trying not to get discouraged but 10 days and no loss
this is my first time on atkins. i lost 9lbs in the first week, then 2 the second. then nothing since then. its frustrating for me because its been 10 days and nothing. i9'm doing an extended induction and i'm very overweight.
my breakfast - eggs, bacon or tuna salad
lunch - jerk chk, salad with 1tbsp dressing
dinner - meat, steam pak choy, cabbage
i stopped a couple things i introduced this 3rd week although they said zero carb - chicken patty, baked chk without bbq sauce. i also try to exercise 3 timess a week for 20 mins (turbo jam) if i'm not too exhausted from my daily responsibilities.
why am i not losing? even 1lb?? has this happened to any of you and how long did it last? should i stick it out ot try something else? ive been reading abt the stillmans diet.
How many calories do you eat? Calories do count even when doing a very low carb diet. For loosing 1 lb of fat you need to create a deficit of 3500 calories. In the first days you loose glycogen and associated water from your muscles and your liver - not fat - due to shifting into ketosis. If you eat too much fat and protein, your body can move that into fat stores even when you restrict carbs.
Then, if you have not exercised before, keep in mind that you will retain water due to muscle repair (necessary to rip muscle fibers to accumulate muscle). So, exercise may stall your weight loss on the scale. But over time you will loose inches and that is what you actually want to accomplish. Who cares about the scale if your body shrinks and gets tones. So, just stick it out.
I appreciate such a quick reply.
my pants feel a little looser.
i also notice i feel a little thirsty and bloated (not severely)
i havent been counting calories. i'm trying not to get too obsessed about that aspect but i think i may need to reduce fat then? mayo, salad dressing, tuna in water instead of oil, less gravy. what do you think?
Since you say that you are bloated, I am wondering if you are losing fat but can't see it on the scale because you have edema or a little constipation. The weight from those temporary conditions can mask the weight loss of fat. You may see a swoosh once you lose the edema or colon sludge.
No need to get obsessed counting, but it may help you if you track what you eat for 3-4 days. then you get an idea whether you have a big enough calorie deficit to loose as fast as you think you want.
Also, what do you call very overweight? You may not loose that fast if you start from 180 when compared to 280. If you follow induction and eat very low carb, you may also crash your thyroid levels. It will slow your metabolism until thyroid levels adjust. That may lead to edema, particularly in combination with exercise. Otherwise 2 lbs a week is a reasonable loss. You would have to be on 1000-1200 calories/day diet to loose more. This is hardly possible if you eat bacon and mayo. I know they say you cannot accumulate fat when you eat very low carb, but unfortunately this is wrong. Calories in still count.
Jenngold: I re-started Atkins on January 7, 2013 - it took me about 14 weeks to lose 20 pounds. I'm at week 36 and down 41 pounds.
Like other ways of eating - it takes time and consistency but you will eventually see the loss and/or toning of your body. If you have more to lose it should go faster but I am in the "slow loser club"... Just have to keep going!! 10 days is a blip compared to where you will be.
I never counted calories my first time around but I was 10 years younger and Atkins really worked fast - this time as I get closer to goal I have started to watch calories too mostly because I have a daily struggle with portion control. Once you are in an "Atkins" groove it gets easier and easier to stick with it!!! The support on this forum really helps too!!
thank you all very much. its hard for me to even type on here how much i weigh. it is very emotional for me. i used to be a very fit martial artist and now i'm out of shape and obesse. I'm also in the medical profession, compounding the guilt. i had 2 beautiful daughters almost back to back and thats when i piled on the weight.
I appreciate that you took the time out to answer my questions in such detail. and i'm going to count calories. Most of my calories are coming from the liberal amounts of fat I've been using.
I dont want more than 2lbs per week either and I definitely dont want my thyroid to crash. I had tried carb addicts diet one month prior to atkins and lost inches but not on the scale.
I really am in this for the long haul. I'm giving my 100%, I just want to know that this plan will work if I work it. I have 37lbs to lose to get to my goal weight (size 10) where I'm comfy and confident as a woman.
Location: NW New Jersey But, My Heart's In Pittsburgh!! GO STEELERS & PENGUINS!!!
Posts: 3,060
S/C/G: 245/143/145
Quote:
Originally Posted by jenngold
this is my first time on atkins. i lost 9lbs in the first week, then 2 the second. then nothing since then. its frustrating for me because its been 10 days and nothing. i9'm doing an extended induction and i'm very overweight. my breakfast - eggs, bacon or tuna salad
lunch - jerk chk, salad with 1tbsp dressing
dinner - meat, steam pak choy, cabbagei
stopped a couple things i introduced this 3rd week although they said zero carb - chicken patty, baked chk without bbq sauce. i also try to exercise 3 timess a week for 20 mins (turbo jam) if i'm not too exhausted from my daily responsibilities.
why am i not losing? even 1lb?? has this happened to any of you and how long did it last? should i stick it out ot try something else? ive been reading abt the stillmans diet.
thanks for any input.
