Atkins frustration, not losing...

[lenshanem]

I've been on this diet for a month and have only lost 8 pounds, 7 of which I lost in the first few weeks.
I've been in purple every time I checked and have been power walking for thirty minutes now for 15 days straight. Still no weight loss. I've done this diet twice before with fab results, losing forty pounds each time after I quit nursing both my kids.

Those times I was losing at least two or three pounds a week after the initial five or six pounds I lost in the first week.
I'm starting to get very frustrated as my Mom is losing pounds like crazy doing WW fast track.

To be so good, but yet get on the scale after a week of this and not have lost a single pound is very heart breaking. I would switch to WW, but I have a really hard time with my blood sugar and Atkins in the past has worked great for me as far as not getting the shakes, etc. I'm also afraid if I start eating carbs again I'll gain back what I've worked so hard to lose so far.

Could my body be totally resisting Atkins this time around? Anyone heard anything like this? I had just come to expect at least two pounds per week loss on Atkins from my past experiences.

I know I sound like a broken record, but does this seem right for Atkins?

 

[JCJRSmith]

You mentioned that you have lost weight on Atkins before...what is your body fat percentage? Could it be that you don't have the fat reserves to burn off? You may be in ketosis, but that could just as easily show that the fat you are burning for energy is from the fat content in the food you are eating. Combined with the power walking, I would bet that your lean muscle mass has increased to the point where it is taking the place of the fat you have lost. This is a good thing. It isn't about the scale, it is about how you feel, how you look, and how everything fits. Example: I have been in a stall for a month, but the jeans I bought last week were 6 inches smaller in the waist than the ones I bought last October.

New mantra: It ain't about the scale. It ain't about the scale. It ain't about the scale....

 

[lenshanem]

Thanks Jerry, but the problem is my jeans don't feel smaller! And I think I have lots of fat. LOL No question about it, that gut and big butt aren't muscle for sure.
You are right, though. Muscle weighs more than fat.

 

[dizneegirl]

What are you eating?

 

[yasuern]

Hey 8lbs is nothing to sneeze at! Do you have more energy? do you have less food cravings? Atkins is not a quick fix diet - its not a diet at all - its a way of eating for life. Take your measurements are they less - I lost weight first in my face - does your face look thinner? - how about your legs or upper arms - we don't always lose in our midsection and butt(although that would be nice )
And power walking - well I am sure you've exchanged some fat for lean muscle.

NO MORE FEELING DOWN! THE WEIGHT WILL COME OFF!

Watch your carb intake - drink your water - keep a journal or use fitday.com to keep track of what you eat - also I have heard that if you don't eat enough fat you will stall your weight lose and also it has been mentioned on these boards that the Atkins bars/shakes if used in excess can also stall your weight lose.


DON'T GIVE UP - YOU ARE DOING GREAT - 8LBS!!!!

Sue

 

[lenshanem]

I am eating an Atkins bar every morning. Could one bar a day cause me to stall?

Thanks all.

 

[dizneegirl]

One bar a week could cause you to stall, if you're sensitive to them.

Try eating just "real" food for a week, and see if it doesn't make a difference.



There is also the "golden shot" theory (where you have one "golden shot" at losing weight well on Atkins, and after that it gets harder and harder)... but I don't put too much stock in that, personally.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

I allow myself to eat them only when in an emergency which ends up about twice a month. They can stall your WL for sure.

Try eating "real food" for a week and see what happens. Also, a good idea is to put your food intake on fitday.com. Just try it for a week. It really opened my eyes to what I was eating. I even input my splenda packet.

Hope this helps. Keep going. If you feel good on this WOE than I would stick with it.

 

[lenshanem]

I have been keeping a log and I'm around 20 to 25 carbs a day and I count EVERYTHING. (Like gum, etc.)

So I'll try cutting out the bars. I have occasionally been eating the low carb bread, too. Would this stall WL, too?

When I did this diet before alot of the low carb stuff that is out now they didn't have. And I must admit I've been buying alot of the stuff, like Keto hot cereal and cocoa crisp for example.

What other type of low carb products have people found to stall their WL?

I have also been using that Carb Countdown chocolate milk in the morning to sweeten my coffee before I go out to walk.

