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ruby2z
Tue, Aug-06-02, 10:53
Hi everyone! I know that I have only been doing this for about 3 weeks, but I am getting very nervous about what the scale is telling me, plus I also feel like I have gained weight. As of today, I have gained 3 lbs. I tried Atkins several years ago and gained several pounds before I finally quit. But, after reading TSP, I figured that the reason Atkins didn't work was because I was eating too much cheese, drinking decaf coffee with half/half, drinking alcohol/beer occaionally,not watching the nitrates, a.s, processed meats, damaged fats, etc. So figured I would try TSP. I am pretty much sticking to TSP, but with lower amounts of carbs she recommends. I started eating nuts, but have cut them out (for the most part) last week. I am still eating dairy products at this point, but getting to the point of limiting my portions and calories, and fat intake. Yesterday, I had no energy to work out so did eat more carbs with lots of fiber (a whole banana, natural peanut butter and psyllium husks in a protein shake). I actually felt better and slept better. I really do like this woe (so livable,less restictive especially in social settings) and want to get away from yo-yoing. I can stand to have plain ol' stalls, but weight GAIN is something different. I have read posts about water replacing fat in the cells and building muscle, but I would like to hear about someone in my position. I have looked to see if someone (other than myself) gained weight, especially at the beginning where everyone seems to lose at least a little weight. Please help!!!!!!!!!!Thank you.
Ruby

GatorGal93
Tue, Aug-06-02, 12:33
I have no advice, but I just wanted you to know you are not alone.

I have done this WOE before and it worked, but I was in my early 20's. My GYN says this is why the loss is so slow now that I am 30. It becomes harder to lose weight with age.

It could be many things. TOM, medications, anything at all, really.

Good luck. I am here if you need to vent. I am sure someone successful on this WOE will give you better advice.

Best wishes,
Julie

LCer in NW
Tue, Aug-06-02, 13:05
it's good you two have linked up. I wonder if there are others out there getting the same results and need to stick together.

pegm
Wed, Aug-07-02, 11:15
I did not gain weight at first, but I do lose very slowly -- not the dramatic 'swoosh' a lot of others report, and I also stall for long periods of time -- lose and gain the same 5 pounds over and over for weeks before it's actually gone for good. I am 51 years old and I am sure that has an affect. I also quit smoking 14 months ago, which probably also had some impact. Exercise seems to have the best impact for me -- without it I just do not lose.

Just a thought -- have you tried Fitday.com to track your exact carbs, calories, etc., just in case you might have some 'carb creep' or your calories are lower than you think? It really does help.

Good luck,

Peg

PatC
Sun, Aug-18-02, 11:06
How wonderful it was to discover this thread. I lost 50 pounds on WW, but found that, unless I wanted to eat sawdust, I wasn't going to thrive on my calorie allotment. A month ago I switched over to the Atkins program. I do circuit weight-training three times a week, and walk 2 miles a day the other three. My weight actually went up a few pounds, but I've lost three inches, and my energy level is amazing. Sometimes I get discouraged, because I think that someone has secretly Super-glued the needle on the scale. At what point should I be concerned? If I were a Turtle, I'd at least be losing something , yes?

DK141612
Sun, Aug-18-02, 16:11
I've been losing/gaining weight constantly since I started this. When did you weigh yourself? Did you weigh yourself after you eat? How often do you do it? I usually weigh myself about 1x a week, after my morning shower. You might have gained muscle mass, but you can't see it yet. My muscle is starting to reappear in my thighs. Just don't worry what the scale says. Like someone on this board said "it's just a box that tells numbers." Judge by how your clothes are fitting, and not by a box that tells numbers.

musicmama
Mon, Aug-19-02, 12:05
Found this thread and was relieved to see that others are having the same problems that i seem to be experienceing.
I started this WOE on June 20, the first month I lost 21.5 pounds,,,since then, it has been up and down as much as seven pounds at one point. I have not cheated one time, so this is very frustrating for me :mad:
I have gone from a size 26 to a perfect 22, but in the last three weeks have lost no inches and added pounds. The ketostix are turning very faintly pink, I have no appetite but eat anyway. I am drinking plenty of water, that was a major change for me too.
I cant exercise as yer, because I recently had foot surgery and need to stay off it for awhile. A couple more weeks and I can start walking. :thup:
Anyone have any advice?? Yes, I have been a yoyo dieter all my life, am 55 yrs old,,,so I know all that figures in. I guess I am frustrated because I did the atkins diet when Iwas 34 and lost 65 pounds in four months, am wanting the same results with a slower metabolism! :(
GOing over to fitday and log in,,,hope to hear from some of you!! I need all the encouragement i can get right now!! :(

