Hello

[VALEWIS]

I am 63 and have been into yoyo all my life and now paying for it. I started Atkins a month ago and am not sure if I have lost any weight (seem to lose and regain the same 4 lbs) but I feel like there has been change...if only in feeling good and not hungry which is a blessing. I got up to my heaviest over a year ago, went on one of those drugs that are meant to cut appetite and boost metabolism and this helped me to lose a great deal (30 lbs) in two-three months. After that I went I went off the meds and on to a low GI WOE and did not lose another oz for about 8 months. So I am not far from goal weight which makes it harder..only need to lose maybe 10-15 lbs more but the ol' bod seems determined to hang on to them! Good to join a peer group who are similarly into no or slow loss but are enjoying this WOE as much as I.

Val

[BKM]

Hi Val -- welcome!

[VALEWIS]

Bonnie,

thanks. Have you only dropped 2 kilos since May? Or did you lose and regain etc....I see 'recommit' since the first of this month.

Val

[BKM]

Val,

I lost about 80 pounds back in 1994 by low-carbing. However, I have gained back some of the weight (35 pounds!) over the past 5 years -- and I go up a bit, down a bit, just sort of waffle around. This year I have been fairly steady at around 155 -- I can't seem to get into a weight-losing mode. I think my age (59), a short time on HRT, and working 10 hours a day at a computer are all part of this....

My re-commit basically means that I'm religiously counting all carbs and watching my calories -- I seldom "cheat" but I think I likely eat more calories than I need....

[VALEWIS]

Hi Bonnie,

Sounds like we have a similar history...I too am sedentary most of the day and am sure I am using too many calories as a result. I do aerobics 4 X a week and today I am going to add in some resistance training (2 sessions a week) to see if this helps. I have begun keeping Fitday records and am consuming around 1500 on average...I think I need to drop this, but will wait to see what the weights training does. There is also a danger of going too low according to a lot of experts (which tell me that I should be consuming in the range of 1300-1500 for weight loss) so it is necessary to be patient for a few more weeks to see if anything changes before dropping calories further. I have been keeping to the Atkins diet pretty religiously otherwise, apart from keeping my saturated fats less than the 'good oils'. I had my body fat measured properly yesterday and it is 21% so that isn't as bad as I thought, but I really need to drop 10 lbs. Growing old is sure frustrating and one needs one's sense of humor.

[BKM]

I don't seem to eat more than 900-1200 calories per day -- but this is the way I've always eaten, ever since I was young (except for the occasional pizza blowout!).

I'm active, but I don't "exercise" -- really admire people who can stick to it. I'm good with "doing" things, such as bike riding, roller-blading, golfing, or just waliking/hiking -- but put me on a treadmill and I burn out in a couple of minutes. I would love to get going on some Pilates and/or Yoga, but I know that I would spend the money for a class, then not follow through....

We do seem to have very similar profiles -- though I need to get lower than you in pounds. I'm 5'7", but I don't look good at 150 -- I have an hourglass-type figure, and my belly tends to stick out WAY too much. I wear a size 10, but the belly region of pants gets pulled out funny.... And I have so many really nice size 6 and 8 clothes that I want to get back into.

Plus, we're planning on retiring in about 3 years -- to sunny Florida -- and I'll be in bathing suits and shorts -- right now I look like a beached whale in a bathing suit! It's funny how the same weight on different people can look so very different! When I initially lost my excess weight, I got really addicted to clothes-buying! (for the first time in years and years, I could fit something other than XL and XXL -- and that was NICE!).
:daizy:

[VALEWIS]

Bonnie,

Are you keeping exact track of calories on a software like Fitday? I thought I was eating about 300 cal's less than I actually do...its pretty surprising, when things like a tbsp of soy sauce is counted in. But if you are, then 900 cal's is so low that your metabolism must have slowed way down and so its very hard to lose... I have the same issues, which is why I am going to the gym and carefully doing the 70/25/5 ratio with eating plus watching calories... so we'll see what happens.

I have the same figure type and am about the same height...like you the big belly is awful, and so I hope to drop 10 lbs. My legs aren't too long either...torso is longer..so I carry too much on my thighs as well. One problem is that at age 63 my skin is no longer elastic, so any further weight loss will result in hanging skin. This is why I started weight lifting today..hoping this may help a bit.

Sigh. Hang in there and keep me posted! The retirement plans sound fun...I live in a similar climate in Australia and am retired.


