I've been on Atkins for six weeks now. In that time I have had ONE cheat (drinks one night followed by hangover and two days in which I had fries and oj once and that was ALL I ate for two days because I was so sick) - and that was four weeks ago. I lost ten pounds in the first two weeks and then - Nada. Nothing. Zip. This is VERY frustrating. First I thought it was the occasional Atkins bar, so I dropped those. Then I thought it was that I wasn't drinking enough water, so I upped that. THEN I added more excercise. Still nothing. Nothing is working.

I feel good, no hb/indi, etc BUT I have a LOT of weight to lose. I can't afford to squander time and motivation on doing something wrong or doing something that won't work for me.

No, I haven't lost inches either. And no, I'm not gaining muscle and losing fat. If I had gained muscle enough to make up for the fat I should have lost, body builders the world over would be knocking down my door.

Has anyone else had this problem? Has anyone found that they have to count calories as well as carbs? Even tho this isn't working for me, I don't see myself going back on bread, pasta, potato, sugar, etc. I see myself doing this, cutting fat, and counting calories which means I will be fairly miserable. BUT I am NOT a small person, I NEED to lose this weight.

Does anyone have any advice? At all? I read the journals and websites of other successful LCers who don't cheat and they're ALL losing fairly fast and much more consistantly than I am. Either I'm doing something wrong OR this diet just doesn't work for me.

Help.

Yes I do have some advice.

Go on www.fitday.com

Log in EVERYTHING your eating, I mean everything. You can even customize foods, don't forget to subtract fiber from carbs for your actual (do this my editing the foods) fit day doesn't do this.

Now do this for a few days....

Look at your calories ? what do you see ?

I had to do this in order to start losing.

Hang in there, it will work.

Nicole,

I too have to count calories with my low carb, I have to fight to make sure I'm above 1200 or I lose nothing and my body goes to fasting mode. But here's a few things that I have discovered with my low carb and the help of my doctor:

1. Check how much MSG you're eating. It comes in alot of pre-packaged foods (and when I was in university for Microbiology we used it to make lab mice fat, and it does the same to humans!)
it goes by the following names on ingredient listings: hydrolyed plant protien, hydrolyzed food protien, hydrolyzed food starch, natural flavours, monosodium glutamate, vegtable protien. It's in tones of deli items, from luncheon meats to flavoured cream cheese so you have to ask for MSG free. It's in soups at resturants, cheese sauces, hot dogs, chinese food and stews. This has little to no effect on some people, but others, like myself, it's a killer.

2. Anti-Inflammatories, like tylenol, aspirin and Advil etc. decrease you bodies ability to lose weight as they interupt your body's calorie burning capabilities. If sensitive they should only be taken with meals.

I don't know exactly what your person situation is but the discovery of these 2 things for me has made a huge difference from my previous 0lbs to my present 17lbs. It's the smallest thing but made a world of difference.

Do you keep a food log? www.fitday.com has helped me track everything and I even found some hidden carbs I wasn't counting.

Hope that with all the experience there is on this board we can help you out.

Tummy
220/203/145

Nicole, what Tummy and Leens said is excellent advice! Sometimes we dont see what we are doing until someone points it out for us. Post your food intake for today here and let us take a look at it, maybe we can spot something your doing.

Thanks guys.

I keep an extensive food journal. I don't think I've had even a single bite that hasn't been written down and anazlyzed in the past six weeks.

I'm not on any meds other than the occasional Tylenol Sinus - but I'll keep that in mind and try to do without them for a while.

Other than the very occasional fast food burger, no bun, no anything, I don't have pre-packaged foods since I cut out the Atkins bars.

I'm eating very clean - eggs, chicken, meat, lettuce, broccoli. The occasional fluff (heavy cream, chream cheese, sf jello) is about the only packaged food I have. I don't even have much cheese. Every now and then I might have olives, but I drink more water to make up for the sodium. Once a week - if that - I might nuke some peperoni for something crunchy.

