Please help - not losing

[JLSoltys]

I'm a bride with 12 weeks to go until my wedding. I weight 240, and really want to get down to at least 210 by the wedding. I started Atkins a little over a week ago, and plan to continue with it past the wedding.

I've done Atkins about three times in the past, and the last time was exactly a year ago. I lost 20 pounds in one month of induction, and the weight just melted off. This is how it's been every time I've done Atkins. I never had any "stallers" - I could eat Atkins bars for breakfast, diet coke with Splenda, cheese, etc - as long as the ketostix were turning pink, the scale moved almost every day.

This time, I am so disappointed after over a week of Atkins, it's not working. The ONLY think I'm doing differently than the other times is that I'm on the antidepressant effexor as well as the birth control pill. I lost 5 pounds after my first two days, but the day that showed the 5 pound weight loss was also the day my period ended, so I'm pretty sure it's just water weight. I was eating things like low car ice cream bars the first few days (one per day), but still eating the right number of carbs, and this was absolutely never a problem the other times I did Atkins. However, when the scale stopped moving, I eliminated these things. I've also been in moderate to large ketosis the entire time.

Here's a typical day:
50 - 72 oz water
breakfast - Atkins bar
lunch - hamburger patty with a slice of cheese, tomato, lettuce. Veggie on the side, such as grilled zucchini.
dinner - baked chicken, some sort of veggie - usually steamed broccoli
snacks (one to two a day) - sugar free jello, celery with peanut butter (I measure it out and of course it's the natural, sugar free kind), a couple pieces of cheese.

What the heck is going on? Please help - I will be SO upset if I don't get this weight off before I get married! Is it possible that I'm not eating enough calories? There's no way I'm eating too many!! Should I go off the effexor?

Thanks in advance.

[Brook]

1) You're only one week in. Induction is a two week process. Give it the time it takes and then evaluate.

2) It seems you do have stallers now. You can choose to lament over what you used to be able to do or accept what you can do now. I could do a lot of things 2 years ago that I can't do now. It just is what it is. You have to adapt.

3) The meds will make a difference and slow things down. Again, it is what it is. I know. It sucks.

4) Drop the Atkins bars. They're crap. They're not real food and there's no such thing as mythical magical carbs that don't count. Eat. Real. Food.

5) Peanut butter is *not* induction friendly, neither is Jello (aspartame). You're limited to a total of 3 servings of sweetener a day.

6) What are you doing for exercise??

7.) Are you taking supplements?


Hang in there. It takes patience and you've got changes going on now that you didn't have the last time. Patience.

[JLSoltys]

Any suggestions for quick, on the go induction friendly breakfasts? I need something I can eat in the car or at my desk!

I may seriously consider going off the meds, at least until the wedding.

OK, so cut out peanut butter and the jello.

I haven't exercised this week. Although, today is day one of my fiancee and I going to the gym together. I'll probably do 30 minutes of walking on the treadmill and a little bit of weights, especially for my arms.

I'm not taking any supplements. What should I be taking?

[Elizellen]

How about a crustless quiche?
I make one most weekends so that I can cut it into 6 slices and have one for breakfast each morning during the week. It keeps well in the fridge and is easy to grab'n'go to eat while driving or at work.
You could make it in muffin tins to have individual portions too.

I add vegetables as well as meat to mine to get some veggies in!
My recipe is in the lowcarb recipes database - link in my signature.

[cgdat136]

what exercise challenges have you joined?