First of all, let me welcome those of you who are starting the book at this point. While I admire your sense of efficiency, I think you are cheating yourself of the information that will provide long-term success. Only by reading the first ten chapters will you have a full understanding of why Atkins works and of the preparations that will increase your chances for permanent lifetime control of your weight, longterm health and well-being.
Induction is only the first phase—the way you get the weight loss hall rolling—not the whole Atkins Nutritional Approach. i call it Induction because its purpose is to induce weight loss by changing your body's chemistry so that you will achieve, perhaps for the first time in your life, lipolysis and the companion process of ketosis, as explained in Chapter 6. Induction is designed to do all of the following for you:
Efficiently switch your body from a carbohydrateburning metabolism to a primarily fat-burning (your fat!) metabolism.
Stabilize your blood sugar and abruptly halt a myriad of symptoms indicative of unstable blood sugar, such as fatigue, mood swings, brain fog and an i·bilit·' to function at your best.
·Curb your cravings by stabilizing your blood sugar.
·Break addictions to foods such as sugar, wheat or corn derivatives, alcohol, caffeine, grain or any other food. For people addicted to sugary, high-carb or highglycemic foods—just as for alcoholics—moderation simply does not work.
·Let you experience firsthand the metabolic advantage discussed in Chapter 7.
·Knock your socks off by demonstrating how much body fat you can burn, while eating liberally, even luxuriously, off the fat of the land.
The Induction phase is not going to be your lifelong way of eating. It will last a minimum of fourteen days, after which you should see a significant result.
In a later phase, I will teach you a series of steps that will enable you to craft your own personalized eating plan. This plan will be geared to create the best possible balance between your metabolic responses, your tastes and lifestyle and your total health profile.
Rules of Induction
Another purpose of the Induction phase is to demonstrate to you that even you can lose weight while eating luxuri. ously. But it must be followed precisely for success*. If you do it at all ,incorrectly you may prevent weight loss and end up saying, "Here is another weight loss plan that didn't work." So I want you to memorize the following twelve rules as though your life depends upon it. It does.
1.Eat either three regular-size meals a day or four or five smaller meals, Donot skip meals or go more than six waking hours without eating.
2.Eat liberally of combinations of fat and protein in the form of poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs and red meat, as well as of pure, natural fat in the form of butter, mayonnaise, olive oil, safflower, sunflower and other vegetable oils (preferably expeller-pressed or cold-pressed).
3.Eat no more than 20 grams a day of carbohydrate, most of which must come in the form of salad greens and other vegetables. You can eat approximately three cups—-loosely packed of salad, or two cups of salad plus one cup of other vegetables (see the list of acceptable vegetables on pages 125-126).
4.Eat absolutely no fruit, bread, pasta, grains, starchy vegetables or dairy products other than cheese, cream or butter. Do not eat nuts or seeds in the first two weeks. Foods that combine protein and carbohydrates, such as chickpeas, kidney beans and other legumes, are not permitted at this time.
5.Eat nothing that is not on the acceptable foods list. And that means absolutely nothing.* Your "just this one taste won't hurt" rationalization is the kiss of failure during this phase of Atkins.
6.Adjust the quantity you eat to suit your appetite, especially as it decreases. When hungry, eat the amount that makes you feel satisfied but not stuffed. When not hungry, eat a small controlled carbohydrate snack to accompany your nutritional supplements.
7.Don't assume any food is low in carbohydrate—instead read labels! Check the carb count (it's on every package) or use the carbohydrate gram counter in this book.
8.Eat out as often as you wish but be on guard for hidden carbs in gravies, sauces and dressings. Gravy is often made with flour or cornstarch, and sugar is sometimes an ingredient in salad dressing.
9.Avoid foods or drinks sweetened with aspartame. Instead, use sucralose or saccharin. Be sure to count each packet of any of these as I gram of carbs.
10.Avoid coffee, tea and soft drinks that contain caffeine. Excessive caffeine has bccn shown to cause low blood sugar, which can make you crave sugar.
11.Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day to hydrate your body, avoid constipation and flush out the by-products of burning fat.
12.If you are constipated, mix a tablespoon or more of psyllium husks in a cup or more of water and drink daily. Or mix giound flaxseed into a shake or sprinkle wheat bran on a salad or vegetables.
