The Program: Phase 3

Objectives of Pre-Maintenance

By the time you move to Phase 3 of the Atkins Diet, you’ve clearly learned how to take control of your appetite and are probably enjoying a greater variety of carb foods. Best of all, you’re just 10 pounds from your goal weight. Now, in addition to saying good-bye to those final pounds of excess fat, it’s time to identify your overall tolerance for carbohydrates—as well as which foods you can and cannot handle—in order to maintain your new weight. Achieving these five objectives will get you to that fabulous place—being permanently slim.

Objective 1: Lose the Last 10 Pounds—Slowly

When it comes to shedding the last pounds, slower is definitely better. You’ll deliberately put the brakes on the pace of weight loss as you gradually move toward a permanent way of eating. It may take several months to reach your goal weight, losing perhaps just half a pound a week. And that's good, because this leisurely pace tells your body, "This is completely natural." Hard as it may be, stay focused on the process—it will lead to your desired results. If you rush to shed those last pesky pounds, you may never learn what you need to know to keep them off for good.

Objective 2: Test Your Carb Tolerance

In Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL), you found your carbohydrate threshold, known as your Carbohydrate Level for Losing (CLL). When you first move to Pre-Maintenance, you’ll explore whether you can push that number a bit higher as you slow the pace of your weight loss. Some people can raise that number significantly; others can’t budge it or can move it only slightly higher. To find out, increase your daily carb intake in increments of 10 grams of Net Carbs every week or every few weeks. If weight loss stalls and/or extreme hunger or cravings return, step back 10 grams. You may discover that the CLL you discovered in OWL is where you need to stay until you’ve lost all your excess weight.

Objective 3: Test Your Tolerance for Additional Foods

Objective 3: Test Your Tolerance for Additional Foods
In Pre-Maintenance, you’ll have the opportunity to reintroduce the whole foods carbohydrates that have been off-limits until now. They appear on the top three rungs of the Carb Ladder: fruit higher in carbs, starchy vegetables and whole grains. Some people can eat all these foods; others can eat only some, eat only in small portions or eat them only rarely. Others find they do best when they simply stay away from higher-carb foods that might cause weight regain or make it difficult to stay in control. In Phase 3, you’ll learn what works—and what doesn’t work—for you.

Objective 4: Find Your Personal Carb Balance/ACE

Once you’ve reached your goal weight, you’ll say goodbye to your CLL as you seek to maintain equilibrium—meaning neither losing nor gaining weight. This new number is your personal carb balance or Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium, or ACE, for short—the number of grams of Net Carbs you can consume daily without gaining or losing weight. It may be just 5 grams above your CLL or it may be 20 or 30 or more grams higher. Like your CLL, it is a highly personal number.

Objective 5: Maintain Your Control—and Your Weight

Once you’ve found your ACE, your final objective before moving on to Phase 4, is to hold your weight steady for one month. To do so, stay at or just below your ACE and your weight should stabilize. During this dress rehearsal for Lifetime Maintenance, you can continue to climb the Carb Ladder and introduce new foods—as long as you don’t go above your ACE, but pay careful attention both to your weight and your appetite. If a food revives old cravings or makes you ravenous for more carbs, back off immediately.

Keep in mind that your goal isn't just to lose weight, but to keep it off—from now on. That's what Pre-Maintenance is all about. You fine-tune your eating habits during this third phase until they become automatic and you move on to the final phase of Atkins—also known as the rest of your life.