Thinking of quitting?

[Plattman]

Hi all,

I have gone from 17 stone 4 to 15 stone 11. I'd like to be 14 stone 5, but things have been going slow the last few weeks.

I have been doing the diet the just as I did in the early stages, but think my body has got used to it.

I did have a carb - blow out day, where I ate everything, hoping the follwing day I could go back onto induction. And whilst the weight didnt increase, it did not come off for a few days.

Must I accept that after 7/8 weeks that I can only expect to loose 1/2 pounds a week?

I am also thinking of quitting the diet. Is there a safe way to do this without piling on the pounds? I am happy to do a healthy balanced "normal" diet and excersise to loose the last stone?

Many Thanks -

[jimmie 48]

imho, you are going to pile on pounds. it won't be the fault of atkins but the fact that you will eat a bit here, eat a bit there and before you know it you'll be carb binging, doing the very thing that got you to 17 stone 4.

you must remember as you read in your 2002 DANDR. that as you get close to goal your weigh loss will slow. you should not be doing atkins "as I did in the early stages", meaning, you should be progressing through the ongoing weight loss [owl] phases. you didn't really say that you were still doing induction but induction is not the whole program and staying there too long will do exactly what is happening to you. and remember, stalls can and will happen. if you keep steady and on plan the stalls will most likely break and you'll continue your losses.

have you measured lately? you might not be showing the loss in pounds or in your case, stones, but the tape measure and the way your clothes fit, might be telling you are doing just fine.

atkins is not a quick fix, fast weight loss plan. slowing things down as you get close to goal is a good thing.

[Lyssie]

Um, I'm sorry, but isn't a stone like, 12 pounds?? So you've lost like, 24 pounds in 8 weeks and you don't feel like you're losing the last 12 fast enough??

After 8 weeks, you should be moving onto the rungs of OWL, not just eating induction. I think that maybe you should also look more at this as a way of life, not just a quick fix diet. It's not. As you move up the rungs and reach your goal weight, you could (probably) have had (without cheating) your "carb blow out day".

Atkins *IS* a healthy, normal balanced diet, and you should be incorporating exercise with it anyway. I eat more fruits and veggies than I ever ate with a low-fat diet. You can have breads and nuts, and all kinds of yummy things in the later stages, it's just a matter of not binging on them.

Honestly, I would be soooo happy to lose 1-2 pounds per week.

[sugarsack]

dont quit.. you can do it.. come here often, read everything, go back and look at all the photos of people who didnt give up... get back the motivation you had in the beginning.. you can do it... i read someone say its like having a food allergy and thats how i choose to look at it.. i am alergic to sugar... find something that makes sense to you.. whether its sugar causes mold ? or sugar causes cavities, or sugar causes fat/obese-ness... you can do this...

[Plattman]

Thanks for the link -

I read the book all the time, and often use the search facility on this forum.

I guess I must not expect the weight loss to be like it was in the first few weeks - I can't grumble, lost over 20 pounds and had 2 all-day blowouts (without major repercussions) - .

I think variety is making me want to quit -

I found a low carb cider (Magners Light) this is Fab..
I love chicken, steak, pork chops, eggs, cheese and mayo - in fact, this is pretty much my diet (i'm sure some poeple will curse me!).

As far as greens go, I have leek and spring onions, broccoli and green beans; i also like mushrooms.

My diet is not much more than this - I phoned my local supermarket (ASDA) part of wallmart, but in UK - they said that they endorsed low carb foods and all I had to do is ask in store. So I went to the store, and no one had a clue!!! After an hour, I found weight watchers chocolate bars. Approx 12g carb per bar - this is my new treat.

I would love to find some sweet things (choclate/cake) that I can eat on this diet? Can anyone name some products that target Atkins dieters, something taht i can go into the supermarket and pick up off the shelf, come home and chow-down?

I live in UK (so no fancy American stuff !

Thanks again -

[Plattman]

PS - this forum is great, I have been on here for weeks browsing and decided to join for some support!! So thanks...

[SunnySmile501]

For the Yanks, me included, a stone is 14 pounds, so the starting weight was 242 pounds. Current weight, after 7/8 weeks is 221, so the loss in about two months is 21 pounds, quite good if you ask me. The desired weight is 201 pounds, so he would like to lose 20 more pounds.

To the OP: You have done remarkably well to have come so close to your goal so quickly--especially with a carb blow out day in the mix. You can't expect a miracle. I know you've heard this before, but hear it again: You did not gain all that weight in 8 weeks and you cannot expect to lose it in so short a time. Your body just does not work that way. No other diet will take it off any faster, and if you are in a hurry to get to goal so you can start eating carbs again, you will just gain it all back and more pounds will come along for the ride.

Only you can decide whether you want to quit a way of eating that lets you eat lots of delicious foods, while not having to starve, and you still lose half the weight in a couple of months.

Sunny!

[moniegail]

as i'm truly not familiar with the metric systems form of weight, it does seem like you've done fairly well. i've been on this plan almost exactly the same time started on June 2nd. i've lost 23 lbs and i feel great about that. i've worked so hard, and the thought of quitting just is no where in my mind. like another poster said, you never really specified if you were still doing induction, but if you are, i'd strongly suggest you take a look at the OWL forum and read that section of the book to learn how to move on. i stayed on induction for a total of 3 weeks, and then started to move up the rungs on OWL to where i'm at the berries rung now. i skipped the nut rung at first because i know i have a hard time limiting myself to the correct servings. i have now picked the nut rung back up since i feel stronger that i have more control over the nuts than they usually have over me.

you also never mentioned if you were exercising or not. if you are, than are your clothes fitting better? i exercise almost daily, and even though my weight may not be coming off in bundles, i'm fitting into much smaller sizes than when i was at the same weight with no exercise. also if you are exercising, muscle weighs more than fat. even though the scale may not be moving your body should be losing inches.

1/2 lb a week is not that bad. the slower one loses weight the more likely they are to keep it off.

it sounds like you need to totally re-evaluate what made you want to lose the weight in the first place. what made you choose this way of eating vs. another. are you willing to throw all the success away to possibly ending up where you started or even heavier? lots of things for you to consider. if you decide to quit(and i hope you don't) and then find that you've made the wrong choice, we will be here waiting and will welcome you back with open arms.

i hope you decide to keep the course and seriously think about staying for life not just until you reach your goal.

best wishes,
monie

[Plattman]

Thanks for the support - I WILL NOT QUIT!!!!

It's midnight and I'm off to bed....

I will have bacon and fried eggs for brekkie (as I have been for the last 8 weeks!) - then tomorrow for dinner I will have a can of Tuna in Sunflower oil and some green beans - for tea (luch/whatever) I will have a 12oz Rump steak with mushrooms, fried eggs, cheese and mayo ------- Yeah BABY!!!!

I just miss choccy!!!

Goodnight and thanks for the support!

[Fabulou$]

Hang in there Plattman!!!! It crosses our minds to quit when we don't get the results we want. You'll get a whoosh (you'll get a sudden weight loss). Good Luck!