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Stalled weight loss on Atkins, any ideas/suggestions to help me? PLEASE!!!
Hi all,
I started Atkins in early January '09. I have done Atkins before back in 2004/05 and lost 60lbs and got down to 160lbs which was pretty good for my height about 5'6". It took me about 7 months to get to my target weight. I was extremely happy and felt great. Got married in 2006 and well...kinda gained it all back and then some...so it goes huh. I hate I did that but I truly love food and before I knew it...all the weight was back on again. I actually got to about 261lbs in Dec. '08. YIKES! I know. Since January I've lost about 21 lbs. I guess that sounds good probably but it's kinda stalled at 21 lbs. For the last couple of weeks I haven't lost ANY weight and am getting a bit frustrated and disappointed. I was hoping to gather some ideas and suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong. My typical diet daily includes: 1 hard boiled egg and a couple slices of bacon for Breakfast, for Lunch I eat sliced oven roasted turkey breast (a few slices) & another hard boiled egg, and a couple slices of provolone cheese. I might also have a string cheese for an afternoon snack if I'm hungry. For Dinner I eat a medium sized salad (just iceberg and dark green lettuce with some bacon bits, 1 hard boiled egg sliced up, and shredded cheese with Ken's 1 gr of Carb dressing) & I don't eat a lot of dressing either...just enough to cover some of the lettuce. I might also have some sugar free (0 carb) jello with some Heavy Whipping Cream on top. I drink diet drinks without Caffeine and try to drink some water but I don't like water all that much so that's about the only thing that I could be doing better. Other than that...I don't cheat, no sugar sneaks. I've tested to see if I'm in deep ketosis and normally the test strips show that I'm in mild to moderate ketosis, but the test strips really haven't gone to a DEEP purple yet for me. I just don't know where I'm going wrong. I lost 14 lbs during the INDUCTION period of the diet and was on that diet for about 3 weeks, then moved to branching out some and introcducing a few more carbs but I am not sure if I'm eating even my 20 grams a day. I was wondering if by not eating my daily allowance of carbs was causing my body to stall losing weight??? I sprained my ankle not long ago and haven't been as active/exercising as much as I should probably but I was able to lose 60lbs last time without exercising all that much a few years ago. I have got to lose about 100lbs at least...well now I need to lose 80 since I've already lost 21lbs. I don't know if the weight loss will start to pick up perhaps...or if this is just how it goes the 2nd time around doing Atkins??? I've read that the weight doesn't come off as easy the 2nd time around...so perhaps that's what is going on. I would like any advice or tips or ideas or suggestions from anyone else out there who's trying to do Atkins or has been successful on Atkins, etc. I would be so grateful for any ideas or tips. I just want to see the scale move...doesn't have to make big jumps in numbers but seeing a steady decrease would be a welcomed sight as opposed to stalling at 21 lbs for several weeks now. So if anyone has any ideas...please reply. I need the help and your advice would be a life-saver and that's a fact. Thanks so much for taking the time to read my question.
