I am not losing as quick as I had hoped!

[Steph111]

I have been on low carbs now for 4 weeks and 3 days. In the first 2 weeks I lost 6 lbs. I can not budge the scale now! What am I doing wrong? I stay under 20 grams of carbs per day. I am afraid to add more! I drink 64 ounces of water each day. More if I can. Can anyone give me some tips??? I am wondering what else to add/eliminate from my diet. I eat mostly fat/protein.

[Atriana]

Have you tried using www.fitday.com? A lot of items that show as zero carbs on the package actually have some carbs. What was getting me was the Sweet N Low. It actually has .9 gram and that can add up quickly if you use enough of it.
Also, quite a few people are having problems with the sugar alcohols they use in low carb bars, shakes and candies.
Some people are just metabolically resistant. I have only lost 6 pounds in 4 weeks, with no cheating.

[r.mines]

It seems to be generally true that the less you have to lose, the slower you will lose. Think of it as a percentage thing: if you have 100 pounds to lose, and lose 10% in the first two weeks, that's 10 pounds. If you have 20 pounds to lose, and lose 10% in the first two weeks, that's 2 pounds.

I'm 5'2" and it's taken me about a year to lose 35 pounds. I still have about 15 to go, and it might take me another year. The wonderful thing about low-carbing, however, is that it's pain-free, so I don't really mind how long it takes.

Upping exercise helps too; you'll build muscle, which is denser than fat, so you'll shrink, even if the scales stay the same. Don't worry too much about scale weight; focus on how you feel and how baggy those jeans are getting!

Rachel

[doreen T]

Have you taken measurements with a tape?? You may be losing inches while your body is recomposing itself. It's normal for many people to lose fat and weight in spits and spurts. It's as though the fat cells give up a little fat, then they take a break while the rest of your body catches up.

Another thing might be that you're not eating enough fats and proteins. If you were previously eating lots of carby foods, and have cut them out but not replaced them with anything, you're body might think you're "starving" and will conserve every little bit. Don't go hungry ... eat something ... cold leftover meats or chicken, a piece of cheese, tuna or egg salad rolled up in a lettuce leaf (like a wrap). Have larger portions of meat than you used to before low-carbing. And don't skip meals.

Stick with it, you'll do ok. Why not start up a journal in our My Journals/Bootcamp forum?? You can post your daily menus and activities/exercise .. and we can help you spot some things that might be the culprits.. :)

Doreen

[Raven]

Steph don't worry, the exact same thing happened to me.

I lost 12 pounds during the first week of induction, then nothing for 3 weeks. - BUT my clothes continued to get looser in spite of this. Then....right after my 4th week on Atkins I got a big WHOOSH! 4 pounds gone just like that. It happens to a LOT of people like that. We seem to stall after that initial first week's loss as our bodies readjust and rearrange things, then we get that big whoosh. Just stick it out, yours is coming soon!

[spongebutt]

If I could lose as quickly as I wanted to, I'd have done it overnight! ;)

But it took time to put on weight, it takes time to lose it.

Have patience. You'll get there!

[dfletcher]

This was a very timely thread for me. I am at day 5 and have lost 5.5lbs. Now I know that I will probable stop losing shortly, but at least I know to not let it get me down. Hey, I did CAD for 4 weeks and lost 5lbs! I know I can better that!