[butterflygal7373]

Been on induction two plus weeks. Having a hard time keeping to not drinking diet sodas or an occasional mixed drink no carb. I believe I eat too much cheese. Not enough veggies. Its the weekend. I just want a good weekend. Did I see someone do a fat thing? I never go over 20 in carbs but doing it all wrong. Im sick of veggies and salads. Not sure what I can do to get back on the horse. Thankyou.

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by butterflygal7373

Been on induction two plus weeks. Having a hard time keeping to not drinking diet sodas or an occasional mixed drink no carb. I believe I eat too much cheese. Not enough veggies. Its the weekend. I just want a good weekend. Did I see someone do a fat thing? I never go over 20 in carbs but doing it all wrong. Im sick of veggies and salads. Not sure what I can do to get back on the horse. Thankyou.

Dr. Atkins said you could remain on Induction longer than the 2 weeks provided you are not bored with the food choices. It sounds like you are. So, the next step would be to proceed to OWL (On Going Weightloss ). This needs to be done carefully according to the carb ladder, 1 rung at a time, 5 additional carbs per rung, as explained in the book.

The "fat thing" you are referring to is the fat fast. Dr. Atkins recommended this as pretty much a last resort to those who were officially stalled. His definition of an offiicial stall is 4 weeks without a loss on the scale or a loss in inches.

OWL will give you more variety. It will also help you to determine what your personal carb threshold is to continue to lose weight. Keep in mind, it is typical for the weight to come off slower when you proceed to OWL.

[FinallyFree]

Try alternating with Medifast! Variety is the spice of life! I'm alternating Medifast/Stillmans/Atkins,,,,,,fun!

[butterflygal7373]

I am trying to get to a weight I feel good at for me. I am not extremely overweight but I eat obsesively. I have a huge appetite. Im always hungry. This way of life does seem to stop that. I was anorexic amd bulemic when I was in my 20s. Nearly died. So to stay a healthy weight is a necessity for me. If I become too overweight I will have issues. I just need to feel comfy for me. I feel good where my goal is. My goal use to be much much lower. Eatting disorders rewuire healthy eatting and weight. Atkins seems to help me with both so far. Ill raise my carbs I think its time. Ty all! Best wishes to all. No matter who we are. Extra pounds just feels awful.

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by butterflygal7373

I am trying to get to a weight I feel good at for me. I am not extremely overweight but I eat obsesively. I have a huge appetite. Im always hungry. This way of life does seem to stop that. I was anorexic amd bulemic when I was in my 20s. Nearly died. So to stay a healthy weight is a necessity for me. If I become too overweight I will have issues. I just need to feel comfy for me. I feel good where my goal is. My goal use to be much much lower. Eatting disorders rewuire healthy eatting and weight. Atkins seems to help me with both so far. Ill raise my carbs I think its time. Ty all! Best wishes to all. No matter who we are. Extra pounds just feels awful.

Given the reasons you've stated, I would tend to agree, it is time to raise your carbs and move into OWL. Remaining on Induction doesn't seem to be working for you at this point. That being said, you know this way of life does seem to be stopping your excessive eating, you just need more food choices. Thats why Dr. Atkins designed OWL

When people ask me how I've done Atkins for 10+ years, I always tell them I keep it simple. The more we think, the more we tend to overthink and overthinking isn't a good thing. I've been posting on these boards for years now and am by no means an expert. I'm just sharing my own experience in hopes it will help someone else.

Keep us posted as you move into OWL. Take it slowly and don't get discouraged if you don't see that scale moving as quickly. If you do this correctly, you will get there. It isn't a race. Keep your focus on your health.

All the best to you!!

[butterflygal7373]

Ok. If I raise carbs...how many calories? I seem to be terified Ill gain. Guess eatting disorders never die..
My hunger on my old way of living was insane!!! Full meal and belly growling an hour later. Just need to work with this I guess. My mind sees me still fat even though its not true.
Thank you all for your understanding.

[JerseyGyrl]

If you are planning to move to Phase 2 of Atkins, which is OWL (Ongoing Weight Loss), you would begin by slowly adding 5 more carbs of additional veggies. Try this for a few days to a week and see how your weight loss responds. Then proceed to the next rung of the carb ladder. This is all explained in the book. It doesn't concentrate on calories only on additional carbs.
If you want to do this correctly, you can't do this willy-nilly. You really need to read the book and do it the way it was written.
I hope this helps.

[Timlin]

Originally Posted by butterflygal7373

I am trying to get to a weight I feel good at for me. I am not extremely overweight but I eat obsesively. I have a huge appetite. Im always hungry. This way of life does seem to stop that. I was anorexic amd bulemic when I was in my 20s. Nearly died. So to stay a healthy weight is a necessity for me. If I become too overweight I will have issues. I just need to feel comfy for me. I feel good where my goal is. My goal use to be much much lower. Eatting disorders rewuire healthy eatting and weight. Atkins seems to help me with both so far. Ill raise my carbs I think its time. Ty all! Best wishes to all. No matter who we are. Extra pounds just feels awful.