I'm careful to only eat when I'm hungry and I never eat till I'm stuffed or over-full.

I'm going to keep my carbs at 20 and just start counting calories and trying to stay around 1500 - 1700 for now. I don't know what else to do. I think I just must be taking in too many calories overall.

And it's the biggest one of the three and I forgot it
The other thing that helped was I started taking Chromium GTF (Glucose Tolerance Factor) 3 weeks ago. Chromium is the partner mineral to Insulin and without enough of it insulin can't do it's job properly. Most people don't have enough in their diet as many foods deplete the mineral such as zinc and caffiene among other things. If you are at all insulin resistant it will help. It has to be taken on an empty stomach with water only and no food for a half hour afterwards, no vitamins either. It can work as fast as a week but can take up to 4 weeks to see a difference. It has to be Chromium GTF as regular Chrominum can led to stomach problems. It's super cheap too, about $2 for 100 tablets.

Ok all done, I promise.

Tummy

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll pick up some this afternoon.

Once a day? First thing in the am?

Thanks again!

Yup, that's when I take it, 500mcg a day is all you need and that's usually one tablet. Hope it helps the same as it did for me

Tummy

Still have not been able to pick up the chromium BUT the scale finally moved a bit. Checking my journal, it seems that I stopped losing when I started using the meal replacment bars regularly. I cut them out three days ago and now I have a two pound loss. So, maybe it's coincidence - who knows? But I HOPE this is the start of a new woosh for me.

Still planning to pick up the chromium as soon as I can get to a GNC.

Thanks for all the advice!

You go girl.

My one a day vitamin has chromium in it, its called Weight Smart. I'll take it until I finish the bottle and then I'll start taking a better supplement, but today I bought some vitamin C and calcium.

Metamucil also makes poopie pills you can take every day to help you poop. I can't take the powdered p-husks........I almost puke drinking that stuff and FiberCon just ain't cutting it.

gotta get me one of those old lady pill taking cases.......ohh I am old what was I thinking LOL.... snort ~

Leenie

Nicole, you can get the chromium at any health food store, and it will likely be cheaper than at a GNC. I take Chromium picolinate, and it helps regulate my blood sugar. I take one in the morning and one with my supper if my sugar cravings are bad. Otherwise just one in the morn.

You can get p-husk caplets now....and they are cheaper than the metamucil ones...should be able to find those at the health food store too

Yup, those bars will do it to you every time.......its stalled me for 3 days so far. Hopefully tomorrow, I'll a bit of a difference.

You doing great, hang in there

Here I was just thinking of getting some Atkins bars but thought better of it. I'm glad I did. I remember they didn't help my weight loss.
Thanks for all the tips, Chicks. I'm taking chromium but it doesnt say GTF on it.

Nicole,

That is fantatic to hear!!! Glad you're moving, cuz after all you're way to far in to turn back now. Glad you're getting results and (hopefully) some motivation back. I get my Chromium GTF at Wal-mart in the pharmacy for almost nothing.


Tummy

Linda, you can get chromium gtf in canada pretty much anywhere, but if you are in the states or close to a border, get the chromium picolinate (you cant get it in canada). I found it made a huge difference in my cravings.

I have been using the bars when I have a sugar craving, but only at the end of the day when its almost bedtime lol Seems to work, but has stalled me for 3 days. Today finally showed a .5lb loss

Ok, I have chromium picolinate - is that the same or will it do? I don't actually get much in the way of cravings (for which I am thankful!) - I don't miss the usual suspects of rice, bread, potato, pasta, etc. Whew. I actually have some low carb pasta in my kithen - it's been there for a week. I can't bring myself to even kinda want it (my husband finds these things and brings them home). I am SO glad I've not been craving - things would be INFINITLY harder if I were.

Ok, besides that - I've lost four pounds since I quit the bars. Yowza. I'm a happy happy girl!

I'm so glad others had mentioned that the bars stall their loss - I'd never have thought to cut them out otherwise. They're so convenient but I guess they're not for me.

Brandy