50 lbs lighter. Another 90 lbs to go!

[wrldcitizen]

Hi!

I started my weight loss journey a year ago in June at 275 lbs. This was the heaviest I have ever been and as much as I would love to blame global warming, childbirth, my love for food & every other person on the planet....Alas...the blame must rest squarely on my shoulders.

I love food....and cooking.....and where a lot of women browse Cosmo & Elle & what have you, I browse the Cordon Blue Cookbook.

In short weight loss is a monumental task for me.

At 230 lbs I stagnated for 6 months and despite consistent swimming and diet I could not get below this number.

So one week ago I jumped on the Atkins band wagon. I am still in induction and I have currently lost 5 lbs.

My weight loss is like a yo-yo ride and every morning when I step on the scale I hold my breath just for a second.

Like today - I put on one pound...I just want to scream but I am sure it has to do with the 1/4 cup half and half I consumed to prepare a steak sauce.

So today I am going to try harder.

I really want to lose 25 lbs at least by the end of this year and at times I do obsess.

Do you think it is do-able?

Am I right in presuming I should stay at the induction phase for at least 15 lbs of weight loss before moving to the next level?

Seeing all these amazing weight loss success stories is so inspiring and this is where I hope I will get the help to stay on course and determined.

Happy thoughts & Great Choices for all!

[Emre Yigit]

Hard to say. I mean, if you're 6' 3", then you might be near your ideal weight.

Joking apart, as you will see from these forums, it is relatively easy to lose weight on Atkins. However, exercise is not an option, and without some form of aerobic exercise, weight loss will be much slower. At some point, you should also think of adding some weights. There is, alas, no magic option, but if you start with some easy exercise and slowly work your way up, it be better and healthier and faster.

With regards to the yo-yo, that's a fact of life. Some days I gained, some days I lost, but the graph kept on pointing in one direction. I'm sure you'll be fine.

As for "Extended Induction" - I would guess that if you wanted to lose 90 pounds from your current weight, you could lengthen it by a couple of weeks. But extended induction can be booring.

Good luck!

[chinadoll]

It wouldnt hurt to shake up your exercise and do something new either.

[imagood1]

My best advise -- as Dr. Atkins says - stay off the scales until the end of induction. There are so many variables from hour to hour as well as daily so the act of not weighing for 14 days is for your advantage. I know it's hard but you will be surprised when you get on the scale at the end of induction to see your total number of weight loss.

Make sure you are eating enough protein, fat and veggies -- if you don't eat enough you won't loose weight. Eat every 3 - 4 hours - something small - not a full meal. Eat only until you are full not stuffed....you'll learn the difference.

When you "think" your hungry drink a large glass of cold water - nothing added....sometimes when you "think" you are hungry your body actually needs water. Try drinking half your weight daily in pure water (nothing added) - you'll be surprised at the difference it makes. I drink 150 oz of water daily (no I don't weigh 300 - it's just the amount I came to through some type of calculation I saw when I first started and I've stuck with it).

Also, make sure you are eating a variety of foods, don't eat the same thing over and over -- try eating your veggies first so you make sure to get them in - they are more important than the other foods. Also make sure most of your carbs come from veggies and not other things.

Good luck to you, I hope you stick with it and figure out what's best for you.