Starting into my fourth week of Atkins. In fact I may have gained back most of the four pounds I lost the first week. I've only lost 1 or 2 pounds at the most. How is this possible? I've been staying on the diet and haven't cheated at all. Apparently my body is even more resistant than I thought.

How can I get the scale to move? I don't think it's unreasonable to lose a pound or two a week. It's especially frustrating when I hear stories of people losing so much more. I'd be happy with SOMETHING!

I don't blame you a bit for feeling frustrated, Terra - you're a tough case! From your previous posts, it sounds like your menu is just fine - you're eating the right foods in reasonable quantities, and you're drinking lots of water. I understand that exercise is a challenging area for you, but that doesn't explain why nothing's happening. You're not eating any "low-carb" bars or other such products, are you?

My best suggestion would be to try increasing your green veggies. Instead of a small salad, have a huge one. Eat the whole package of green beans, not just a serving. Although you do seem to be getting enough to eat overall, piling on the vegetables might kick your metabolism into action. It's counter-intuitive to ADD food to lose weight, but with low-carbing, it often does the trick.

Best wishes,

Sky
Atkins since 8/02
186/144/under 150

Terra,

maybe it's time to see your doctor to find out if the problem lays someplace else. I would have my thyroid checked and make sure everythinge else is ok. And if everything else fails, you may have to consider the fat fast. A friend of mine had to do it to get her weight loss started.

Sorry this is happening to you.
I sure hope you will be able to get this resolved.

Never give up! Never surrender!

Katrin

I'm not eating any diet bars or convenience foods. I'll add more veggies...I suspect I'm getting enough of them now, but I'll try it. I don't have thyroid problems--they keep thinking I do, and test me all the time. I know I'm insulin resistant.

I've heard about the fat fast but also read that it can be dangerous. I have electrolyte problems so I have to be careful.

I'll be seeing my doctor next week, so I'll discuss this with her. I'm currently reading DANDR so maybe I'll get some hints about how to do this better.

Thanks for the help.

Terra,
Hi! So sorry you are having problems. I can tell you, I am right there with you and have been this whole year of 2003. I have not had good results with LC eating as far as weight loss goes. I have tried several other plans as well; Protein Power, South Beach and CALP. The good thing for me though doing LC, is I really feel much better, more energy, no heartburn, no foggy brain and no feeling puffed up from "carb bloat". Now, from my view point, I am going to continue this WOE, and as a matter of fact, I re-committed on Atkins on 12/26/03, starting all over again with strict induction. You can get all kinds of advice on just about anything and everything on these boards, and these folks are right on. But the one thing you can't get, is what comes from inside of you...desire to carry through on the woe, committment from yourself, determination and willpower. I wish we could give that to each other, but it doesn't work that way...darn it So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't give up...something will click for you...it may not be tomorrow, or next week, but something will
at some time be a turning point for you and you will take off and start getting the results you want. I think I am in the "something is clicking for me" stage right now...I know, it has taken a whole year, but maybe, just maybe...
Hang in there! You are not alone.
HTH
Shelley

*^*sg*^*

Hi Terra!
I'm glad to see you here.

I know exactly how frustrated you feel.
After my first 2 weeks (I only lost 6# I think) I stalled for 6 weeks!

So first off; please post a typical day's menu. Include everything -amounts, seasonings, beverages, etc. Sometimes something you think is ok can trip you up, or even too much of a good thing will do it.

Are you getting enough fat? Ideally, according to Atkins, fat should be 60-70% of your food intake.

Are you on any medications?

Are you getting any exercise?

Are you still following induction or have you moved on?

Are you in ketosis?

Have you measured yourself yet? If not, do so right away. During my 6 week stall I lost 13 inches from my bust, waist and hips. You'll often see results on a tape measure before you see it on a scale.

Are you regular? Constipation can mask weight loss.

Hang in there. When you're doing it right, keep doing what you're doing and the weight will come off.


BTW, just between us, LCE is like Los Vegas. What happens (gets posted) here, stays here.





Always eat your veggies first!

Terra,

I feel for ya, I know how hard it is. This is my second time round on Atkins. The first time I did it all by the book and was what I concidered a slow looser. Took me 6 months to loose 30 pounds and that's without any cheats at all. Then I hit a brick wall- 8 months with no loss at all. I tried going back to induction and many other ideas given to me but nothing helped. Some members recomended I count calories. I didn't want to have to do that and count carbs too so I talked myself into just counting calories, after all I had lost weight that way before! HA! Within 3 months I had regained all 30 # and 10 extra. I gave up. Then, when I got to feeling awful cause BP was high again and meds weren't working any more and depression set in again I had to rethink my life again. I've decided this time I have to combine the two WOE's. I have to stay LC to control my cravings and also have to count calories. If I want a loss for the week I need to stay between 1300-1500 calories and carbs range (after the 2 weeks induction I raised till I gained then backed off again) 30-40 per day. With Christmas Eve and Day eating as many calories as I wanted and still maintaining carbs I surprised my self with a one pound loss for the week. So far in the last 3 months I've already lost 22 of those pounds again. I could have done better but I was more lenient with my self in Dec.
Any way what I'm trying to say is maybe you are one of the people who also has to control calories as well as carbs. Just something for you to think on. This WOE is all about what works for the individual.


