I feel REALLY down...

[GetnBettr]

I know this has to be a very common complaint, but I feel like crying.... and I need to hear some good advice.

Hubby & I started Protein Power (as a way of life) on December 26, 2007 so we have only been on it for about three weeks. In spite of reading negative on the keto sticks, he has already lost an amazing 17 pounds. By contrast, my keto sticks are consistently on the high end, and I am either UP two pounds or down nothing, depending on which readings you believe. I don't even seem to have dropped any water weight! Shouldn't I have lost SOMETHING by now?

I am not cheating & I read labels on everything. We have eaten out a couple of times but I don't eat ANYTHING before I look up its carb content. Although PP allows up to 30 carbs in the beginning, I have been eating 25 or below each day.

My hormone & thyroid profiles are normal. I take Acetyl L-Carnitine, CoQ10, Chromium Piconolate & a good multi. I walk 4-5 times a week. I drink plenty of water.

All things considered, I know that I FEEL better without all that starch & sugar, but this is a LOT of work for no payoff in terms of weight. I have a pair of skinny jeans that I had planned to use to gage my progress and while the "spillover" MAY not be quite as bad as when I started, I can't be sure.

I'm so confused. Should I start watching calories now? Cut back on carbs still more? Just wait it out?

I'm SO tired of being this fat!

:help:

[Sandollar]

All I can suggest is STICK WITH IT. You feel better, you said your tummy shrunk a bit...that's good, right?

Also, think of this as a lifestyle change and not a race. Try not to compare yourself to your hubby.

Good luck!

[RDS]

Chin up...you're doing yourself a favor by eating healthier. You've made the RIGHT choice. The weight will come off (and by the way, it sounds like you're off to a great start), it may just take a little longer than you'd like....

Keep on keepin' on. It will pay off!

((hug))

[ppuffy3859]

:bhug: I really understand your frustration. Sometimes, for hormonal/medical reasons, or seemingly no reason at all, our progress does not show on the scale. Try to focus on all the other positive benefits you're getting from eating this way, and in time the weight will follow. Sometimes it's really slow going, and then you'll get a "whoosh" of weight loss that is considerable. Give it some time, and keep posting about your progress. Take care! :wave:

[GetnBettr]

Thanks for all the support... I have stuck with it, thanks in part to all of you, and am now down almost ten pounds from where I started! I had been taking Tenormin (a beta-blocker) for migraines, but my doc warned me that might slow my metabolism. I decided to taper off the meds and started losing weight! And now that I'm off the sweet stuff, my migraines are better too!

I know the weight loss will slow down again, but I feel sooo much better knowing that feeling better makes this worth the effort AND if I stick wiht it, I will eventually reach a weight that is healthy...

THANKS AGAIN!

[BluePants]

Hi Lisa, I know your frustration. I am just about 2 weeks at the same weight, and I swear I could absolutely scream. Ditch the stix, they only say your spilling fat but it could be the butter you ate yesterday, not the fat.
I don't know a lot about Protein Power, but I know with Atkins there is a honeymoon period where you lose a lot of water, then there is a period where your body starts to adjust to the new diet. You don't lose pounds during this time, but you do lose inches and that is really what its all about.
Welcome to the snails. ((GROUP HUG))

[GetnBettr]

My measurements dropped quite a bit during the first month but for the past couple of weeks NOTHING again! I KNOW my eating is on plan and I'm exercising 4-5 times a week at a good pace, so I do NOT get why I would gain two pounds!

Since I HAVE lost at least 10 pounds & hubby is down at least 16, I guess I'll stick with it... It has to be healthier not eating all that sugar, but this tall-lose-stall-lose thing is driving me nuts!

[Mousesmom]

Looks like your body likes to drop # and then drop inches - either is progress! A break after that is normal and to be expected. Weightloss isn't linear.

2# is probably water - don't worry too much!

It's tough not to compare yourself with a man, but there really is no comparision - women have a harder time loosing weight - that's just a sad fact.

Congrats on 10# down and several inches and keep the faith. LC works!!!

Julie

[skeeweeaka]

Thanks for your post regarding your husband showing up negative on Ketone strips because I am too and not losing.... I guess I will stick to it and drink more water.... HOpe you are doing well....

[KiaKaha]

Those men - dont let it get you down. My husband is doing it too - he has 30lbs to lose and I have 200! In eight weeks he has lost 20lbs -had a one week stall but lost 3" off his waist and 1 " of his chest and neck.

Me - I have 200lbs to lose and I have lost a meagre 9lbs and 1 inch off my waist. I feel like throwing myself under a train some days and I'd love to know how to stop being a turtle but I have to keep on because I have to lose the weight somehow and as I am not cheating, I figure this darn weight has got to come off some time!!!

