I need some help and I'm really hoping that someone wiser than I can answer some questions.

First some history:
In May I will enter my 5th year on Atkins. It was actually prescribed by my doctor for severe issues with Cholesterol/triglycerides and has helped immensely.
My Stats show a start weight of 187, but at my highest I was 205. 205 lbs to 187 was done with low fat.
I exercise 3 days a week of Les Mills RPM or Reebok indoor cycle class. Two days of weight lifting. Generally 2-3 days of swimming a week.
I'm 5'4" tall, female and 43 years old.
The lowest weight I have achieved doing Atkins was 127, but I couldn't maintain that. I was able to maintain my weight at 135 for about 2 1/2 years and then last year I had a gain that I can't get rid of.
I have tweaked just about everything - increased and decreased fats, calories, exercise etc.
I went back to the basics and tried Atkins 72 without success.

I decided to take an honest look at my foods and I'm eating a lot of calories and about 80 grams of carb a day. For example yesterday I had
2,761 calories
71% fat
11% carb
18% protein

I subscribe to Oxygen magazine. They have a 21 day diet in their magazine with the foods all laid out for you - what and when to eat. The problem is that the calories are very low (they don't recommend you continue this for longer than the 21 days) 1,100 to 1,300 a day. The carbs, however, are around 135 grams a day. Oxygen is a huge proponent of whole foods and absolutely nothing in the plan is junk. It is all fruit, veggies, and meat (mainly fish and chicken).

Does anyone think that I'd see a huge gain if I tried this? Would it benefit me at all?
Please help I need to shake things up somehow. I'd really love to lose another 20 lbs, but at this rate I keep gaining.
Barb

26 views and no replies. Surely somebody has an opinion!!!

Have you gone back to talk to your doctor about this yet? They might have a suggestion or two themselves about which route might be best for you.

Personally, I have switched off from Atkins and found better results with the Flat Belly Diet (which is basically low-carb with some built in "treats"). Some people don't consider it low carb but personally I do, as it falls under the 60carb a day range if you are careful. My bloodsugar has stayed stable on it and I've lost weight so my doctor is happy and so am I.

The fact that your doc prescribed Atkins for you says a lot. I think I would start there before I made drastic changes, given the circumstances. If they are keen with it, and you're comfortable experimenting with it, give it a whirl.

Doubt you'd gain, but you might get hungry.

I switched to WW and didn't gain, I lost. I seem to waffle between the two now because there are things I like about both/hate about both.

Get rid of most of the fruit. Eat a slightly green banana once a day for "resistant starch", preferably just before bed. Keep the weightlifting, and walk one half hour per day, can the rest of the exercise. Eat a baked potato for breakfast, let it cool to room temperature to maximize resistant starch. For breakfast, lunch, dinner, choose lightly cooked beef, pork, chicken, salmon or sardines. Add a few almonds and maybe a hardboiled egg if you get hungry (you should not stay hungry ever).
So this is mostly low carb (meat three times a day) with some food added in to provide resistant starch, fiber, and to increase your serotonin levels (makes you feel good).
This diet will cut your weight, add calories back in for maintenance.

Yeah!!! Thanks for the replies.

I just get so frustrated being "Stuck" within a 10 lb range for the last year. I can't seem to make the scale budge. I'd love to try this for the recommended 3 weeks and then head back to regular low carb. Just to see if it would shake things up. I just absolutely hate the idea of further gain.

I second talking to your doctor. At your age your hormones might be stalling you. It is a common problem as you go into menopause.

Just my opinion on past weight loss and maintenance that worked for me before I screwed up...

2761 calories per day is a lot more than your body needs. I know some will tell you that calories don't matter when doing Atkins, but before going into a pre-programmed 21 day diet that's not at all flexible... you might wanna try to hover around 2000 calories (in an Atkins-based diet) and see if that helps.

In my opinion..

By looking at your age I really think that since you are in "middle age" its harder to keep your weight down. I will turn 50 this year and let me tell you that it was easier to loose weight in my 30's to late 30's even up to 41 then it is now..I am not sure if you are pre-menopausal or even close..but I do imagine your hormones are having something to do with it.

You are working out hard and staying active so that shouldn't be any problem. Maybe this will be your "set-weight" now that you are older? Even tho I know you are frustrated..You have to give yourself credit for losing from 207 to begin with right? Dont beat yourself up to much..

Stay active as you are..take calcium..drink your water and eat healthy..what more can you ask for?

I started today. I am just conducting an experiment to see what happens. I'm in no way abandoning ship.

Hi!
Good luck with your experiment!!

Based on the above, your age and your weight history, I'd advise you to
1- drop yout total calories to at most 1600-1800 daily.
2- At 80 grams of carbs a day, your fat % is too high and that is where you can get your calories down.
3- IN OWL and maintenance , IMHO, needs to be more balanced in %'s of fat/carb/protein.

139.2 this morning. My little experiment seems to be paying off.

Yes. Cutting 700 calories from your daily intake IS a significant cut so why don't ya give that a try?

I did try that a while ago! I messed with carbs, fat levels and calories. Nada. I'd lose a little bit and then get stuck again. TOM would come and I'd bounce back up. I'm just trying this to see if I can shake things up some. Since eating anything less than 130 carbs a day is technically "Low carb" anyway.

138 today