I need some help. I lost 4 lbs. in 4 days, and nothing the next 4 days---I just started Atkins and have not cheated! How do I rev this up again? I ride my stationary bike 10 miles a day--so it is not a lack of exercise. I am 63 and only 4`9". I want to lose 40 lbs. I thank everyone, for any helpful answers. I have been having an average of 15-18 carbs per day.

Hi Patty,
Welcome to LCE!
Hey...congrats on the 4 lb loss. So that is 4 lbs down in 8 days? That's a good rate of loss especially when the average loss is usually around 2-3 lbs in a week.(while on induction, that is)
That being said, your body may simply be adjusting itself and preparing to resume loosing again; be patient(I know...easier said than done...LOL)

Since it looks like you are a faithful exerciser, you might want to consider moving on up to a solid 20 carbs per day, in the form of good LC veggies, then in a week or so, go ahead and bump up another 5gms of carbs per day. The trouble with staying *to low, to long* is your metabolism will slow down, as in starvation mode, because the body thinks it's in a famine, even though you are purposely dieting; when the metabolism slows, weight loss becomes very slow or even non-existent. So...feed and fuel your body to keep the metabolism revved up.

Also, make sure you are getting sufficient water.

You might also post a few days menus for us to look at. Sometimes there are things that can be adjusted to get you going again.

Post often and let us know how you are doing

HTH
Shelley

__________________
~~~~
Shelley
~~~~

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!

Hi, Patty. You've come to a good place--and you've heard from a very good person already. I agree with Shelley--pretty much always!

Let me encourage you to take the long view with Atkins. Although it is popularly known as a fast-weight-loss diet, the truth is, it's a long-term FAT LOSS way of eating that is simply lovely to live with. The longer it takes to learn how it works, the better you'll know how to handle a lifetime of weight management. Think of it as a learning experience, not a "diet." Weight loss with Atkins is seldom a straight line down. Stops and starts--but on average, headed in the right direction.

Congrats on being an exerciser. That will be your best strategy now and forever. I urge you to consider adding weight-bearing or resistance training, too, since that's the kind of exercise that strengthens bones and helps prevent osteoporosis. A little muscle can contribute to speedier weight loss, too.

Best wishes.

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


My Fitday Journal

Thanks for responding to me. I did lose one more pound--5 lbs in 9 days! You asked me to post a menu:

Breakfast---1 egg, 2 slices of turkey bacon or 2 small turkey sausages, cup of coffee with Sweet N Low and a few drops of heavy cream.
Lunch--sandwich on 5 gr. wheat tortilla (having the tortilla makes me feel like I am having a real sandwich. I use ham or chicken with cheese, tomato and lettuce in the sandwich. Tuna will be next.
Dinner--meat or poultry or fish, salad--one slice tomato, 1 radish, 1 tbsp. chopped celery, 1/2 slice bermuda onion-- with low carb Ranch, usually a cheese sauce veggie made from lo carb recipes online.
Dessert--jello with heavy cream whip cream, low carb cheesecake recipes
Snack at 3 (only if I feel hungry) 1 low carb string cheese or celery.
I drink 6 12 oz. glasses of water daily.
I eat nothing after my desert and do not need to.
Exercise-10 to 15 miles a day on a stationary bike, once in a blue moon I will do my weights.
Here is a good thought for all the computer buffs and TV watchers---get a small cycle---pedals only, to place at your feet while on the comuter---that is what I do, and before I even realize it, I cycled 10-15 miles off and on during the course of the evening. I sit in my own comfortable chair--so no sore bottom from pedaling. If I can do this at 63 yrs. old, anyone can!
Patty

Hi Patty,
Your menu looks good. If you are still on induction, the tortilla could be holding you back, but you are losing, so I don't think it's that big of a deal.
Since you don't have a terribly large amount of weight to lose(50 pounds or more), it may take a little longer than you'd like, but slow is good when it comes to the weight game.
I think you are doing well Just hang in there, stay the course, and enjoy the good foods you get to eat and the great feeling of healthy, nutritious living!


S.

__________________
~~~~
Shelley
~~~~

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!

Thanks for the help, you women are all so encouraging and so well informed.

Patty

Caffeine might be of health benefit to people 65 and older.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070221/...2xc8IzOzQQ.3QA

"Drinking caffeinated beverages may induce a "healthy" rise in blood pressure that counteracts the drop in blood pressure that occurs after a meal, a phenomenon that becomes more pronounced as people age, researchers note."

I told my husband that when we reach 65, we can start drinking caffeine again!

__________________
Nita