Atkins induction?

sam1320
sam1320 Posts: 24
edited October 6 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys

I recently discovered that low carb dieting is really the best method of weight loss for me. I kinda got serious about this idea a little before Christmas but am now starting it now christmas has passed. I am starting the very low carb plan today.

What have your experience on the Atkins induction phase? How long did you do it for and how much weight did you lose? I am tempted to do the induction but I don't know if it will be feasible to stay under 20grams of carbs a day...that does sound very intense.

When i eat carbs from green veggies I do feel so much better, I really don't NEED white carbs and sugar in my diet , but I do crave them horribly. Whenever I start eating these kinds of things I compulsively eat, out of habit.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Sam
«13

Replies

  • yesthistime
    yesthistime Posts: 2,051 Member
    Bump. I am starting Atkins today, too :)
  • LovelyLibra79
    LovelyLibra79 Posts: 569 Member
    Try low carb snacks such as breyers low carb ice-cream, sugar free candy when you have these cravings.
  • sunnydays33
    sunnydays33 Posts: 170 Member
    I was able to stay at about 20-30 g carbs for about 3 mos. I lost about 40 lbs. For the next several months I tried to stay at about 60 g carbs and lost an additional 40 lbs. That brought me to Nov, when I joined MFP and focused more on cal and have only lost 6 lbs in 2 mos. I am a carb-addict and still do not eat any simple carbs- for the most part.

    You just have to find your happy medium where you are still losing but eating a balanced diet with tons of veggies!!
  • enusker
    enusker Posts: 11 Member
    I started atkins induction and am on my third day. I had a horrible day yesterday. I was starving! I have yet to stay under 20 g of carbs which is frustrating. I felt better this morning though. I really want to lose my last 28 lbs at a faster rate than my last 25 lbs have. I am a carbaholic! Any tips? Sam, have how has the low carb intake been going?
  • 651055
    651055 Posts: 32
    Had great results with Atkins a few months ago (14lbs in 4 weeks) and intend doing it again - can't get started even though I know how much better I feel on it.


    Wish I could just find the motivation / willpower to get started and fast track to day 6 or 7.
    Am such an emotional eater.

    Any tips on getting started?!?!?!
  • Don26
    Don26 Posts: 46
    Induction can be tough, I was very crabby for the first few days! The cravings for sweets will pass. I tried going the low carb ice cream rout and they do make low carb chocolate , candy, etc... Did not work for me, just prolonged the agony and I kept having cravings. In time, it will pass and for me, I was better off just staying away from them. I have done Atkins several times over the years and it will work for you but you have to stick with it and not cheat. Good Luck!
  • mjbrenner
    mjbrenner Posts: 222 Member
    I know that this is not Atkins-friendly advice, but I found that I needed small doses of sugar while I was still breaking my addiction. I ate low-carb like a good doobie, and when the hunger/cravings got so intense I couldn't deal with it, I'd have 1/2 cup of apple cider or suck on a few raisins. That small dose of simple carbs would nuke my craving dead, so long as I stopped there.

    It took me closer to a month to break the sugar addiction this way, but it was far more pleasant than going cold turkey, and it prevented sugar binges.
  • cgrout78
    cgrout78 Posts: 1,628 Member
    It took about a week for me to get past the carb cravings, and then I was golden. I felt awesome doing it too. My secret weapon when I REALLY craved something sweet was pickles...LOL. Regular dill pickles, but it made my mouth glands feel like it was sweet. Or a spoonful of peanut butter once I got past induction.

    I wouldn't recommend any of the sugar free candies though until you're past induction phase. Not going to lie, it kinda sucks the first few days while your body adjusts.
  • cgrout78
    cgrout78 Posts: 1,628 Member
    It took about a week for me to get past the carb cravings, and then I was golden. I felt awesome doing it too. My secret weapon when I REALLY craved something sweet was pickles...LOL. Regular dill pickles, but it made my mouth glands feel like it was sweet. Or a spoonful of peanut butter once I got past induction.

    I wouldn't recommend any of the sugar free candies though until you're past induction phase. Not going to lie, it kinda sucks the first few days while your body adjusts.
  • sam1320
    sam1320 Posts: 24
    Hey!


    All great fps and advice guys..thanks! Think we should start an atkins forum or something to post good recipes and motivation!