ACCEPTABLE FOODS
Foods you may eat liberally:
All fish All fowl All shellfish All meat AH eggs
including: including: including: including: including:
tuna chicken oysters* beef scrambled
salmon turkey mussels* pork fried
sole duck lobster lamb poached
trout goose clams bacon** soft-boiled
flounder cornish hen squid veal hard-boiled
sardines quail shrimp ham** deviled
herring pheasant crabmeat venison omelettes
*Oysters and mussels are higher in carbs than other shellfish so limit them to four ounces per day.
**Processed meats such as ham,bacon, pepperoni, salami, hot dogs and other luncheon meats—and some fish—may be cured with added sugar and will contribute catbs. Try to avoid meat and fish products cured with nitrates, which are known carcinogens. Also beware of products that are not exclusively meat, fab or fowl.such as imitation fish,meatloaf and breaded foods. Finatty, do not consurne more than four eunces of organ meats a day.
OTHER FOODS ACCEPTABLE DURING INDUCTION
Cheese
You can consume three to four ounces daily of the foUowing full-fat, firm, soft, and semi-soft aged cheeses* including:
cheddar
cow, sheep and goat cheese
cream cheese
Gouda
mozzarella
Roquefort and other blue cheeses
Swiss
Salad Vegetables
You can have two to three cups per day:
alfalfa sprouts dalkon mushrooms
arugula endive parsley
bok choy escarole peppers
celery fennel radicchio
chicory jicama radishes
chives lettuce romaine
cucumber mache sorrel
These salad vegetables are high in phytonutrients and provide a good source of fiber.
*All cheeses have some carbohydrate content.The quantity you eat should be governed by that knowledge. The rule of thumb is to count one ounce of cheese as equivalent to one gram of carbohydrate, Note that cottage cheese, farmer's cheese and other fresh cheeses are not permitted during lnduction.No "diet" cheese, cheese spreads or whey cheeses are permitted. Individuals with known yeast symptoms, dairy allergy or cheese intolerance must avoid cheese. Imitation cheese products ant not allowed,except for soy or rice cheese—but check the carbohydrate content,
Other Vegetables
You can have one cup per day if salad does not exceed two cups—these vegetables are slightly higher in carbohydrate Content than the salad vegetables:
artichoke celery root pumpkin
hearts (celeriac) rhubarb
asparagus chard sauerkraut
bamboo collard greens scallions
shoots dandelion snow peas
bean sprouts greens spaghetti squash
beet greens eggplant spinach
broccoli hearts of palm string or wax beans
oroccoli rabe kale summer squash
brussels kohlrabi tomato
sprouts leeks turnips
cabbage okra water chestnuts
cauliflower onion zucchini
If a vegetable, such as spinach or tomato, cooks down significantly, it must be measured raw so as not to underestimate its cart) count.
Salad Gamishes
crumbled crisp bacon
grated cheese
minced hard-boiled'egg
sauteed mushrooms
sour
Spices
All spices to taste, but make sure none contain added sugar
Herbs
basil garlic rosemary
cayenne ginger sage
cilantro oregano tarragon
dill pepper thyme
For salad dressing use oil and vinegar (but not balsamic vinegar, which contains sugar) or lemon juice and herbs and spices. Prepared salad dressings without added sugar and no more than two carbs per tablespoon serving are also fine.
Fats and Oils
Many fats, especially certain oils, are essential to good nutrition. Olive oil is particularly valuable. All other vegetable oils are allowed, the best being eanola, walnut, soybean, grapeseed, sesame, sunflower and safflower oils, especially if they are labeled "cold-pressed" or "expeller-pressed." Do not cook polyunsaturated oils, such as corn, soybean and sunflower oil, at high temperatures or allow to brown or smoke.
Butter is allowed. Margarine should be avoided, not because of its carbohydrate content, but because it is usually made of trans fats (hydrogenated oils), which are a serious health hazard. (Some non-hydrogenated margarines are available in health food stores.)
You need not remove the skin and fat from meat or fowl. Salmon and other cold-water fish are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.
