12 Time to Review Your Results

You did it! After doing Atkins for a mere fourteen days, you're probably so blown away by the changes you've experienced that you have no desire to go back to your old way of eating. That's why the two-week marker is a logical time for evaluation. You will be past any difficulties you faced during the transition and should be feeling slimmer and more energetic already.

You Gotta Hang in There

Of course, some people have difficulties at the very start. At 39, Alan McCarthy was a successful insurance executive, married and with a child on the way. Two months before his son's birth, Alan's father died of a heart attack. A year later, Alan's total cholesterol level hit 264.

"I was practically a clone of my father" recalls Alan. "Same pants size, same shoe size, saute sky-high cholesteroly He worried that it would mean a quadruple bypass followed by premature death for him, too. Alan didn't know which way to mm.

Then fate, in the form of a co-worker, took a hand. His ofrice buddy had succeeded on Atkins and believed it was particularly effective at reducing cholesterol. That was good enough for Alan.

But when he started Induction, sugar deprivation made him feel so lousy that, for the first two days, he thought he'd give up. Alan had always been a regular 300-grams-ofcarbs-a-day American. Bean burritos, ice cream and every., sugary treat that came within reach of his fast-moving hands went down the gullet.

"But then on the third and fourth days, my energy started ratchefing up to the same levels I used to have when I was younger and exercising regularly. I actually felt my metabulism increase; it was as if the furnace had been turned on. I lost 10 pounds in the first two weeks and by week four I'd dropped 15 pounds:'

When Alan had his total cholesterol checked, it had dropped to 211. Twelve weeks after starting Atkins, he had lost 25 pounds and reached his goal weight.

His wife did her bit by cooking Atkins recipes. And Alan actually found that his tastes had changed. Sugary desserts, on the rare occasions that he tried them, now tasted too sweet.

"I used to avoid confrontation by telling people I was on a no-sugar diet" Alan says. "Now, I love converting skeptics. I also love being at my high school weight of 165 and having a total cholesterol of 179! Results don't lie!"

Will You Go On?

This is a logical time for you to decide whether you will continue doing Atkins. I hope you will. Most people do so not only because they're losing weight, .but also because they feel so good. For many of you, especially if you're over 40, the most significant revelation of controlled carbohydrate eating is the discovery that some nagging physical ills, from headaches to various aches and pains, have completely vanished.

Some Questions to Ask

Before you decide anything, let's review your results to date, and I don't mean just how many pounds you have lost. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Is my appetite under control?

2. Am I experiencing food cravings?

3. Am i constipated?

4. Do I have leg cramps?

5. Have I noticed a difference in my measurements as well as in my weight?

6. Am I enjoying the food I'm eating?

7. Am I sleeping better? Do I have fewer aches and pains? Is my energy level during the day more stable than before? Am i able to concentrate better?

ANSWERS

1.Hunger

Let's consider your answer to the first question, If you were hungry, you weren't following my counsel to eat as much as you needed to feel satisfied. Remember: If you have a tendency to become hungry between meals, pop a few olives, an ounce of cheese, a scoop of tuna salad, a slice of pot roast or a convenient controlled carbohydrate bar or shake.

2.Cravings

If cravings continue, are you eating adequately and not skipping meals? Isthere a hidden source of sugar in something you are eating? If none of the above applies, arid you are just looking for a taste of something, consider a subsdmte product such as a controlled carb bar or something made with controlled carb bake mix.

3.Constipation

A certain amount of constipation is common during the first week. but it can be resolved quickly and easily. As you progress to later phases where you increase your carb consumption and thus your fiber intake, constipation should not be a problem. Meanwhile, follow the instructions in the previous chapter (See "Rules of Induction," #12). If the problem isn't solved, you may try a tablespoon of wheat bran sprinkled on your salad or other vegetables. If you are sensitive to grain products, add ground flaxseed to a shake or psy!lium.husks to a glass of water instead. (None of these fibers contain the kind of cad,hydrates that impact on your blood-sugar levels.) Most important: Be absolutely sure to consume a minimum of eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.

4.Leg Cramps

If you have leg cramps, it probably means you are losing too many electrolytes, which are full of minerals. Starting any weight loss program has a diuretic effect, which is one of the masons it is so important to stay hydrated. Supplement with potassium, magnesium and calcium in addition to your multivitamin, and the cramps should disappear.

5.Measurements

I hope you've followed my suggestion to measure your chest, waist, hips, upper arms and thighs with a tape measure. The loss of inches is an indication of real success and sometimes occurs when weight loss is only marginal. Also, your weight can fluctuate from day to day, even from hour to hour, depending upon fluid balance, hormonal cycles, and the effects of medications, to name a few things. And exercise, if you go at it vigorously—-and I hope you are following my advice to get moving——can cause some weight gain because, it in-' creases muscle mass, and muscle is denser than the fat it displaces. This is a good thing.

Even if these various factors cause you to lose pounds more slowly'th an you want, your tape measure will reveal that you 'are slimming down all over. Your loss of inches is of fundamental importance,for it represent real fat loss—the emptying of your fat cells. And I never underestimate the psychological importance of knowing one has made progress. But m with the scale, do not become obsessed with the tape measure either. You'll know the inches are disappearing because of the way your clothes fit. Pick an outfit that you can barely get into because it is so tight, then try it on every week and see if it doesn't start to feel more comfortable.

