whats the next step

[rich0788]

my starting weight was 306, after 8 days of induction i now am at 292. My goal weight is 185. Do i continue on induction untill im at a comfortable weight to change to OWL, like around 250 or do i just switch to owl after my induction. I just have a lot of weight to lose.

[not2late]

Re: whats the next step

my starting weight was 306, after 8 days of induction i now am at 292. My goal weight is 185. Do i continue on induction untill im at a comfortable weight to change to OWL, like around 250 or do i just switch to owl after my induction. I just have a lot of weight to lose.

Congrats on your loss and congrats on your planning ahead.

Start reading Chapter 12 and continue reading through Chapters 13 and 14. Then make your decision. But keep in mind that staying on Induction doesn't guarantee you continued or consistent weight loss. Nor does moving to OWL slow your weight loss to zero pounds/inches per week.

At this point you have to be honest with yourself and honest about your goals. Some people are happy eating the limited foods and limited amounts on Induction. Some people aren't. If you can forsee that you would rather be able to vary your diet by including non-Induction foods like nuts, fruits, starchy veg and grains, then you are better off moving to OWL than staying on Induction. Particularly now that we are approaching the holiday season, many of us feel "trapped" and "unhappy" because our Induction diet is restrictive. And once you become dissatisfied with your food and food choices, it will be harder to stay on the Induction plan during the upcoming months.

[rich0788]

Re: whats the next step

Thanks for the advise megs......so whats your saying if i decide to move onto OWL my weight loss will not stop? Will i lose faster on induction? I am perfectly fine with staying on induction and eating the limited foods cuz it has been helping me a lot with self control. I have just had some ppl say they lost 50 lbs. in 2 1/2 months cuz they were on induction. Then someone else tells me that most of my weight loss should be down in OWL.....so idk i would like to lose 50 lbs in 2 1/2 you know what i mean

[not2late]

Re: whats the next step

Thanks for the advise megs......so whats your saying if i decide to move onto OWL my weight loss will not stop? Will i lose faster on induction? I am perfectly fine with staying on induction and eating the limited foods cuz it has been helping me a lot with self control. I have just had some ppl say they lost 50 lbs. in 2 1/2 months cuz they were on induction. Then someone else tells me that most of my weight loss should be down in OWL.....so idk i would like to lose 50 lbs in 2 1/2 you know what i mean

OWL is "On Going Weight Loss" Phase. So you don't stop losing weight during OWL Phase, you continue losing weight. I know alot of people say that when you move to OWL you "stop losing weight" or you should move to OWL when you are 10 pounds from your goal weight. But these are typically the people who really don't understand OWL Phase and/or are using Atkins as a "quickie weight loss diet" rather than a diet for life. IT might very well work for them: they lose 50 pounds. But the question is do they maintain that weight loss or do they eventually end up on another diet to lose those 50 pounds again?

OWL is when you start individualizing your ATkins. You start eating at your personal Carbohydrate Losing Level. You start eating a greater variety of foods. And you are still losing weight.

But again, be honest with yourself. You know you better than anyone else in this world. If you think you can be happy eating only Induction foods at Induction amounts and Induction level carbs, then stay on it a while longer. But if you know that the sight of food laden holiday tables will make you want to "take a vacation" from your diet, then you might want to consider moving to OWL phase.

Finally don't make the mistake some folks make and stay on Induction until their last 10 or so pounds. As you near your goal, your weight loss will slow down naturally. So you might become scared of moving to OWL phase. This is an error. OWL teaches you how to eat for your body so that you can be better prepared to maintain that goal weight. Skipping it or doing an abbreviated version of it isn't in your best interest...particularly if you want your weight loss to be permanent.

[Jenileigh]

Re: whats the next step

Welcome Rich. Good for you for making this decision and wow at the loss you are seeing.

Meg-thanks for breaking that down, it helped me too.