I'm desperate here. I had planned on giving myself two to three months to lose the weight (Based on how long it took me last time.) I had gained this winter and here I am a month later and I'm completely stalled. I live in Atlanta. It is now getting warm and my June trip to WDW is just around the corner and I can't fit into ANY of my shorts. And I REFUSE to go out and buy a whole new summer wardrobe.

I tend to have trouble with my blood sugar and I gain all my weight in my tummy mainly, the rest in my butt and thighs. If I have lost anything it is in my chest and I didn't have much there to lose anyway.

I appreciate any thoughts or advice.
Thanks so much!

 

[DVCTiff]

Shan - I feel for ya. I've just finished my first month and have lost 6 lbs. - 5.5 in the first week. I do feel better though and I'm trying not to concentrate on the weight loss, but it is very frustrating. I just vowed to stick with it since this weight didn't come on in 4 weeks and I shouldn't expect it to disappear in 4 weeks. Weight Watchers has also worked for me in the past but I know I didn't feel this good and, therefore, could not keep it up for as long. I also tell myself that if I weren't following this way of eating I'd be gaining weight. Staying the same is better than gaining! This is my very first time on Atkins so I don't buy that "golden shot" theory. Don't weigh yourself more than once a week and keep a chart and go from there. You've done so great so far. Just hang in there!

 

[MontyMontyMOnty]

The bars + low carb bread could add up--I know I can have one or the other every day but no t both if I want to lose weight. (They are also pretty expensive, so cutting back can save some money too!)

I think everyone is different as to what they can eat and "lose"on--I am just getting started again (my baby is now 7 weeks old, yay!), and have no idea if I have lost anything because I still havent gotten out to get a scale, BUT I know from my previous weight loss on this diet that I can have as much bacon, cheese, eggs, and heavy cream as I want, but if the low carb goodies start sneaking in, I stall completely.

Maybe experiment with removing one item for a few days, to see if it makes a difference?

Good luck to you, and congrats on the loss so far, 8lbs is a great start!

Samantha

 

[LAinSEA]

and I've been there - in fact I'm there now.

I've had success with Atkins in the past. However, this time around, I'm frustrated too. I have not lost anything weight in over a month now but I'm into smaller jeans and my neighbors and co-workers have commented on how much "smaller" I'm looking. I've yet to get out the tape measure and see just home many inches I've lost.

Atkins isn't exactly a license to eat as much as you want, as long as it's low-carb. You can be at or around 20 carbs a day and still be consuming way too many calories for your metabolism. My metabolim is very slow - low blood pressure - and a very sedentary job. I've been upping my exercise, walking, pilates and lots and lots of gardening on my days off. My excess weight tends to hang out in my mid-section, tummy, but and thighs. My face, arms & lower legs are all much much thinner (including my feet of all places - my shoes are loose).

Mainly I'm sticking with low-carb eating because I feel so much better. No drops in blood sugar or tiredness an hour after eating. I'm careful to eat something every 2-3 hours and I weigh and measure my portions. I don't go overboard on "safe" foods. I try not to eat so much that I ever get that completely "full" feeling. I try to drink lots of water and stay away from any kind of processed food - including shakes and bars.

People are all different, your body might respond better to a different diet like South Beach. The main thing is not to give up and to let other things like how your clothes are fitting and how you feel on your plan to help you determine your success other than just what the scale says.

-Laurie

 

[Rhonda]

I've been noticing here, and on other low-carb boards, that since more and more low-carb products have been hitting the market, people haven't been losing they way they used to on Atkins.

We tend to think that since the product says "low carb" it's a license to eat as much as we want! That's not true. Most of these "low carb" products have very small print that says that it's only for the after the weight is lost! Not good during Induction or OWL.

If you stick to the initial way Dr. Atkins wanted us to (meat, eggs, cheese, veggies, some nuts) the weight WILL come off! Stay away from the "low carb" cereals, bars, breads, sweets, etc, etc. Eat only "real" food. You'll notice a difference right away! I promise!!

 

[lenshanem]

OK, so I weighed myself again this morning and still nothing...

I am keeping a journal today, not just of my carb intake, but also calories. I'm also gonna try ditching the low carb bars, cereal, breads, etc. Hubby got up and made me an omelet cause I think he is tired of hearing me crying! LOL

We'll see if this helps. It is a fact that the two times I did this diet before successfully low carb products weren't really out yet on the market to this degree.

I am curious, though if someone could tell me what ingredient it is in these low carb products that cause weight loss to stall?

