Why are 20 gms of carbs needed during induction

[phil h]

Doing well so far.Like my food, drinking plenty of water and walking three miles briskly daily.I could easily go with 5gms or less of carbs.Just curious why the carbs are need during induction phase.

[never2late4any1]

Good question! I'll watch for some answers! I've been on induction for over 2 months and really have to force myself to eat the 20 grams of carbs (I figure that maybe 5 are hidden in my food). At least for now, I feel that I could easily survive on protein, fat and water, plus my multi-vitamins.

Maybe it is because the carbs we can eat are very fibrous and we need the roughage on this WOE?

[Georgiana]

Without any intention of sounding harsher than I should... but has any of you read the book?! Or at least the sticky threads on this board?!

The Atkins "Diet" is not a meat-egg-cheese diet. Atkins is meant to teach us a healthy way of eating. Therefore, like *any* other *healthy* eating plan, it incorporates vegetables in all its phases. In fact, during induction, one is supposed to eat about three cups of vegetables (an approximation given by Dr. Atkins in DANDR 2002 so that everyone can estimate what 20g net carbs actually mean) and most of the carbs (i.e. over 50%) should come from these veggies. I will assume the reason why vegetables must be eaten to ensure a healthy way of eating is obvious for everybody.

Let's say you are eating only 5g of carbs for 14 days. Are you eating eggs? There is about 0.6 carbs in one. Mayo? About 0.5 carbs per tbsp. Cream? More net carbs. The only foods without any carbs are meat (assuming you use no spices), butter and oils. For most of your carbs to come from veggies, you would have to eat at least 3g net carbs in the form of induction vegetables. Unless you are eating only green leafy veggies for 2 weeks (and even then, you might struggle to fit in the carb count), there is no way to stick to that limited amount of carbs! Besides, these (extremely low-carb) leafy vegetables are not as nutritionally rich as most of the other vegetables allowed on induction, so you might actually be harming your body!

Here are some things you should read:
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...induction.html (What are the Rules of Induction?)
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...induction.html (What foods can be eaten on Induction?)
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...lent-tips.html (A "MUST READ" for Newbies... 40 excellent tips!)

[phil h]

Thanks Georgiana.I have read the book, although it isn't handy at present.I understand the importance of veggie carbs in a balanced diet.But in the kick start induction phase, which is designed for rapid weight loss, why are they needed.I couldn't live without them for a long time, but two or three weeks wouldn't be a hardship.Just curious why they are included during induction phase (which I assume there is a valid reason) but so far haven't been given a scientific explaination.

[Georgiana]

In those two weeks without veggies, from where is one supposed to take the necessary vitamins and minerals?

[phil h]

Good response. I take a multi vitamin but natural sources should be better.But I was led to believe that if you didn't take the 20 gms the weight reduction wouldn't work.I got this info from searching posts on this site.Not trying to be arguementive, but I like to know why.

[Desertthorn]

I think thats right. I think we have to have some carbs to keep this a balanced diet as there are those vitamins and minerals that just don't come in pill form that we need. Besides if Dr A said no carbs, folks wouldn't do it for only 2 weeks, they would do it for 6 months

[not2late]

In the book, Dr. Atkins said that Induction carbs are kept to 20 because that is the magic number where the vast majority of us get into ketosis. And going that low forces us to "kick starts" us into ketosis/lipolysis.

A ketogenic diet is one where carbs are kept at or below 100 grams daily. So you could be in ketosis if you are eating 70 grams of carbs daily. But since this is the Atkins Diet and not the Ketogenic Diet, we have certain rules.

As for vitamins supplements.....those pills only contain the vitamins and minerals the manufacturer chooses to put in them and at the amounts they want to put into them. So they aren't "complete" in that regard. Also, the amounts are based on the standards that scientists/researchers have deemed beneficial. However, those standards are questionable too.

You might have recently read the hoopla about vitamin D and how we aren't getting enough. If you read "The UV Solution" by Michael Holick, MD, he was one of those experts who made up the standards for Vitamin D consumption. However, he admits that he and the other experts on the panel knew that the dose should have been higher because studies were showing the dose needed to be higher but the FDA's guidelines were that they needed published studies to back their claims. And the published studies at that time showed the lower, current dose.

Another problem is can our bodies use the vitamins put into those pills, or the "bioavailablity" of those vitamins. Human breast milk has a low concentration of iron, compared to the baby formulas. Why? Because the iron put into formulas aren't completely absorbed by the baby, whereas the iron in breast milk is. That's because the iron is bound to compounds that make it easier to be absorbed and used. So a bottle might say 100% of the daily recommended intake, but it doesn't necessarily mean your body will absorb 100% of the vitamins and minerals the pills contain.

So vitamin supplements are only that--supplements to your diet. They aren't replacements.

[OzLover]

Also essential is the fiber found in the veggies. Having any constipation issues????