Help Im afraid to leave Induction!

[Papergangsta25]

Ive been doing induction for almost 5 months now Ive dropped from 173 to 146 which i weighed in at today. Well problem is im afraid to move on to the next phase, im afraid that either my weight will skyrocket or Ill be too tempted to have more. Ive kept it strictly under 20 grams of carbs since january. Here is a image of my progress.



My other dilema is i really wanted to start putting on some muscle and not have the body fat. But some people are starting to say I look too skinny. Ive been going to the gym recently alot and lifting but im worried it will do nothing for me until i re introduce carbs back into my diet. please help me someone!!!!

[GreytMuse]

First of all, WOW! Congratulations on your loss -- your pictures are incredible and you are a great inspiration!! I'll never get tired of seeing before/after photos!

I'm sure others will come along who have more wisdom than me, but my plan for transitioning to add more carbs will include more veggies, a few of the lower carb berries and some nuts. The last time I successfully lost weight with a low carb diet, I did a fairly poor job of leaving induction -- so I know exactly what your fear is all about.

Do you use some sort of tracker? ********* or ************? I plan on using these tools to monitor my nuts/berries/veggies VERY closely this time, gradually adding 5g increments and watching my weight closely.

I also have a small scale that I plan on using to help me be honest in the amounts I eat, rather than trying to "eyeball" it and guess. It's helping a lot as I lose weight, as well.

I can't really address the exercise part of your question, there are others on the forums can do a much better job than I can! Sorry!

I hope I have helped a little -- again, congratulations and keep up the good work!

[SoHappy]

Good luck with your transition up the carb ladder. If you start that transition after your two-week Induction period, it's sometimes not quite so scary, but you can find your way now too.

If your diet is *full* right now, made up of mostly fat and protein with little carbs, add the carbs back in very gradually, and most often we have to *make some calorie room* for the carbs, as we're in the habit of having that potential allotment space already filled, but with fat. So if your calorie allotment is full and you want to add more carbs at this time, you'll need to cut some space out of another macro-nutrient. That's usually fat, unless you think you've been overeating protein... you could cut there a bit if you think you've been eating far more than needed, I guess. But cutting back on fat a bit to make calorie room for some additional carbs is what we usually do.

You'll get the hang of it and the perfect balance. Just as cutting out the vast majority of your carbohydrate calories at the beginning meant you had plenty of room for a very high percentage of calories from fat, now you will cut back on those calories from fat somewhat and replace them with more calories from carbohydrate.

And you already know to add back in those additional carbs that are some of the better choices instead of many of the worthless empty sources.. LOL

You look fabulous, and I want to congratulate you on your job well done! Continued good luck and great success in making a smooth transition up the carb ladder a ways.

[LiterateGriffin]

I STARTED hitting the gym regularly, including resistance training, the day I committed to lose the weight -- which means the day I started induction.

I HAVE added muscle mass, not just toned. And the last time I did Atkins, I stayed in the induction phase -- with a few exceptions -- right until I got pregnant and I let them talk me into going off-plan.

First: You CAN safely exercise on induction. Particularly weight-training. CARBS don't help you put on muscle -- protein does. I had a good friend who was a body-builder and personal trainer. Even before I got back on Atkins, he never pushed me to eat CARBS. He pushed me to make sure I had a good, healthy, high-protein breakfast, and lots of protein throughout the day. (It was a relief. Most people wanted me to have a nice, grain-rich breakfast, which I knew would make me feel sick all day.)

I'll tell you now -- I look at your picture, and I don't see ribs. I don't see a guy I'd offer to help lift something. I DO see someone I might ask for help with a task I wasn't strong enough for. So take that "too skinny" with a little grain of salt.

You look GOOD.

Hit the gym, toss the weights around. Add in your new foods before workout, and eat some good protein right after.

If you over-do it on the carbs, you will FEEL it the next day. You'll feel sluggish and like crap. Kinda like a hangover.

If you don't want to let things get that far before you stop, buy some ketosis sticks, and test. See how each new food affects you. (Test at night, regardless of when you eat it, so that the results take into account things like eating some blueberries and then exercising to "counter" them.)



Second: When you're adding carbs back in, do it on your gym-days. Before workout, have a handful of blueberries with your high fat-and-protein snack. The sugars will be burned off during your work-out, and shouldn't slow down your fat-loss at all. Then have some sort of high-protein snack ready for right after, to replenish your muscles, and make sure you get the most from it.

As for "too skinny" -- I think you look great. And losing the fat has made your muscle-definition much easier to see. Folks often worry when they see someone drop a lot of weight quickly. What "too skinny" really means in that context is "very different from what I'm used to looking at". You can really see it in your face -- your chin, your cheeks... you look thinner there. Take the compliment, and give folks a couple months to get used to it, to how you look.

