Atkins folks- I'm frustrated!

[karebear1]

I am 12 days into induction and have not lost any weight at all this week. I am sticking to induction and my ketostix jump between nothing to moderate depending on the time of day. Can anyone tell me what's happening? I have been low carbing it for one month and only lost about 7 lbs. Everyone else's weight loss seems to have been quicker and greater. What do you think I can do to make mine better? I need some suggestions quick!! I am not depressed or thinking about going off, but I am frustrated, and trying to figure out just exactly what is going wrong.
thanks for your insights.

Karen

 

[glo]

First off look for hidden carbs...what have you been eating. Any gum, or maybe sugar or carbs you may not be thinking of. Remember even eggs that they say are no carbs really are .8 carbs. How much do you have to loose? The closer you are to your goal weight the harder it is. If you have 100 pounds to loose, it will come off much faster at first than the person who has 20 to loose(I can vouch for that) Also make sure you are drinking at least 64 OZs of water a day, as it is really needed on this diet. Are you exercising, I found that when I finally started exercising, I did not loose weight for a while, but started loosing inches, exercising will also jumpstart your metabolism.

Keep at it....and give it a little more time with the things above in mind. If things do not start improving, then maybe it isn't the diet for you, and you need to find something else.

 

[karebear1]

glo- I have OVER 100 lbs to lose. AND right now I am not excercising because the first time I tried this I had been excercising for 6 weeks. The last 2 weeks of that 6 weeks I started eating low carb. At the end of that 6 weeks- I had lost no weight and NO inches. That is why I am so frustrated. It doesn't seem to matter what I do- I just can't get it to drop for me. I do have diabetes, and the one really good thing that ATkins did do for me is lower my bood sugar into normal consistant ranges. Less then 1 week after starting - I have cut my meds by 3/4! That is mostly why I am still hanging in there. But, if I can't loose weight this way- I may as well eat more of the foods I want but still stay away from sugars etc.

 

[Kelsie]

Karen,

Tell us a typical day's menu for you?

 

[glo]

Have you started journaling...sometimes that helps.List a typical day and the meals you make.

 

[zurgswife]

Really pay attention to the carbs in foods.... I love tomatos and have been having them for lunch....well yesterday I went to fitday and found out that they are 6 carbs...I was figuring about 2 ...So, look at the little things....

I am sure you'll be losing again before you know it...

 

[nativetxn]

Karen, did you ever read Atkins book? He discusses this in his book.

He said that if you have been following a low fat or reduced calorie regime before you begin induction, you will lose more slowly.

He also said to be sure and measure yourself when you begin because everyone responds to induction in a different manner. You could be losing inches instead of pounds.

If you take any type of hormone replacement that will make you lose so slowly it is almost imperctible.

If you take medication for type II diabetes, you will lose more slowly. If you can get your physician to prescribe metformin (Glucophage) that will help it doesn't seem to slow or stall weight loss. What do you take? Avandia? Diabeta? Which one do you take?

If you take a beta blocker (sometimes prescribed for blood pressure and sometimes to slow your heart beat) that may slow or stall your loss too.

What you need to remember sweetie, is that because of your type II diabetes your body wants to hold onto the fat. You gain faster than others and hold onto it longer.

Try to stop worrying about a number on the scale. The most important numbers for you are:

blood sugar
blood pressure
cholesterol
triglycerides

Look at it this way. Your <i>real</i> goal is to improve your health. You are accomplishing that goal, I've seen your numbers

As my husband likes to tell people, the Atkins plan is wonderful, I like the food, I like controlling my blood sugar and I'm avoiding another heart attack. Losing weight is a really nice <b>side effect</b> of Atkins but if I never lose another pound I'm going to eat this way the rest of my life.

I know it's frustrating, sweetie, trust me, I know. My husband has gone for 6 weeks going up and down two pounds each way. He got frustrated but he didn't give up and now the weight is coming off.

Don't give up. Promise? Stick with Atkins for a while. If having your blood sugar and cholesterol under control just isn't worth it to you then find another eating plan that works better for you.

Don't be impatient. It's too early to panic about January, 2005. Relax. Just hang in there. {{{HUGS}}}

 

[karebear1]

I do journal my eating. But, maybe I'll go and punch in the info on fitday. I know that calories aren't suppose to matter, but maybe they do for me?
Sample menu: I ate this on Tuesday


1:00- chicken breast
cucumuber with cream cheese- 4 carbs

3:15- Bacon
cream cheese and celery- 3 carbs
jello/whipped cream- 1 carb

7:30- Pot roast
salad- 4 carbs
pickles- 3 carbs



That was it- a total of 15 carbs. That is as pretty normal day for me. I did notice I wasn't drinking as much water as I should, so I went and bought a quart drink bottle and fill it at least 2 times a day. Yesterday I actually filled that puppy up 4 times!
I do have high blood pressure as well- however that is under control with hydrochlorothiazide.... a fancy name for a water pill!
Maybe I need to eat the bulk of my food in the mornings and eat less at night- although it doesn't look like I'm eating much at all! I'm not hungry. Well, let me put that another way. I actually get tummy grumbles- something I haven't had before- but they don't bother me all that much . I don't feel like I have to run to the kitchen to eat. I don't have much of an appetite, although I do get cravings every once in a while.
While the best of this diet for me haaaaaaas been that my diabetes is under control, I still want AND need to lose weight.
As for measuring- I just tried it again, and I can't do that anymore. There was no change. It only serves to destroy my ability to be reasonable about this diet if I weigh and measure and nothing has changed. It seems like I can take this for about 2 weeks and then I go crazy!
I'll see if my doc will change my meds to glucophage. Initially I was on that, but it wasn't doing enough for me. But, now that my numbers are under control- maybe she'll switch it back. Actuall- I have some before, and maybe I'll try a little experiment before I call her.
thanks for your help everybody. I really need all the support I can find right now!

