Thread: Newbie questions on slow start

I am by no means an expert, but I have read the book DANDR, and I have been listening a lot to what people say here...so these are a few things that come to mind.

#1 - How many calories are you eating per day? Remember that if you go too low in calories, your body will not want to give up what it has. It will think you are trying to "starve" it and will hang on to as many extra pounds as it can.

#2 - Are you eating all the veggies that Atkins calls for?

#3 - It might be time for you to up your carbs a little bit...after five weeks of Induction, your body may have adjusted to the low level of carbs you are having (16 is really low...20 should be the minimum for a healthy Atkins WOE), and now it is stuck. Adding five grams of veggie carbs each day could be enough to kick you back into gear.

#4 - Although sugar alcohol carbs are theoretically not counted as net carbs, they often cause people to slow down or stall in their weight loss. If your Atkins Morning Start bar has sugar alcohols in it and you are indeed having one every day, that could be the culprit right there. Try a week of replacing that snack with something else...some cheese or some veggies...and see what happens.

#5 - Some recommend you drink half your body weight in water. If you weigh 160 pounds right now, 80 ounces is good. If not, you could up it until you go to half your body weight.

#6 - Being in ketosis is like being pregnant. You can't be a little bit pregnant, and you can't be a little bit in ketosis. If you are showing even trace on the ketostix, you are in ketosis. That bad taste in your mouth is another indication of ketosis. I like to call that dragon breath. When your body has ketones to excrete, they go through your urine and your breath. The more water you drink, the more you will urinate, and the less ketones will come out through your breath. However, if you up your water, realize that your ketostix reading might be affected...as your urine will be more diluted.

Hope this helps you out some! I am sure others will chime in with their help.

Welcome aboard!

what mary said! as far as the slow loss, i would be willing to bet that the bars are a big part of the issue. they do slow down so many people, that's the first place i always tell people to look. the sugar alcohols affect folks differently, and for some, it works the same way sugar does.

and make sure you're eating enough! if you don't eat enough, your metabolism will slow down to compensate and hang on to every ounce of fat, man...

and yeah, the breath and taste thing is good, if annoying. 'cause it means you're in ketosis. drinking water helps some with it, but i never sweat it too much, 'cause i know it's good news when it's happening.

KCTinter - ditch that Atkins bar. We see it all the time here, someone adds these as a part of their daily intake and WHAM - your weight lose hits the breaks.

I have found the less fake food I eat, the better I lose.

Could you post a more detailed menu?? I've a nasty feeling you are not getting enough carbs.

This isn't my first go round with Atkins either - BUT I'm losing faster and better then I did before BECAUSE I stopped eating at such a low carb rate the nano second induction was over!

The longer you stay a such a low level of carbs, the more your body will resist losing the extra weight.

Instead of the Atkins bar at night - have strawberries and cream. That will satisfiy your sweet tooth AND raise your carbs.

Don't give up, even a pound a week is less then what you started at!!!!

OH, just a thought, have you had your thyroid checked?????

Alida,
Welcome to LCE
Good advice so far. How much do you need to lose? Sometimes, if the total pounds to be lost is around 20 or less, the going is just s...l...o...w.... I'm sorry to say :(
If you are in the 5th week of atkins, you should be having more than 20 carbs; more like around 35gm or so. Increase veggies first, then add some berries, and nuts. Please do not stay at 20gm for an infinite time...you won't be doing your body any favors, and you will be missing out on a wonderful way of eating that includes meats, veggies, fruits, nuts, and yes, at a later time, you will be able to add back in some grains.
Post often and let us know how you are doing.
Good luck to you

Shelley

Well, I was weak last night and caved in and had that Atkins AM Bar. BTW, no sugar alcohols, but glycerine and 1 g "sugar". The other flavor I enjoy does have 1 g./sugar alcohol. Sheesh. That doesn't sound like a lot. But if you all think that's the culprit, I'll keep trying to omit it. I did get up to 20 carbs, with more salad and veggies. Weighed same this AM. I have 30 pounds to lose. Maybe I just have to resign myself that this will be a slow process. I do FEEL thinner!

