Gaining weight on Induction???

Question
First the preliminaries. . I am a 38 year old female with a BMI of 42%. I just completed a 5 week exercise bookcamp where I lost 14 inches and 7 lbs. My cholesterol and blood pressure is good. I have no history of High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, or Cholesterol.

I have started the Induction Phase of Atkins. My diet consists of steak and coffee (with creamer and Splenda). . not the best,but its what I can squeeze into my hectic schedule. Several years ago I lost lots of weight sticking to this menu. . not the case now. I went from fasting (Lemonade juice (Lemonade Detox) for 5 days, than jumped into a total water-only Fast for 15 additional days)to Induction. . broke the 20 day Fast with a steak and have eaten it for the past five days for when I get hungry. During 20-day Fast I lost 15 pounds and wanted to continue losing while Inducing. . not the case. I have gained 7 pounds in 5 days with the only source of Carbs being in my coffee creamer and Splenda. I am not sure if I am in Ketosis or Ketoacidosis, which is where I was when my body was starving for the 20 or so days. The question is How can I kick into Ketosis without eliminating food altogether (starving again) or if I remain in Induction longer will I begin to lose weight again once my body adjusts to food, albeit protein-only. . where is the poundage coming from if I am eating under 20 carbs a day?

I recognize that this is very unhealthy. . it is a drastic measure that I will use only to lose 20 pounds quickly. When I get it off I will introduce low-carb fruits and veggies and cardio and weight training back into my lifestyle to get my metabolism back to normal. Right now I need to know how I can get back into ketosis without starving?

Answer
Carla,
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you've done some real damage with your fasting. Fasting for more than two or three days drastically slows down your metabolism-it's a normal, healthy response to very low food conditions. After such an extreme fast, your metabolism is slowed down a lot. That means that you can eat the exact same number of calories that you did BEFORE going on a fast, and you'll weigh 10-15 pounds more. This is the main reason yo-yo dieters end up heavier than they were starting out.
Your metabolism will gradually return to it's pre-fasting state over the next one to two years, depending on how much you exercise. During that time, it's going to be very difficult for you to avoid gaining weight.
So here's my recommendation for the next 12 months:
1. Follow either the Lifetime Maintenance phase of Atkins or the South Beach diet (they are very similar, SB is more restrictive of cholesterol and saturated fat and better for people who already have high cholesterol) and count calories also (eat 1,80 calories daily).
2. Exercise hard 30 minutes, 30 times a week. Walking won't cut it. You need to be working hard and sweating for that 30 minutes. This is the exercise that'll speed your metabolism back up.
3. On the other four days of the week, walk 30 minutes.

At first you won't lose weight and you may gain. That's to be expected and there's no way to avoid it if you want to lose weight in the long run. Weigh yourself just once a month. As time goes on though, you'll notice the numbers on the scale stop going up and stabilize, and eventually start to come down very slowly. After you've seen weight loss for three months in a row, then start Induction the right way, according to the book.

I know it's frustrating that getting to a healthy weight could take years. But look at it this way. Whatever you do, in seven years, you'll be 45 years old. Wouldn't you rather be a trim, healthy 45?

Good luck!
Melissa

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