Hey there.....

Do you think you are a "Turtle" when it comes to weight loss?

Have you read through "Sticky: Are you Really a Turtle? " by Karen and answered the questions?

Have you determined that you really qualify and you'd like some support?

Then welcome to the Turtle thread!!

I'll be checking in on this thread and will do my best to offer help and encouragement. Being a Turtle may be a challenge, but even as a Turtle, you CAN succeed at LCing.

Hope to hear from some Turtles soon!

Marlaine

Maybe I should call myself TurtleGal93?

LOL
Nah, I don't think so, but I do have turtle traits! I returned to Atkins in February and have not lost, but gained and I am still sticking to it!

Good luck all!
Julie

Hi Marlain! I think I am a turtle I have been on Atkins for 3 months since the beginning of July. Only lost 16 pounds and I have followed it pretty close and doing Curves. But latley I have had a tuff time going to curves. I havent been feeling so great these days, I have no energy and don't feel like exersizeing. I have had problems with swollen glands for several months. just seems to be getting worse. Seeing the doctor this week about it. Enough said about that, anyway, also have been doing Summersize to see if it can help me get over this plato I seem to be on. It did work for a week I had lost 3 pounds. The 3 pounds I had previously gained. I think to I have noticed when I was on Atkins I ate to much processed meats such as pepperoni. Pork rinds. So my goal is to stay away from that and just eat fresh meats and fresh veggies. And up my water. And see if my turtle ways will change. But now I have had a hard time sticking to any diet well, And I am afraid I will gain it all back. Thanks for starting this thread.

GLHB

Sorry to hear about your glands! Sorry you're not feeling well. You live in the Pacific Northwest, have you every considered that you have SAD. It is a reaction to the lack of sunlight, usually in the fall and winter. It causes general malaise, lack of energy, slow metabolism and a craving for carbs. It also makes your body resistant to weight loss.

Perhaps Atkins doesn't quite fit your body chemistry. Check out the different lc plans on the site over to the right. I do well on Atkins during late spring to early fall but move over to CAD during late fall through early spring. Everyone's body chemistry is very individual. One size does not fit all!

Whatever you do, stick to lc WOE or the pounds will come screaming back.

Hang in there! I hope you are soon feeling better.

Hi there Rinoa.....

I can understand your feeling that you are a turtle because you haven't been losing as quickly as you'd like to. One of the most important things that we need to do when we are LCing is be consistent. Eating LC is not just another diet, but a way to mend our metabolisms. In order for this to work, we really need to be focused on following the plan with consistency. This means a consistent amount of calories, protein and fat as well as a consistently low quantity of carbs.

Past experience has shown me that I get my best losses when I'm eating "clean". This means no LC "junque" food and plenty of unprocessed meats and fresh veggies, as well as keeping fat levels up.

Perhaps your visit to the doctor will reveal the reasons for how unwell you feel and you'll get some answers to deal with it.

Marlaine

I guess that I should qualify as a turtle. I've been doing low carb for 15 months -- lost only 22 pounds -- less than 1-1/2 pounds per month -- and then it's not a steady loss, but losing, regaining, and losing the same 5 pounds over and over again, week after week, until one day I realize that only 3 of the 5 came back this week, so 2 pounds are finally gone for good! In all this time, my ketostix have only shown 'trace' once and 'moderate' once, and that was on the 3rd day of a fat fast! I've had the thyroid tested (it was normal), I exercise (both cardio and weights), I measure everything and I use Fitday to track carbs and calories. I blame the slow loss on 2 things: I quit smoking at the same time I started low carb, and I am 51 years old and menopausal. Both of these, I'm sure, have a factor in the slow weight loss.

If you read my gym log, you will find from my post today that while on my business trip I was a bad girl -- ate way too many carbs and was off track for a couple of weeks. So, this gain (8 pounds) might take a while to lose. I've gone back to less than 20 carbs for a few days to detox and regroup. Now I know you're probably thinking that's why I'm a turtle -- I cheat a lot, but, honestly, I have not done this before -- I am very faithful to my plan and commited to low carb. I am so glad to be back on track with both my exercise and eating plans, and I feel much better.

thanks Marlaine for starting this. Though I like success stories, I find Im even more encouraged finding Im not alone.

Ive done 2 inductions and lost well on each . Then siezed up. Last induction Aug 2001 - 12 lb. Then a grand total of 8 lb in the last year.

