whats wrong?

[krystle]

i'm already on the 10th day of my induction...no more experiencing any nausea or wat...but my craving don't seems to go away....i'm not really craving for sweets but solid food....i'm eating every other minute......but i tot the book say our food intake should actually decrease?...wats wrong?...

and is it ok to take food not in the acceptable list if i can still keep my carb intake below 20?....becoz of the craving i've been taking stuff like peanuts as snacks.....is that wats cozing things to be worse?...

[LittleAnne]

Hi Krystle

I know that it will not be much of a comfort, but somepeople do not lose weight during induction. This can be because they did not have a lot of carbohydrate in their body to start with or because the body needs time to heal before it will loose weight.

I'm surprised that you are still feeling very hungry. Have you used Fitday (http://fitday.com) to keep track of the food you eat? If you eat a lot more calories than your body needs then you will not lose weight either as you are supplying all your energy needs from the food you eat. You should be eating around 10 to 12 times your current body weight in calories.

[krystle]

i did lose weight...around 2 kg?..tts around 6 pounds i guess....on the 5th day...i haven't measure since....i'm using fitday and my daily intake of calories is around 1200....somewhere there...i just don't understand y i'm still always thinking about food....and is always hungry....nv feeling satisfied....

[Kathy54]

What is your water comsumtion like?

Kathy

[Lori H]

If your calories are at 1200 maybe you aren't eating enough and that is why you are hungry. Why not try eating more acceptable (I would avoid foods that are not acceptable right now) and see if that helps any. Everyone is different and sometimes you have to play with the diet and see what winds up working for you. Also, as Kathy said...water, water, water. Are you getting enough fat in your diet? That is what helps you to stay satisfied with your hunger level. At induction and for a while after, your fat intake needs to be at around 70%. This may seem high but it works. Remember that Dr. Atkins said that eating ANYTHING that is not allowed on induction is the "kiss of death" at this point of the diet. Why don't you post a day or two of what you are eating and let us take a look? Maybe we can help more. Good luck!

[krystle]

as for water..i drink around 5 or so bottle a day...which i think is around 2 litre ?...somewhere there....actually i've been using aspartame instead of other sweeteners coz in singapore...the only sweetener available is aspartame...but i still managed to lose that 6 pounds when i had it....

i don't have fix meals but i take things like salmon...cheddar cheese..eggs...chicken...pork....coleslaw (without the carrot)...some chinese veggies..decaf coffee....low carb cocoa....low carb cookies(maximun 1 a day) ........the amount and combi i take varies...my fat intake is usually 60+%....minimum 50+%...i was told that if i take in too much calorie..i won't lose weight coz my body will only be burning the food i take it...i currently weigh around 124 pounds....

when i weigh myself today again...1 gain like 1 pound....so that makes my overall net loss 4 pounds.....i've yet to buy that keto strip...its out of stock!...so i'm not sure if i'm in ketosis....i've had weird taste in my mouth....nausea and stuff before....the only prob i have now is feeling thirsty all the time..

[gilibel]

Hello krystle! :)

Is it pure water you're drinking or sweetened soft drinks?

Salmon and pork are really good fat sources! Good choice.

I can see some induction no-no's on that list of yours immediately.

Low carb cookies - not during induction
Coleslaw - do you make it yourself? What does it contain? Readymade coleslaw contains sugar.
(Low carb cocoa? - I'd wait with that too...)

Your fat intake is a bit low at 50-60.

As for calories, don't be afraid of them. You weigh 124lbs, you can easily eat 1300-1400 kcals as long as you stick to 20 netcarbs a day. Otherwise your body might enter "starvation mode" and switch down to a very slow level of metabolism/burning and you won't lose at all. In fact, you will easily *gain* once you start eating more "normal" (OWL/maintenance). So up your calories, with fat.

Remember that Atkins talk about "metabolic advantage" (I think it's called - sorry, the book is in another room...), which means you can eat MORE kcals (coming from fat) when lowCARBing than you would "carb-kcals" during a lowCAL diet and still lose.

I, for example, have eaten anything from 1500-2400 kcals a day and still lost weight as long as I've been adamant about the 20g netcarbs/day.

Try to up your fat intake, put more butter/oil/full fat heavy cream etc on and in your food. Be careful with too much cheese, it has a reputation for stalling some people.

Stay away from nuts, cookies and other things "non-Inductional" for now. They are notorius for evoking cravings/hunger, more fat will help reduce your cravings to a minimum and make you feel full.

Sorry if I'm not too clear, just woke up. :)
Hope it makes any sense to you!