Frist of all, I'd like to say to Atkins!
I do have a few questions. First, and most importanly, have you read the book? (Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution 2002 or prior editions). My reason for asking is, by looking at what you're eating, it doesn't seem like enough. Atkins Induction is 20 net carbs (total carbs minus dietary fiber) per day, with 12-15 of those carbs coming from vegetables & salads on the acceptable foods list.
As for reducing your fat intake, Atkins is a high fat plan. The fat is converted to fuel in your body. The beauty of Atkins is things like butter, full fat mayo, full fat salad dressings, heavy cream etc.
Are you drinking plenty of water? Are you using artificial sweeteners?
Are you eating snacks between meals?
While I understand no loss in 10 days is discouraging, keep in mind Dr. Atkins said a true stall is 4 weeks with no change on the scale and no loss of inches.
Often, what we aren't eating is just as important as what we are eating.
I personally would add a snack or 2 and another small salad at dinner.
You CAN do this!
All the best to you!!
Last edited by JerseyGyrl; 09-21-2013 at 06:21 AM.
hi kim,
thanks so much for the encouragement. i know you are a veteran in this area
no, i havent read the book. it will take at least 2 weeks to get here. i followed the atkins website's guidelines. I am stuffed though. i get lots of water and no artificial sweeteners.
do u think i need more carbs? would you be kind to suggest some snacks. dairy isnt good for me.
maybe i'm complicating something that's meant to be simple. it just seems so counterintuitive to be eating more, u understand?
could you please show me what a day's meal plan would like in terms of the amounts of food? please
Location: NW New Jersey But, My Heart's In Pittsburgh!! GO STEELERS & PENGUINS!!!
Posts: 3,060
S/C/G: 245/143/145
Quote:
Originally Posted by jenngold
hi kim,
thanks so much for the encouragement. i know you are a veteran in this area
no, i havent read the book. it will take at least 2 weeks to get here. i followed the atkins website's guidelines. I am stuffed though. i get lots of water and no artificial sweeteners.
do u think i need more carbs? would you be kind to suggest some snacks. dairy isnt good for me.
maybe i'm complicating something that's meant to be simple. it just seems so counterintuitive to be eating more, u understand?
could you please show me what a day's meal plan would like in terms of the amounts of food? please
I took a look at Atkins.com Once I got through all the advertisments for their bars, shakes and frozen meals....I found my way to the Induction section. There are a few things they've changed from Dr. Atkins way of doing this. That website is definitely no substitute for reading the book. The book not only outlines how to do this correctly...but...also how & why this works.
I think its best to keep things as simple as possible. Pretty much meat, veggies & salad. 12-15 of your 20 net carbs for the day should be coming from veggies & salad on the acceptable foods list.
Have you checked out Linda's Low Carb recipes? There are lots & lots of fantastic Atkins friendly recipes and the ones suitable for Induction are marked with an *. http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html
Bascically, add a snack mid-morning ( after breakfast ) and mid-afternoon (after lunch). I would also add a small salad with dinner, with 2 Tbsps. full fat dressing. Everything else looks good.
hi kim,
this helps alot. so i'm definitely upping the salads. i'll try to snack but not really a snack person. i checked out the link and it really has some good ideas (unpotato salad, lol!). so i'll update this thread in another week or so before i do anything drastic
just an update - oct 18, 2013. i stuck it out and continue to do so - extended induction. i stopped looking at the scale and focused on the inches i was losing! then gave in and stepped on the scale. I'm down 20lbs!!! Its 11/2 weeks shy of 2months. Thanks for the encouragement. I keep on going.
I think a lot of us stall on the scale, especially if we lose well the first weeks. It can be hard to be patient and stick with it, but usually it pays off. And I like that you put some focus on size as well as weight.
This is good news for others who come frustrated by the scale - stay the course, be patient, and check inches as well as the scale!
Did you adjust your foods at all or just stay with the typical menu you had posted above? (Also did you use bars/shakes or just real food - I think that's important to know especially for those who get stuck because often bars/shakes and "low carb" substitutes to carby foods make people stall.
sorry for taking so long to reply. i stuck with the menu above. no bars or shakes. only home cooked meals so i can be sure of what i am eating. i dont do any low carb stuff either. i havent been able to exercise consistently either but i try to walk as much as possible in my everyday activities which I heard when coupled with heavy lifting is the core for fat loss in the early stages. so my next step is to start weights when my body is ready.
I think the size is more important than the weight because that is a more direct correlation to body fat reduction in the end versus losing pounds and still flabby.
i am encouraged and i really dont miss the other foods as much as i thought i would. i tell myself over and over again "dieting is hard. being fat is even harder. I choose my hard" I saw this somewhere on the net.
trying not to get discouraged but 10 days and no loss
to Atkins!
