Okay, I know the right answer - SLOW! But, I'm tempted to just go back to induction and see if I can get it off and then work my way back up again. Has anybody else done this? Thoughts? TIA! Cindy

"Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31

By "work my way back up," I meant carb count, not weight . Blessings, Cindy

"Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31

LOL, Cindy!
That's just what I was thinking -- of course I *knew* what you *meant*.

Well, I can't answer with absolute assuredness -- as I have not yet gotten to within ten pounds of goal -- but I'm inclined to believe this will not work.
Why? Because your body is going to FIGHT to hold on to those last ten pounds!

In fact, unfortunately, all reinducting will probably due is cause your body to *hold on* even tighter. I would stay the course and maybe up your exercise and your water consumption instead.
Surely someone who can better relate will pipe up and either reinforce or refute my argument.
Either way, I do wish you well and much success.
How exciting to be so close to goal!

Summer


www.herstorygirl.com

I found it quite challenging to lose the last 10 lbs. I did have to tweak my food plan and reduce portions.

It makes sense that a smaller body needs less fuel than previously. Some of us need to cut portions a bit to continue losing weight, while others (especially men) just sail on. Not fair, is it?

But, I didn't cut carbs further - I increased veggies, kept fruit the same, and I reduced other high calorie foods (sausage, bacon, salty nuts, pork rinds, ready made shakes, cream (switched to half-and-half), almond muffins, etc.. I also trimmed my meat portions by about 20-25 percent.

~~~Teelbee

174 (Mar. 2002, highest weight), 164 (Jan. 2003, begin LC)
164/135/137-134
remember, amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic

I don't think the actual carb count you eat matters much at all for your weight loss as long as you're in ketosis.

***********************
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door."

Thanks, all! I am going to try upping the water again. I had decreased to about 70 oz. per day, but I'm going to take it back up. I'll also work on decreasing the high fat stuff and upping the veggies even more. Blessings, Cindy

"Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31

momof6, try drinking a gallon(128 oz) of water per day. that helps me break through stalls.

christine

166/151/120
L/C 8/04/03

I have NEVER heard of any plan that suggests that you crash all the way down to ideal weight. I think the whole idea is to slowly change your way of eating/exercising so that you can find something that will last a lifetime.

I know how tempting it is to just blast on down if the weight is coming easily. (Perhaps set your goal weight lower?) I've been working more than a month on the last 10 lbs, and it's very slow, but I think I'm going to have a lifetime plan in place by the time I get there.

Also, please do like Christine says and drink more water!

John

July 03, 2003
202/174.5/170

You're right. I want to get there (maybe lower?) and stay there - not yo-yo. I know the race belongs to the turtle, but oh, I want to be a rabbit! I am watching fat content today (a little) and increasing the water again. When I was drinking a gallon a day, I was getting leg cramps at night. But I can handle that if it will help drop the poundage. Other thoughts? Thanks! Cindy

"Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31

The last leg of the journey is a long one. My weight loss has been pretty slow all along with enough stalls/plateaus to seriously try my patience

I try to remember that it's not the end of anything when I reach my goal weight. The REAL goal is to protect my health by eating right for all time... it will be a lifetime of continued commitment to care for my health.

So the numbers don't tell the true story at all. Goal weight is a finite thing to guide you, but it's not the real measure of your success on the plan.

The advice to bump your water is a good one. Increase it over a few days (I bump it by 12 oz a day) and you may be able to avoid the return of the leg cramps. I also found that increasing my potassium, calcium and magnesium along with my water helped prevent cramps.

Please note that supplements should only be used if your doc says they're OK. Just because it's sold over the counter doesn't mean it's safe. Supplements interact with any other medications you may be taking... they are 'medicine' too.

Ginger

Life is NOT a dress rehearsal.