Also... "Some people" are starting to say... Are these folks at a good weight themselves? Or is there maybe some jealousy playing there? Sometimes "too skinny" = "no longer bigger than me".

[RDBhan]

I have been under 20 grams/day since January 2011. I have been at goal since August, and still been very happy at 20 gm/day.

You don't need the carbs to put on muscle, although I did find by upping the carbs, just a bit, pre workout, I had a little more energy. I almost never clear 30 gm net carbs though. I've been doing P90X for the last 6 months and have put on at least 6 lbs of muscle.

So my advice? Keep on doing what you're doing and workout. You'll be fine.

[MargeGunderson]

Originally Posted by LiterateGriffin

I STARTED hitting the gym regularly, including resistance training, the day I committed to lose the weight -- which means the day I started induction.

I HAVE added muscle mass, not just toned. And the last time I did Atkins, I stayed in the induction phase -- with a few exceptions -- right until I got pregnant and I let them talk me into going off-plan.

First: You CAN safely exercise on induction. Particularly weight-training. CARBS don't help you put on muscle -- protein does. I had a good friend who was a body-builder and personal trainer. Even before I got back on Atkins, he never pushed me to eat CARBS. He pushed me to make sure I had a good, healthy, high-protein breakfast, and lots of protein throughout the day. (It was a relief. Most people wanted me to have a nice, grain-rich breakfast, which I knew would make me feel sick all day.)

I'll tell you now -- I look at your picture, and I don't see ribs. I don't see a guy I'd offer to help lift something. I DO see someone I might ask for help with a task I wasn't strong enough for. So take that "too skinny" with a little grain of salt.

You look GOOD.

Hit the gym, toss the weights around. Add in your new foods before workout, and eat some good protein right after.

If you over-do it on the carbs, you will FEEL it the next day. You'll feel sluggish and like crap. Kinda like a hangover.

If you don't want to let things get that far before you stop, buy some ketosis sticks, and test. See how each new food affects you. (Test at night, regardless of when you eat it, so that the results take into account things like eating some blueberries and then exercising to "counter" them.)



Second: When you're adding carbs back in, do it on your gym-days. Before workout, have a handful of blueberries with your high fat-and-protein snack. The sugars will be burned off during your work-out, and shouldn't slow down your fat-loss at all. Then have some sort of high-protein snack ready for right after, to replenish your muscles, and make sure you get the most from it.

As for "too skinny" -- I think you look great. And losing the fat has made your muscle-definition much easier to see. Folks often worry when they see someone drop a lot of weight quickly. What "too skinny" really means in that context is "very different from what I'm used to looking at". You can really see it in your face -- your chin, your cheeks... you look thinner there. Take the compliment, and give folks a couple months to get used to it, to how you look.

Also... "Some people" are starting to say... Are these folks at a good weight themselves? Or is there maybe some jealousy playing there? Sometimes "too skinny" = "no longer bigger than me".

I couldn't even pick a line or two to emphasize; every word is outstanding!

And papergansta, you look really, really good!

[flatferenghi]

Dr. Atkins said that Induction is safe for very long periods of time. I am an example of that. If it was not for my binge history, I would have stayed consistently there for years and years. See how you feel after a while. You may decide to add small portions of fruit, or add a little more nuts and cheese etc. Just see to it that you are taking vitamins. Congrats on your accomplishments thus far. Love & Profits: FLATFERENGHI

[Papergangsta25]

WOW first off I want to say thank you to everyone for the responses I really didnt expect much feedback at all so I was very excited to see all the great info from you all! Ive got a few errands to run but I will definitely respond to each and everyone of you and thanx again!

[tulipsandroses]

Congrats on your success! You look great

You may have to experiment a bit to see what works for you with working out.
My son also low carbs and carbs up a bit on days he works out. On the other hand, my cousin, also male, does not carb up at all.Both have had success putting on muscle.

[thealything]

the advice given to me was...

when you go into OWL you are supposed to be going up rungs, right? after induction, the first rung is veggies. all you are really doing is adding 5g per day in vegetables, which is only 20 calories added to your overall intake.

when you look at it like that, it's not so bad, is it?

you can always stay on the veg rung for a few weeks before going to the next (dairy?) if you are worried about what it will do to you.

[Papergangsta25]

Originally Posted by GreytMuse

First of all, WOW! Congratulations on your loss -- your pictures are incredible and you are a great inspiration!! I'll never get tired of seeing before/after photos!