6.Food Preferences

Fortunately, most people enjoy protein food. If you are a strict vegetarian, you really can't do the Induction phase. (The three later phases could be managed but the food selections on a regimen that restricts carbohydrate and simultaneously excludes animal foods are limited.) In general, I've found that a person who will not eat any animal foods will not do Atkins permanently. They find it too boring. But if you are willing to eat fish and chicken, plus eggs and cheese, you can certainly do Atkins without eating red meat.

The rest of you can enjoy a delicious and satisfying way of eating. That is not to say that many people don't miss pasta and bread, as well as fruit and juice, the first two weeks. Soon enough in the later phases you will be able to add back fruit and even special controlled carb baked goods.

So why are people willing to do without foods that used to be so important to them to continue on Atkins? Simply this: The upside is so much lnrger than the downside. Weight loss, of course, but feeling physically better and in control of your eating are also paramount issues. I challenge you to tell me honestly that you do not feel better now than you did two weeks ago. And this is just the beginning.

7.Feeling Good

Now I want you to retake the test on pages 150-151 that you originally took in Chapter I0. If you have experienced improvements in some of these areas, this exercise will help motivate you to continue to do Atkins.

If you've been overweight for a long time, you will almost certainly have suffered some of the symptoms in this test. No doubt you thought them a normal part of aging. Isn't it wonderful to see that you can make them go away simply by changing the way you eat?

Doing Atkins, you'll find that you're cleaning out a lot of metabolic garbage from your life, in addition to excess pounds and junk food. Many of my patients have discovered that instead of a weight loss program, this is for them a rejuvenation program. Now take.the test, and see if I'm right!

Blood-Sugar Symptom Test

Choose each symptom according to the following:

0=Never

1=Mild and/or rare

2=Moderate and/or up to twice a week

3=Severe and/or more than twice a week

0 1 2 3 hunger between meals

eat candy, cake, soda

drink alcohol

drink more than 3 cups coffee/cola

cravings for sweets or coffee

irritable before meals

shakiness inside especially if hungry

faint if food is delayed

tired all of the time

depressed

can't fall asleep easily

waking during the night

fearful

difficulty making decisions

difficulty with concentrating

poor memory

worried a lot

feel insecure

emotional

moodiness

feel like crying

outbursts of anger

make mountains out of molehills

feeiings of hopelessness

bored

bad dreams

anti-social behavior

ohobias

can't work under oressure

headaches

sleepiness during the day

sleepy after food

slow starting in the morning

ooor motivation

eat when nervous

fatigue relieved by food

excessive thirst

nervous stomach/cramps

allergies or sinus oroblems

can feel heart beat

gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disorder, ulcers abdominal bloating

cold hands and feet

shaking of the hands

bturring vision

lightheaded/dizziness

lack of coordination

excessive sweating

frequent urination

Add each column and multiply by the number at the top of that column.

Add all together (Remember, all in the 0 colunm = 0).

If score is more than 50 =Positive for blood-sugar stress.

The Pounds Won't Move?

Though I've just emphasized the importance of measuring inches, I'd certainly also like to see you losing some weight. If you don't seem to be losing on the program, turn immediately to Chapter 20. Sometimes, very simple prob. lents can get in the way of positive results. And simple problems usually mean simple solutions. Failure to lose weight doing Atkins is a rare phenomenon, and the odds are good that I can give you the ammunition you need to resolve your body's resistance to weight loss.

Success and Long. Term Satisfaction

The Atkins Nutritional Approach has four phases; moreover, it can be individualized for every person. The high-fat, deep-lipolysis Induction phase you've just experienced is the first and most carbohydrate-restrictive one. The vast majority of the time people spend doing Atkins is not spent in this first phase (after all, there's a phase called Lifetime Maintenance, which speaks for itself). The basic theme of any good nutritional approach is adaptability. With my help, you can easily map out your own, personalized plan within the Atkins approach.

The next chapter addresses the next step: Do you continue Induction or move to the next phase? Either way, what is important is being comfortable, contented and healthy, i want you to feel at ease doing Atkins: physically well, sarisfled, pleased with your daily menu, comfortable in your body, confident that this time you will succeed for the long term.

Too Soon for New Tests

If you got your first round of blood-lipid and other tests done before you started Atkins, you may be chomping at the bit to have them redone to confirm your good resuits—and dispel any lingering concerns you have. I wholeheartedly agree that you should have new tests done, but not yet. Two weeks is too early to show significant changes; instead, wait at least six weeks. By then you'll have chemical confirmation of the wisdom you showed in deciding to do Atlkins.

KEY POINTS!

·Induction lasts a minimum of fourteen days but can be safely followed much longer.

·After two weeks doing Induction, most people begin to feel dramatically better.

·Symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, aches and pains and general malaise are often related to excess weight and blood-sugar stress.

TIPS:

·Have a small controlled carbohydrate snack high in fat or protein if you are hungry between mean.

·Don't include decaf coffee or tea or other beverages as part of your daily water intake.

·Potasium, magnesium and calcium supplements will help prevent leg cramps.

·Wait at least six weeks to repeat your blood work.