Extended Induction or OWL

[Niko]

So, I'm only doing Atkins until Thanksgiving because nothing comes between me and my favorite holiday. I have no plans on making Atkins a life choice and really am only interested in getting down to a more manageable weight before adopting a more balanced diet. So if I want to lose another twenty-pounds in a month and a half, I'm guessing it would be best I stay on induction but I'm eager to be able to add carb wraps to my diet because sandwiches are easier to take to campus with me than something that must be kept cold or reheated.

Any words of advice?

[SueSue1212]

Poor choice. I have done Atkins before and if your looking for a quick fix then this is not it. I have lost 48 lbs. and went off of Atkins and in 2 months had gained it all back. It really is a life choice. Some people can eat up to 120-150 carbs a day and maintain. If you think about it, it really is a lot of good food, especially 120-150 carbs worth. That could be a steak and potato once in a while and a nice cereal for Breakfast. Just be careful thinking that you will lose and then go off of this WOE it just does not work, been there done that! Sorry Best of Luck!

[Niko]

Well, I've never had a problem maintaining my weight in the past. My mother decided about two years ago not to cook anymore, though, and so dinner has been fast food ever since. Now that I can drive and provide my own meals, I'm just looking to get back to what I was. I don't want to be thin, I just liked being a size 10/12 better than a 14/16. I'm not looking for a quick fix to become slender and sexy, just a jump back down to what I was comfortable at. I like being fluffy and would just rather my wardrobe fit me like it used to than have to buy an all new one.

[not2late]

Originally Posted by Niko

So, I'm only doing Atkins until Thanksgiving because nothing comes between me and my favorite holiday. I have no plans on making Atkins a life choice and really am only interested in getting down to a more manageable weight before adopting a more balanced diet. So if I want to lose another twenty-pounds in a month and a half, I'm guessing it would be best I stay on induction but I'm eager to be able to add carb wraps to my diet because sandwiches are easier to take to campus with me than something that must be kept cold or reheated.

Any words of advice?

I think you should read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution 2002 ed and Atkins For Life that way, you'll get a better understanding of this diet and how balanced it is. I'm in Pre-Maintenance and I eat a variety of veggies, fruits, grains and legumes. So it's pretty "balanced".

As for staying on Induction to lose more weight....that may or may not be possible. From what I've seen here on ADBB, if you are have a low to moderate metabolic resistance to weight loss, staying on Induction doesn't guarantee continued or "fast" weight loss. In fact, plenty of folks who stay on Induction longer than they should hit a stall that isn't broken until they move onto On-Going Weight Loss Phase and do Atkins properly.

Even Dr. Atkins acknowledged that the only people who may benefit from staying on Induction are the ones with a high metabolic resistance to weight loss because staying on Induction may correct the metabolic imbalances that is hindering weight loss.

So, I would suggest that you also check the charts in the book to see what is your degree of metabolic resistance to weight loss.

[Niko]

Ehh... well, my resistance is low but the one thing I worry about most with OWL is adding carbs as I never get near 20 carbs as it is. I think I average about 6 to 8 carbs a day on induction. I have added more vegitables but since that just ended up replacing what would have been meat, I still get less than 10 carbs a day. And since I don't like cheese and can't have ceriel anyway the dairy rung won't really involve much...

I guess I'll try OWL and if I feel like it's not working for me, go back to induction. Induction's just been so easy though I think I'm going to miss it XD Now I have to go back to checking lables again for the new stuff.

For me, balanced is not having to read lables anymore. Just eating what I like because it tastes good and making smart decisions on how much of it I can have and how often. I always found moderation works much better for me in maintaining my weight than setting rules for myself. Atkins is really a very different approach to weightloss than I've ever been comfortable with but it's been a fun little adventure. Doing Atkins in a house always stocked full of candy, cookies, cakes and donouts is really proving the strength of my will power as I have no problem at all avoiding these things and I've enjoyed that empowerment ^_^

[not2late]

Your ticker says you have a 25 pound weight loss goal and you have lost 9 pounds already. If that is so, then you absolutely do not have a high metabolic resistance to weight loss according to the charts in the book.

[Elizellen]

Lots of us have found that once we have followed OWL by carefully measuring and weighing foods to know how many carbs are in them we get to be able to 'eyeball' the correct quantities and recognise what foods are working for us, so the whole 'label reading' thing becomes a less conscious thing.

BTW if you are only averaging 6-8 net carbs on induction, your first rung net carbs would be 11-13 (induction level plus 5 net carbs of more induction veggies).

You can miss rungs out on OWL if you are not going to eat the foods on them. I only added yogurt on the Dairy rung (have always hated milk and fresh cheeses), and didnt bother with rung 5 at all as I dont drink.