My weightloss started to slow drastically for a month (after losing about 40 pounds) and then stopped for the past two to three weeks. I started to become a little concerned, because I still have a ways to go to my goal. Plus, I wanted to be down to 350 by Thanksgiving (that is not looking possible at this point).

Along with this issue, my skin has been horrible. Either broken out or I've had very, very red splotches. My energy levels have been in the crapper, and I've noticed after eating (and I'm keeping my carbs below 30 grams per day) that I start to feel very tired and often get light headed.

My first thought was that maybe I have liver issues. I had really big binges in the past and I'd read that obese people tend to have fatty liver (similar to alcholics) because of this. So I picked up a liver supplement (the biggest ingredient here is Milk Thistle) and also started taking Turmeric (also supposed to be good for your liver).

Then I read here about people with yeast overgrowth, so I also started taking capryllic acid, Olive Leaf, and Oregano Oil. I did have strep throat about three years back and the doctor gave me very strong antibiotics. My gut was messed up after that (I was constipated and didn't go for 5 days, TMI, I know), and I thought it couldn't hurt just to make sure everything is straightened out there. I'm also taking a probiotic and digestive enzymes.

Also, I realized that I wasn't eating enough veggies (one to two servings per day is all). So I started adding more veggies into my diet (at least 2.5 cups per day now, but usually more).

Last but not least, I stumbled across some great livinlavidalowcarb podcasts about reactive hypoglycemia.

• http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/...ia-episode-144/
• http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/...ns-episode-164/
• http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/...ia-episode-165/

These opened my eyes. I have a lot of the symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia! I was drinking at least a pot of (strong) coffee per day! I was also either eating 3 big meals per day or practicing intermittant fasting (on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays).

The changes I made in relation to this in the last week are:

1. Gave up Coffee (this was hard, and I had headaches for three days, even after weaning myself off), I now drink a cup of green tea instead.
2. Eating 5 smaller meals about 2 to 3 hours apart.
3. Only fasting on Sundays.

Now, I became fully stalled, a few weeks back when I went out to eat with some co-workers at a Thai restaurant. I ordered a dish with bamboo shoots, chicken, and spinach, but asked them for no rice. I was hoping it would be fairly low carb, but I know it wasn't because I could taste the corn starch and sugar that they had used to make the sauce. No biggie, I figured, I would be back in ketosis in only four days.

Well, that didn't happen. I didn't get back into ketosis (as of yesterday, it has been two weeks or so). I also work with a lot of Indians and to celebrate the Hindu holiday of Diwali, they brought some amazing food to work. Of course, all high carb. I'm very close to these guys, so they would have ben insulted had I not had their food, and besides, I love Indian food!
That was two days ago. I managed to go up a pound from that, but I realized fully that I wasn't in ketosis because I didn't gain the normal five pounds of water weight overnight that I normally would.

Here in the Des Moines area, we do trick or treating on the 30th, its called beggars night (I'm not sure why, every where else I've lived trick or treating has been done on Halloween itself). I managed to keep myself from eating any candy! I'm proud of myself, because I probably ate a third of each kid's candy myself last year (not to mention what we had left over from the trick or treaters, this year I gave out playdough). I also, walked about two miles last night with my kids while they got their pound (or more) of candy. This has nothing to do with anything, but I'm proud of myself for not eating any candy!

Anyway, I weighed myself this morning and I'm down four pounds! Woohoo! Could it be that all the changes I'm making are finally taking effect? If I'm in ketosis, after only two days, maybe it was the coffee that was making it take so long?

Anyone else get stalled and take coffee out of their diet and see improvements?

Also, my skin is perfectly clear! I think it was the veggies that helped here. I also started using a 2.5% Benzoil Peroxide cream on my face at night. I've had problems with flakiness due to the cold weather and my skin adapting to the BP, but that will subside.

Congrats on not eating the candy! I hope to be able to say the same thing tomorrow.

You've made several changes to your WOE. It is possible that anything could have been the thing to break the stall, certainly coffee could have been the culprit.

I have had acne since age 11, really big acne, constant pizza face. Benzoil Peroxide, salicyclic acid and all those topical things never helped a bit ( I wish I could get back all the money I spent on that stuff as a teenager and through out my 20s).What I finally discovered a few years ago is that my acne is 90% dietary-related, and 10 % TOM related. Basically, for me, the culprit was wheat. It takes 3 to 4 days for a breakout to show up after I indulged in wheat, but it's like clockwork. So I have learned not to do that anymore. Skin is lovely and clear on LC. It is very possible that taking coffee out of your diet, or perhaps something else you were not aware that you were consuming, maybe a hidden ingredient to your food, had caused your acne. Some people do react with breakouts to fish oils, had you been using fish oil supplements before?

