip ... forget about the fat fast; too risky.
6 pounds in one month is pretty good especially if it is all fat you are losing. Think of 6 ponds of butter and how much fat that is.

Make your fit day journal public and post it in the community Getting Started forums. The veterans there are really good at making suggestions about the menu. I will take a look also. maybe there are some adjustments we can suggest.

Hi cdogg,
Welcome back. You are wise to know this time you need to find your carb tolerance by walking through the phases so you never need to "start over" again. Once you find how many carbs you can consume before you start storing fat again, you can always stay beneath that number and even plan a vactaion and not gain weight. Just be prepared; the individuals who gain all their weight back have the most difficulty losing it again. Be consistant and deliberate and you will be fine.

Cut caffeine down to two cups daily or the eqivilant of 150 mgs daily. Spread it out over the course of the day and you should be fine. It is also OK to wean down slowly to avoid the caffeine withdrawal.

Hi Colette - I have been a follower of the Atkins lifestyle for almost 10 years and lost about 100 lbs which I have mostly kept off. The bad news for me is that no matter what I do, short of starving, my weight is steadily increasing. I've put back on 40 lbs and feeling miserable about it. I took a six month break and ate "normally" (and increased a dress size) then went back onto induction. No shift in the scales which was actually a good thing as I stopped an upwards trend. So, I have cut out diet sodas, increased veg intake (I was a follower of the old Atkins methodology which to minimize vegetable intake during induction) and am now wondering what to try next. Here's a typical day for me:

Breakfast: eggs (1), sprinkling of cheese and bacon
Snack: 1 oz cheese/nuts
Lunch: Large spinach salad with avocado (1/2), some thinly sliced red onion, bacon dressing (small amount bacon undrained with olive oil, vinegar, mustard, drop of tabasco), tomatoes (and I have been known to add a couple of thinly sliced strawberries which really adds to the flavor)
Dinner: 4 oz steak, oven roasted vegetables (bell pepper, tomato, small amount of onion, eggplant, zucchini, olive oil, italian herbs), with another spinach salad or occasionally a greek salad (tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, lemon juice and olive oil)

I do occasionally have a glass of wine or a whiskey with water but I have cut out even this. And I am putting on weight!!! Any ideas what I can do? Exercise does not seem to make the scales shift in either direction - I had a personal trainer until recently when I decided I was just throwing good money after bad. My doctor did a thyroid test and I was told it was normal. It is really discouraging but I am not sure what to do next. Help!!!

Colette, I am new to your blog, and really enjoy your posts...thank you for being the support I need, because this time, the Atkins journey has been a rollercoaster!

Six years ago, I first tried Induction. Because I'm a busy single parent of two who, at the time, had a job that required travel six months out of the year, I thought it would be perfect for my lifestyle. It was--I dropped 12 pounds in the first 14 days, and steadily lost 23 lbs over time. When I hit a plateau, I ignored it by staying on Induction. After about a year though, like I've been known to do, I got bored & quit the program simply because I saw good results.

Then perimenopause hit, then the kids' teen years. Then came relocation, job loss, foreclosure, bankruptcy and a kid who's now in college! Yeah, it's been rough, but rather than succumb to the stress, I made a vow to change internally so I could succeed at something! I set up a little experiment to see what would work. I had gained back all I lost years ago, plus an additional 40 pounds, so I needed to take action!

Starting in January 2009, I did nothing but cardio exercise on the elliptical trainer--20 minutes before work, 20 minutes after, for five days a week. At this time I was eating high protein, low carb, high fiber--but the fiber & carbs came from veggies AND fruit, which I love. There's nothing better than a Granny Smith apple or a ruby red grapefruit as a treat! In spite of all the cardio, I lost two pounds, one inch.

In February, I gave up all the fruit and started doing more exercise, incorporating free weight training. I started looking smaller, but since I know muscle weighs more than fat, I actually gained those two pounds back that I'd lost the month before.

In March, I went a step further. I cut out the cardio and just stuck with weight training 3x/wk and Atkins. During this time I was drinking lots of water, taking vitamins, and religiously watching the carbs. To no avail--the inches were dropping but in March (my birthday month), I lost one measly pound. When I realized I had to make yet another effort, I went back to basics.

