Gaining???? Please H-E-L-P!!!

[dalene]

I would not care too much but it seems as though all through these forums everyone is talking about how they are loosing 2 to 4 lbs a day during induction. This is my second time on this diet or the induction part. I have remained a loyal low carb person since I lost 30 pounds originally a year or so ago. However I had gradually increased my daily carb intake to somewhere around 50 gms a day and maintained since the loss.

Although I came close I NEVER did reach my final goal and still have 15 pounds to loose.

So on the 10th of July, I went back on to the induction, I eat 10 carbs knowingly and give myself a 10 hidden carb doorway just in case. I have GAINED three pounds in the week since I have started. I need some encouragement that this MAY be normal and I will see results soon. I worry that I have been eating low carb for so long that the induction may not work for me!

Any ideas????::confused:

[tamarian]

Welcome aboard Dalene. Congrats on the loss so far. It's quite normal for the weight loss to slow down once you are close to goal. People who have a lot of weight to lose tend to lose faster than those who have just the last 10-20 lbs.

I wouldn't worry about the gain, could be muscle if you are you exercising?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Wa'il

[Karen]

Welcome to the forum Dalene!

You have been very successful this far. And one great thing you have learned is how to maintain...

As a 2 year low-carber, I've had to go back to induction levels a few times. I never experienced the great loss that I had when I first started LC. Much of that initial weight loss is water weight, and because we've been LC for a while, there is no water weight to lose.

From what I've read in other forums, it seems that the last few pounds are the hardest to lose. Most people seem to have to make adjustments to calories, dairy products, fat intake etc. Your body is now comfortable with LC, and you may have to "stir it up" a bit.

The thing for me that sets off a red alert in your post is the phrase "hidden carbs". What are you eating that could make up 10 grams of hidden carbs?

You should take advantage of the Journal/Bootcamp section of the forum and keep a diary there. There are many people here who can give you advice and guidance if we can see what you're doing. :D

Karen

[Bonnie]

Hi Dalene,


Know how frustrating it can be to see slow results as I still have ten lbs to achieve my goal wt. but am content knowing how much healthier I feel following this WOL versus the bloating, digestive problems, and generally feeling fatigued eating a high carb diet..I hate to keep quoting that overworked phrase :) but it certainly is accurate... the wt. didn't accumulate in a short period of time so one cannot expect it to disappear overnight.. I also feel that those of us who have been on diets before sometimes have a longer period of time to lose the second or third time around unfortunately...hang in there..

:) Bonnie

[doreen T]

Congratulations on your successful loss and maintenance thus far!

The spectacular losses reported by first-time lowcarbers generally happens because up to the point of beginning Induction, they'd been eating a high-refined carb diet; also those with more weight to lose in the first place. Their initial losses are mostly water ... which isn't to say that it's not significant loss -- who needs all that extra water choking and clogging our cells? But, you have been lowcarbing for a long time, which means that YOUR body is in fine metabolic shape .. :cool: ... and doesn't have all that water weight to lose.

A possibility for the gain ... as Wa'il stated, it may be muscle tissue. Did you take measurements? Muscle takes up less space for the same weight as fat, so you will be leaner even though the scales show a net gain.

When you were maintaining on 50 carbs a day, were you also eating adequate protein and fat?? A lot of people mistakenly only focus on cutting out the carbs, and forget to replace those calories with something else. And now that you have cut the carbs back even further, your body is thinking "oh-oh, less food = starvation mode", and your metabolism gets slowed to conserve. Do try to eat lots of meat and protein, and bump up the fat intake with essential fats, olive and flax oil, fatty fish etc.

Exercise will help boost the metabolism as well.

Another suggestion might be to follow Induction to the letter as outlined in Atkins book. Use the menus in the book. Limit your carbs to vegetables and salads, and avoid the so-called hidden carb foods ... lowcarb bars, shakes, sugar-free treats. Drink buckets and buckets of water too. And weigh and measure the food. I've been lowcarbing for 14 months ... and find every now and then I need to get the measuring spoons and kitchen scale out ... my eyeball loses its acccuracy after a time.

These are just some ideas, maybe there's something helpful for you .. :) .. Keep us posted ... we love success stories!

Doreen

[dalene]

Well thanks for all the responses and encouragement everyone!

Maybe I am being a little impatient. I have hypothyroidism so maybe my body doesn't jump start like a normal person.

I am keeping my carbs below 20 (Karen, by hidden carbs I mean in case I miscalculate by a carb or two) so I am bound to drop eventually.

I think I will just stay off the scale for a week or two, I am feeling slimmer so something must be kicking in!!!

Thanks again!
Dalene

[debbiedobson]

hi dalene! i can't offer any new advice! you really seem to have every thing in hand! keep it up! i just wanted to welcome you aboard!:D