My husband calls me a little bundle of hate...

[colleenieweenie]

So I'm super frustrated and this has become my new nick-name

I know, I know, stalls happen. I'm on rung 3 and STUCK. I've been hovering around 117-118 for a month - up one day, down the next.

I work out 5 days a week - Usually 30-45min of elliptical on either a hill program or an interval program. I also alternate 45min of pilates with 45min of weight training. I'm getting my groove on and feel really good.

I'll give you a sample of my daily menu...

Breakfast- Atkins Shake (I need something quick - gotta get my three children of the corn ready for the day - although now I have read that those are the devil and might stall some - so I might finish up my case and start gagging down some eggs)

Snack - none - never hungry between breakfast & lunch

Lunch- either a small salad (2cups iceberg, a few slices of cuccumbers, a few blk olives, a sprinkling of slivered almonds w/ ranch) or a cup of spinach or green beans and usually some sort of meat product (left over chickie breast, or sometimes a pizza omlette (fried mozz cheese, 1tbsp no sugar added tomato sauce, a few pepperoni, folded up like an omlette)

Snack - a cup or so of pork rinds, or an egg or two (eggs make me gag)

Dinner - another small salad/another cup of veggie and a slab of meat (jk), either chickie, steak, hamburger, or some sort of low-carb casserole (eggplant for instance)

I do drink 2 cups of decaf coffee a day with splenda and a tiny bit of heavy cream. I also have 1 diet soda with dinner. I drink enough water to flood my basement.

Originally, when I started Atkins (5+ years ago - off while preggo), I lost around 30lbs in 3 mo - no exercise. This time I'm working my hiney off - I want a butt you can bounce quarters off from. Could my new muscle be the cause of my "stall"? Or am I doing something I shouldn't be doing? Could it be that since I don't have much more to lose (7lbs - although more would be bonus) that it's going to take a looooooooooooooong time for it to come off?

Any thoughts on this would really be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!!!

[*Emma*]

My bets is its the shakes, try cutting them out for a week and see what happens.

[SandyL2002]

You don't say how tall you are...but 117 and 118 is SKINNY.. Maybe your body isn't suppose to get any smaller

[Atkid]

Do you really feel the need to go lower than what you are now? Unless you are under 5' tall I think you are at an appropriate weight. You are probably building muscle and your fat and muscle ratio are changing. Just my opinion!

[colleenieweenie]

Ooops, sorry - forgot to add that I'm exactly 5ft tall. My lowest is 110 - that's where I was happy before my last two kiddies. Am I crazy??

[PaulaMM]

Originally Posted by colleenieweenie

Ooops, sorry - forgot to add that I'm exactly 5ft tall. My lowest is 110 - that's where I was happy before my last two kiddies. Am I crazy??

No, you aren't crazy. If that's how you feel then that's how you feel. However, I do feel you are being really hard on yourself. At 117, you really are tiny. I look at your pic and wonder just where you intend to take off another 7lbs. With all the exercise you are doing, you are putting on some good dense muscle, which will make you weight a bit more than you may have in the past, but will make you look trimmer, healthier and sexier.

My opinion? Move on up the rungs and into Pre Maintenance just to get a good hold on the way you're going to eat for life. Use this time to find what you can eat, and what may cause you trouble in maintenace. Keep working out. You may lose those last few pounds and you may not, but you will know exactly what it will take to keep you from gaining.

Ultimately, no one knows your body as well as you. If you don't feel comfortable with 7lbs more than your goal, then go ahead and work towards it. However, keep in consideration that your body probably won't let go of them without a fight. Patience and vigilance are key.

I wish you the best of success!

[Atkid]

Before you had your children did you work out, I know I work out and lift weights now which I did not before I had kids so 120 or 125 would look better on me now than the 110 I weighed before having kids.

[SandyL2002]

Originally Posted by colleenieweenie

Ooops, sorry - forgot to add that I'm exactly 5ft tall. My lowest is 110 - that's where I was happy before my last two kiddies. Am I crazy??

I think you look great..that is a really LOW number to have had 3 kids.. Focus on continuing to eat right and tone your body...

[colleenieweenie]

Thanks everyone for responding I really appreciate it.
I guess I just haven't factored in the 2 extra kids and muscle mass that I have this time around.
My hubby and my pals tell me I look great - I just want to FEEL great about the way I look. I guess that's something Atkins can't help me with - maybe Dr. Phil? kidding
I'll keep on keeping on, getting my workouts on, continuing this WOL.

You guys rock!! I really appreciate you taking the time to hand out some awesome advice.
Thanks for helping me out!

[cgdat136]

its getting to be winter soon.....and out there in the rockies......i would stay at your current weight....be happy, maybe you could even gain 3 pounds

the winds and the cold come in pretty strong out where you live.

if you wanna do pushups....just do them, i will be your support beam there, and motivate you continuously until you are willing to do 100 a day without too much difficulty

hmmm...are pushups a part of your exercise workouts at all?

be warm,
chris