I cannot stress strongly enough that trying to do a low-fat version of Atkins will interfere with fat burning and derail your weight loss. Beverages clear broth/bouillon (not all brands; read the label) club soda cream (heavy or light), limit to two to three tablespoons a day; note carbohydrate content decaffeinated coffee or tea*
·*Excessive caffeine may cause unstable blood sugar and should be avoided by those who suspect they are caffeine dependent. Everyone should try to avoid caffeine. Grain beverages (coffee subsn'tutes) are not allowed. Alcoholic beverages are also not permitted during Induction,' those low in carbohydrates are an option, in moderation in later phases. diet soda made with sucralose (Splenda?) essence-flavored seltzer (must say "no calories" and must not contain aspartame) herb tea (without harley or any fiuit sugar added) lemon juice or lime juice (note that each contains 2.8
grams carbohydrate per ounce); limit to two to three
tablespoons
mineral water
spring water
water
Artificial Sweeteners
You must determine which artificial sweeteners agree with you, but the following are allowed: sucralose (marketed at Splenda), saccharin, cyclamate, acesulfame-K. Natural sweeteners ending in the suffix "-ose;' such as maltose, fructose, etc., should be avoided. However, certain sugar alcohols such as maltitol do not affect blood sugar and are acceptable.
Saccharin has been extensively studied, and harmful effeets were produced in the lab when fed to rats only in extremely high doses. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed saccharin from its list of carcinogens, basing its decision upon a thorough review of the medical literature and the National Institute of Science's statement that there is "no clear association between saccharin and human cancer" It canbe safely consumed in moderation, meaning no more than three packets a day. Saccharin is marketed as Sweet 'N Low. We discourage the use of aspartame (marketed as NutraSweet and Equale). The FDA has approved the herb stevia for use only as a supplement, not as a sweetner.
My preference, however, is sncralose (Splenda·), the only sweetener made from sugar. Sueralose is safe, noncaloric and does not raise blood sugsr.It has been used in Canada for years, and the FDArecently approved it after reviewing more than one hundred studies conducted over the past twenty years.
Note that each packet of sugar substitute contains about 1 gram of carbohydrate, so don't forget to include the amount in your daily totals.
Special Category Foods
To add variety, each day you can also eat ten to twenty olives, half a small avocado, one ounce of sour cream or three ounces of unsweetened heavy cream, as well as two to three tablespoons of lemon juice or lime juice. But be aware that these foods occasionally slow down weight loss in some people, and may need to be avoided in the first two weeks. If you seem to be losing slowly, moderate your intake of these foods.
Convenience Foods
Although it is important that you eat primarily unprocessed foods, some controlled carb food products can come in handy when you are unable to find appropriate food, can't take time for a meal or need a quick snack. As I mentioned earlier, more and more companies are creating healthy food products that can be eaten during the Induction phase of Atkins. Just remember two things:
1.Not all convenience food products are the same, so check labels and carbohydrate content. I can vouch for any product carrying the Atkins brand name! (See Chapter 19 for more on these convenient options.)
2.While any of these foods can make doing Afidns emsier, don't overdo it. Remember, you must always follow the Rules of Induction.
Avoid Pitfallsl
Here are five common pitfalls to avoid:
1.During Induction you must not eat any fruit, bread, grains, starchy vegetables or dairy products other than cheese, cream or butter.
2.Stay away from diet products unless they specifically state "no carbohydrates." 'Most such foods are for Low-fat diets, not controlled carbohydrate plans.
3.The words sugarless, sugar free or no sugar added are not sufficient. The label must state the carbohydrate content; that's what you must go by.
4.Many products you do not normally think of as foods, such as chewing gum, breath mints, cough syrups and cough drops, are filled with sugar or other caloric sweeteners. They must be avoided.
5.Be wary of prepared salads at salad bars or dell counters. For example, cole slaw or even tuna fish salad may have been prepared with sugar.
How to Fashion a Food Plan from the Acceptable Foods List
During Induction and the other weight loss phases of Atkins, you will be consuming the types of foods and beverages aforementioned. Quality counts! Always aim for unprocessed natural foods and select the freshest produce you can find. if possible, purchase organic meats and dairy products. Now that you know what foods you can eat, a meal plan should leap out at you. You should insumtly see that for breakfast a ham, cheese and mushroom omelette, or nitrate· free bacon and scrambled eggs, or slices of smoked salmon wrapped around cream cheese would start off the day on the right note. For lunch, the typical chef's salad with chicken, nitratefree ham, cheese and hard-boiled egg on a bed of greens, covered with a creamy garlic dressing, will qualify, as will a cheeseburger without the bun. (Avoid ketchup, which contains sugar.) Or maybe a chicken Caesar salad (skip the croutons) or a scoop of homemade tuna or chicken salad.
