Part 12 (1/2)

BEYOND TWO WEEKS.

If you do choose to stay put in Induction, you'll remain at 20 grams of Net Carbs a day, but you can add nuts and seeds to your list of acceptable foods. A couple of tablespoons (1 ounce) of walnuts, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, or other seeds or nuts makes a great snack. Or sprinkle them on a salad or cooked vegetables.

After two weeks, now that you're feeling more energetic, many of you should be considering incorporating physical activity into your program if you've not already done so. A regular walking program is a great way to begin. Once you get into the habit, you'll realize the benefits in terms of toning your body and improving your mood. Finally, remember to keep your diet (and fitness) journal up to date, tracking foods as you add them back to spot any problems.

As you say good-bye to Induction, move on to the next chapter to learn how to transition to Phase 2, Ongoing Weight Loss. Even if you're moving directly to Pre-Maintenance, it's important for you to review the content on OWL. But first, read about Rebecca Latham's success with Atkins after trying numerous other diets.

SUCCESS STORY 7.

HUNGRY NO MORE.

After eating at ”starvation level” for decades without being able to lose weight, Rebecca Latham decided to join her husband on the Atkins Diet. Unusually resistant to weight loss, she is finally seeing results and closing in on her goal weight.

VITAL STATISTICS.

Current Phase: Pre-MaintenanceDaily Net Carb intake: 25 gramsAge: 54Height: 5 feet, 3 inchesBefore weight: 150 poundsCurrent weight: 140 poundsWeight loss: 10 pounds Goalweight: 130 poundsFormer BMI: 26.6Current BMI: 24.8Current blood pressure: 120/80 What made you decide to do Atkins?

When my husband was diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, our doctor recommended the Atkins Diet and I decided to join him. I'd started gaining weight at age 30 and over the next twenty years slowly put on 40 pounds.

Did you have any relevant health issues?

I have estrogen dominance and an underactive thyroid. Although there's heart disease and diabetes in my family, my lipids and other health markers were always normal.

Have you tried other weight loss programs?

You name it, I've tried it! I've suffered through the South Beach Diet, NutriSystem, LA Weight Loss, the Ice Cream Diet, the Hawaiian Diet, Deal-A-Meal, the Schwarzbein Principle, the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, the GI Diet, the Nautilus Diet, the Pritikin Diet, Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating, and Weight Watchers. My husband and I were doing The Zone just before we began Atkins. We'd both just lost a few pounds, but we were starving!

Had you done Atkins before?

Yes, years ago, but now I know that I was doing it incorrectly. I was eating no vegetables, and I kept cutting calories until I was down to 1,000 and then I quit.

So what was different this time?

I read a few Atkins books, as well as Good Calories, Bad Calories Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes, which was influential in getting me to try Atkins again. I found out at by Gary Taubes, which was influential in getting me to try Atkins again. I found out atthat severely limiting calories would make me stop losing. I know I would have failed again without the support of the Atkins Community forums. I also now know that even though weight loss may happen slowly, lost inches also indicate success. I've lost almost five inches at my navel alone! that severely limiting calories would make me stop losing. I know I would have failed again without the support of the Atkins Community forums. I also now know that even though weight loss may happen slowly, lost inches also indicate success. I've lost almost five inches at my navel alone!

How did you customize Atkins to your needs?

My hormonal imbalance and hypothyroidism made it extremely difficult to lose weight. So Atkins nutritionist Colette Heimowitz gave me a modified version of Induction to follow. I started at 11 grams of Net Carbs, with 8 of them coming from foundation vegetables. Now that I'm in Pre-Maintenance, I'm at 25 grams of Net Carbs, with at least 15 of them coming from vegetables. Occasionally, I also eat nuts, berries, yogurt, applesauce, and legumes.

What is your fitness regimen?

I started walking and lifting weights about three weeks after starting Atkins. When I started, my muscles were wasted and I was very weak. My doctor had told me to lose 35 pounds of fat and to gain 10 pounds of muscle. When I reached 140 pounds, the 10 pounds I'd lost actually represented the loss of almost 17 pounds of fat and the gain of almost 7 pounds of muscle!

Chapter 8.

MOVING TO PHASE 2, ONGOING WEIGHT LOSS.