I'm sure others will come along who have more wisdom than me, but my plan for transitioning to add more carbs will include more veggies, a few of the lower carb berries and some nuts. The last time I successfully lost weight with a low carb diet, I did a fairly poor job of leaving induction -- so I know exactly what your fear is all about.

Do you use some sort of tracker? ********* or ************? I plan on using these tools to monitor my nuts/berries/veggies VERY closely this time, gradually adding 5g increments and watching my weight closely.

I also have a small scale that I plan on using to help me be honest in the amounts I eat, rather than trying to "eyeball" it and guess. It's helping a lot as I lose weight, as well.

I can't really address the exercise part of your question, there are others on the forums can do a much better job than I can! Sorry!

I hope I have helped a little -- again, congratulations and keep up the good work!

Thank you first off, I haven't used a tracker but I'm thinking about the scale idea as well to watch the amounts when i do plan to add them back in. Some days seem to be more strict with me than others, I'm worried I've probably kept it way under 20grams so I'm not sure where to start when adding them back in so I guess trial and error will have to do. thank you for your time and advice!

[Papergangsta25]

Originally Posted by SoHappy

Good luck with your transition up the carb ladder. If you start that transition after your two-week Induction period, it's sometimes not quite so scary, but you can find your way now too.

If your diet is *full* right now, made up of mostly fat and protein with little carbs, add the carbs back in very gradually, and most often we have to *make some calorie room* for the carbs, as we're in the habit of having that potential allotment space already filled, but with fat. So if your calorie allotment is full and you want to add more carbs at this time, you'll need to cut some space out of another macro-nutrient. That's usually fat, unless you think you've been overeating protein... you could cut there a bit if you think you've been eating far more than needed, I guess. But cutting back on fat a bit to make calorie room for some additional carbs is what we usually do.

You'll get the hang of it and the perfect balance. Just as cutting out the vast majority of your carbohydrate calories at the beginning meant you had plenty of room for a very high percentage of calories from fat, now you will cut back on those calories from fat somewhat and replace them with more calories from carbohydrate.

And you already know to add back in those additional carbs that are some of the better choices instead of many of the worthless empty sources.. LOL

You look fabulous, and I want to congratulate you on your job well done! Continued good luck and great success in making a smooth transition up the carb ladder a ways.

Thank you much and yes I'm a little scared so I have put off the other phases but I guess I will start slow and see how my body reacts and take it from there. I am nervous about it but I guess it has to be done at some point! thank you for your response it was very helpful!

[CurlyGirly]

You've done very well!! Best of luck to you!

[Dredaye9]

Originally Posted by LiterateGriffin

I STARTED hitting the gym regularly, including resistance training, the day I committed to lose the weight -- which means the day I started induction.

I HAVE added muscle mass, not just toned. And the last time I did Atkins, I stayed in the induction phase -- with a few exceptions -- right until I got pregnant and I let them talk me into going off-plan.

First: You CAN safely exercise on induction. Particularly weight-training. CARBS don't help you put on muscle -- protein does. I had a good friend who was a body-builder and personal trainer. Even before I got back on Atkins, he never pushed me to eat CARBS. He pushed me to make sure I had a good, healthy, high-protein breakfast, and lots of protein throughout the day. (It was a relief. Most people wanted me to have a nice, grain-rich breakfast, which I knew would make me feel sick all day.)

I'll tell you now -- I look at your picture, and I don't see ribs. I don't see a guy I'd offer to help lift something. I DO see someone I might ask for help with a task I wasn't strong enough for. So take that "too skinny" with a little grain of salt.

You look GOOD.

Hit the gym, toss the weights around. Add in your new foods before workout, and eat some good protein right after.

If you over-do it on the carbs, you will FEEL it the next day. You'll feel sluggish and like crap. Kinda like a hangover.

If you don't want to let things get that far before you stop, buy some ketosis sticks, and test. See how each new food affects you. (Test at night, regardless of when you eat it, so that the results take into account things like eating some blueberries and then exercising to "counter" them.)



Second: When you're adding carbs back in, do it on your gym-days. Before workout, have a handful of blueberries with your high fat-and-protein snack. The sugars will be burned off during your work-out, and shouldn't slow down your fat-loss at all. Then have some sort of high-protein snack ready for right after, to replenish your muscles, and make sure you get the most from it.

As for "too skinny" -- I think you look great. And losing the fat has made your muscle-definition much easier to see. Folks often worry when they see someone drop a lot of weight quickly. What "too skinny" really means in that context is "very different from what I'm used to looking at". You can really see it in your face -- your chin, your cheeks... you look thinner there. Take the compliment, and give folks a couple months to get used to it, to how you look.

Also... "Some people" are starting to say... Are these folks at a good weight themselves? Or is there maybe some jealousy playing there? Sometimes "too skinny" = "no longer bigger than me".

