Skinny fat

[bellyflab]

Hello. I am in my mid-forties and am determined to get rid of my spare tire. After reading Gary Taubes' books, I decided that it wasn't OK to carry around the extra belly fat even if I am technically in my BMI range. I lost quickly at first but now am stalled. This is my third week of induction but I have been low-carbing (haphazardly) for the past six weeks too. Should I stay on induction?

[bellyflab]

Also, my flab is really gross now, all mushy and disgusting. I hear that is a good thing.

[tapper47]

Also, my flab is really gross now, all mushy and disgusting. I hear that is a good thing.

That often is a sign that the fat is getting ready to leave.

[Za'atar]

I started the way you did, read Taubes. I'd done Atkins before but that was ancient history.

I think you are exactly right about the spare tire. It might be normal range, but if you can get rid of it, do it. Better now than later.

I'm going to personally do induction for a few months-- all the way through summer at least. I've seen some people here who were on induction all the way through. I guess the main point is once you have lost the weight, don't go back to high/refined carbs.

[lizzyLC]

Hi bellyflab,

Definitely stick with induction. I'm doing my best to do that as well to lose the last 10. I really regret letting creep back on.

Linda has a great recipe site.

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/index.html

Welcome to the board!!

[Elizellen]

I would vote for not sticking to induction, BF!

There are four phases of Atkins, and induction is jsut the starter one, the second one, ongoing weightloss, is in my opinion the main weightloss phase of Atkins and Dr Atkins in DANDR said we should have done it and be ready to move to the third phase, premaintenance, when we have between 5 and 10 pounds left to lose.

As you do not have a lot of weight left to lose I think it is time to start climbing the OWL carb ladder and see what foods affect your body adversely as well as find out how many carbs you can eat and still lose weight.

[bellyflab]

Thanks for the advice. I think I will stick with induction for at least another couple of weeks, to entrench the eating habits, then do OWL. My goal weight is flexible as I am already into clothes that I wore when I weighed lighter on a semi-starvation/over-exercise plan. Basically, I just don't want to be able to grab handfuls of fat around my waist. I'm not fat anywhere else. In fact when I was a kid, people used to joke that I looked like a marshmallow with four toothpicks for limbs. I used to eat saltines by the sleeve as a little girl.