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  #1   ^
Old Wed, Aug-23-17, 14:11
TucsonBill's Avatar
TucsonBill TucsonBill is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 339
 
Plan: ≤ 20 carbs & IF
Stats: 292/235/170 Male 72 Inches
BF:
Progress: 47%
Location: Tucson, AZ
Default Induction Not Working For My Wife... Help!

After I started Atkins induction, three days later, its been two weeks to the day now, my wife has been on the diet too. She has a much more physically demanding job that I do and is on her feet walking around all day long.

Her situation is a little different. She's 44 and 5' 2" and started at just 132 pounds but she does have a bit of a belly fat and some fat in her arms she wants to get rid of. She's not obese like me.

Her keytone test strips are not dark like mine, her's just shows a bare tinge of pink.

The one positive thing is that before when she tried to lose weight she'd do it by trying to starve herself, it didn't work very well, and she was irritable. Now she is eating healthy portions and is not going hungry, but in two weeks she has lost just two pounds, maybe. Water weight can fluctuate that much so she's not really sure if she's lost any weight at all.

Any ideas?

Bill
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  #2   ^
Old Wed, Aug-23-17, 15:37
Seejay's Avatar
Seejay Seejay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 3,025
 
Plan: Optimal Diet
Stats: 00/00/00 Female 62 inches
BF:
Progress: 8%
Default

Just some thoughts -

If she's close to goal, 1/2 pound a week is a good rate for a woman who's 5'2".

How much protein does she eat, in ounces of meat per day? or, grams of protein if you want to estimate that. that can affect how much ketosis, for some people.

does her job involve heavy lifting as well as walking? that will make a difference - it's like strength training plus cardio every day.

Is she up to measuring inches as well as pounds? the combination can tell you if you are losing fat.
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  #3   ^
Old Wed, Aug-23-17, 16:56
thud123's Avatar
thud123 thud123 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 7,422
 
Plan: P:E=>1 (Q3-22)
Stats: 168/100/82 Male 182cm
BF:
Progress: 79%
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Sounds like it's working to me Bill. If she would like to continue, let her and get out of the way
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  #4   ^
Old Wed, Aug-23-17, 17:31
Liz53's Avatar
Liz53 Liz53 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 6,140
 
Plan: Mostly Fung/IDM
Stats: 165/138.4/135 Female 63
BF:???/better/???
Progress: 89%
Location: Washington state
Default

Quote:
Now she is eating healthy portions and is not going hungry, but in two weeks she has lost just two pounds, maybe.


Sadly, for women, it is usually harder for women than men to lose weight/fat.

First, hormones rule. And for women in their 40s, their sex hormones are in flux.

Secondly, as Seejay points out, she is already in the normal range for her height. Fat deposition is largely determined by heredity and hormones - she may not be able to selectively lose the fat in her belly and arms.

However, low carb eating is healthy for *everyone*. I would encourage her to continue eating this way for the improved health, and in time, sense of well-being. Eating an optimum diet will encourage her body to correct itself to optimum shape.

Also, even if eating strictly Low Carb, it is possible to eat more calories than one expends. Many women find they still have to restrict calories with low carb, though probably not as much and with less hunger than if they were eating a low fat diet.
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  #5   ^
Old Wed, Aug-23-17, 19:07
TucsonBill's Avatar
TucsonBill TucsonBill is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 339
 
Plan: ≤ 20 carbs & IF
Stats: 292/235/170 Male 72 Inches
BF:
Progress: 47%
Location: Tucson, AZ
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Seejay
Just some thoughts -

If she's close to goal, 1/2 pound a week is a good rate for a woman who's 5'2".

How much protein does she eat, in ounces of meat per day? or, grams of protein if you want to estimate that. that can affect how much ketosis, for some people.

does her job involve heavy lifting as well as walking? that will make a difference - it's like strength training plus cardio every day.

Is she up to measuring inches as well as pounds? the combination can tell you if you are losing fat.


I'm waiting for Dr. Bernstein's book and in the mean time I've only been counting carbs, not protein, so I am not really sure about the protein question. I've simply been trying to stay under 20 carbs per day and eat meat or fish, cheese and veggies every day.

A typical breakfast for her is 2 eggs, (various styles, sometimes with cheese), and a lunch with mashed cauliflower, 6oz of steak or fish and a few bacon fried green beans. For snack, 4 baby carrots and 2 celery sticks with ranch dip. For dinner, 6-8 hotwings with a side salad with spring mix, half a roma tomato, a little cucumber, a few strips of cheese and maybe a few shrimp or baked chicken chunks.

She's the manager of a very busy women's clothing store in the mall. Often she's by herself or with just one other person who's cashiering, and is continually restocking shelves, breaking down pallets of new shipments, re-folding the clothes etc. She always goes in early and stays late.

Based on what I'm reading of what you and others are saying, she's probably doing OK. She has seen me go from 290 to 270 in a little over two weeks and lost 4 inches on my waist and is maybe thinking she should have lost 20 pounds in two weeks too!
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  #6   ^
Old Thu, Aug-24-17, 09:00
Seejay's Avatar
Seejay Seejay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 3,025
 
Plan: Optimal Diet
Stats: 00/00/00 Female 62 inches
BF:
Progress: 8%
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Ha, I'm with you, that menu looks great for her. 20 pounds in two weeks, I am laughing. you have to be a man or built more like you to get numbers like that, most likely.
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  #7   ^
Old Thu, Aug-24-17, 10:58
TucsonBill's Avatar
TucsonBill TucsonBill is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 339
 
Plan: ≤ 20 carbs & IF
Stats: 292/235/170 Male 72 Inches
BF:
Progress: 47%
Location: Tucson, AZ
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Seejay
Ha, I'm with you, that menu looks great for her. 20 pounds in two weeks, I am laughing. you have to be a man or built more like you to get numbers like that, most likely.


