Weaning off of carbs before induction?

[thinkinthin247]

Hi everyone. I'm not sure if any of you have tried cutting carbs slowly before going on induction? If so how have you done it and did it work? I have a serious problem with sweets which is the reason for failure on induction every single time. I was thinking of I elimintae the carbs slowly beginning at under 100 per day then slowly going down from there until i'm at and induction amount. I excerise daily and do tons of cardio so i'm burning off more than the 100 carbs per day. I would like to do weight training too but i noticed on induction I get so weak and tired it's very hard to do endurance excercising. My carbs usually come from one treat a day which is actually low fat and since i'm not eactly doing atkins yet which i know there's no need to count calories but right now with the extra carbs I try to keep the calories in mind just until my carbs are induction friendly. Oh my daily treat is frozen yogurt either pinkberry or tasti d lite. and I have acrob chips with it. I've looked up the nutirtional values and it's about 45-50 carbs not including the carob chips which are about another 20. The rest of my diet is strictly low carb but also being that my carbs are not induction friendly yet I try to be mindful of the fat too like i'll have egg white instead of whole eggs. I plan to do this for the next 2-3 weeks slowly cutting sevring sizes of the frozen yogurt then full on induction. has anyone tried it this way? I love ice cream and I'll go completely insane if I start induction cold turkey. Any other ways you guys have tried that worked or didn't work?

[chinadoll]

Sorry, but by reducing the carbs slowly, you probably won't get rid of the sugar cravings. Think of it like a cigarette or alcohol detox--you can't kick a habit by having one or two a day.

I think the best way is to go cold turkey, otherwise the cravings from eating limited amounts may make you crave sweets even worse.

The negative symptoms that some people get only last a few days, then you feel much, much better. I would say forget worrying about weight training during induction and focus on doing a clean induction. Then start the training when you feel better, (and you will feel better).

Also, going low fat is not a good idea. The fat helps satiate you and is absolutely necessary. Please read the Induction stickies and the book so you understand the process. As you up your carbs on the later rungs towards maintenance level I can see where cutting fat might be needed since you need fewer calories and have more carbs, but in induction you want that 65% fat!

If you choose to do Atkins, know that it isn't a way of eating that works when done halfway. In fact it is likely to backfire. That's not to say that you can never deviate, but sticking to the plan as written is the key to success for most people.

I know this isn't what you were hoping to hear, but I gotta be honest with you or you may find yourself more disappointed later.

[thinkinthin247]

You're right I was hoping it might work but I should try harder to do a clean induction. I've done induction for 9 days the longest. my cravings don't seem to go away like most people say they should. they just get more intense then it goes from just craving sweets to craving all carbs and i end up getting pizza and chips along with the full fat ice cream, donuts and cakes and cookies. but I'll just have to try harder and take it one day at a time. Over the weekend i did the under 100 grams version and I did lose a little water weight. I think because I'm still burning off more carbs than i'm eating but if I can do the clean induction I can lose faster and hopefully rid the carvings for good. how long has it taken most of you to lose the sweet cravings? anyone longer than induction?

[liv]

You may try l-glutamine to help you with cravings. Atkins did recommend it.
Yes I agree with Jill you do have to go off your carbs treat - there is no way around it. But if ice cream is your passion - there are low carb icecreams you can make yourself that may help you get over the hump.
The zip lock bag recipes are good. You mix some cream (1/2 cup heavy cream) with articial sweetner and some taste stuff (like vanilla). Place the bag inside a larger bag that has ice (about 3 cups) and salt (6 tbs) in it and shake till ice cream forms. Just give it a try.
Good luck to you. You CAN do it.

[joee5]

The night before I began to start Atkin's me family and I went out and I went ballistic. The next morning I started. Think it was better to quit cold turkey all at once then to wean. That's me personal opinion. God Bless,Joe

[thinkinthin247]

Okay after reading all your replies I've decided to try it cold turkey today. No caffeine, no frozen yogurt, no artificial sweetners. Maybe my cravings didn't subside because I was still having a large cup of cofee every morning with sweet and low. Well I made some sugar free jello last night just in case thqt sweet tooth overwhelms me. And i'll just have one cup of decaf unsweetened tea this morning. i'll check and see if we have some splenda in the pantry. Maybe I will add a packet to that. I markd my calendar for induction. If I mark off the days I can see how long I have to go. I'm going to the gym tonight for spin class and to run for a half hour and I made my lunch last night. A beef burger patty with steamed asparagus.1 cup. and for lunch I'll either have chicken or turkey with 2 cups of salad. This morning I had a mozarella and tomatoe fritatta with bacon and lots of water. I'm taking psyllium husk to alleviate constipation because atkins always makes me constipated. has anyone had this problem too? Have you tried psyllium husk or any other natural laxatives?

[valleriek]

Good luck to you. I know the cravings for the sweets can be overwhelming, but you need to really do a clean induction to get over them. The amazing thing is, you really DO get over them. I think it is smart that you made SF jello, but it has the kind of sweetener in it that makes you crave more and it can slow you down. You really need to stay away from all sources of sweet besides a max of 3 packets of Splenda a day. It was my biggest obstacle too, but it worked. Come on, I challenge you to go the whole 14 days, you'll see! You will be amazed at your lack of cravings and will be so proud to take back that control!! (Also, switch to decaf, the caffiene is a crave culprit too!! you can do it!!)

[liv]

How is it going? I am glad you are giving it a go. I think so many of our cravings are psychological rather than somatic and if we can approach it with a different mindset it is half the battle.
I have not needed those psyllum husks but some people use them and that is fine. Just count the carb and drink lots of water. For me plenty of veggies and a bit of flax was all I needed to keep "lax".

[eclectikat]

congrats on thinking this whole thing through. that is how you will find success with this whole way of life. IT is great that you plan out your next day menu. THAT is brilliant.
I did reduce my carbs slowly before beginning Atkins but I was not a sweets addict. for me it was eating pasta with cream sauces and cheese... an evil combination.... but I think the addiction to simple sugars is the toughest to beat. I do think going cold turley is the only way to beat it...
When I was craving in the beginning I would eat a hardboiled egg. It seemed to get me throught the toughest part of the craving.
The only sweet thing I was addicted to was Coke.. and it was tough to beat. but I finally did, long before atkins. for me it was a mental process.
Drink lots of water and that will help you with the atkins flu over the next few days. Beating this addiction to sugar is as feirce as beating an addiction to drugs, or tobacco... have some pain killers handy for the headache. Be as prepared to handle the downs of the next few days as you are in preparing your menu...
You will be so glad to have beaten the addiction you have... hang in there over these next two weeks... COME HERE to this board if you need support... YOU CAN DO THIS
COngrats for starting... keep us posted.
Kathy

[thinkinthin247]

well so far so good. I just had my lunch and my cravings aren't so bad. It's more of me thinking that I will gt the craving now thats getting me antsy. But I'm a little tired. I don't think it's the diet though. I just went to bed a bit late last night. I'm hoping I'm not too sleepy to go to the gym tonigh because I didn't work out last night. well at least the dieting part is almost over. I have to make it home and I'm safe. So many stores to pass by on the way I get so tempted. Oops there I go thinking about a cravig that doesn't exist yet