I started Atkins in early January '09. I have done Atkins before back in 2004/05 and lost 60lbs and got down to 160lbs which was pretty good for my height about 5'6". It took me about 7 months to get to my target weight. I was extremely happy and felt great. Got married in 2006 and well...kinda gained it all back and then some...so it goes huh. I hate I did that but I truly love food and before I knew it...all the weight was back on again. I actually got to about 261lbs in Dec. '08. YIKES! I know. Since January I've lost about 21 lbs. I guess that sounds good probably but it's kinda stalled at 21 lbs. For the last couple of weeks I haven't lost ANY weight and am getting a bit frustrated and disappointed. I was hoping to gather some ideas and suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong. My typical diet daily includes: 1 hard boiled egg and a couple slices of bacon for Breakfast, for Lunch I eat sliced oven roasted turkey breast (a few slices) & another hard boiled egg, and a couple slices of provolone cheese. I might also have a string cheese for an afternoon snack if I'm hungry. For Dinner I eat a medium sized salad (just iceberg and dark green lettuce with some bacon bits, 1 hard boiled egg sliced up, and shredded cheese with Ken's 1 gr of Carb dressing) & I don't eat a lot of dressing either...just enough to cover some of the lettuce. I might also have some sugar free (0 carb) jello with some Heavy Whipping Cream on top. I drink diet drinks without Caffeine and try to drink some water but I don't like water all that much so that's about the only thing that I could be doing better. Other than that...I don't cheat, no sugar sneaks. I've tested to see if I'm in deep ketosis and normally the test strips show that I'm in mild to moderate ketosis, but the test strips really haven't gone to a DEEP purple yet for me. I just don't know where I'm going wrong. I lost 14 lbs during the INDUCTION period of the diet and was on that diet for about 3 weeks, then moved to branching out some and introcducing a few more carbs but I am not sure if I'm eating even my 20 grams a day. I was wondering if by not eating my daily allowance of carbs was causing my body to stall losing weight??? I sprained my ankle not long ago and haven't been as active/exercising as much as I should probably but I was able to lose 60lbs last time without exercising all that much a few years ago. I have got to lose about 100lbs at least...well now I need to lose 80 since I've already lost 21lbs. I don't know if the weight loss will start to pick up perhaps...or if this is just how it goes the 2nd time around doing Atkins??? I've read that the weight doesn't come off as easy the 2nd time around...so perhaps that's what is going on. I would like any advice or tips or ideas or suggestions from anyone else out there who's trying to do Atkins or has been successful on Atkins, etc. I would be so grateful for any ideas or tips. I just want to see the scale move...doesn't have to make big jumps in numbers but seeing a steady decrease would be a welcomed sight as opposed to stalling at 21 lbs for several weeks now. So if anyone has any ideas...please reply. I need the help and your advice would be a life-saver and that's a fact. Thanks so much for taking the time to read my question.
COMMUNITY LEADER
There have been some other recent posts regarding the Atkins type diet, you might find them interesting reading. It's my understanding that this type of diet does not count calories or anything other than carbs. The general basis for losing weight is "calories in/calories out" - meaning that if you take in more calories than you expend, you will not lose weight. There are instances where medical issues make this more difficult or seemingly impossible - in which case you need to deal with those issues prior to starting a weight loss regimen. I recently learned this from my own experiences.
The problem with a diet of this type, where you are severely limiting any one food group is that as soon as you go off the diet, you gain the weight back again.
To lose weight successfully and KEEP it off, you need to choose a healthy eating style that you will be able to maintain for the rest of your life. That includes ALL of the various food groups in appropriate portion sizes. By limiting certain foods, you most likely aren't getting all the nutrients you need. By choosing a healthy eating style, you should be able to eat most of the things you really like - just not in large portions (ie: one small slice of cake rather than the whole cake)
I agree that you should not eat the "simple" carbs, such as items made with sugar, white flour, rice, etc as they enter the blood stream and are broken down quickly, which causes your blood sugar to spike. These carbs are used up quickly, which then causes your blood sugar to drop, making you extremely hungry, so you eat again and it becomes a vicious cycle.
That said, there are certainly carbs that your body requires and those are the "complex" carbs (fiber), such as those found in fruit, veggies, whole grains, nuts, beans, etc. This type of carbs fill you up faster and take longer for the body to break down so you will feel fuller longer. This type of carbs is also chock full of vitamins and minerals that your body needs in order to be healthy.
You mentioned ketosis - are you diabetic? If so, that's all the more reason for you make sure that you get complex carbs in order to stop the cycle of your blood sugar spiking and crashing. Complex carbs will help stop this cycle. It's also better to eat several small meals throughout the day in order to keep your blood sugar steady.
You also need to get in some "good for you" fats, like olive oil, avocado, etc as fats help you feel "satisfied" and are necessary for over all health. They can even HELP you lose weight.