Starting March 30, I carefully weighed and measured--I was 240 pounds. I made a vow to stay as close to Induction as I could for the month of April, and to drop all exercise for the time being. My good news testimonial? Today on May 4 I weighed in at 220 lbs. (plus six inches overall, in just five weeks)! Still can't believe how fast it all happened once I converted strictly to Atkins only.

One thing I noticed is that when I skipped the almonds and macadamia nuts (which I love), there was a more productive weight loss. I eat my veggies raw to fill up and keep my carb count under control. I'm a deviled egg freak, so I keep them around as meals or snacks. And whoever invented the Atkins Advantage Caramel Double Chocolate Crunch Bar deserves a medal of honor! Completely satisfies the sweet tooth!

A moderate portion of my work activities involves lifting and packing boxes of textbooks in a warehouse. In many respects, that is serving as my interim exercise as I continue to lose weight, although I know I will want to return to some form of workout. The goal weight is 180 (I'm 5'8") and I have a long way to go, but April 2009 was a true success month...I look forward to many more Marvelous Mondays for weigh-in and measuring!

Because I'm still a fairly low resistance fat burner in Induction, and I tend to build muscle quickly in exercise, what should I do when I hit that invariable 20-25lb weight loss plateau, when I tend to "rest on my laurels" and get discouraged? I feel like I can stay on Induction and reach my goal weight, but I don't want to lose momentum or see changes in the scale with exercise. Any suggestions or feedback?

Colette, I have another 125 lbs to loose and lost a total of 16 lbs during the 14 days of induction, so I would a low Metabolic Resistance? is that correct? In total over 5 weeks Im down 26lbs! Thanks
Tammy

Dear Colette,
I have 9 lbs. to lose and I am doing Atkins because I am pre diabetic. I've already lost 20 lbs. on low carb and NO Sugar. I get very nauseated on the induction phase and when I signed up the site recommended I start with pre maintenance. Don't I need the induction to rev up my metabolism? Also, can I stay on the plan right after surgery? I see no problem but my husband is concerned.
Thanks,
valbeck

So, I went on Atkin's in 2001. I lost 17-18 pounds of the eventual 60 I lost in the first 2 weeks. This is what I've found:

1. I never got more than a trace of ketones, but the weight still came off easily and I wasn't hungry. If that's where you are, who cares about the ketones?

2. I have had constipation on and off and find that taking some magnesium oxide supplement with vitamin c and titrating the dose to manage my bowels has done the job with no extra calories or carbs.

3. All that weight loss the first 1-2 weeks? It's largely water. When you're on a lot of carbs (and believe me, my diet before Atkins was almost ENTIRELY carbs), you tend to retain water. I had swollen ankles almost all the time. When you go to Atkin's, your kidneys go into overdrive and you pee it all out. In fact, the most important thing about drinking a lot of water in the first couple of weeks is avoiding dehydration! Once the initial time period passes, your body will adjust. I found I felt yucky the first few days, but more water made me feel better. As the diet progressed, I felt better than I had in years.

Most recently, my weight had started to creep back on again and I was getting hungry more often. I have a high stress but very sedentary job which contributed to increased appetite and decreased activity level. I eventually ended up 25 pounds over my weight just before starting maintenance in 2001, and 20 pounds over my current goal (BMI just under 22, a good place for a 52 year old). Finally, finally, this year I was able to get the weight down and stay on the diet. These are the things I added:

1. Chew each bite 20 times so you eat veeeeery slowly. And don't drink your meals (impossible to leave it in your mouth very long). This forces your body into noticing that you've actually eaten, and also keeps you from finishing first and having to watch everyone else eat.

2. Eliminate virtually all sweetener (I just had a morning cup of tea with sweetener). Drinking diet soda seems to correlate with obesity. I have a feeling that sweet tastes mess with the insulin response and propagate addiction to sweets.

3. Eat off smaller plates.

4. Eat vegetables raw. It seems cooking makes more of the food nutritionally available, and it is faster to eat as well.

can someone explain the ketones thing?

