Low Carb Dieting - Induction Phase

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ajmurray1234
ajmurray1234 Posts: 163 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

I have decided to do something that to most people is not a good idea, but perhaps to others is just fine. For two weeks I am going to restrict my net carbs to 20 grams per day as prescribed in low carb diets such as Atkins.

I have to admit I have been really intrigued by the philosophy that your body will turn to stored fat for energy when the presence of carbs is low.

I have done my due diligence by researching the good and bad of this diet, read up on tips, etc; and will move forward in doing this.

I'll try to keep my results posted per week.

SW: 172
GW: 130

Cheers
Andrea
«134567…11

Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    Why bother if it's just for 2 weeks? I don't see the point.

    Low carbing doesn't make you lose any more fat than restricting calories... weight loss is all about calories.

    I still don't see the point in this.
    9
  • Venus_Red
    Venus_Red Posts: 209 Member
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    Um, ok?

    If you've made the decision why post this?
  • ajmurray1234
    ajmurray1234 Posts: 163 Member
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    withaflourish wrote: »
    Um, ok?

    If you've made the decision why post this?

    Because saying it aloud or in this case, posting it will make me own up to my decision.

    Thanks for your reply.

    Cheers
  • ajmurray1234
    ajmurray1234 Posts: 163 Member
    Options
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Why bother if it's just for 2 weeks? I don't see the point.

    Low carbing doesn't make you lose any more fat than restricting calories... weight loss is all about calories.

    I still don't see the point in this.
    9

    2 weeks is supposed to put your body in a state of Ketosis so your fat stores are used for energy instead of carbs.
    I don't know how this going to work, I just know I have been restricting but w/out the desired results. So.. I'm trying something different.

    Cheers

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    You do realize what will happen once you reintroduce carbs right?
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    ajmurray1234 wrote: »
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Why bother if it's just for 2 weeks? I don't see the point.

    Low carbing doesn't make you lose any more fat than restricting calories... weight loss is all about calories.

    I still don't see the point in this.
    9

    2 weeks is supposed to put your body in a state of Ketosis so your fat stores are used for energy instead of carbs.
    I don't know how this going to work, I just know I have been restricting but w/out the desired results. So.. I'm trying something different.

    Cheers

    It's all about CICO. If you were not losing then something was wrong with your logging.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
  • ajmurray1234
    ajmurray1234 Posts: 163 Member
    Options
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    You do realize what will happen once you reintroduce carbs right?

    So you've done it before? I haven't so no, I don't know what will happen. I don't even know if this will work.

    Cheers
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    edited September 2015
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    ajmurray1234 wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    You do realize what will happen once you reintroduce carbs right?

    So you've done it before? I haven't so no, I don't know what will happen. I don't even know if this will work.

    Cheers

    Well when you restrict carbohydrates you drop a lot of water weight.

    Reintroduction of carbohydrates means you'll gain that water weight back, and some more.
    ajmurray1234 wrote: »
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Why bother if it's just for 2 weeks? I don't see the point.

    Low carbing doesn't make you lose any more fat than restricting calories... weight loss is all about calories.

    I still don't see the point in this.
    9

    2 weeks is supposed to put your body in a state of Ketosis so your fat stores are used for energy instead of carbs.
    I don't know how this going to work, I just know I have been restricting but w/out the desired results. So.. I'm trying something different.

    Cheers

    Again, there's literally no point in this. It takes much longer than 2 weeks to become fat adapted. Even so, the reintroduction of carbohydrates will mean you are no longer fat adapted. Also, your body doesn't just use carbs as an energy source in a normal diet...

  • ajmurray1234
    ajmurray1234 Posts: 163 Member
    Options
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    ajmurray1234 wrote: »
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Why bother if it's just for 2 weeks? I don't see the point.

    Low carbing doesn't make you lose any more fat than restricting calories... weight loss is all about calories.

    I still don't see the point in this.
    9

    2 weeks is supposed to put your body in a state of Ketosis so your fat stores are used for energy instead of carbs.
    I don't know how this going to work, I just know I have been restricting but w/out the desired results. So.. I'm trying something different.

    Cheers

    It's all about CICO. If you were not losing then something was wrong with your logging.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    Nope that's not it. I keep track of my calories manually.

