HELP! Induction Phase - Not losing weight

[texasparalegal]

I don't know what I may be doing wrong, but I'm not losing. What should I be eating for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner? I love coffee too. Is there a low carb creamer that can be added to coffee? The creamer I use now is 1 carb. I've tried eating tuna with celery, eggs, pickles, and onions to add variety. Could this be the problem? I've also been walking on a regular basis and actually GAINED weight!

Thanks for any help anyone can offer!

[kellyf48]

Can you give a sample menu of what you have been eating, and also do you have the book?

[purplecat]

Have you tried heavy cream in your coffee (0 carbs)? Have you tried logging your info on www.fitday.com to see if you're eating enough? The ratios should be close to 65% fat; 5% carbs; and 30% protein. Are you drinking enough water? Are you eating enough? If you are not eating enough then your body will think you are trying to starve it and hold on to the weight. You can check your BMR at http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/. You might also want to post your menu in one of the forums where a moderator can assist you more.

Best of health to you.

[SunnySmile501]

Is the coffee decaf??? There is no creamer that is not a bunch of nasty chemicals. Use heavy cream. Do the pickles have sugar? Even some dill pickles have sugar. Be sure to read all lables--the ingredients list, not just how many carbs.

If you are not used to exercising, you can retain fluid to begin with. A lot of people show a gain when they first start.

Sunny!

[jimmie 48]

have you read the book?
some pickles have added sugar like the bread and butter pickles. check those ingredients.
are you drinking at least 64 oz. of water per day?
veggies should be the majority of your daily carb count, even on induction.

if you don't have the book or you need a refresher, try reading through some of the threads in the FAQ forum as they deal with the allowable list of induction food and helpful hints for new atkineers.
Atkins Low Carb Dieting - FAQ's

[texasparalegal]

I have been doing it wrong all this time. I thought as long as I was consuming protein it didn't matter what I was eating as long as it didn't contain sugar or carbs. A sample menu of what I have been eating would include tuna with mayo, celery, onions, pickles, and eggs. I consume at least 52 oz of water, which now I know I need to increase by 10 oz. If I tire of the tuna salad I buy hot wings for lunch. I eat about 16 non-breaded hot wings with blue cheese dressing and 3-4 sticks of celery. I drink tons of coffee because I love coffee!

WOW! Thanks for all the great information! I never thought of heavy cream as a substitute. That sounds delicous and better than the powdered creamer I use now. Thanks everyone! I really appreciate all the wonderful advice and links. I have posted to other sites, but never received such a great response. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[JenLynn]

I lost ten pounds REALLY fast......but it has stalled for three days......I think it is because I am not eating ENOUGH. I found my appetite decreased and I was just plain not eating. Bad idea. I am trying to keep it up (eating that is).

GOOD LUCK!

[jimmyolsenblues]

I would make sure , most if not all meals I prepared at home.
Corn starch , fillers, hidden carbs, sauces, are used by most restaurants, in almost everything.
Are you exercising?
I would try a 2 week clean induction and make sure you are drinking water, exercising, and taking some kind of a fiber supplement.
Please read rules of induction:
http://www.atkins.com/articles/atkin...s-of-induction

[IrishIrish]

You really do need veggies too .... salad greens and other veggies!

[pamelainaustin]

Hi Texasparalegal,

I am 3 weeks in (2 week induction and 1 week OWL Rung 1) and have lost 12 pounds . I did buy the book which is helpful. I pretty much ate (and am still eating) along the lines below. I never get hungry and feel really good.

Breakfast

Omelette with 2 or 3 eggs, 2 strips crumbled up bacon or a bit of cooked ground beef, mushrooms and a slice of Monterey Jack cheese. Cook it in 1 "pat" of butter. Usually 2-3 cups of regular coffee with a little bit of heavy cream and a teaspoon of DaVinci vanilla syrup.

Lunch

Either sliced cucumber (about 1/2 of a large one) or 3-4 stalks celery topped with a protein (diced chicken or tuna) mixed with 1-2 tablespoons regular mayo, 4-5 black olives, a little chopped red or green pepper and dill weed, sea salt and pepper. I mix this into a paste and slap it on top of the veggies. My coworkers kid me about my lunch looking like a tray of hors derves but it is filling and easy to eat. I occasionally make a baby spinach salad with chicken, black olives, chopped eggs, mushrooms, cucumbers, roma tomato and 1-2 tablespoons of Ranch dressing.

Dinner

Baked chicken, fish or a ground beef patty with sauteed mushrooms. Always a salad, occasionally green beans, broccoli or spaghetti squash. Eat 2 cups of salad veggies daily and 1 cup of non salad veggies or 3 cups of salad. Sometimes I melt some swiss cheese on the chicken or ground beef patty. I am trying the cauliflower "mock mashed potatoes" dish tomorrow for the first time. The spaghetti squash warmed with a tablespoon of Zesty Italian salad dressing and a few shakes of Parmesan is my current new veggie fave.

Snack

2 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons heavy cream and 1 tablespoon DaVinci Kahlua syrup whipped up and chilled. Sorta like kahlua mousse. Yummy and eliminates evening snack attacks for me I also have tried the "cheese crisps" a few times which are crunchy like potato chips and nice with a bit of herb dip.

Always drink 64 ounces of water daily PLUS an additional 8 ounces for every 25 pounds you want to lose. I drink 2800 ml (93 ounces) every day and have avoided all diet sodas. It is okay to have up to 3 packets of Splenda per day and Diet Rite is the only soday I am aware of made with Splenda.

Hope this helps!! Also, I went the entire 14 days of induction without weighing myself AT ALL which I highly recommend so you don't get discouraged. Additionally, almost every morning I tried on a super tight pair of jeans that now FIT comfortably after 3 weeks to motivate myself.

Additionally, I measure/weigh EVERYTHING and use fitday.com every day to make sure I am on target. Fats around 65%, protein around 35% and carbs around 5% with 20 or less NET (total minus fiber) carbs per day. Do not be afraid of the fat, which is REALLY hard for me to get my head around.

Pam