I have been using that Carb Countdown chocolate milk in the morning to sweeten my coffee. I'm wondering if I need to drop this, too. It is really good! LOL

I see it has sucralose in it. Isn't this the same as splenda? Is this bad to use?

What sweeteners are safe for coffee or diet drinks?

I got a big push to stop using low carb products the other day. The kids were eating their Easter candy and I had a bag of Carbolite sugar free jelly beans. I decided to open them up and eat some. They were good, but about thirty minutes later I thought I was going to die from such extreme gas pain! OMG!!! It lasted from about four that evening all through the night. Wow...
That Carbolite brand is evil! I think I had one of their bars once before and the same thing happened, but not quite so bad.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

I think it is the sugar alcohols that make people stall. Most of them, I believe, end in "tol" if you read the label.

I also think that in the Atkins book he states that milk products can make you stall.

Splenda is fine. That is the one I use also and don't have any problem UP TO A POINT. I only use about 1-3 packets a day. I've read that sometimes the sweet taste on your taste buds can tell your body that you are eating sugar, therefore you have an insulin response. Don't know if this is true, but I've always been careful not to overdo it.

Just curious.........How much protein do you have in a day?? You're probably ok, but I thought I would ask because if you eat too much protein, the extra gets turned into glucose, which ofcourse is NOT what you want.

I usually have 2 eggs for breakfast, 3-4 oz. of protein at lunch, and 4-5 oz. of protein at dinner. And I measure it on a scale to make sure I don't go over. Just a thought.

Hang in there. I am impressed that you haven't given in. You're doing great.

 

[lenshanem]

Thanks. I've been chewing a couple pieces of Orbit sugarfree gum a day, too.

Does anyone think I should cut that out, too?


I'm trying to think of everything here.

I really appreciate any thoughts or comments.

 

[threeboysmom]

Don't pay ANY attention to the term "net carbs". I've learned this the hard way The only carb you can successfully deduct is fiber. For instance, my Atkins bar says 21 carbs and 7 grams of fiber - net carb 2. DO NOT deduct sugar alcohols if you want to lose weight, so the official carb count would be 14 carbs, not 2!!! Not good if you are on induction!!! I can now eat 1 or 2 per week since I'm in pre-maintenance, but I couldn't do it earlier in the program. Same goes for the low-carb bread, cereals, pasta, etc. Don't go by the net carb - go only by the total carb count minus the fiber. You should see your weight loss pick up again keeping that in mind!

Try a week without any of these products. And make sure you check back with us and let us know how it's going!!

 

[DoeWDW]

Lots of great advice on this thread! That Orbit sugar free gum probably has sugar alcohols in it - look for malitol, sorbitol, mannitol, erythritol, isomalt, inulin, xylitol. The two most likely to cause unpleasant gas and cramps are sorbitol and mannitol, but any of them can cause it.

 

[lenshanem]

Could that Orbit gum be stalling me or should it not matter as long as I count the carb amount into my daily total? (I wasn't cause it was sugar alcohol, but even still it is only like one carb!)

Yes, I've been counting only the net carbs. I'll try this other way, thanks.
The odd thing is I've been in purple on my keto sticks. I thought if you were in purple that meant you were losing.
My jeans are just as tight as they were when I started, even minus the 8 pounds I lost at first.

I will check back in after giving this a try.

Confused about something, though. Even if I count the full carb amount, not just the net carbs on say an Atkins bar could it still cause me to stall if I'm within the 20 or so carb range a day? In other words, was the problem I was only counting the net carbs or is there something in these low carb products that cause a person to stall? I'm confused sine I'm in ketosis.

Thanks!

 

[DoeWDW]

Ketosis is a funny thing. It occurs when your body has basically run out of other fuel and is burning your stored fat for energy.

The strips that you are using do NOT tell you if you are in ketosis. They tell you if there are ketones in your urine. Ketosis is NOT the only thing that can cause ketones in your urine. If you are eating a lot of fat in your diet, your stick may turn purple just from your body processing the fat and excreting some of the byproduct (ketones) into your urine.

To really tell what's going on, I'd need to look at your typical menus for 3-4 days. I would input your foods into Fitday and go from there. You could be eating on plan but getting too many calories. You could be too low in the amount of fats you're eating. There could be too many processed foods in your diet. If you post your menus I'll be happy to take a look.