Hi all,

First off, I have to say I love these forums. I don't post much but I visit them all the time and you guys are all supportive. Now I need some support :/ I've been on atkins officially for about 2 months now. In the past 2 months, i've lost about 20lbs (you can see how much i've lost on the side panel). However, i'm still not too happy with the results. Besides my scale telling me i've lost weight, I haven't noticed it on myself. You'd think going from 367 to 345 would be noticable, but it's not. Clothes are a tiny bit looser on me, but when I was 367 I had a 48" waist, and now I can just BARELY fit into a 46", but not comfortably. So even though it's motivational to see the numbers dropping on the scale, how come i'm not noticing it in my body? Is it just that I have so much weight to lose, that I won't notice it yet? No one has really complimented me on my weight loss yet, or said "hey, are you loosing weight?" I am also not loosing weight as fast anymore. I've only lost maybe 2lbs in the past 10 days. I have 3 weeks until a wedding I need to go to and I want to get down to 330lbs (16lbs to lose). I am trying hard to get focused, but it seems like it's harder now. I am drinking lots more diet pop instead of water, and eating lots more wendys burgers (without the bun) than cooking at home. It's just so hard and expensive to cook good recipes. I bought a book also recently with 500 lowcarb recipes thinking it would help me cook more meals, but all of them are so complicated and require special ingredients. I don't have the time to spend 4 hours cooking meals each day, so I just go for convenience and because of it i'm not loosing weight. I also was exercising - 30 minutes a day on tony little gazelle and it was great, but i've stopped doing it and since them, i've gotten down on myself. I haven't exercised in probably a week. I think I stopped doing it because I still wasn't eating right. It just seems like a waste for me to exercise when i'm still eating like an idiot. So anyways, I could use some help to get me motivated again. I'll be depressed if I can't get down to 330lbs by the wedding on September 1st. I just don't know how to do it Is there anyone out there who works 10 hours a day and still manages to find time to make meals? If so, how do you do it!!? Please help before I completly fall off the wagon

Adam

Hi yucky, first of all I know how you feel about loosing some wt but not noticing yourself, I have the same problem. My wt loss has been very slow, I wish it was faster/easier/more noticable, BUT, I try to keep in mind that its not a quick fix and I do feel better,so it's worth sticking to it! Secondly, you question about having to cook and find it hard to fit in each day. Try to find a couple of hours in one day and pre-prepare some basics. For example; boil,grill or bake a bunch of boneless chickenbreasts, separate them into baggies, use for adding to salad, chicken salad, add sauce and cheese for parmasian etc... Hard boil a dozen eggs, to snack on, add to salad, make eggsalad...Cut up a whole stalk of celery, saute a bunch of veggies and put them into small containers. Get the picture? Work on this one day to last for several days and avoid the "I don't have anything to eat" syndrome. You can do better than Wendys and soda. Also, don't worry so much about that wedding in relation to your wt. Take it day by day! Hope this helps...stick with it..you are worth it! Cookie1

Hey Adam,

I see alot of similarities in you that I have in me. I started at 326 and now below 300, It is hard to notice because my stomach hasn't shrunken all that much, at least what I have noticed. And not many people have said anything. Though weight is very Taboo in our culture, so going off what others say isn't a good gauge. If you are loosing weight, it is working. I think 16lbs in 3 weeks may be too agressive. I am happy with only a couple a week.

I don't cook all that often either. But the diet still works for me. I eat alot of bunless burgers as well, and alot of diet soda. But Alot of water too, that is so so so important. The only time I spend time cooking is just when I get very sick of the same old things. But I am trying to teach my mind that food is just that, fuel. I give my car the same kind of gas all the time, it doesn't complain. If I am hungry I eat. as long as I am getting all the nutrients, doesn't matter what it is. I am all for the invention of People Chow! (and no soylent green refferences please hahaha)

I also and in a battle to exercise regularly. I love doing it, but am the kind of person that has to get in serious routine to devote that time to it consistantly. and with my work schedule and changing personal life, it so far has been hard to get into a serious routine. But that is no reason to quit. exercise when you can, and don't get down on yourself, just try to get in routine.

Just don't get discouraged if you don't hit your 330 goal in 3 weeks. If you do everything right, your body loses the weight on it's own clock. In my opinion you just have to set the stage and let your body do it's own thing. The only thing you can do it make it go slower, not quicker. Do set yourself this goal instead. do everything right, exercise and see where you are in 3 weeks. If you can go 3 weeks perfectly on the diet, that can be your accomplishment.

Just don't quit. you, like me, are far from goal. But 20lbs is no small task.

