No Change :(

[MafiaZbaby]

Ok so..I always read all your wonderful posts for inspiration and helpful hints buttt I never post myself. However, I am alittle discouraged today. I have been on and off atkins for about a year. 'Off atkins' would just be the weekend for me, but I only do that once and a while. I have lost about 20+ lbs. since my start but I am at a standstill. I am recently engaged and wanted to loose about 12 or so lbs by my engagement party which is in 7wks. I thought that was a reachable goal but today marks my start of the third week and the scale hasn't moved! I was so good not to get on and weigh myself for these two weeks and now I get such a disappointed feeling today. Ughhh..

[not2late]

Hi and welcome.

You're not going to like what I'm going to write but it must be written.

First off....Commit yourself to the diet. No going "off" for weekends. Dr. Atkins warns against this "yo-yo-ing" and follows it up with one brief sentence that the on-off pattern might increase your metabolic resistance to weight loss. That doesn't mean you will never lose weight, it just means you will have to work harder to do it.

Secondly, you haven't lost pounds but have you lost inches? Dr. Atkins wrote that the loss of inches is more representative of weight loss (ie: fat loss) because losing inches means the fat is leaving your fat cells. So if you haven't measured yourself, do so now. As I always say, no one will know how much you weigh unless you go around wearing a badge that says "Hi. Today I weigh ____ pounds." However everyone (including you) will notice that you are thinner and can fit into smaller clothes.

Thirdly, from what you have written you have been on and off-Induction. You are near your overall goal and you should be thinking about moving to OWL or to Pre-Maintenance. As you near goal, your weight loss will slow down. Remember, losing weight is only the first goal you have, your second and most important goal is maintaining that weight loss. Dr. Atkins formulated his diet so that if you go through all the phases, your chances of maintaining will be greater than if you did not.

Fourthly, are you exercising? If you aren't, your non-loss of weight is most likely related to that.

[MafiaZbaby]

Thank you for your responce. I know I have to commit and stop going on and off. Hopefully because I have a specific goal I will be able to keep that promise to myself. First thing after work I am going to go by a measuring tape!

[not2late]

Also, if you are using any of the "low carb" products (like the shakes, bars, etc.) Drop them from your diet. While the Atkins Company promotes them for use, we at ADBB don't recommend them because they have the tendency to stall or slow weight loss.

You might also want to monitor your artificial sweetener use and make sure you are staying within the heavy cream and cheese limits as well.

[MafiaZbaby]

Yes. I don't use any of the 'atkins products' or any type of sweetners. Just so happens I don't have a sweet tooth..hate candy, cookies, cake..drink my coffee decaf and black. I try to eat only from the acceptable foods list.

[Elizellen]

Have you posted a few days menus to the 'review my menu' forum yet?
There may be something that one of the more experienced 'losers' here can spot that stopped them losing in the past!
Or you may even not be eating enough!!

[MafiaZbaby]

Ok. Thank you. I have been thinking about the choices I had made in the last 2 weeks b/c I'm stunned with the little results I got. I think I need to carefully measure my cheese intake and make sure the cheese and deli meats I consume are not processed.

[Elizellen]

Now MafiaZbaby, you are 25 pounds from goal so really need to be thinking of moving up the OWL ladder too!.
Dr Atkins told us to lose our last 5-10 pounds in the premaintenance phase, remember.

So as well as being more careful with your measring of cheese and checking the additives if any of your cheese and meats why not start to add an extra 5 net carbs of veggies and see what happens?

[MafiaZbaby]

I guess I haven't thought of premaintenance. It took me almost a little over a year to loose my first 25lbs. I was hoping to loose the next 25 within 2 months which seem attainable when I read these posts. I'd really like to loose 10lbs. by Feb 25th..that is my short term goal.