About maintenance...

MichelleM · 09-27-2004, 11:33 AM

How often do you feel it is SAFE to go back to induction level carbs when your on maintenance??

Sometimes I tend to overindulge on food on the weekends and therefore I return to induction during the week just to help me 'maintain" my current weight.

How often is it healthy to return to induction when your on maintenance??

Thanx so much.

Michelle M

Atkins_Nutritionist · 09-28-2004, 09:50 AM

Hi Michelle,

What you have described seems a bit like yo-yo dieting. While overindulging on holidays and special occasions is almost inevitable, it is not a good idea to make this a common practice every weekend. There are two issues here.

First, the safety issue. Research has shown that yo-yo dieting affects the immune system. One study showed that among women who had lost weight at least five times, natural killer cell function dropped 30 percent, the researchers reported. These immune cells are part of the body's complex defense against illness and infection.

The second issue is about lifestyle. It is important to keep in mind that Atkins is not a ‘diet’ but a carbohydrate controlled way of eating. You learn how to maintain your goal weight by individualizing your daily meal planning and finding your carb threshold throughout the phases. Once you reach lifetime maintenance, you have learned how to eat to maintain that weight. While some people who have previously had success on the Atkins Nutrition Approach but went off their meal planning do go back into Induction to get back on track, making this a weekend practice misses the point about what healthy meal planning for a lifetime is about.

Try taking steps to limit your overindulgence on the weekend. It’s hard to make changes in any situation all at once, so it may take some time to make your weekend meal planning look like your weekly meal planning, but this is the best way to ensure that you will be able to maintain on this way of eating safely and successfully for a lifetime.

CarolynF · 09-28-2004, 10:22 AM

Hi..

I've been maintaining since May..very successfully..(on other
diets, I have never been able to maintain)..But, FINALLY, I have learned that I can never eat potatoes, high carb bread, sugar,
white rice, white flour, corn. That makes my life so much easier..
Just never have that stuff..and if I "overindulge" it might be with
a lowcarb cheesecake or maybe with meats..but I try balancing
out my meal planning for that day to allow that lowcarb treat.

When I was on other diets, I would go right back to my old
ways of eating (highcarbs),DUH..and I would gain all my weight
back..

I am so thankful that I have learned what makes me fat..

09-27-2004, 11:33 AM	#1
MichelleM MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Gatlinburg Posts: 1,815 Gallery: MichelleM Stats: 171/139/135 WOE: atkins Start Date: July 13, 2003	About maintenance... How often do you feel it is SAFE to go back to induction level carbs when your on maintenance?? Sometimes I tend to overindulge on food on the weekends and therefore I return to induction during the week just to help me 'maintain" my current weight. How often is it healthy to return to induction when your on maintenance?? Thanx so much. Michelle M

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09-28-2004, 09:50 AM	#2
Atkins_Nutritionist Nutritionist Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Atkins Health and Medical Information Services Posts: 684 Gallery: Atkins_Nutritionist	Hi Michelle, What you have described seems a bit like yo-yo dieting. While overindulging on holidays and special occasions is almost inevitable, it is not a good idea to make this a common practice every weekend. There are two issues here. First, the safety issue. Research has shown that yo-yo dieting affects the immune system. One study showed that among women who had lost weight at least five times, natural killer cell function dropped 30 percent, the researchers reported. These immune cells are part of the body's complex defense against illness and infection. The second issue is about lifestyle. It is important to keep in mind that Atkins is not a ‘diet’ but a carbohydrate controlled way of eating. You learn how to maintain your goal weight by individualizing your daily meal planning and finding your carb threshold throughout the phases. Once you reach lifetime maintenance, you have learned how to eat to maintain that weight. While some people who have previously had success on the Atkins Nutrition Approach but went off their meal planning do go back into Induction to get back on track, making this a weekend practice misses the point about what healthy meal planning for a lifetime is about. Try taking steps to limit your overindulgence on the weekend. It’s hard to make changes in any situation all at once, so it may take some time to make your weekend meal planning look like your weekly meal planning, but this is the best way to ensure that you will be able to maintain on this way of eating safely and successfully for a lifetime.

09-28-2004, 10:22 AM	#3
CarolynF Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Kansas Posts: 20,098 Gallery: CarolynF Stats: 195/144/139 WOE: Eat Fat, Get Thin/I Can Make You Thin Start Date: January 2001	Hi.. I've been maintaining since May..very successfully..(on other diets, I have never been able to maintain)..But, FINALLY, I have learned that I can never eat potatoes, high carb bread, sugar, white rice, white flour, corn. That makes my life so much easier.. Just never have that stuff..and if I "overindulge" it might be with a lowcarb cheesecake or maybe with meats..but I try balancing out my meal planning for that day to allow that lowcarb treat. When I was on other diets, I would go right back to my old ways of eating (highcarbs),DUH..and I would gain all my weight back.. I am so thankful that I have learned what makes me fat..