I was in really bad shape and the ADA diet was not making things any better at all. By the time I finally decided to try low carb, I had, among many other things, pretty severe edema and I think most of my weight loss the first two weeks was water weight because my edema is all but gone.

The overall change has been just as dramatic. I had an A1C over 10 and my fasting glucose in the morning was 250 and going as high as 325 during day and the ADA diet no effect. I am now averaging BG of about 130 and have seen a continual decline.

You cannot believe how much better I feel - Sunday will be week three on 20 carbs or less per day. My main thread right now is here:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=477877

This forum has been a great help to me.

Bill
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  #8   ^
Old Thu, Aug-24-17, 23:32
AeKeenLass AeKeenLass is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 165
 
Plan: Not sure yet
Stats: 160/152/140 Female 5'9"
BF:
Progress: 40%
Location: Northern California
Default

Hi Bill,

I have about twenty pounds to lose and it's going quite slowly, probably a pound a week or less now. And you're right, at that rate it's really hard to tell if it's actually happening over the short term. I've been weighing daily and then keeping track of the four day average weight, and I can see that moving slowly down. So that makes me hopeful. Other than that, there's just patience over a longer time scale. She could eat in a fairly consistent way and see what happens over the next month or two. If everything is staying constant, then she might try changing some things.

My husband has started eating LC, too. It's nice to both be on the same track, that's for sure.

KL
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  #9   ^
Old Sat, Aug-26-17, 13:57
TucsonBill's Avatar
TucsonBill TucsonBill is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 339
 
Plan: ≤ 20 carbs & IF
Stats: 292/235/170 Male 72 Inches
BF:
Progress: 47%
Location: Tucson, AZ
Default

Well, she woke up this AM and she was 128 - down another 2 pounds so she's happy now I told her she should expect no more than 1 pound a week.
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  #10   ^
Old Mon, Aug-28-17, 09:00
Seejay's Avatar
Seejay Seejay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 3,025
 
Plan: Optimal Diet
Stats: 00/00/00 Female 62 inches
BF:
Progress: 8%
Default

oh my gosh TucsonBill, that really is unbelievable what a difference for you. So glad the numbers are better and you feel better too.

Yay on your wife's 2 pounds! After all this time it has to not be water so that is good.

As a short woman myself I have thought about the recommendations to safely lose .5 to 2 pounds per week. When you read that, the experts do not spell out that they are talking to everyone from a 5-foot little old lady to a 6-4 young man . Which end of the scale do you think the little ladies are on, LOL.

Metabolism burns fat, and bigger people with more muscle and everything, have bigger burners. If a little person wants to burn a lot of fat they have to throw in a LOT of activity and your DW already does.
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  #11   ^
Old Mon, Oct-30-17, 10:38
TucsonBill's Avatar
TucsonBill TucsonBill is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 339
 
Plan: ≤ 20 carbs & IF
Stats: 292/235/170 Male 72 Inches
BF:
Progress: 47%
Location: Tucson, AZ
Default

As I was thinking about my wife today and how she's been helping me with encouragement and participation in my LC WOE - I thought I'd update this thread. Her weight is now down to 122.

She actually eats more than I do, three squares a day but stays below 30 carbs. She eats a low carb breakfast, usually eggs and a low carb lunch and then eats about 20 carbs with me at dinner, (which is usually my only meal these days). Her weight loss has been slower but over time this WOE is paying off for her too and she's very happy about it. She likes that she can eat as much as she wants and still lose weight. She is finally convinced that eating fat isn't what makes her fat
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  #12   ^
Old Tue, Oct-31-17, 12:08
Seejay's Avatar
Seejay Seejay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 3,025
 
Plan: Optimal Diet
Stats: 00/00/00 Female 62 inches
BF:
Progress: 8%
Default

wow! so nice to hear that. Specially for both of you.
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  #13   ^
Old Tue, Oct-31-17, 20:02
robynsnest's Avatar
robynsnest robynsnest is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,146
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 336/286/199 Female 5'11"
BF:Losing it....
Progress: 36%
Location: Canada ay?
Default

So nice to see you stuck with it....good health right?
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  #14   ^
Old Wed, Nov-01-17, 02:58
zoogirl's Avatar
zoogirl zoogirl is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,910
 
Plan: atkins 20
Stats: 127.6/111/110 Female 5' 2"
BF:
Progress: 94%
Location: Canada
Default

Morning Bill, good job for your DW, it has always been my experience that men lose faster and easier than women...not fair, I know, but that is the way it is...I'm glad that she is seeing the benefits. For me here at home, there is no support DH thinks this is ridiculous, but he can't deny that he is seeing some good in the form of weight loss as well, he eats what I prepare, so there you go...of course he will never admit that this is an OK WOE, but that is alright, can't change how someone else thinks and feels, I just sort of nod and agree, and then carry on with my plan...have a positive day, both of you, stop by sometime, ttyl
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  #15   ^
Old Wed, Nov-01-17, 12:09
Bonnie OFS Bonnie OFS is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,573
 
Plan: Dr. Bernstein
Stats: 188/150/135 Female 5 ft 4 inches
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: NE WA
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by TucsonBill
By the time I finally decided to try low carb, I had, among many other things, pretty severe edema and I think most of my weight loss the first two weeks was water weight because my edema is all but gone.


And it's funny how specific edema can be. After being very low carb (most of the time - I'm not perfect ) I had better bg numbers & had - slowly - lost weight. But I couldn't get into my most expensive pair of shoes. Then I completely cut out cheese - & I can now wear the shoes. Cheese is the only dairy I tend to binge on, so I'm still using small amounts of sour cream & whipping cream - but they don't have the siren song of cheese.
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