BEYOND TWO WEEKS.

If you do choose to stay put in Induction, you'll remain at 20 grams of Net Carbs a day, but you can add nuts and seeds to your list of acceptable foods. A couple of tablespoons (1 ounce) of walnuts, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, or other seeds or nuts makes a great snack. Or sprinkle them on a salad or cooked vegetables.

After two weeks, now that you're feeling more energetic, many of you should be considering incorporating physical activity into your program if you've not already done so. A regular walking program is a great way to begin. Once you get into the habit, you'll realize the benefits in terms of toning your body and improving your mood. Finally, remember to keep your diet (and fitness) journal up to date, tracking foods as you add them back to spot any problems.

As you say good-bye to Induction, move on to the next chapter to learn how to transition to Phase 2, Ongoing Weight Loss. Even if you're moving directly to Pre-Maintenance, it's important for you to review the content on OWL. But first, read about Rebecca Latham's success with Atkins after trying numerous other diets.

SUCCESS STORY 7.

HUNGRY NO MORE.

After eating at "starvation level" for decades without being able to lose weight, Rebecca Latham decided to join her husband on the Atkins Diet. Unusually resistant to weight loss, she is finally seeing results and closing in on her goal weight.

VITAL STATISTICS.

Current Phase: Pre-MaintenanceDaily Net Carb intake: 25 gramsAge: 54Height: 5 feet, 3 inchesBefore weight: 150 poundsCurrent weight: 140 poundsWeight loss: 10 pounds Goalweight: 130 poundsFormer BMI: 26.6Current BMI: 24.8Current blood pressure: 120/80 What made you decide to do Atkins?

When my husband was diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, our doctor recommended the Atkins Diet and I decided to join him. I'd started gaining weight at age 30 and over the next twenty years slowly put on 40 pounds.

Did you have any relevant health issues?

I have estrogen dominance and an underactive thyroid. Although there's heart disease and diabetes in my family, my lipids and other health markers were always normal.

Have you tried other weight loss programs?

You name it, I've tried it! I've suffered through the South Beach Diet, NutriSystem, LA Weight Loss, the Ice Cream Diet, the Hawaiian Diet, Deal-A-Meal, the Schwarzbein Principle, the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, the GI Diet, the Nautilus Diet, the Pritikin Diet, Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating, and Weight Watchers. My husband and I were doing The Zone just before we began Atkins. We'd both just lost a few pounds, but we were starving!

Had you done Atkins before?

Yes, years ago, but now I know that I was doing it incorrectly. I was eating no vegetables, and I kept cutting calories until I was down to 1,000 and then I quit.

So what was different this time?

I read a few Atkins books, as well as Good Calories, Bad Calories Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes, which was influential in getting me to try Atkins again. I found out at by Gary Taubes, which was influential in getting me to try Atkins again. I found out at www.atkins.com that severely limiting calories would make me stop losing. I know I would have failed again without the support of the Atkins Community forums. I also now know that even though weight loss may happen slowly, lost inches also indicate success. I've lost almost five inches at my navel alone! that severely limiting calories would make me stop losing. I know I would have failed again without the support of the Atkins Community forums. I also now know that even though weight loss may happen slowly, lost inches also indicate success. I've lost almost five inches at my navel alone!

How did you customize Atkins to your needs?

My hormonal imbalance and hypothyroidism made it extremely difficult to lose weight. So Atkins nutritionist Colette Heimowitz gave me a modified version of Induction to follow. I started at 11 grams of Net Carbs, with 8 of them coming from foundation vegetables. Now that I'm in Pre-Maintenance, I'm at 25 grams of Net Carbs, with at least 15 of them coming from vegetables. Occasionally, I also eat nuts, berries, yogurt, applesauce, and legumes.

What is your fitness regimen?

I started walking and lifting weights about three weeks after starting Atkins. When I started, my muscles were wasted and I was very weak. My doctor had told me to lose 35 pounds of fat and to gain 10 pounds of muscle. When I reached 140 pounds, the 10 pounds I'd lost actually represented the loss of almost 17 pounds of fat and the gain of almost 7 pounds of muscle!

Chapter 8.

MOVING TO PHASE 2, ONGOING WEIGHT LOSS.

