Hi everyone, I have just completed week 4 of continued induction as of today. I am loving this lifestyle and find it easy to follow. I am confident that this will be the last time I will have to follow a weight loss plan, as I have had success in the past, but always gained the weight back again.
The only thing is that I find the weight loss is quite slow for what I was expecting and was wondering if any of you would suggest going on to OWL or any changes to my diet for an increase in weight loss. The past 2 weeks have been a 0-1 lb loss. I am also having a lot of trouble going to the washroom :s... sorry but any advice for this? because I am sure this could be effecting my weight loss as well.

Typical Day

Breakfast
2 Scrambled eggs
1 Tsp. Butter
1 0z. Grated Cheese
Coffee with 2 Tbsp. Cream

Lunch
Atkins Advantage bar
1 cup peppers with 2 Tbsp of Ranch
OR
2 Cups of salad with Avacado, Bacon Bits and Ranch

Dinner
Baked Chicken Breast with 2 Cups of Brocolli

Snacks (1/day)
Cheese, Veggies, Avacado, Pickles, Olives, Coffee with cream, Atkins Bar

Thank you guys! I would love to hear any tips you may have! I have been reading the forums on this site for the last 4 weeks and they have really helped me along the way. It is going to be a long journey so all of your support is greatly appreciated! :0)

Hi Canada Girl,

I have a few concerns:

• lack of calories
• lack of protein
• lack of fat
• eating "fake" foods

It seems like you're not eating enough to lose weight. It's odd, but if you don't eat enough, your body will slow down your metabolism (anywhere between 200 and 500 calories/day), because it thinks food's not available, and it has to conserve energy.

Have you determined how much food you need based on you height, weight, activity level and carbohydrate intake? If not, do so. There's an online nutrient calculator to give you an idea. It will also provide guideline for your fat/protein/carb amounts.

Eat animal protein at lunch, too.

Your fat intake seems very low. For instance, at breakfast, increase your fat intake to 2 Tbs. of butter or equivalent. Eat fat with dinner, too, and alternate the lean white meat selection with fattier, dark meat pieces.

Also, consider using lard (from pastured pigs) or bacon fat. Butter is made of primarily long-chain fatty acids that promote fat storage. Pork fat is a mix of long, medium, and short-chain fatty acids. The composition of human fat is closer to a pig's than any other animal. Tallow (rendered from beef fat) is also a mix of types of fats. Commercial dressings typically use a base of soybean oil, very high in inflammatory omega-6 fats, so read labels when you buy your ranch dresssing. I'm using Litehouse brand ranch now, made from canola oil (still not great). You might consider making your ranch dressing, starting with the mayonnaise.

All low-carb plans emphasize real, unprocessed foods. Atkins bars are what I call "Frankenfoods." Many forum members report that Atkins bars cause them to stall. Check out the recipes section of the forum for snack ideas made from authentic food.

Thanks Aj!

I checked out that nutrition site you posted and I am within the calorie range, I will try upping the protein and fat a bit, and you're probably right, I will ditch the atkins bars too. Great advice, hope this helps speed things up!

You're welcome. I hope the adjustments help. If you need to find a source for pig fat that you can render into lard, consult eatwild.com for a pig farmer or meat CSA near you. Avoid the lard sold in stores; most often, it's hydrogenated to lengthen shelf life, which makes the fat dangerous.

I agree with AJ - not seeing much for whole food. Re washroom issues - cheese is totally binding. Increasing your fiber through vegetables and fruit. Just about every weekday I have 6 cups mixed greens with a smidge of cooked chicken breast, dried cranberries, raw pumpkin seeds and almond slices for lunch. On days I do not have greens - it is noticed. KWIM? I suggest increasing your greens for lunch and skip the bar. Having a bit of protein will satiate you for a longer period of time. I always have an apple or pear on hand at work so if I get hungry I am not tempted by unhealthy choices.
Avoid foods with MSG (glutamates), aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, the "ose" words - ie sucrose, dextrose, etc. - all of these chemicals trigger your brain, make you crave food and retain fat. Ranch dressing is usually a culprit!
I make my own ranch using probiotic plain yogurt, a touch of organic mayonaise (or make your own), a little olive oil and spices. Something like that - I make ranch for my daughter but use balsamic vinegar/EVOO for my own salad dressing. Balsamic helps increase metabolish - added benefit.
The menu you listed certainly does seem more like a starvation diet - not enough calories and your body will trigger to retain the fat you have as it "thinks there is a food shortage". ;-)

Hiya Canada Girl, I totally agree that it looks as though you need to eat more - especially more fat. You may well find that in creasing your fat intake will also help solve any constipation problems.

I am strongly against any increase in fibre. There has never ever been any proof that fibre intake is of any value, and now there are studies appearing showing its uselessness.

