How Long Can I Stay on Atkins Induction?

Atkins Induction contains a limited amount of variety.
There is no reason to avoid Phase 2.

Did you lose a large amount of weight on Atkins Induction?

If so, you might be reluctant to move forward into Phase 2. For those doing Atkins 20, however, you have to meet certain requirements to stay on Phase 1 longer than two weeks.

Did you know that?

If not, here's what you need to know about how long you can stay on Atkins Phase 1.

Phase 1 of the Atkins Diet requires you to severely limit your carbohydrate intake to 20-net carbs per day, or less, with most of those carbs coming from non-starchy vegetables and leafy greens.

For the Atkins 20 folks, 12- to 15-net carbs must be spent on produce, regardless of how many cups that takes. On the average, however, you can expect 12- to 15-net carbs to come to about 6 cups of salad and other vegetables.

However, there isn't anything magical about that 20-net carb number. Twenty is what Dr. Atkins used because in his professional experience, eating at 20 carbs a day enables almost everyone to go into ketosis within a day or two.

For many dieters, 20-net carbs per day works extremely well.

Liver glycogen (the storage form of carbohydrates) is depleted within a few hours, forcing the body to begin to adapt to the carbohydrate restriction. 

With glucose in short supply, the need for insulin goes down, along with your blood triglycerides.

Hunger and cravings evaporate.


When there are fewer triglycerides circulating in the bloodstream, leptin is able to communicate with the brain, which makes it easier to eat less than you were eating before.

Some people also experience a sense of euphoria, increased energy levels, and improved mental clarity once the body shifts from predominantly burning glucose to predominantly burning fats. 

Since a lot of water is needed to process glycogen, weight can drop at an amazing rate. I've heard stories of people losing up to 30 pounds during the first two weeks alone. 

While these massive weight losses are ALL water and liver glycogen, seeing the number on the scale drop quickly can be extremely motivating.

Wanting the pounds to keep coming off at a fast clip, it's not uncommon for a brand new low-carber to ask me:

“How long can I stay on Atkins Induction?”

What is the Purpose of Atkins Induction?

Dr. Atkins designed his introductory diet to last for one to two weeks, depending on which plan you are following. Atkins 72 Induction lasts for only one week, while Atkins 20 and all other Induction plans run for a full two weeks. 

Atkins 72 is shorter because you only eat about 10 total carbs a day, while Atkins 20 has you eat at 20-net carbs instead.

The purpose of Phase 1 is to get you into the state of ketosis and on your way toward being fat adapted.

Dr. Atkins' intent was to show readers that it was possible to lose weight by simply changing the type of food you eat. While some of his ideas haven't held up to scientific scrutiny, Phase 1 offers many advantages over other dietary approaches.

The state of ketosis coupled with fat adaption is the solid foundation upon which a low-carb diet is built, so the ease at which your body can burn fats for fuel will play a large role in your ultimate success.

However, many people have what Dr. Atkins referred to as a crash-diet mentality.

This mentality suddenly comes to life when people begin to lose weight quickly, as many do on Atkins Induction. Instead of making a lifetime commitment to the Atkins Nutritional Approach, many dieters use Atkins Induction as a quick fix for their unhealthy eating habits.

Yo-yo dieting results, and fat loss gets increasingly more difficult each time you return to the Atkins way of life. This is one of the reasons why there is very strict criteria now for when you can and can't stay on Induction for longer than two weeks.

How Long Can You Safely Follow Atkins Induction?

Originally, Dr. Atkins recommended that you only stay on his Induction plan for two weeks. 

For those with more than 30 or 40 pounds to lose, he withdrew that recommendation in 2002. Up to that point in the Atkins evolution story, he was fairly adamant about working your way through the 4 phases, as written.

In 2002, however, Dr. Atkins changed his opinion and clearly stated that Phase 1 could be used for a longer period. 

He even went so far as to say that if you have a lot of weight to lose or if you're having difficulty losing weight, you might want to do Induction for quite a while.

Notice that he didn't say you could continue to use Phase 1 if the weight was coming off quickly. He talked about being obese or having difficulty dropping the weight.

