Why is Atkins not working for me anymore?

[elsy]

Hi everyone! I did atkins a couple of years ago in 2004-2005 and went from 265 lbs. to 183 lbs. I then got married, stopped working out, had a baby, etc. and I'm back to 225 lbs. After having my baby 6 months ago, I have started Phase One at least 3 different times and don't seem to lose anymore. I lose a couple of lbs and then lose motivation, cheat and gain it all back. I am so worried that I will never be able to lose weight again. I have an eleptical machine at home which I do about 30 minutes a day, 4 times a week, drink lots of water, take Omega 3, Green Tea Tablets. Why can't I lose weight anymore and as fast I did the first time around. Could it be that my body is not reacting to Atkins method anymore? Please, Please, please somebody share your secret with me. I am afraid that I am getting depressed now about my whole image.

I'm 5'8, current weight 225 lbs., goal is 165 lbs.

[*Emma*]

Are you giving it a full 2 weeks before you weigh in? if your weighing in every day and expecting to see a loss well thats your problem... Im on my second time round, i didnt weigh til day 16 and i still lost 14 pounds - give it a go, and watch that none of your tablet things are causing you to stall -

Whats making you demotivated? you know this WOE works so why are you expecting miraculous results? give it time and follow the plan properly.

Post menus - maybe youre missing something that one of us can spot

[ConfusedAndNeedHelp]

Motivation can only come from the inside. Once you give up, no diet will work. You need to get into a frame of mind to say ENOUGH! and go full force into it.

If you continue to cheat, of course Atkins will not work.
Cheating is easy, trust me, I have been on many of diets that I cheated on. But this one is pretty darn easy so far. You need to have a really clean induction to stop the cravings.

[ConfusedAndNeedHelp]

BTW, you won't lose as fast, simply because you're not as big as you were either.

[elsy]

Thanks for replying so soon. I felt the need to add that I don't own a scale anymore. I got rid of it when I got married because I am so afraid my husband would ask me to get on it and then he would see how much I really weight. He still doesn't. He would freak out if he knew. He tends to dwell on numbers more than on looks and I'm certain this would create a huge problem in our marriage. Also, he is totally against Atkins and says it is dangerous etc, etc and the minute you leave it you gain it all back plus more. In a way, it did happen to me. As you can see, this time around Atkins has been a real challenge for more reasons than one. He gets really suspicioius when all of a sudden I don't drink milk anymore, don't eat oatmeal, fruits, certain veggies. That's when I cheat and then ruin the fat burning mode.

[julirama723]

Yes, he's right, Atkins WON'T work if you leave, you WILL gain it back.

But the same is true for EVERY SINGLE EATING PLAN, whether it's Weight Watchers, South Beach, Jenny Craig, Atkins, etc. At least Atkins is one of the healthiest (if not THE healthiest) plan out there.

Induction is only followed for 2 weeks, and after that you start adding in foods in a certain order, based on glycemic index. Soon after induction you'll be eating fresh cheeses, nuts, seeds, berries, melons, wine, beans, apples, potatoes, corn, carrots, oatmeal, and whole grains. Each food/food group belongs to a specific rung of OWL. I am on Rung 9 of OWL, meaning I can eat EVERYTHING except white sugar, white flour, white pasta, etc. It's all legal for me!

Stick to your guns. If you know Atkins works (which it does!) and if you know that it's a plan you enjoy, stick with it, no matter what your husband says. Ask him to read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution so he can better understand the plan. He can't very well criticize something he knows NOTHING about! And after he reads it, I doubt he'll have anything to criticize--what is unhealthy about a plan that stresses eating veggies, mandatory exercise, and 8 glasses of water a day?

[ConfusedAndNeedHelp]

Anyway around that?

[LuckyD]

Is your husband supportive or controlling? If its the latter you may have a problem bigger than any eating plan or support forum can help you with. If he is the former and just uneducated about Atkins then you need to do your best to educate both yourself and him in order to succeed. Sometimes the second time around goes slower than the first. I am a classic case of that. This is a life changing WOE. It is healthy, it provides successful weight loss while giving you energy and a better sense of well being, and it is a life commitment. Not something to go on and then go off when you have reached a 'goal weight'. I hope you stick with it, educate the hubby and come in here a lot for everyones support.

[sallyseachange]

Welcome to the ADBB! Glad you decided to post here.

Our bodies change with time and sometimes that affects the rate we lose weight at. Also, it happens to many that they lose slower the second time around at the beginning...but they do still lose! You just need a little more patience. Not weighing for a couple of weeks is a good way to not stress too much.

If you stick with it, you will certainly lose... it just may take that little bit longer for your body to wake up to the fact that you mean business. Hang in there... it's sooooo worth it.

[possysmith]

Hi

You know that our metabolism slows down during pregnancy and doesn't completely bounce back until 2 years post birth.
Sue