    I am like you, I have uyet to remain lower than 20 grams of carbs. It is so frustrating! I usually am between 40-50, trying to cut down day by day and experimenting with foods right now until I cut down to 20 and hoping to remain on that for a good few weeks until I can lose my first initial 15 lbs. Eeeeeek. Wish I had more will power! I am terrible.
  • cgrout78
    cgrout78 Posts: 1,628 Member
    it was really hard for me, not going to lie. I was thinking about trying it again after new years here just to kind of clean myself up a bit. I did notice that when I would go back to induction i never lost as much as I did the first time. The first induction I did I lost like 10 pounds that first two weeks, after that it would be about 5, which is mostly water, but it was at least encouraging to see the scale moving down.

    Once that first two weeks was up though...then it was a lot easier, until I would "slip" and eat a piece of bread, then I craved it like mad again. I might just do a no refined carb thing...eat fruits and veggies and just no bread, rice, pasta, cereal etc.
  • IamBrande
    IamBrande Posts: 208 Member
    I'm back on induction as of today! Friend me if u like & I can email oodles of tips!!!! :)
  • classyhoney
    classyhoney Posts: 75 Member
    I'm not doing Atkins but I'm on a low carb plan with the 17DD and sugar free gum really helps with cravings especially the dessert gum from Extra in Apple Pie and Mint Chocolate Chip. 20g or less a day is very rough. When can you start having the Atkins's advantage bars because I eat those now and they are delicious. They really help with the chocolate cravings at only 3 net carbs.
  • IamBrande
    IamBrande Posts: 208 Member
    I'm game for an Atkins group!!
  • enusker
    enusker Posts: 11 Member
    I'm down for a forum, too! I almost cried and gave up yesterday, it was so hard. But today is my third day on induction, and I feel loads better. All of my meals have felt very satisfying! O bought the bars and ate one before I realized it was for phase 2 and higher. Bad move cause those things are good. They are leaving the house till I am aloud to eat them.
  • jb_sweet_99
    jb_sweet_99 Posts: 856 Member
    I will be starting something similar, I will be doing more of the South Beach phase 1. I start on January 1st. I was sugar free, and ate no fruit or carbs for a few months last year and lost a ton of weight. I then had back issues that ended up being Fibromyalgia and Peripheral Neuropathy (severe nerve damage) so I couldn't exercise and i went to Cuba and blew it all. Now that I'm on some meds and am starting to feel better, I'm working out again and that helps me want to eat better as well. It's time for me to get healthy again. I am not starting Jan1st as a new years resolution, because I find they never work, but just want to start the year off right. Good luck friends! I use Xylitol for sugar, it tastes the same but is derived from veggies and fruit and has no aftertaste. It helps me stay on track if I can have my coffee sweet :)
  • IndependentMe
    IndependentMe Posts: 182 Member
    I only seem to be able to stick to weight loss while following a low carb diet, similar to Atkins. I followed Atkins to the letter and had great sucess. I am now starting again, and would love having the support of others doing similar!
  • mkitts2011
    mkitts2011 Posts: 18
    I will be starting something similar, I will be doing more of the South Beach phase 1. I start on January 1st. I was sugar free, and ate no fruit or carbs for a few months last year and lost a ton of weight. I then had back issues that ended up being Fibromyalgia and Peripheral Neuropathy (severe nerve damage) so I couldn't exercise and i went to Cuba and blew it all. Now that I'm on some meds and am starting to feel better, I'm working out again and that helps me want to eat better as well. It's time for me to get healthy again. I am not starting Jan1st as a new years resolution, because I find they never work, but just want to start the year off right. Good luck friends! I use Xylitol for sugar, it tastes the same but is derived from veggies and fruit and has no aftertaste. It helps me stay on track if I can have my coffee sweet :)

    I lost 50 lbs in 3 months on South Beach. Ivillage has a great south beach message board that helped me tons. I really loved SB because it is SO healthy but, I got burned out on all the veggies so I'm working on low-cal and hopefully slowly moving back towards the SB standards. I NEVER counted calories on SB but I can only imagine how much more effective it would be if you did. Especially since I ate a lot of meat and cheese.
  • abfit4life
    abfit4life Posts: 220 Member
    The first few days will be hard while your body works to ween itself from your carb addiction. But if you stick with it it really works. I did Atkins and lost 156 lbs in 53 weeks. Kept it off for a year but slowly got back into my carb addictions and ended up gaining back nearly 70 lbs. Since reconnecting with MFP on Dec. 2, 2011 I've lost 18 lbs using a low carb approach. When I weigh in on Monday I expect to be down even more. Low carb unlike low fat keeps me full. It gets quite scary sometimes how I can go through a day like today and NOT feel hungry. I had to FORCE myself to eat at regular intervals. That doesn't happen for me when I try the low fat approach. I tend to eat about 40g of complex carbs/day. There are many low-carb products on the market but I tend to steer clear and rely more on natural foods. I get the low-carb goods as substitutions when a craven hits. Remember there are lots of low carb approaches out here to choose from as well: Atkins, South Beach, Sugarbusters, Zone, Keto etc. See what works for you,

    Feel free to add me!!!

