Help, I don't want to quit..

[*Oh~My~Gosh*]

Hi, I've been doing Atkins since January almost all the weight i have lost was in the first month... in the first month i lost about 20 pounds and that is where i remained for 4 months, last couple months i have lost about 5 pounds per month...

My problem is I am very strict besides an occasional, hot dog, low carb candy or diet soft drink.. i do not cheat...

But every month without fail I gain 20 pounds of water weight which is very umcomfortable boarderlining painful and the only why i can get it to go away is to have a planned cheat, which must last at least 2 days or the water will not go away...

Well this last month of gaining weight for no reason and forcing myself to cheat put me over the edge, i'm sick of trying so hard and being so committed and seeing no results...

I had my planned cheat and within 3 days the water was gone and i was only 2 pounds heavier than when the bloat came, but in the last 5 days I have ate nothing off plan or gone over 30 carbs a day and everyday I have been steadliy gaining.. 10 pounds in the last 4 days eating on plan... I'm so sick of this!!! and it's not like it's fake weight just the scale acting up, my clothes or tighter i feel stuffed/bloated, its horrible...

I have looked into water pills hoping i can stay on plan if i just take water pills but after reaseaching them, I don't think they are for me, they are a lil scarey...

So i have decided to give up low carb, I guess i'm just one of those people it doenst work for...

Thing is i'm scared to fall back into old eating patterns I dont want to be fat anymore... i went off plan today decided i was gonna try another plan and ate carbs... I want to go back on plan tomorrow but am still unsure this plan is right for me *sigh* comments/suggestions welcomed...

[Elsie150]

Okay..am I getting this right? You started in January...lost 20 pounds in one month. then nothing for the next few then lost 5 more a month for one or two months. But in the meantime you (overnight..over a week) all of a sudden put on 20 pounds of water weight every month and the only way you get it off is by having a planned cheat (even though you say you don't cheat and are so committed) that lasts at least 2 days?? And that makes the water go away?? Sounds strange to me. In the meantime though you have lost 25-30 pounds??

Here are my questions...what are your stats...age ..weight..height...how much do you want to lose. What are you eating when you are following Atkins. What are you eating on your planned cheat days? In detail so we can see if there is a problem. Also...I would highly suggest that you go see a doctor....to gain 20 pounds of water weight and then lose it. Over what..like a two week period? And it has happened twice now?? You gain and lose 20 pounds how fast??

Go to the doctor and get checked out. Either do the plan strictly (what rung are you having those candies at??) with no cheats or find one that works for you. Because cheating once a month for a couple of days and then deciding to go off plan and eat carbs and then redeciding to do induction is another way of saying yoyo dieting and that isn't good and you are just going to do more damage to yourself. Again...please get checked out and then post in this thread so we know how you are doing! I am sure there will be several post on here expressing concern for you! Good luck.

[*Oh~My~Gosh*]

I dont cheat, I don't considering having a piece of Low carb candy or a can of diet soda a cheat... those things are permitted on the plan... I just dont indulge in them often because they can stall you... i started having a couple candies a month and a couple soda's the past 2 month when i actually lost weight.. anyway... I also say i dont cheat because I dont consider a plan cheat a cheat, especially when i'm forced to or be bloated...

I do not put the 20 pounds over night it's usually about 5 pounds a day over 4 days or less... I've tried to wait out the water.. the first month i lost 20+ pounds upped my carbs to 30 and over the next few days gained 10+ pounds, I continued to low carb no cheats and was gaining about a pound a day until i plateaued at a 15 pound gain and stayed for about a month until someone suggested a carb reload(planned cheat), which i did and lost the 15 pounds in 2 days(was peeing like a race horse lol)

months and months went by and i yo yo'd between the same 5 pounds.... i'd gain 20 pounds for no reason do a carb reload(planned cheat) and the weight would go away in days... I know i need to reload for at least 2 days because I tried one and the water weight did not go away

My stats are:
Age: 25
Starting Weight: 270
Current Weight: 241(was 231 last week yes it's bloat time)
Height: 5' 5"
Pounds Wanted To Lose: 130 pounds
Grocery List: Ground Beef, Pork Chops, Chicken, Broccoli,Onions, Cabbage, Cauliflower,Romiaine Letucce, Cheese..

The above is pretty much my routien prepared in different ways.. no i dont go over the amounts of cheese or veggies a day.. I usually try and stay between 20 -30 carbs a day... I only use limited salt and pepper no other seasonings or condiments i occasional have used mustard or mayo but that isnt very often...

I really just think my body is showing me my real weight every month lol..because all atkins does is take the water out of yoru body the first month, my body brings that water back for some reason

I'm seriously sad, that this isn't working for me... i hear stories of people my size who have lost 70+ pounds by now, and they arent strict at all

I think i'm going to try and go all meat :::barf::: for a couple of weeks and see what that does...

I know people are gonna come in here and say 40 pounds in 6 months is good but what you arent understanding is I was in the 240's after the 3rd week on low carb... I've literally been in the 240's for 6 months... i've been yoyoing up and down in the 240's 250's for 5 months only recently did i get in the 230's and they have swiftly been taken away.. because i am 241 today *sigh* after being 231 last week.... it's just weird and sad every month i get lifted up and let down and forced to do something i dont want to... This is certainly a struggle that i didn't know i was in for

[Elsie150]

20 pounds of water in 4 days is still a lot...I would still say that you should go to the Doc for a check up. Another thing is maybe something you are eating your body doesn't like. This is the first I have heard that the first month is all water weight. The first week..yes. Be aware that excess protein will be stored as fat and also that if you try to cut down too low in calories that your body will go into starvation mode and your motabelism (spelling?) will slow down creating even more problems for you. Number one thing I would do is go get checked out.