Fish is a good choice for the omega 3 fatty acids, protein, etc. Other meats will provide protein and of course, red meats provide vitamin B12, which is essential for energy production.
Protein also helps fill you up and takes longer to break down, so you feel fuller longer. I try to include both protein and fiber (complex carbs) in each meal/snack.
Bacon, heavy whipping cream and some cheeses are loaded with saturated fats and calories, while not necessarily providing much in the way of nutrients.
All of the "healthy eating" must of course be joined with an appropriate exercise program in order to be successful. Remember: calories in/calories out = weight loss.
Last, but certainly not least - it was very appropriately pointed out yesterday in another post "Dr Atkins was, himself, overweight". Thank you JoyRenee.
Good luck.
The problem with a diet of this type, where you are severely limiting any one food group is that as soon as you go off the diet, you gain the weight back again.
To lose weight successfully and KEEP it off, you need to choose a healthy eating style that you will be able to maintain for the rest of your life. That includes ALL of the various food groups in appropriate portion sizes. By limiting certain foods, you most likely aren't getting all the nutrients you need. By choosing a healthy eating style, you should be able to eat most of the things you really like - just not in large portions (ie: one small slice of cake rather than the whole cake)
I agree that you should not eat the "simple" carbs, such as items made with sugar, white flour, rice, etc as they enter the blood stream and are broken down quickly, which causes your blood sugar to spike. These carbs are used up quickly, which then causes your blood sugar to drop, making you extremely hungry, so you eat again and it becomes a vicious cycle.
That said, there are certainly carbs that your body requires and those are the "complex" carbs (fiber), such as those found in fruit, veggies, whole grains, nuts, beans, etc. This type of carbs fill you up faster and take longer for the body to break down so you will feel fuller longer. This type of carbs is also chock full of vitamins and minerals that your body needs in order to be healthy.
You mentioned ketosis - are you diabetic? If so, that's all the more reason for you make sure that you get complex carbs in order to stop the cycle of your blood sugar spiking and crashing. Complex carbs will help stop this cycle. It's also better to eat several small meals throughout the day in order to keep your blood sugar steady.
You also need to get in some "good for you" fats, like olive oil, avocado, etc as fats help you feel "satisfied" and are necessary for over all health. They can even HELP you lose weight.
Fish is a good choice for the omega 3 fatty acids, protein, etc. Other meats will provide protein and of course, red meats provide vitamin B12, which is essential for energy production.
Protein also helps fill you up and takes longer to break down, so you feel fuller longer. I try to include both protein and fiber (complex carbs) in each meal/snack.
Bacon, heavy whipping cream and some cheeses are loaded with saturated fats and calories, while not necessarily providing much in the way of nutrients.
All of the "healthy eating" must of course be joined with an appropriate exercise program in order to be successful. Remember: calories in/calories out = weight loss.
Last, but certainly not least - it was very appropriately pointed out yesterday in another post "Dr Atkins was, himself, overweight". Thank you JoyRenee.
Good luck.
It sounds like you've plateaued... or reached a point where no matter how strict you're maintaining the diet... nothing happens. That "plateau" phase passes; but, it'll take a while... quite a few weeks, which feels like an eternity for a dieter . The temptation is to cut back on food intake or modify the diet... don't! Be patient and the weight will drop as the body is going through a necessary adjustment during this plateau period. I also lost a lot of weight on the Atkins diet. I started 9 years ago (my 2nd try with it)... went off last year (big mistake!) because the man that I was dating during that time didn't like watching me diet. So, I had gained some "dating" weight... but, fortunately, not a whole lot. I'm not dating that man anymore; so I'm now back on track with the diet. By the way, when I started Atkins (in 2000) I weighed 190 lbs. It took me 2 years to get down to 115 lbs. I stayed at 115 until last year, when I put on 8 "dating" lbs. I'm now down to 117 lbs. So, it's a truly effective diet. Congratulations and good luck on your continued weight control efforts.
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