The rule was changed to help those who are obese get a large portion of their body fat off before moving into the more moderate phases of the program. For the metabolically resistant, a few extra weeks on Induction can help to correct:

• insulin resistance
• blood sugar imbalances
• carbohydrate addictions
• food allergies and sensitivities

In addition, there are specific physical conditions that the newer Atkins 20 plan requires you to meet in order to stay on Phase 1 for longer than two weeks. 

You must now have your doctors permission,
plus specific blood testing to stay on an
extended Induction (Atkins 20)

Today, you must visit your doctor beforehand and have your:

• blood chemistry
• cholesterol values
• blood pressure
• blood glucose levels

checked out to make sure they are stable, or at least improving from what they were before you started Phase 1. Blood work must also stay within normal limits during the time you're eating at 20-net carbs, or less.

While there is considerable controversy over what is or is not normal for blood cholesterol and blood glucose levels on a low-carb diet, if you are sensitive to:

• protein
• salt
• dietary fats
• a very low carb intake

You have to move to Phase 2 after two weeks.

In addition to normal blood values, you must also:

• feel well while eating at that carbohydrate level
• experience a high degree of energy
• have normal sleeping patterns
• be absent of mood fluctuations

I've been participating in the low-carb community for a very long time. Over the years, I've seen a few people who have had problems with their cholesterol levels or blood glucose at very low-carb levels.

I was one of them.

I had excellent cholesterol values and the lack of calcium deposits in my arteries and heart were the best the cardiologist had ever seen, due to the low-carb diet, but my blood glucose levels eventually soared into diabetic territory. 

Since I have Graves' disease, I cannot eat at 20-net carbs all of the time. I have to eat a minimum of 60 or my blood glucose level goes too high.

In addition, I've also seen many individuals who:

• don't feel well
• experience anxiety
• have short bursts of temper
• feel exhausted on very low carb levels

And these symptoms were still around, even after eating very low carb for several weeks. 

These people were as fat adapted as they were going to get. Like me, their health wasn't going to get better by extending the period of eating very low carbs.

An even larger group have trouble producing enough melatonin and take over-the-counter supplements to help them sleep at night. I used to fall into this group as well. Today, I don't, but I did when I was losing weight.

Why the change?

A very low-carb diet can raise your cortisol levels, one of the body's stress hormones, especially if you are not insulin resistant. 

These high stress hormones will interrupt your normal sleeping patterns. Plus, very low-carb diets often interfere with serotonin production, which is a precursor to melatonin.

While low carb advocates are always stressing that you need to stay very low in carbs, if you have any of these health issues I mentioned above, you should NOT stay on Atkins Induction without medical supervision. 

If if wasn't for the fact that I have neuropathy, I never would have known that my blood sugar was too high doing zero carb.

Additional Qualifications for Staying On Phase 1

If you don't have any of the physical issues preventing you from staying on Phase 1, there are a few mental and emotional factors to consider before making the choice to move into Phase 2.

Bored with Phase 1 foods?
It's best to move to Phase 2!

One of the most important areas to look at is boredom.

If you're bored with the limited food choices on Phase 1, it can lead to not following the rules of Induction. You also might start making excuses for why it's okay to eat off plan, now and then.

Boredom can also encourage you to find fault with:

• yourself
• the weight-loss scale
• or even the diet

Feeling deprived, mistreated, or angry – because you can't have a particular food you're missing – can quickly undo what you've already accomplished.

Although strict carbohydrate levels are only a temporary inconvenience on Atkins 20, it can be difficult to remember that when those feelings of deprivation kick in.

Take a close look at your likes and dislikes, personality, and lifestyle. If eating at 20-net carbs is stressful or difficult to stick to due to:

• family responsibilities
• social pressure
• work
• or personal taste

A more liberal Phase 2 might be a better option.

On the other hand, if you enjoy the food and your body fat is coming off at a snail's pace, even though you've taken steps to trim your calories, staying on Phase 1 for several months might be the path to your ultimate success.

Not Everyone Loses Weight Quickly on Phase 1

The body can stuff water into your fat cells, slow down your metabolism, or conserve energy by shutting down nonessential systems and body functions. The body can also find ways to dissipate heat. It doesn't like being put into a famine situation. It strives for balance.

