It's wk 3 of atkins for me. My wkly weigh in is up 2 lbs!! I've been doing induction the whole time. Here's the skinny:

breakfast: 1/2 choc/pb atkins bar; 2 cups coffee
lunch: salad with chicken, blue cheese or leftover dinner, low-carb soup; diet soda - 2-3 cups
snack: 2 sugar free reese peanut butter cups or york peppermint pattie (sugar free) 16 oz diet soda, 8 oz water
dinner: mom's crazy cabbage, seafood bisque soup or other entree; 16 oz soda; 4 oz water.

For wk 4, my plan is to completely cut out soda and replace with herbal tea, crystal light, water...I'll see if this works. Also, I'm probably a day or two from my "special time of the month"...maybe it's water weight gain??? I certainly hope so.

I do feel thinner, but maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me...the scale doesn't lie...I don't care what people say..I've never known a size 6 woman to weigh 200lbs! Just so frustrated!!! Joyce

How many calories are you getting in? You may not be getting enough and your body could be going into starvation mode. Looking at your menu doesn't look like it is enough calories, good luck

I think your snag is the Atkins bar and the peanut butter cups. They actually have sugar alcohol carbs that are probably stalling you. Cutting out the soda is a good idea (unless it is diet rite or diet coke spenda version) and add a lot more water. I try to stay away from quick packaged low carb products and cook my own veggies, soups and the like. Good Luck!

You might want to add more protein. It looks like you are eating low carb food but not enough protein.

For breakast you might have some type of egg, and protein.
Also, for snack you might want to add string cheese, and some type of protein. Add lots and lots of water, try and stay away from soda any kind.

the atkins bars, and the sugar free candy is what is doing it. Cut those out, and you should be fine. Id also cut out the soda if possible and drink 64oz of water a day.

Thanks all for your suggestions. But I have a question about sugar alcohols as I sit here reading my nearest and dearest reese's & peppermint patty labels its reads: York Peppermint Patty (sugar free):"total carb = 28g; dietary fiber = 1 g; sugar alcohols = 26g" - that would leave 2g of carbs per 3 pieces. Reeses Peanut butter Cups (sugar free): "total carb 24g; dietary fiber = 5g; sugar alcohols = 17g" leaving 2g carbs per 5 pieces. On the bottom of the label it goes on to read: "Sugar Alcohols (Lactitol and Maltitol - sugarsubstitues) are slowly metabolized carbohydrates that generally cause only a small rise in blood glucose levels."

So what actually is wrong with sugar alcohols while on induction??? why about it slows/stalls weight loss progress. I feel like I need something...I have decided to cut out diet soda for a week...after that, I will try the splenda diet sodas but in more moderation. I know I need to drink a **** of alot more water...so I am going to increase that. To be honest, I think 8 glasses a day will take some time to work up since I hate the taste of water and to drink it, I must literally force myself. My coffee, I've already cut down to 2 cups a day...best I can do.

Breakfast is a challenge for me as I think I'm alergic to eggs...it happened to me when I turned 30 yrs old. Suddenly, whenever I eat eggs, I hurl chunks...seriously though...almost immediately...even the smell makes me nautious. Any alternative breakfast suggestions. I'm gonna do this...one way or the other. As I write this message sitting here bloated and severely PMSing...I am praying its the water retention from that.....signed confused and disgusted....but hanging in there, cuz I'm no quitter!

you go girl, as far as the water I was the same way I would be lucky if I had 1 class a week now I drink about 64oz or more the only way I can drink it is if its ice cold, also you can try adding those flavor drink things 2 your water, they say only 2 have a few of those a day but that might help you get a few more servings of water in,

you just need 2 get in the mind set that you need 2 do this the water is going 2 help a lot w/your weight loss, good luck,

Thanks Jerseygyrl for the links...I'm gonna check them out. So far, though...I am staying in Ketosis (I check everyday), so the sugar alcohols must not be the culprit. I have a sneaky suspicion that its my water intake and the fact that I'm PMSing. We'll see...my next weigh-in in next Saturday...I've already cut out the soda...I made it through my first day...YEAH!!!!, we'll see if that helps. Joyce

I would say depends on the atkins bar you are eating. The ones that I often eat are the atkins advantage caramel variety and those don't have any sugar alcohols. They are 8 carb minus the fiber so if you have 1/2 that would be 4. The advantage morning/peanut butter crip ones are also 8 carbs with only one gram of sugar alcohol.

I do agree about your other snack, those sugar free treats are full of sugar alcohol.

Thanks again Jerseygyrl - I've thought about the Southbeach diet, but when I really looked at the diet restrictions...I found that Atkins would be easier to follow. Without sounding like "I've gotta have it all" (although I wish), I hate fat-free products (which by the way are usually loaded with sugar for taste), I LOVE FAT!, and I loath portions...hey...I've got a hearty appetite. So, Atkins is best for me...I've done it several times in the past...The first time, I followed it by the book...lost 30 lbs in 3 months...just like that...bamm! size 6; the second time, I did add the atkins bar (choco/peanut bar) for breakfast, and in 3 months...bam...size 8; neither time did I exercise at all, but I looked as if I did, because of all the muscle that does lay beyond the fat.

This time, I want it to be different. I really want it to become a lifestyle balance of eating things that I enjoy (thereby making easy to stick with) and regular exercise for the inner and outer me.

Okay...okay...okay...you've finally got me...I've stopped the morning Atkins bar for 2 days now..and started having leftover dinner for breakfast (since I can't eat eggs)...but I will have 1-2 pieces of peppermint patty per day and an occasional sugar free ice cream bar that has 5 net carbs but only 1-2 times per week. No alcohol, 2 cups coffee in a.m. and yes, I ditched the soda (sad face). I think I'll just keep trying to tweak the diet and upgrade my exercise to 20 min cardio this week (started today with upgraded cardio) and I'll check back in to let you guys know if it made a change.

Thanks again for all your support. Joyce

Bambifox, I have the same problem with eggs and it does complicate things! My egg problem began about two or three years ago - I was definitely over 30 at the time. All the years I was doing weight watchers I had oatmeal every day for breakfast and only had to confront my egg issue when we ate out. But doing Atkins without eggs does make breakfast more complicated. My favorite breakfast is hamburgers. If we have burgers at night, I grill a bunch of extras and zap them in the morning with some cheese. Lots of time I put mayo on the side and kind of dip them. I was eating sausage a lot, but someone on this board told me to check the carbs and, yes, the precooked sausage had carbs so I stopped that. Lots of time I eat pork leftovers, cold, for breakfast. My husband always comments on the large amounts or meat I make him grill on weekends, but I seldom throw any away. Right now my fridge has a casserole of shedded chicken cooked with canned tomatoes (dinner for a couple of days), enough grilled chicken breasts to put one on my salad every day for lunch and some boneless ribs for breakfast for a day or two. I don't really feel deprived, except for bread. I do miss bread.

I went back and forth with the diet coke. This time I decided to try and give it up, but I do drink it on special occasions. We go out to eat with a group most Fridays and they all drink beer. The diet coke makes it easier to not drink beer. During the week I drink flavored water. No calories, no carbs, just a little carbonation (sp?). It's not ideal, I know, but I don't think it's damaging. I drink plain water with my meals and during my work out, so I get at least three or four glasses in. I've also discovered decaffinated herbal teas. I bought a sampler pack a while ago, so have new ones to try at night. That's been a good thing too. Good luck! But with two successful experiences behind you, you probably don't need it.

Lynnar - Thanks so much for feeling my agony! That means a bunch...to know that someone else out there struggles too! Today is day 2 with no soda and I gotta tell ya...I'm hurting! Giving up the bread, pasta, mickey dees, cakes, cookies, etc. all combined do not compare to the loss of my diet soda. I'm giving it a week and then I'd better see some results or back to the diet soda I go...I'll just get diet rite or some other splenda sweetened soda! I mean, for goodness sake...I've never heard of someone getting fat because of drinking "diet soda"....sorry, just needed to vent!!!! Thanks. Joyce