JohnSantos, would you please stand for the reading of the verdict?? The verdict is....you, my friend, have been found guilty of living in induction!! It's time! Swing on over to OWL Rung 1!! What is the absolute worst that's going to happen??
I'm going to copy and paste an answer I gave someone else because I'm not sharp enough today to remember it all!!
I would've jumped off a building if I had stayed on Induction until I lost half my weight. Moving to OWL was awesome and the way it should be. Everyone seems to get into this time crunch for weight loss instead of health gained. You have more options in OWL. It's so much easier to snack on the run when you move up. More options for delicious food and you're never bored with your choices. Not to mention, I'm certain my body appreciated the increased selection of foods and thus, different nutrients being poured into my body. Your veggie consumption will increase. Something to remember about veggies--they're filling and low in calories. Most people miss the point and think they should stick as close as possible to no carb, instead of a healthy choice, low carb. I say move on up. I've lost more weight adding carbs and exercising than I ever would have had I stayed on Induction. Don't be scared. What's the absolute worst that could happen? You maintain or lose only a few pounds per week. I find it's not so much about the higher carb level when I don't lose quickly as it is about the decreased activity level.
The right carbs in the right amount are your friend and too often we tend to treat them as the enemy. OWL is not just about increasing your carbs. It's about you learning about your body along the journey to ensure you can maintain what you've lost. The rungs are the most important part of Atkins. It teaches you what you can eat and what you can't. All of those lessons will get you through pre-maintenance and mainenance. Also, people on induction don't love hearing this but most of that loss you've seen so far isn't even fat. It's your glycogen stores. It's basically water weight. The true fat loss occurs near the end of induction and then the losses slow. That's just the way it works. Don't rob yourself of the lessons and have to run through the rungs quickly later on. You'll love the plan when you have more options!! Do remember, if a few weeks of OWL don't make you happy, you can always move back down to Induction. It's always up to you!
Okay, so there it is. That was my answer to someone who was debating whether or not to move to OWL or stay on extended induction. I felt really HEALTHY when I gave my body a chance with carbs again. You can too! If you're exercising that much, your body does need some carbs and because you're exercising, your body can readily handle them! So, c'mon, join us!!