Best of luck, :wave:

/gil

[krystle]

hmmz..i know i have sme food not really in acceptable food list....but i'm not a very meaty or veggie person..i cant stand taking meat all they long or veggie a lot..tts y i got that cookie....but i only take at most one a day when i got the craving...if not i dun....as for that cocoa...its sweetened with splenda...and low in carb...tts y i took it...is it not allowed?....the coleslaw i prepare them myself..i smetimes take those selling outside...but very minimum...juz the cabbage and dressing...probably just max 2 spoonful of it....the 2 litre of water is plain water...not including others i drink...

i'm trying real hard to increase my fat intake...wat i juz did was to melt unsweetened chocolate with butter and heavy cream to get some chocolate like thingy...which taste all right only..(i'm practically eating the butter!)....but is that acceptable also?...

[gilibel]

Hello again krystle! :)

Great that it's pure water you're drinking!

Homemade coleslaw sounds fine too. The cabbage is great for you. lots of good fibers for your belly. Just make sure the dressing (if not homemade) doesn't contain any hidden carbs.

We all react differently in this process of "carb detoxication". Many people have reported that they stalled or gain weight just by tasting sweet stuff even if it's "allowed" sweeteners such as Splenda. This is probably linked to some peoples metabolism, where the insulin reacts in a similar way to sweet tasting substitutes as it would to the "real thing".

So, if you munch your cookie and drink that cocoa (be aware that even bitter cocoa powder has carbs, by the way), chances are that your bloodsugar/insulinlevel get affected which in turn will affect your weight loss.

Also, this (your blood sugar level/insulin reactions) might be what causes you to still feel peckish or hungry all the time.

Many of us were not "meatie of veggie" persons to begin with - that's what caused us to gain weight in the first place. ;) If you really want to give Atkins/LC a go, then maybe you'd like to try to wean your body and tastebuds into accepting this new way of eating, instead of trying to eat "high-carby-like" style with loads of substitutes. That is probably the key to success. Also, there are a lot of things you can do with eggs and wheyprotein powder - great pancakes etc, perfectly fine for Induction. (See recipe section. "Mock Danish" has been a lifesaver for many people.)

Later, when you're on OWL/maintenance, then is the time to introduce other things like nuts, chocolate/cocoa, the odd cookie now and then and such - if you still crave it.

Best of luck!

/gil

[woolina]

I would have to agree with the cookies and hot cocoa making you crave. If I have a sf treat now and then, it will make the cravings come back. Induction is two weeks, longer for some. you have to learn to control food, not let it control you! I didn't have the low carb treats until I was well on my way past two weeks, once you train yourself and it becomes second nature to eat a certain way, then if you feel like you are going to fall off the wagon so to speak, and your choice is a lc cookie rather than a bakery binge, you are in control of your choices, make wise ones.

[krystle]

i think i juz realise the reason behind those hungry calls...i ate 1000+ calories yesterday and i felt just fine...i realise that all the while i wasn't really feeling hungry...it was my brain that was telling me to eat even though i'm feeling "satisfied"...it gives me that call to eat since i'm not "full" .....i think i got too preoccupied thinking abt food rather than i'm hungry or not...=P ......will it be useful is if i take that glutamine thing?...or i juz have to find a way to curb myself with that problem?

as for the cookie and cocoa....i'll try to work that out then...anywayz...i am suppose to be on day 12 of induction....probably will drag it longer....=)

[gilibel]

Hi krystle!
Glad you felt better yesterday! :)

As for Glutamine, well some people say it helps. Another (cheaper) thing to try would be Chromium - which has a well documented effect on help stabilizing blood sugar levels/insulin. I've taken Chromium in the past - I actually take Glutamine now since about a week, but I feel no difference (yet).

I do recognize this feeling you describe about "obsessing" a bit more around food now. Although, when you eat according to plan you ARE supposed to feel "full" - only not "stuffed". I'd still up the kcals a bit if I were you - you might find you lose faster that way.

You can drag out induction for as long as you like, maybe it would be a good idea to try to make at least 2 weeks of "clean" induction before you advance to OWL. That way you give your body a chance to really rest from carbs/sweet stuff and it will be easier to reintroduce some items (one at a time) into your diet again without stalling/gaining or getting cravings.

Cheers!

/gil

[krystle]

thanzz u all for helping me out... i juz got the strip and realise that i'm actually in ketosis already!....i tried 4 times today...a bit too much..keke..but was really excited abt it...the first one i tested in the morning before breakfast...it was negative..subsequently it went from dark pink to pink..and to darrkkk pink..keke..was really happy abt it....since i'm in ketosis...does that mean i should be losing weight already?...

my calories intake today is around 1100....do i have to increase it...i'm actually feeling pretty full already....

[krystle]

also..when should i do the keto test?...before meal?..after meal?...morning?...nitez?..i wish to test if my body fats is being burnt...