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  #1   ^
Old Mon, Feb-24-03, 09:53
ouch ouch is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 83
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 156/149/130
BF:
Progress: 27%
Default I need help please!

Hi everyone! I'm new here, and I need some assistance

I've been on Atkins for 7 weeks, and in the first two weeks, I lost 7 pounds, which was great! I have not lost anything since. I have not gone over 20g of carbs a day, and I'm working out 4 or 5 nights a week.

I'm not incredibly overweight, I only want to lose another 20 pounds, but I'm not getting anywhere at all. I'm even checking the ketosis sticks, and there's no change in color whatsoever. It simply isn't working, and I don't know what to do!!

Please...advice ladies!

O
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  #2   ^
Old Mon, Feb-24-03, 10:40
Karen's Avatar
Karen Karen is offline
Forum Founder
Posts: 12,775
 
Plan: Ketogenic
Stats: -/-/- Female 5 feet 4 inches
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: Vancouver
Default

Well, what are you eating and did you start working out at the same time that you started low-carbing?
Quote:
Please...advice ladies!

There's men here too, 'ya know!

Karen
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  #3   ^
Old Mon, Feb-24-03, 11:28
Isa's Avatar
Isa Isa is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 418
 
Plan: South Beach
Stats: 133/129/115 Female 63"
BF:
Progress: 22%
Location: Seattle
Unhappy I'm in EXACTLY the same predicament!

Your post could have been my post. I'm in week 7, I'm still doing Induction to the letter, and after losing 7 lbs in the first two weeks I've lost nothing since then. Yes, I'm drinking more than enough water. No, I don't eat the Atkins bars anymore. I've kept track of my food on Fitday. I'm doing brisk walks 4 or 5 times per week, alternating 30 and 45 minutes...with steep hills...and I do pilates three times a week.

I still have 22lbs to lose from this short, small-boned frame. And I seem to be getting nowhere.

HOWEVER...I started exercising at the same time I started LCing. Ok, so you're going to tell me that muscle weighs more than fat, and that I'm probably just adding muscle mass and that the muscle will help burn the fat. But how much more does fat weigh? And when will the numbers on my scale start going down? (I know you won't be able to give me the exact date and time ) But does it happen? Has it actually happened in this way to anyone out there?

You'll ask if I've lost inches. Yes. About 6 overall. Do my clothes fit differently? Yes, a bit. Do I feel better? Yes, my stomach doesn't hurt like it used to after I ate wheat. Am I losing the weight I want to? No. No. No.

I'm trying really really hard to keep believing in this new way of eating. I'm trying really really hard to believe that the success stories posted here are for real.

If you're reading this thread and you have some good advice, or a similar story, please share. We surely would appreciate it.

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  #4   ^
Old Mon, Feb-24-03, 11:49
Isa's Avatar
Isa Isa is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 418
 
Plan: South Beach
Stats: 133/129/115 Female 63"
BF:
Progress: 22%
Location: Seattle
Default slight correction...

I of course meant to ask 'how much more does MUSCLE weigh' but I was ranting so hard I lost my mind.

Now if I could only lose some weight.

Rant Rant Rant
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  #5   ^
Old Mon, Feb-24-03, 11:59
Paleoanth's Avatar
Paleoanth Paleoanth is offline
Slothy Superhero
Posts: 12,159
 
Plan: Vegetarian Atkins
Stats: 165/145/125 Female 60 inches
BF:29/25.2/24
Progress: 50%
Location: Tennessee/Iowa
Default

Well I am not sure I have words of wisdom for either one of you. But maybe I can add some encouragement. Lost inches is a big deal so congrats on that! Sometimes I lose inches and then don't lose weight for a while. I KNOW it takes longer to for everyone to lose those 10-15 pounds. If you start out only needing to lose 10-20 pounds it might take your body a bit longer to start shedding that excess weight. I know for me the first 20 went off pretty quickly, but these last 15 are dragging. Maybe us short people also have a harder time dropping the last few pounds.

I also know that once I hit a weight I was at for a long time in the past, my body just seemed kind of stuck there. Like it was visiting an old, familiar place and didn't want to leave. I had to just wait it out.

The only other thing I can suggest is that both of you post some menus for the rest of us to look at. Sometimes things can be seen by the long termers that newbies just don't think about. I know both caffine and dairy can be stallers for some people. So can nuts. How are your calories (i.e. are you getting enough?) and fat intake? At five foot tall and 138 I keep my calories anywhere from at the very least 1100 to 1400 or 1500. I also keep my fat at 65-70% of my calories.

Paleoanth
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  #6   ^
Old Mon, Feb-24-03, 12:00
Lisa N's Avatar
Lisa N Lisa N is offline
Posts: 12,028
 
Plan: Bernstein Diabetes Soluti
Stats: 260/-/145 Female 5' 3"
BF:
Progress: 63%
Location: Michigan
Default

If you had equal amounts of fat and muscle (volume-wize), the muscle would weigh about twice as much as the fat.
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  #7   ^
Old Mon, Feb-24-03, 12:01
SmallerMe's Avatar
SmallerMe SmallerMe is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 65
 
Plan: Mix of Atkins and Neanderthin
Stats: 240/196/175 Male 5'10"
BF:
Progress: 68%
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Default

Every time I see a post like this I have to ask, why do people get so hung up on numbers? Everyone needs to remember that it is just a number. Don't fret over it. If you have lost inches, your clothes fit better, and you feel better, what more could you want? Whether the number is 128 or 328, if you feel good and are happy, that is all that really matters isn't it? Plus, other people won't know the number your scale reads by looking at you but they will notice things like you looking better/slimmer, looking healthier and happier and looking more energized. Ask yourself this simple question. If I didn't have a scale, would I still be saying things like "I'm not getting anywhere at all"?

David
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  #8   ^
Old Mon, Feb-24-03, 12:12
Isa's Avatar
Isa Isa is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 418
 
Plan: South Beach
Stats: 133/129/115 Female 63"
BF:
Progress: 22%
Location: Seattle
Default

Thanks to everyone who answered.

David...you asked a good question. I'll think about it while I take my walk.

fret fret fret

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  #9   ^
Old Mon, Feb-24-03, 12:31
Lisa N's Avatar
Lisa N Lisa N is offline
Posts: 12,028
 
Plan: Bernstein Diabetes Soluti
Stats: 260/-/145 Female 5' 3"
BF:
Progress: 63%
Location: Michigan
Default

I'd also like to point out that if you're going to zero in on and get focused on a number, make sure that it's a realistic one, whether it be a size or a number on the scale. Even at my ideal weight in high school of 112 pounds at 5' 3", I was a size 9 and I looked gaunt, not healthy. I would have had to be anorexic to get any smaller because my frame and body build are just not designed to be a 5, yet I see so many people striving for numbers like that and torturing their bodies/minds to achieve what? A number. "Forget health. Forget preserving lean body mass (or even adding to it). I'm gonna be a size 5 even if it kills me," they say. Why? Because that's the size of their best friend/favorite model/favorite movie star.
We'd all like to be a size 5 (and I'm using this number purely as an example...substitute your favorite number here), but for some that simply isn't realistic. Even if you were that size 10 or 20 years ago, that was then, this is now.
Height/weight charts are notoriosly inaccurate and don't take into account bone density and amount of lean body mass, which varies considerably from one person to another even if they are exactly the same height.
Does it really matter if that scale has a higher number on it than you'd like if you feel and look good? Is a lower number what you need or would some general toning and adding some lean muscle do a better job even if it meant a slightly higher weight? Would it be more feasable to focus on body fat percentage instead of a number on the scale?
There could be many reasons why your body doesn't want to lose weight, but before you put yourself through more frustration, get a lean body mass and body fat percentage calculated by someone who knows how to do it (not a scale!).
You may need to lose a few more pounds and if that's the case, the weight is likely to come off very slowly. OTOH, maybe you don't need to lose any more and your body is fighting you because it knows that you've already lost enough.
Food for thought (low carb, of course).
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  #10   ^
Old Mon, Feb-24-03, 13:27
Isa's Avatar
Isa Isa is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 418
 
Plan: South Beach
Stats: 133/129/115 Female 63"
BF:
Progress: 22%
Location: Seattle
Default

Lisa...thanks for the wise words. I admit that I am focused on the numbers, and I'll work on letting go. Maybe the first thing will be to not weigh myself every morning. That should be harder than Induction.

I'm 5'3", but my bones are fine. At 110 I look slim but not thin. But I'll settle for trim at any weight.

Just for the record, I don't look to any models/actresses/talking heads for my body ideal. That's like wishing Orlando Bloom really did look like Legolas. It's all an illusion. (sniff)
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  #11   ^
Old Mon, Feb-24-03, 15:56
b. sparky b. sparky is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 36
 
Plan: Protein Power
Stats: 147/142.5/115
BF:
Progress: 14%
Default Offering sympathy and asking for help!

With a history of anorexia/bulimia, I had to learn to not focus on numbers for a long, long time. I had to learn to love myself and my choices, not necessarily a scale. Then, after recovery and about eight years of eating normal without weight gain, I went through a stressful time in my life and put on serious pounds. I have been on PP now for three weeks. I am trying hard not to focus on numbers. I am proud of myself that I am sticking with this way of eating consistently for this long! Usually I last two weeks, don't see enough results, and ditch it.

I lost 4 1/2 pounds the first two weeks. I was pleased enough with that. After all, a pound a week is plenty when you stick with something long term, so 2 pounds a week is awesome. However, I GAINED weight this last week! That depressed me big time. I am only weighing once a week, and trying so hard NOT to let the scale control me . . . but GAIN? No pasta, potatoes, crackers, bread, corn, or sweets of ANY kind ever and I GAIN? So, what is that about? Could it be water weight? Or could I simply be eating too many calories?

I don't care any more about quick weight loss. It took me a long time to gain this, so I'm committed to the long haul for losing it. AND, I do feel better! I am also losing inches, I can tell. But why, when I am being so faithful, would I gain? Help me, here. It seems from this thread that smaller people may have a harder time. I really want to lose 20 more pounds and have barely gotten started. How could I have gained?
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  #12   ^
Old Mon, Feb-24-03, 16:12
Lisa N's Avatar
Lisa N Lisa N is offline
Posts: 12,028
 
Plan: Bernstein Diabetes Soluti
Stats: 260/-/145 Female 5' 3"
BF:
Progress: 63%
Location: Michigan
Default

b. sparky...

there are lots of reasons why you could have gained, most of them having to do with water retention for one reason or another. 1 pound is nothing to stress over (it might have even just been a temporary high for the week). Goodness...just from morning to evening every day, I can easily go up 5 pounds but it's always (well...almost always) gone again the next morning.
Weight loss is rarely ever in a steady downward line; there are bound to be ups and downs as your body lets go of fat, then holds onto water, then lets go of the water and the process starts all over again.
There are all kinds of reasons why you could see an increase on the scale and not all of them mean you have done something wrong. I'll give you an example. In December, I had surgery. I didn't change anything about the way I was eating, but gained 9 pounds in the week afterwards. Why? Water retention and swelling from the surgery. I had done nothing wrong, but my body was reacting to the stress and trauma of the surgery.
Now, that's an extreme example, but stress comes in many shapes and sizes. Too much salt can make you retain water. Goodness...sometimes you body just decides to hang on to water for no particular reason that you can find.
If you know that you are following your plan as you should, don't stress about going up a bit; it's normal and I'd be willing to bet that next week that pound will be gone again and maybe another besides.
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  #13   ^
Old Mon, Feb-24-03, 18:56
b. sparky b. sparky is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 36
 
Plan: Protein Power
Stats: 147/142.5/115
BF:
Progress: 14%
Default Thank you, Lisa . . .

Lisa:

I really appreciate your input, because I keep telling myself to think long term on this. I think I do need to watch nuts and cheese closer, but I also think I am doing the best I can every day, and for that I am being rewarded with feeling so much better. I do want my weight loss to be continual, but maybe I'll have to not measure that in weeks, but months? As long as there is a downward trend, I can hang for the long haul.

It was funny . . . I had my first "fall" on Friday night. I ate two cookies. I felt absolutely awful! I was so happy to eat my eggs the next morning . . . I couldn't wait to get rid of that awful feeling! So I'm not going to try not to stress too much about the scale, although, if it keeps going up I'll probably cry! In the meantime, I feel so much better and know I'm doing the right thing for my body.
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  #14   ^
Old Mon, Feb-24-03, 20:32
shannonlea's Avatar
shannonlea shannonlea is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 920
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 219/205/135 Female 5'5"
BF:
Progress: 17%
Location: Southern Indiana
Post Hello

In the beginning I was obsessed with the scales,but that was due to the fact that I was adjusting to this WOL and still looking for a "quick fix". I still had that "diet mentality" and I had to really make this as a WOL and learn not to obsess over that scale. 3 months into it now for me and I don't even think about it that much,because it comes so natural. I eat this way because I feel better,look better,and am healthier! My migraines are gone,irritable bowel gone,energy is up,and I require less sleep! I've lost 20lbs and I'm completely happy with this. If I never lose another pound I'll still stay with low carb,because I am a carb addict and just as an alcoholic should not drink.. I cannot eat the sugar,potatoes,bread,pasta! Everyone gets discouraged and your weight will go up and down (especially if you are a woman w/ TOM). Also remember when you do not have much to lose it will not fall off overnight. I was at 158 for a month and then just dropped 2lbs over night one day.. so it does eventually fall off. Patience is key.. and I know that is hard. The main thing is that if you stick this out you will succeed! There are people on here who it takes 2 years to lost 70lbs.. and they still stay with it.. as they watch others drop 70lbs in 7months. If they have the determintation then surely those of us with very little to lose can ! That's inspiration baby! Later all.
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  #15   ^
Old Tue, Feb-25-03, 08:11
ouch ouch is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 83
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 156/149/130
BF:
Progress: 27%
Default

Hey everyone! First of all, I'd like to thank you all for your words of wisdom! I'd also like to apologize for using the word "ladies"...I wasn't even thinking. How rude! haha, sorry about that!

As for my approach to this, I am mostly basin my weight loss (if any) on the way my clothes fit. I have not seen any change (other than my derriere...it's the only place I'm dropping from!)

I did start my exercising at the same time as my low-carb diet, so maybe that has something to do with it. I know that muscle weighs more than fat...but still, no change in weeks and weeks. It's frustrating.

I eat an egg for breakfast every day. If it's the weekend, I'll make fancy eggs, and have bacon or ham too, but during the week, just a boiled egg.

Lunch is usually lettuce or celery (with salad dressing) and a piece of meat (chicken/tuna...usually with a bit of mayo) and then supper is usually a pork chop or steak or fish fillet with usually mushrooms, melted cheese, sometimes sour cream on the side. Maybe broccoli or cauliflower on the side, or some green beans.

For a snack, a few nuts (1/4 cup) or a bit of cheese or even cream cheese. Sometimes I'll have a spoonful of peanut butter. That's it. And I'm counting...I don't go over.

Oh, and all I drink is water, that's it...and plenty of it!!!

I'm just going to keep sticking with it for now, and see what happens I guess. But 2 months is a long time with little or no results

O
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