Induction
Junction, What's Your Function?Let
me begin by telling you that, like you, I too subscribe to some online newsletters.
In fact, I got my idea for this article from an article in Tom Venuto's newsletter,
Fitness Renaissance. Now
Tom is not a low carber. I subscribe to his newsletter because he is an absolute
expert when it comes to burning fat with exercise. (He has kept his own bodyfat
percentage in the single digits for years). In fact, if you want to burn fat fast,
I highly recommend that you combine a low carb lifestyle with the kind of exercise
system that Tom promotes in his book, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. I
have read Tom's book, and it gets my highest recommendation -- with the exception
of some of his dietary advice. Again, Tom is not a low carber. The lowest carb
he might go would be something like the Zone diet. Anyway,
Tom was ranting a little bit about the typical low carb diet in his latest newsletter.
Now
as you know I have been a big fan of the low carb lifestyle for some time. Contrary
to Tom, I think the Zone is at the absolute upper boundary of where our carbs
should be. But I thought Tom had some points in his newsletter that were worthy
of consideration. Now
don't worry. I haven't been converted away from the low carb lifestyle. But I
was prompted to investigate something that has always been a question in the back
of my mind. Is
the induction phase of the low carb diet necessary? And, if not, is it even good
for us? Here
is a quote from Tom's article "Induction Destruction; The Perils of Diving
Headfirst Into Strict Diets:" "Induction
has little to do with science, health or permanent fat loss. It has everything
to do with marketing and instant gratification. Dieters flock to the gurus that
promise 12 to 15 pounds of weight loss in the first two weeks, while sneering
at the idea of losing a paltry 2 pounds of fat per week. 'Give me results now'
is the mindset, with no thought given to body composition, health or long-term
consequences." Now
I don't know anyone who would "sneer at the idea of losing two pounds a week".
I certainly wouldn't. But you have to admit that losing 15 pounds in two weeks
sounds pretty enticing, doesn't it? A perfect marketing gimmick if ever there
was one. But,
contrary to Tom's claim, Dr. Atkins claimed that there was science behind induction.
It's not just smoke and mirrors. He claimed that it "jumpstarts" your
fat burning metabolism, and breaks your cravings for carbohydrates (DANDR 121,122).
So who
is right? Is induction just a gimmick to give dieters a potentially dangerous
psychological boost? Is it just a gimmick to be able to make fast weightloss claims?
Or is it an essential part of a successful low carb diet? I
believe it is a little of both. The
Upside of Induction
So what is the upside of induction? First,
even Tom Venuto recognizes that many people really do lose 10-15 pounds in the
first two weeks. I've never lost more than 10 pounds in two weeks on induction
myself, but some people do lose up to 15 pounds. That's exciting. Second,
induction does break the carbohydrate addiction. Around day 3 and 4 the withdrawl
symptoms are the strongest, and then it's pretty smooth sailing for a while after
that. Third,
induction does switch us quickly into lipolysis, or "fat burning mode".
The
downside of induction
But what's the downside? Venuto
claims that an induction phase increases the likelihood that you will fall off
the wagon and gain all your weight back again. Atkins
himself warns against "zig-zagging" or going between maintenance and
induction repeatedly: "Induction
can be abused and that abuse can ultimately threaten your ability to maintain
a healthy weight. ... People who repeatedly regain weight and go back to Induction
sometimes find that they do not experience the dramatic and easy weight loss they
initially enjoyed. .. your body pays a price healthwise if you dramatically switch
back and forth repeatedly from a fat-burning to a glucose-burning metabolism"
(DANDR 215, 216) And
not all low carb diet gurus even recommend Induction at all. Dr. Wolfgang Lutz
is the Dr. Atkins of Europe. He wrote a wonderful book called "Life Without
Bread." He
claims: "The
dramatic reduction of carbohydrates to almost zero levels promoted by various
other authors is not necessary to achieve the health benefit of low-carbohydrate
nutrition ... Too rapid reduction of carbohydrates to almost none in the diet
can cause serious initial side effects, if you are elderly or already have a major
disease." (LWB 195) In
LWB Lutz advises that people just start at the equivalent of the maintenance phase
of the Atkins diet. He recommends about 72 grams of carbs per day. This gives
you about 12 grams per meal if you eat six meals a day. My
Advice
With all this in mind, I start to wonder how important induction
really is. Here are the conclusions I have come to. First,
I think the downside can be overstated. Millions of low carbers all over the world
have done induction and have done so without major problems. So don't be overly
concerned about doing induction provided you have checked with your doctor. But
there is some indication that repeated bouts can reduce the effectiveness of the
induction phase, and may, in fact, make it more likely that you will relapse.
