Hi all,

I would appreciate some suggestions for breaking my 4-week stall.

I drink 3-4 liters of water per day, I'm eating completely on plan (eggs for breakfast, salad with chicken or tuna for lunch, and then beef or chicken with broccoli, asaparagus, or zucchini, and a salad for dinner, low carb snack - usually cheese - and I use Ranch dressing on my salads). I purchased Sharon's cookbook and have started trying some of the recipes (great cookbook Sharon!).

I was very good during the holidays...didn't cheat at all (my mother was very supportive about making several low-carb friendly items available for me during my visit over the holidays). I don't drink alcohol (not even a sip of champagne for New Years).

I'm not using any products that have sugar alcohols. Net carbs are based solely on carb count minus fiber. Limiting my cheese to 3oz per day. Only have a serving of nuts every few days. Only allow myself one caffeine-free, Splenda sweeten Diet Hansen Black Cherry soda per day.

I'm walking a little bit, but not much time for exercise at the moment (I have a 2-hour round-trip commute for work, then go directly to school and don't get home until 10p.m. - trying to fit the elliptical trainer in but also do the books for my husband's company and am trying to start my own company - yeah, I know....alot on my plate).

I do take my measurements on a weekly basis and I haven't lost any inches in 3 weeks. My daily carb intake is 30-35grams.

I have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) with severe Insulin Resistance. I thought maybe it was just TOM, but not for 2 weeks (with the PCOS, I don't normally have a TOM - so hard to tell if one is upon me or not)

Any suggestions (I know I need more exercise, I'm working on it)? Should I drop back down to induction level and see if weight/inches start to move again?

I'd like very much to drop another 15-20lbs before the end of March - I have my first visit with my new endocrinologist - and I really don't want her to put me back on Glucophage (stuff made me sick).

Sorry for the long post, just frustrated, after being so good during the holidays, not to be further along.

Thanks in advance.

Sorsha
284/259/135

Four weeks is kind of discouraging. We've all been there. I don't really have any good advice to give you, because it sounds like you have your act together on this.

Only this: keep in mind that we're all trying to establish a lifetime habit. Focusing on short-term goals (the end of March) can add to the feeling of frustration.

You can deal with the doctor when you get there. By all means, let her know your experience with the glucophage, and your desire to find alternative solutions on the way to better health.

Best wishes!

Barb L.
Started Atkins January 2003
162/137/130

Sorsha, I'm sorry you're so frustrated. Going 4 weeks without showing any loss is very discouraging. I know, I've gone 6-8 weeks at a time, doing everything right, without seeing any weight or measurement changes.

First (you're going to hate this) be patient. Yeah, I know, easier said than done. Just know that all the things you're doing right are going to pay off eventually. The most important payoff is controlling your insulin levels to get your PCOS under control.

Also, because of the severe insulin resistance and PCOS, it is going to be harder and slower for you to lose weight. I know, you didn't want to hear that either.

You actually done terrific so far. Look at your average weekly loss. In about 11 weeks you've lost an average of around 2.2 pounds a week. Especially for someone who's insulin resistant. And that was over the holidays!! After losing most of that in only 7 weeks, you're body's probably pausing to catch its breath!

Have you read Dr. Diana Schwarzbein's book, The Schwarzbein Principle? If not, try to get a copy. Besides just low carbing, keeping those insulin levels even at all times is important and will affect your weight loss. This is something she covers really well in her book.

Good luck and hang in there!



Always eat your veggies first!
LCE member since March 2002

Could you have Candida? Have you tried the water cure. Their is a posting on the everything else forum concerning Water cure and someone mentioned that it help candida. Otherwise chapter 25 yeast reactions or Chapter 20 metabolic resistance might help you see what the issue is.

Are you looking at your total calorie intake? Some people are sensitive to total calories.

One last thing sometimes upping your carb actually helps to get weight loss going. Some bodies just get use to anything and you need to just shake it up.

Otherwise you might just be one of the many members of this web site that go more than 4 weeks without cheating and do not lose weight and do everything right.

They lasted and so can you. Keep posting and don't give up. You have already lost 25 lbs. Think about how great that is.

travellost-51 yrs Young
1/20/03 195/145 first time
1/5/04 second time
150/147/135
"I am allergic to carbs they make me break out in fat"

((Sorsha)) Hugs to you! I KNOW how frustrated you are...I was there last week!! I started LC'ing at the beginning of Oct and lost 15 lbs by the beginning of Dec. Then, despite being really good over the holidays, NOTHING for 4 1/2 weeks

Then, with my most recent TOM, the whoosh fairy decided to visit, and I'm down 3 lbs. Just wanted to give you a bit of encouragement from someone who went through the same thing recently...it WILL happen.