CYA lighter (I HOPE!) :wave:

rhubarb
Tue, Aug-20-02, 12:20
Hi, there

I am also a long-time yo-yo dieter having some similar frustrations. I never experienced the initial drop in weight that most people do on induction (unless you count the weight I lost coming off of some meds which had caused me to gain) and I've hovered around the same four pounds ever since.

I figure as long as I feel good, eat well, and I'm not gaining, I'm still ahead. Sure, I'd like to lose, so I'm going to keep plugging away at it and hope the exercise kicks in. I can't go back to high carb/low fat anyway – that only made me gain in the long run.

If I had any advice for you it would be to dump the scale. I know it's hard -- I'm tempted to use it myself, and I SO want to lose this weight. But this has to be a life-long habit, and how you feel should be more important.

Hang in there -- I will too!

rhu

kypraia
Wed, Aug-21-02, 01:49
Hi! I know exactly what you're going through. I've been LC-ing for three weeks, and I can't get over the frustration of following the plan perfectly (PP, in my case) and actually gaining weight! Sometimes it goes up a pound, sometimes four pounds, in one day, and periodically it goes down half a pound.

My only advice (which I'm telling myself as well!!) is to be as patient as possible and try to concentrate on something else that's beneficial about LC-ing, like how much more physically fit I'm getting, instead of measurements and pounds. I'm sure all the added stress from beating myself up isn't helping!

I'm trying to tell myself that it's better to weigh myself once a week, or twice a month, but in reality I know I can't do that. The darn scale is right in front of my face, I can't resist it. So I just have to force myself to take a deep breath and think of something else immediately afterwards, so I don't spend the whole morning in a funk.

I really hope this situation improves for both of us! I hope to hear if you find the secret to sending the scale in the opposite direction! Likewise if I see an improvement I'll send it your way!

Good luck and NEVER give up. Good health is worth a little misery in the short run, right?

Kyp.

rhubarb
Wed, Aug-21-02, 09:15
I'm sure all the added stress from beating myself up isn't helping! Amen! Let's all promise not to beat ourselves up!

And kyp – move the scale. Just put it out of your sight. Mine is up on a shelf, and my tape measure is hidden in the back of a drawer.

There's also this thread: The Official "How Long Can You Go" Challenge (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=35437)

LCer in NW
Wed, Aug-21-02, 13:21
keep asking the important questions -

how well do I feel?
how do I sleep?
how mentally alert am I?

please note that the use of muscles is bound to set off a reaction in your body to retain water near the muscles. if eating low carb, you cannot really gain fat, though you may easily gain weight. water intake and output really does not go hand in hand. you may be retaining water because your body needed it to thrive. now you are thriving, and more of life is occurring. it is possible that just this is responsible for building lean mass. beyond this, there is a likely gain in muscle if you do any weight training (low rep hard work). keeping these things in mind will get you through.

musicmama
Wed, Aug-21-02, 23:20
Well, its good to know I am normal,,,that I am not the only one experiencing these difficult days! :(
I got up this morning and the bloat was gone..my ankles were skinny!!! Thats something new!! My dress was loose for church tonight and my son mentioned how nice I looked, and thinner!! So, something must be going right!! ;)
I agree about the scale,,there has been times I have woke up in the morning and couldnt wait to weigh,,only to have my day ruined!! But I am learning that the changes I am making in my lifestyle..like drinking all that water...has got to be a shock to this body!! So,, I am putting my scales away,,,and forget that silly tape measure ....I am just gonna keep eating right and like my daughter told me today,,,,MOM, one of these mornings you will wake up and realize you are a size 16,,,and think,,,that sure didnt take long!!! :roll:
I am going back to work Monday,,,,I expect it to start coming off then; I am a sales clerk in a large Christian Bookstore, so I do a lot of walking and bending there. On my lunch hour I am gonna walk the strip mall too,,,anything to get the old metabolism going.
Thanks for the tips,,,keep posting,,,after all, we are in this together!! Cya Lighter :wave:

Kayceecan
Thu, Aug-22-02, 00:43
:wave: Hi Everyone!