Base your dinners around your favorite protein main courses—lamb chops, poached salmon, roast chicken, filet mignon, buttered lobster tails, seafood mixed grill or whatever you fancy—-plus a salad. You might even have an appetizer such as shrimp cocktail with a mustard and mayonnaise sauce (cocktail sauce has carbohydrates), pate or steamed clams in garlic butter. And for dessert, have assorted cheeses or flavored gelatin made with sucralose and topped with whipped heavy cream.
You are more likely to enjoy gourmet meals doing Atkins than on the low-fat diets that still wearily make the rounds. But, for the moment, I merely want to introduce you to the notion that gourmet dining will be yours once you master all the possibilities offered by a nutritional plan that allows an intelligent and reasonable use of high-fat ingredients, including butter. Here and now, your attention should be totally focused on whether you feel you are in control of your eating and whether you feel healthy. Remember, during Induction my intention is to make you realize it is possible to be liberated from constant food cravings aggravated by unstable blood sugar. When you experience this liberation-and most significantly overweight people do-try to savor it. Notice how different it makes you feel. And remember it's something you can enjoy only on a controlled carbohydrate eating plan.
Nutritional Supplements
The foods you will be eating are tasty and nutrient-rich. But in starting people on my program, I have found that their vitamin and mineral reserves are often so depleted from the way they were eating before that it frequently takes a week or two of supplementation with vitanutrients to build them up again. This is one of the many reasons that, after a few days on Induction, you're likely to experience a burst of energy. Some critics of controlled carbohydrate weight reduction have made the suggestion that Atkins is so restrictive of certain foods that I have no choice but to advise everyone who goes on it to take vitamin and mineral supplements. There's only a smidgen of truth in this; when you go down to a low level of vegetable consumption during Inductionwthe strictest phase of the program—you may be getting inadequate portions of certain nutrients. I stress may, because if you choose nutrient-dense foods, it is easy to consume adequate amounts of most vitanutrients. On the facing page is a sample daily menu to be followed by a person in the Induction phase. The two graphs on page 134 show that the menu', as analyzed using the most widely accepted nutritional software program, "Nutrifionist V," provides the recommended daily intake of almost all vitamins and minerals.
Sample Daily Menu of 20 Grams of Carbohydrate
Breakfast
Three-egg omelette with avocado
Mozzarella cheese and tomato
Decaffcinated coffee with cream
Lunch
Beef round steak (8 oz)
Spinach and mixed leaf salad with mushrooms, onions,
celery and parmesan cheese
Dinner
Broiled salmon (9 oz)
Kale topped with garlic, lemon and sesame seeds
But the real reason you'll need vitanutrients is because of the way you've likely been eating for years, or because of the low-fat diet that you may be following even as you read this. If you have been on a low-fat diet, your need for supplementation may be profound. You will have to play catchup to make up for possible deficiencies of essential fatty acids, vitamin B12 and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E. Several minerals are also in short supply on virtually all Lowfat diets.
If you've been bingeing on junk food full of sugar and bleached flour, then you've been consuming anti-nutrients, and your nutritional needs are even greater. When you eat such foods you're doing more than just depriving yourself of sufficient supplies of important vitamins and minerals. Mo. tabolizing those empty refined foods uses up what little stores of nutrients remain. I am always surprised when I encounter anyone over 35 years of age who eats the typical American diet of refined carbohydrates and isn't chronically tired. Chromium, zinc, manganese, magnesium, vitamin B6
In tlds nutrient analysls of the sample Intimation menu on page 133 with 20 grams ofearbohydrates, even the strtctest phase of the Atkins Nutritional Approach meets or exceeds the
recommended daily allowance of almost all VITAMINS.
In this nutrient analysis of the sample Induction menu on page 133 with 20 grams of carbohydrates, even the strictest phase of the Atkins Nutritional Approach meets or exceeds the recommended dally allowance of almost all MINERALS. and folic acid are among the nutrients that are used up faster than they can be replenished on such a diet. In fact, many Americans are deficient in chromium, a mineral needed to metabolize carbohydrate.
Another reason you need vitanutrients is to maximize your body's ability to function optimally as a fat-burning unit.
