How Long Have YOU Stayed On Induction?

[Mija]

Oooooooooh K... so i lost 5 lbs my 1st week and only 1 lb my 2nd week of induction - so i am right in between HIGH and AVERAGE Metabolic Resistance (according to DANDR)... and i have been Totally Legal during these 2 weeks (BUT im usually always UNDER 20 Carbs - maybe between 13-18 - i am 49yrs old - 5'7" - started at 275 - am Sedentary - and i dont eat ANY processed foods... (started that on Day 1) ANY IDEAS FOR ME? im thinking i should stay in Induction for a while more... WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?
((( P.S. - - - i do take MEDs - Paxil CR 25mgs daily (for Chronic Migraines) & Singulair 10mgs daily (for Allergies)))

[not2late]

Originally Posted by Mija

Oooooooooh K... so i lost 5 lbs my 1st week and only 1 lb my 2nd week of induction - so i am right in between HIGH and AVERAGE Metabolic Resistance (according to DANDR)... and i have been Totally Legal during these 2 weeks (BUT im usually always UNDER 20 Carbs - maybe between 13-18 - i am 49yrs old - 5'7" - started at 275 - am Sedentary - and i dont eat ANY processed foods... (started that on Day 1) ANY IDEAS FOR ME? im thinking i should stay in Induction for a while more... WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?
((( P.S. - - - i do take MEDs - Paxil CR 25mgs daily (for Chronic Migraines) & Singulair 10mgs daily (for Allergies)))

You're smack in the middle of high and average.

But you are taking Paxil, an antidepressant and Singulair, a. In chapter 25, Dr. Atkins says anti-depressants can cause a slower weight loss. So, it could be your metabolic resistance is due to the Paxil. That's a good thing, because your resistance may be lower but the Paxil is raising it. (Don't stop the Paxil, unless you are directed to do so by your physician.

I also noticed that you are sedentary. Exercise is non-negotiable on Atkins. Look at the Carbohydrate Gram Losing and Metabolic Resistance chart in Chapter 14. Dr. Atkins said that regular exercisers---which he defined as someone who does vigorous excerise five days a week for at least 45 minutes, have approximate CCLLs of 60-90 net carbs daily. So if you start exercising regularly, your metabolic resistance may be lower.

My advice to you would be to start exercising. I'm not telling you to go out and run 4 miles. Start slow: walk around the block three times a week. The other three days do some strength or resistance training, like squats, bicep curls, etc. I've found yoga to be very good exercise and it's not too hard on your joints, yet it strengths your muscles and improves balance, flexibility and mobility and you can do it in your home. Yoga energizes you, but you also feel calm and relaxed. Then as you get stronger and more fit, increase your exercise to make it more challenging. Plus, exercising will help tone your body and your skin won't be as saggy while you lose your weight.

Go ahead and add 5 net carbs of any Induction veggie to your menu and see what happens. That extra veg is healthful.

[msanjelpie]

My first time around I was on induction for 14 months and lost 101 lbs. Then I upped my carbs so that I stayed at the same weight although I was still eating the same foods. (I'm a picky eater)

Then I started eating bad foods and became bulimic because I was terrified of gaining the weight back, and then severly depressed when I did start gaining the weight back which caused more eating and more depression etc... I tried Atkins several times, losing 20 lbs here and 10 lbs there but couldn't seem to stick with it the way I had the first time. I kept cheating, lying to myself that it was a one time thing.

So here I am trying yet again and knowing that I can't cheat even once for any reason what so ever. I'm on induction and I will stay on induction for as long as it takes to get to a set point and then THIS time I'm going to do OWL the way I should have the first time...

I've learned a lot, but I'm getting older, so I've gotta get this right this time before it is too late and I get diabetes or heart trouble etc...

[Diver Down]

My first time on Atkins lasted about six weeks (all induction). I lost 30 pounds or so. Then, due to family pressure, I attended a big dinner and devoured tons of food in a carb-heavy food at an Italian restaurant. It was like giving drugs to an addict...after that meal, in the weeks that followed, I went nuts for carbs and gained it all back in no time. I tried induction again, a year later, and lasted about three weeks (losing about 20 pounds in the process). But I couldn't last, and went back to carbs in full force.

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by Diver Down

My first time on Atkins lasted about six weeks (all induction). I lost 30 pounds or so. Then, due to family pressure, I attended a big dinner and devoured tons of food in a carb-heavy food at an Italian restaurant. It was like giving drugs to an addict...after that meal, in the weeks that followed, I went nuts for carbs and gained it all back in no time. I tried induction again, a year later, and lasted about three weeks (losing about 20 pounds in the process). But I couldn't last, and went back to carbs in full force.

This is why you should learn from your mistakes and do Atkins correctly this time. Not moving out of Induction is one of the most common reasons why we see people failing on Atkins. I read your other posts, so I am going to comment on everything you wrote, not only on what is written above.

The Induction phase of Atkins is a great way to get into ketosis and start to start losing weight. Unfortunately, because one is so limited in food options and the guidelines are so strict as to what you can and cannot eat, Induction does not teach one how to maintain the weight loss. This is why folks who never move out of the Induction phase almost always lose a lot of weight, but then stray off and gain it all (or a big part of it) back. It's not because they are weaker or because they had better reasons to go off track, but because their strategy was faulty right from the beginning.

During OWL and Pre-Maintenance, you will continue to lose weight. But besides losing weight, you will also learn what foods your body can handle and in what amounts, how many carbohydrates you can consume while still losing weight and how many you need in order to maintain once you've reached your goal. As we progress through the phases of Atkins, many of us find that we can eat things like a sweet potato or some beans or even pasta. However, if you never move out of Induction, you are never going to learn these things. You are also not going to learn how to change your food habits so that you maintain your weight loss and are not forced to restart Induction every X months. Starting Induction, falling off, then restarting Induction, falling off again, restarting and so on is just yo-yo dieting and it does no good to your weight or to your health.

So instead of doing what you have always done just to get the same results, do yourself a favor and break the yo-yo dieting cycle. Follow Atkins the way Dr. Atkins wrote it (going through all the phases, not feeding your sweet cravings with Atkins bars, etc.) and you will get the results Dr. Atkins promissed:

Originally Posted by DANDR 2002

Let me state one crucial fact that you should always keep in mind: For people who comply with all the phases of Atkins, failure to maintain weight loss is very rare.

Originally Posted by DANDR 2002

Success at maintaining weight loss is the great plus while doing Atkins. What most people know about it is that you can usually lose a lot of weight rapidly. And you probably can. But the key point is that the weight doesn't return.

[kibskix]

amen G!

[attagirl_]

not2late, thanks for the advice. i think i'm one of those people! i lost 11 pounds the first two weeks, then lost nothing the third week. i've seen that the third and fourth week stall is typical. but i sense that irrational fear creeping in that if i move on to owl that my weight loss will slow. i need to take the plunge so that i can add some variety and increase my satisfaction. so this is day two of week four and think i'm going to splurge on some extra veggies today and officially move into rung 1. thanks for the help!

attagirl

[attagirl_]

georgiana, thanks for your post! you are always encouraging and you back it up with the wisdom from which we can all benefit. keep it coming.

attagirl