I am going backwards

[JPete]

I would appreciate any tips. I have gone backwards by 1kg (2pounds) in the last week.

I have been on induction for a month, but i practice low carb eating all year, now i am doing it without 4 or 5 beers each day. In the last 3 weeks i had lost 4kg (8lb), in the last 4 days i have put 1.5 (3lb) back on

Each day i have pretty much the same thing;

Brekkie: 2 eggs omellete cooked in butter with cheese and a little ham or mushroom or onion. 1 cup of coffee.

Lunch: Meat (roast chicken meat) or tinned tuna and 1.5 cups of salad (lettuce, cucumber, capsicum, tomato and mayo). Or, half an avocado.

After noon: fist full of plain roast almonds

Dinner: Meat/Fish (either chicken breast or steak or piece of fresh Atlantic salmon) and 2cups of salads or a few veggies (brocoli, carrots, egg plant)

Evening: I will have 20peanuts and a whole fresh carrot.

I drink about 3litres of water every day, i do a bit of exercise but not a lot. I would really appreciate any tips or comments on why i would suddenly go backwards? I would like to get it sorted and get back on track. I am not looking for massive weight loss, but i would like continuous improvement.

I only have 5kg (10lb) to go until my ideal weight. Started at 99kg 4 weeks ago, down to 95kg until about 4 days ago, back up to 96.5kg. ( i orginally started atkin 10 mnths ago and went from 105kg to 94 but put 5 back on as soon as i went back to my old habits)

The only scales i have are the Wii Fit. How reliable are they? I am not as regular as i would normally be, i havent tried the psyllium seeds yet but i intend to - could this have anything to do with it?

[Georgiana]

a whole fresh carrot.

Carrots are not allowed before OWL Rung 8.

Are you tracking your foods in FitDay? How many calories are you eating? How many net carbs are you eating and how many of these come from vegetables?

I believe your fat intake might be a little too low as well. What does FitDay say?

But what I don't understand is... why are you trying to do Induction? The last 5-10 lbs should be lost in Pre-Maintenance... and between Induction and Pre-Maintenance, there's OWL!

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by JPete

i orginally started atkin 10 mnths ago and went from 105kg to 94 but put 5 back on as soon as i went back to my old habits

I missed this in my previous reply. So why are you repeating the same mistake then, by staying on Induction?

I am not as regular as i would normally be, i havent tried the psyllium seeds yet but i intend to - could this have anything to do with it?

More fiber from veggies will help. Psyllium husks and flax seed meal can help too.

And yes... Mr. Poop can mess up the number on the scale.

Did you take body measurements? How did those change? Just because the scale is 2 lbs up it does not mean you gained 2 lbs of fat. It could be water weight.

[JPete]

Hi, thanks for your reply. I guess i am struggling to understand it. I have never thought about diets, food types, calories or nutrients before in my life. Its kinda like trying to learn Latin for me...so i am trying to make sustainable change. I wont be going back to my old habits so i was hoping this wasnt a mistake (but i could be wrong?)

I am not counting calories, it would make it too much like being on a diet for me. I am REALLY trying to change my eating habits for life, to construct meals that are suitable. I am actually pretty happy with these meals and would like to continue eating similar which is why i called it induction. I am not sure why i didnt notice carrots were out, i will ditch those for now. ( i really like them)

Any suggestions for increasing fat? I had already been thinking it might be low.

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by JPete

I wont be going back to my old habits so i was hoping this wasnt a mistake (but i could be wrong?)

Doing Induction forever is not the correct way to do Atkins. The problem is that Induction does not teach you the skills you need to maintain your weight once you reached goal. This is what OWL and Pre-Maintenance are for. Furthermore, there are many foods good for your health that are not allowed on Induction.

I am not counting calories, it would make it too much like being on a diet for me.

How are you tracking your carbs?

I am actually pretty happy with these meals and would like to continue eating similar which is why i called it induction. I am not sure why i didnt notice carrots were out, i will ditch those for now. ( i really like them)

If you don't want to move out of Induction, then you'll never be able to eat carrots. Or fruits. Or fresh cheeses and yogurt. Or beans, or whole grains. Many people think they can add these, in moderation, once they reach goal. But "moderation" for me might not mean "moderation" for you; it is OWL and Pre-Maintenance that teach you what your body can handle (foods, amounts, food combinations, etc.).

Any suggestions for increasing fat? I had already been thinking it might be low.

Butter, oils, mayo, cheeses like Brie, Camembert or cream cheese...

[chinadoll]

olive oil, mayo, blue cheese dressing, sour cream, 1/2 an avocado--all high in fat

[Whatsername]

FYI, I use Wii Fit for my scale. I have been using it since Jan and officially since April when I started Atkins. What I decided was as long as I wear about the same clothes (jammie pants and a t-shirt for me) and weigh myself first thing in the morning, I am being pretty consistant on my part so it must be pretty accurate. The one time I used another scale, it was actually lower than my Wii. I kind of like erring on the side of caution, so it works for me. IMO, what it boils down to is using the same scale under the same conditions.

[JPete]

Originally Posted by Georgiana

Doing Induction forever is not the correct way to do Atkins. The problem is that Induction does not teach you the skills you need to maintain your weight once you reached goal. This is what OWL and Pre-Maintenance are for. Furthermore, there are many foods good for your health that are not allowed on Induction.

How are you tracking your carbs?

I make everything from whole foods and am eating the meals mentioned above inline with what i read in the book. I calculated at the start that eating those foods would be 20carbs or less per day. (i could be wrong)

If you don't want to move out of Induction, then you'll never be able to eat carrots. Or fruits. Or fresh cheeses and yogurt. Or beans, or whole grains. Many people think they can add these, in moderation, once they reach goal. But "moderation" for me might not mean "moderation" for you; it is OWL and Pre-Maintenance that teach you what your body can handle (foods, amounts, food combinations, etc.).

Butter, oils, mayo, cheeses like Brie, Camembert or cream cheese...

OK i see your point, back to the book to learn OWL. Thanks for the tips. As i said above learning how this works, understanding the lingo and then applying it is pretty challenging for some of us

Considering my diet above, what would be causing me to go backwards?

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by JPete

I make everything from whole foods and am eating the meals mentioned above inline with what i read in the book. I calculated at the start that eating those foods would be 20carbs or less per day. (i could be wrong)

It could be 20 or less, but you should track your carbs daily, imo. That way you see if you eat enough fat, protein, calories, etc., and also know exactly how many carbs you are eating, not only "20 carbs or less".

Considering my diet above, what would be causing me to go backwards?

A normal weight fluctuation... a carb creep... could be anything, really. Unless you do things correctly (eat only the right foods, measure everything, count carbs properly, know how much you are eating and so on), it's difficult to say.

[JPete]

So at this point, since i ahve lost about 2/3 of the weight i set out to lose from more or less following induction, should i return to the start of induction, but do it more precisely, or begin OWL now with my 1/3 of my overall goal to go?