I don`t know about you guys but my Degree of Metabolic Resistance might be more than hard :-), because I am giving the Atkins diet the last week in 4 If nothing happens I am out. I am tired to hear all my friends saying that they lose I lot of weight with Atkins and I am the only one that seems does`t work, (not being negative).
Someone suggest something else? "Patient" it`s out :-).

Thank you very much.

God Bless you all.

I started ANA three weeks ago and I lost 15 pounds in the first two weeks. But my ketone level was low. Now I am hovering around a certain weight and I cannot seem to move on. What does this say about my metabolic resistance. I have over fifty pounds I want to lose.

Hi EMF999...I hope we have learned our lesson to know that eating "normally" is just not OK for your metabolism.

First remember all the good work you have accomplished. Losing 100 lbs is no easy task. This time lose your recent 40 lb gain in a way that you can live with for the rest of your life.

You need to do a clean Induction to clean up whatever mess you have created with your metabolism and insulin production from normal eating. No nuts, no berries for now, limited cheese, most of your carbs coming in the form of vegetables. Try to also cut out tomatoes and onions. Absolutely no alcohol until we establish you back into fat burning.

Your menu looks like a perfect OWL Induction. For now we need to concentrate on Induction.

Give it some time. It may take a few weeks to clear out high insulin levels. Think of it as the corrective phase. You are correcting the underlying condition that made you a fat storing machine rather than a fat burning machine. Be patient and don't obsess on the scale.

Take your measurements with a tape measure once a week and keep track of changes in body composition.

www.fitday.com has a free menu tracker that will track carbs, fats,proteins,and calories. You just need to subtract the fiber to get to net carb consumption. Do a reality check and keep a food diary for awhile to see if you are doing things in line. Try not to go below 1500 calories.

Make your food diary public and come to the forums and discussion groups and make the link public and the veterans and I will check your menu.

It will take a little time. Patience. You can do this.

Hey KellyJcksn ... what a great story. I was reading with abandon. I am so glad it had a happy ending. You may have missed your calling as a writer.
You have a long way all by yourself and kudos to you for figuring all that out. The missing link that I see is that you have not leaned your lesson from the first time you did Atkins.

You lost all your weight in Induction, hit a plateau, stayed in Induction, got bored, and gained all your weight back.

The single most important decision that you’ll confront is this: “What do I need to do to keep off the weight I’ve lost and maintain my health?"

All phases of the Atkins Diet must eventually lead to a sustainable pattern of food and activity choices that allow you to remain healthy, happy, and slimmer.

You have got to move to OWL! I know it is counter intuitive, but if that stall happens, where will you go to break it? If you move to OWL and slow down weight loss ever so slightly, we will have some wiggle room to break a plateau. In fact, that stall is less likely to happen if you move up the latter slowly.

Do it slowly and deliberately, adding one new item at a time. If you are consuming 12 to 15 net carbs of veggies now, you can add either 5 net carbs of soft cheese, or nuts, or berries.


Take a deep breath and go for it.

Tammy ... wow that is almost a pound a day. Cool. I would say that you do NOT have a resistance to weight loss. Good for you.

valbeck... since you are using the program to control blood sugar you will need to stay low in carbs. You can probably move to OWL in the lower rungs, but in order to reverse the course of Diabetes you will need to make low carb a way of life.
After you lose the weight and find the level of carb intake that keeps your blood sugar steady, you can just increase calories to maintain weight and halt weight loss.

anaeick... I know how frustrating that could be.

Has any other weight loss program worked for you in the recent past? Have you had someone checked your menu in the community boards?

Are you doing a clean Induction? Have you tried doing OWL instead?

frjtyokum... !5 lbs in two weeks is great.There is no metabolic resistance there. It is normal to lose weight in fits and starts, especially after the first easy pounds come off.

Take your measurements with a tape measure once a week to see if fat cells are shrinking.

Colette, thanks for the easy access to this chart. I think we were just talking about this very topic recently. Weren't we?

I always enjoy your blogs, they are a wealth of information. Again, thank you.

Terry (whyguy)

I bought the Ketone Test Strips from the drugstore and one day I test Moderate for ketones and the next barely at all. I am not changing anything on my diet and I have not cheated once. This is my second week on induction. Why do I keep changing colors on the test strip?