    7838983.png
  • cmthorsness
    cmthorsness Posts: 83 Member
    Doing it and loving it!! Best diet for me!
  • cmthorsness
    cmthorsness Posts: 83 Member
    Feel free to add me! I don't eat the premade stuff, I eat my own low carb inventions... Cheaper and tastier if you ask me LOL
  • jb_sweet_99
    jb_sweet_99 Posts: 856 Member
    I will be starting something similar, I will be doing more of the South Beach phase 1. I start on January 1st. I was sugar free, and ate no fruit or carbs for a few months last year and lost a ton of weight. I then had back issues that ended up being Fibromyalgia and Peripheral Neuropathy (severe nerve damage) so I couldn't exercise and i went to Cuba and blew it all. Now that I'm on some meds and am starting to feel better, I'm working out again and that helps me want to eat better as well. It's time for me to get healthy again. I am not starting Jan1st as a new years resolution, because I find they never work, but just want to start the year off right. Good luck friends! I use Xylitol for sugar, it tastes the same but is derived from veggies and fruit and has no aftertaste. It helps me stay on track if I can have my coffee sweet :)

    I lost 50 lbs in 3 months on South Beach. Ivillage has a great south beach message board that helped me tons. I really loved SB because it is SO healthy but, I got burned out on all the veggies so I'm working on low-cal and hopefully slowly moving back towards the SB standards. I NEVER counted calories on SB but I can only imagine how much more effective it would be if you did. Especially since I ate a lot of meat and cheese.

    Thanks for the info...I've done South Beach before too and really liked it, I'm still mainly on it but I need to get the sugar out again and get strict with what I'm eating again. I did count calories but not very closely, I just did it to make sure I was eating enough actually. Good luck to u!
  • danagisana
    danagisana Posts: 43 Member
    Ive tried it several times with no big success. I found it really limiting and I didn't enjoy eating all of that meat and cheese. I could live without bread and pasta but it bothered me to not have fruit. The benefit though was that after a few days of induction the cravings go. Sometimes I'll still do induction for a few days if I am experiencing bad cravings.
    Also, a lot of the atkins products are filled with garbage. Frankly for me I'd rather lose the weight slower but put good things into my body.
    Good luck if you try it
  • anyonebutmehaha
    anyonebutmehaha Posts: 174
    is it possible for someone that doesn't eat red meat or chicken (i can manage to eat some types of fish and turkey but chicken grosses me out, lol, i know that doesn't make much sense but i was a vegetarian since i as a kid so ) to follow something like atkins? i don't care for packaged food either...
  • LuciaLongIsland
    LuciaLongIsland Posts: 815 Member
    Please anyone who is doing or thinking of doing this, please message me and tell me what foods to avoid and eat. I tried to google it but got no where. Thanks
  • NoMoreMrFatGuy
    NoMoreMrFatGuy Posts: 10
    I have lost almost 60 pounds in the last 9 months. Granted I run about 30 miles a week however I really cut out Bread, White Rice, and Potatoes....pretty much starches. No pies, cakes, pizza, do nuts unless its a special time. My wife is from the Islands so she makes a lot of curries and stir fry dishes that I love to eat with rice. Believe it or not, I started substituting Cottage Cheese and found it to be a great combo. I feel great. When we go out with friends I don't make a scene and say, "HEY YOU KNOW I CAN"T EAT TORTILLA CHIPS." I eat some but make sure I don't go overboard.
  • TXGirl821
    TXGirl821 Posts: 115
    If you plan on doing Atkins, the best advice is to read the book and do the plan as written. Induction is not forever, only 2 weeks, and as you progress through the plan, you will find that many things you wouldn't expect are added back in. You will NOT be eating just "meat and cheese." It's a truly fabulous lifestyle plan if you do it correctly. Expect to feel sick during Induction, especially the first week, while you "detox" from all the processed white sugar and flour. But once you're over that hump, you'll be flying high! :)
  • LuciaLongIsland
    LuciaLongIsland Posts: 815 Member
    If you plan on doing Atkins, the best advice is to read the book and do the plan as written. Induction is not forever, only 2 weeks, and as you progress through the plan, you will find that many things you wouldn't expect are added back in. You will NOT be eating just "meat and cheese." It's a truly fabulous lifestyle plan if you do it correctly. Expect to feel sick during Induction, especially the first week, while you "detox" from all the processed white sugar and flour. But once you're over that hump, you'll be flying high! :)