Adam,
I think you're doing great! 20 pounds is fantastic.. no matter what. I was on Weight Watcher and Tops so many times and I would be thrilled for 10 pounds, but it didn't happen! I guess I am still in euphoria to finally be in control of what goes in my stomach, but YOU're doing AWESOME!

It is a mistake I made too in thinking Atkins is a quick fix and while the weight loss in the first couple of weeks was pretty cool for me it has slowed. But the up shot is I am still on induction and I never go hungery and eat great food...

Hours can be fun though..

Normal weekday..

Get up 6am (drag wife out of bed) go for 20min run by the river and do some situps and pressups when we get back..

Weigh-in and measure self..

Make breakfast (usually scrambled eggs and something or ommlets (pretty quick to make)...

Washed and dressed and out of the house for 0730 hrs..

Work..

Lunch at 1200 hrs - have an excelent french deli/sandwich shop hich does take away salads made exactly as you want them (pretty big too)..

Work

Home for 1900 hrs normally... Straight into the kitchen and make something.. I find food preety easy to make on this diet as it will be fish or shrimp or steak or something with either salad or steamed veg.. I nomally pan cook the meat/fish in some cheap olive oil (note it is a sin to use Extra virgin olive oil for cooking.. dressing only) with spices... Whole thing normally takes 20 mins..

Eat and chill out (wife does the dishes... )

Go to bed and repeat..

Snacks are cheese, olives and cold meats..

Adam, you are doing great!!! I don't think I was able to tell much (or heard from others that they noticed) until I had lost about 30 lbs. The last 20 have been very noticeable, and I know the next 10 will also make a huge difference.

Hang in there! 20 lbs. is a lot!!! That's about the size of a healthy 2 year old! You will get there and you will see the difference.

L

Oh, also wanted to add...yes, I cook after getting up at 4:30 a.m. and going to the gym until 7:00, then going to work from 7:00 to 3:00. I use the crockpot and make roasts all the time. Shrimp scampi takes maybe ten minutes to prepare. Steaks on the grill are fast, Hebrew national hotdogs...there are lots of choices. I have also started buying the already cooked bacon and eat it for snacks all the time. I probably eat too much bacon...lol.

Anyway..just hang in there. As far as exercise...get right back into it. It IS worth it! You will start noticing, but have a little patience. It won't happen overnight.

As an encouragement...when I started I was stuffed into a size 18. I can't say they really fit, but that's what I wore. I didn't move down to a 16 until I had lost right around 30 lbs. Now, at a hair over 50 lbs. lost, I'm in 12's and a few small running 14's. This last size mostly happened in just the last couple of pounds because even though my weight loss has slowed, I'm still losing inches.

My neighbor, whom I hadn't seen in about three weeks told me I looked like I had lost 50 lbs. just from when she last saw me. She couldn't believe it.

I hope you are encouraged to continue. It truly is worth it.

L

Hello Adam,

Your doing great to have lost the weight you have so far! Hang in there don't give up. After another 5-10 lbs your really going to start to notice and I bet others then will too.
I have been drinking so much water in the last week, and I can tell you I have really noticed a huge HUGE diffrance in the way I feel. More motivated, not so sluggish and it made the induction so much easier! My cravings are all almost gone. I am the biggest carb junkie I know, and its amazing to me that if you stick to the plan the cravings are gone.
My morning rutine is:
6 am rise and shine
coffee.
7am treadmil 25 mins and 10 mins cool time=
walking
5 mins down pumping arms (3.8 speed total), 5 mins up both hands on the bar on incline 12.0 incline, 5 mins down, then again 12.0 up for 5 mins, then the last 5 mins down.
Then I slowly slow the treadmil down for 10 mins.
On the slow cool down I drink on 16.9 oz of water.
8:30 am breafast= 6 sausage links and some either egg salad that I make or 2 hardboiled eggs.
More water.
12:30 lunch= salad with ranch half a avo, chicken and tomato
snacks= cheese, hebrew national hotdogs, tri tip meat i cooked the night before in crock pot.. sliced thin to snack on.
More and more water through-out the day...
Dinner 5-6pm grilled chicken ( you can buy this at the market already cooked and browned and sliced in a huge bag NO CARBS OR SUGAR AT ALL!!
toss in a pan add some thinly sliced onion red, orange, or green bell peper some fresh mushrooms ect... and some seasoning mexican is my fav and there you have chicken fahitas! Delish!.
more water...
Its easy Adam don't give up, this place is full of wonderful tips and help. Call on us all to help you get through it and we all need support.
The more water you drink the better your results will be, I am a firm believer of that. I have seen the proof!
NoSunNoFun.