Glad to know I'm not the only one too!.....I am 53, and at this point in a "super stall"....Probably due to my age and BP medications, etc. I started LCing June 3 and lost 15 pounds in three weeks. Since then, nothing. But, got my blood tests back..... Total Cholesterol...198, down to 153....LDL...95, down to 88.....VLDL (whatever that is) 47, down to 18...and tryglicerides....236, down to 91.....So, I may not be losing the weight...but I guess I'm accomplishing something. So I'm going to hang in there too! Just going to make myself comfortable for the long Journey... :D

http://www.millan.net/anims/giffar/piggy.gif
Good Luck to all! Peace, K.C.

LCer in NW
Thu, Aug-22-02, 07:02
kayceecan - I'm surprised HDL was not mentioned, and assume it went up. HDL is broken into LDL of a variety of shapes and sizes when there is a percieved need, and LDLs are broken down to accomodate specific tasks - resulting in VLDLs. The VLDL (very low density lipid) count went down because your body stopped getting bombarded by exaggerated insulin response (which damages cells) causing LDL and VLDL generation and use. So you can see by your numbers that the body does not feel threatened anymore, and the HDL is held in reserve, the LDLs and VLDLs drop.

musicmama and others - I routinely go thru cycles of "flabby feeling" days and "trim feeling" days. I think you will, too, and that it does not signal that you are doing something wrong. Sometimes it coincides with weight loss or lack of, but generally not. For me, it turns out to be about 2.5 weeks trim, followed by about 5-7 days of "eeew! where is this flab coming from?".

musicmama
Thu, Aug-22-02, 21:57
Hey everybody!! I had a great day today!!` Got up early and to my surprise, felt thinner!!! And my dress was really loose,,,,but the best thing was,,,I had all kinds of energy, and went to the bathroom AT LEAST ten times today!!! All that really was water!!! I am really encouraged! :D
It is so great to get on here and vent,,and then have you all explain to me what is probably going on,,,,,any other time I would have given up by now, but I have learned so much from this site!!
You all have been such a big help! Thanks.

kayceecan-welcome! Great to have someone in the age bracket..well, pretty close anyway...we can relate to this stage of life. It sounds like you are doing great...hang in there, it will all balance out. We have abused these bodies for years,,,they gotta be in shock! ;) I think they have to learn to trust us !!!

LC- Great to know I am not the only one with those kinds of days....I think I will ignore the flabby ones,,,,just enjoy the trim ones like today!!
Cya lighter :wave:

orchidday
Mon, Sep-09-02, 12:09
I really understand these frustrations. My partner and I started the diet the same day and she has consistently lost more than I have and she can occasionally cheat and get away with it. But, she is 13 years younger than I and that DEFINTELY makes a difference. I have found that aspartane in diet drinks really effects my weight loss. I drink diet rite (which has no aspartane) but I don't like it near as well as the other drinks. I also really believe that the Atkin's "Dieter's Advantage" supplement makes a difference in my weight loss. Sometimes I feel discouraged because I never experienced the dramatic weight loss that some people do during induction - my loss has just been slow and steady. But I have decided to live with it and not think of this as a diet.

Marlaine
Fri, Oct-04-02, 09:56
Originally posted by ruby2z
I can stand to have plain ol' stalls, but weight GAIN is something different.

Hi there Ruby.......

I'd just like to let you know that if you are following your LC plan to the letter, the "gain" you experience is not a true gain. By this I mean that it's very unlikely that you are actually gaining fat. Simple math can prove it, since in order to gain a pound of fat, you would need to be eating an excess of 3500 calories. As I said....if you are following your plan, this is not possible.

I've been there myself, when I began LCing over a year ago. Lost well to start and then bounced up 6 pounds and was stuck there for weeks. At that point, I thought that LC was just another diet that wasn't going to work for me. Thankfully there were a few forum members that kept encouraging me and I stuck it out until my body adjusted and I began losing again.

Don't give up. Number One requirement for following LC as a WOE: PERSISTANCE!!

Marlaine