Hi Butterfly, you and I are almost identical in weight/height and I don't feel comfy at all. I'm not too bad at 140 but much better at 137. I'm at 149 right now and it's dreadful for me. I even feel it in my face.

It's not an eating disorder to be aware that your weight is wrong for you and I hope you won't worry yourself too much about slipping back to problems. I agree that the Atkins plan does help with calming the wanting to eat obsessively.

I have been on the program since March 2008 and have seldom left the induction foods. I'm much older and my metabolism has slowed A LOT. I walk many miles a day but that makes no difference it seems.....old is old! I don't get bored with the foods....I've always been a creature of habit......and I don't worry about calories. I do still take a tablespoon or two of olive oil in mid afternoon if I start to want a snack.

I'd look up the list for carbs in Veggies and begin to use a few more of the lower carb ones listed. I eat squash.......which is very high but only a wee bit when we have it...I just like squash so I include it now and then.

I've reached the point where I do have a diet coke when everyone else is having a cold treat and I've discovered my ice cold coke lasts 3 times the length of time their other treats do.

I hope you can just go along, counting carbs to keep them low and being sure your fats are high enough to keep you feeling content. Everyone is different and all our different ages and stages play into it too. Good luck!!

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by Pattience

I think this article might help you when you are moving forward Butterfly. If you know all this you will be able to avoid getting panicky about sudden changes in appetite or weight. I know its says these things would happen if you go off plan, but i also wonder if they might not happen when you try to gradually increase your carbs too because i htihk i would find it very difficult to be as patient as it seems we are expected to do - i.e. one food at a time, 5 grams at a time. The latter seems fine but the former, it would take forever to get a higher carb intake going on. Or does it really mean food types, rather than individual items.http://www.phlaunt.com/lowcarb/19058156.php

Oh yes, it definitely would take forever to increase carbs if one did it 5 carbs at a time for each food. Cray-cray indeed!!
Dr. Atkins outlined his plan very precisely in the book. There are 4 phases of this plan. Induction, OWL, Pre-maintenance and Lifetime Maintenance. The addition of more carbs begins when one does OWL (Ongoing Weight Loss). Types of foods (and he gives examples of each in the book), are broken down beginning with vegetables and ending with whole grains. The purpose of the additions being introduced slowly, 5 carbs at a time, is to determine your personal CCLL (Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing). This is known as "The Power of Five". The "carb ladder" is as follows:
1. More salads and other vegetables on the Acceptable Foods List
2. Fresh cheeses (as well as more aged cheese)
3. Seeds and nuts
4. Berries
5. Wine and other spirits low in carbs
6. Legumes
7. Fruits other than berries and melons
8. Starchy vegetables
9. Whole grains
Each week you move up another rung on the carb ladder, adding another 5 carbs until you until reach a number at which you stop losing. This process helps you discover your CCLL.
This continues on Phase 3 of Atkins known as Pre-maintenance. You would begin introducing more foods in 10 carb increments. This is know as "The Power of Ten". This process with help you determine your CCLM (Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance). It is as follows:
1. Nuts
2. Starchy Vegetables
3. Legumes
4. Fruit
5. Grains
As the book clearly states, the key to success on this 3rd phase is advancing slowly, losing less than a pound each week for 2 to 3 months. The book gives excellent advice by informing you "The line between gaining, maintaining and losing is a thin one, and you may have to "play" with your CCLL and CCLM (Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance) for a while to understand what your body can handle.
This is why, for the person who wants to "do Atkins" and do it correctly reading the book is not an option, it is crucial.

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by Pattience

Presumably people doing Atkins have or are reading the book, like me. But that doesn't' mean you must do it totally by the book.

does he explain about the sudden weight gain and hunger you get when increasing carbs? Or is that blurred into the CCLL. I'm wondering if people confuse the two and mistakenly keep their carbs lower than absolutely necessary. Just wondering because a lot of people here seem to think they must keep their carbs really low. For me that wouldn't be sustainable.

Perhaps i should be more patient and wait til i've read the whole book before posting so much about it but as i go along questions keep coming up and i want answers.

The fact of the matter is, many people attempting to "do Atkins" have not read or are not reading the book. Glad to hear you are! They go into this based on what they may have heard from someone else or from what they've read on some website and when it doesn't work as fast as they think it should or the way they think it should, they abandon it and proclaim "Oh yeah, I tried that Atkins plan and that didn't work for me". The same can be said for those who have read the book and do the plan their own way.
Again, your questions are classic examples of why reading the book is critical. I personally have been doing this plan for 10+ years and I still refer to the book.
To answer your question, yes, Dr. Atkins does address the sudden weight gain & hunger one may experience when they increase carbs. The level of carbs a person can tolerate depends on that person's metabolic resistance, be it high, average, low or if they are a regular exerciser. Someone who's metabolic resistance is high is going to tolerate less carbs than someone who has a low metabolic resistance. So, when you see a lot of people here keeping their carbs really low, it could be that they have a high metabolic resistance.
I'm sure as you get further and further into the book, you'll have more & more questions. You can't learn without asking questions. Keep in mind, sometimes the answers aren't as cut & dry as we'd like them to be.
Happy reading!

