I am struggling, can anyone help please?

[Scotslass]

Hi All

I weigh 200lbs

I am on Atkins for the second time. First time I did really well and was more than happy wiith my weight loss. I have been on Atkins for 3 weeks and have lost a pound and gained a pound each week. End result is I have had 0 weight loss for 3 weeks of Atkins. I am very frustrated and dissapointed and can't figure out where I am going wrong.

I am a coffee addict, but have cut down to 3 cups per day of either decaf or half caf. Have had 500ml in total of caffeine and sugar free coke during the last 3 weeks. Drinking almost 2litres of water each day (8 times 8 oz glasses)

I struggle to get my carbs up to 20 each day, actually having approx 10-12 carbs per day. I don't take much excercise, but this week have walked 6 miles and swum 750 metres and still no weight loss.

I read the book first time and am reading it again. Mistakes i have made this time.
1 Had some berries (once this week)
2 Had some Brazil nuts and Macademia nuts each day during Induction
3 Had some red wine in week 2, but nothing in the last 5 days.

Can anyone help with some advice or ideas? I am so frustrated with it that I am considering giving it only one more week, and if I do not drop any weight then I shall have to come off of Atkins.

[Zarabelle]

Hi there

Well I think you can guess what I am going to say....

Start a clean two week induction - eat exactly what is allowed on the induction food lists and nothing else. Avoid alcohol completely. Drink lots of water. Make sure you eat your allowed veg/salad. Limit cheese to 3oz. Limit cream to a couple of tbsps.

I am sure you will then see the results.

Also, measure yourself at the beginning of induction and then again at the end. You may be surprised by the results. During a six week period, I lost less than 2 pounds but I lost 9 inches! I couldn't believe it and it really spurred me on.

Good luck. You can do it x

[Scotslass]

Thanks Zarabelle

It had crossed my mind to start fresh, maybe that would be the best thing. How did you manage to stick with it during 6 weeks of hardly losing anything? The 30z of cheese, is that a daily amount? I was also wondering if perhaps I was not consuming enough fat. I have some cream in coffee, but hardly any bcos I find it a little sickly. I also eat cheese, but not as much as 3 oz per day.

[Zarabelle]

Yep, 3ox per day for cheese - don't worry if you eat less than 3oz though
I can definitely recommend adding fat to your food - butter to veg, mayo to salad, oil to salad etc. It is best if you can get fat up to around 65%. Have you discovered fitday? There is a free version of it on the internet (I paid to download the PC version but used to use the version on the net) and this will give you an idea of where your calories are coming from.

You will be surprised how easy it is to get to 65% fat if you add a tbsp of cream to your coffee and butter/oil to your veg/cooking.

Do you think you could cut down on the coffee? I used to drink several cups a day but now have 1 mug of caffeinated in the morning (2 at the most) and then one cup of decaff in the afternoon (kenco decaff is really good). Remember to count one carb for each cup of coffee you have (either decaf or regular) and one carb for the cream and one carb for each tsp sweetner. It does add up! I would definitely limit it to three a day - preferably two. I actually had to quit caffeine completely for two weeks to get me over the addiction and now am happy with just one in the morning (but could also have decaf no problem too).

It was tough during that six weeks. I was exercising a lot and sticking to the plan. I had 2.5 days off over Christmas which caused a gain (see my signature) and it took a long time to lose that again.... I did notice I was wearing smaller clothes though and although obsessed with the reading from the scales, I plodded on and am now very pleased that I did!

You can do it. Focus. It's only two weeks and it will really be worth it. Any questions, please let me know - you can PM me anytime x

[Zarabelle]

BTW we are almost the same weight - I am 201 (already lost 23 pounds). x

[Scotslass]

Guess I will have to up the fat intake to try to get to 65%. I had a quick look on fitday thanks. Will register and have a proper look when I have a bit more time. My coffee intake is down to 3ish cups a day of decaf or half caf. Trying to get off the halfcaf, but I do need my caffeine kick first thing!! I have also recently stopped smoking and had heard that can cause problems with weight loss. But don't know if ths is just an old wives tale.

I think I will do some measurements tonight so that I have something else to track other than my daily dissapointing visit to the scales. Perhaps if I notice inches being lost it will keep motivated until I have a reasonable weight loss.

Thanks for your support, I will stick with it a while longer. Well done to you for dropping 23lbs, won't be long until you have lost 2 stone

[ineedhelp324]

You are a very lucky one. I weigh 265LBS, and I'm only 13 years old. Which means, if I don't lose this weight, I'll most likely die before my 20th birthday.

Another reason you've got luck on your side is that you've got the book. I have no place to buy the book :P so this is going to be nearly impossible. Maybe I'll just take things into my own hands. Who knows?

Good luck!

[Zarabelle]

ineedhelp, you can do this. Why can't your parents order you the book on Amazon? If that is not possible, have a look on the induction forum as most of the rules of induction are listed on there. Good luck. Get some help - from a teacher, doctor or your parents. Take care, Zx

[Scotslass]

Hi Everyone

I got a lot of good advice from fellow Atkins followers last time I posted. I started a new Induction period about eleven days ago. After joining Fitday to log my food intake and followed others advice I lost 4 lbs within days 4 days. I did go on to Ketosis, but I've dropped out of Ketosis and I don't know why.

During weight loss my carbs were slightly over 20 per day. Now I am averaging 60 to 65% fat, 30 to 35% protein, 3 to 5% carbs. I tend to be a little bit low in the carbs this last 6 days averaging about 15 carbs per day. Is this low carb figure preventing me from dropping more weight? Could it be dropping me out of Ketosis? I have not eaten anything I shouldn't have. I have been rigidly strict, but a bit low in carbs.

I've been a more active also. During the lower carb period I have been swimming twice, a total of 1500 metres, but it isn't having any effect on weight loss.

Thanks

Has anyone got any suggestions or ideas to get me back in Ketosis

[jodel]

I'm with Scotlass. I don't each even 20 g of carbs per day. Does that slow/prevent weight loss? When I eat more than 20, it seems I gain. Does low carbs drop you out of ketosis?
I'm strict too, but also low on carbs.