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#1
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phases of atkins
I have experienced 3 distinctive phases of my diet, the first week where I
lost one pound a day, the next several months, where I lost about 1.5 pounds per week, and then finally the last 2 months, where, as I approached and reached the weight set as target by my doctor (but still 5 pounds above what my goal which he says is ok) where my weight loss is less than half a pound a week (if i wasn't tracking it carefully, I would view myself as stalled. Now of course, this fits nicely with the three phases of atkins, induction, ongoing weight loss and maintenance. The only problem is that this does not match what I actually did. The pound a day for a week did not reflect one week of induction, as I was on induction, very strictly for the first 19 pounds, which took several months. The 1-2 pounds a week loss continued even after I went off induction, and my weight loss began slowing down as I approached my doctor's target weight, even though I changed nothing, since i amaiming for five pounds below. All this has me wondering if the three phases of atkins are artificial constructs that are build to match an underlying weight loss pattern caused by the drastic reduction of carbs in the overweight person. I wonder if simply reducing the carbs in quick but not so drastic way as induction, and holding it there would produce approximately the same effect overall, and if the three phases are like salt over the shoulder, our attempt to feel in control of a natural process. Thoughts? Bob 197(+)/166/160 |
#2
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phases of atkins
induction is a "kill you carb addiction" phase- it's a way to "train" your
metabolism to start living off the stored fat rather then too much sugar. it's also a phase dedicated to showing you that all that you've ever learned about proper nutrition is pretty much dead wrong. the fast weight loss of induction definitely shows you that you are on the right track. another point to consider is that everyone's metabolism reacts differently- a person with a slow metabolism might only lose a pound a month on OWL- or maybe even only a pound a week on induction. I think Atkins weighed the differences and knew that a two week fast success would encourage the commitment to keep going. I think he was a brilliant man. -- Cheers, Paul All of my webpages can all be found at: 3D Animation World: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/pmccullough/ Latin phrase to live by: "Illegitimis nil carborundum" "bob" wrote in message ... I have experienced 3 distinctive phases of my diet, the first week where I lost one pound a day, the next several months, where I lost about 1.5 pounds per week, and then finally the last 2 months, where, as I approached and reached the weight set as target by my doctor (but still 5 pounds above what my goal which he says is ok) where my weight loss is less than half a pound a week (if i wasn't tracking it carefully, I would view myself as stalled. Now of course, this fits nicely with the three phases of atkins, induction, ongoing weight loss and maintenance. The only problem is that this does not match what I actually did. The pound a day for a week did not reflect one week of induction, as I was on induction, very strictly for the first 19 pounds, which took several months. The 1-2 pounds a week loss continued even after I went off induction, and my weight loss began slowing down as I approached my doctor's target weight, even though I changed nothing, since i amaiming for five pounds below. All this has me wondering if the three phases of atkins are artificial constructs that are build to match an underlying weight loss pattern caused by the drastic reduction of carbs in the overweight person. I wonder if simply reducing the carbs in quick but not so drastic way as induction, and holding it there would produce approximately the same effect overall, and if the three phases are like salt over the shoulder, our attempt to feel in control of a natural process. Thoughts? Bob 197(+)/166/160 |
#3
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phases of atkins
"bob" wrote in
: I have experienced 3 distinctive phases of my diet, the first week where I lost one pound a day, the next several months, where I lost about 1.5 pounds per week, and then finally the last 2 months, where, as I approached and reached the weight set as target by my doctor (but still 5 pounds above what my goal which he says is ok) where my weight loss is less than half a pound a week (if i wasn't tracking it carefully, I would view myself as stalled. Now of course, this fits nicely with the three phases of atkins, induction, ongoing weight loss and maintenance. The only problem is that this does not match what I actually did. The pound a day for a week did not reflect one week of induction, as I was on induction, very strictly for the first 19 pounds, which took several months. The 1-2 pounds a week loss continued even after I went off induction, and my weight loss began slowing down as I approached my doctor's target weight, even though I changed nothing, since i amaiming for five pounds below. All this has me wondering if the three phases of atkins are artificial constructs that are build to match an underlying weight loss pattern caused by the drastic reduction of carbs in the overweight person. I wonder if simply reducing the carbs in quick but not so drastic way as induction, and holding it there would produce approximately the same effect overall, and if the three phases are like salt over the shoulder, our attempt to feel in control of a natural process. Thoughts? Bob 197(+)/166/160 The phases of Atkins are designed to teach a person how to eat properly and maintain the loss. Atkins says in his book that many weightloss plans simply don't teach a person how to keep the weight off and places emphasis only on losing weight. This is why he shows you how to find your CCLM and CCLL in a gradual manner. It's also a great WOE to find any food intolerances... one of the reasons that foods are added back slowly. The slower loss is normal once a person is closer to goal. This is typical whether LC or not. ~miette |
