New and stuck - please help!

[Chirpyc]

Hi all! I have just joined the forum today because I am in need of help, guidance and support. Sorry to be so needy on my first post!

I have been very overweight since I was 20 and am now 37. I lost 100 pounds 5 years ago on a liquid low carb diet and kept off for 1 year but then ALL of the weight came back on. I have tried low carb before but only ever stuck to it for a few weeks. In august this year at 262 pounds I started on a low carb diet after reading protein power and primal blueprint and am totally convinced about the health benefits. I have been on this for 6 weeks now and lost 10 in the first 2 weeks but have not lost 1 pound since! I eat around 90-110 grams of protein a day, less than 15g of carbs a day and about 1000 cals of good fat a day. I drink about 3lt of water a day, no caffeine or any other drinks other than water. No sugar substitue and I am very good at reading labels and measuring food vegetables to ensure I do not go over carbs and only eat low gi vegetables and no fruit.

My calorie intake a day is about 1300 - 1700 depending on the day.


I think this is a pretty strict! I do not take any medication I am not premenopausal and walk about 30 mins every day and do kick boxing 3 x 1hr
sessions a week.

I have missed some breakfasts sometimes or breakfast and lunch on others and eater higher on other days.

The only 'treat' I eat is at the weekend I make a dark chocolate mouse with 1 square of 80% dark chocolate egg and double cream.

I do eat dairy but this is only the cream in the mouse at the weekend, butter for cooking with and the occasional cream sauce and some slices of Brie a few days a week as a snack.

I eat- tuna, chicken, pork, beef, prawns, eggs, good sausages, bacon, cheese, cream, broccoli, asparagus, spring onion, garlic, tomatoes (in the chili) spinach, salad leaves, cauliflower (mash), leaks, full fat Mayo, cream cheese (in sauces) as my staple foods and I cook and prepare it all at home. I also drink the occasional protein shake.

What can I be doing wrong? I am sure some might say just be patient! I feel great on this diet and have no intention of going back to hi carb as I have never felt better but it is frustration at over 100 pounds over weight to not loose in 3 weeks when I am so near the beginning and did loose at first. I have checked and re checked quantities and carb count and am taking all the supplements suggested by dr meads. My family are all on the diet and it is working for everyone of them and all the success stories show easy at the beginning.

If you are still reading this and not fallen asleep, Sorry for long post but I really do not know what to do - has anyone experienced the same as me. I am a very positive person in all other aspects and really hope my story changes and I can find my way to great health AND weight loss and help others along the way. Congrats to all of you who are doing so well you really are an inspiration! ;)

HELP :help:

[joy2lose]

Hello! Welcome to the board :-)


Wow, well it sounds like you are doing alot of things right!

I think the important thing to keep in mind is that you Are actually taking care of yourself. You're Not headed in the Other direction (toward getting bigger) and soon your actions will take effect! :agree: Just give your body a chance to realize that you are serious.

Just keep reminding yourself, that you are willing to care for your body and come from a place of love from yourself, not a place of "I'm so disgusted with you, I hate you!". This thinking keeps our mind in a negative space and we can lose sight of the fact that #1 we are worthy of love, especially from our self, and #2 we are doing great things by changing our eating!

Another thing... we have to change our Thinking, from being on a diet, to a making this a way of life. This also give us some permission to lose at the rate that our body is willing to release it at.

The reason you gained it all back before, may be that you immediately went back to your old way of eating. Once you lose weight it doesn't magically correct your imbalances, or the way your body responds to food!

The key is to find a way of eating that bring you health and satisfies you. Get tons of great recipes, find substitutes for all your old favorites and learn to work this into every aspect of your life.

The only way, in the long run, is to just work on changing your focus. This is a way of life. Embrace it. Get into it!

Find what works. Be willing to change and you will succeed. Not just now, but in the long run too!
:agree:
Best of luck!!!!
joy2lose

[Chirpyc]

Hi, thank you for your welcome!

I completely agree about this being a lifestyle now and this is the first time I have felt a 'diet' really could be life style as I feel so great on it! Never before would I have had three weeks in a row of not loosing and not even consider coming off th plan.


'Find what works, be willing to change, and you will succeed.' - this is my only problem at the moment I can not seem to find what works as far as weight loss - wellbeing great - fat loss not so!

But thank you for your inspiring words - it looks as though we are starting and stopping at similar weights - what has worked for you? How long have you been on this lifestyle?

