Unfortunately I seem to have stalled out. I haven't lost anything pound-wise in 5 days, and only 1 pound the week before that, 2 the week before that. I have lost inches in my waist and thighs in the last 3 weeks, but the weight isn't coming off like it was before.

I'm eating normal-sized portions within my allowed food list. I've eliminated alcohol until my anniversary (23 days away). I'm going to the gym 6 days a week for sweat-inducing heartrate-zone workouts for at minimum an hour, usually an hour and a half. On my day off I make sure I get in my mild yoga (mostly body stretches).

So, I'm thinking I'm going to start induction all over again. My induction is the same as Atkins. Does anyone know if there will be an issue with this? Or am I jumping the gun and should just wait and be patient?

Side note: I want to be down to 135 by Christmas if possible.

Hi Snap!

I am new to low carb, so I don't have much advice there, but I noticed that your exercise doesn't include weight training. I don't have much experience with this personally, but I have heard that it works really well, and I bet if you post your question over in the exercise forum, they will tell you to add some weight training to your routine, and that you don't need more than 60 minutes of cardio a day.

So maybe if you take that extra half hour of cardio and do some strength training, that will help. This is all just based on what I've read, not through personal experience, but the people over on the exercise forum are really helpful if you want to ask them.

Hope you get over your plateau soon! Just don't give up and you will do it!

Actually my doctor was the one who told me I should stay off weight training for a bit. Evidently I was so incredibly out of shape that all I was accomplishing was injuring myself.

My stamina was null when I started this. I could barely do 30 minutes at a 3.0 treadmill speed (walking - but not even brisk), so he suggested I do 30 minutes daily cardio to build up, and then when I saw him again he suggested I up it to 60-90 minutes a day until my stamina is back.

I do lunges, crunches and squats (without weights) here at home about once a week, I'm not sure how much of a help that is though.

I don't see him again until the 29th, and really would rather not pester him continuously about exercise and nutrition. He's got 1/4 of the entire military base as patients, after all.

afaik there's no reason NOT to pop back into Phase 1 for a bit, but equally I wouldn't freak out after just a week of plateau - it depends which you feel more comfortable with. Sometimes weeks CAN go by with little or no progress, especially if you're close to menstruating.

Atkins recommended a "fat fast" for people who had real problems losing the weight (which you aren't!), and so keeping that mind I sometimes lower the carbs and up the fat a little to try to kick start weightloss after a bit of a plateau. (Actually, have you tried the creamed mushroom recipe on pig2twig? It's yummy, and apparently quite a few people have found it effective to stop stalling.)

I think lunges, crunches, and squats count as strength training and should be building muscle, so it seems like you are good there, although of course like I said before I am no expert whatsoever! It's all based on what I've read in the exercise forum and magazines, books, etc.

It seems like you are doing everything right, and I know our bodies sometimes plateau and then start losing weight again if you just keep doing what you are doing. I know this is the point where I would get very frustrated and feel like giving up, because I always give up too easily.

As far as doing induction again, is there anything in the Atkins book that talks about that? I don't remember if there's anything in there or not since I am so new to it. I'm sure there will be some good advice for you soon from people who are experts on Atkins! Good luck! I will be thinking of you!

Thanks ladies.

No, haven't found the creamed mushroom recipe, but will definitely look for it.

Everything I've read about restarting induction is talking about if you've "fallen off the wagon", which I have once - but it was way after induction was over. I had a donut - a single one from the Japanese donut shop. I wrote about it in my journal and on the accountability thread - I felt so guilty and the donut wasn't even good!

That was on the 26th, so 5 days ago. Maybe that was the reason for my stall? I got the nutritional info and according to that (once it was translated), it had a low net carb content (much lower in sugar/fat and higher in fiber than American style donuts) but the dang thing didn't even taste good!

I guess I'll wait one more week and see if I take off again, that will still give me 2 weeks before my anniversary and the bottle of Dom my husband wants (us) to drink. I think I'll also up my home squat, lunge and crunch exercises to 2 or 3 times a week. Maybe that will help too.

Snappy: My poor lass. I know the feeling well. I stopped wieghing early on because it was making me crazy and also allowing me to screw with my plan trying to find out what was causing it. I switched to measuring. I have lost pretty slowly but then things picked up with the thyroid drama. I also have a considerable amount to lose so I've just started to really see a difference in the last few weeks. I was shocked when I went to the Dr and he told me how much lower the wieght was. I had just steeled myself not to use the scale at home and I still don't. I feel lucky that I don't seem to have much of an accountability problem with regards to staying on plan. It is so much easier to just eat what I am allowed to eat but the scale did, absolutely, drive me crazy the first two months. Maybe measuring instead of weighing might be an option for you for 4-6 weeks?

ox
SC