Newbie to atkins induction - what can I expect?

[ariesdragon]

Hi everyone!

I'm glad to have found this site. I've never done Atkins before and have just come off Body for Life which I did for 2 weeks and lost 2lbs. I wasn't happy with my rate of weight loss on BFL so have decided to keep up the weight training and cardio recommended by BFL and do Atkins. I'm 5ft 2", 44 yrs old and weigh 134lbs and this is day 2 of induction for me. I want to at least get down to 120lbs (the weight I've been most of my adult life) and hopefully 115 lbs. How much can I expect to lose? I'm still very wary of eating more than 1200-1400 cals to lose weight. Should I eat more than that given that I'm only 5 ft 2"? I'm having a hard time believing that I could increase my calories and still lose weight by keeping my carbs down to 20g/day. I've never been able to lose weight eating more than 1200 -1300 cals. I'm eating 5 small meals a day following the Induction guidelines exactly.

I'm feeling a bit headachy/cranky and have a few stomach rumbles. I know I can stick to the diet. How long before I get into ketosis? I'm not registering much with the ketostix yet (hopefully tomorrow morning).

Btw - why can't we eat nuts on induction given that 1oz pecans is only 2 net carbs? Will 1oz nuts harm me if I include it in my daily carb intake?

thanks for everyones help!

E

[Elizellen]

It is hard to rid our brains of the 'less calories is better' mentality of lowfat diets but as long as you stick to the 'eat when hungry and till no longer hungry and do not stuff yourself' instruction calories are not something we need to restrict when starting Atkins induction.
Concentrate on keeping your carbs to less than 20 net and make sure you eat most of those carbs from your vegetables (which will mean choosing different 'salad veg' from just lettuce) as you do your first 2 weeks.

It takes us all different times to get into ketosis, but I guess most people get there within 3-4 days. Not everyone registers ketones on those pesky sticks (I didn't) so look for the other signs of ketosis.

The easy response to the 'why no nuts on induction' is that 'Dr Atkins said so!' . They might not harm you but why not follow Dr Atkins instructions according to the book before 'tweaking' it to suit your wishes?

Nuts can be reintroduced on the third level/rung of OWL, so not too long to delay their use.

A few reasons I think he omitted them from induction are
1. Many people have an intolerance to nuts which would be highlighted after leaving them out of the menus for a while and noticed once reintroduced.
2. Many people have portion control problems with nuts so might not be so successful on induction if they were eating them then. It is very easy to munch through several ounces of nuts as a snack, so before you are accustomed to the appetite suppressance of ketosis and habit of eating induction it might be hard to only eat one ounce of them.

[Scribbler]

Welcome friend. I know the rationale behind this regime is different than what we are used to take as the norm, but believe me (and all of us around here) that it works.

When you think of ketosis, know that in order for your body to shift to it, you will need from 2-4 days, varying from person to person. You don't have that much to lose anyways ~20 pounds, so be patient.. There is no magic way to get these to vanish in one day.

There is no definite answer on your question "How much can I expect to lose?".. This is dependent, on your metabolic ability, your age, the exersise you do, the amount of sleep you get etc.

Noone says you have to eat 2000 calories.. You eat till you feel no hunger..not till you get stuffed of course. You do not need the peanuts at this point of induction.. It is only 14 days, and they will pass pretty quick.

Your symptoms are to be expected, and they will get away within the next couple of days..

The ketostix are just a supportive tool, like a friendly tap on the back.. When you say "I don't register much on these" I believe you register something there right?

Keep on the plan, read the book, and set your course to a lighter you..

[ariesdragon]

Hi and thanks for everyone's response.

Well, I dropped a pound since yesterday and have begun to register on the ketostix (third box, pale pink color). That was encouraging.

It'll be interesting to see how much I lose for this first 2 weeks. Only 5-10% doesn't sound like enough. Hey - I've already lost 5%- lol (I'm only seeking to lose 20lbs max). My intention is to stay on induction till I lose at least 15lbs. I can do this!

It is nice to see so much encouragement on this site.

E

[Elizellen]

Originally Posted by ariesdragon

Hey - I've already lost 5%- lol (I'm only seeking to lose 20lbs max).

Congratulations on a good start!

My intention is to stay on induction till I lose at least 15lbs.

In my mind this will not allow you any time to do the 2nd & 3rd phases of Atkins properly.

The 2nd and main weightloss phase of Atkins (ongoing weight loss aka OWL) should take you a couple of months while you attempt to find your CCLL by adding more carbs and different foods in the order given in chapter 14 of DANDR, and see if any foods affect you in such a way that you need to omit or at the least limit them in your weightloss journey.

The 3rd phase should be started when you still have 5-10 pounds left to lose. See why in chapter 16 of DANDR

[Scribbler]

I agree with Elizellen here. Trying to loose almost all of your weight and leave like 4 pounds for the remaining 3 phases, is not such a good idea..
Many people fall into this.. they stick to the induction and relate Induction=Atkins..
Even a small increase in the carbs amount, sometimes gives positives results, and I am not only referring to lbs dropped..

[ariesdragon]

Hey there!

I realize that but I am in a hurry so I can fit into all my clothes that don't fit - I can't afford new ones!! I'm desperate! I figure I can experiment and add back carbs gradually once I hit my goal weight. If I keep losing I will add more carbs. I know this isn't by the book but I appreciate that you can't just return to a high carb diet. I know there will be a period of adjustment for me and I intend to eat this way for life. I only have 19 lbs to lose. I know I'm not doing Atkins as it was written but I do need to fit into my clothes - fast! I'm generally not a "by the book" person (lol). I try and memorize and master the principles of any program I am following in life and then, because I like to push boundaries, I experiment a little to see what's right for me. I read DANDR daily for inspiration. I am fascinated by this new way of eating.
I commend everyone who is doing Atkins. I've been educating myself on the effects of insulin on the body and have found some great articles in the scientifi literature. See attached.

Metabolic effects of very-low-carbohydrate diets: Misunderstood concepts of human metabolism

[ariesdragon]

ps. I'm also an aries dragon - know what they're like - lol

E

[ariesdragon]

Btw - Elizellen - you look amazing!!! I applaud what you have achieved.

E

[Scribbler]

You know as you say you have a small amount of pounds to lose, so do not be in a hurry. I understand the clothes concept..
If you do things by the book, results will come faster.. There is a certain way for things to work out, and try our own ideas even if they appear similar in the long run is not such a good way to go..
Keep it on and you will get to the end