Yes Terry, you were the inspiration for this blog.
Thank You.

Outlaw... don't worry about the strips. There are many things that have an impact on ketone readings. It is normal for readings to fluctuate.
A better indicator of fat cells shrinking is taking your measurements with a tape measure once a week and keeping tabs on progress.

I TRYED THE INDUCTION WENT REALLY WELL FOR 3 DAYS LOST 3 POUNDS CARRIED ON BY DAY 6 IVE GAINED 4 POUNDS PLEASE HELP .ZOWE

Thanks so much for your prompt reply and encouragement, Colette! I've had many people say I should write...one thing's for sure, I can't wait to write my Atkins "success story!"

You asked a very impactful question about maintenance, and I will admit I'm nervous. My weight has been like a yo-yo all my adult life, and that sense of accomplishment in losing pounds is never enough to push me to stay focused to keep them off. However, now there's an impetus to keep going, as this is really working well for me. So I'll bite the bullet and try OWL, especially since those luscious strawberries are now in season!

You know, this blog is cathartic in a way...in this instance, I'm just now realizing I eat when I'm bored, and I expect rapid results out of minimal effort because I'm IMPATIENT! LOL My brain has been wired to Induction because I'm an "all-or-nothing" person who is happy accomplishing short-term goals, not considering the bigger picture.

So again, I greatly appreciate your guidance. Now I have a mindset to tackle a new challenge with OWL, and prepare for a LIFESTYLE, not just a program with a happy ending. I'm taking a deep breath and going for it...and will be in touch again soon!

zowe...First, assuming that you are doing Atkins properly, recognize that there may not be a problem at all. Different people will respond to Atkins differently; some consistently lose weight while others do so in stages. Don't compare yourself to others and become overly concerned with short-term results. It is normal to lose weight in fits and starts. Certain medications, activity level, hormonal status and age can cause differences in weight loss.

keely,

In one sense, doing Induction is the easiest part of Atkins. You're following a strict regimen that almost always works. Now, as you learn how to liberalize that regimen, you will be reentering the real world. That doesn't have to be the bad world of junk food and uncontrollable cravings, but it is a world of greater choice, and certainly one in which you will be closer to the place where weight gain is a possibility.
But you need to be careful not to ruin this opportunity. Over the course of the next few months, you can teach yourself a whole new way of life that will keep you healthy for decades. That is what doing Atkins is really all about. When you begin OWL, you will be at a crucial stage for learning the parameters of your lifetime program. You'll find out what's the most liberal level of carbohydrate consumption your metabolism can handle while continuing to take off excess pounds. Once you learn how your body reacts and how quickly you can add new foods yet continue to lose pounds, you have the tools with which to enjoy of lifetime of slimness.

Sorry, there is no edit mode here, I messed up your name. I meant to type Kelly

Colette - thank you so much for taking the time to write such a long reply.

I will definitely do as you suggested. My only comment is that I put on about 25 of the 40 lbs while following the Atkins lifestyle. In hindsight I did not eat sufficient vegetables but I thought I should explain why I threw caution to the winds and ate "normally". I will keep you posted via the forum.

Thank you again!!!!

Edwina

Hi Colette,
Thanks for your post, I lost 10lbs in induction so although I always thought I was quite high in metabolic resistance perhaps I'm not.
I have reached my weight target after 18 weeks and lost 26lbs altogether after going to PM with 5lbs to lose. Those last 5lbs dropped off very quickly which may have been because I only increased my nett carbs very gently, alternating between 40 & 45g nc and this week 45g nc every day instead of the 10g increments as I thought I was close to my CCLL. I feel like another 5lbs less than my original target & my BMI would still be about 21-22. How did you work out what your target should be and has it altered ie decreased much since you reached lifetime maintenance?
Thanks
Esiole :-)

Honestly, I look in the full length mirror naked. I am tiny, only 5 feet, and I have an athletic body. All weight charts want me too thin. I like a little muscle on me. So for weight, I go by how I look in the full length mirror, naked.

