hello lraine. welcome.

i would highly encourage you to relax and stay off the scale for a few days. with a small amount of weight to lose, it will be slower than for someone with more to lose. as we get older, it tends to take more time. it's normal for weight to fluctuacte up to several pounds in one day! things like monthly cycles, water intake, salt intake, time of day you weight, and a zillion and one factors you can't pin down can all affect your weigh-ins.

if you weigh in daily-or, more likely, 12 times a day-you will find yourself on a constant emotional roller coaster that serves no purpose at all, other than to discourage you and make it more difficult for you to make good choices.

low-carb is not a quick fix, nor a crash diet, although it can sometimes give that appearance because, for many, there are quick intial losses. however, just like with any change in eating to lose weight, inital large losses posted are often primarily water getting flushed out of your system. if you don't have that, if you have less to lose, etc., it just doesn't happen the same.

your best bet, at least in my opinion, would be to put the scale up and only weigh in once a week; throughout the course of the week, stay on-plan as much as possible. (NOT below plan, as us impatient Nellies sometimes are tempted to do, as that can actually slow things down for many), and during that time, focus on the non-weight related benefits you're receiving from your change in habits. look at your energy levels, how you feel, your hunger levels, how your clothes fit, and your overall sense of well-being.

once you click that switch in your head from "diet" to "new, healthier way of eating" you're on your way to losing the rest of the weight, and most likely never having to struggle with it again. because, you know, you're not dieting. you just eat healthier now.

peace out.

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Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?

Thanks to everyone for the advice --- which is just as I expected I absolutely KNEW it was too early to weigh, but I did it anyway. I KNEW that it's how the clothes fit, not what the scale says (after all, we are eating protein, which builds muscle -- and muscle weighs more than fat. I have been feeling so good lately I have started working out and going to the gym, so maybe I am gaining muscle -- not all in two days though.) Anyway, I feel great, I'm exercising more, I am eating like a queen nd really enjoying it -- Atkins recipies are so delish! I will take the advice and eat more salad or other veggies, though. Although I am looking to lose 25 pounds, I do aim to continue through the phases to make this a way of life. I feel so much better already. Thanks everyone, for being so supportive.

Figured it was time for an update. I experienced a stall at 12 lbs. gone but kicked up 5 more carbs and broke the plateau. So far, it's week three and I'm down 17. I'm starting to see a few slight physical changes which is always encouraging. I turned 21 two days ago so I did cheat a little but found it quite easy to get back on track. Knocked me out of ketosis for a day but I was back in moderate the next morning with only a pound gained. Once I hit 25 pounds gone, I'll submit some pics of my progress, I think it should be more apparent at that weight.

Well I haven't been posting in a while so I'll give an update here. Right now, I'm weighing in at 230. My start weight was actually 260 but I discounted the first 10 lbs that melted off, seemed to me it was just water weight. So 30 lbs gone thus far, 20 to go. about 3 weeks ago I started cheating pretty bad but only gained back 5 (wedding and a lot of family in town). So I hopped back on last week.

WTG Derek!
Congrats on the 30lbs lost.
getting back on track can sometimes be hard, but it sounds like you've got that part *whipped*
Thanks for the update.
Keep on keepin' on!

S.

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Shelley
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Visit Kassie's Korner



Life deserves a treat now and again, but life also deserves being healthy[with required disipline] to make it worth living!

glad to hear the update, derek. and you know what? i count the water weight anyway, myself. you counted it when you wre weighing yourself, so why should it not count just 'cause it wasn't difficult to get off?

at any rate, good to hear you've gotten back on track. and congrats on your current losses!

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Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?

Thanks for the kind words. I just got the job of my dreams (I'm a pilot out of Phoenix) but I'm working a night rotation so it's been a bit akward adjusting my schedule. By now, I'm 226 lbs, WOO HOO! Imagine my surprise when i weighed in this week. 16 to go til goal but I'm going to try for 195.

That's fabulous, Derek! Congrats, both on the job and the losses. I'm sure you will make your goal so long as you continue to focus on it.

Thanks for the good news-it always feels good to hear about someone doing well. You go!

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Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?