    I havent had any white flour, potatoes, cookies, cake or sugar in 3 months. I do eat whole wheat bread, and sometimes strawberries and bananas. They seem to be high, TY
  • rsouthland
    rsouthland Posts: 75
    Great topic. I love how my body responds to a low carb lifestyle like doing Atkins. In 2008 I successfully lost 100 pounds doing Atkins, however when I hit my goal weight, I went out on my own and never looked back. Sadly, I've gained it all back. So, for the last time (I've really decided this time), I'm going to lose 100 pounds doing my ever faithful low carb.

    I started Atkins induction on 12/8/2011 at 296 pounds. Today, I'm 282.8, down 13 pounds in basically 3 weeks. I'm an absolute couch potato and I hate to exercise, but I know that like before, the exercise is what speeds up the process. Thus far, miraculously, I'm already down nearly 5 inches in my mid section. Today I put on a shirt and pants I haven't worn in a couple years because they were to tight. Just that loss allowed me to fit in.

    My daily caloric intake is near 1700 calories, however my main focus is getting at or near 20g of carbs, with 10-15 of those carbs coming from vegetables. That's the plan anyway

    Breakfast - I regularly eat 3 scrambled eggs with 2tbl spoon heavy cream, ham and cheese or something like that for an omelet, followed by 4-6 sausage links. I know people that do low fat will scream, but I haven't felt better in a long time and I'm never starving like many low fat diets result in.

    Lunch - I frequently skip because I'm just not hungry at all.

    Dinner - Any protein, higher in natural fats the better. Pork roast, Roast Beef, Ham - its all good. For added veggies I'll have 2.5 cups of romain lettuce with full fat dressings - either Ranch or Blue Cheese.

    Snacks - I love medium tomatoes at only 5grams of carbs. They are also a great way to build up your carbs from veggies.
    Atkins bars, shakes and Russel Stovers sugar free candies. Remember that with the candy, your looking for net carbs, so 22gram of carb, minus 1gram fiber and minus 21 gram sugar alcohol, equals 0 net carbs. Don't eat to many as they will make you run for the toilet, but they are a great snack.

    I'd love more Atkins / Low Carb friends so please hit me up. I track my food religiously so you can see what I eat and such.

    Good luck on your adventure. It really works if you track your carbs and stick with it.

    13556194.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • TNoire
    TNoire Posts: 642 Member
    Ill be honest I had a doc ms-diagnose me and had me on the first wave of Atkins for 6 months and didn't want me to go off it... unlimited meats/eggs/cheese and 20 carbs a day from veggies ONLY

    in those 6 months my cholesterol, fat, sugars etc levels went out of control when I finally went to another doctor I was weeks away from having a heart attack

    What I learned its not the best cause you start putting grains and stuff back into your body the weight can come back FASTER and HEAVIER then before

    From experience I learned this

    females no less than 1200 cals a day
    males no less than 1800 cals a day

    why?

    if you eat less your body goes into starvation mode which causes it to store which causes weight gain

    3500 burned cals = loss on 1lb of fat
    3500 cals = 1lb of fat put on

    low carb is key my dietitian says 150 or less per day is a pretty good amount =)

    Don't call it a diet just be wise on what you put into your body and treat yourself when you meet your goals

    lean meats, red meat and taters 3-4 times in a 2 week period, whole grains keep you fuller longer, heavier meals in the morning, sodium no more than 2400mg a day, fresh fruit and veggies, don't drink you calories, 8+ glasses of water a day, stay away from junk food/fast food/processed food, treat it when you meet your goals, don't eat the samethings daily or do the same workouts or your body will plateau

    but i learned all this when I gained 195lbs from quitting smoking, got on track with healthy eating and workouts and lost 156lbs in 19 months (put some back on with stress of buying/selling houses) but back on track now =)

    you can do it! promise!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories