[PrettyMom09]

I started Atkins on January 4. I have been keeping my cabs at under 20 grams per day. The first week I lost 8 pounds, but I haven't lost an ounce since then. I have not gone off plan. Is this normal? I don't expect a huge loss every week, but I was hoping for at least 1/2 pound per week. Any ideas on what I might be doing wrong?

Thanks!

[TripSwitch]

I know Atkins doesn't count calories any only counts carbs... But the first place I would look if I wasn't losing was at the amount of calories I was taking in... to see if I was truely creating a calorie deficit...

[PrettyMom09]

Thanks! I decided to do Atkins because I do not like counting calories, but I might have to count calories even while doing Atkins. I didn't increase the amount of food I was eating before, I just cut out all carbs (except for some veggies), but that might still be too much food.

[BrenM]

You don't have to necessarily count calories right now....but you definitely want to make sure you're eating enough. And how many carbs do you think you eat a day? That might make the difference also. And water intake? If you've added exercising, that can halt things a little. Don't forget to measure. Sometimes you don't lose weight--just inches.

[StephanieM]

I count calories as well because tablespoons of mayo and olive oil add up quick!

Can you show me a sample of what a daily meal looks like? Have you used any Atkins products like the shakes or bars?

[PrettyMom09]

Hi Stephanie,

This is a typical day for me:

Breakfast - two scrambled eggs and two pieces of bacon
Lunch - A grilled chicken breast and a small salad with no dressing
Dinner - A piece of steak or chicken and a small salad with no dressing

I mostly drink water, except I have a cup of coffee in the morning with a little heavy cream.

I'm thinking the fat from the bacon and the cream are adding too many calories?

I was extra disappointed today because I weighed myself and I actually gained one pound

[Radiojane]

Your first loss was water weight. Carbs cause you to hold more water.

Give it a few weeks, but watch both your sodium intake and your caloric intake. Make sure you're drinking lots of water too.

[Forevermercy]

Originally Posted by PrettyMom09

I was extra disappointed today because I weighed myself and I actually gained one pound

Omigosh! This was almost the exact thing I posted on the V-day challenge thread last night.

I started a on Jan 7th and after loosing the 8-9 lbs at about .5 lbs a day, more a less, to just flatlining and then gaining a pound over the weekend I was super frustrated and disappointed last night. So I vented on here lol.

Know you're not alone! I'm gonna see this thing thru at the very least till Valentine's Day and maybe we're just hitting a plateau while our body adjusts to the rapid weightloss.

Keep me updated and I'll do the same!

[Forevermercy]

I know I'm not eating too much. I never go over 900 calories a day! And I religiously measure everything. I take all kinds of supplements and drink at least 2 liters of water a day.
So if anyone has any tips to get outta stalls would be greatly appreciated!

[Radiojane]

Is 900 maybe too low for you then? I know if I don't eat back my burn ( eat to compensate for my exercise while still staying in a caloric deficit) everything just stops. Up your intake by 100 or 200 calories for a while to see if it helps.

[dream710]

900 calories is pretty low. It's possible your body feels like it's in starvation mode, which will slow down the metabolism and make it difficult to lose weight. If possible try to add an additional 300 calories and see if that helps.

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by PrettyMom09

This is a typical day for me:

Breakfast - two scrambled eggs and two pieces of bacon
Lunch - A grilled chicken breast and a small salad with no dressing
Dinner - A piece of steak or chicken and a small salad with no dressing

I mostly drink water, except I have a cup of coffee in the morning with a little heavy cream.

I'm thinking the fat from the bacon and the cream are adding too many calories?

(

Hi PrettyMom,

It doesn't look like you are eating enough or enough fat. Atkins is a high fat, moderate protein plan. During Induction, you should be eating 20 net carbs (total carbs minus dietary fiber) per day with 12-15 of those carbs coming from veggies & salads from the acceptable foods list. Bacon & heavy cream are perfectly acceptable on Atkins as is, butter, full fat mayo, full fat salad dressings etc. Unless you enjoy salad with no dressing, try adding 2 Tablespoons of Ranch. Yummmmm!!! Cook your eggs in butter, add a little mayo to that grilled chicken or a pat of butter to your steak. That is the beauty of Atkins!
Just curious, have you read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution 2002 or prior versions?
Hope this helps!
All the best to you!

[PrettyMom09]

Thank you so much for all the wonderful responses. It's good to know that I'm not alone struggling with this. I am not giving up this time! I am sticking with the low carb diet even if I'm not losing weight at the moment (I actually gained another pound today, but that is not my point).

I'm not denying that I get so extremely discouraged when I see the scale going up instead of down, but I am willing to keep going until I see results.

JerseyGyrl - I read the book many years ago, but I need to read it again to refresh my mind. I am just so afraid of eating fat because all my life I have been told otherwise. I will read the book again and start over.

Forevermercy - Let's do this!!!

Thank you all!!

[StephanieM]

PrettyMom, I know it's hard to get used to the idea of eating high fat. I've been eating high fat for awhile now though and I do feel so much better. I've also been losing slow and steady when I'm not exercising and quicker when I am.

Also don't get sucked into the idea of eating too few calories. I eat 1500-1600 a day and still lose. You should be able to lose on the same unless there is something medically wrong with you, which I doubt. Eating too low consistently messes you up in the long run.

[BrenM]

Hey Jersey! Glad to see you're still around I love reading your advice