I guess now is as good a time as any to introduce myself as the sites newest newbie. I've been reading for a few days and decided that if I was going to make a commitment, then the best thing would be to put it in writing for all to see.

I started Atkins Oct. 1. It was/has been slow going.
The first two weeks I perfectly followed the diet.
Week 1: Lost 3 pounds.
Week 2: Lost 2 pounds.
These numbers weren't at all what I was expecting, especially when I read about people losing 10 and 15 pounds the first week. And no, I'm not a little gal with little to lose. I'm in the morbidly obese range.
Week 3: I lost a big fat ZERO. But I blame that on two days of cheating when I got fed up and decided that Atkins wasn't for me.
Then I decided that I wasn't going to be a quitter. At least not yet. So, I got back on the diet (adding Atkins Advantage bars...which I now see was a mistake)
Week 4: I lost 1 pound.

Now, I'm determined to give it a real try. I found this site and I'm looking forward to sharing encouraging words, recipes and tips.

Melissa
222/216/160

welcome, I will congratulate you for finding the best website for lcing.
People here are helpful, knowledgeable and friendly.
When I started a little over a year ago this is how I lost:
first week 11, then nothing for 3 weeks, then 2, next week was 1, then 3 the next week, then three in two weeks, then 1 then 3 then 1
so.... don't compare yourself with anyone elses losses.... each of us is unique.
Make sure you are drinking at least half your body weight in water ie.
if you weight 200 lbs, drink 100 oz water (a little over 3 quarts)
water helps move everything out of your system
hope this
helps.
c

__________________
http://www.youravon.com/cnorulak
carolyn in texas
started 8/11/03 327/268/177
5/20/08/ - 348
onward thru the fog

Melissa,

Welcome. I had lost 9 pounds on day 12 and thought I should have lost a lot more than that because of my size when I first started. I was following a different program but it was similar to Atkins (I have since gotten the book and switched). I thought, I should be someone that loses 10 pounds the first week! But of course I agree now with Carolyn, don't compare yourself to others. There are always people that will do better and worse. You don't want to get discouraged.


Have you upped your activity level? :jump: Atkins says that you must be exercising to "do Atkins". I didn't exercise for the first month and a half. I joined the couch fauxtato challenge and rarely had anything to add as far as what I was doing. Then in October I told myself that I HAD to get moving or the weight would never come off like I wanted. I started slowly but quickly moved up my minutes. Now I work out 30 minutes a day for 6 days a week. I do 3 days aerobics and 3 days of the Walk Away the Pounds-2 mile. I still go home not wanting to do anything but the increase in my weekly losses and posting on the "fauxtato" board keeps me going.

Also as Carolyn said, keep up your water. It really helps.

Good luck, and remember, when you stumble don't give up. I had a horrible Chinese food incident in the beginning, followed by a couple candy bars a few days later. I knew if I didn't nip it in the butt I'd quit for sure. So after a few days of re-induction I was ok. You could go to the journaling threads and start a journal to keep track of the highs and lows. Or read other people's journals. It helps to know other people are going through the same thing.

This is a great site. I've only been here 2 1/2 months but feel right at home and did from the beginning.

Good luck.

__________________
Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.

welcome!!
congrats on the weight you have lost thus far.
have you read the Atkins (DANDR) book?? if not, i would definitely suggest picking up a copy.
also, maybe if you post a few of your average menus, we could help tweak it, make suggestions, etc.
and if you are using any bars or "fake" foods (like LC chocolates, etc), i would recommend getting rid of em right away .......

best of luck!!

Congragulations on your weight loss and making a committment. Believe me, this journey will be worth it - as I have found out for myself.

For me, I lost 4 lbs the first week and 6.5 the next (the 2nd week, I added 30 minutes of jumping rope into my routine)...but I didn't have a whole lot to lose, either. However, it has taken me almost 3 years to get off 66 lbs. And I'm glad it took me that long. I learned new eating habits along the way and finally developed an understanding that this was the way I would eat for the rest of my life. And because of how slow my weight loss was, the easier it has been for me to maintain that weight loss. We all want to lose weight in a hurry. At times, I wished I coudl have just snapped my fingers and lost the weight...but like they always say, 'you didn't put the weight on overnight. It's not going to come off over night.' I still have slip-ups every once in awhile, but I don't let it get me down, and I don't beat myself up over it, either. I just move on...

Instead of thinking Atkins is a not for you thing, after just a little time on it, I would say to give it at least 6 months and then make the decision whether Atkins is for you or not. But try to give it at least that much time to work for you. A lot people here are known to have that 3rd week infamous stall. So at least you know it's happened to other people as well. I can't even remember if I stalled the 3rd week - it's been so long since I was on induction.

