Sorry to be a Downer...

[newsie]

It seems every post so far has been a downer but I'm really looking for some guidence now!

I have been on induction for a month, although the last week I've been sick with the flu and not drinking as much water as I should.

Before that I had been a little down that I only lost 3 pounds, (I'm 220ish)
while my hubby has lost 12 pounds during this month!

Well last night I was feeling weak and little down so I had McDonalds. Totally horrible but I thought, just forget it and start over today. Well I got on the scale today and it says I am back to 224, where I was when I first started this diet.

I feel so dejected, not losing the weight I had expected, and now the little I had been holding on to gone. What's going on?

[joannav09]

Don't be discouraged. Listen...whatever you do, don't give up. There's nothing wrong with starting over, but you really need to change your attitude. I don't blame you for being down but everyone makes mistakes. Do what I did...research some good low carb meals and snacks Simply Recipes: Low Carb Recipes - this site is good although not every one will work for induction. Don't go hungry! I wasn't one of those people who lost their appetite at all in the first two weeks. If I needed something, I'd have some celery filled with cream cheese, or roll up some deli turkey slathered with mayo....I promise that you're appetite will diminish over time. I had terrible carb withdrawal which is totally gone now but going through it was awful. Any diet is going to be tough, but Atkins has so many options and some really great food...you just have to find the right foods that will satisfy you. Good luck!

[Georgiana]

I went through your previous posts... You have been offered a lot of guidance, but you are too impatient about your weight loss and too concerned with the number on the scale. Relax. This "diet" has worked for so many people. It really works! But you have to focus and do it properly.

First, you mentioned there were days when you replaced one of your meals with an Atkins bar. Atkins bars have ingredients which are not allowed in induction. Unless there's a worldwide famine, there's usually some legal meal you can find other than an Atkins bar.

Second, you were sick... okay... but it's not the first and it won't be the last time. If you are not thirsty, drink some water just for the fun of drinking... it can only do you good. Sometimes, if it doesn't come naturally, you have to push yourself a little.

Third, don't compare your weight loss with your husband's! You are two completely different persons, with different metabolisms, different weights (I assume)... Besides, men in general lose faster. It stinks, but it's unfortunately true. So don't compare yourself with anyone and focus on *your* achievements!

As for returning to 224, I suppose you know why that happened. You've cheated big time by eating McDonalds! You can't cheat and then wonder why you've gained weight. I assume the reason you had McDonalds is that you felt sorry for yourself. Eating carbage was like a pat on the back... It might feel comforting for 30 min or so... but, in the long term, it only makes you fat and miserable. That kind of pat on the back is, in reality, a kick in the a$$.

As Joanna said, if you want to be successful, you must change your attitude.
1. Stop obsessing about the scale. If that number affects you so much, weigh only at the end of induction and then once every week.
2. Don't compare your weight loss with anyone. Do a two-week clean induction, determine your level of metabolic resistance from DANDR and then decide how to proceed.
3. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. This is what makes you use food for comfort... hence the cheating and the weight gain.

Some questions for you...
Are you exercising?
Could you post a few menus? I don't think you did this before.
How much water are you actually drinking?
Are you taking any supplements?

[newsie]

Thanks for the kick in the butt ladies! You're right Georgiana, you hit on everything. I just can't believe I gained almost 4 pounds by eating McDonald's on night. My caloric intake for that day hit 1,600 calories...well below what would constitute a weight gain.

Below is the link for my fitday, it starts with yesterday which was my worst day so far. Also, I'm exercising periodically but I'm going to make it an everyday thing. I am also drinking about 18 8 ounce glasses of water a day.

FitDay Free Calorie Counter and Diet Journal:*Public Journal

[smarie]

I doubt you gained that much body fat from one day of McDonalds, there's no way you ate that many extra calories in a day.

McDonalds food is packed with sodium, so the weight is most likely water retention. Hopefully your body will let go of it quickly once you return to the diet and drink plenty of water.

