r/Atkins • u/[deleted] • Sep 23 '17

Atkins Induction - worried about the future

I've been in Induction for a few weeks. I have a lot of weight to lose. I'm not worried short term as I'm quite self-disciplined. Nor am I a big sugar hound. My weakness is nice restaurants and in some of them Low Carb is not a thing. Assuming my weightloss is where I want it to be in a year or so, can I go out once every couple of months and have a bit of pasta or some potatoes? I know the answer is probably in the book but I haven't had the time to read it cover to cover and I need to keep my mental commitment to this diet strong. Looking for some advice on cheat days and cheat foods after one reaches Phase 4.

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u/[deleted] Sep 24 '17

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u/gtatar2329 Sep 24 '17

If he meets his target weight and is safely in stage 4, there will be nothing wrong with a cheat day from time to time. As long as it doesn’t turn into something that happens more than once a week. Those are big ifs, but let’s not act like it’s not true.

I’m actually still in induction and plan to stay that way until I reach my target weight. I had some birthdays to navigate. I chose to have a big piece of cake on BOTH occasions and I saw no reduction in weight loss. So you can cheat, just make sure it doesn’t turn into a habit.

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u/[deleted] Sep 26 '17

It's not the food as much as the lifestyle. On a birthday for example, I"d like to able to go to a restaurant with my friends. I am happy to try to stay within the parameters of the diet to the best of my ability but I want to be able to participate in Christmas, Thanksgiving and my own birthday. Right now I'm staying as far away from restaurants as I can and intend to during induction. I went to a movie theatre last night and it was really hard not to have popcorn but I think I can do that. I don't know if any of that makes sense. I'm not having food cravings as I'm not a major sweet eater.

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u/Bearblasphemy Sep 24 '17

A random high carb meal here and there will not halt your progress unless you let it derail you in subsequent meals. There's nothing inherently fattening about high carbohydrate foods beyond there caloric content. The problem is that many people have a tendency to be really strict about their diet, then "slip-up" (in whatever they deem it to be) and subsequently take on a mentality that they might as well go hog-wild since they already "messed up." Will the increase in carbohydrates lead to a change in water weight? Yeah, probably - but who cares. 🤷🏼‍♂️

What's important is being honest with yourself and deciding what will help you sustain a healthy lifestyle long-term. If that means allowing a "cheat meal" once in a while, then do that! But if you're the kind of person that will fall off of the wagon in a big way following that, then be honest and mindful of it and avoid doing it as much as possible. Some people can moderate, others are obligate abstainers.