I have lost 6.5 pounds on induction but drank alchahol tonight and ate a bunch of sugar and carbs. How can I expect this to effect my induction? Will I gain all my weight back?

I think if I were you, I'd maybe think of that first week as a Test Run, and start 'for real' now. You're trying to change the way your body works - training it to use fat for fuel, rather than carbs. If you threw a load of carbs at it - well, I don't know for sure that it will impact upon your weight loss, but it can't be doing your metabolism much good in getting used to burning fat rather than carbs!

But, you know, it depends on what you ate, and on how your metabolism works. (And, remember, a lot of the weightloss in Week 1 is usually water weight.) Clearly you've already made fantastic progress - go you! Can I ask what weightloss approach you were using before Atkins? Clearly it's done a cracking job!

The goal of induction is to change your metabolism from carb burning to fat burning. throwing a bunch of carbs in the furnace sort of defeats the purpose. You should probably start over-sorry.

I think you should just keep on going. The only way it will affect you is if you let it get you off track. You may see a little temporary up on the scale if you wiegh every day, but it is just water retention and will be gone again very quickly. Try not to focus on the little slip-ups, dust yourself off and move on.

i id atkins years ago, and im no pro, but I agree with Petra...i think you need to atleast start over for a couple of days to get your body back into fat burning mode...if your intent is induction...and cleaning out your body....thus having an overlaoad of carbs and sugar in there is going to translate in to cravings, sugar spikes..etc..etc.....Isnt there some kind of pee test you can use...to test the levels...that way you know if you are in fat burning mode...i think...it may only take you an extra day or so to get back on track...remember your body is like a machine...it feeds off what you fuel it, absorbs it...and spits it out...and we all know it likes to hold on to the sugar from carbs and turn em into fat...right?...so just start over...and get the pee test thing ( if found it at our local grocery store)...i used it when i did atkins...it was a motivator in it all... anyway..im a rambler...can go on forever about my opinion...sorry :\

I too had a bad day. Today was my first bad day, I was so down that after so much progress I let myself cheat!! But, I guess I got it out o my system and I won't let this break my spirits, it was one bump in the road, tomorrow I will be back to normal. Do any of you ever have a bad day where you stuff your mouth with everything?! ugh, I won't weigh myself now for a week in case I gained.

I think many people give up on low carb dieting, because they think that any slip requires that they have to "start all over again." My husband has lost 45 lbs in the last 5 months (which I think is fantastic) and skipped induction altogether (because he is diabetic on insulin and metformin). I've been off the diet for a spell, and am getting back on, and skipping the induction this time (I'm on metformin, and induction makes me dizzy and nauseous).

Personally, I think reducing your carb level gradually (like my husband did) until you find what works best for you, is just as legitimate as starting at induction or (like me) a little higher and working your way up. In fact, my husband seems to have had LESS of a problem with carb-cravings than I have had low carbing (whether or not I started with induction). Maybe it's like the difference between one smoker "tapering off" and another going "cold-turkey."

No, you will not gain ALL the weight back but you may stall for a few days or maybe a week. I definitely would not start all over. That alone can turn into a vicious cycle. I have been in that cycle and it is doomed to fail. Just eat as well as possible for the rest of the day and keep going at the level of carbs you were eating before. If you were eating OWL acceptable foods, you may have to eat more salads and let go of some of the higher carb veggies.

The ketone strips worked for a while for me but they don't work now. I read in either the Atkins book or Jonny Bowden's book that this happens to some people because you body produces 3 types of ketones when it is burning fat for fuel and the strips only test for 1 type of ketone. So, if you weren't using the strips before, you don't have to start now.

Also, try to think about what made you slip up. Was there a situation that you would be able to avoid in the future? I know this sounds crazy, but losing the weight is the easy part. Keeping the weight off [no matter what plan you are on] is the hard part. You should think about what lead to your slip.

Good luck and don't give up or start over.

I did it again. I ate about 90 carbs today. It makes me want to cry.. I need to just keep going but days like this make me extremely depressec

Awwwhhhh Rikko...so sorry your feeling in the dumps. But really, calories in minus calories out = weight loss/gain. That's really all it amounts to. It takes 3500 calories over the calories you need to survive to gain 1 lb of fat...so if you see any move up in the scale, it's just water! It will resolve in a day or two. I do notice, however, that alcohol seems to stall you...perhaps cuz it dehydrates you thereby making you retain water.

90 carbs....That is low-carb! You don't have to stay on induction level carbs to be low-carb...ya know. However, I would get a check on the types of carbs...were they carbs from refined sugars or complex carbs (fruit, veggies, etc.)? That can make a difference...but only in "cravings". You see...Induction level carbs are for the most part set in place to battle "cravings"...the more sugar you eat...the more you want! Ever try just eating one potato chip...betcha can't just eat one! There's a science for this (which I won't go into right now), but remember, calories in - calories out = weight loss/gain. That's it...simple, but true (inspite of all the weight loss theories out there)!

So...if your appetite's in check...then maybe 90 (healthy) carbs may work for you (depending on your metabolism), but if you find yourself having cravings, you may want to go back to induction level carbs until those cravings are under control. Much success lady...and don't be too hard on yourself.

BTW, if you really want to squash out that night of drinking and thereby possible water weight gain...hit the eliptical for 30 min...you'll feel better and counteract any effects of the bing...make it a habit and you'll see that you can eat more carbs when you work out and still lose weight... Hope this helps. Joyce