[GetnBettr]

Ya... I know in my head it's easier for them, but it's still hard to see the change in him & not in myself... I had less weight to lose than he did when we started, but now he has less than me, which is also tough...

I try to remember that this is a way of life I'm committing to & not just a diet... That helps... Also, for what it's worth, I've found several times on this eating plan that when I start eating too few calories or too little fat, my weight loss stalls... I don't know how that happens, but it does...

After ten weeks I am finally starting to see a change in the way I look undressed, and the pants that I have been using to measure my progress were skin tight with huge muffin tops when I started... Now they fit perfectly with no roll & even a slight bit of wiggle room... So I *am* coming down, but slowly...

So it will happen... We just have to stick with it & be patient.
Good luck & stay in touch!

[GetnBettr]

Stick with it... It's a way of life & while it would be nice to lose the weight fast I guess everybody doesn't get those super-fast results... For what it's worth, I am finally at a point where my weight loss is starting to show... I haven't lost pounds for a couple of weeks (my third stall in two months) but my body is changing shpae & I can wear the "skinny" pants I wanted to get into when I first started, so now I have to pick a still smaller pair...

For me, drinking water is important... Eating ENOUGH calories seems to make a big difference & eating enough good fats also helps...

Whatever happens I'm sticking with it, though... I feel better and look better even if I never lose another pounds...

Good luck & thanks for sharing. Helps to know we're not alone here!

[redbull410]

"Muffin Top?" Thanks for the laugh! At this point I need it. I low-carb'd a few years ago and lost weight, went from a size 14 to a size 10 then got pregnant! The little rascal was born (cute as can be)...he's now 3. I started the low-carb again 2 wks ago and MAY have lost a pount-it's very discouraging. I limit my carb to under 20, exercise and drink plenty of water. When i did the low-carb before, the weight seemed to come off fast, without me even realizing how fast... or maybe it just seems that way to me now. REading the above entries has been an encouragement. I would like to know, how are you all doing?

[KiaKaha]

Doing great!!! To get more weight off I had to start 'high fatting' - recording my eating every day and sticking to about 20 carbs + eating 80% fat. Well it worked, I have slowly lost nearly 2 stone and then stalled so have been having a break for the last 2 months (eating at 50 carbs a day). No weight loss though but also no gain. So am getting back on that horse this weekend - also must say since high fatting, my blood glucose, overall cholesterol and lipids, liver enzymes have all significantly improved. I ended up enjoying what I was eating - needed a break for a bit more variety and am hoping, my body's metabolism will have adjusted and I can pick up where I left off.

Stick with it - I had the same thing happen - LoCarb is slower the second time around. But I have lost a lot more than my sister (who is way more active than me) and kept it off - she did CSIRO for 6 months. She lost 10lbs and has put 4 back on!

[girlbug2]

Hi Redbull (you don't actually drink that stuff do you? :) )

Yeah, I know what you mean, that pregnancy thing messes with weight loss plans! And the weight was definitely coming off faster in the first go round of Atkins. But I am sticking with it and noticing that I can fit a size smaller jeans now. That's the best reward I can ask for: and some day when I am shopping the clearance racks for all those size 6 pants that couldn't sell-- well, the feeling will be priceless!

[primerib]

I can understand how you feel. Last time my hubby and I did LC, he lost 11 pounds the first week and I lost 1.

He even asked me if *I* was cheating! This man who was into the nuts and cheese and dairy and tomato juice like there was no tomorrow, despite my chiding him that that many carbs weren't allowed on induction.

And he continued to lose 10 times as much as me. It was soooooo discouraging. But eventually I began to lose weight. But that's why I came to the turtles forum-----I lose so slowly. Looks like a great place for me!

Hang in there, it MAY be that it's easier for you (and me) to keep it off after. :D

[Hairballz]

Doing great!!! To get more weight off I had to start 'high fatting' - recording my eating every day and sticking to about 20 carbs + eating 80% fat. !

I've also discovered through trial and error that I needed to add fat in. When I remember to really make a point of finding extra fat my weight drops - slowly, but it drops. When I don't get enough fat, even if my carbs stay below 20 a day, my weight won't budge.

It's just HARD for me for some reason to remember that I need to eat something with more fat than I would normally think to. I'm a huge carnivore, always have enjoyed meat, but I have to make a real point of buying the high fat cuts in order to keep me in enough fat.

This past week I was shopping at Aldi's and bought the cheapest bacon they had - "assuming" it would probably be the highest fat content. Seemed logical, but when I went to cook it I was dismayed to discover it was probably the LOWEST fat bacon I'd ever purchased in my life!! Barely even left any oil in the bottom of the pan after cooking the whole package! Sigh.... so much for assuming! :lol: