For some people, LC weight loss is smooth and steady. For others, it can be a bit more difficult. At any stage, our plans can be “tweaked”. We eliminate or cut down on certain foods, discover that the sugar alcohols in those two low-carb bars a day are the culprit or realize that dairy products slow us down. We may be intolerant to certain foods or are not aware that our carbohydrate intake is creeping up.

It may seem that people that don’t have a lot of fat to lose – generally in the 5-30 pound range – lose slower than those with a lot of weight to lose. But, that’s not true. Percentage-wise, it works out to be the same. If you’re aiming to lose 100 pounds, ten percent would be 10 pounds. If you’re aiming for 10, ten percent would be one pound. Remember that this is not a quick weight loss diet, it’s an eating strategy for life. On this site, the percentage feature is in every member’s post.

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?

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?

3. Do you regularly drink alcohol?

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.

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

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.

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

8. Prescription drugs or hormones:
• 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

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

10. Overgrowth of the yeast organism Candida albicans.

For more details on overcoming metabolic resistance, read Metabolic Resistance: Causes and Solutions, Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, 2002 edition.

11. 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.

After going through this list, contemplate your answers and work out a strategy for yourself. Learning to low-carb is a steep learning curve and will reward you richly by becoming educated and more aware of your body and how it will function optimally.

Don’t be discouraged! Look at overall health and well-being instead of using your plan as a diet just to lose weight. Keep learning about what works for you. You’ll be better able to deal with all the “forks in the road” and “speed bumps” along your low-carb journey.