Which is it?

[ShannonM]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and will be posting in the intro thread shortly. For the first of my many Atkins-related questions, I'm wondering: is it primarily fat that's burned during Induction (after you get into ketosis), or is it water weight?

I've seen conflicting answers to this. Atkins himself seems to say both of these things in DANDR 2002 (which I haven't finished reading yet). And some people here on the forum say that when you're in ketosis you're burning primarily fat, while others say that you're losing primarily water weight since this WOE is a diuretic. So during induction, which is it? Or is it both somehow and I'm not yet seeing the link?

I realize y'all have probably covered this before, so I would welcome a link pointing me towards clarity. Thanks.

[ValidRouge]

In two weeks, you are going to lose some water and you are going to lose some fat. Look at it this way, there are those that do extended induction for months and months and lose many many pounds (some 100+) is that all water weight? No way, no how.

So, maybe during the first few days or week, you may lose water weight, but there's only so much of it. The rest will be good old fat being burned too.

[not2late]

Agree with Valid. Initial weight loss for any diet is water weight. Then you begin to lose fat. With Atkins you lose fat and water because ketosis/lipolysis is a diuretic so you absolutely need to drink that minimum 64 ounces water daily.

[2big4mysize]

when you start any weight loss program your body burns your glycogen reserves which are stored with fluids( water) for use in emergency energy needs. since it is stored at about a 3 to 1 ratio depending upon how much your body has stored you will get a large initial fluid loss. but after 2-3 days the stores are used up and the body fat loss starts. Because you are low carbing you will not be adding those water pounds back either so they are gone.

Besides when you go to the doc and get weighed he doesn't say oh you are carrying X pounds of fluid weight so i will mark down your scale weight minus those X pounds.
Count all your shed pounds as pounds of you gone.

Happy low carbing