I'm in my 2nd week of OWL and I already added in an extra cup of vegetables and I just started adding in dairy this week. I added 1/4 cup of plain yogurt sweetened with DaVinci's.

On fitday.com, it says my average carbs for the last week are 22. I had lost 8 pounds after induction, and lost another 3 the week after induction, but those 3 were back the next day after I lost them and have been there for the last couple of weeks. So should I continue adding carbs, or wait until I see the scale moving again.

Shelley

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I know that many of us here have experienced weight loss stalls after induction. It may be that your body is just aducting itself to your initial weightloss and to low carb eating in general.

Some questions to ask yourself... are you drinking enoough water? Have you made changes to your exercise routine, losing fat but building muscle? Have you measured yourself to see if you have lost inches but not pounds? Is it that time of the month? Perhaps post a couple days worth of menus and maybe we can spot a possible problem.

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Libby

2004 174/142/138

Begin Again 2009

184/162.7/145

I dunno, but if it were me, I'd stop with the yogurt and see if the scale started moving again. Two weeks at the same weight would be bothering me at your stage of the game.

I'd also make sure to eat as many vegetables as I wanted -- of the low carb variety -- and make sure to eat at least 3 cups per day. When I up my veggie intake, and lay off the dairy, I see weight loss.

But I'd lay off the yogurt and see if that's the culprit of the scale stoppage.

My two cents........

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April

The face of a child can say a lot -- especially the mouth part of the face.

My Blog

This is an example of what I usually have in one day.

Water - 64-75 oz. ( I weigh 154, 5'3)
Walk a mile everyday with my dog. Did this before Atkins, so nothing new.

Breakfast
Flax cereal (like Maggie's but premade by LowCarb Success) 1 net carb
with 1 TB heavy cream and DaVinci's SF vanilla for sweetner.
coffee (switched to decaf this week, but miss my caffeine!) with 1 TB heavy cream
3-4 net carbs avg.

Snack
usually celery with 1 TB low carb peanut butter, hardboiled egg or mozzarella cheesestick
1-2 net carbs avg.

Lunch
Some sort of tuna/egg/chicken salad over a mixture of 2 cups greens (romaine, spinach)
4-5 net carbs avg.

Dinner
A meat, hot vegetable or two (green beans, broccoli, cauliflower), 1 cup salad with 1 TB ranch or caesar. I found a broccoli slaw mix that I started sprinkling on my salad, it doesn't have mayo, just shredded broccoli, a few carrots and red cabbage). I will have sliced tomato and avocado sometimes in place of a salad, or sliced cucumbers.
Dinner is usually around 8-10 net carbs avg.

Snack
Usually one of the above or 1 carb of cheese crisps. I have made the 3 min chocolate cake with Choc. Designer Whey Protein (2 carbs) and used stevia for sweetner when I have a craving for chocolate, or just recently on my son's birthday instead of regular cake. I figure it's around 3 carbs. I don't always have an evening snack, sometimes I just have my green tea.

I do occasionally have diet coke, maybe one every other day. I went for a week without any sodas, and still no change. So I figured that wasn't causing the stall (if that's what it is), so I might as well have one occasionally.

I have been using Super Stevia from Trader Joes. I noticed that it has lactose as the other ingredient.

I only had yogurt one day, that was yesterday, so I can't blame that for anything.

I don't know if I should keep adding foods if I can't figure out what's holding my weight at the same for the last couple of weeks. But I have been at the same weight since 6/03. On 6/18 I weighed myself and I was 151, then on 6/21 I was back to 154 and have been there since!

So should I add more carbs?

Well, that's pretty much it. What do you think?

Shelley

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While I was on OWL, I would fluctuate by a pound or two for about 3 weeks. Then I would drop a pound or two and start the whole cycle again. Some people have tweaked by adding more carbs, and some by going back to 20 carbs for a few days. Are you still in ketosis? Something, the yogurt, or lactose may be kicking you out of ketosis. I also know my body doesn't like citric acid, which is in just about every diet soft drink!

We have all had to play body detective. We all respond differently. But my gut feeling is that your body is just adjusting, especially if 154 has been a set point for you in the past.

Libby also makes a good point about the water. You may want to try 80 ounces per day and see if that will help. 154 divided by 2 = 77 ounces minimum.

Good luck and keep plugging away! It WILL happen!

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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

Also remember that since you are not trying to lose a LOT of weight...to you it may seem like a lot but in comparison with others it is a relatively small amount and 8 during induction is great! Keep at it...if you average is 22 try an average of 27 with all 5 extra coming from vegetables...add a cup of broccoli or cauliflower or something like that off the 5 carb list to your diet for a few days...at some point your body says...I get this game and stops losing if you don't actually increase...try that for a little while...at least a week...then try dropping back to exactly 20 if that doesn't work...sometimes we have to play detective withour body and find the culprit and sometimes we are the culprit in staying too low...for the 2nd week of OWL you should be eating 30gs a day average...don't worry too much about eating too much just yet...though you may have to tweak here and there since you are starting where I am now and I am really having to work to stay at my weight let alone lose any...go figure!

