Intro and help please

[SkiMom]

Hi,
I've been on and off Atkins for the past 10 years, so I guess I am officially a STAC member. I just recently found this forum and I am so glad to have a place to come for encouragement and information...which is why I am here today.

Before Christmas I weighed 183. After my Christmas cheating I weighed in at 190. So, I restarted Atkins again on Jan 1st. The first week I lost 6.5 lbs. The second week I gained back 3 lbs. The third week I lost the 3 lbs. And for the last week and a half my weight has just stayed the same. So, technically I have lost nothing since the first week...and if you look at where I was before Christmas, I really haven't lost anything but the weight I put on over Christmas. I'm not complaining, but I wonder if those Christmas pounds were mainly water.

I have been measuring myself but have not noticed any change so far. My ketosticks are showing purple. As far as the food, I have done everything exactly according to the book, and I have remained on induction for the entire month. I am limiting my cheese, cream and Splenda intake, and I am drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day. The only thing I haven't done is daily exercise, but I have been exercising at least 2-3 times per week.

Here is a typical day:

Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled in butter, 4 slices bacon, 1 oz. cheese, 3 cups decaf with 3 T. cream (throughout the morning)

Lunch: 1 can tuna with mayo. 1/2 cup saurkraut or 1 cup salad with 1 T dressing, 1 oz cheese

Snack: 1 oz cheese, or a hard boiled egg.1 Diet Rite Cola

Supper: approx 6-8 oz beef, chicken, fish, or pork. 1 cup spinach or mixed salad with 1 T dressing, and 1 cup cooked induction veg with butter.

Snack: 1 Diet Rite Cola


So, what do you think? Is anything jumping out at you?

I have to admit that I am getting frustrated. I'm actually starting to wonder if eating this WOE long term actually makes a person more metabolically resistant. I've been eating pretty low carb for the past 10 years, but with enough cheats to make my weight slowly creep up...but I've never gone back to my former WOE eating bread, pasta, rice, baked goods, deserts, etc. KWIM? Is my body just used to eating LC? Do I have to eat at induction levels for the rest of my life just to maintain my weight? What do you think?

[Desertthorn]

It looks good to me, and I can't see a thing wrong except the diet cola. You really should ditch that stuff. Its poison.
You know what I would do, I think you should decrease your portions, that looks like a lot of food. Try 2 eggs, 2 bacon and half the cheese.
Try dividing the tuna salad in half and but the rest away for later. If your hungry later, have it as a snack
Dinner looks fine.
Do you use fitday. See what your calorie intake is for a couple of days. While we don't usually count calories and I wouldn't recommend it to a newby, you have been at it for awhile.
Try it, see what happens

[EverLosing]

I agree with the previous post. Ditch the soda. It won't help you at all. It will keep you bloated. Replace it with more water. I'd cut the cheese in half. Can you try replacing your snack with the salads you have at lunch and dinner? That's what I'd do. Really though, if you ditch the sodas and replace them with more water, you should see a change. I know it's hard but I started this hard core and I don't think I've had more than just a few cans of diet soda in seven weeks. I believe that makes a difference.

[RitaCeleste]

It okay to cut out the soda and stuff. But I am finding after doing Atkins awhile my water weight goes up and down. I can do nothing on the scales for 2 weeks or more, then suddenly drop 5 lbs. I'm burning the fat the whole time, I'm just replacing it with water. Water sits in the fat cells until they give up on being refilled and finally shrink up. Also I notice my test strips show virtually nothing when the water weight is coming off. I don't produce a lot of extra ketone to find in a test. But I can taste them so they are there. You have adveraged 2lbs a week so far. Wait it out and see if you are just holding water again. I've started to judge my weightloss by the month rather than the week. My water weight goes up and down so much, just a week or two doesn't tell me much.

[tfek70]

I don't see anything wrong with what is there, it's what's not there that could be a problem. I don't see any vitamins/supplements and I don't see any measuring other than the scale. Did you take your measurements prior to starting? Have your clothes grown? It's very probable that you are losing fat and inches, but aren't seeing on the scale. If you haven't measured, do so. It's just another way to tell if you are doing it right. Also, most people have an adjustment period between weeks 3 and 5. I also didn't see any exercise listed. Hope this helps,

T. J.

[cheribaby]

Also, Jess has told us many times that if you jump on and off the Atkins wagon, your body gets used to it. So every time you restart induction, your body takes longer to adjust to the changes and loses more slowly. I have found that out myself since this if the fourth time I've started this WOL. I'm not looking to lose weight nearly as quickly this time. I'm looking more at the number of ways I'm feeling better and how some of my discomforts are disappearing. The weight will come off eventually.

[AlaskaGirl]

I think you just need to be patient and it will come. Take your measurements and use the inches lost as a motivator not just the scales.

That one little can of diet right is like the healthiest diet soda on the market. I personally haven't broken free of it. I have one every night as a treat. It may slow you down but I don't think it will stop you from loosing.

You did loose 6.5# in January- you haven't been stuck long enough to be a stall. Patience grasshopper

Julie

[NoDef]

I agree with chreribaby, the weight loss seems to slow down after your initial start. I lost 50 lbs in about 4 months about 4 years ago. Last year, I stayed just as strict on the diet and had a hard time losing 25 in that time. The problem that I had was the stall was a lot longer. I lost pretty good in the first 14 days, then it would be nothing one week and maybe 2 lbs the next. In about a month the stall wasn't as bad and I started losing. Nothing like the first time, but it did start coming off.

[Outback Jess]

Patience grasshopper, relax and make a lifestyle, if you do it just like a diet, you will get more impatient. We all want and ache for results, so unplug that, and let your body settle down, you will loose weight, but slow weightloss is best-weight-loss....
Believe me, I get it, you want it! We all do, but we have to cooperate with our bodies!

[SkiMom]

Thank you all for your replies. I appreciate the encouragement! I've started tracking my food on fitday. It's only been a couple of days, but so far my ratios look right, and my calories have been in the 1600-1800 range. I am going to eliminate the Splenda use for now and see if that will help. Other than that I am just going to be patient, like you all have suggested. Thanks again! I'll be back...with good news I'm sure!