    But thanks for your suggestion

    cheers
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    Options
    ajmurray1234 wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    ajmurray1234 wrote: »
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Why bother if it's just for 2 weeks? I don't see the point.

    Low carbing doesn't make you lose any more fat than restricting calories... weight loss is all about calories.

    I still don't see the point in this.
    9

    2 weeks is supposed to put your body in a state of Ketosis so your fat stores are used for energy instead of carbs.
    I don't know how this going to work, I just know I have been restricting but w/out the desired results. So.. I'm trying something different.

    Cheers

    It's all about CICO. If you were not losing then something was wrong with your logging.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    Nope that's not it. I keep track of my calories manually.

    But thanks for your suggestion

    cheers

    Then you probably weren't logging correctly... i.e. weighing foods with an electric scale in grams instead of cups.
  • chaoticdreams
    chaoticdreams Posts: 447 Member
    Options
    community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1143-keto

    There are some low carb/keto groups on MFP that are very supportive and full of information.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
    Options
    ajmurray1234 wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    You do realize what will happen once you reintroduce carbs right?

    So you've done it before? I haven't so no, I don't know what will happen. I don't even know if this will work.

    Cheers
    When you cut carbs, you lose water and glycogen. When you reintroduce them, you tend to get those right back.
  • ajmurray1234
    ajmurray1234 Posts: 163 Member
    Options
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    ajmurray1234 wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    You do realize what will happen once you reintroduce carbs right?

    So you've done it before? I haven't so no, I don't know what will happen. I don't even know if this will work.

    Cheers

    Well when you restrict carbohydrates you drop a lot of water weight.

    Reintroduction of carbohydrates means you'll gain that water weight back, and some more.
    ajmurray1234 wrote: »
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Why bother if it's just for 2 weeks? I don't see the point.

    Low carbing doesn't make you lose any more fat than restricting calories... weight loss is all about calories.

    I still don't see the point in this.
    9

    2 weeks is supposed to put your body in a state of Ketosis so your fat stores are used for energy instead of carbs.
    I don't know how this going to work, I just know I have been restricting but w/out the desired results. So.. I'm trying something different.

    Cheers

    Again, there's literally no point in this. It takes much longer than 2 weeks to become fat adapted. Even so, the reintroduction of carbohydrates will mean you are no longer fat adapted. Also, your body doesn't just use carbs as an energy source in a normal diet...

    Well I guess you are the expert.
  • ajmurray1234
    ajmurray1234 Posts: 163 Member
    edited September 2015
    Options
    chaoticdreams wrote: »
    community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1143-keto

    There are some low carb/keto groups on MFP that are very supportive and full of information.

    Thank you! Its nice to have members comment without attacking.
  • sandsofarabia
    sandsofarabia Posts: 95 Member
    Options
    There is kinda a reason why many people are against this diet.

    Take it from me, I actually did Atkins for a couple months (on Intro phase the whole time)... It's definitely do-able and restricting carbs actually made keeping the calories low a lot easier because most calorie-dense foods come with a lot of carbs... But anyways, I thought I liked it at the time but there is a fault to the diet


    If you do not plan to live low-carb for the rest of your life, then it's not the diet for you. I did it to get in shape but planned to eat breads (restricting calories still) afterwards and it was basically a complete waste of time. I lost the same amount of weight just counting calories and it made eating out and eating at home not only a hassle but surprisingly more expensive because I had to buy so many low-carb foods that don't come cheap.

    Also, making a "diet" (I like to call it a lifestyle) that's something you thoroughly enjoy and love is essential to staying on track. The low-carb thing was difficult for me even after many months because I was constantly thinking of how to make my meals and what I was eating and what I can't eat. But with the normal calorie counting thing, one month in and I'm already subconsciously tracking my foods without a second thought.

    All I'm saying is you don't actually lose any more weight (or not even that much faster) than you would just counting calories. It was an interesting time to really see how sugar is played into many different foods but the intro phase does restrict many nutrients that you would get in even fruit which sucked. I would never go back personally to it although I do sometimes like to keep my carbs at just 100g as a challenge but never as low as 20g.

    The most effective way to keep yourself from falling into cravings and forgetting your diet is to make the most appealing and manageable diet you can handlle within the restrictions of your calorie input/output.