One final word about your coworkers. You say you are close with these guys, and they would have been offended if you hadn't eaten the Indian food. Would they have been offended if, say, you had explained ahead of time that you had a medical condition that required you to stay away from grains or other starches? Think about it for a while, if you were diabetic it wouldn't even be an issue. Please do take your weight and health as seriously as diabetes, and do not feel that you "have to" eat anything to avoid offending anybody. Take a little time to explain that you are on a doctor-approved diet for your health and you may be pleasantly surprised at how positive the reaction from your friends is. If they were to continue to push those foods on you while knowing of your condition, then perhaps you aren't all as close as you thought.

Congrats on your perseverance in trying to find solutions to the issues that you were having. I, too, gave up regular coffee ( well, mostly ). I still drink decaf and on occassion have a cup of the real stuff, mostly if I'm somewhere where they don't have decaf. I haven't really noticed any difference in weight loss for me, but I'm glad that it seems to be working for you. Weren't those withdrawal headaches a killer? Mine lasted for 3-4 days. NOT pleasant!

Happy Friday everyone!

Congratulations, Cody. I am sure with a name like Javacody it was hard to give up the coffee. I don't drink a lot of coffee (2 cups a day at work) so I can't offer any ideas as to how it affects weight loss.

I wanted to comment on the idea of giving out playdoh. That's an awesome idea. I think I will try it next year. I've done well this year by putting the candy in a bottom cupboard so I don't see it, but not having it at all- that's a grand idea.

Good luck, and it sounds like you are doing well at experimenting to find your way out of a stall.

Good for you that you made some powerful changes that your body is responding to.

You are getting into a way of eating that is very close to the way I eat now and ate as I lost my weight. Mini meals works out great for me.

Upping your veggies is huge!! That is a big reason for your loss at this time and in my POV, as you keep eating that way, you will continue to see losses. You are adding tools to your tool box that you will be able to use in the future to manage your weight.

We each need to do what you have done( try different strategies, see whats missing) as we hit stalls/set points/plateaus. I hit stalls/set points at about each 40 lbs of weight loss. Now I'm in a permanent stall called maintenance.

Keep up all your hard work!!

Thanks so much for the encouragement! I really appreciate your kind words and advice.

I'm going to use my keto strips in the morning. Hopefully, I'm finally back into ketosis. I think I am, though. My workout this morning felt like a glycogen depleted workout.

Giving up coffee has been hard, because I love it. But one wonderful side effect is how much better I'm sleeping now. I still drink green tea, but only a cup or two a day.

i have one long black coffee every morning, should i cut it out? or change to decaf?

Cody coffee doesn't seem to bother me. Are you going to try to added back in to see if it was the coffee or lack of veggies, or just a stall. Do you think the caffeine was causing the low blood sugars? Glad its all working out for you, Congrats! ...Bru

Just passing on some encouragement, gee coffee is a tuffie. Good luck!!!!

Hey Cody,

That's exciting progress. I know that Atkins recommended quitting coffee, can't remember why though. I dropped it when I was pregnant, and my daughter is 17 now--so that wasn't one of my struggles. Some people tweak one thing at a time, but others just go for it--so who knows? Sounds like your bod is relieved that you figured it out, or maybe it's a synergistic thing.
So do we start calling you Vegacody now? <g>

Coffee seems to really cause problems for people who are pre-diabetic or diabetic.

I still drink green tea, about two cups per day, but this is a fraction of the caffeine of a pot of coffee!

It didn't seem to cause problems for me at first, but after about 80 pounds of weight loss, it did seem to cause me problems.

I dropped the veggies to get back into ketosis quicker so it wasn't the veggies. I've added them back in, and honestly, they don't seem to make a bit of difference, other than helping my skin to stay clear (I'm talking about short term here, obviously long-term, veggies are required to be healthy!).

Thanks for the info Cody. I'm a type II diabetic, I only see about a 8 to 10 point rise in my BS from my morning pot of coffee (probably the cream and coffee) nothing major. I'm will always keep an eye on it. I had listened to those pod casts a few weeks ago, interesting stuff. So far no problem, but its always handy to keep in mind, thing do change. Thanks again...Bru

Yes, it is more of a concern when you drink coffee with carbs (coffee and doughnuts == really bad idea!).

I noticed that after I drank an entire pot that instead of feeling awake, I started to feel sleepy and foggy. Not a good sign.

This is a very individual thing, and maybe because I do routinely go off of my diet and eat carbs (about once every two or three months, but I eat a LOT of carbs), it may be particularly bad for me.

Do you use heavy whipping cream? This normally wouldn't raise my blood sugar at all, even if you used a pint, the amount of fat present should completely blunt insulin response, I would think?

I've gone to drinking coconut oil in my morning tea, but I'm thinking about switching to coconut milk, as the oil is miserable to drink.

Sorry Ian, I just saw your question. I think you are probably ok with a single large cup each day. Some people are more sensitive than others.

If you do get to a point where you are stalled, then cutting it out is one of the things you could try.