QuestionQUESTION: Hi Melissa,
I have started back on the Atkins diet after losing 30 lbs on it several years back. I read somewhere on the web about a "golden shot" with Atkins, that basically if you go off Atkins and then go back on later, the weight takes longer to come off and it's harder to get to ketosis. Do you agree with this? Also, I read that one can do the Kekwick diet for a period of a week or so to get your body to start metabolizing fat effectively to lose weight. What are your thoughts on this? I have over 100 lbs to lose--I'm 5'4" and weigh 273. I'm trying to incorporate more exercise into my life but it's difficult. I've been on induction for two weeks now, and while I feel lighter the scale hasn't budged. I'm using ketosis strips, but I've only had a few that change to medium purple, and then the next time I use one, it may only register as "trace amounts" or even "negative" for ketones. I feel like I'm following the diet correctly, so I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Should I try the Kekwick to get my metabolism going? Also, do "sugar alcohols" hurt you during induction? Should they be counted as carbs? Thank you for your information!
ANSWER: Susie,
Yes, I'm familiar with the "Golden Shot" idea of Atkins... a lot of people have had this experience, where the second round of Induction the dramatic weight loss isn't seen because the dieter doesn't get into ketosis properly.
Here are a few reasons why you might not be going into ketosis.
1. Are you taking any medication? Some medicines will make it difficult or impossible to get into ketosis.
2. Too many carbs. YES, you need to count sugar alcohols! Three grams of sugar alcohols should be counted as one Net Carb.
3. Too much protein. Excessive protein will be turned into sugar. Now, if you're not eating carbs, and you're not eating protein excessively, then what's left? Fat. During the first week of induction, 60-80% of your calories should be from fat.
4. Too many calories. If you eat more calories than are necessary, then you will not go into ketosis. At your weight you should be eating at least 1500 calories per day and no more than 2000.
Calorie note: As your weight goes down, you'll gradually need fewer calories, so you'll either have to increase your exercise or re-adjust your calorie range down-each time you lose 30 pounds, cut your daily intake by 100 calories to continue losing weight, or add a brisk 45 minute walk. Stop when the bottom of your calorie range is 1200-that's the absolute minimum for a woman your height.
How can you figure all of this out? You need to use a food diary. You can keep a paper diary and use a nutrition book as a guide (they're usually by the pharmacy counter) or you can use an online system. Two good free food journals are www.fitday.com and www.sparkpeople.com. Sparkpeople will try to get you to follow its own diet plan, but you can choose to set up a custom nutrition plan, including tracking Net Carbs. Fitday is simpler to use but will not allow you to count Net Carbs-only total carbs and fiber, forcing you to count sugar alcohols as full carbs.
Finally, avoid the Kekwick. It has far too few calories. If you reduce your calories too much, then you'll just slow your metabolism down, not lose any weight, get frustrated, return to your old ways, and find that you can eat exactly what you did before and be 20 pounds heavier, thanks to your new, slower metabolism.
Good luck, and if you ever have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask!
Melissa
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Melissa,
Thank you for the information! I'm working to set up a profile on Sparkpeople, but I don't know how many grams of protein per day I should be eating with 1500 calories. I estimated the amount of fat to be 120-133 grams, and the amount of carbs to be 20-25. Are these correct for induction? How do I calculate the protein grams?
Thank you again!
AnswerSusie,
So during induction, you are eating at least 1500 calories at at least 60% from fat, so do 1500 times 0.6 = 900 calories from fat. There are 9 calories in one gram of fat, so 100 grams is your bare minimum for the first few days. To figure the top of your fat grams range, do the same thing, but use the top of your calorie range and the top of your fat range. so, 2000 calories times 0.8 = 1600 calories, divided by 9 is 178 grams of fat. So your final fat intake range for Induction should be 100 to 178 grams.
Protein is even easier-to figure the minimum number of grams of protein you should generally be eating, divide your weight by 2. So, 273 pounds divided by 2 is about 136 grams. During Induction you'll want to stay fairly close to that number. After you are in ketosis, you can go higher. Just keep using the urine test strips.
Carbs-On Sparkpeople, your total carbs has to account for both Net Carbs and fiber, so it's hard to use at first. On the nutrition setup page, click "Track additional nutrients", and scroll down until you see Net Carbs. That'll be easier for you than tracking total carbs.
There are also some Atkins/low carb dieting teams on Sparkpeople that you can join for extra support.
Happy Sparking!
Melissa
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