Initially, the differences between Induction and Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) are relatively minor, but the gradual additions to your diet mark the beginning of your return to a permanent way of eating. Your objective in OWL is to find how many carbs you can consume while continuing to lose weight, keep your appet.i.te under control, and feel energized.

Welcome to Phase 2, Ongoing Weight Loss, or OWL to Atkins insiders. Initially, the differences between Phases 1 and 2 are relatively minor, but the gradual additions to your diet mark the beginning of the return to a permanent way of eating. Everything else remains the same as in Induction. You'll count Net Carbs. You'll eat the recommended amounts of protein and plenty of natural fats. You'll continue to drink about eight gla.s.ses of water and other acceptable fluids and make sure that you're getting enough salt (a.s.suming that you don't take diuretic medications). And you'll continue with your multivitamin/multimineral and omega-3 supplements.

There is, however, one key distinction between the two phases: the slightly broader array of acceptable foods in Ongoing Weight Loss. Still, despite eating more carbs and gradually introducing a greater variety of them, it's best to regard these two changes as baby steps. Perhaps the biggest mistake you can make when you move from Induction to OWL is to regard the transition as dramatic.

Most people spend the majority of their (weight loss) time in this phase. Unless you have just a little jellyroll to lose and plan to be on your way quickly to Phase 3, Pre-Maintenance, you'll have plenty of time to get familiar with Ongoing Weight Loss. We recommend that you stay here until you're only 10 pounds from your goal weight. If you're beginning your Atkins journey in this phase, be sure to read the previous chapter on Induction, which is key to understanding much of OWL and preparing properly before beginning the program.

In this chapter, in addition to helping you transition to this phase, we'll look at how to: - Gradually increase your carb intake in 5-gram increments without stopping weight loss and/or prompting the return of old symptoms.- Reintroduce foods in a certain order.- Address challenges such as plateaus and carb creep.- Find your personal tolerance for carb consumption in this phase, known as your Carbohydrate Level for Losing (CLL).- Integrate physical fitness into your weight control program.- Customize OWL to suit your needs.

LEARN THE LINGO.

Newcomers to Atkins are sometimes confused by abbreviations tossed around by insiders. Here's how to translate them: NET CARBS: Generally, grams of total carbohydrates minus grams of fiber.

OWL: Ongoing Weight Loss, Phase 2 of Atkins.

CLL: Carbohydrate Level for Losing, the maximum number of grams of Net Carbs you can eat each day and continue to lose weight.

ACE: Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium, the maximum number of grams of Net Carbs you can eat each day and maintain your weight.

TRANSITION JITTERS.

Before we describe exactly how to do Ongoing Weight Loss, let's address an important issue. With the freedom to choose among more carbohydrate foods comes the risk of getting out of your safety zone. After holding yourself back in Induction, you may be afraid that you'll go too far in OWL. Undoubtedly, this is one reason why some people have a hard time weaning themselves away from Induction. Furthermore, by the time you get to OWL, your initial enthusiasm may be flagging slightly and you may find it harder to focus on the work that remains. You're not alone. We'll hold your hand every step of the way. You can always back off a bit if a new food causes a problem. Let's take a moment to put your transition in perspective.

Are you daunted by what still remains ahead?

Of course you are. If you're on the plump side, it took a while to pad your body by eating the wrong foods. If you're struggling with health issues, they didn't occur overnight either. As the hare in Aesop's fable learned in his race with the tortoise, slow and steady wins the race. Learn to celebrate your small and incremental victories instead of focusing only on the ultimate goal.

Are you using all the tools and help available?

Writing in your journal and reviewing it a few days later can often offer valuable perspectives. That seeming regain of a pound or two suddenly isn't so bad a week later, when you've relost it along with a couple more pounds. Having a buddy and/or tapping into the online support network on the Atkins Web site can also prove invaluable when you need a shoulder to cry on or a platform to crow from.

Do you have more energy than before you started Atkins?

If you're eating enough protein, fat, vegetables, and salt, you should be bursting with energy. If not, once again, we remind you not to skip meals or skimp on protein. To maintain your energy if you're middle-aged or older, you may need to increase your protein intake within the recommended range for your height by eating a bit more meat, poultry, and fish. Cutting out sugars and other poor-quality carbohydrates should also have eliminated that all-too-common affliction, the midafternoon slump. If you've started exercising or increased your physical activity recently, you've probably also noticed that both your energy level and endurance have increased.

How about your moods?