Val

[ALEKA]

Hi Gals--Do yourselves a big favor and read Dr. Atkins book--I have been on this program only for three months but and this is the big BUT--I do not count calories. That is the old lowfat/calorie counting wayl ike I did on weight-watchers. The most important thing is to get you burning FAT. By eating high fat/protein and low carbs--for the most part calories do Not count. Please read the book- Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. Then you won't confuse the different diets. I have lost 25 pounds in the three months but I absolutely do not count calories. Here is wishing you all a great day, A very successful diet andcongratulate yourselves for doing something good for yourself. Bye:lol: Aleka

[BKM]

Val,

Yes I enter everything into FitDay (not all the time, but frequently) and I seldom go over 1000 calories -- but it's the way I've always eaten, so I guess it's probably right for my body. Even when I was quite heavy, I never ate that much food, just the wrong foods.....

I've tried upping my calories, the results are always instant weight gain and a too-full uncomfortable feeling.

Someday (when I'm retired!) I want to visit Australia -- it really looks like a fantastic place to be!

[BKM]

Aleka

I've read (and frequently re-read) all the Atkin's books -- I am almost always in ketosis -- and I don't "count" calories but they do come up in Fitday.

I seem to put on a little weight (averaged about 7 pounds per year!) on Atkins -- something is not working! My husband just maintains beautifully, no problems, etc. Actually, I haven't put on any weight in the past year, but neither have I really lost any -- and I almost never "cheat". All my blood work is great.

Perhaps I don't eat enough fats (I hate meat fat) -- but I do eat cream and butter and olive oil. Meat fat causes a gag-reflex in me. Maybe I don't exercise enough (these old joints kind of hurt....I do walk/hike, bike, golf, swim -- that sort of stuff). I would like to start Yoga, but I haven't yet figured out the WHEN.

When I initially lost my weight, I lost 1/4 per day, with almost no hitches -- but now it never seems to keep going .... I was 50 and in the middle of menopause, now I'm well through.

I keep tweaking, something's going to work one of these days....

[ALEKA]

Hi Bonnie--Do you exercise a lot?? Some of the other gals mention that those who exercise a lot gain weight but it is muscle which weighs more than fat. Do you keep track of your measurements? The more I read the more I wonder if a persons body doesn't tell them just where they should be. I see by your stats that you are at the weight I would like to be at. I'm 5ft. 71/2 in. and think that is a realistic weight for me. My daughter is a diabetic and she is on the carb addicts diet and uses a bow-flex for exercise. She stays around 136 but is picking up muscle--but she looks great!!! Maybe if you check out some of the other forums you will see something that might click with you. I sure wish you good luck and congratulate yourself for doing something good for yourself. Hugs--Aleka

[VALEWIS]

Hi Aleka,

My diet history (recent) was: I had gradually gained weight and was up to 89 kilos (195)..I took a drug (Redux) for a couple of months which suppresses appetite and lost 15 k (about 36 lbs). Then I went off them and switched to a low GI eating diet...no further loss for 8 months. So I then decided to try Atkins and have been on the induction for 6 weeks.I lost 2 k more at 2 weeks, and then nothing further. I exercise with aerobics 4 times a week (have been doing this for a year). My clothes are not looser and there is no change in measurements after 6 weeks. SO I decided to look at some other ideas...my reading in the body-building threads in this forum led me to looking at the ideal calorie range to lose weight on a LC diet..the recommendation from that indicated that I should increase my protein and keep my calories within a particular range. At the same time, I read that weight lifting is better than cardio for building muscle and fat loss, so I am just beginning this...but for weight lifting, one must raise carbs slightly, to over 20 (probably better at 40) and make sure protein levels are up. I prefer to get my fats from poly and monounsaturated sources rather than saturated fats due to the health benefits, but am not avoiding saturated fats...Fitday so far is tracking me at over 50% from the good oils, around 1400 calories, and a 73/22/5
or thereabouts ratio of fat/prot/carbs. I have been on strictly this only a matter of days so it is too early to say if this will do anything other than maintain current weight...Aleka, normally for me to lose weight I have to consume about 900 cal's, so for me, this is NOT calorie-counting!!! I now await to see if adding weight lifting achieves any fat loss.
It is great that not counting calories etc is working well for you and may that continue. I would be interested to see if
this still holds when your weight is within 10 lbs of goal, or if you get into a huge stall pattern as I have...if you do, it will be because you are finally consuming more calories than you are using for your body weight, and you would need to increase exercise and/or drop calories a bit. There is a difference for some people whose metabolisms have adapted to years of low cal dieting so that Atkins, while allowing one to eat more calories and feel fuller, doesn't necessarily mean weight loss for these folks..particularly at lower weight levels such as we've been discussing here. One of the problems is generalizing...as we all know, what works for one person will not always work for another.

