My main focus for keeping on track at the moment is focusing on a holiday i have in six months time. I like to imagine i'll be slim and tanned by then

I wondered if other members who have already reached their goal or have done it before could tell me how long it took them to loose their weight to give me an indication od how long this is going to take.

And yes, i know everyone is different, i just want a rough indication.

Cheers!

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Countdown to Spring Challange
224/224/215

First of all, welcome to a great board. If you haven't yet done so, please click on the Beginners button up there under the headline. You'll find lots of information and answers to fundamental questions.

Then read the Stickies on this thread that address other issues.

Of course, we're assuming you have purchased (or checked out from the library) the BOOK pertaining to whatever LC program you've chosen to follow. And that you have read it carefully from cover to cover.

NOW...in answer to your question.

YMMV. Your mileage may vary. There is absolutely no "normal" or usual pattern of weight loss. As with other weight loss programmes, LC will probably average out to about one-half pound up to two pounds per week. Two pounds per week is about the upper limit of safe, sustainable weight loss.

I say "average," because you may go a number of weeks without losing anything at all, and then you'll drop down. So don't quit just because it seems too slow. You are learning a new way of eating, and if you do that well, you will never have to go on a "diet" again. You'll become a lifetime low-carber, controlling your weight in a very satisfactory way.

That's the real goal!
Best wishes.

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


My Fitday Journal

weestar-i'll give you some advice, but it's not what you want.

the BEST thing you can do, in my opinion, to facillitate success is absolutely, positively let go of the HOW LONG question all together. stop asking how long it will take and stop even worrying about it.

there. i said it!

if you want low-carb to work for you, you have to make changes to your LIFE, not go on a diet for 6 months. if you start eating exactly the way you used to, you'll start weighing just what you used to. maybe harsh? i don't mean for it to be. but it's sure true!

you're rush is very, very normal (believe me, we've all been there) but it's also very not helpful. and you absolutely already know that there are too many variables for you to predict it, let alone somebody who knows very little about you. let go of the need for reassurances with guarentees attached and start focusing on taking care of you, doing things you know you are good for you, and getting healthy. the weight loss becomes an amazing fringe benefit and your stress level goes down if you do this.

now, that being said...if you want to maximize your losses and the rate thereof there are things you can do...lots! keep up on your water. follow your plan closely, and refer to the book often. come here for support and advice and encouragement. avoid lc junk foods, and eat as many natural, whole foods and veggies as possible. get some light to moderate exercise in. have "legal" snacks on hand and get the junk that temps you out of the house. eat until you're not hungry, but not until you hit stuffed. watch eating late in the evening. pay attention to amounts for higher calorie foods (even though most people don't have to count calories, you do have to be aware) like cheese, cream cheese and heavy cream. take your vitamins and don't weigh yourself often, lest you become discouraged with the NORMAL fluctuations in the scale.

weight tends to come off quicker for people who have more to lose, haven't done induction too often before, and stick to their plan, avoiding processed and lc junk food like the bars. (famous for stalling people out!) so yeah, you can control the rate to some degree.

but more important than the speed--this is changing your habits here!--is making changes that are maintainable and pleasant once you're adjusted. if you can do that, really change your lifestyle, you can change your weight forever.

now, it's that better than just changing things for six months or so?

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EatSmart Nutritional Scale Review

To add to what Barb said, you can improve how you look while you are losing weight by exercising. In my experience, a combination of strength training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) cardio is the best way to go. Based on your profile, it looks like you are already doing some good cardio activities already. The strength training will help build muscle, which will raise your metabolism, which will burn calories, which will help burn fat. Not to mention that building muscle mass while losing weight will make you look leaner (a pound of muscle is denser and takes up less space than a pound of fat) and will help to keep you from looking flabby. And I promise you that you will NOT look all big and bulky just from doing strength training. When women lift weights, it makes them look lean and svelte, not like a bodybuilder.