    If you plan to keep going with it you can message me for more info but I really think you should not feel the need to bother with a low-carb diet.
  • ajmurray1234
    ajmurray1234 Posts: 163 Member
    Options
    sandsofarabia wrote: »
    There is kinda a reason why many people are against this diet.

    Take it from me, I actually did Atkins for a couple months (on Intro phase the whole time)... It's definitely do-able and restricting carbs actually made keeping the calories low a lot easier because most calorie-dense foods come with a lot of carbs... But anyways, I thought I liked it at the time but there is a fault to the diet


    If you do not plan to live low-carb for the rest of your life, then it's not the diet for you. I did it to get in shape but planned to eat breads (restricting calories still) afterwards and it was basically a complete waste of time. I lost the same amount of weight just counting calories and it made eating out and eating at home not only a hassle but surprisingly more expensive because I had to buy so many low-carb foods that don't come cheap.

    Also, making a "diet" (I like to call it a lifestyle) that's something you thoroughly enjoy and love is essential to staying on track. The low-carb thing was difficult for me even after many months because I was constantly thinking of how to make my meals and what I was eating and what I can't eat. But with the normal calorie counting thing, one month in and I'm already subconsciously tracking my foods without a second thought.

    All I'm saying is you don't actually lose any more weight (or not even that much faster) than you would just counting calories. It was an interesting time to really see how sugar is played into many different foods but the intro phase does restrict many nutrients that you would get in even fruit which sucked. I would never go back personally to it although I do sometimes like to keep my carbs at just 100g as a challenge but never as low as 20g.

    The most effective way to keep yourself from falling into cravings and forgetting your diet is to make the most appealing and manageable diet you can handlle within the restrictions of your calorie input/output.

    If you plan to keep going with it you can message me for more info but I really think you should not feel the need to bother with a low-carb diet.
    Thank-you for your reply. I notice how a lot of members' comments are near cruel and it shouldn't be that way. Your response was constructive because you actually did the diet.

  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    Options
    Hi there. I have been doing a carb cycling diet with calories cycling. So while I have done a fat fast which was similar to induction I have not done induction perse. I then went on to my normal carb cycling diet and was fine. I hace even gone on to regular carb intake at times with no regain except a little water like one or two lbs. Its is fine. I think if you eill go onto atkins after this is a good start. but carb cycling is less restricted and you can have carbs every other day which was more doable for me. I do chris powell choose more lose more for life:) I have lost 30 lbs. I have pcos and this is the only thing works for me
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Options
    ajmurray1234 wrote: »
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Why bother if it's just for 2 weeks? I don't see the point.

    Low carbing doesn't make you lose any more fat than restricting calories... weight loss is all about calories.

    I still don't see the point in this.
    9

    2 weeks is supposed to put your body in a state of Ketosis so your fat stores are used for energy instead of carbs.
    I don't know how this going to work, I just know I have been restricting but w/out the desired results. So.. I'm trying something different.

    Cheers

    You don't have to be low carb to burn fat.

    That said, if you want to try low carb and see if you like it, go for it -- nothing wrong with low carb as a way to cut calories!
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Options
    ajmurray1234 wrote: »
    Hello,

    I have decided to do something that to most people is not a good idea, but perhaps to others is just fine. For two weeks I am going to restrict my net carbs to 20 grams per day as prescribed in low carb diets such as Atkins.

    I have to admit I have been really intrigued by the philosophy that your body will turn to stored fat for energy when the presence of carbs is low.

    I have done my due diligence by researching the good and bad of this diet, read up on tips, etc; and will move forward in doing this.

    I'll try to keep my results posted per week.

    SW: 172
    GW: 130

    Cheers
    Andrea
    Remember to increase fats-- chicken thighs with skin, nuts, butter, bacon.
  • ajmurray1234
    ajmurray1234 Posts: 163 Member
    Options
    angelexperiment wrote: »
    Hi there. I have been doing a carb cycling diet with calories cycling. So while I have done a fat fast which was similar to induction I have not done induction perse. I then went on to my normal carb cycling diet and was fine. I hace even gone on to regular carb intake at times with no regain except a little water like one or two lbs. Its is fine. I think if you eill go onto atkins after this is a good start. but carb cycling is less restricted and you can have carbs every other day which was more doable for me. I do chris powell choose more lose more for life:) I have lost 30 lbs. I have pcos and this is the only thing works for me
    Thank You.

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