Cheers,

Val

[ALEKA]

Hi Val--I totally agree with you that one diet is not the answer for all people--but I have noticed that people tend to get the diets mixed up and that is what I was talking about. Looking at the # of post that most of you had led me to think that you were just new to the diet. I got on another forum from Atkins when I first started and was getting information from people who were on different diets than Atkins and I started to get confused. When I see Atkins I assume people need to read the book. I didn't mean to upset you like it appears I have--just wanted to keep new people from making the same mistakes I did at first-..I hope that you find what you need. From reading other threads, I do know that some people who do not have much to lose have a more difficult time than fatties like me. I have yet to hit a stall as you mentioned--and hope I never do. If so--sure hope someone is around to give me a boost. On one of the other threads someone said that in order to keep losing you must have protein at every meal. Don't know if that will help you but it is worth a try if you don't have protein that often. Here is wishing you good luck on your weight loss trek- Sorry if I offended anyone. Aleka

[VALEWIS]

Hi Aleka,

Heck no. you didn't offend me, that's for sure. I think you were just trying to help as many people don't have a clue what they are doing. Yes, I am taking protein at least 3 times a day..am also using whey protein isolate which is great stuff to provide pure protein without a lot of saturated fats.

I am taking a very scientific approach to all this, due to my very reistant metabolism.
Yes, there are quite a few different threads in this general forum in which people are combining diets, or on other ones such as PP, but they all are low carb.

I hope you never stall either, but I expect that what I said will hold true..that eventually your body weight will get down to where the calories you take in if you remain on ad lib eating will start to maintain your weight, which is what I am experiencing. So yes, it that happens, you will need support and may have to start looking at how to tweak this WOE to get the last bit off. Atkins suggests fat fasts to break stalls for example, but I know that this will give me heart irregularity and am personally better off watching calories.

Val

[ALEKA]

Hi Val--Where do you buy Protein isolate at? I have a recipe of my mother-in laws that I want to low-carb and Karen, on Karens Corner in the food section suggested trying protein isolate. I have looked in the grocery stores around here and at walmart but the only protein isolate I found was in shakes. ----- Thanks for the comeback--For a minute I was beginning to think I had opened a hornets nest--but sincerely just want those beginning Atkins to not get confused. By the way--did you ever go to the Atkins web site? They have a place where you can send in your questions. I log my stats in there each week. I really like it--They have all kinds of recipes etc. - Well thanks again for your comeback--be seeing you on the post. Aleka

[VALEWIS]

Whey protein isolate is used a lot by body builders for shakes...so probably health food stores are your best source, and try to find a big store that sells things in bins, as it is expensive and so much cheaper to get that way.

Val

[ALEKA]

Thanks Val--Will try GNC. Aleka

[BKM]

Aleka,

Same here -- no offense taken! Actually, I find it very pleasant that someone is caring enough to try helping me :yay:

I do tend to mix Protein Power with Atkins, and over the years have tweaked the programs to what I can live with -- lately have been looking into the South Beach Diet and carb (starch) blockers. The bottom line though, I very much consider the low-carb WOE a healthy life style. My husband (who had high cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure -- and who was NEVER over weight) is now really healthy -- plus he no longer gets his 1-2 bouts/year of bronchitis.

I very much think that I need to cut fats (so many of my calories come from fats, according to Fitday). I started the starch blockers (WITHOUT changing my eating habits) a few days ago and am maybe getting rid of some of by bloated belly (my waist has decreased a good inch)! I also find that I am, for the first time in my life, "regular" -- though it's much too early to draw any conclusions yet, this may well change within a couple of days. I don't know if the starch blockers are doing anything for me other than helping food pass through my system, but even so, for me, that's a real positive.

What I really like about this group: everyone is grappling with the age problem, we've all dealt with menopause (well, at least the women :rolleyes: ), and no one seems to be judgemental and didactic (right word?? I mean trying to tell you how you OUGHT to eat, within a very narrow range) -- I've been on another board where the members, who are doing well, are almost religious about following their WOE... And are very critical if you mention that you have deviated by a little.

I think I tend to ramble all over the place -- hope I'm not too long-winded for everyone!

[ALEKA]

Hang in there Bonnie--Most everyone I've seen that is close to their desired goal seems to struggle and expect that if I ever get close to mine I'll be aggrivated as H---. Anyway--Since I have been on Atkins for only 3 months I need to really give it a complete try before I mess around with other diets. My daughter is on the carb addict diet and I know if I ate what she did on her reward meal- I would still be at 250. She works out on her bowflex machine so at 136lbs. I'm sure she can eat alot more than I can. Anyway--wish you and all struggling low carb dieters only the best. Thanks for the come back!! Aleka