Should I watch calories during induction?

[Paddypower]

I'm on day 2 and my carbs are in line but I ate about 2000 calories yesterday and it is only noon and I've had 1000. I'm eating all these foods that have been forbidden on low fat diets, so its like being a kid in a candy store (well, you know what I mean) but I'm worried that I'm going over board. Any perameters on calories?

[Citruskiss]

You might well arrive at a point in which you'll need to look at calories, but I don't think that induction is the time to really worry about it, especially if you're just starting out. The trick is to train your body away from carbohydrates and sugar, and learn how to eat low carb. Meanwhile, you'll likely lose a decent amount of weight in these first few weeks. It's later on, when things slow down, and you're closer to goal weight, that you may have to pay attention to overal intake as well as carb counting.

[MyJourney]

While you may not need to watch every calorie like a hawk (yet) Atkins is not an excuse to gorge. It does not mean that you need to eat as much bacon, cheese and steak that you can shovel into your body.

You will probably find that within a day or so your appetite is going to decrease dramatically. We need to learn to eat when we are hungry and stop when we are satisfied, not stuffed to the point where another bite and we will explode.

In the beginning its all new. The novelty of being able to eat all these once forbidden foods is refreshing but that will fade over time. Just because you can, doesnt mean you have to eat it all at once.

Also, remember to limit things like cheese and cream to 3-4 ounces a day.

Just listen to your body and try not to eat just because you can, but rather from the perspective of you nourishing your body and teaching it to eat in a healthy, natural way.

[Paddypower]

good to hear that my want for food will decrease - even with this rich food, I don't feel satiated. So the hunger goes away? And the craving for sweets?

[LilaCotton]

good to hear that my want for food will decrease - even with this rich food, I don't feel satiated. So the hunger goes away? And the craving for sweets?
Definitely! :) My first time on Induction I thought I was going to eat myself out of house and home. Within a few days my appetite started declining and I started eating a more normal amount of food.

Keep in mind that doesn't mean you won't have hungry days. I do still occasionally. A couple of days ago I felt like I couldn't get enough food so I just ate good, LC foods with plenty of meat and fats. I ate over 2300 calories that day. The next day, though, I wasn't nearly as hungry and ate 1833, then the next day just a little over 1600.

When I tried to lose weight in the past I always felt like I failed because I didn't have any willpower. The truth was, I was hungry all the time and after a few weeks of that got plenty tired of it. There has never been one time following Atkins that I've gone hungry. I didn't fail the diets in the past--they failed me. The amount of food I eat now compared to what I ate when I started is about 1/2 to 2/3, and I am pleasantly full.

And yes, the craving for sweets does go away too. :)

[MyJourney]

good to hear that my want for food will decrease - even with this rich food, I don't feel satiated. So the hunger goes away? And the craving for sweets?

Oh yes. When I first decided to go on Atkins I was going to eat half a pound of bacon and eggs with cheese and whipped cream and full fat salad dressing and chicken with the skin on and steak etc.

I had about 3 days worth of eating that stuff and then it just happened. I stopped feeling hungry. I mean I just didnt want to eat anymore and I wasnt hungry. I went from like 3000 calories a day to struggling to get 1000 calories a day.

Fat and protein are both very satiating for me. When I ate induction meals that were higher in carbs, even when I was within my carb limits, I became much hungrier. I think part of it also had to do with my eating larger meals less frequently. For example, if I ate a breakfast that was 7g carbs. That would be fine as far as my 20g carbs go, but I found that I would be much hungrier sooner than if my breakfast had 3 carbs.

Over time you learn how your body reacts to certain foods. There really is no one size fits all. Its all a matter of what works for you and what can you live with.

[bkloots]

Yes, your appetite will diminish or vanish in a few days. It's important to include plenty of good fats during induction--as much as 70% of your menu. Use Fitday.com or another tracker to check.

By "good fats" I mean butter, cream, mayo, olive oil, salad dressing. You can eat the chicken skin, the untrimmed fat on steak, and burger meat. Limit the bacon and sausage.

The "Atkins advantage" in the early stages of the program allows for higher calorie intake than low-fat/low-cal. Eventually, you'll reach a personal equilibrium of nutrients (including calories) that works for you.