Hey Adam Congratulations on the 20 pound loss. That's 10 pounds a month. That really is a good pace. In one year you will have lost 120 pounds.
I use to belong to the over 300 lbs Club. I started out at 310 1/2 lbs. It took almost 40 lbs before people started to notice I was losing weight. It is nice to have people notice, but you have to do this for your self not for others. If I could give you just one piece of advise it would be to drop that goal of 16 lbs in the next 3 weeks. If you hang on to that goal, brother you are just setting your self up for a major disappointment. 16 pounds in that space of time just is not healthy. At your current loss rate you should be able to lose another 6 or 7 by then.
I remember one week I only lost 1/2 pound and I was so discouraged until my wife pointed out the fact that I ate a ton of food that week, I didn't gain anything, as a matter of fact I lost 1/2 lb., and I feel great. So much of sticking with any weight loss program is your state of mind. When I look back over my weigh loss I have been averaging a little over 10 lbs a month. Time is on our side my friend. The next 5 months are going to go by no matter what you do. But if you stick with this diet you will be under 300 lbs. And I can tell you that you will be so proud of yourself then and people will notice by then as well.
I really can't add anything better than what the others have said about your meals. I would just say you need to make water your new best friend. Without a doubt the more water you drink the more you will lose.
Now stop kicking yourself in the butt and start patting yourself on the back for the great start you've done.
I wish you continued success.

Adam - You are doing a great job!! Hang in there. I am in the same boat as you. Remember, when you lose weight, you lose it furthest from your heart first. So your ankles and wrists is where the majority of the weight loss comes from and it works back towards your heart. any weight loss is good weight loss. I think I would cut back on the diet soda and maybe drink some seltzer if you like the bubbles, but most of all, drink lot's of water and take your supplements. I have found that if I go for a brisk walk for 20 minutes a day that too will make a big difference. Keep us posted and keep up the good work

Hey Adam,

Don't sweat it man, been there done that, still working on it. To be honest, it took a while before I really felt different, probably 30 or more lbs. Even though I dropped in waist size, lbs, etc.., I didn't really notice a difference when I looked at myself. Heck, I still don't really, I've definately shrunk, and I can certainly see it in before and now pictures, but the proportions haven't really changed, so I still have this gut sticking out, and flabby this and that. But, it is going and for the first time I know it is just a matter of time.

I don't like lots of preperation when cooking. I've pretty much stuck to simple lunches for example. Whether leftovers from supper, or my usual which is beef or turkey slices from the deli with some cheese or sliced red pepper with a salad dressing/dip. Simple, easy to throw together. Suppers are usually one pot concoctions or simple meat and veggie meals. (Frozen veggies and a microwave coming in very handy). Doesn't really require a lot of time, I usually have supper cooked and eaten in 30 minutes or a little more.

Drop by my journal any time if you want, I'd be glad to pass along simple recipies I make for suppers if you are interested.

Just stick to it, it will come, just don't set expectations on times it will take.

WTG! 20 # in 2 months is amazing! Consider what a postive thing you are doing for you LIFETIME! I manage by considering only one day , even one meal at a time.
Maybe since it is summer make an appt with a friend to go hiking or some outside type sport activity for 1/2 hour daily. With someone else counting on you it might help with the exercise commitment. OR borrow a dog for a long walk (your neighbors might be thrilled to let you do this actually) my 'girls' are one of my primary exercise 'reminders'
Keep going, you are set to succeed.

First of all, you have done great so far. Take a bow.

As for advice, comments, encouragement, here's my two cents, not neccessarily in order of importance.

1)Stop beating yourself up about what you are doing "wrong" and make a decision to change one thing this week.

2)Continue for one week or until it is nicely set in - repeat #1 and 2.

3)Get back on that exerciser or I'm coming to get it! I want one! That looks so fun on the info-mercial.

4) Read HogarthNH's signature. It doesn't just apply to stalls. It is right on!

5)If you want people to notice, which they don't seem to till 30 lbs or so, as soon as you fit the smaller size go shopping. Get somethng that fits well. I think people don't notice cause we keep on wearing the same big clothes and the changes aren't very evident. (not that I have lost enough to notice. yet)

6)Be in the moment consciously. Be aware of the self talk that is getting you down and create a new refrain. Notice at the moment when you make a choice that in not in your best interest, you may be surprised to find that you change your mind and choose differently. When you wait and evaluate it all at the end of the day it is just a litany of things undone or choices your are not happy with. Be conscious of what you are doing in the moment.

7)Read everybody's posts again. There is so much encouragement and practical advice.

I have lost my first 20lbs. and I see no difference,
but the way i feel Is almost indescribable!!!

on cloud 9

keep up the work!
eat right and don't cheat!

I had a beer about a week ago and I feel like pooh pooh ever since it touched my lips!

remember that good music and spicy pork rinds make everything easier!