Supplements for Everyone
The more I learn about nutritional supplements, the more I discover nutritional components that can help nearly everyone. With the increasing depletion of nutrients in our soil, there is simply no way we can ensure that we get all we require from food. In fact, I consider individualized prescription of vitanutrients programs m be one of the two pillars of nutritional medicine. For the overweight, this program, of course, is the other pillar. (Actually, controlling carbohydrate intake is the key to good health in general, even if you do not have a weight problem.) The operative word is individualized, for each person requires a different roster of vitanutrients, depending upon his or her individual health profile.
I won't spend a lot of space in this book describing all the many ways vitanutrients can help you overcome health problems. If you ever need information on how nutrients can solve health problems better than drugs do, you'll find it in Dr Atkins'Vita-Nutrient Solution.
In this chapter, however, all i want to do is provide adequate nutritional support for Induction. When you opt to become a lifetime Atkins follower (notice, I didn't say "if"), you will have to familiarize yourself with the content of Chapter 23. But for now, these are the nutritional supplements you should be taking during Induction:
·A broad multiple vitamin and mineral supplement that contains considerably more than the recommended daily intake (RDI) of B complex factors and vitamin C, and that also contains at least thirty other different nutrients (and no iron). Ideally, chromium picolinate or polynicotinate (between 200 and 600 mcg) should be included.
·Essential fatty acids (EFA). EFA-deficiency may be the most prevalent dietary shortage in our culture, thanks to the misguided obsession with avoiding dietary fat and the overconsumpfion of trans fats instead of healthy natural fats. An EFA supplement should include gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) primarily found in primrose or borage oil—and omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil or flaxseed oil. (You can, of course, also eat salmon and other cold-water fish.)
·If you have sugar cravings, you should also take 500 mg of L-glutamine (one or two tablets) prior to each meal. L-glutamine has been shown to curb alcohol addiction as well. If you previously ate lots of carbohydrates, this will help to ease the transition to controlled carbohydrate eating.
As mentioned in the Rules of Induction, you should also be supplementing with one or another form of fiber, usually wheat bran or psyllium husks, to prevent constipation. For more on the benefits of fiber, see "Fiber:. A Form of Carbohydrate'' on pages 75-76.
Blast Off! You've Begun-Munch Away.
So, here we go. You're doing Atkins, and naturally you begin by eating—something you've previously done with some degree of guilt. Say good-bye to all that. It's time to plow into those prime ribs and that cheese omelette. You must have faith. As you savor high-calorie food you always thought would make you fat, you can now relax. When carbohydrates are sufficiently reduced, the body has no choice
Lipolysis Testing Strips: Proof PositJve
Lipolysis testing strips (LTS) measure the ketones-the markers that confirm your body is in lipolysis and the secondary process of ketosi—in your urine. The strips will change to pink or purple, depending upon how many ketones are present. The more ketones you excrete, and therefore the greater degree of ketosis you are in, the darker the color. (Lipolysis testing sffips are available under the brand names of Upostix, which are designed for people following a controlled carb weight loss program, or Ketostix, which are designed to warn of ketoacidosis in diabetics. However, both are quite serviceable as lipolysis testing strips. LTS are relatively inexpensive.)
You don't have to use LTS, but doing so. can be an extremely convenient aid to doing Atktns. My patients often tell me that they find the strips psychologically supporting. To see them go from beige to pink or purple is to receive in chemical code the message *you're burning fat.' On the other hand, if youYe not getting the results you expect, they will surely help clear up the mystery of what is standing in your way.
After all, the clear premise for Induction is to switch you into a primarily fat-burning metabolism by sharply controlling carb intake. Your LTS will help measure the extent to which you've done so. later, as you move through the other phases and Increase your cartx)hydrate Intake, the strips are no longer needed. As long as you continue to lose weight gradually, lose Inches, have your appetite under control and experience none of your old symptoms, you are clearly burning fat. Moreover, in most cases the LTS will no longer turn pink or purple once you 'are taking in 50 or more grams of carbs a day, so they areof no use as people get above that level of carb intake.
What If They Don't Turn?
