I'm right there with you! My first time on Atkins I followed it to the letter and exercised 6 days a week. I went from a size 12 to a size 4. I've tried aktins a few more times after that but soon learned that peri menopause and low blood sugar was effecting my abliblity to loose weight. The reason I stopped akins in the first place was beause I had gotten too small. Yes, I was only 105 lbs so I started eating more and then went to massage school, started a business and had no time for exericise. I gained the weight, went into severe peri menopause and now after all this, I'm on bhrt and trying atkins again. Someone please tell me, if I stick to the plan with my bhrt, will I be able to loose the weight and keep it off? Thanks!

The link for "directics" on the very first post is broken.
I only mention it because I take them and would like the info.

My first week on LC after years of being away. I have been a yo-yo dieter in the past. Military WMP mostly with LA Weight Loss thrown in in 2007. Last weight loss was from 270 down to 190 and dead stall on LAWL. I hated it! I was hungry all the time and when I did stall, I was there for six months before I said forget it! Regained all the weight and then some. Peaked out at 300. Until this week I had been fighting exhaustion, nausea, dizziness, and many other discomforts of known carb addiction. A couple months prior to this week I had already started eliminating carbs as I felt I may have been reacting to gluten and simple sugars. I started feeling better and actually lost down to 291 before I realized it. When I realized it about a week and a half ago, I decided it was time to actually incorporate Atkins as a permanent WOL and WOE and set up my own tracking system. I actually started my journal (I use Microsoft Excel spreadsheets) on the 5th. Didn't actually start seeing ANY weight loss until the last couple days. This is when my appetite finally dropped off and I went from eating 2000-2300 calories a day to 1000-1400 calories a day (I need to see calorie counts as I actually stopped being hungry and would end up staying below 1000 calories a day without monitoring...). I'm actually having to force myself to eat to ensure I have enough calories to not stall.

The scary thing is according to many things I have been reading here I should be consuming AT LEAST 2900 calories a day to start with. THERE'S JUST NO WAY MY STOMACH CAN HANDLE THAT! I feel stuffed as it is. I have been trying to up the percentage of fat that I've been consuming. Atkins says that ketones form when you replace carbs with fat. In keeping with that I maintain at minimum an 8:1 ratio. This still allows me to maintain a 70%/30% ratio between fat and protein.

I can't exersize very much right now. I suffer from severe psoriasis (feet and hands are hamburger), psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia. Even though exercise exacerbates all three conditions, I try to walk the dog at least 3 times a week. I'm up to 6/10 of a mile.

So, I am a turtle and will probably remain one for awhile but hopefully my medical conditions will be ameliorated by both Atkins WOE and the exercise I can do.

I'm a latecomer to this thread but I've been so glad to find it! It helps so much to know that there are many others out there who lose weight very slowly. I pretty much only get on the scale every six to eight weeks because otherwise I get discouraged by the slow progress. I was stuck for two months at 150 and stopped weighing in. Then after a couple of months I impulsively got on the scale this morning and found my weight had dropped to 147. For me, this is phenomenal progress, and the experience of actually losing weight happens so rarely, but this three pound drop gives me hope that the low-carb WOE is not *hopeless* for people like me (I'm post-menopausal and on some medication that is notorious for causing weight gain - there's nothing I can do about this - not taking the medication is not an option). Yes, I am definitely a Turtle, and proud of it. It is not hopeless - it's just sloooooooooooooooow! I can wait it out.

I'm a turtle. Always have been. This time around I've only lost 20 pounds in 7 months.

Not letting the frequent plateaus bother me anymore, because I've started charting my losses in a spreadsheet so I can see the patterns better. Easier to make notes on a daily basis if I went to a family dinner or wasn't able to make my own food that day. Makes it easy to see if that could be the reason for the fluctuations or gain, so I can plan better for the next time.

Heading into this journey with far more realistic goals in mind, and the attitude that I'm not looking for a magic number, but a feeling. Being able to do the things I want without huffing an puffing, sweating excessively, and having to take twice the breaks.

Roller coasters. Kayaking. Climbing. Whitewater rafting. Hobby Farm. Zip lining. Pulling on a pair of jeans and the waist not cutting. Bending over to tie my shoes without feeling like I'm squishing my insides. Trying on boots and not looking for wide calf versions. Wearing a skirt or sun dress. Buying pretty pajamas.

If it takes me five years to meet these goals, it will still be worth it. By then, I hope I learn the skills to keep it off permanently, and my new set point will be well under 200.

Thanks for reviving this thread ladies. I've been away for awhile; but I did just start low carbing again on June 1st. I always start out losing well for a few months and then I start being a turtle again. I went all the way back up to just 2 pounds short of my highest weight.
I guess I need to change my stats since I've been gone for a long time.

LOL; I just read my signature block and see that I haven't been here since 2012. I guess I need to change that too.

I have a question. This week, on Monday, I saw an overnight weight gain of 4 pounds. It has not come off and today is Friday. At the age of 80, premenstrual fluid retention is not an issue. I assume it is fluid retention but why hasn't it gone away? All the books say that overnight fluid retention goes away quickly but how is "quickly" measured? One day? 2?