Most Atkins followers report a sense of exhilaration, along with increased energy, during or shortly after the first two weeks on Atkins. That's another benefit of the Atkins Edge. Hopefully, you're also experiencing a whole complex of positive emotions about other changes you can make in your life. Physical activity is a known mood enhancer as well. That's not to say that you probably haven't battled temptation and perhaps occasionally succ.u.mbed to it. We're willing to bet that on at least one occasion you've found yourself in a situation where there was nothing you could eat. At such times, when the scale and the measuring tape just won't budge or seem headed in the wrong direction, you may have wondered whether this new lifestyle is worth it. All of this is perfectly normal. The mere fact that you're now transitioning to OWL is proof of your success to date.

BEGINNING IN OWL.

If you've decided to start in OWL rather than Induction, you presumably have one or more of these reasons: - You're 15 or fewer pounds from your goal weight.- Your weight loss goal is modest and you're physically very active.- No matter what your current weight is, you want more variety in your diet than Induction offers and are willing to lose weight a bit more slowly.- You're a vegetarian or a vegan.- Weight isn't an issue, but you want to feel better and have more energy.

HOW TO DO OWL.

Initially, you'll increase your daily carb intake by just 5 grams to 25 grams of Net Carbs and then gradually move up in 5-gram increments, slowly building upon your Induction carbohydrate food choices. In addition to the Acceptable Induction Foods (page 82), you can now begin to select foods from the Acceptable Foods for OWL below. (Be sure to also check out the meal plans for Phase 2 in part III part III, which incorporate many of them.) Our recommendation is that you add nuts and seeds first, then berries and a few other fruits, then additional dairy choices, and only then legumes. Those of you who remained in Induction beyond the first two weeks are probably already enjoying the satisfying crunch of walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, and such. But if the sweetness of a few berries (with the emphasis on few few) matters more to you than a few nuts, rearrange the order to suit your preferences. We call these different food groups the rungs on the carb ladder. (See the sidebar "The Carb Ladder.") Later we'll address the needs of those who want to limit their intake of animal protein or omit it altogether or have a Latino culinary heritage.

Add only one new food within a certain group at a time. That way, if something reawakens food cravings, causes gastric distress, or interferes with your weight loss journey, you can easily identify it. So, for example, you might start with a small portion of blueberries one day. a.s.suming that they cause no problems, you could then move on to strawberries in a day or two.

THE CARB LADDER.

The carb ladder a.s.sists you in two ways. First, it provides a logical progression with which to add carbohydrate foods. Second, it prioritizes their amount and frequency. On the lower rungs are the foods you should be eating most often. On the top rungs are the foods that-even in Lifetime Maintenance-will put in an appearance only occasionally, rarely, or never, depending upon your tolerance for carbs.

Rung 1: Foundation vegetables: leafy greens and other low-carb vegetablesRung 2: Dairy foods high in fat and low in carbs: cream, sour cream, and most hard cheesesRung 3: Nuts and seeds (but not chestnuts)Rung 4: Berries, cherries, and melon (but not watermelon)Rung 5: Whole milk yogurt and fresh cheeses, such as cottage cheese and ricottaRung 6: Legumes, including chickpeas, lentils, and the like.Rung 7: Tomato and vegetable juice "c.o.c.ktail" (plus more lemon and lime juice)Rung 8: Other fruits (but not fruit juices or dried fruits)Rung 9: Higher-carb vegetables, such as winter squash, carrots, and peasRung 10:Whole grains REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.

If you shed pounds quickly on Induction, know that this reliable and exhilarating pace won't continue indefinitely. Your average weekly loss will almost certainly slow as you increase your carb intake and your weight drops. This is deliberate as you gradually add more carbohydrates in greater variety and slowly adopt a new, sustainable way of eating. You may find the path ahead much like driving in heavy traffic: you'll crawl along at a snail's pace for a few miles, perhaps picking up speed for a while, and then stopping, slowing, and so forth. This b.u.mpy progress will try your patience, no doubt, but knowing that it's not unusual should help you cope. We'll revisit how you may be able to influence your progress below.

HOW TO REINTRODUCE CERTAIN FOODS.