While these life-saving tactics are common in people who have dieted before, and especially those who can't get through the first two weeks without cheating, I've also seen this happen to newbies who have strictly followed the rules.

If this sounds like you, there isn't a lot you can do about slow weight loss, other than double check on your calorie and protein intake. There is no way to force your body to do what you want it to do.

The main purpose of Atkins Induction is not actually weight loss.

Shedding fat always requires you to eat at a calorie deficit, so if you've been on Phase 1 for a few weeks and haven't lost much weight, check out the number of calories you've been eating.

Fundamentally speaking, a low-carb diet causes your appetite to go down, especially when eating at very low carb levels, but if you're used to choosing high-calorie foods, despite the change in appetite, you might still be eating too much. 

Many dieters have a distorted perspective of what a serving size actually is. Check it out. Don't just assume you're not overeating.

If you are eating at a deficit and getting adequate protein, then you might need to give Induction a longer trial. You might be more insulin resistant than you thought.

A Short Word of Caution

While most Induction problems are due to previous yo-yo dieting, severe insulin resistance, or going over your maintenance level of calories, a small number of folks on Phase 1 are actually eating too little.

Bullet-Proof Coffee is a popular LCHF breakfast
that Dr. Phinney thinks is silly.

This can easily happen if you try to combine the Atkins Diet and Nutritional Ketosis together without a good understanding of the scientific principles behind the Nutritional Ketosis dietary approach.

Nutritional Ketosis is a word coined by Dr. Phinney, a physician scientist who has spend a good portion of his life studying fatty acids, inflammation, diet, and exercise. 

An M.D. with a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry, and an expert on obesity and low-carb diets, Dr. Phinney has been heavily involved in many clinical trials and weight management programs over the years.

Much of what you'll read on the web about Nutritional Ketosis is not true, which is where the problem lies. If you're not eating enough protein because you've read that eating too much will kick you out of ketosis, then you need to evaluate your source. 

According to Dr. Phinney, carb restriction drives ketosis and not protein restriction. In fact, protein deficiency will cause your blood ketone level to rise too high. This condition results in what Phinney refers to as Ketone Starvation. 

Insulin will be secreted, stopping further ketone production until the brain and muscles have used the extra ketones the body has already made. This prevents ketoacidosis. 

In other words, you literally stall. This stall is a safety factor that keeps your ketone level within a safe margin.

At the same time, you might be eating too much fat. 

I have no idea who started the high-fat craze that was alive and well when I returned to low carb in 2007, but I do know how the latest trend toward consuming 80 percent of your calories in fat got started.

Please note that Dr. Phinney's Nutritional Ketosis program does NOT ask you to eat 80 percent of your calories in dietary fats if you're trying to lose body fat. According to Phinney, 80 percent of your calories is MAINTENANCE! 

Nutritional Ketosis is referred to as Low-Carb High-Fat (LCHF) because a good portion of those fat calories are coming from your body fat! 

If they aren't, you're eating at maintenance, and you'll have a horrible time trying to lose weight. 

Staying on Induction won't change that fact.

On the other hand, if you came to Atkins 20 from a low-fat diet, you might actually be not eating enough fat. While that problem isn't common among low-carb dieters who crave fats, it does happen. 

Maximum Length of Time You Can Stay on Induction

If everything is going along smoothly, you don't have to move into Phase 2 after two weeks if you don't want to. You can safely stay on Atkins Induction for 6 months, or even more.

However, the Atkins Nutritional Approach is divided into 4 phases for a reason. 

If you stay on Phase 1 for too long, you'll never get the opportunity to personalize the Atkins Diet to fit your tastes and personality. For that reason, Atkins 20 only allows you to stay on Induction until you come within 15 pounds of the weight you want to be.

That is the maximum length of time you can stay on Atkins Induction.

The purpose of moving through all 4 phases of the Atkins Diet is to help you establish eating habits that will not only enable you to maintain a healthy weight, but help you to say good-bye to yo-yo dieting forever. If you don't move forward, that will never happen.