Induction
First 14 days: You can start the Atkins diet at any stage, but if you want to see results fast start with this Induction phase – here you will jump start your weight loss as you cut back significantly on carb consumption.
During this phase you will slow down on carb consumption, so your body will rev into action and start burning fat. Each day 20 grams of Net Carbs (total carb grams less fiber grams) primarily from salad and other non-starchy vegetables are allowed.
Induction will help you to revitalize your life, beat your sugar carvings, look your best, and improve your overall health.
Acceptable Foods
These are the foods you may eat liberally during Induction: All fish, fowl, shellfish, meat, and eggs.
*Watch processed meats as they may be cured with added sugar and will contribute carbs. Try to avoid meat and fish products cured with nitrates, which are known carcinogens. Also beware of products that are not exclusively meat, fish or fowl and may contain added sugars and carbs.
You can consume three to four ounces daily of full-fat, firm, soft and semi-soft aged cheese. The rule of thumb is to count 1 ounce of cheese as equivalent to 1 gram of carbohydrate. Note that cottage cheese, farmer’s cheese and other fresh cheeses are not permitted during Induction. No "diet" cheese, cheese spreads or whey cheeses are permitted.
You should eat 12-15 net carbs a day of vegetables and salad garnishes. If a vegetable, such as spinach or tomato, cooks down significantly, it must be measured raw so as not to underestimate its carb count. For salad dressing, use oil and vinegar or lemon juice and herbs and spices. Prepared salad dressings without added sugar and no more than two carbs per tablespoon serving are also fine.
All oils are allowed, the best being canola, walnut, soybean, grapeseed, sesame, sunflower and safflower oils. Butter and non-hydrogenated margarine is allowed. All artificial sweeteners are allowed, the best being sucralose (marketed as Splenda™), saccharin, cyclamate and acesulfame-K.
A minimum of eight eight-ounce glasses of water each day is recommended. Additionally, you can have the following: clear broth, club soda, cream (limit to two to three tablespoons a day; note carbohydrate content), decaffeinated or regular coffee or tea (1-2 a day), diet soda made with sucralose (Splenda™), essence-flavored seltzer (must say "no calories"), herb tea (without barley or any fruit sugar added), and lemon juice or lime juice.
*Note the carbohydrate content on all the above. Please note: A carb counter and a complete list of Acceptable Foods can be found on www.Atkins.com
The Rules Of Induction
These rules must be followed precisely to achieve success. Eat either three regular-size meals a day or four or five smaller meals. Do not skip meals or go more than six waking hours without eating.
1. Eat liberally - combinations of fat and protein in the form of poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs and red meat, as well as pure, natural fat in the form of butter, mayonnaise, olive oil, safflower, sunflower and other vegetable oils (preferably expeller-pressed or cold-pressed).
2. Eat no more than 20 grams a day of carbohydrate, at least 12 – 15 grams of which must come in the form of salad greens and other vegetables.
3. Eat absolutely no fruit, bread, pasta, grains, starchy vegetables or dairy products other than cheese, cream or butter. Do not eat nuts or seeds in the first two weeks. Foods that combine protein and carbohydrates, such as chickpeas, kidney beans and other legumes, are not permitted at this time.
If you feel you must eat bread or some other grain product, only high fiber low-carb products with 3 net carbs or less per serving are allowed, and you can eat only one serving a day. Be aware that even that amount may slow or stall your progress, and if that happens, drop the product immediately.
4. Eat nothing that is not on the Acceptable Foods list - absolutely nothing.
5. Adjust the quantity you eat to suit your appetite, especially as it decreases. When you are hungry, eat the amount that makes you feel satisfied, but not stuffed. When you are not hungry, eat a small controlled carbohydrate snack to accompany your nutritional supplements.
6. Don&undefined;t assume any food is low in carbohydrate—instead, read labels. Check the carb count (it&undefined;s on every package) or use a carbohydrate gram counter. Be aware that the law allows manufacturers to round off if a product has fewer than 0.5 grams of any carbohydrate, so that will show up as zero. The only way to detect some fractional carbs is to look for them in the ingredients list, where they must be listed if they’re added to a product, regardless of the amount.
7. Eat out as often as you wish but be on guard for hidden carbs in gravies, sauces and dressings. Gravy is often made with flour or cornstarch, and sugar is sometimes an ingredient in salad dressing.
8. Use sucralose or saccharin as a sweetener. Be sure to count each packet of any of these as 1 gram of carbs, because of the fillers and bulking agents which are added.
9. Avoid too much coffee, tea and soft drinks that contain caffeine. Excessive caffeine has been shown to cause low blood sugar, which can make you crave sugar. 10. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day in addition to anything else you may drink, to hydrate your body, avoid constipation and flush out the by-products of burning fat.
11. If you are constipated, mix a tablespoon or more of psyllium husks in a cup or more of water and drink daily. Or mix ground flaxseed into a shake or sprinkle wheat bran on a salad or vegetables.
12. At a minimum, take a good daily multivitamin with minerals, including potassium, magnesium and calcium, but without iron.
What Induction Will Do For You
The name Induction signifies that its purpose is to induce weight loss by changing your body&undefined;s chemistry so that you will achieve lipolysis and the secondary process of ketosis. This phase is not going to be your lifelong way of eating. It will last a minimum of 14 days, after which you should see significant results.