Out of curiousity...what kind of carbs are you eating that makes the water go away??

[losetocruise]

Outside of the bloating, you are saying you have lost 39 pounds in 7 months. Thats pretty goodactually. yes some lose faster and some slower. I can guarantee you that 39 pounds is not all water weight.

I have never heard of low carb causing the bloating you describe, so it must be something else and I agree with Elsie, you need a doctor to figure it out. Also I have never heard of hig carb curing water retention in fact just the opposite. Atkins is a highly diuretic diet when followed properly.

A planned cheat is still a cheat. it is not properly following the diet no matter what you want to call it. As far as I can tell you have only posted twice although you started Atkins in January. This board is an excellent place to get advice and help with your diet, but you have to participate and ask the questions. You might try posting your daily diet for a few days and get advice, but I would definitely see a doctor about the water retention. Best wishes to you.

[joee5]

20 pounds 1st month. 5 pounds each additional month. And now you want to quit? Okay, see ya. Have fun, just be careful so you dont put all the weight back on again. Then you'll be one of those, "back again" or "4th time" dieter. Your choice just stay true. God Bless, Joe

[colleenieweenie]

Quit with the "planned cheat" A cheat, is a cheat, is a cheat. I don't care if you dress it up any way you want to make yourself more comfortable with it - You are not following Atkins, allowing yourself a "cheat day" (or two)...

Drink more water, really watch your sodium content, maybe you're holding water due to TOM? If you are exercising and not used to it, your body could be holding onto water to help feed your muscles.

Comparing yourself to others who have lost X amount of weight and "aren't strict at all" is silly. Find what works for you and hit it hard - no cheating - seriously defies the purpose. Losing fat isn't just about the numbers on the scale, it's about HEALTH.

20 lbs of water weight seems pretty unbelievable to me - I really think your carb cycling is contributing to your problem. Not only are you NOT following the "diet", you are confusing the **** out of your body. Feeding it healthy items, then turning around and feeding it crap. Why don't you go on strict induction for 2 weeks - No cheats, no sugar free candy, and see what happens.

Best to you!

[Duinai]

Is possible that you indeed are having problems with TOM ( some really bad case of water retaining) and/or metabolic abnormalities that your body is experiencing due to your new way of eating. You said you dont want to use water pills... but you might still try natural herbal remedies such as Uva Ursi, Dandellion Root etc... even herbal tea with a lot of ascorbic acid ( lemon or plain Vit C added) is also diuretic. Go and do a GOOGLE on herbal diuretics. I have very bad water retention problem during my TOM, plus naturally weak veins in my lower legs so they are very swollen So instead of water ( or better yet, PLUS to water) I drink tons of herbal tea and taking herbal supplements 2-3 times daily.

Dui

[*Oh~My~Gosh*]

I thank everyone for their opinion....but can i please get someone who can actually read my post and take it for what it is.. can you please forget the aspect of cheating, can i have someone with an open mind who realizes a planned cheat is not a cheat but a required part of weightloss for some people...

Joee5 i did not lose 20 pounds first month and 5 pounds each month after, that would have been nice if i had... but i lost 20 pounds first 3 weeks, 4th week gained 7-8 pounds, 5th week gained about 5 pounds more and stayed that weight for the next 4 weeks until a person with years of Atkins/Low-Carb exprience suggested I do a carb reload(planned cheat).. which worked, as soon as i started to eat LC again i lost 15 pounds in under 3 days, it was like instant Ketosis... even after losing the 15 pounds of water I stayed in the 240's for 3 months, i just started creeping out of the 240's end of may and have done no cheating but forced plan cheats once every 4 weeks to get rid of monthly water weight gain...

Collen I wish I could stop planned cheats, If only it was that simple... unfortunetly If I dont do a plan cheat i'll just be bloated and the scale will not move, it's not like oh 5 pounds of tom weight it is 20+ pounds of water it is very uncomfortable bordering painful, i've tried to wait it out , i've waited as long as almost 2 months and nothing happens i'm just stagnate and bloated until i have a carb reload(planned cheat), it's not like i'm carb cycling once a week or every 2 weeks... these happens every 4 week+ as a last resort, i usually bloat 2 weeks before tom and two weeks after tom i'm still bloated so i'm forced to do a carb reload i was hoping it was tom too but its not

like you've said its probably food related and i've cut out many things.. the only things that have been uniform the whole time throughout this process is.. cheese, onions, salt and pepper... lol those things make this plan beareable not sure if i can give them up...

[*Oh~My~Gosh*]

Originally Posted by Duinai

Is possible that you indeed are having problems with TOM ( some really bad case of water retaining) and/or metabolic abnormalities that your body is experiencing due to your new way of eating. You said you dont want to use water pills... but you might still try natural herbal remedies such as Uva Ursi, Dandellion Root etc... even herbal tea with a lot of ascorbic acid ( lemon or plain Vit C added) is also diuretic. Go and do a GOOGLE on herbal diuretics. I have very bad water retention problem during my TOM, plus naturally weak veins in my lower legs so they are very swollen So instead of water ( or better yet, PLUS to water) I drink tons of herbal tea and taking herbal supplements 2-3 times daily.

Dui

Thank you, I was just reading my blog and my bloat always comes about two weeks before tom give or take a few days, and the first and second time I did a reload I did not get a tom for that month or tom was very late but each time came within days after doing a carb reload... so i'm thinking it might be some weird tom relation now as well... thanks...