What about when its hard?

[needpeace]

So I am here and on Atkins for over a month. I have not had a piece of bread, anything white, sugar, fruit, or alcohol for that whole time. I never feel hungry, ever. I feel fabulous. My blood sugar levels are clearly level in so many ways, but I am not losing. I lost approx 5 pounds during induction, which doesnt feel like very much, in fact, its probably just water weight. I have read every Atkins book that has been in print since 1972.
I know a few of the things I am struggling with - especially the last week.
not enough water. i know hydration is important, but why is it so important to atkins? i am one of those people that needs to know the "why." Also, I have read numerous things about people not eating enough to lose weight... dont understand that either...
i am realizing that preparation is the most important part of all of this, and that has always been something I struggle with...
as of today i am journaling all of my food. i dont like doing that, but i am going to. i can see with one day of journaling - yesterday - how off my carb counts can be.
so i think i need some encouragement. i am new to this bulletin board, i am a member of another and its gotten a little odd lately. i have read a few of the comments here and i think this might be more like my kind of board. (a lot of you are really funny!)
I'll take what I can get. I am totally teachable right now, which is not a normal thing for me.

Ok - I am actually asking for help. Which I dont really do either. (quietly) Help.

Thanks.

Jamie

[not2late]

If you re-read those Atkins books, Dr. Atkins stated that ketosis is a natural diuretic, so you lose water, which means you need to make sure you are staying adequately hydrated.

About the "not eating enough".....think of your body like a bank account. Your bank account needs a minimum deposit for the bank to keep that account active. Likewise, your body needs a certain amount of calories daily just to minimally stay alive. That amount is the BMR---basal metabolic rate. The BMR reflects the calories needed when your body is at rest, that is, if you are just lying in a hospital bed only doing things like breathing, heart beating, etc. Once you do more than that basal amount, like if you reach for a glass of water, you expend more calories above the BMR. So you will require more calories. That amount is called the AMR or Active Metabolic Rate.

So, you don't want to eat below (or you'll eventually die) and you don't want to eat above your AMR (or you'll gain weight.) If you eat at or slightly above your AMR, you should technically maintain weight. So if you want to lose weight, you should eat somewhere between your BMR and AMR. However, if you eat too close to your BMR, your bod will think it's starving and will begin to conserve energy (ie body fat) in order to stay alive. Eventually, if the food doesn't arrive, your bod will start using itself (muscle, bone minerals, and lastly body fat) to stay alive.

[losetocruise]

welcome to the board. You will find a lot of help and good advice here. As to your questions:

Water is needed to flush wast by products out and this includes the dissolved fat/ketones.

As to "not eating enough", I am not sure about that. Atkins says precious little in his books about how many calories you need. it makes it difficult because so many "conventional" diet wisdoms do not mix with Atkins. he does say that if you eat less you will lose faster and this actually applies to all the food you eat not just the carbohydrate. he also says not counting calories is not a license to gorge. I think the suggestion to stay a little above the BMR and a little below the AMR is a good one. you should certainly lose this way. Personally I try to keep my calories under 1500 and that seems to work for me. I lose pounds slow, but I have built a lot of muscle and my body has been changing shape dramtically.

Excercise is a must. You din't mention it, but if you are not doing it you really must.

You said you are journaling your food. That is also great. fitday.com is a good tool to use and there is both an online and PC version you can use. online is free and PC is pretty cheap. I use the PC and couldnot do without it. Also if in doubt post some menues to get comments and tips. Sometimes you think you are eating"legal" and someone who has been doing it longer can see potential glitches.

Also you did not say how much you have to lose. If it is not much, you will lose much slower than if you have a large amount to lose.

Good luck!

[needpeace]

I appreciate your feedback so much. In answer to your questions,,, I am 31, F I have 53 pounds to lose... I thought I had updated my signature, but it wont stick!

Looking forward to being involved in this Board.