On Atkins and in need of serious help

[Oscar870]

Hi I have just joined this forum in the hope there is someone out there who can help.
I was on Atkins many years ago with great success, however after more children etc I put on weight again.
I have an underactive thyroid and on thyroxine. I started the new Atkins in The middle of Feb this year and I have had NO loss at all.
I drink water mainly in abundance with the odd tea with a tiny bit of double cream. My breakfast usually consists of scrambled egg and montary jack cheese or bacon and egg. Usually my lunch is chicken or salmon and salad and dinner is chicken, beef, pork or similar with salad or fried onion, mushrooms, asparagus or similar. I take chromium picolinate 200, co-enzyme q10 120mg, multi vit without iron and laxatives at night. I also need a lot of pain killers for my back. I have done the ketone test strips and I am not in ketosis. Don't know what I am doing wrong this time and desperately need to loose this weight. Hope someone can help. Thanx

[Touchstone]

Hi, Oscar and welcome. I am a newbie myself and I am sure more experienced members with similar experiences will come along and give you some good advice but here's my take. Maybe you can take a look at what Atkins's 2002 book says about medication, that would help you understand why you might be losing weight more slowly. Plus, logging your meals in PLAN (or fitday) will help you understand eating patterns better and maybe pinpoint some areas that you can tweak. It takes a while to figure out how to use PLAN but it gets easier once you've logged in some foods and added them to your favourites so you don't have to look them up all the time.

[Neanderpam]

I'm also hypothyroid (Hashimoto's, autoimmune) and didn't lose 'well' (I had lost an initial 50 lbs. but then stalled out) until my doctor added T3 to my T4 (thyroxine is T4 only, and if your body cannot convert it to a proper amount of T3 than you don't receive full replacement).

My doctor also doesn't test pituitary function (that'd be the TSH test) but the actual hormone levels usable (that'd be Free T4 and Free T3). I'm also on pain relievers and I have to take a bit more magnesium to 'move things along'. I also have to be rather strict on my carb intake even in maintenance (at 40grams net per day unless I'm weightlifting that day, and then can raise to 60net grams).

Best of luck to you.

[Oscar870]

Great ideas. Thanks Guys I will get onto both of them now. Going to docs tomorrow so I shall put your suggestions forward and will search for PLAN now. Fingers crossed. I am so desperate to loose weight.

[Touchstone]

Good luck! The P.L.A.N. tool is close to the top of the page menu on the forums, I am not sure where fitday is but try the FAQs :)