Initially, the differences between Induction and Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) are relatively minor, but the gradual additions to your diet mark the beginning of your return to a permanent way of eating. Your objective in OWL is to find how many carbs you can consume while continuing to lose weight, keep your appet.i.te under control, and feel energized.

Welcome to Phase 2, Ongoing Weight Loss, or OWL to Atkins insiders. Initially, the differences between Phases 1 and 2 are relatively minor, but the gradual additions to your diet mark the beginning of the return to a permanent way of eating. Everything else remains the same as in Induction. You'll count Net Carbs. You'll eat the recommended amounts of protein and plenty of natural fats. You'll continue to drink about eight gla.s.ses of water and other acceptable fluids and make sure that you're getting enough salt (a.s.suming that you don't take diuretic medications). And you'll continue with your multivitamin/multimineral and omega-3 supplements.

There is, however, one key distinction between the two phases: the slightly broader array of acceptable foods in Ongoing Weight Loss. Still, despite eating more carbs and gradually introducing a greater variety of them, it's best to regard these two changes as baby steps. Perhaps the biggest mistake you can make when you move from Induction to OWL is to regard the transition as dramatic.

Most people spend the majority of their (weight loss) time in this phase. Unless you have just a little jellyroll to lose and plan to be on your way quickly to Phase 3, Pre-Maintenance, you'll have plenty of time to get familiar with Ongoing Weight Loss. We recommend that you stay here until you're only 10 pounds from your goal weight. If you're beginning your Atkins journey in this phase, be sure to read the previous chapter on Induction, which is key to understanding much of OWL and preparing properly before beginning the program.

In this chapter, in addition to helping you transition to this phase, we'll look at how to: - Gradually increase your carb intake in 5-gram increments without stopping weight loss and/or prompting the return of old symptoms.- Reintroduce foods in a certain order.- Address challenges such as plateaus and carb creep.- Find your personal tolerance for carb consumption in this phase, known as your Carbohydrate Level for Losing (CLL).- Integrate physical fitness into your weight control program.- Customize OWL to suit your needs.

LEARN THE LINGO.

Newcomers to Atkins are sometimes confused by abbreviations tossed around by insiders. Here's how to translate them: NET CARBS: Generally, grams of total carbohydrates minus grams of fiber.

OWL: Ongoing Weight Loss, Phase 2 of Atkins.

CLL: Carbohydrate Level for Losing, the maximum number of grams of Net Carbs you can eat each day and continue to lose weight.

ACE: Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium, the maximum number of grams of Net Carbs you can eat each day and maintain your weight.

TRANSITION JITTERS.

Before we describe exactly how to do Ongoing Weight Loss, let's address an important issue. With the freedom to choose among more carbohydrate foods comes the risk of getting out of your safety zone. After holding yourself back in Induction, you may be afraid that you'll go too far in OWL. Undoubtedly, this is one reason why some people have a hard time weaning themselves away from Induction. Furthermore, by the time you get to OWL, your initial enthusiasm may be flagging slightly and you may find it harder to focus on the work that remains. You're not alone. We'll hold your hand every step of the way. You can always back off a bit if a new food causes a problem. Let's take a moment to put your transition in perspective.

Are you daunted by what still remains ahead?

Of course you are. If you're on the plump side, it took a while to pad your body by eating the wrong foods. If you're struggling with health issues, they didn't occur overnight either. As the hare in Aesop's fable learned in his race with the tortoise, slow and steady wins the race. Learn to celebrate your small and incremental victories instead of focusing only on the ultimate goal.

Are you using all the tools and help available?

Writing in your journal and reviewing it a few days later can often offer valuable perspectives. That seeming regain of a pound or two suddenly isn't so bad a week later, when you've relost it along with a couple more pounds. Having a buddy and/or tapping into the online support network on the Atkins Web site can also prove invaluable when you need a shoulder to cry on or a platform to crow from.

Do you have more energy than before you started Atkins?

If you're eating enough protein, fat, vegetables, and salt, you should be bursting with energy. If not, once again, we remind you not to skip meals or skimp on protein. To maintain your energy if you're middle-aged or older, you may need to increase your protein intake within the recommended range for your height by eating a bit more meat, poultry, and fish. Cutting out sugars and other poor-quality carbohydrates should also have eliminated that all-too-common affliction, the midafternoon slump. If you've started exercising or increased your physical activity recently, you've probably also noticed that both your energy level and endurance have increased.