The bars are a your mileage may vary thing. Some people stall out on them. Others seem to be able to eat them every so often and them not affect them. I might have one once a month - if even that. I've decided it's better just to make your own desserts - that way, at least you KNOW what goes in them...and you don't have to worry about that sugar alcohol or any other stuff companies may have added to their product...I've been told that some companies put some type of additive in those lc bars to make you hungrier. It's a good way for them to make lots more money...it's just better to go all natural foods...nothing processed.

And I agree...post your menu here. Maybe we can see what might be going on, see what might be causing you to lose so slow. Maybe there's something in there you can't see but some of us here will be able to see. It sometimes helps to look at it through someone else's eyes other than your own.

I wish you the best of luck in your success!

Sheyla
186/119/115

Welcome, Melissa.

Everyone is correct about people losing at different rates. The only common thing is that if you have committed to change the way you eat, you will ultimately lose the weight.

You and I are different sizes, but we both started out needing to lose about one third of our pre-lc weight. Mine came off, in fits and starts, over the course of two years and I've maintained it for four years. Many people's losses come much faster. Whether it's faster or slower, the important thing is gaining the knowledge and skills to maintain your normalized weight for the rest of your life.

Please make yourself at home.

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First, welcome to The Board! And pat yourself on the back for your loss and decision to commit.

I only lost 4.5 pounds the first six weeks of Atkins. But I was a victim of the "LC Processed Food Demon." I ate the bars and drank the shakes (all Atkins stuff). After finding this site, I learned the error of my ways! I switched to "All Natural" and finally saw some results.

The suggestion of reading the book (or re-reading) is excellent. Ditto the water. Water is really non-negotiable. And if you are a couch fauxtato, start small, but start something!

And do publish some daily menus. You would be amazed at how many times this board has caught some small, seemingly insignificant food that was the culprit!

Good luck to you, and again, Welcome!

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Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Thank you all for the replies. The more I read LCE posts, the more I think Atkins Inc. may be the downfall of my Atkins diet. I've always been a fast-food junkie but it took over my life after I divorced and went back into the workforce. I'd skip breakfast, grab a quick/cheap burger between appointments, work late and didn't feel like cooking so I'd grab some more quick/cheap fast food again for dinner. The lifestyle hasn't been healthy for me or my son.

Since going on Atkins, my foods have changed, but the lifestyle didn't.
The first two weeks a typical meal would be something like this:
Atkins shake for breakfast; Pollo Loco (flame broiled) chicken and small salad for lunch; hamburger patty for dinner; Atkins shake for desert. (I stayed under 20g of carbs, wasn't hungry, kept my fast-food mentality, but I was bored.)

Some days, I'd substitute the chicken for two ounces of cheddar or string cheese and have the salad with some sort of meat (beef, chicken, pork--I don't do fish) for dinner. Or I'd grab a bunless 6g carb burger or chicken club at Carl's Jr.

Week three I found Atkins bars and would exchange one of the shakes or meal for a bar. This may well be the culprit.

Exercise? Who has the time, energy or fortitude to exercise?
I've long known that I should and my doctor has even told me that I need to start walking as I experience a markee shortness of breath whenever I walk up a flight of stairs or fast-walk or even regular walk up an incline or when I carry 7 or 8 extra pounds--yes, all the more reason why I should exercise. My intent was to lose 20 pounds and see if that would make exercising easier, but I guess I shouldn't put it off.

The good news is that I do have Atkins New Diet Revolution book and have read it through twice and we have a water cooler at work with an 'unlimited' supply of good drinking water (unlike that which comes out of the tap at home).

I'm looking forward to trying out some of the recipes on the site, such as those that substitute cauliflower for potato or rice. I really need to find a way to incorporate affordable, quickly prepared variety in my meals.

For variety, if you have time on the weekends, do some massive cooking, ie, broil some chicken (breasts, legs, thighs, or wings ) then keep in the fridge to grab and go... or use to make a wonderful salad... Alternately, cook up a roast, some pork chops, or some fish, that way you will have food at home when you get there, and just add salad or a cooked or raw veggie....
hope this helps... I know I have to prepare as much as possible ahead of time or I am scrambling something at the last minute, what will I eat,....

__________________
http://www.youravon.com/cnorulak
carolyn in texas
started 8/11/03 327/268/177
5/20/08/ - 348
onward thru the fog

Hi Melissa. I began my woe in August because of the college campus I am on is nothing but hills!!! So I lost 3 pounds in the first two weeks. I am an impatient soul, so I decided to do some exercise since that is inevitably the best way to shed weight, as much as I hate to exercise....I have been doing it ever since. I watch what I eat and I walk 2 to 3 miles a day. I began this weighing in at 230. I am now 195!
Be true to you, give yourself what you deserver, which is a chance, and some credit. You can only do it, if you really believe you can. You will hit a cesation in loss and that's ok. Ride it through and avoid the scale. I weigh in once a week....during a stall, I avoided the scale for a good month. If you weigh yourself daily, you WILL become discouraged and feel your efforts are futile!

i think you may be on to something here...

welcome melissa. you've already got some great advice, as per normal. i will tell you that you may find both the shakes and the bars can be problemmatic, as they are for many people and if i had to guess based on the typical menus you posted, that is the first place i'd look for problems.

for me, i've found it most helpful to work on changing my outlook, from thinking of this as a diet i'd give a whirl to see, to an actual lifestlye. i encourage you to give it a fair shake and see what it can do for you. while low carb isn't for everybody, i've seen so many people lose so much weight on it without all the angst that often accompanies other weight-loss attempts, i'm always quick to encourage folks to really give it a chance.

