Hi! Oh, so many great questions, but they bring even more questions to mind! LOL

You've been LCing for about three weeks, have lost 7-8 pounds. Well, that's pretty darned good, actually! Did you lose anything during the third week? If not, don't worry--that's very common! Most of us have gone through that third week with very little or no weight loss. It seems the body likes to gives itself a bit of adjustment.

Have you taken your measurements? I lost 7 pounds on Induction but by the end of the third week needed a size smaller pants. At times, our weight loss fairly stops but usually the body keeps losing a little bit (either no weight loss or inches lost for 4-6 weeks or longer is a real stall).

I am wondering if you're using any of the frankenfoods, like low-carb bars, shakes, candies, breads and stuff like that. Any food that has sugar alcohol shouldn't be used on Induction, and only very rarely afterward. The problem with sugar alcohols (except for Splenda which doesn't seem to have any sugar alcohol carbs) is that while the body metabolizes them slowly, most of the carbs from them are indeed metabolized. If your body doesn't metabolize them then they cause all kinds of intestinal upsets (so why bother eating them?). As for grain foods (like LC breads, tortilla shells, etc.) those really should be saved for the later phases of OWL--and shoot, I have no clue if you've been eating them or not! LOL Anyway, see what I mean about your questions just giving me more questions?

I'll quit rambling now--seems I'm really good at that today--and will say WELCOME!!

I'm sorry--I forgot about your vacation question!

Personally, this early into the plan I would stick right with the plan. I know many who go off for a day or two and don't have any problems. But I also know others who go off for a day or two and have the darndest time getting right back on. To me it's a whole lot easier just to stay on plan than get off and try to force myself back on.

It's pretty easy to eat LC while traveling (in the US, anyway). We went on vacation about a month ago and didn't have any problems at all. I always try to keep snacks in the car anyway, so having more for the trip was no big deal. Also, when it comes to family dinners you can't trust other family members to have something you can eat, so you'll need to take something that's good and LC. (By the way, how far are you traveling?) Since all my family lives close it's not hard at all for me to pack up 4 or 5 LC dishes to take along. That way I have some variety and don't end up being tempted by their junk.

Thank you so much -

I have been eating frankenfoods - never thought about it - I just figured if it says Atkins then it would be okay. Better cut that out and see if things get any better. And you are right I lost the weight during those first two weeks and then nothing.

Then grain foods are out until later? Okay - I really loved that one piece of lc bread and butter.

Any good road trip recipes?

Thanks again for all your help

As Lila says, you seem to be doing quite well. And the third week is often a trying time for lots of folks because they stop losing weight and may even gain some of it back. This is extremely common and it does NOT mean that you are gaining fat - it generally means that your body is restabilishing its water balance in light of the switch to a different fuel. Some of the weight you lost initially was water and the body seems to go a bit overboard and so has to reclaim some of it.

As for ketosis - some of the plans insist you be in ketosis and other plans insist you avoid it. Both approaches work and the specific plan was developed with its approach in mind. Even Atkins admits in the fine print that the his main reason for including the strips is to give people a solid short-term goal and sign of progress to focus on during Induction.

As for the reunion - I wholeheartedly second Lila's recommendation that you stick to your guns. You and your body are going through a lot of changes and you both need stability to adapt to those changes. Take some of your own snacks and food to the reunion, talk to the people preparing the meals and explain that you are low carbing, and as a last resort pick and choose what you can have at the meal and sneak out either before or after to complete the meal properly.

Aye. And it's sad Dr. A isn't still here because I have an idea he'd come unglued with all the garbage on the market toting his name. His focus was on real foods--the natural stuff, like our ancestors ate, with a little artificial sweetener thrown in to make an occasional treat here and there.

Hmmm, road trip recipes. If you pack a cooler you can take along some yummy things like chicken, tuna or egg salad (chopped chicken, tuna or eggs, green onion, celery, mayo [more veggies would make it a great one-dish meal]), pickled eggs (use your favorite dill pickle brine, leave out the dill, and let the boiled eggs cure in it for a couple of days before eating), canned olives, cheeses, nuts, jerky, fresh veggies with dip (gonna need a mighty big cooler! LOL).

I know if I really put on my thinking cap I could come up with more. We were gone for almost a week, so packed food for the first day (roast chicken and a pea salad), and took nuts and jerky for in-between-stop snacks.

Thanks LiliCotton. We are heading out on vacation in a couple of days. You've given me some great "cooler" ideas.

Hello and welcome to the forum

Lila and wbahn answered all of your questions, so I won't add... . That is why this forum is so great. The people are SO helpful and knowledgable and supportive, it makes it so much easier to stay on course.

I wish you the best of luck!!! I hope you enjoy the boards

Thank you to everyone who responded and for all the great ideas - I will keep them in mind on my Black Hills trip

Thanks again for the support

Hi and welcome to the forum