[Georgiana]

All right... newsie, if you are honest with yourself, I think you know what the problem is. You are not 100% dedicated to this and you keep cheating every other day. By doing this, you are not allowing your body to go into ketosis, you get frustrated and you basically set yourself for failure. The bad news is that your so-called "induction" was a mess. The good news (and please focus on this) is that if you managed to lose 3-4 lbs by doing "induction" the wrong way, you should be able to lose way more by doing it correctly!

So off to a new start... Two weeks, clean induction! No Atkins products, no peanut butter, no sandwiches and definitely no cheeseburgers & fries.

Based on your legal food choices, I noticed you are eating quite a lot of processed foods. This will cause you to gain water weight and will hide a higher loss on the scale. To avoid this, it is better if you eliminate or at least reduce the amount of pork rinds and pepperoni in your diet. Feta is also quite salty, so maybe stick to 1 or max 2 servings a day.

Then the veggies... You eat lettuce a lot, but lettuce is not very nutritious. A better choice would be, for e.g., mushrooms or peppers. These are both on the list of salad veggies, so you should have 2-3 cups of them. You can incorporate them in omelets, quiches, muffins... basically anything. If you are looking for a quick snack, take 4 mushrooms and a slice of cheese (1 oz)... cut the cheese in 4 and cover each mushroom with a 1/4 slice of cheese.. and put them in the microwave for a few minutes. They come out quite tasty. Or you can cut a pepper in boat-like slices (so that they can be filled), mix cream cheese with sour cream, a little unsalted butter and some chopped garlic... and fill the pepper "boats" with this mixture. Or you can fill them with tuna salad (tuna mixed with mayo). It will keep your fat up (so you'll go easier into ketosis and will keep hunger away) and help you get in nutritious veggies. Or you can fill the mushrooms with shredded cheese (shred it yourself or it will have starch addded to keep it from sticking together), top each mushroom with a slice of pepperoni and cook in the microwave. Just be inventive!

Exercise is fine. You don't need to be exercising daily. In fact, it is good if you have a few rest days so that your body can recover. Besides, it is not good to come up with an extremely ambitious exercise plan -- if you are not able to stick with it, you will get discouraged and feel like a failure. Set goals you can actually achieve and be proud when you meet them!

[bsquare12]

Originally Posted by newsie

It seems every post so far has been a downer but I'm really looking for some guidence now!

I have been on induction for a month, although the last week I've been sick with the flu and not drinking as much water as I should.

Before that I had been a little down that I only lost 3 pounds, (I'm 220ish)
while my hubby has lost 12 pounds during this month!

Well last night I was feeling weak and little down so I had McDonalds. Totally horrible but I thought, just forget it and start over today. Well I got on the scale today and it says I am back to 224, where I was when I first started this diet.

I feel so dejected, not losing the weight I had expected, and now the little I had been holding on to gone. What's going on?

I extended induction.. and regained some of my 11lb loss.. then lost it again and stayed still.

Everyone advises to not stay in induction as it just seems to make a lot of people stall.

I've started adding the extra 5g of carbs today, so fingers crossed this gets is moving.

Best of luck.

Beverley

[lisau39]

Please don't quit. I really feel the pain you are in. You can do this my dear.
Those darn Atkins bars are so full of junk I couldn't believe it myself!
Anyway, this site is sooooo full of recipes I was dancing in my chair reading them! Easy recipes! Many for induction. Keep reading, keep going, I know you can do it!

P.S. About exercise, I love the Leslie Sansone DVD's. I own a couple and change them every other day. 20 min -35 min of exercise is good for me. She's fun and I look forward to it. What exercise do you like? Have any machinery @ home?

[newsie]

Thanks so much everyone. You're right, I haven't been on induction faithfully.
Today went really well, and we'll take it from there. Hopefully in 14 days I will be reporting good news.

[lisau39]

good luck!!