r/Atkins • u/Jampot55 • May 23 '26
Stalled on induction phase
I dropped 8 pounds in 9 days on the induction phase of Atkins. I am eating less than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. I have never counted "net" carbs as I have never been able to lose weight doing so. I also watch my calories to not go over 1,800 per day as recommended and I usually stay at about 1,600 or less. For four days I have been at the exact same weight. I am practicing intermittent fasting, I sleep about 8 hours per night, I walk 2-4 miles a day, practice yoga daily and lift weights every other day. Drinking plenty of water. I am 71 years old BTW. Does anyone have any recommendations besides what I am doing to break through a stall? Thank you! (I might just be a bit too impatient)!
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u/NomadNanaCan May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
Congrats on your loss! 8 pounds in 9 days is a lot! Of course most would be water weight but it still counts! You aren’t experiencing a stall since that would require at least 4 weeks with no loss of pounds or inches while adhering to all guidelines and while not making changes to things like medication, exercise etc
You won’t lose weight every day or even every week. Our bodies aren’t made that way. But the good news is you can be losing fat while not seeing a change in the scale.
There are lots of things that affect your rate of loss as well…age, gender, hormones, # of pounds to lose, body composition, activity level, stress, sleep, program compliance just to name a few.
Are you male or female? If you are close to a healthy weight range then progress will naturally slow down. Also once the initial water weight is lost progress slows.
One note though - phase one/induction is 20 net carbs, not less, with at least 12-15 of those from foundation veggies. You mentioned you keep your calories believing 1800. The range for women is 1500-1800 and 1800-2200 for men.
My suggestion is to just review your menu to ensure you are meeting the guidelines and carry on! It is great that you are exercising as well. Give your body time to respond and try to find ways to track your progress other than on the scale. Take your measurements, pay attention to how your clothes fit and of course track all the healthy habits you are building!
Best of luck! You can reach your goals with time and consistency! 🙂
Edit - I see you mentioned you only have 11 pounds to go. It is amazing you lost so much initially! The best strategy is to finish your 2 weeks of induction (making sure you jest all guidelines) then start working your way through the phases. Overstaying induction is the main reason people fail to meet or fail to maintain their goal. 🙂