In retrospect I see that I panic and lower my cals after induction. Average induction cals about 1,200, and Ive spent quite a lot of time there since!

Ive realised that I get washed out and tired at this level . Ive also had problems with " eat till satisfied" I am so accustomed to being hungry that anything else is strange.... my whole life having been one big diet.

I get distressed when people talk of calorie deficit. If only it were that simple. I know people think if I reduced calories - but months on 1,200... and nothing? I dont think so.

Im working on trying to heal my Diet Mentality.

Meanwhile, Im waiting for the brilliant tweak that will make everything fall into place for me. Its wonderful at the moment because I have energy. But I do want the scales to move !!

Plum

Sorry to say this but you might actually have to up your calorie level to lose weight. Are you sure you are eating the 2 cups raw and 1 cup cooked of vegetables a day (In the winter generally I have 3 cups cooked). I, too, have a tendancy to drop calories and have found that I need a little more to lose. I also found out that those veggies are important. If all my additional calories come from protein, my body converts the excess to glucose and my weight stalls.

Plum

In addition, examine your diet for too many "fake" sugars or hidden carbs. Over 3 a day can stall you big time and can even cause a weight gain. Those darn sugar alcohols!

HI all you wonderful turtles! I first want to say Thankyou Marlain and Zuleikae and for your time to address my issue and providing me with some useful information. I appreciate your imput. Also Thanks to Plum for checking up on me in my journal to see how I am. That was so sweet of you. I am glad that your started this thread Marlain, like plum I find more encouragment finding I am not alone too. I will diffently support this thread or at least keep up on every ones progress. You all have a great LC day! And a great weekend too.! Dru

thank you Zuleikaa and Rinoa.
Lovely to hear from you!
re: fake sugars, I am very lucky not having a sweet tooth , I dont use any sweetener or processed stuff ( miss ketchup!)
such timely advice Zuleikaa , about eating more and also enough veg. Ive spent 1/2 my time stuck because I've been hungry.... too many years low fat/low carb.. Its taken me this long to get over it and see things clearer.

Ive "reversed" my eating day, having lots of cals as brunch, and actually eating when I need to instead of ignoring it .
Ive been advised to eat more, many times, and I have, but Ive been ignoring hunger and Im addressing that now.

I feel much better for it, wonder also if I can tolerate more carbs than I thought. Have been down to 1 salad a day with no loss.
Currently Im eating 3 cups a day and feel much improved...
Good weekend, everyone.

Hi everyone,

I’m a tortoise. I suppose I’d be a turtle if I were American, but to British people turtles are those beautiful huge creatures that swim in the sea. Not only am I a tortoise but I’ve got one. He’s called Trevor and crawls around my flat. At the moment he’s asleep under the radiator.

I’ve been following this woe for about 14 months. I’ve lost 20 kilos (44lbs). Yeah, not bad, but most of it was in the first 6 months. I tend to stick. I stuck for months at 82 kilos, now I’m stuck at 80.6 kilos.

When I do loose weight it’s in spurts. I suddenly go into ketosis (I haven’t got sticks, but somehow I can feel it, my body heats up,) and I’ll loose a couple of pounds – then nothing more for a month or two. I’ve tried to analyze my food intake during these mad spurts but I can’t see any difference to what I normally eat. What I normally eat is quite a lot by the way, but I try to keep the carbs below 20g a day.

I’ve tried walking/jogging/ swimming - doesn’t make any difference.

I’ve tried taking a holiday from the diet partially for self indulgence partly because I wanted to shake my body up. During my 4 weeks summer holiday in the UK I ate “normally” but swam and cycled every day. Of course I put on six kilos (13lbs) which I’ve now lost and I’m back where I was.

From the age of about 16 to 25 I was 8 stone 6lbs (118lbs / 57 kilos). I was quite thin and found it impossible to put on weight. Then I went to college and the rest is a story of slow but steady weight gain. I don’t think my target of 70 kilos (154lbs) is unrealistic. I obviously feel much better having lost 44lbs than I did before but I still look a bit like Buddha when I’m stripped off.

Here are some of the things I’ve tried to speed up weight loss:

Lots of water.
Lots of green tea.
Giving up caffeine.
Giving up dairy.
Meat fast
Daily exercise
(I’d like to try the fat fast but I’m a coward)
When, if ever, I reach maintenance, I feel I will already be an expert!