 

[wovenwonder]

Karen,
You might need to eat MORE! Try eating 4 or 5 times during the day -- having a protein/fat source each time. You might need to jump start your metabolism that way. Try adding some fish [if you like it]. I've heard where some people have great success when they added tuna, salmon, etc to their eating each day. I would also consider dropping the cream cheese for a little -- and see if that breaks your stall.

You might want to try the 'Alex Challenge' for one week and see what kind of results you get. Try sticking as close to the basics as possible sticking to meat, butter, mayo, cream, oils, eggs, a little cheese [no cream cheese though] and a small salad or serving of veggie each day. Eating this way will keep your daily carbs well below 10 each day. Just consider this for one week to see what kind of results you get.

I have been losing VERY SLOW too! Check out my journal and you'll see what I mean.

 

[dizneegirl]

Sometimes I have to eat more before I'll start losing again.

Lately, I've found that eating a handful of peanuts (in the shell) keeps me losing - must be a combination of the fats & carbs... go figure!

If that's what you normally eat, though, your body just might be gearing up for starvation mode.

When do you get up? If you're waking up at 8, 9 or even 10 in the morning, and not eating until 1, that's not good for you right there... you've should get something in your stomach soon after you wake up, even if it's only a few strawberries in cream, or a little cheese. Dr. Atkins recommends not going more than 3 or 4 waking hours without eating something... it helps keep those blood sugars even.

You could even be one of the lucky people that has to eat OVER 20 carbs to lose... sometimes less is not more. You can try Alex's version of Atkins... proteins & fats (basically a meat fast), and see if it jump starts you at all. If not, you can also try adding more carbs, and see if you start losing again. Start slow with nuts & berries, and go from there.

Honestly though, if I was eating what you eat, I'd be starving!

 

[glo]

ok...how much of each item you listed above are you having.

1 small cucumber about 6 inches long is 4 carbs
1 cup of celery strips is 5 carbs
1 small 3 inch pickle is 3 carbs

What was in the pot roast? Was there a sauce or marinade? Onions, carrots?

is the jello sugar free?
is the whip cream sugar free?

what is in your salad..as Kimbal stated one small tomato is 4 carbs..or is it just lettuce? Did you add dressing? cheese?

anything cafeinated?

Also, as stated you may need to up your fat intake...add tuna with real mayo...sounds odd, but I do better when my fat intake is higher...go figure

 

[karebear1]

I've been using the carb counter page that came attached to the front of the Atkins book I bought. It says that 1 stalk of celery is 1.5 carbs! If those counts are wrong then I can see where I've made the mistake! Hopefully it will be something that simple! Where are you getting your carb counts from glo? I am using SF everything. My salad does have a very small amount of tomato, but I include that in the total carb count of the salad. 1 cup of lettuce- according to the chart from the book is only 1.3 carbs.- I allow for 4 carbs in my salad- I'm sure that is more then generous. But because I use some tomato, celery and cucs in there, I add an extra 3 carbs. BUT these are not full servings- they are very little of each thing. I have not been counting the salad dressings though- so I need to remembervto add that in- but even that would only account for baout 1 carb. I don't use that much. I am either taking my carb readings off this chart or off the nutrition info on the package.
I do not eat/drink anything caffienated.

 

[glo]

I use fitday.com to keep track of everything
Ok, I went through this again...this time on fitday...and specific.

4 cucumber slices = 1 carb
1 quarter wedge of a medium tomato= 1+
1 5 inch stalk of celery=1 carb(more than 1??)
1 cup of lettuce = 1 carb
add 4 cucumbers again for the salad = 1 carb
most dressing are 2 to 3 carbs per two tablespoons

right there is about 8 carbs
any cheese other than the cream cheese?

2 tablespoon of cream cheese =1 carb do you have more than 2 tablespoons?
1 pickle=3 carb

Now the meat is it marinated...any veggies in it?

I added 1 small baked chicken breast
4 slices of bacon
1 medium slice of pot roast
.25 cup of heavy whipped cream unsweetened 3 carbs


How many ounces of meat do you think? Right now I have entered everything above, and you you are at about 1571 calories, but I did get a few more carbs...

 

[karebear1]

thanks glo- I use less then a tablespoon of dressing for the salad. The pickles I am eating are, according to the nuritional label on them- 1 carb- they're small. So, as for carb intake- i think I'm still in there for where I should be. I tend to eat a lot of the non carb foods though. So my caloric intake could probably be upped. All in can think is that that is the problem/

 

[TigH]

No good advice, just a simple hug and a hang in there!

{{{{{{{{{{{{{karebear1}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

You can do this, sweetie!!!

 

[nativetxn]

Good luck with this, Karen.