experiencing minimal weight losses need help

[jerri99]

I have been doing atkins since July 15th 2003. I started ~ 155. It took me a month but I finally got down to 150. Than last Tuesday I skyrocketed up to 155 again. I am currently down to 153 again. My goal is 140. I feel so frustrated. I cycle about 8 miles 4 x a week and I also swim about a mile 4 x a week. A typical menu for me is breakfast: decaf tea w/2tbsp cream and 2 packs sweet n low, 4 queen sized olives, celery and peanut butter. Lunch tuna w/mayo 1 celery stalk and green onion. Dinner chicken with 1 cup of broccoli w/ butter. Snack 1 advantage bar (not quite every day) sometimes I have pepperoni. As well sometimes instead of cooked veggies with dinner I opt for caesar salad. I am currently 13lbs from my goal and I feel so frustrated that I am never going to get there. Today I found myself crying my eyes out because it took so long to get to 150 and now I am 153 and I can't seem to get that scale to budge. I know I shouldn't be weighing myself every day but it is like a compulsion for me. When someone is within 10-15lbs from their goal is it normal for weight loss to be this slow. I am currently consuming about 20-25 grams of carbs per day. If anyone has any input or advice I would love to hear it. I sure could use the support right now I feel like going back to something drastic like calorie counting again but i am trying to keep the faith that if I am patient this will work. Either that or I am doing something wrong and I don't know it. Has anyone else experienced such slow weightloss on the atkins program? I would love to hear from you and how you got through it. :cry:

[USELESS]

Hi Jerr99
I too feel that my weight loss is slow, I am still going to stick with it though, as I have tried other programmes ww etc and nothing happened. I too lost a bit of weight and hepresto when I thought I had lost a few more pounds I hadn't I put 2 on. Don't be dishartened perhaps we can get through this together??

[Lori H]

Hi Jerri!
I see from your profile that you are a nurse so you have probably already thought about the obvious causes...water weight gain from TOM (which will go away after its over) and replacing fat with muscle, which weighs more but takes up less space. With your exercising that could definitely be it. Are you losing inches? I have learned that with this diet you can be a lot smaller and not see much going on with the scale. I told someone earlier that I am wearing clothes now at 153 that I use to couldn't wear until I was around 140. I always have trouble gaining 3 or more pounds around TOM too. And yes, the closer you get to goal weight the slower it comes off. I think you are doing wonderful so my advice would be to hang in there!

[jerri99]

Thanks for your input both Lori H and Useless (it seems strange to be calling someone that and not feel like I am insulting them). I am aware of the weight fluctuation due to water retention etc as well as muscle weighing more than fat but I seem to not think it pertains to me when I am obssessively struggling with my weight. I am sure many of you understand what I mean. I guess since after I read the book the Dr.'s patients were losing between 6-11 lbs during induction and that just didn't happen for me. I am back down to 151 today so i suppose it may well have been water weight or my scale just likes messing with my head lol. I really need to not let those numbers affect my emotional state of mind so. Thank you again for your input ladies I really appreciate.

[madmike]

Hi Jerri:

I am really sorry you are having such a rough time. Are you using the Ketosis strips to see if you are in ketosis? That would eliminate one problem. Remember too that your weight loss is proportionate to fat taken in (high) versus carbs taken in (low)... it doesn't sound like you are getting enough fat in your diet. You might try adding some bacon and hamburger, pork rinds, etc to get your fat count up. Also, the low-carb bars always kick me out of ketosis so I have to stay away from them. Good luck! mad

[jerri99]

I have used the ketosis strips from time to time but have never turned them anything more than a very light shade of pink. I am told by the people at atkins that ketones are often released through sweat and breathing so I never got overly worried about it. I can't obsess on my scale and those strips. That is just one to many things to be compulsive about so I generally leave the strips alone as my scale already affects my state of mind more than I want it to. I used to eat a minimum of 2 bars a day in the beginning and stopped completely for a week or two. That is when I got down to 150. I have slowly re introduced them back into my diet and you could be right. I like them so much that I seem to be eating them daily again. Well 1 a day for the last 4 days anyway. Maybe I should lay off them for a while.