I’m not going to give up, but it would be so nice to get under 80 kilos!

Best wishes from Belarus,

Robert

P.S. I thought just occured. For me a sure way to go into ketosis and loose a little is to be ill! I always loose if I have a cold or flu - the last 4 pounds loss was the result of gastro-enteritus.

Hey... I wonder if having my gall bladder out will help my stall, I have to do a "clean out kit" and then fast until after the surgery... Let's give it a try.

and fletcher, I lose when I have a cold, but since these gall bladder problems have started, it hasn't affected how much I eat at all.

1. Have you read the book for, and followed your chosen plan to the letter for at least a month? No digression in the food front at all? No skipping meals?

Yes, Yes, Yes.

2. Do you figure out your carbs/calories each day? Do you use a carb counter or a program like fitday.com? Or if you can’t be bothered with micro-managing, do you know what your critical carbohydrate level is and eat accordingly?

Yes I use fitday

3. Do you regularly drink alcohol?

No.

4. Are you scale or Ketostix obsessed? Compulsively weighing or using Ketostix will make the process seem slower and more erratic than it actually is. If you must weigh yourself everyday, chart your daily weight and figure out a weekly average. Don’t take it personally. It’s only a hunk of metal and a piece of plastic.

No I haven't used a Ketostix in months and I only weigh once a week.

5. Are you trying to do a low fat version of your chosen plan?

No

6. Have you been a yo-yo dieter? People who have severely restricted their calories in the past due to low-fat or calorie restricted dieting may find it difficult to lose weight initially. In this case, using low-carb as part of the process of metabolic healing will help. You will lose fat once your body learns to trust what you’re doing. Persistence will pay off.

No

7. Are you consuming any or all of these items on a regular basis? If you are, stop consuming them one at a time, for at least two weeks to see if it initiates weight loss.

• Processed meats, including bacon
• Caffeine
• Cheese and dairy products
• Alcohol
• Nuts and Nut Butters
• Peanuts and Peanut Butter
• Artificial Sweeteners
• Diet Drinks
• Protein Bars
• Low carb food products that imitate high carb food
• Eating a wide combination of food in one day
• Overly salty foods? For example pork rinds? Processed meats?
• Sugar Alcohols

I am currently doing a two week fast of caffeine and sugar alcohols. I eat cheese and dairy. I drink maybe one can of diet Rite a day. I have pork skins but not daily.

8. Are you drinking at least 64 oz. of water a day, plus 8 more ounces for every 25 pounds you want to lose?

64 minimum and trying for higher, sudceeding a few times a week. I hate water, I use the pork skins to make me drink water.

9.. Prescription drugs or hormones which impede weight loss:
• estrogens and most synthetic HRT's including birth control pills
• Anti-depressant drugs - Insulin and insulin stimulating drugs
• Anti-arthritis medications including steroids
• Diuretics and beta blockers

None

10. Underactive thyroid (hypothyroid) function which can be present when blood tests indicate no abnormalities

Had it checked a few years back.

11. Ovewrgrowth of the yeast organism Candida albicans.

Dunno


12. Often overlooked but are you getting enough sleep? Or, are you going through an unusually stressful period? Stressing over what is perceived as lack of progress, being to hard on yourself and obsessing on scales or Ketostix is stressful.

Yes I get a minimum of 8 hours


I'm going on like 10 weeks with only a 1lb loss. I have a fitday journal if anyone would like to look.

I've been told to go back to Induction but I don't know how that would help if I haven't screwed up enough to come out of Ketosis?? In December I had a tiny bit of cake for my bday and two days later I checked to be sure I was back in Ketosis. I haven't cheated since! I don't know if I should do Induction again, change plans to I don't know what... or just keep going like I am.

Hi Stacey

I know how frustrating it can be when the scales refuse to move. Having a look at your recent calories I thought they looked fine. However, it does suggest that you have quite an active lifestyle, using up to 1400 calories a day. If this is so, then I think you need to try increasing your calories by a 100 a week and see what effect that has. Whilst you need to eat less than your total calorie needs, this should be around 500 a day, so you might need to increase them up to 2,500. I would do this by adding fat, rather than protein.

Do try to drink more water. If you do not drink enough not only will you not be giving your body enough fluid to process all your food properly it will feel it is dehydrated and hang on to what it has for dear life. So you may find that drinking an extra glass or two may start things rolling.

I hope this helps and the whoosh fairy will visit shortly.