Question: If my body is so sensitive to sugar alcohols, should I also omit Splenda and all foods made with Splenda? Or is that another category altogether? My downfall has always been sweets. Could eat a whole BIG bag of M&M's in the car while doing errands.

Also, because of my age and past history of yo-yo dieting, my body is just so in tune with lack of food. I think it wants to hang on to every bit of fat it has. Suggestions to increase carbs via veggies sounds like the way to go!

Thanks!

Good News! Splenda is not considered a sugar alcohol. Bad news - The powdered splenda has dextrose as a filler which has some carbs. So they need to be counted. Sorry I cannot remember how many carbs in packet and loose splenda but perhaps someone here can give that information.

Hi, and welcome, Alida!! :jump:

I'm in agreement with the others here. The bars will stall you in a heartbeat. And, I'm told, it isn't just the sugar alcohols, but the glycerine, as well, that will cause problems. I know they are convenient, but not a good idea.
The packets of Splenda, according to the package, have less than one gram of carbs each. I count them as one gram apiece. The pourable Splenda has 24 grams per cup; more fillers there.
You know, it could be that you are thinner...try taking your measurements instead of weighing. Sometimes you can lose inches and not pounds. And yes, some of us are slow losers, but a lot of slow losers here have lost tons of weight, just by being patient and sticking to their program. A slow loss is better for you, anyway, especially if you are, um, a little older (like me!). It gives your skin a chance to adjust, so you don't get saggy.
Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress!!

Alida, all have given you great advice. Like Shelley said, the less you have to lose the slower the process. Taking weight off slowly is the best by far, in any situation. Best wishes to you and make sure you drop by the forum often, it really helps to keep me motivated and on track.

Trina, Rob and all,

OK. OK. I'll quit the bars! :crying: Years ago (mid to late 1970's) when I first did Atkins (and I think I still have the article from Vogue magazine about the diet), there were NO low carb "convenience" foods. (Does anyone remember the original "Diet Revolution Rolls"??) So, on that diet I did eat all natural foods. Great success, but then I was also much younger! Now, perhaps all the low carb convenience foods may do older low carbers a disservice, especially in the early stages of the diet. One is lulled into their use. Even though I am older, life is more hectic, hence a tendency to grab convenience. Re: those Atkins bars. He says they are OK for induction. HA! Perhaps for some, but not this bod!

Alida, I too am a member in good standing of the "Slow As A Glacier Club." I only lost 6 lbs the first 3 weeks of doing Atkins almost a year and a half ago. I am here to tell you that I HAVE finally lost 33 lbs in that amount of time. I have a pattern of losing and then stalling, losing and then stalling. According to the doc, my thyroid is fine, but I'll bet it's on the slow side. Anyway, don't fret, don't give up, settle into a good food routine. Up the allowed veggies as much as possible. Give up the bars. Try to find a recipe for something you like from the recipe data base here. If you make it yourself, you know what's in it. In the beginning, I had the worst sweet cravings. I turned to Diet A&W with a couple of TBS. of heavy cream in it.......like a rootbeer float. I'll tell ya, those saved me. I didn't do them very often, but when I absolutely HAD to have something, that's what I did. I avoided the bars as much as possible. I really don't like to use sodas with aspartame, but I was desperate. It's much better now. I have also upped my exercise. I understand that you are exhausted from your schedule, but if you can even squeeze in a brisk 10 min walk, that will help you a lot.

It sounds like you are under a lot of stress. Your cortisol levels are probably way out of whack, and that's a weight loss killer. Try to find something that will relax you. Yoga is really worth looking into. And, the more physical stuff you can do for yourself in the form of exercise, the more relaxed you will feel. Maybe find a DVD or Tape from your library and give yoga a try. Start out small and easy. Don't overdo at first. It gets easier.