Excellent post!! I get that all the time... You're too skinny blah blah blah... I think it's more like " I wish I could be your size" any ways to the OP
WOW! you look amazing!!! You look tone and ripped already... My personal advice would be to start adding more carbs in here and there... Personally I did not follow the exact Atkins by the book and my carbs vary day by day and I didn't nessicarily go up the Atkins " carb ladder " but I do stick to mostly meat and I count calories too( I know not everyone foes this) but the most important thing for me was finding a way of eating I can live with long term .... If I try to deny myself a diet soda or extra protein etc etc... I find I'm less likely to follow the diet and then I'm in a slippery slope... So for me what is the most important thing is logging everything I eat.... Enjoying everything I eat ... And just doing my best everyday... Also ... I don't want to live on only 20 g carbs per day forever ... And I can still loose on what I'm eating now ... So it's around 30-40 g carbs per day... I and I think the most important thing is just following your heart and it seems like your hearts in it( ps your going to be fighting those ladies off with a stick when you take your shirt off at the gym -megs

[Aomiel]

I don't really have anything to add to what others have said except to agree that you do not need carbs to build muscle. However, if you want to add carbs back in, then stock to the good carbs - green vegies first. Then if you still want to up your cards, start by adding in berry type fruits and nuts. You never have to add in the grains and starches.

Also, 'too skinny'?? You look great! Keep up the good work and don't let the naysayers bring you down!

.

[Papergangsta25]

Originally Posted by LiterateGriffin

I STARTED hitting the gym regularly, including resistance training, the day I committed to lose the weight -- which means the day I started induction.

I HAVE added muscle mass, not just toned. And the last time I did Atkins, I stayed in the induction phase -- with a few exceptions -- right until I got pregnant and I let them talk me into going off-plan.

First: You CAN safely exercise on induction. Particularly weight-training. CARBS don't help you put on muscle -- protein does. I had a good friend who was a body-builder and personal trainer. Even before I got back on Atkins, he never pushed me to eat CARBS. He pushed me to make sure I had a good, healthy, high-protein breakfast, and lots of protein throughout the day. (It was a relief. Most people wanted me to have a nice, grain-rich breakfast, which I knew would make me feel sick all day.)

I'll tell you now -- I look at your picture, and I don't see ribs. I don't see a guy I'd offer to help lift something. I DO see someone I might ask for help with a task I wasn't strong enough for. So take that "too skinny" with a little grain of salt.

You look GOOD.

Hit the gym, toss the weights around. Add in your new foods before workout, and eat some good protein right after.

If you over-do it on the carbs, you will FEEL it the next day. You'll feel sluggish and like crap. Kinda like a hangover.

If you don't want to let things get that far before you stop, buy some ketosis sticks, and test. See how each new food affects you. (Test at night, regardless of when you eat it, so that the results take into account things like eating some blueberries and then exercising to "counter" them.)



Second: When you're adding carbs back in, do it on your gym-days. Before workout, have a handful of blueberries with your high fat-and-protein snack. The sugars will be burned off during your work-out, and shouldn't slow down your fat-loss at all. Then have some sort of high-protein snack ready for right after, to replenish your muscles, and make sure you get the most from it.

As for "too skinny" -- I think you look great. And losing the fat has made your muscle-definition much easier to see. Folks often worry when they see someone drop a lot of weight quickly. What "too skinny" really means in that context is "very different from what I'm used to looking at". You can really see it in your face -- your chin, your cheeks... you look thinner there. Take the compliment, and give folks a couple months to get used to it, to how you look.

Also... "Some people" are starting to say... Are these folks at a good weight themselves? Or is there maybe some jealousy playing there? Sometimes "too skinny" = "no longer bigger than me".

thank you so much your pot has been VERY HELPFUL! Im still debating but definitely thinking about it. I'm working on the TOO SKINNY debate and just telling people to get over it. I feel like my body has never been in better shape so as long as I'm happy thats all that matters right! If I feel Ive lost too much then Ill introduce more carbs but I really want my abs to come in so we will see with time! I've been using Ketosticks but i can only test in the morning when I wake anytime other than that they dont read correctly for me some say cause of all the water intake. All in all I feel great and thanx for the advice and taking time out of your day to reply to me!!!!!

[Papergangsta25]

wanted to say thank you to EVERYONE that commented and or gave advice I will definitely keep you all updated when I do my next progress shot and next time I promise to shave so I don't look so much like Tom Hanks from Castaway! LOL

[MargeGunderson]

The stubble works for you, Papergansta! Only lose it if you want to, because from a woman's standpoint, you definitely wear it well!

[Papergangsta25]

LOL Thank you!