The best remedy I know of to help with constipation is supplementing with magnesium. Try it!

RitaS, can I just suggest you do some reading about the Atkins diet? Suggesting to someone on Atkins that they eat such foods as dried cranberries is not very helpful.

Hello Canada Girl, I am new too, but wondering if you are drinking a lot of water. From past attempts I have learned some things about myself and my body. For me, I have learned to drink water all day long, no diet or sugar free substitues. I also have to avoid anything that imitates sweets because it just keeps my sweet tooth alive. Good luck to you.

I am brand new to this site/forum and I have a question - are we only supposed to respond to people who are doing the same diet plan as oneself? Rosebud, I never claim Atkins expertise - nor do I have time to read every diet book out there. I was simply sharing with Canada girl what I personally have on my salads - not necessarily recommending it for her. Those salads certainly worked for me - fiber and protein together in a meal is what keeps me fully and prevents in between meal cravings. The nutritionists and doctors who put together the initial plan I followed at the start of my journey did discuss the importance of fiber. My journey to restore vitality has not only been one of weight loss but also a goal of cancer prevention. Cranberries have no fat and are low in calories - added health benefits are anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatories, anthoganins and phytonutrients. And they taste great in a salad - for me personally!
As far as fiber - most diseases begin in the colon. Waste builds up and your gut becomes a cesspool of bacteria. This is not made up but fact and documented quite a bit. (Drs. Watson and Blaylock both discuss importance of healthy GI). I read between the lines in Canada Girls post, and I got washroom issues as being constipation. If I mistook - then fiber is not important. Constipation is not good - it is an indicator your body is not happy with your diet. (Colon cancer is one of my concerns and I have done a lot of reading/research on it - fiber IS important if one experiences constipation. Those who have it frequently are prone to colon cancer - the silent killer.) Fiber ensures your GI system functions properly and keeps things moving. A colon cancer prevention article I read recommends we consume 25-40 grams of fiber daily, with men often needing more (some sources recommend up to 50). Nowl, I realize this forum is all about weight loss but it seems overall health is a positive thing. Cranberries, by the way, provide 3 grams of dietary fiber in one serving - but I gather they are not Atkins approved.

Re fibre - you have a lot more research to do. Reading solid scientific studies is always more useful than just "what some doctor thinks." Here's a good start: http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/...s-fore-and-aft/

Re Atkins info - yes, it would indeed be a help to have a basic understanding of a person's plan before giving advice. For example, stating that a food is low in fat is hardly a recommendation for a plan which is high in fat.

I commend your enthusiasm however, and support and encouragement are always most welcome.

I would ditch the bars too. Also it seems like you have a lot of dairy daily looks like 7 sevings? . I would not add more fat through more dairy. Think more or fattier meats. I don't follow atkins anymore but did read the book in July and remember limiting to 4 servings myself.

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate all you have to say!
I'm now aiming for 1400-1500 calories and have decresed the dairy and added meat such as hamburg and more olive oil instead of ranch.

RitaS I agree with you, more fiber and veggies, although I can't eat the fruit at this point.

Rosebud Are the magnesium supplements a daily thing? I am still having these issues, even laxatives are not helping :s I will try the magnesium.

I try to drink my water every day.

This diet seems so finnicky, I guess it's different for everyone though. I will pick up the book, maybe there is more that I am missing. I have lost a few inches but no loss over the past couple of weeks, only fluctuating weight. I will take all of your advice and stick with it, but if in a few more weeks there is no change, and I am still having diffuculty going to the washroom, I may have to switch it up a little bit.

Do any of you think I should start OWL? or should I get this figured out first? It has been 5 weeks now.

Induction's only purpose is to shock your body into using fat for fuel instead of carbs. Very few forum members have found it useful to stay on induction longer than a month. The OWL phase of the Atkins is still very structured, so you shouldn't feel at sea as you move forward.

I think that reading the book (any of the versions) will definitely ground you in your planning and be a resource to answer basic questions.

There's a lively debate among forum members on the fiber and magnesium issue. I know one member who takes 500 mg of magnesium 2x/day and stays regular. I don't absorb magnesium well, so I use 2 TB of psyllium seed husk in my daily bowl of a faux malto-meal to keep things moving. But since the benefit of fiber actually comes from your colon repairing damage that the fiber itself causes, you don't want to overdo the fiber.

Just a little update - After I stopped eating the Atkins bars and eating more fattier meats a couple of times a week, I started to finally lose consistently. I didn't have to cut down on the dairy too much, as I don't find it causes any problems for me.

Also, I bought the Atkins book to help me learn the rules of OWL and everything, but I have gotten so used to the induction diet that I am almost afraid to move on to OWL. Any advice?? (I did not follow any diet over christmas time, so restarted induction again but altogether this is 3 months now)

Thanks everyone for your advice, it really helps!!