Stats: Net carbs have been under 20 for the past week, protein at 84 grams, calories at 1523. Water averaged 82 ounces/day. Gave up cheese for the week.

Any ideas? Why doesn't overnight fluid retention go away just as quickly?

Mine doesn't usually come off quickly, it usually takes several days or as much as a week.

I really don't have much in the way of suggestions except that it might have to do with your salt and/or potassium levels. Maybe cut down a bit on the water and increase foods with potassium and salt.

I'm 67 and I admit the body doesn't work as well as it used to!

Yup, I would say I am a turtle. Doesn't seem to matter what plan I follow; the weight comes off extremely slow. Didn't have any losses following a fairly strict Induction. Ok, I admit to 3 tsp of ice cream on day 12 but otherwise clean.

I usually consume somewhere between 1200-1500 calories and have kept Total carbs around 20. My loss after 4 months is a grand total of 7 pounds .

I have been a yo yo dieter my entire adult life. I do eat cheese 3-4 times a week but not more than an ounce or two at a time. I often have 2-3 strips of bacon once or twice a week and yes, I drink 2 cups of coffee daily. I also take a diuretic for my high BP.

I appreciate this information from Karen and will do a little tweaking to see if I can speed things up.

I am definitely a turtle. Started back on induction seriously at the end of June and track everything I eat using Diet Power.

I am facing possible knee surgery within the next year or so--(wait times in the Canadian HC system is much like that described for the Phoenix VA).

The nutritionist who explained the Canadian Food Guide (identical to the American) did a good job of exemplifying portion sizes. I realized--with a thump--that it has been a long time since I have eaten a single portion of anything--especially proteins. A 3-ounce cooked steak or hamburger was something I never had on my plate. My plate was always filled with protein with veggies on another side dish.

So I am trying to retrain myself to eat smaller portions. It's hard to do and very unfamiliar.

I have averaged 1310 calories for the past week: 71 grams of protein; 20.2 total (not net) carbs. The rest is fat. I am just trying to cut down on my proteins as well as carbs. Calories take care of themselves. This is just what the computer program tells me. (I have listed my daily menus elsewhere on this forum,)

So, since the end of June I have lost 10 pounds--most during the first week of induction.

The nutritionist told us to lose 10% of our body weight prior to surgery. I am trying!

It would be nice if Volek and Phinney (and maybe Westman too) would do some research on us Turtles. But the research on women is not as extensive as that of men and the research on the elderly is very spotty.

I intend to slog on. Glad we have this thread to share our difficulties.

I kind of figured this may be the reason for my slow start, I have had no loss at all (water weight comes and goes) and I am at week 4 of under 30 carbs a day, many days under 20 and I am sticking close to the macros set by the Keto calculator.

20-30 carbs, 80-90 Protein, 120- 130 fat, Approx. 1550 cal which is a 15% deficit.

But, I am age - 60, female and sedentary. A badly broken leg last year messed up my walking ability and I still limp badly, so excessive walking isn't much of an option yet.

I guess all these things will add up to slow progress.

I do however "feel" a bit different, and I did have to snug up my bra last week so that is something.

I have read a few posters saying they took a couple of months to get fully adapted so I am just going to stay the course and hope it gets going eventually.

Either way, I feel so much better and even though I am having the classic energy drain at times (going up stairs is a challenge) in general I feel much better.

I have been doing low carb Atkins for about 6 weeks now. I literally only lost a pound!!! I have no more than 20-25 carbs a day and cut out most Atkins bars except for the occasional treat. I don't count calories, should I be doing something that I'm not? I have 10 lbs to lose, and even though it's not a whole lot it very very frustrating. The only good thing is that I really enjoy the food I have been eating compared to the low cal diets I was on before. Any help, suggestions, comments would be greatly appreciated!!

10 pounds takes a whole lot longer to lose than 100. I see you have lost 1 pound of the desired 10--that's 10% (or something) of your goal. Not bad! One thing that you may look at is the amount of protein you are eating in a day. When I was a first-time low carber I pigged out on protein/ I am much more conscious of just how much protein I eat because it can slow progress. And be sure the protein is fatty rather than low fat. Remember, one serving is about the size of a deck of cards--not the whole plate. It took me a long time to learn that lesson. GOOD LUCK! And
keep at it. It will go away in time. Sometimes a loong time.

"10 pounds takes a whole lot longer to lose than 100."

Um... no, it doesn't. There are hundreds of individuals who have worked years to take off 100 pounds, with complete dedication to the task, that would take offense at that statement - myself included.

The best bet is to get on one of the forums dedicated to the form of low carb diet you chose, and post your daily food log. The long timer's on that board can help you identify where your problem areas might be, including any hidden carbs you might not have been aware of, or foods that have been proven to slow losses. In a larger group, such as Atkins, they can give you their experience, and help you along your path. This particular board isn't going to get you the individual info on your diet you need.