Ditto everyone else, be sure to talk to your doc, and being insulin resistant, you will probably lose a bit more slowly. Another thing that seems to help...try shaking things up with your foods--Sharon's book should help! Your body is remarkably adaptable and changing up what and when you eat sometimes helps break up a stall.
Good Luck!! and let us know how you are doing!

~Ashley
10/12/03
188/172/137

"If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got" ~unknown

Sorsha honey, I feel your pain!!! I have been in the longest stall yet. I do find that if I do an egg fast, that will break it. What I do is to eat eggs all day long in any form. Then I eat a LC dinner. I have only done this for one day and then go back to eating regular LC. I think I will do an egg fast for 2 days and see what happens. Tomorrow I am going out to lunch with some of our fellow LCE members, so I will put this off 'til Friday. I get pretty tired of eggs pretty fast, so that's why I've never done it more than one day. I've done it a few times and it always seems to jump start me. I think it really jogs things lose. Of course after that I do some major Flax -ing. That then gets the plummin hummin. And of course I am guzzling water too.

Barb - 30 lbs gone FOREVER!
www.iwsgroupinc.com - website design and development


Atkins-3/14/03
174/144/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER

Thanks everyone for the support and encouragement.

I guess I just have to learn to be a little more patient.

I understand the issues that you have had in the past with the Glucophage as well. My dr. started me on that, as I was begining to show signs of pre-diabetes, along with me being overweight, and having PCOS. The Glucophage does a number on your system the first 3 weeks, but then the side effects go away. For me I was able to work thru the discomfort in the begining knowing that this drug was going to help my insulin work better.
Hang in there!

NOT GONNA QUIT!

START-DATE 9/10/03
WEIGHT 235/188.2/160 5'5"
SIZE 16/10/?

I went through a stall myself for 4 weeks. I just kept at what I was doing and the weight started to come off again. Just don't give up. I only exercise for about 20 minutes a day in the monings, when I do exercise. I usually try to get in at least 4 days a week. The exercise that I have been doing since I started is Body Flex. It has really helped me.

Hi Bgunter!!! Welcome to the boards!!! You are right about exercise, it's non-negotiable. I couldn't exercise in the beginning, I just did not have the energy. But when that phase was over, I began riding my bike, working slowly up to 45 mins at a time. I started going back to my gym and I began lifting dumbells at home. Now I go to Curves 3X/week. I am thinking about adding another day to my routine. The more you do, the more you CAN do. Start slow and build up.
I still am in a stall though. I figure some of that is muscle building up. I'm not worried about it. Tomorrow I am going to do the egg fast, and Saturday as well. And WATER, WATER, WATER!!!!

Barb - 30 lbs gone FOREVER!
www.iwsgroupinc.com - website design and development


Atkins-3/14/03
174/144/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER

I try to exercise as well... but it is so difficult to find the time. So I eat lunch at my desk, and then on my lunch break, I go downstairs to the workout room and do cardio for 20-25 minutes. I find that it keeps me going at work, and it feels good to get my heart going in the middle of the day. just a suggestion.

NOT GONNA QUIT!

START-DATE 9/10/03
WEIGHT 235/188.2/160 5'5"
SIZE 16/10/?

Sorsha, just want to clarify what you mean by being in a stall. You mentioned that your measurments haven't budged. How about your weight? It sure sounds like you're doing everything right.

If the stall is measurement-based, I'm not surprised. After squeezing out our water-weight and shrinking down our fat cells, we go into a plateau on our measurements. But, it's temporary! When we keep melting the fat, eventually the tape catches up, too. I'm not sure why this is. Maybe digesting/mobilizing the fat stores inside our abdomen that we can't see or measure?

If neither the scales, nor the measurements will budge, go over the list of meds you take with your doctor. Some of them can give us the sloooooooooows as well. You keep doing what you describe and you're gonna MELT.

Ed
213/185/170
Atkins since 9/10/03

Ed, the stall is both weight and measurements.

I'm not on any prescription medication. And I hope to keep it that way. lol.

May have had some movement on the scale this morning....couldn't tell for sure, it was still way too dark to read the scale (hubby was still asleep, so had to get ready for work in the dark).

Again, thanks everyone for the support/suggestions/encouragements. I know I'll get there, just wish my body would give me a little bit more positive reinforcment.