159/147.5/139

Congrats on reaching the last 10 Cindy. Teelbee and I were active in a topic dealing with just this issue. It does take some time to get through the last 10 but if you don't rush it and really pay attention to your body, you will slip into maintenance with more ease.

As Teelbee stated, reducing portion size and fats can work. There are those that don't have to count calories to get to goal but I sure did. I found I started losing steadily when I set a calorie limit and recorded everything I ate. I kept a journal for the first 3 months of lc then guestimated for the rest of the time. The last 10 drove me to journal again.

Here's what worked for me:
Give it adequate time.
Increase exercize (crucial).
Keep an journal.
Increase veggies and fruit. I also began to add some higher carb items like oatmeal, pears, peaches, and bran cereals because they are lower calorie. I went in and out of ketosis but it didn't bother me because I was losing and transitioning into maintenance.
Cut out all lc treats with sugar alcohols. Make your own instead.
I kept my water at 2-3 liters per day.
Used milk instead of half/half for my coffee.

I hope some of those suggestions will work for you. Try the different suggestions from everyone and see what works for you.

Red
7/24/02
186/109/110
Size 16W to size 2

Thanks for all the help! I have increased my water, and so far, no leg cramps. The tape measure has shown a little change, so that's encouraging, but I look forward to seeing the scales move as well. I'm wondering what you all do for lc snacks when you're watching fat intake, especially when you want a sweet treat. Suggestions?

Blessings,
Cindy

"Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31

Cindy, I started including more veggie snacks - raw veggies with a little sour cream, celery with a tablespoon of peanut butter or cream cheese spread. A hard boiled egg, chopped with celery and a little mayo makes a nice, filling snack. Occasionally, I still have nuts and cheese for snacks but less often and always weighed or measured portions. I switched to unsalted nuts (they are so much easier to stop eating!) and smaller portions of cheese.

I still ate some sweets - mostly a dish of berries with a tablespoon of sweetened sour cream. Sometimes, I would have LC cheesecake or Almond cake, but I ate smaller portions and and had those treats less frequently.

I still have a piece of very dark chocolate now and then - like maybe 5-10 grams of 80% cocoa chocolate. It's not sweet, so it doesn't awaken cravings. Yet the chocolate taste is so intense, just a little satisfies my "chocolate thing", LOL!

I switched from heavy cream to half and half in my coffee. I also use it for a pre-bedtime beverage (1/4 cup warmed with a 1/8 c water, da vinci's, and whipped with a little vegetable gum to increase the volume and make it thicker).

I made a point of having fish and chicken more often than beef or pork, for a while and I think that helped. I've fallen away from that, now that I think of it, and I should get back in that habit. I think the fish, especially, is very healthy - all those good essential fatty acids (Omege 3 and Omega 6)!

~~~Teelbee

174 (Mar. 2002, highest weight), 164 (Jan. 2003, begin LC)
164/133/137-134
remember, amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic

Can you say Never?

I think "the last 10 pounds" are nature's way of keeping me aware of my eating habits. Call it set point or whatever you will, but my body likes it at 140 and just hangs out there as happy as can be.

I'm a good low-carber, and a good exerciser. But I think those ten pounds (it used to be 20 before I reached my current advanced age!) are my natural protection against starving to death on a desert island.

I try to be realistic. I'm in the best physical condition of my entire life. And I remember that when I weighed 20 lbs. less (my lowest adult weight) and was running a marathon, the fat I had left still flapped in the breeze when I ran. Why should I think 10 lbs. fewer--or 20--will change my shape now? Not going to happen.

For me, right now, "the last 10 lbs." teases me and leads me in the way of OWL.

Barb L.
Started Atkins January 2003
162/135/140

Thanks all! Teelbee, your suggestions are very helpful. I've also been reading "Body for Life," and although I won't follow the nutrition guidelines, I'm thinking of tweaking my exercise routine to his guidelines. I like the idea of a fast blitz of a workout. Thoughts? TIA! Blessings, Cindy

"Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31