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by Pattience

So he doesn't mention the temporary gain due to not having the carb enzymes. The temporary gain that cause you to panic if you didn't know that within a few days the carb metabolising enzymes had proliferated and the scary weight gain would stop?

That's what i'mi getting at. Its in the link above i think. Or one of the other links around. the site it comes from seems to be a pretty good low carbing site. She's written a book that's been highly recommended on amazon. Something about low carb tips.

I can't say I am familiar with what you are referring to.
I personally follow Dr. Atkins plan. I don't get into other sites and what other "low carb" people are saying. That tends to get way too confusing.
I do Atkins according to the books Dr. Atkins wrote. It may sound simple but, keeping it simple is what has worked for me for the past 10+ years of doing this.
Perhaps you can get the answers you're looking for on that other website you mentioned or by reading the book you mentioned that is available on Amazon.
Good luck!

[butterflygal7373]

Raised it today i havent lost anything in a week. Surprisingly I am not concerened. I can tell fat is dissapearing. My skin is loose. I feel better. Its time to exercise now. Tighten up. If I get below 144, oh well. Im getting this.

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by butterflygal7373

Raised it today i havent lost anything in a week. Surprisingly I am not concerened. I can tell fat is dissapearing. My skin is loose. I feel better. Its time to exercise now. Tighten up. If I get below 144, oh well. Im getting this.

Good for you raising your carbs!! The weight loss will be slower but, thats ok. Its better than gaining! And even when you don't see a loss on the scale, it is still quite possible you are losing inches.
Glad to hear you are feeling better too. Exercise will certainly help you, even if its moderate. Dr. Atkins said exercise is not negotiable.
Keep up the good work! Sounds like you are on your way!

[butterflygal7373]

I did raise yest and I am down half pound today. I ate my moms homemade stuffing. Only about a quarter cup. Cant make mom mad! Lol. Had baked chicken and she made me a salad instead of corn. The fact I could stop on the stuffing was a milestone!!! Keep on chugging!

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by Pattience

Well done Butterfly. Make your diet something you can do for the long haul.

Its so important to enjoy the food we eat. It shouldn't be a punishment or a reward or a chore. It should be just pure pleasure from knowing we are caring for our bodies and from the sensations in the mouth as they arrive. And even the fun of cooking and shopping are relevant. If you get to a point where guilt and worry sets in, you've got a problem again.

I really like the phases and stages idea of different diets and gradually working through them sounds sustainable and workable to me.

Another book i picked up the other day is Atkins for Life, the next level. It has lots of menus/meal ideas for different carb levels. But the idea about gradually increasing different food groups seems a pretty good idea when you are working up from low carbs too.

JERSEY: the idea i'm referring to is listed under title about what happens when you bust out of your low carb regime and have an off day or a splurge on carbs. It tells you what is likely to happen with your weight. And it is in that article that i wondered if the same thing might not happen when you increase your carbs according to the LLCL too. I mean it would be awful to get stuck at a point where the only fruit you could eat was just berries. Or if you got stuck at nuts and seeds because of what is probably a temporary weight gain event while you body may be gettings its carb enzymes back into production. It is something to do with the the term carb sensitive which i am still a bit suspicious of. Of course i accept insulin resistance and diabetes but for others i'm not convinced yet and wonder if some people unnecessarily restrict their carbs too severely. A young slim person without a history of obesity in the family or her own life should really be able to eat any type of food ultimately so long as its done with care and an eye on the overall carb total. But if one has a history of losing control with high sweet and industrially flavoured foods, then one may always or for a very long time (years) need to be strict with such foods.

Thanks for your explanation Pattience. Just goes to show you each of us are different , hence Dr. Atkins implamenting the power of five & the power of ten to learn one's individual CCLL & CCLM.
As with any other eating plan its all trial & error. The bottom line is to learn what works for YOU and not be concerned about why something that works for someone else doesn't work for you and vice versa.
When we see someone overweight, we have no business to assume they got that way by not being able to control themselves with "high sweet and industrially flavoured foods". I know people who are overweight that never touch those things. Again, we are all different.
I am thankful I found what works for me. Its not a "diet" to me, its a lifestyle change. This works for me, might not be what you agree with or want to do and that is all fine and good. The world would surely be a boring place if we were all the same, doing all the same things.
I hope you get the answers you are obviously searching for and finally find what works for you.
All the best to you!