I am into my eighth week of this WOE. Induction went very well but the scales have not moved much since then. I'm drinking about a gallon a day of water. I do cardio workouts 3-4 times/week and strength workouts once or twice. I am sticking to about 30g/carbs per day for now until I see the scale moving again. I'm posting some sample menus because I'm wondering if I'm missing something in my eating or if this is a stall that I just need to wait out.

Breakfast:
2 egg whites, ham, 1 slice American cheese

Lunch:
big salad with tomatoes and cauliflower and blue cheese dressing, hamburger patty

Dinner:
another big salad with red peppers and blue cheese dressing, 1 cup broccoli, kielbasa

Snacks throughout the day:
cantelope and strawberries
occasionally some almonds
pepperoni slices

It really seems to me when I add it all up that I'm getting enough carbs. I would appreciate any insight.

Thanks and blessings,
Martha

It's possible you are just going through a fairly common 3rd week stall. Or, it's possible you added too many carbs back to your menus too quickly. It's hard to tell because you didn't include amounts for your higher carb snacks. Atkins' book advises adding back carbs gradually and with caution. There are some foods in your menu that could be causing problems with weight loss, unless the quantities are quite modest.

American cheese - it's better to stick to real cheeses, like cheddar or jack

Cantelope and strawberries - I think Atkins recommends adding fruits back last, and then in very moderate portions (1/4 cup for melon, 1/2 cup strawberries). He advocates increasing carbs during Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) mainly by increasing good carbs first from legal veggies, followed by more dairy, then nuts, lastly, fruits.

Almonds - okay if limited to 1 oz (about 22 nuts)

Pepperoni and kielbasa - possibly high in sodium, which may lead to water retention, masking weight loss.

Otherwise, your menu looks good. In your shoes, I think I'd back off on the fruits for now.

~~~Teelbee

174 (Mar. 2002, highest weight), 164 (Jan. 2003, begin LC)
174/132/137-134
remember, amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic

She is in her 8th week and cannot eat fruit yet? That could become frustrating for me when I get there. Fruit makes a great breakfast when some protein is added with it. A nice change from eggs. How long do you have to wait to add it back in?

~Steph

You can add it back in when you feel you're ready, but you should test yourself to make sure you're still in ketosis while experimenting with fruits. Fruits are an edgy food. Teelbee is right about them being something you want to add late in your diet.

I'm not sure about the numbers on canteloupe (I always hated canteloupe). Strawberries aren't too bad. However, they are a little bit sweet and that can trigger some old behavioral patterns. If you're not comfortable just eating a little at a time, it's best to skip them altogether. And, again, you should test yourself while trying them to make sure it's okay with your system and that you're not skipping in and out of 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 for the feedback. I'll pass on the fruit this week and see is it makes any difference.

Martha