Hi guys!
Thanks for the warm welcome!! I'm nearing the end of my second week on Atkins induction; my DH and I are following DANDR.

I noticed that my appetite has remarkedly decreased this week which I'm happy about but it seems I'm cold all the time. Is this normal?

According to the urine sticks I'm in ketosis but the scale hasn't moved since my "official" weigh-in on Sunday. My clothes are looser. Is this normal? When does the scale start moving again?

Then my final question (and maybe this causing the above problems)--do you count total carbs or only net carbs? So far I've just been counting total carbs and mostly hover around 20. Maybe I'm not getting enough net carbs? Also, if I need more carbs can I eat more veggies other than the 2-3 cups induction requires?

DH thinks I need to increase my water in take up to 100 oz daily rather than the 8 to 10 glasses I'm currently drinking. Could this be part of the problem of the scale not moving. It's just so confusing!!

Terri

Terri, if you're following DANDR, then you will be counting net carbs. Yesterday I had a lot of high-fiber foods, so my total carbs were over 40, but my net was only 16.

Don't worry about those ketostix, if your clothes are loose, you're losing. And ignore those stupid scales. You can be up in weight due to water gain, or muscle gain, or needing a good trip to the bathroom. I recommend you get a good tape measure and use that as your guide. Some people never use the ketostix, some use them but they don't turn purple, and yet they lose regularly. I wouldn't count on them for much of anything.

As far as being cold, I couldn't say. It might be something totally unrelated to your eating.

If you are going to add carbs, you can't go wrong with allowed veggies. It's sure better than adding frankenfoods.

Drink as much water as you are comfortable drinking. If 8 to 10 glasses is good for you, fine. Don't feel that you have to force more water, unless you want to, or unless you see improvements in doing so.

I suggest you read all the stickies in the Newbies section. You'll find a lot of answers there.

I hope this helps you some. Congratulations for sticking with this, and for asking questions! Always feel welcome to ask anything you don't understand.

__________________
Nita

Terri- Appetite decrease is very normal once you hit ketosis.

On the feeling cold, I've heard others say this, but I still hesitate to tell you "just don't worry about it," because feeling cold can be related to lots of things, and nutrition does often impact other conditions.

Did you get any bloodwork done before you started low carbing? And in particular, when was the last time you got your thyroid checked? Feeling cold, dry skin, brittle hair and nails, and low energy (along with trouble losing weight) are common symptoms of hypoactive thyroid, for example. (NOT that I'm trying to diagnose you, mind you, but just to let you know that's one potential area to look at.) So do watch this, and do make sure you're taking at least a good multivitamin.

Yes, inches coming off at a different time than pounds is VERY common. Don't ask me why, 'cause I have NO clue, but it frequently works this way. Many times, after a pause, the scale will show several pounds down at once, also known as "whooshes". If your clothes are looser, then you are making progress. If the scale's uncooperative behavior bugs you, limit weighins to once a week. The scale is only one measure of progress, and in my experience, probably the least realiable one.

Recent Atkins will have you use net carbs. I'd up veggie intake from the induction chapter list until you get to about 20 a day, counting net as the carbs - fiber grams.

We'll usually recommend 1/2 your weight in oz. of water. But drinking a little more, so long as it's spaced throughout the day, often will help with a variety of issues, including getting the scale moving.

It sounds like you're really doing fine overall, so don't sweat the scale, ok? It's not the daily flux that matters, but the trend overall. So if it bugs you, limit your weighins to once a week, eat well the rest of the week, and don't focus on just the numbers.

Good luck to you and DH!

__________________


Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?

Welcome!!!!
Hang in there and give this some time. Someone once told me (when I was 100% on program), " The weight has no other choice by to come off!" And guess what it does.....and it will.
hold tight and believe in the program and yourself!!

__________________
"Summer of PQ"
19 pounds down....
Atkins

Terri,

Ditto all of the great advice above!
It sounds like you are doing GREAT!!!

The decrease in appetite is one of the BEST side effects of this way of eating. Sometimes it makes it hard to eat at all, but cravings become almost non-existent, unlike "diets" where you are always starving!

I'm going to repost here what I replied to another poster re: the scale vs. inches thing:
Let me just encourage you with one thing: Don't forget the "Oranges & Marshmallows" analogy. This will help you not to lend too much credence to the scale...

When you are eating adequate protein (as LC pretty much forces you to do), your body builds & maintains muscle (which is great because it speeds up metabolism!). But muscle weighs a LOT more than fat. Think of muscle in terms of oranges.
As you lose fat (think of marshmallows) and add muscle (oranges), you may not see a big difference in the scale, but if you are losing you WILL see it on the measuring tape!

I hope that helps; Keep up the good work!

__________________
Summer