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phases of atkins
Bob,
Back when I was younger and had a much healtheir metabolism, I could lose significant amounts of weight just by cutting out dessert, bread and potatoes for a month or two. In fact, that's how I maintained my weight in the normal range for over 20 years. I know lots of men who can lose weight just by cutting out dessert or their daily sodas! It is not necessary to cut carbs to a ketosis inducing level to lose weight for normal people. However, most of us here aren't normal, metabolically. For us cutting carbs much more extremely may be all that works. That's because most of us are severely insulin resistant. I always advise people who don't have insulin resistance to start with a less restrictive diet--cutting out junk carbs and learning the calorie value of the foods they eat. I'd advise them to only cut carbs more intensely if that doesn't work. For many people it does. Once they learn that their morning muffin or bagel has the same amount of calories as two cheeseburgers, they can start making much better food decisions and for people with healthy metabolisms, this is often all it takes. I suspect that the metabolic changes made by spending long times in ketosis may make it easier to regain the weight once you up your carbs to even 1/2 of normal, because the body has "learned something new" metabolically. The fact that the second time most people do an Atkins style diet after having done one long term they do not experience the rapid weight loss at the outset (once the water is flushed out) would support this. So would the fact that all too many people use Atkins to lose the weight and then gain it all back at dizzying speed if they go back to eating a balanced diet--even if their calories are not excessive. Partly the problem here is that an Atkins-type diet teaches you to eat a lot of fats, and people who go off the diet tend (in my observation) to continue to eat those fats in conjunction with the carbs that turn them back into body fat. It only takes a carb load of slightly over 100 gm a day to do this! -- Jenny Weight: 168.5/137 Diabetes Type II diagnosed 8/1998 Low Carb 9/1998 - 8/2001 and 11/10/02 - Now http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean How to calculate your need for protein * How much people really lose each month * Water Weight Gain & Loss * The "Two Gram Cure" for Hunger Cravings * Characteristics of Successful Dieters * Indispensible Low Carb Treats * Should You Count that Low Impact Carb? * Curing Ketobreath * Exercise Starting from Zero * NEW! Do Starch Blockers Work? "bob" wrote in message ... I have experienced 3 distinctive phases of my diet, the first week where I lost one pound a day, the next several months, where I lost about 1.5 pounds per week, and then finally the last 2 months, where, as I approached and reached the weight set as target by my doctor (but still 5 pounds above what my goal which he says is ok) where my weight loss is less than half a pound a week (if i wasn't tracking it carefully, I would view myself as stalled. Now of course, this fits nicely with the three phases of atkins, induction, ongoing weight loss and maintenance. The only problem is that this does not match what I actually did. The pound a day for a week did not reflect one week of induction, as I was on induction, very strictly for the first 19 pounds, which took several months. The 1-2 pounds a week loss continued even after I went off induction, and my weight loss began slowing down as I approached my doctor's target weight, even though I changed nothing, since i amaiming for five pounds below. All this has me wondering if the three phases of atkins are artificial constructs that are build to match an underlying weight loss pattern caused by the drastic reduction of carbs in the overweight person. I wonder if simply reducing the carbs in quick but not so drastic way as induction, and holding it there would produce approximately the same effect overall, and if the three phases are like salt over the shoulder, our attempt to feel in control of a natural process. Thoughts? Bob 197(+)/166/160 |
#5
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phases of atkins
bob wrote:
All this has me wondering if the three phases of atkins are artificial constructs that are build to match an underlying weight loss pattern caused by the drastic reduction of carbs in the overweight person. You're making a logical falacy: Bob didn't follow the core plan but Bob got the same pattern of results as described in the core plan. Therefore if everyone does what Bob did, everyone will get the same results. Simply put, just because it worked that way for you doesn't mean it will work that way for a lot of people. *Many* stall after Induction if they stay low. Just read this newsgroup for a few weeks and you won't find a 3-day period at any time lacking someone who stayed low complaining of a stall. Some *have* to follow the core plan to lose. Also, some who lose okay at 20 lose even better at higher carb levels. I wonder if simply reducing the carbs in quick but not so drastic way as induction, and holding it there would produce approximately the same effect overall, and if the three phases are like salt over the shoulder, our attempt to feel in control of a natural process. Thoughts? The main