If I see a little puckering, I either increase my exercise, or if my schedule does not allow, I decrease my carbs. Your ACE will change with certain circumstances. As I age, my carb tolerance is becoming lower and lower.

To maintain your goal weight once you achieve it, you need to learn how many grams of Net Carbs you can consume each day without regaining weight.

You begin to get a handle on your threshold for carbs during Pre-Maintenance, when you may have to “play around” within a 10-gram range to continue the very slow process of losing the last few pounds. When you reach your goal weight and stay there for a month, you are officially in Lifetime Maintenance and have found the way you should eat for the rest of your life. We call that level of carb intake your Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE). In the simplest terms, your ACE is the number of grams of Net Carbs you can eat while neither gaining nor losing weight.

If you’re ACE is below fifty grams of net carbs you don't need to worry about fat intake. You will still be primarily burning fat. The body does not care if it is getting its fat calories from stored fat or from fat consumed. Just increase your calories with additional fats from Monounsaturated to keep your energy high.

HI I am just starting the induction phase. I am excited to use my new "tools" on this website to lose the weight. I have 80 some pounds to loose.

My main question however, is that I am afraid that it will not work. I have tried everything including excersizing on a regular basis. I had polycistic ovaran syndrom which led to a hysterectomy 7 years ago and was doing well with loosing 35 pounds until my doctor took me off of the estrogen supplements.

I've gained 25 pounds in two years without changing anything but the estrogen. It's very discouraging and I'm wondering if any one out there without estrogen hormone has trouble loosing weight?

Collete, I am going to start Atkins and my husband wants to as well. I love veggies and know it will be easy to follow the 2 week induction. My husband on the other hand, hates veggies and lettuce. Loves meat. He thinks he'll be fine with not eating veggies and just eating more meat to make up the total carbs for the day. I don't think it will. What do you suggest?

Collete,I am getting prepared to start phase 1,i am on phentermine,if i do not have the recommended amount of calories,because i do not feel hungry,will my body still go into starvation mode,and do i have to have 20 carbs a day,or the less carbs i have,the more weight i will lose.thanks.

Hey Collete, Just finished week three of induction with a weight loss of 6 lbs. I have 29 more to lose, so I assume I am dealing with some metabolic resistance. I have been weighing my food and using fitday, getting 12-15 net carbs from veggies, and getting approx 1500 calories. I am not bored with my food choises have no cravings and allthough I know the ketostix are not very reliable, they have been showing ketosis.

I will start with measurements today. Is there anything else I could be doing? Maybe cutting out my MIM, reducing cheese, etc. The only other question is moving on to Phase 2 or not. I have also started going to the gym 3 times per week with weight training and aerobics.

Not giving up just want to shake thing up a bit.

Thanks Cooper

ebhitchcock ...
Atkins is your best shot. As far as your history of PCOS; numerous studies support what we had seen in clinical practice at The Atkins Center. Women diagnosed with PCOS tend to have high insulin levels. By controlling carbohydrate intake, you control insulin production, thus lowering the risk of obesity and developing further complications of high insulin production. Limiting carbs also helps diminish or eliminate symptoms and avoid recurrences in women who have been diagnosed with the condition in the past.

High insulin production is difficult to diagnose. You can have the condition and not know about it. The only hint we have as a possibility, is your history of PCOS. Even though it is not current, it is a clue regarding insulin production.

Atkins is the only program developed to correct this situation.

terry0722's ... yes, yes, and another yes for good measure. You need to eat your vegetables. Start small and work up slowly, but you need your vegetables to be successful short term and long term.

psteve48... the mentality of less is more on Atkins really does not work well.

If you want to lose the weight and keep it off, you should do the program as it is suggested. Sure there is room for flexibility and individualization, but not until we get a baseline of a clean two week Induction which is 20 net carbs and a minimum of 12 net carbs from veggies and a target of 1500 calories to start.

Hi Cooper... Three weeks of induction with a weight loss of 6 lbs is not bad! Think of what 6 pounds of butter looks like; a lot of fat.

Weight lifting may be building some muscle which could be showing on the scale. I would not do anything differently yet until we see what you body composition is doing. Take your measurements for a few weeks once a week with a tape measure and lets track the changes there first.