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Welcome!

Exercise - who has the time and energy??? Well, for me to be successful, I have to MAKE time for exercise. Yes, we are all busy with jobs, family, community, commitments, etc... But we are talking about a lifestyle change here, right? So, for me, the exercise is key.

Good luck to you!
Kelly

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Kelly
Highest recorded weight: 103.2kg/227.04lbs (03/15/08)
Current: 97kg/213.4lb-13.64
Goal:150
"Resensitizing myself to the urgency and severity of my weight problem is important in keeping myself motivated. I have to remind myself that my body will not tolerate this abuse forever." Jeannette Fulda, aka PastaQueen

OK. Soooo....I'm Melissa. I may even have to change my name!

From the "I sure hope the first post leads to a commitment" comment to the iet/lifestyle post (I just finished my EAS Edge drink for breakfast, with my second cup of coffee, and am wondering whether to do El Pollo Loco or Low Carb Burger for lunch. Eerie....) I found myself saying "well, yeah....uh huh....exactly...." Then, as I read other posts and hear comparisons of "lifestyle" to "diet", the commitment level seems to increase ever so slightly, and I feel very, very glad to have found this forum. Must....change....lifestyle. Must.....(ugh)....find time to exercise.....

We're intelligent people, and it's amazing how we know exactly what we need to do (exercise would certainly be a more healthy way of relieving stress than the pre-dinner scotch (rocks...no carbs...how's THAT for rationalization?) or wine, yet....who has time for exercise?) yet....

Changes must be made, and they will be. Just venting a little bit. It's that "what will it take to make a commitment?" thing, and the hope that this will help.

Gary

gary-

i think the commitment is gradual. everybody i've ever seen low-carbing starts out "dieting" (including myself majorly!) and then, almost inperceptibly, find themselves just living differently after awhile. you don't have the pain level that usually accompanies dieting, and in time, it seems people just learn to integrate it into their lives.

i do think that mental flux is critical though, to keep it off. it just can't be temporary, so you have to find a way to do it or whatever that you can live with.

anyway, that's my bag. i also usually encourage people just starting out to not "sweat" the exercise yet. you're focusing on a lot, and if you take on too much or push yourself to do something you don't like, you're setting yourself up to quit!

yes, exercise is important, but a lot of us are not big formal exercisers. some turn into exercise lovers, some never do. for me, key is just start moving in the right direction. for exercise, take a little walk after dinner or dance around the house when you're vaccumming or wrestle with some kids or a dog or something. just move a little bit. as you go on, you'll keep getting more energy and you'll keep feeling better and it will come.

anyway, that's what i think! one step in front of the other and before you know it, you'll be someplace!

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LOL, Gary. We are a match, indeed! Luckily, though, we could dine out together and not think the other odd for ordering a burger without a bun or Pollo Loco chicken without taters, rice or beans as a side dish. :-)

I'm quite overweight, but I'm in even worse physical shape than most people who are as overweight as I am. My doctor wants me to exercise but, to be honest, I have a mild exercise phobia. Long story that has to do with an unconditioned heart (that beats hard with the slightest exertion), asthma (which is under control with medication) and panic attacks (exertsion, heart pounds, I panic thinking that it's another asthma attack, I hyperventilate--which has the same gasping for air response as an asthma attack.)

I recently bought myself a really nice pedometer. It's recommended that people walk a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. Well, in the past four days I figured out that I average about 1,300 steps from the time I leave the house to go to work and the time I return. I don't have any plans to start walking 10,000 steps tomorrow, but I do plan to slowly increase my walking distance until I comfortably reach 10,000 steps a day. Hopefully by then, I'll be in better shape (physically and emotionally) and will feel confident about joining Curves or some other similar program.

Right now, though, it's one step at a time. And changing the way I eat is my first step. There are many, many food that I truly miss, but for the most part I'm not having trouble sticking to this "diet". And yes, as long as I have weight to lose I'll see it as a diet. My hope is that I'll reach my goal, be a lowcarb eater 29 days a month and be able to allow myself that chile relleno, movie popcorn or meal of pinto beans and cornbread once a month.

Will I be able to control my monthly splurges after goal? Or will I be like an alcoholic and fall off the carb wagon for months? I don't know. I'm going to try not to worry about that right now. My only focus at this point is to get down to a comfortable weight and start getting myself in better overall physical condition.

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Melissa