With
those things in mind, here is my advice. Don't do induction unless: 1.
You absolutely have to lose 15 pounds in two weeks for the high school reunion
or wedding coming up. And you have checked with your doctor. OR
2. You
find that you can't start with maintenance and stick to your diet. And you have
checked with your doctor. For
some people it is easier to cut out carbs completely and get the cravings out
of their system before adding them back in judiciously. However,
if you can just start in maintenance I would recommend that. I would go with a
plan like Dr. Lutz's, or the Maintenance phase of the Atkins diet. You won't lose
weight as fast in the first two weeks that way, but you won't face any of the
potential problems that might arise with severe carb restriction either. You
also might not get into fat burning mode as quickly, but you will get there. You
might also find that you lose only 1/2 pound a week, rather than your hoped for
2 pounds a week, this way. If this happens I would advise you to rely on exercise
to make up the difference, rather than on diet alone. Dr
Lutz doesn't even stress weight loss as the major reason for adopting a low carb
diet. A low carb diet will facilitate weight loss, but exercise should be relied
upon as well. According to Lutz (and Atkins mentions many of these things, too)
the real benefit of a low carb diet is to head off many diseases like heart disease,
cancer, diabetes, and many digestive and intestinal disorders. If
you choose a low carb diet for these reasons, and you take the weight loss as
a pleasant side effect, and use exercise to speed up your weight loss, then there
is no need to take any chances with a severely restricted carb phase. I've
done my share of induction phases, and might do so in the future again. But then
again I might not, because I'm not convinced that the phase is essential for those
who are patient and who adopt a low carb way for more than just quick weight loss.
If
Not Induction, Then What?
Here is my rough rule of thumb for my diet now.
I would recommend something like this for those just starting out, too. I
aim for six meals a day. I try to have a piece of meat, or eggs with cheese or
something. With that I have a vegetable, and a half a piece of fruit (like an
apple or an orange, or grapes). This comes to about 12-15 grams of carbs per meal.
If I
am at a time and place where I am still trying to lose weight, I monitor my weight,
and if this eating plan isn't producing the results I want, then I tweak my exercise
plan rather than my diet. Again,
if you want a great book on how to burn fat with exercise, there really isn't
a better book out there than Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. And
if you haven't seen Dr. Lutz's book "Life Without Bread", I would recommend
you pick up a copy of that, too. With
those plugs in, I don't want you to think I have anything against Dr. Atkins book.
It's a wonderful book. But I'm guessing most of my readers already have that one
;-) References
1.
Atkins, Robert. Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution (DANDR). (Quill Press, 2002). 2.
Lutz, Wolfgang. Life Without Bread (LWB). (Keats Publishing, 2000). 3.
Venuto, Tom. Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (BFFM). Self Published. About
the Author
Jim Stone is 35 years old and about to get his PhD in
Philosophy. He has read widely about low carb, high fat, and paleo-type diets.
He enjoys weight training, chess, and would like to learn Brasilian Jiu Jitsu.
Jim enjoys writing about low carb nutrition and human motivation. Click
here for more of his excellent work. | 
