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- Atkins (https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/atkins-226/)

- - The Water Weight (https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/atkins/140199-water-weight.html)

The Water Weight

I was reading some posts on the Atkins Diet Bulletin Board, and something someone said made me wonder about something. I know a lot of people lose dramatically in the first week or two, and that much of that loss is water weight (and even though that's what it is, that's a big psychological boost). But... I wonder if I won't get that, because even though this is only day two of Induction for me, I have been eating between 30-40 carbs for a month or so (just waaay too many calories in fat & protein). So maybe I'm not carrying that extra water like someone would be if they were starting at 300 carbs? Sigh. I was hoping for drama on the scales, but I'll survive it if it doesn't happen.

cheers,
Sue

Hi Sue, I wouldn't expect the drop to be as dramatic going from 30-40 range to 20 but it realy varys from person to person. When I have been at around 30carbs for a while then move back to induction I still find I lose a few lbs of water but not as much.

Hi, Sue.

Punce is right, you may or may not see a dramatic loss by decreasing your net carbs. Your loss can really depend on the types of foods that you are eating right now. Are there some special category foods that you can eliminate, like cheeses and cream. Olives cause me problems. I don't know if its the salt or just the olive itself. Avocados may also cause problems.

Have you looked at the OWL food ladder. JerseyGyrl introduced me to this. It is in DANDR but I missed it the first time I read because I wasn't focused on OWL. Maybe you should dropped back the the first rung of the ladder and only add another rung after a few weeks.

Good luck.

Hi Sylvia,

I'm not in OWL, I'm on day two of induction. I've just been reading about OWL because everyone says that's pretty important to do before you get there. So it's too soon to say how induction will go, I was just speculating about the water thing since I was already pretty low in carbs (and eating nothing but homemade, very nutritious whole foods, no grains, no starches, no sugars, but definitely too much protein & fat).

cheers,
Sue

Hi Sue - im just like you and need to lose about 20lbs. At this stage calories DOO COUNT! I do low carb but also low cal. I wasnt doing low cal and I wasnt losing but I wasnt gaining either. So now I have another thing to count :(

Sylvia is correct, when progressing from Induction to OWL to do this correctly, the carb ladder is impairative. By taking the carb ladder rung by rung...you should be able to successfully find your CCLL (Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing). The basic rules of OWL are to increase your daily carb intake by no more than 5 grams per week in the order listed on the carb ladder (veggies, dairy, seeds & nuts, berries, wine & other spirits, legumes, fruits other than berries & melon, starchy veggies, and lastly, whole grains). Add 1 new food group at a time and to begin, eat that food group no more than 3 times per week, then eat it daily. New foods should be stopped immediately if they cause you to gain weight or if you experience physical symptoms lost during Induction or increased appetite or cravings. Continue to do OWL until you have 10 lbs left to lose.

Just remember, everyone's CCLL is different. To determine your personal level, slowly work your way up the carb ladder as Dr. Atkins wrote.

the major thing is that burn fat for fuel uses alot more water than burning carbs. therefore by the fact of chemistry you'll lose more water on induction than at any other time. thats why you MUST get your 2 gallons of water a day down you.