We'd like a 5 pound loss every week, but a 2 pound loss is reasonable. Most people, even on Atkins, don't seem to post more than a 2 or 3 pound loss every week after their initial two weeks. I don't think our bodies are going to let go of more; remember our metabolism has been out of whack for a long time for many of us. And everyone doesn't lose even that 2 or 3 pounds each week. I lost 2 pounds one week, squeezed out a pound the next week, then lost four pounds in a week. But I sure don't expect 4 pounds this week too.

From what more experienced Atkins' eaters say, Splenda can be a problem. I've reduced the amount of Splenda I use by cutting out artificially sweetened drinks of all kinds in favor of water, but I'm using it to keep my sweet tooth in check. I could be keeping the sweet tooth alive, though; my body probably reads Splenda as "sugar."

I don't know; I'm no expert. Maybe JerseyGyrl can comment. You can email her directly or private message her if you click on her name and go to her profile page...but tell me what she says! I want to lose lots of weight fast too!

2 pounds is great. Keeping within that weekly range (1 to 2 lbs) means you're making lifestyle changes you'll be able to live with. In return it means you will have much more success keeping the weight loss off.

Thanks sandy and Apple.

Hey Sandy how was you trip?

I tried to message Jersey gryl, the system will not let me yet.

My trip to Charleston was great, and I stayed out of trouble (except for that glass of Prosecco). My daughters are doing fine, and we had time to just hang out and relax as well as meet friends for a drink (mine was diet coke with lime). Thanks for asking!

I posted my restaurant choices and my efforts to stay on plan on "What's for Dinner" if you're interested.

This week it's back to school on Thursday. Yikes! I'm thinking that I'm going to go ahead and buy myself a little refrigerator for my classroom to make it easier for me to take healthy food to school. There's NOTHING in that building that is remotely Atkins friendly except bottled water.

Hey ghost girl!

Lots of good comments here. One of the best things you can do is what Kim suggested. Give a run-down of your daily diet for the past few days....what you've eaten....so it can be assessed. As long as you're eating correctly, you should not have to worry what the scale says on any given week.

I'm also assuming that you were expecting more than 2 lbs. because most people lose larger amounts the first week or so when first starting a diet? (assuming that because 2 lbs/week would be good if one is well into the diet...any diet) Because Atkins is a metabolic diet...instead of a calorie-counting one....your body will show some unusual water fluctuations....through the entire diet, in fact. What typically happens with other diets won't necessarily happen the same way it does with other diets.
I'd say that with Atkins, you have to go by monthly numbers and that anything more frequent will be very fluctuating. Seen from a wider perspective, as long as you're trending downward, you're doing fine. Also, go more by how you're clothes are fitting than the scale number on any given day.

deena

Added: Also...I absolutely did have to limit my Splenda in order to lose. More than about 3 packs a day would stop the ketosis and get me nowhere.

Yes, when I start my induction next week I think limiting the splenda will be a goal for me. I don't think I have really gotten over my sugar addiction, have just replaced it with splenda. I bet if I really add it up, and include my daily schwepps ginger ale, I am getting more than 3 packets a day, and maybe have to give that up to get loss again.
I have stayed steady at 171, didn't gain on holidays in spite of a couple of foodie events, and couldn't exercise much due to a back injury. SO I will have to be content with that for now, and will be determined in induction next week!

OK....I'm just making an educated guess here......but I think that the main problem with the Splenda is the things they have to add to it (mainly maltodextrin) to make it in powdered form.....not the actual liquid pure Splenda.

Turns out that each packet has half a Gram of carb in it due to the maltodextrin.....which is actually a form of real sugar, to boot. The FDA rules apparently let them say that something has zero/0 carbs IF it is less than 1 Gm. per serving. But it's VERY misleading and those half grams add up real fast if you use enough of them.....especially during Atkins induction.

BUT....they only use the liquid Splenda in the diet soda, the diet jello, the diet syrups, etc....so those are not nearly as problematic as the powdered packets since they don't include the maltodextrin.

Oh....and one can actually buy liquid Splenda off the internet. I think the site is called Sweetsfree or something like that.

deena

You can also buy it on amazon.com. I bought ez sweetz and it is great (I use it in my coffee). I also buy the sugar free iced tea from wal-mart.

Hey Thanks to all for alot of great info.

Hello Jersey Gyrl

Yesterday

AM - 2 cheese sticks
20 oz tea with 2 packs splenda
Later bottle water 16 oz
Mid day - 2 cups green salad with cheese and chicken
16 0z water
Dinner- 4oz chicken breast
2 cups green beans with butter
Ice tea 2 spenda packs
later 16 oz water

I lost 2 pounds and 2 inches this week, but I feel like it shoud have been more, I stick to the plan.
This is about what I eat every day. It don't change much.
Snacks 2 cheese sticks and water 16oz
I stay thirsty so I always have ice tea or water I drink alot.