Deannie
270/248/125

I'm trying to decide if I feel better or worse now with other people in the same boat!

Bright, hi back to you.

According to a FitDay report, my average calorie intake for the past two weeks has been 1649 a day, with 66% fat, 30% protein and 4% carbs.

A somewhat typical day's menu:

Breakfast:

2 eggs sauteed in a teaspoon butter
4 pieces of bacon, or two sausages

Lunch:

Grilled chicken or lamb or a can of tuna
salad or cooked veggies

Dinner:

Meat or fish, grilled or sauteed, with veggies.

Snacks:

a few oz of cheese, sometimes LC cocoa or italian soda, or a few pork rinds or hard boiled eggs

The only medicine I'm on is Pravachol for cholesterol. I'm hoping my cholesterol levels will start improving enough that I can go off of it. My doctor was thinking about giving me a break on it for a while anyway.

I'm taking a daily multi and fish oil.

I am in ketosis--only twice has it shown negative, and that was in the morning. It usually shows at the moderate level. I'm moving out of induction at least for now--I want to do the program the way it should be. Don't want my body to get too used to things and make it even worse.

Exercise--not much because I can't. But I am getting out more and walking around a bit in stores. I have a real problem with exercise--I could permanently damage my muscles if I am not careful. One of the reasons I decided to try Atkins is because I couldn't lose weight any other way.

And no, I haven't measured myself. I'm either too lazy or I don't want to know. But maybe I should, huh?

Oh, and I haven't cheated once.

Terra,
The one thing I've not seen mentioned, (unless I missed it) is your water intake. It should be at the least eight 8oz glasses, but more is better(half your current body weight in oz), and some folks recommend up to a gallon aday. That really makes a difference!
Your menu looks fine to me; I would only suggest a large salad with full fat dressing to go along with dinner. Your percentages of fat, pro, and carbs is right where it needs to be. Also, how close are you to goal? I truly believe with all my heart, if a person only has 20-30 pounds to lose, it does take longer...a lot longer sometimes. I know, it is frustrating to hear about others who are having great results; I would literally cry and be so depressed. Dig your heels in and be stuborn...stay with it and see where you are in 60-90 days. Also, try not to weigh everyday, or if you do, average a weeks worth of your weights...that will give you a more clear picture of what's going on.
You can do it! Hang in there. Post often and let us know how you are doing.
HTH
Shelley

*^*sg*^*

I do have a lot of salads, and I drink tons of water, always have. So it's not either of those.

I'm not close to my goal weight--I need to lose around 60 pounds. I just never really took off.

But I know for sure now that it's been helping me feel better. I ate a little more last night than I should have--nothing off plan, and not even that many carbs--but I feel so awful this morning. I'm sore, exhausted, and feel hungover. So it's obvious to me that the way I've been feeling lately is much better than this!

Sounds like you've got the food plan down right, especially if you're staying in ketosis. So (you'll hate this) just be patient. This does work, for some of us it just works a lot slower than for others. I think expecting to lose 1-2 pounds a week is a bit unrealistic for those of us who don't exercise and have other health issues. But the longer you're low carbing, the healthier you're getting and the weight will come off as your system and insulin response gets back to normal.

One other caution; I know what kind of cook you are so you may need to watch your seasonings and ingredients. For example, garlic and onions are high carb ingredients and need to be counted in your daily net carbs. If you're as metabolically resistant as you sound, those extra 1 or 2 "hidden" carbs here and there can be all it takes to stall your weight loss, even if you're in ketosis.

Another suggestion I can make for anyone with insulin response issues (Syndrome X, PCOS, diabetes, hypoglycemia, etc.) is to spread out your carb load over all your meals and snacks. In other words, don't save up carbs to have at one ot two meals. For example, I'm at 45 carbs a day and have 10-12 carbs at each meal and 5-7 carbs for each snack.

Terra, have you been tested for Candida? If not, you should check into it. Sharron Long is our resident expert on the problem and I'm sure she can give you some advice and links.

Hang in there!

[This message was edited by Brightlady on 01-01-04 at 09:45 AM.]

Bright, I was thinking the same thing. Here's an excellent link to a site that has the questionnaire:
http://www.soulhealer.com/yeast.htm

Also I am thinking with your electrolyte issues, your body just might be very stubborn about giving up the water that the burned fat is eventually turned into. So..........definitely MEASURE yourself. That will show changes before the scale will. I wish you the best, Terra!!!!

Barb - 30 lbs gone FOREVER!



Atkins-3/14/03
174/144.8/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER

Thanks again, guys. Bright, I count everything I eat, no matter how little. If anything I try to overestimate a bit. I am not using as many onions as I used to, either. I didn't realize how high in carbs they are. But a little goes a long way. I'm not cooking like I used to, though. I'm trying to keep it simple. Much easier to figure out exactly what I've eaten, that way.

I'll look at the candida thing, too.

Okay, I took the test and score really high on it but am not sure what that means or if I even believe in it. Many of the symptoms are from other conditions. I have a hard time believing anyone could take that test and not come up with something.

Terra,
You might want to do the saliva test. That will be the next recommendation most likly.
Sorry my advice isn't what you need.

Good luck to you.

Shelley

*^*sg*^*