I'm gaining - help!

[threeboysmom]

I've only been on the Atkins diet now for almost 6 weeks, so I'm not sure what is going on...

1st week I lost 5 lbs. on Induction
2nd week I lost 2 lbs. on Induction
3rd week I lost 1 lb. on OWL
4th week I stayed the same
5th week I stayed the same
6th week I gained 2 lbs.!!! (now granted it hasn't been a full week yet, but still!!)

What am I doing wrong? I usually have some sort of eggs for breakfast, some sort of salad for lunch or leftovers from previous night's dinner, afternoon snack - cheese, nuts, or berries, and meat & veggie for dinner. Sometimes I'll have sf jello with whipped cream for dessert if I get hungry before bed. I'm also drinking 7-8 glasses of water. Should I try to drink more? Should I cut out the snacking/dessert & allow my body to be a little hungry more often? I'm so frustrated, especially hearing about how much weight all of you seem to be losing, especially in the beginning (where I am still!)

 

[DoeWDW]

Are you nearing TOM? Could it be bloating due to that? Water weight can be tricky but I'd guess that's all you've gained. It's HARD to gain 2 pounds of fat in a week - so I'm betting it's water and it will go away on it's own.

Have you been eating stuff with a lot of salt? That will make you retain water!

Are you using any artificial sweeteners? Are you overdoing the cheese or nuts? Either of these could slow things down but I doubt they'd make you gain.

Keep doing what you're doing. Your water intake looks fine and your menus don't seem out of whack. Give it another week and see what happens.

 

[nativetxn]

Do you weigh your servings of nuts and cheese? If not, you should invest in a food scale. They are quite inexpensive and will help you keep your servings of limited foods in check.

It could just be the bloat fairy, too (that rascal).

 

[threeboysmom]

Thanks for your help! It very well could be that bloat fairy!! I did lose 1 lb. this morning when I weighed in. It's not my TOM yet - I'm smack dab in the middle of cycle. Do we tend to retain water during ovulation too? If that's the case, it REALLY stinks! No wonder men can lose weight so much easier than women. My DH has already lost 20 lbs. compared to my 7 lbs.!! And I've stuck to the Atkins diet; he will cheat sometimes - eat his croutons, or have a cookie now and then...... Men!!! So what is the cure for bloating? Do I up my water intake?

Regarding the nuts & berries....I could be overdoing it there since I'm not really sure how much I can eat daily. I usually eat a handful of nuts each day or a 1/2 carton of rasberries (yum!) Is that too much of either? As for cheese, I usually have some in my eggs in the a.m., then some in my salad too for lunch. I'm not really sure how much - @ 2-3 T. for each?

Thanks for your help! It's so frustrating when you're not losing anything. I feel like I might as well have those oreos

 

[Bumbles]

I would suggest not weighing more than once a week..otherwise you're going to drive yourself mad As you've already seen, your weight can vary widely...sometimes for no apparent reason. Best thing to do is designate the same time and same place to weigh and weigh in only then and there.

Good luck.

 

[CarolA]

I am with Bumbles. Get off the scale. Have you done measurements. I am not big on them, I just go by clothing fit, but other people swear by them.

I don't know how people do it that weigh once a day (or even more!). My plan is to weigh at the same time every week. That seems to help.

Also, lots of nuts have salt added, salt makes you retain water! If you are strict Atkins, you are probably high on the fruit.

Have you tried going to Fitday and inputting a days food intake. Might tell you something.

 

[threeboysmom]

Thanks! I'll take your advice and pick a day & only weigh myself on that day only!! I think a woman's weight tends to flucuate a whole lot more than a man's. My DH weighs himself every single morning and the scale is consistently moving down for him. I'm happy for him, but jealous at the same time

Carol, I will try fitday. I added it to my favorites a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't really tried to figure out the website yet. I'll take some time this afternoon (if I can get away from the DIS Boards) to try and figure how to do it.

Thanks again!

 

[threeboysmom]

Carol - I just went to fitday.com & figured it all out (wasn't nearly as hard as I thought!!)

Anyways, I entered in what I've eaten so far (pretty cool idea!) & the calorie breakdown was as follows: 50% from fat (yikes!), about 45% from protein, and only about 5% from carbs. Is this normal? What is the breakdown supposed to be for good weight loss? Is there a target range I'm supposed to be shooting for? I just don't know how to interpret that pie chart....... At least my carb intake so far today is only 8, but I'm concerned about my fat intake! I had the breakfast porridge this morning with heavy cream & ricotta cheese so that is what's pushing me way up there on the "fat ladder".

 

[DoeWDW]

Kimberly, on Atkins you'll usually be eating 65-70% fat, 15-20% protein, and 10% carbs. This is NOT a bad thing! It's the way the diet is designed. I know we've all been taught that "dietary fat is bad" but people have been eating this way for many years and see great improvement in their bloodwork - like lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, etc.

If anything, I'd say you're not getting enough fat and a little too much protein.

 

[threeboysmom]

Thanks Doreen for your reassurance & encouragement! I "know" that we're not supposed to worry about our fat intake, but it's SO HARD to "retrain" yourself in that area. For years, I've done yo-yo dieting with low-fat plans, so it's kind of scary when you look at the statistics of what you ate that day and all you see is FAT! Thanks for those percentages - I now know what I should be shooting for!

I stayed off the scale today and am going to wait until Saturday to weight myself again. Then, I'll stick to the every Sat. a.m. to be my regular weigh-in. Otherwise, like everyone said, I'll drive myself crazy with all the weight fluctuation. I'm really hoping to see 2 lbs. of me gone on Saturday!!