As I mentioned before, I looked at your profile and it looks like you are doing some exercise already. You should probably get into a regular exercise routine if you're not already. Once you start exercising regularly, don't weigh yourself as often, but measure yourself with a tape measure about once a week (places like bust, waist, hips, upper thigh, calf, forearm, upper arm) so you can see where you are losing inches. Sometimes you will lose inches when you aren't losing pounds (or even if you gain a pound or two) because you will be building muscle and losing fat simultaneously. Oh, and take some before and during pics - they are great motivation. Pick an outfit (or, if you're really brave, a two-piece swimsuit or a sports bra and shorts), and once a month, take some pictures of yourself in that outfit from different angles. It's such a rush to see how you shrink, even when the scale doesn't show it!

And since you asked - the last time I did Atkins, when I hit goal (and even surpassed it), it took me a year to lose 54 lbs. Again, YMMV. But even after 30 lbs lost I looked pretty good

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Jen
Mother of two boys (5/14/04, 4/1/07)
Done Atkins more times than I can count
Trying to get back at it!
Low carb forever (even if I do keep falling off the wagon!)

Hi Weestar and welcome!

I noticed by your profile that you were born the year I graduated from high school!

You have already received some good advice...this board has some incredible members. Just remember, that it's just advice. It's true that YMMV, so you need to find what works for you. Having said that, there is so much knowledge and experience here that people are willing to share, I hope that you take advantage of it. And Goddess is tough sometimes, but she is right on. I can't thank her enough for all her wisdom and insight!

As for me, I have lost right around 90 lbs in 15 months...When I started, I had a really important goal in mind for a trip I was planning. Well, as I got closer to the date, I became distressed because I knew I wasn't going to make my goal. I had to do some mental adjustments and be thankful for what I had accomplished. I discovered that my life was so much better and I realized that even if I never lost another pound, I would be okay.

I still have a ways to go...somewhere around 30 lbs, but I am taking it one day at a time. The last two months have been a little difficult for me, but I keep coming back. It's not because the woe isn't working, it's because I have not been focusing on the things I need to do. The support here is wonderful and I know I will reach my goal. At this point, I am not really on a timetable, I just want to be healthy and never go back to my old ways!

Best of luck to you!

Meg

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Atkins - 11/03/03 (lost 103 lbs)
Restart Atkins - 11/03/08
269/248/150ish

All the above is excellent advice. I'll just tell you it has taken me about 7 months to lose a total of 35 pounds. But I am 58 years old and hate exercise. My business is labor intensive so on days when I should/could go to a gym, or exercise at home, that's the last thing I want to do! Good luck and please let us know how you are doing.

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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

KC, let me suggest this. You don't "hate exercise." You just haven't found one you like yet.

If you are staying active in everyday life, you're probably getting more exercise than the average person.

However, there are all kinds of activities other than calisthenics that turn out to be enjoyable. And after all, who can do something (like low-carb eating!) day after day without finding a way to make it enjoyable??

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


My Fitday Journal

WeeStar:
I'm kind of like Alida...except that I'm much further away from my goal.
It's took me 3 months to lose 18 pounds. The past two months I've lost only 2 pounds...plus there's that other two pounds that I've lost and gained a dozen times in two months. It just won't go away.

And like Alida, I hate exercise. And I have a job that emotionally drains me, leaving me with very little physical energy at the end of the day. If I was to pick up my exercise, I'd probably start losing again.

Your profile said you are following a "low carb" way of eating. That's great. But I would encourage you to find a low-carb plan (Atkins, South Beach, or ???) and follow the plan very closely. Watch for any foods that may cause stalls or that may not agree with you. I'm thinking I may need to go back to the basics for awhile and then try to find out if there is a food or foods (cheese? dressings? shakes?) that is slowing my loss.

BTW...you picked a great site to support you in your lowcarb journey. I'd have thrown in the towel months ago....but not I'm looking at it in the long term....not just until I lose my weight. I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER now that I'm eating low carb.