Thanks so much for your response! Thinking of six lbs of butter gives me some perspective. Took measurements today, will check back next week!!

Thanks Again! Cooper

I often do an hour on the eliptical machine. If you are in induction and you are working out, can you have a few more carbs?

Thank you Colette,

I was excited to step on the scale after my first full day, lost 3 pounds... but the next day it was all back plus one... now i'm back to where I started. So i'm a little discouraged... but not enough to stop. I didn't do anything different on those days that I gained... not even a mothers day treat! I'll keep trying!

I'm also dealing with virtually no weight loss after starting on March 13 2009. I have not cheated, have been using fitday, and going to this website for encouragement. I have been drinking the water, keeping the fat between 60 and 70%, with protein between 25 and 30%, and carb to approx 8% (approx 20 net carbs daily). I have also been taking 400mg of co-Q10, 3grams each of acetyl-L-carnitine, and L-carnitine. I drink one cup of coffee daily, and keep my splendas down to 3 per day. This morning, I stepped on the scale, and it was up 1.5 pounds from 2 days ago. I cannot tell you how discouraging this is for me. I had my thyroid checked last year, it was fine. I'm 48, and this year my menses have become irregular. I have been able to lose weight in the past with low carb dieting, but not this time. I'm not exercising, but my work keeps me fairly active, and according to the fitday graph, my calories in versus calories burnt SHOULD be resulting in a steady weight loss. I don't understand. My measurements are also the same. What do you think is going on, and what can you recommend? I really don't want to give up on myself.

I am very metabolically resistant...I've lost 7 pounds in two months...do you suggest the Fat Fast?..I am thinking about doing it, but havent had the guts yet!
thanks colette.
mecostu

Colette,

I've noticed you suggest benefiber to a few people, this is the product I've been using as a fiber supplement and I wanted to be CERTAIN whether I should or should not be counting the net carbs from it against my 20 daily net carbs.

Using total carbs minus fiber it looks like there are 2 net carbs per serving but I understood another post to say it did not have any digestible carbs and thus did not count against the daily total. Can you please clear this up for me?

One more question in regards to a cranberry supplement to prevent UTI. I discontinued it when I started induction since it has less than 1 g sugar per the labeling. I've since seen it suggested a few times on these forums, what is your opinion? Is it best I continue to go without it as long as I don't have any symptoms, could it present any problems in my ability to lose weight? Or since it's natural and low in content is this sugar OK to have... if so should I count it as 1 net carb?

Thanks so much for any advice!

I'm getting ready to start my Atkinds diet tomorrow (I will be doing my grocery shopping tonight) how do I know how many calories to intake?? I'm at 235 lbs and I'm 5'3". I don't want to go over or under my calories.

Shoot for 1500 to 1800 calories daily. You can track you consumption on www.fitday.com.
No need to do it daily, just do a sopt check to be sure you are within range. Keep us posted in the community forums.

Welcome aboard

Colette, Thank you for the response. I am encouraged and have no plans. I went back to the book and reread the chapters on resistance. Perhaps I would do better without the aged cheeses. I'm going to cut those out for one week, and see what happens. Also, I made a commitment to myself to exercise, and have done so 2 days in a row (starting slow at home with DVD's). I really do feel better, my digestion is improved, and I have, overall felt better. Once again, thank you. Bea

I meant to say "I have no plans to quit". Oops.

I am so frustrated.Last Fall I started taking a medication that caused me to gain 25lbs in 2 1/2 months. My dr says this was due to increased appetite rather than a change in my metabolism. I was able to get my appetite back under control and maintain the new weight. I began induction 3 1/2 weeks ago and have yet to lose a pound, and my clothes are as tight as ever. I have been working out regularly, drink 64 ozs. of water(which is new for me), eating 12 to 15 carbs of allowable veges, and keeping at 20 net carbs per day. (I measure everything) I make myself eat breakfast which is a bummer because afterwords i feel starving. I often put olive oil on vegetables and bake them, does this change their carb content? I also like to eat an Atkins Bar for desert. Frankly I find this diet difficult, the sample menus have too much cooking, do not specify how many net carbs are from the vegetables, and often contain too many carbs for induction, i.e. Thai Coconut Soup- 6 net carbs per cup! Yesterday I went out to lunch and ate too many carbs, have I set myself back even more? I'm wondering if I am on the wrong diet for me. Laurie