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Lori

232/190/130
My other journal http://www.lowcarbeating.com/bb/showthread.php?t=1130

This morning I woke up and weighed myself. I dropped 2 pounds! Yay!
I am still in ketosis, I don't seem to waiver too much on that. I will add more water and stay away from the yogurt.

It's funny, when I was doing WW, I was hungry all of the time. Now I feel like I am always full and satisfied. I almost feel like I can't add anymore food in or I'll be stuffed!

50 Pounds seems daunting to me, but like huskersfan said, a lot of you have lost a lot more. I doubled the amount that I gained in the last 10 years, I want to lose this before I double again. Plus it would be nice to see my toes again without having to bend over.

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Shelley...you might try a bit less protein or fat and a fw moe vegetables...try to play with that...I am playing right now...with fire it seems...it seems that no matter what I eat I don't lose but stop working out...which I have with an insane summer schedule...and I do gain which is terribly frustrating...I am trying to find the combination to not necessarily lose but to get back to where I was...though I am only a few pounds from that. I am tweaking...dropping the protein and fats and adding more veggies and making sure everything is unprocessed for the most part...I still eat my yogurt which as soon as this is gone will be the next thing to go...as will my LC treats...your menu looks good...but things like hardboiled eggs and string cheese could be dropped for celery, cauliflower or broccoli and a bit of dip...at lunch add not quite so much of the egg, tuna or chicken salad and a bit more salad greens, tomatos are a bit higher in carbs...but OH SO good! I love a sliced cucumber with a bit of Italian dressing over it...I eat a LOT Of cucumbers! Anyway...keep at it...you will get there...but it will take time...as you just said...it took 10 years to gain part of it so it isn't going to come off overnight...mine (the weight anyway) I gained over the course of about 15 years and here I am about 18 monhts later 75lbs lighter and much happier though I still have about 25lbs to go to get clear to my goal!

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Lori

232/190/130
My other journal http://www.lowcarbeating.com/bb/showthread.php?t=1130

Lori,

Wow, 75lbs is great!

I will try adding in more veggies for the proteins and see if that helps (I say while finishing off a hard boiled egg LOL). I ate it before I read this, but was thinking maybe I should've had some celery instead. I do like cucumbers too.

And people think that Atkins is all meat and fat, HA, I've never eaten so healthy and so many veggies!

Shelley

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Reality check..it is all veggies!!!! I eat between 5 and 7 servings a day along with two of fruit every day...and try to keep my carbs around 60...I usually maintain nicely around there too! It really is a very nicely balanced lifestyle...everything in moderation...great but what about arsenic? moderation...sometimes one bite is too much! LOL I love this way of eating...makes me feel so much better than the starvation on lowfat...I never managed to stick to it long...was always hungry. Anyway...try that for a couple of weeks...then tweak something else...give it two or so weeks to work then tweak again...never too many things too fast...then you don't know what worked and what didn't or what combination works and what doesn't!

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Lori

232/190/130
My other journal http://www.lowcarbeating.com/bb/showthread.php?t=1130

it's also very common to experience a temporary slowdown and/or pause shortly after induction. i find as time goes on, losses always comes in fits and starts. keep doing your thing and experimenting, and make sure you have lots of ways to measure progress like the tape measure, energy levels, and how you're clothes fit. many people also find that they lose inches and pounds at slightly different times. don't ask me why but these body things we have can be nuts.

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I am experiencing a slow down right now and feel greatly frustrated! I am eating about 20-25 carbs a day and am wondering if adding five carbs of veggies will help? Maybe my body has adjusted to the low carbs and so needs to be shaken up! I have dental work tomorrow so will be eating soft for about a week...bought lots of cauliflower so once I heal up from the work then I will get my carbs going up by five! I'll be striving for 30 carbs a day with an increase in exercise level.

Miss S, that sounds like a good plan to me.

You could make mashed cauliflower for a soft, easy on the bite veggie. This is a variation on Marcie's Cauli Mash:

Nuke one head of florets in a microwave safe bowl until tender
Add 1 to 2 oz of cream cheese and 1 to 2 oz of brie, cut up into pieces
Nuke 1 minute or so to soften the cheese
Mash with a stick blender or hand mixer or potatoe masher.

Makes good leftovers, too. I quite like to reheat a dish of cauli mash for breakfast.

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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.

I love it for leftovers at breakfast as well...the only problem is my husband and adult son have discovered they love the stuff as well so leftovers are hard to come by around here! Thanks for the info! I usually throw mine in the food processor, after boiling and draining, and toss in mayo, heavy cream, butter, and a bit of salt! Then I grate cheese to top it on my plate! Have you tried to make cauliflower pancakes?????? I've often wondered what that would taste like! I used to love the potato pancakes my Mom made us!

Cauliflower pancakes? Hmm . . . that sounds GOOD. Mash some cauli, add some grated onion, perhaps a little cream cheese to hold it together . . . keep us posted if you try it!

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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