Hi,
I am new and a bit frustrated. Years ago I did the LC thing and lost 30 pounds and it came off rather quickly. I have always been very resistant to my body going into ketosis despite me being 100% right on and sticking with the less than 20 carbs etc.....
I started LC again 3 weeks ago and have been diligently following the reimine, even not increasing the carbs when I should have been able to.
I have only lost 2 pounds and am staring to wonder what it is that I can do to get into ketosis? When I tested myself the other day it was on the third level which was small amounts............this was the first time in three weeks it had gotten to this. The next few days it was negative ketones!
Has anyone experienced this and have any suggestions?
Thanks.

I'm still really new at lc'ing, but from what I've read all over, are you having any other "symptoms" of ketosis like metal breath? Also, I've seen where even if the stix don't show you're in ketosis as long as your carb counts are low then you should be in it.

Hopefully some others will chime in and help you out.

__________________
~~lavender~~

LC/JUDDDD
(Ticker total loss since 3/30/09)

Welcome, Zena.

Are you following the Atkins program?

__________________

Hi, Zena. Sounds frustrating.

Would you care to post a sample day's menu?

Dr. Atkins says: "A low grade of ketosis/lipolysis can take place without the LTS ever turning color. If weight loss (or inch loss) is taking place, there is no need to do anything different. But make sure you are not taking in any hidden carbohydrates (eg. sugar in cole slaw or salad dressings)."

Have you checked your measurements? Sometimes fat loss can make you shrink at the same time water retention keeps your weight from dropping.

Best wishes.

__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Welcome, Zena.

Ketosis, while certainly very helpful, isn't always necessary to be successful with LC. And there is certainly individual difference in achieving it between folks. Some folks do fine without ever showing as being in ketosis, and others get in ketosis at a drop of a hat.

I gather you're doing Atkins by your description? How much weight are you hoping to lose? Do you feel good /have good energy? Have your measurements dropped at all?

If you're concerned with your rate of loss and/or other aspects of your LCing, I'd suggest you post a menu and specify how much you are looking to lose. If your plan is working for you otherwise, then ketosis itself is really not important. But if you're not happy with how things are going, then offering more info may help folks have more ideas about what could help.

Good luck!

__________________

Hi,
Thanks for all the responses.........Yes I am doing Atkins. I have lost 2 pounds total in almost a month! Years ago it literally fell off!
I feel like I am fighting a never ending battle and so many times I have been tempted to say the heck with it all but then again, this is why I now need to lose 30 pounds! So I am sticking to this. I need to lose 25-30 pounds.
Here's my sample menu............any help would be greatly appreciated.
No inches lost either yet.......haven't measured but clothes still fit the same way.
I am not exercising or walking and I KNOW I SHOULD BE, but I am a sales rep and drive 3K miles a month and have plantars fascitis in both feet from time to time so treadmills and walking are out of the question for now.

Breakfast:
3 sausages
2 eggs coffee with cream, NO SUGAR ever
OR omlette made with eggs, cheese, peppers.

Lunch:
Ham, Turkey and Cheese roll ups with lettuce and mayo or mustard.
OR Tuna salad.........tuna and mayo only on lettuce

Dinner:
Steak and Salad
OR chicken or fish and salad

Snacks:

Broccoli or celery sticks
Sugar Free Jello


I am trying to see if maybe the cheese is slowing me down. I have been having lots of allergy issues lately too and maybe it is just going to take more time. I am 52 years old and I know age is a huge factor too!

So suggest away ok?

Thanks

Are you counting your protein? You should be consuming at least .4-.5 X your body weight in protein. So if you are a 200lb woman you should have between 80-100 grams of protein per day. Upping your protein may be helpful. Also, I'd think of eliminating the sugar free jello. I've heard the artificial sweetners can hinder weight loss. My fav is to whip up heavy whipping cream and put a dab on a small bowl of berries. Best of luck to you.

I had always heard that about artificial sweetners, sugar free sodas etc...........I did this test where I completely STOPPED all artificial anything, sodas, jello, etc........
and replaced with water for 4 months. NOTHING happened! I heard if you gave up diet soda and subbed water you'd lose weight. Well it didn't work here~

Zena, what is the calorie level you are consuming? I don't know your weight and I can't tell from your menu if you are not eating enough calories. If your calorie count is too low, you may have your metabolism in starvation mode which could be contributing toy your problem. It also sounds like you might be what Dr. Atkins classified as a "Type A" person. One of the things that Dr. Atkins recommended in DANDR for Type A people was to increase the amount of fat in their diet to break their insulin resistence. Good Luck.

__________________
Henry

I just played around with fitday and I think my problem is the cheese. Also on some days I have been eating raw broccoli and I didn't realize that it is higher in carb counts that other things. I guess I really need to get on the straight and narrow. This is todays chart of fats, protein, carbs, etc. Does anyone think this is ok as is or should be changed? I have also been reading more on the effects of caffeine and dieting and I am going to try and limit to one cup per day! Yikes I am going to be awful, but I will sub water for every time I want coffee. I'll let you know how I do. I WANT to see the scale MOVE DOWNWARDS! By the way I am starting out at a whopping 172 for me! I am 5 foot 5 and my normal weight is 140.Calories
Nutrition
%-RDA/AI Graph
Cal. Balance
Custom Nutrition Goals
GramsCalories%-CalsCalories1,743
Fat128.0
1,141
65
%Saturated29.8
267
15
%Polyunsaturated47.1
418
24
%Monounsaturated39.9
356
20
%Carbohydrate11.7
45
3
%Dietary Fiber0.5
Protein132.1
558
32
%Alcohol0.0
0
0
%