There are three important points to understand as you begin to reintroduce foods. First, if you've been estimating carb counts, now is the time to start counting them. Second, you're increasing your range of foods but not the amount amount of food that you're eating day to day by very much. As you continue to add small amounts of carbohydrate foods, you don't have to do anything other than make sure you're not overdoing your protein intake. Let your appet.i.te be your guide. Stay hydrated, and the moment you feel you've had enough, stop eating. If you've always been a member of the clean-plate club, now is the time to resign. Or dish out less from the get-go. Finally, not everyone will necessarily be able to reintroduce all the acceptable foods for this phase; some of you will be able to eat them only rarely. of food that you're eating day to day by very much. As you continue to add small amounts of carbohydrate foods, you don't have to do anything other than make sure you're not overdoing your protein intake. Let your appet.i.te be your guide. Stay hydrated, and the moment you feel you've had enough, stop eating. If you've always been a member of the clean-plate club, now is the time to resign. Or dish out less from the get-go. Finally, not everyone will necessarily be able to reintroduce all the acceptable foods for this phase; some of you will be able to eat them only rarely.

As you add new foods, you'll subst.i.tute some of them for other carb foods you're already eating, but not your 12 to 15 grams of Net Carbs from foundation vegetables. For example, you can now have cottage cheese in lieu of some of the hard cheese you've been eating in Induction. Instead of an afternoon snack of green olives, you might switch off with macadamias. You'll still be eating those Induction-friendly foods, but you can branch out a bit. As long as you're tracking your carb intake, eating the recommended amount of vegetables, and feeling full but not stuffed, you should do fine. Your protein portions at each meal should remain within the roughly 4-to-6-ounce range.

We can't stress enough that writing in your diet journal is particularly important as you start to add back foods. This process doesn't always happen smoothly, and you'll want to know which food is causing which response, so, if necessary, you know which to back off from. Keep on noting what you're adding, how much, and your reactions, if any.

ACCEPTABLE FOODS FOR OWL.

NUTS AND SEEDS.

Most people start by reintroducing nuts and seeds and b.u.t.ters made from them. Avoid honey-roasted and smoked products. An ounce or two of walnuts, pecans, or pumpkin seeds makes a perfect snack. (The following list provides portions equivalent to an ounce.) Or sprinkle them over salads or cottage cheese. Salted nuts are fine, but understand that they can be notoriously difficult to eat in moderation. Store nuts and seeds in the fridge or freezer to avoid rancidity. Peanuts, cashews, and roasted soybeans ("soy nuts") are not true nuts. The latter two are higher in carbs than true nuts, so go easy on them. (Chestnuts are very starchy and high in carbs, making them unsuitable for OWL.) Heart-healthy fiber helps moderate the carb counts of nuts and seeds, but their healthy fats make them all high in calories, so keep your intake to no more than 2 ounces (about cup) a day. Almond, macadamia, and other nut or seed b.u.t.ters are a great alternative to peanut b.u.t.ter, but avoid products such as Nutella that include sugar or other sweeteners. Nut meals and flours broaden your cooking options.

Tip: When you buy a large bag of nuts or seeds, divide it into 1-ounce servings; place them in small resealable bags and store in the freezer. There's no need to weigh anything; if it's a 1-pound bag, simply divide the contents into 16 equal portions. When you're ready for a nut snack, consume one-and only one-bag. Or count out the suitable number of a particular kind of nut, following the portion guidelines below, and return the rest of the bag or container to the fridge.

Nut or Seed Serving Size Grams of Net Garbs Almonds 24 nuts 2.3.

Almond b.u.t.ter 1 tablespoon 2.5.

Almond meal/flour cup

3.0.

Brazil nuts 5 nuts

2.0.

Cashews 9 nuts 4.4.

Cashew b.u.t.ter 1 tablespoon 4.1.

Coconut, shredded unsweetened cup 1.3.

Macadamias 6 nuts

2.0.

Macadamia b.u.t.ter 1 tablespoon 2.5.

Hazelnuts 12 nuts 0.5.

Peanuts 22 nuts 1.5.

Peanut b.u.t.ter, natural 1 tablespoon 2.4.

Peanut b.u.t.ter, smooth 1 tablespoon 2.2.

Pecans 10 halves 1.5.

Pine nuts (pinons) 2 tablespoons 1.7.

Pistachios 25 nuts 2.5.

Pumpkin seeds, hulled 2 tablespoons

2.0.

sesame seeds 2 tablespoons 1.6.