Hi everyone, I've started induction 13 days ago. I lost 3 lbs during the 1'st week and I have 65 lbs to lose. I guess that means I have a high degree of metabolic resistance. What should I do to decrease my resistance and how long should I stay on induction? I'm starting to get bored with the menu. I really miss drinking milk and eating fruits. Is it o.k. to eat youghurt at this stage? At the beginning I had really had bad headaches but now I'm fine but my hair is falling and I'm not that energized what should I do to prevent these problems?

Hi Colette,

I have a few questions...

I am in the first week of my induction phase. I have not lost any weight yet, and am having a hard time getting into ketosis.

1. If hard liquors like Whiskey have 0 carbs, why do I need to avoid them during induction? If it is because of water retention, cant I just drink lots of water at the same time?

2. How come 2 foods made by 2 different companies have different nutritional facts? For example:

I have 2 different packs of Nori (seaweed for sushi). They both have exactly the same ingedients - Seaweed, with no additives.

But one pack says 1 carb. The other pack says 0 carbs. why is that?

Same applies for some cheeses. One company makes 0 carb chedder - andother makes 1 carb chedder, and so on.

Should I take the nutrition lable as law?

3. I am having a hard time getting into ketosis. My weight is not going down - but it is staying steady. I am following ALL the rules, I promise.

What can I do to get over the hump and get into ketosis? Exersize? Pills? Less veggies? More veggies?

Thanks!!!!

Dear Colette

I have been on the Atkins diet for about 5 weeks. I have lost 17 lbs out of 60 so far. However, it has been a struggle to get this far. I have been on the induction diet with only 10 grams of carbs or less for most of this and while I am happy that I look thinner I would like to add more than 10 grams of carb per day to my diet. I am not eating a lot of vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables as when I do my weight starts to go up. However I note that I should be eating 10 to 15 grams of vegetables alone each day.

I have noticed that at most of the grocery stores I shop at they spray the vegetables to keep them fresh and when I asked I was told that the spray was some sort of chemical to prolong the freshness. I thinks it is something like MSG which makes me retain water like crazy (I put on all my weight while eating only vegetarian). They are also spraying meat at the fresh meat counter now.

I am wondering if this spraying of food with chemicals might not be a large cause of not being able to lose weight on the Atkins diet or any other diet. What do you think?? and what can we do about it??

I know I have switched to organic meat, but even the organic veggie stores are spraying the vegetables. Also organic is vastly more expensive.

Would appreciate your comments

I have been doing the induction for 3 weeks now. During the first week I lost 6 lb, but, have not lost any more.. I am 49 years old and had a hysterectomy 1.5 years ago. I am not taking any hormone replacement. I relize the my resistence is high and I need to know how to get it rolling. Are there any supplements that will help? My ketostix are showing large levels. I have had 0 artificial sweetners and am exercising daily. Help!!!!!Donna

Colette, As suggested I took my measurements last Mon. after 1 week - no weight loss on the scale but lost 1 inch in my chest and waist and 1/2 inch everywhere else. Question: still not bored with foods on induction, should I continue with phase 1 until the scale begins to move or start with phase 2. This coming week will be week 5 - weight loss 6 lbs, with 29 more to go.

Thanks!! Cooper

help help help....

I am ready to quit. I have been on the induction for 3 and a half weeks... the first two weeks were on my own until i found this website and learned how to do it right. I've lost 8 pounds but keep going up and down and at this time I've only lost 5. I'm very discouraged and tired of passing up all the carbs that everyone around me is eating. I cheated only 1 time in the 3 1/2 weeks but I'm ready to jump off the deep end.

I wrote earlier about not having estrogen, and if anyone else has lost weight without the hormone, but have not gotten any response. If there is ANYONE out there that can loose the weight despite not having any estrogen hormone PLEASE tell me...I do not want to be fat my whole life!!!