First, make sure that none of your foods except your salad and other vegetables—contain carbohydrate, meaning no hidden sugars, no breadinG, etc. Then strictly follow Induction for five days. if the LTS still haven't changed to at least pink, measure your salads to make sure you are not eatinG too many veggies. Still no change? Try cuttinG out tomatoes and onions, which are both relatively high on the glycemic index. Finally, make sure you are not consuming excess quantifies of protein. When eaten to excess, protein converts to glucose.
However, should your LTS not turn pink or purple, despite the fact that you are doing everything correctly, you may still show a decrease in appetite, an improvernent in well-being, a looseninG of your clothes and a slow but steady weight loss and reduction in inches. This simply means that you are not producing enough ketones to register on the LTS but enough to bum fat. Remember, the strips are tools; making them change color is not the sole object of the game. but to burn its own fat. Moreover, at this stage, eating rich, fatty foods can only be advantageous.
I encourage you to cat until you're satisfied. Just don't confuse being satisfied with being stuffed, If you have been overweight for a long time, it may take you a while to distinguish between the two sensations. If you am not sure, stop eating before you feel full and see if you am still hungry a few minutes later. If you am, have a few more bites and stop again. Repeat until you am satisfied. Soon you will discover you are pleasantly full sooner and can avoid that feeling of getting up from the table feeling as stuffed as a Thanksgiving turkey.
For the first few weeks, I want you to be unafraid of natund fat (butter, cream, cheese, olive oil and the fat in meats, poultry and fish), but remember to stay away from those evil trans fats, which am labeled as hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats. The ease of getting into deep lipolysis is based on the ratio of fat (not protein) to carbohydrate. Thus, you should strive for an adequate amount of fat during this initial period, and, in doing so, you will almost certainly find yourself experiencing the most appetite-suppressing aspects of Atkins.
What's the First Thing You'll Notice?
After a couple of days you will find you am in control of your appetite. That's because once your body's two-day supply of glycogen (stored glucose) diminishes and you make the switch to primarily bunting fat, lipolysis suppresses your appetite. Suddenly, you find yourself eating moderate portions without constant hunger pangs and no longer obsessing about food. You know you're in lipolysis when you find yourself saying, "You mean lunchtime was an hour ago?'
When you consume a so-called "balanced" diet high in carbohydrates, the first fuel your body burns for energy comes from those carbohydrates. Now that you've lowered your carbohydrate consumption to a level that can't finance your energy expenditures, you must burn your stored fat. Your body draws upon those stores of fat—easily, if you're metaholically average; reluctantly, if you're metabolically resistanL
You may be a person for whom incessant, almost hourly food cravings have been a way of life. Remember Cordon Lingard, the patient who came to see me weighing 306 pounds? He used to say, "I'd always be planning the next binge. I'd be in a business meeting, very serious, a lot of money at stake, and one-half of my brain would be figuring out what I would eat, how much I would eat, when and where I would eat. Food had seized my brain."
Now that's enslavement to food. Cordon ultimately succeeded, and if he could'do it, you can, too. Superhuman willpower is not required to do Atkins, only the wisdom to put yourself into a position where you won't need it.
Welcome Back: Your Old Friend Energy
The next thing that will strike most of you is a sense that you've latched onto some misplaced, long-lost energy level. Typically, this feeling arrives around about the third or fourth day. Some people experience a slight euphoria. Most simply find they no longer have to suffer those dreary, weary periods that used to hit them a couple of times a day.
That said, there arc a few people who experience fatigue or light-headedness during their first week doing Atkins. Most often this means that the process is going too fast for their particular metabolism—they're losing weight too fast, losing water and certain minerals too fast, and their bodies can't keep pace with these quick changes. One sign is ascent weakness: You feel weak walking up stairs. These reactions can be aggravated by hot weather, when you are already losing minerals through sweat, or by taking a diuretic. Obviously, drinking lots of water is essential.
Usually, I advise patients who have these problems to slow down the weight loss. They should add another helping of vegetables to their evening meal or one or two ounces of nuts or seeds. Although their bodies would almost ccrtainly adjust during the second week, there isn't any good reason for feeling washed out and sickly for even one day. After the symptoms abate, go back to the lower level of carb intake.
Another problem people occasionally experience is leg cramps at night due to a rapid excretion of calcium, magnesium or potassium. Be sure you are getting enough of these minerals in your multivitamin or take a separme mulfimineral supplement. If you are still getting leg cramps, you may need to add more. Bear in mind that the FDA does not allow over-the-counter sales of anywhere near the proper amount of potassium you may need; therefore, you may need a doctor to write you the proper prescription.