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Melissa

Only one thing to add: don't rely solely on the scales as a measure of your progress. Another thing to go by is your measurements. If you haven't already take your measurements and start keeping a record. I've seen lots of people report that their measurements get smaller even during periods when the scale seems to be stuck. That's especially true if you get regular exercise. For my part, I'd much rather wear a smaller size than be lighter, LOL!

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~~~Teelbee
Back to GOAL!!!
start weight: 176/goal range: 137-134/now: 138
Reached goal in Aug. 2003 - 4rd year of maintenance.

Teel, yes, the inches are important! They do seem to follow a different drummer than the scale. For instance, before my vacation, I bought some plain docker khakis, size 10 petite. The 8 petite were a trifle small even though I could zip them up. These were bought at 131 pounds, about 3 weeks ago. This AM I was 129. Only two pounds less. But those 10 dockers? A tad too big. And I bought 3 pair! Gotta try the hot water wash, hot dry method of shrinking!

And Barb, yes, I know what you mean about not finding an exercise I like. Actually, my favorite is doing some calisthenics in the evening after dinner. Probably not the best time, and not often enough. I used to do it religiously years ago, but that was before a fused wrist and hip/back arthritis happened. You are also right in that I probably get more exercise in than I think. Hanging window film is akin to 1) washing windows; and, 2) wallpaper hanging. According to Diet Power 1 hour of washing windows burns up 193 calories and 1 hour of hanging wallpaper burns up 184 calories. And I usually do this (especially during the summer) for 4 to 6 hours a day, three to four days a week, with lots of reaching, bending and up/down ladders, step stools. Whew!

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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

oh alidia, i count EVERYTHING. i think all the moving is definitely exercise! just because you don't put on a special outfit and listen to a pert aerobics instructor doesn't mean you're not moving, man!

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EatSmart Nutritional Scale Review

Hi!
Welcome to our world! I must say I don't know what I would have done without these folks. . . they know everything.
My personal journey was around 90 pounds in around a year. I don't know exactly anymore, since it's been so long since I've tracked anything. I've now been in the same 5 pound zone since July, without any effort whatsoever. I've learned how to eat on this journey, and it's totally freed me. A quote I wrote down and memorized: Slipping into post-dryer jeans is a truer and more relevant measure than any scale!
So don't get too wound up in the number, enjoy the trip and treat it as the lifelong learning experience that it is!

Stacie
222/131-36 maintaining for 8 months!

stacie... i love the quote... its amazing to me that when i was drying jeans in the dryer BEFORE they always SHRUNK.. now i can fry em till they burn my hands and they dont seem to shrink at all...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm interesting...*L* but i DO love being able to wear ones out of the dryer instead of hanging over a chair after i STREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACHED the waist a bunch while wet so they WOULDNT uh.. SHRINK even hangin to dry..*L*... my my my ... the headgames we play...*grin*

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kims SECOND journal is HERE
kims new blog
KIMS BLOG !!
SUGARFREE BLOG

Stacie and Kim, LOL. Been there done that! I would have to stretch my stuff with the iron!

And Dixie, don't you HATE those (you know the word I want to put here) pert little instructors?!

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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 so much!! You advice has been invaluble to me in starting this. got through the weekend without too many mishapps - i had 1 chocolate but refuse to freak out about it....at least i didnt eat a muffin!!

Been doing regualar exercise for a while now so im in a routine. Barb, you are exactly right, it took me years of finding something i like, and now that i have it's easy to stick too.

Meg, thank you for your advice about the holiday, im not using it as my soul focus, i know it will take me longer but i hope that thinking about that will get me through the "bad" days! Im still holding off on buying a bikini though....just incase the power of positive thoughts and all that!!!

It's so tempting to weigh myself every day but im going to stop...yesterday i put on 2lb AFTER i had been to the gym :silly: so now i know it will flucuate all day. Bought a small note book to record my loses and measurments ONCE a week to encourage me.

This site is great, i'll keep you all updated on how i do!

Thanks!

Vikki x

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Countdown to Spring Challange
224/224/215