Hang in there, hang with us, we've all been there, done that at some point or another. We will hoop and holler for ya or we'll commiserate with ya. Whatever you need. Stick with us, this is a GREAT support network!!!!!!

Welcome aboard!!!!!

Alida, I found that products with glycerine in them seemed to stall my weight loss. I don't know why that would be, but I'm not the only one to notice that problem.

There are legal treats you can have that are so ~yummy~! Try a tablespoon of sour cream over strawberries - perhaps sweetened with a little splenda.

Check the recipe section for ideas (u can make LC cheesecakes and puddings or custards quite easily).

Here's a little cake you can make in a heartbeat using just 1 bowl (for mixing and cooking) and a fork.

3-Minute Chocolate Almond Cake

Ingredients -
1/4 cup almond flour
1 TBS cocoa power
1/4 tsp baking bower
2 - 3 packets of Splenda (or sweeten to taste using other LC sweetners)

2 T melted butter (optional)
1 T water, or SF syrup such as Da Vinci's sugar free vanilla or almond
1 egg

In a 2-cup pyrex measuring cup or small microwavable bowl, blend all dry ingredients. Add water, melted butter and egg and mix well. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 1 minute (adjust time for your microwave) .

When this comes out of the microwave, it looks a bit wet but dries as it cools. If desired, you can top it with whipped cream, a dusting of dry splenda and cocoa, cream cheese frosting, sweetened almond butter -- use your imagination.

I play around with this recipe all the time. It seems to be pretty forgiving. I play with subsituting some of the dry ingredients (flax meal, egg protein isolate), changing flavors, using different kinds of sweetners, omitting the butter, adding chopped nuts, or a few dried blueberries.

*Almond flour: I prefer Trader Joe's because it includes the almond skins and is a bit drier than other nut flours. Most other almond flour or almond meals are made from blanched almonds, so they are slightly moist. You can buy almond flour at most healthfood stores or online at www.almondsonline.com or www.netrition.com.

To all:

Thank you so much for your support!

You may all go Yeech! when I tell you this . . . but last night I was wandering around the kitchen looking for something sweet other than BARS! Being a baker, I remember how much I enjoyed licking the spoon after creaming butter & sugar. I took 1 large TBS butter, creamed with a little Splenda and ate it! That was great. I also had half a carton of LC yogurt at 2 1/2 carbs. Thought maybe I overdid it, but this AM down 1/2 pound. Go figure.

And Barb, yes, I am stressed. I lost my best assistant and now am working with two assistants who are not as bright. They are intelligent guys, just not as handy with the type of work I need them to do (prep windows for window tinting, which also requires removing blinds, curtains, hardware, etc.) I don't FEEL stressed, but I guess I am! And what the heck is a CORTISOL?

I have checked out Curves and another type of "weight-Loss/Exercise" place called "Imagine" about 2 minutes from my house. Though I liked Curves better, Imagine is closer to my house and I drive right past it to and from jobs. I think I will join that. Has a free 2-week trial. Can't beat free.

Teelbee -- As for strawberries and cream . . . I believe fruit is one of the last things you are to add with Atkins. But hey! I could try a little and see how I respond. That Chocolate Almond Cake sounds wonderful! I do have some Almond flour. Haven't used it yet. I'll try it this weekend!

I wonder how much a body "remembers" an old way of eating. I used to not eat breakfast, hardly any lunch, gorge at 4PM, have dinner, then 1/2 hour later have a big bowl of ice cream or milk and cookies or candy. In spite of eating correctly, I notice I still have slight 4PM cravings, which can usually be ignored, or I'll snack on a piece of cheese or celery, but the after dinner sweet craving is still hanging in there, in spite of adding more salad at dinner. After dinner is the ONLY time I ever feel deprived. Perhaps it is also boredom. It's the end of the day, dinner is done, and it is the time I watch a little TV with hubby. Maybe I need to clean a few closets instead. LOL! Since I know a little Splenda won't bother my weight loss now, I'll make my own sweet treats!

Thanks again for all your help. You are wonderful!