point of Atkins is this: Each person has a carb level that is the best for them. You can guess all you like but folks guess wrong. So Atkins OWL phase is a specific process to find it. Some lose okay lower, some don't. Either you guessed right or you're one of those who lose oaky lower. As to your early loss rate, yes. Cut the carbs enough and that will happen. The body stores carbs as glycogen, and glycogen comes dissolved in water. Burn the stored carbs, drop the dissolving water. It isn't anywhere near linear like you depicted it. During Induction wild water swings are more common than a steady drop. But the end result is a lot of non-fat-pounds dropping very fast, plus some amount of fat that's difficult to tell. As to the last ten pounds, very much yes. It's super hard to lose the last 10 pounds no matter what you do, so Dr Atkins devised a system where you *expect* to lose one per month in the last year. Unfortunately he wrote it implying that it's what you do in the premaintenance phase that causes the loss rate to drop to one per month. Not so. Premaintenance is busy-work to distract you from the fact that the loss slowed naturally. Of course, premaintenance is more than just busy-work since it teaches you your CCLM. So you're right in two of the three ways, and not in the middle phase. |
#6
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phases of atkins
Thanks for the comments, I should clarify that I was not challenging any
core assumptions of atkins, nor was I proposing that everyone should do atkins the way i did. I was only wondering out loud whether the phases of the diet are explicitly thought out ideas reflecting metabolic models, or as some of the responses suggest, more educational concepts designed to allow the dieter to explore/learn a new way of eating in a structured way. I have been very pleased with Atkins, as my weight loss indicates. I have observed though, that there is a lot of uncertainty, contradictory/conflicting advice in this group and elsewhere on subjects from aspertame, coffee, pork, extended induction, cheating effects, weight rebound and other subjects. People not only seem to believe different things, but explain them using different assumptions and definitions. For instance, on the subject of whether weight would be regained if one went back on a regular diet with restricted calories I have heard the following answers: 1) No 2) Yes 3) Yes, because everyone cheats when they go back (vioating the assumption built into the question) 4) yes because people usually retain the fat in their diet when they add back the carbs. Exactly how they do this and keep the calories the same is not explained. 5) Some people do some people don't As I have observed in this forum before, Atkins has existed for a long time in the scientific wilderness, excluded from serious consideration and study by a highly hostile and resistant nutritional community unwilling to own up to their failures. This has, it seems to me, created a body of knowledge around atkins that is highly varied in reliability and certainty. We can only hope that now that the first studies coming in positive on Atkins, that more detailed studies will begin mapping out what has been accepted on faith, guessed at or assumed to be true. Bob 197+/165/160 "Doug Freyburger" wrote in message om... bob wrote: All this has me wondering if the three phases of atkins are artificial constructs that are build to match an underlying weight loss pattern caused by the drastic reduction of carbs in the overweight person. You're making a logical falacy: Bob didn't follow the core plan but Bob got the same pattern of results as described in the core plan. Therefore if everyone does what Bob did, everyone will get the same results. Simply put, just because it worked that way for you doesn't mean it will work that way for a lot of people. *Many* stall after Induction if they stay low. Just read this newsgroup for a few weeks and you won't find a 3-day period at any time lacking someone who stayed low complaining of a stall. Some *have* to follow the core plan to lose. Also, some who lose okay at 20 lose even better at higher carb levels. I wonder if simply reducing the carbs in quick but not so drastic way as induction, and holding it there would produce approximately the same effect overall, and if the three phases are like salt over the shoulder, our attempt to feel in control of a natural process. Thoughts? The main point of Atkins is this: Each person has a carb level that is the best for them. You can guess all you like but folks guess wrong. So Atkins OWL phase is a specific process to find it. Some lose okay lower, some don't. Either you guessed right or you're one of those who lose oaky lower. As to your early loss rate, yes. Cut the carbs enough and that will happen. The body stores carbs as glycogen, and glycogen comes dissolved in water. Burn the stored carbs, drop the dissolving water. It isn't anywhere near linear like you depicted it. During Induction wild water swings are more common than a steady drop. But the end result is a lot of non-fat-pounds dropping very fast, plus some amount of fat that's difficult to tell. As to the last ten pounds, very much yes. It's super hard to lose the last 10 pounds no matter what you do, so Dr Atkins devised a system where you *expect* to lose one per month in the last year. Unfortunately he wrote it implying that it's what you do in the premaintenance phase that causes the loss rate to drop to one per month. Not so. Premaintenance is busy-work to distract you from the fact that the loss slowed naturally. Of course, premaintenance is more than just busy-work since it teaches you your CCLM. So you're right in two of the three ways, and not in the middle phase. |
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