Addiction and Withdrawal
Another mechanism that can cause adverse reactions is withdrawal symptoms. Quite a few people have addictions to foods they consume every day without being aware of them. When you suddenly stop eating a food or ingredient you are used to, as you do when you start Atkins, you may experience withdrawal. Common offenders are caffeine, sugar, wheat and other foods capable of quickly changing blood-sugar levels. Withdrawal symptoms vary widely, ranging from fatigue, faintness and palpitations to headache and cold sweats.
Bad as they seem, experiencing withdrawal symptoms is really good news. The withdrawal process is usually completed within three days, and afterward you should feel better than ever, unless, of course, you re-addict yourself. If you cannot stay the course and progress through withdrawal, do it gradually by consuming progressively smaller amounts of an addictive food until you get to zero. (For help on identifying which food is causing the problem, see Chapter 26 on food intolerances.) The more severe your withdrawal symptoms, the more you stand to gain from abandoning the food that is causing them. A food that demands to be eaten daily is often a key to a disordered metabolisin. It can run your life, as well as ruin it.
Most people—-even people with food addictions once withdrawal symptoms abnte—-experienee a significant energy lift. It tends to send them roaring on through induetion because it's such clear evidence of the positive influence their dietary change is having on their metabolism.
You'll notice that I have not yet mentioned weight. Unless you are extremely metabolically resistant, you will start losing considerable weight during Induction. The amount and rate at which you lose can vary dramatically depending upon your age, level of activity, whether you are taking hormones or other drugs, your degree of metabolic resistance and other factors. The median weight loss from two weeks doing Induction is 10 pounds for overweight males and 6 pounds for overweight females. But do understand this: On any weight loss program, the first weight lost is water weight. Atkins is a particularly effective diuretic, so the water weight tends to come off fast on my program. But be assured that after four to five days, the pounds that come off are primarily fat.
Congratulations! You are really doing Atkins now. l'm very happy for you. With my help, Induction will be just the first step of a natural progression to your permanent way of healthy eating.
KEY POINTS!
·Induction is designed to switch your body from burning carbohydrate for energy to burning primarily fat for energy.
·Fat burning helps control your appetite.
·Withdrawal symptoms, caused by food addictions, may occur, but will subside within a few days.
·By the end of the first week most people find that they have more energy and feel better.
·Lipolysis testing strips (LTS) measure the presence of ketones in your urine, gauging your fat-burning status.
A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION (OR TWO):
I'm used to counting calories. How many am I allowed during Induction?
There is no need to count calories. The Atkins Nutritional Approach counts grams of carbohydrates instead of calories. At the beginning of Induction you are allowed 20 grams of carbohydrates, gradually adding them in S-gram increments as you progress from Ongoing Weisht Loss to PreMaintenance, and finally to the Lifetime Maintenance phase of Atkins.
Although there is no need to count calories, they do matter. Gaining weight results from taking in more calories than you expend through exercise, thermogenesis (the body's own heat production) and other metabolic functions. Research has shown that on a controlled carbohydrate program, more calories are burned than in a low-fat/high-carb diet, so there is a certain metabolic advantage to the controlled carla approach. But understand that this does not give you a license to gorge.
No matter what I do, I can't get into ketosts, or the shade of purple on the LTS is very fight. What am I doing wrong?
There are many masons why a person's lipolysis test strip would be varying shades of purple. Each person's metabolism is different and therefore will mm the sticks a varying degree of purple. In addition, the time of the day, whether or not you exercise and what you ate at your last meal will all affect the test strips. Don't worry about the exact level of ketosis indicated by the strip. The important thing is to see how your clothes are fitting and what the scale says. And, remember, you don't necessarily need to use the strips at all.
TIPS:
·Limit sweeteners to three packets a day.
·ffyoo use lipolysis testing strips to measure ketone output, be sure to do so at the same hour each day.
·When looking at food labels, be aware that "low fat' generally means "high carb."
·If you start Induction before or during a menstrual period, it may take longer for weight loss to register.
·Try not to weigh yourself every day, and, if possible, aim for just once a week.
·Don't make the common mistake of eating less fat to get into ketosis; the opposite is aetuaily true.