Jacqueline Eberstein, R.N.
Induction jump-starts your weight-loss campaign. Although you must stick to this phase for at least two weeks, there�s no limit to how long you can stay on it. If you have lots of weight to lose or difficulty losing it, you may want to stay in this phase for some time to see dramatic progress before moving on to the more moderate phases. There�s no need to move on out of fear that you are being deprived. Foods specified for Induction are nutritionally dense; your body isn�t being depleted as it would be on a diet of junk food and refined carbs.
Although Induction offers plenty of advantages, there are equally valid reasons for progressing: boredom with food choices, modest weight-loss goals (say, 10 or 20 pounds) and perhaps the desire to avoid becoming dependent on a crash-diet mentality. When some people learn they can lose weight quickly (as they do on Induction), they get cocky and see it as a quick fix for overindulgence. Such thinking can result in yo-yo dieting and metabolic resistance to weight loss. Moving to Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) slows your weight-loss rate, but it also gives you a greater chance to change bad habits.
Proceed With Caution
As you begin OWL, the rule of thumb is that you�ll increase your daily carb consumption by 5 grams each week. A carb counter is essential to monitor your food choices. The Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing (CCLL), the maximum amount of carbs you can consume and still lose weight, varies greatly from person to person. Although you�re adding carbs, you still need protein and fat throughout the day to stabilize your blood sugar. They remain the mainstay of your diet.
First, simply add more of the same foods you�ve been eating on Induction: hard cheese, salad and veggies. Then move on to other vegetables or nuts and seeds. Or add baked goods made with Atkins� Bake Mix if you haven�t already used them in Induction. Next, try low-sugar fruits, such as berries, in small quantities. You can even have an apricot or half a kiwi or avocado. The quality of carbs you add is as important as the quantity: 5 grams of carbs from macadamia nuts have a very different effect than 5 grams from M&Ms!
So limit your choices by adding walnuts, not raisins; fresh fruits, not preserves. Don�t add any food if you�re unsure of its carb count. Also, never eat a meal composed only of carbs. Always have fruit with protein and/or natural fats to alleviate the impact on your system, even if it doesn�t slow your weight loss. Add new foods one at a time and eat each one three times a week until you�re sure it isn�t interfering with progress; then eat it daily, if desired. You can always add foods, but it�s psychologically harder to cut back. Remember, slow steps forward are better than having to beat a speedy retreat.
Stay on Top of Your Game
With the increased freedom of OWL comes the need for increased vigilance. Keep track of your measurements. The scale may fluctuate slightly, but if you�re losing inches, you�re losing fat. Use ketone strips to see whether you�re in ketosis; if not, you�ve probably added back too many carbs. As you add foods, are hunger and cravings returning? Is a new food hindering appetite control? Have symptoms that disappeared when you started Induction returned? For example, are you sleepy after meals? Are you experiencing gas and bloating? How about headaches?
If your progress is stalled or you�re not feeling as well as you did on Induction, you�ve either reached a plateau or gotten out of control. If you think you�ve plateaued, stop adding foods and give yourself a week or so to see what happens. If you�re out of control, go back to Induction for a week to settle things down. And whatever you do, don�t get sloppy. Just because you�re eating a few more carbohydrates, doesn�t mean that you can relax about, say, bottled salad dressings or the breading on fish. Forgetting to count these incidental carbohydrates can undermine your progress and control. Try keeping a food diary to eliminate the potential for "carb creep."
Lastly, everyone has a different CCLL; it can be affected by age, gender, activity level or medications. For example, your metabolism may allow you to easily introduce baked goods made with Atkins Bake Mix during Induction and still lose weight. Or your carb tolerance may be so low that you�ll never eat rice again.
Slow Down Deliberately
When you�ve got only five or six pounds to go, move from OWL to Pre-Maintenance. At this stage, you increase your daily carb count by 10 grams each week as long as you continue to lose. While it may take as long as three months to drop the last few pounds, this pace is critical to your ultimate success. Continue to add new foods slowly and carefully so you learn good eating habits as well as your body�s needs. For example, you�ll discover whether your metabolism can handle bread, legumes, starchy vegetables and other potential trouble foods. (If you have a low tolerance for carbs, you won�t be able to add many new foods and will find Pre-Maintenance similar to OWL or even Induction.)
Your food diary will be helpful in understanding how new foods make you feel and affect your eating habits. If you experience symptoms such as bloating, renewed food cravings or headaches, look back over the last few days and see what might have caused them.
At the Finish Line
Making it to your goal weight means you�ll be able to select from a greater range of foods and consume more carbs than you did in the early phases of the Atkins program, but it�s not a license to return to your old eating patterns. All too often, people win the battle of weight loss only to lose the war of weight control. To maintain your goal weight, you must know your metabolic needs. Figuring out how many grams of carbs you can eat each day to maintain your weight, known as your Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE), is the key to the phase of the plan known as Lifetime Maintenance.
You also must conquer your former bad habits and learn how to cope with real-world challenges. Maintaining weight loss is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. For example, you need to eat right even under stress. How? By realizing that while we tend to reach for sugar and starchy foods for comfort, proper food choices can actually lessen the impact of stress on the body. Similarly, you�ll need coping strategies for holidays and other special occasions. Perhaps you can plan to "cheat" by focusing on a few indulgences. Or you may go back to a previous level of the plan prior to the event to give yourself some leeway.
Re-create the state of mind you had at the start of the program and you�ll continue your success. Finally, get rid of your fat wardrobe. If your clothes are getting tight and you don�t have the next size in the closet, you�ll be forced to confront any weight gain sooner. By taking action when you�ve gained just three or four pounds, you�ll head off trouble and get off the weight roller coaster for good.
Even if you do get off track, continue to exercise and take your supplements so you don�t surrender all control. If necessary, drop back to an earlier phase of the program for a few weeks. When you�ve reached your ideal weight again, phase back into Lifetime Maintenance. Remember, you�ve made a permanent commitment to a whole new lifestyle!
Jacqueline Eberstein, R.N., is director of nutrition information at Atkins Health & Medical Information Services.
The Power of Five
The portions that follow each contain roughly 5 grams of carbohydrates. For additional foods, refer to Dr. Atkins� New Carbohydrate Gram Counter (M. Evans, 1996).
Fruit:
1 apricot
1/4 banana
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup raspberries
1/2 cup watermelon
1/3 cup cantaloupe
1/4 grapefruit
Vegetables:
3/4 cup cooked spinach
1/2 cup red bell pepper
1 medium tomato
2/3 cup cooked broccoli
8 medium asparagus
1 cup cauliflower
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 California avocado
Starchy vegetables:
1/3 cup carrots
1/4 cup peas
1/5 cup mashed potatoes
1/5 cup butternut squash
2/3 cup summer squash
1/6 cup corn
Dairy:
4 ounces whole milk
1/2 cup cottage cheese
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup plain yogurt
Nuts and seeds:
1/3 cup walnuts
3 tablespoons almonds
1/3 cup pecans
1/4 cup macadamia nuts
3 tablespoons hulled sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
Grains:
1 Rye Crisp cracker
1 cup plain popcorn
1/2 cup puffed brown-rice cereal
Legumes:
2 tablespoons lentils
2 tablespoons kidney beans
2 tablespoons chickpeas