[scottie123]

Not knowing exacting which diet you are following, my guess is too few calories and too few carbs.

You are attempting to do a low carb and low calorie diet. You should up the calories to the high end of your range if not higher. A lot of people suggest 1500-1800 for women. And given your current weight, you may be able to go higher. There are BMR calculators to give you an estimate of your daily calorie needs.

The same could be said for missing meals. Your uneven food intake could have an influence. I do not know if there is any relationship between how regular or how often you eat and weight loss. However, it seems reasonable that eating at regular intervals is good for you.

Some of the Atkins followers would suggest you are too low on carbs -- 15 ng may be too low. You should up that to closer to 20. And following the Atkins theme, you could be adding nuts to your diet and upping your carbs to 25 ng.

Finally, your treat may have more sugar than you want to think. Again, many (women) appear to very sensitive to the amount of carbs in their diet. Much above 20 and they slow. (Interesting to suggest your carbs are both too low and too high but you may be alternating between these states)

Finally to encourage yourself, you might try checking your measurements to determine if you are not losing weight, but are losing inches. Again, the scale is a fickle mistress especially for women.


Persistence and patience.

Good luck.

[bcbeauty]

The first time I did Atkins it took almost 2.5 months to kick in. I lost about 5 lbs in the first 2 weeks and then omg it was so not happening. I cried to everyone on here who would listen lol... and received so much wonderful support.
And then whooosh it all took off. Patience really is the key. I'm a little resistant is all and maybe so are you, :)

[sprinkles]

Its hitting the 3 week mark...dude it suuuucks. I always lose 5 lbs in the first two weeks and then it halts...for a lonnnng time. I have committed to induction level carbs until i see it break. Just wait it out. I know how annoying it is to hear that- but every time i got impatient before, I quit, and it got me nowhere.

[Chirpyc]

Thank you all so much for your advice and support! I think I do just have to be patient, the great thing with lc is at least I feel great while waiting to see results with my clothes and scales.

It is reassuring to hear sprinkles and bcbeauty that you had struggled at the beginning after the first two weeks as most success stories seem to talk about the weight at the beginning just melting off and I was starting to feel on my own with this! And was not sure if I was doing something wrong.

Scottie123 I think that sounds like sensible advice and will look at increasing my calories a little with fat ( am wondering if I am
taking in a little too much protein?)

I hope that if I just stay committed with a couple of careful tweaks that I can join you all in the fat melt down and will make sure my success story talks about the difficult start! Many thanks again for all the support I really do feel much better now!

I made a wonderful chicken goujons with egg and almond coating and avocado salad tonight and my 16 year old thought it was one of the nicest things he had ever eaten! (what does that say about my cooking before) he does also love the almond crust pizza I make him - I dont eat it as worried about the carb content with the tomatoes as well - but he loves it!)

Love LCing food! X x x

[euphoricme]

The idea suggested above that you need to increase your carbs is just silly.

If you don't eat 70%(ish) fat calories your body will convert excess protein into carbohydrates, rather quickly. Even if you are at 50% fat 45% protein that ratio is still far, far too low as your body is keeping you on a carbohydrate rich diet.

I have seen a lot of people on here that have problems losing that take protein shakes. It is a really easy way to throw that 70% fat cal ratio out of balance.

You could be eating too few calories as well. Mostly I would watch the protein intake and quit your weekly sweet treat. Try that for a few weeks and if you don't get results try increasing calories. If that doesn't work try decreasing calories to lower than what you are at now.

Keep in mind there are hidden carbs that are not listed on the nutrition labels as well. Anything that has less than a gram of something can list that as "0 grams". Eggs have carbs (.4 grams I believe?), bacon has carbs, steak has carbs. If you are following nutrition labels while reaching your 15-20gram limit you could easily be hitting 25-30 (or quite a bit more) per day.

All things to consider.

Good luck!

[Chirpyc]

Thanks eurphoricme I was worried about the protien / fat ratio - at first i thought i had to do the 70/30 ratio with fat/protien gams and was really struggling to eat anywhere close to that but then realised it was a calorie ratio so with the 9cals per gram of fat I guess this is doable! I will take your advise and let you know how I get on! Thank you x

[Thomas1492]

Hi all! I have just joined the forum today because I am in need of help, guidance and support. Sorry to be so needy on my first post!

I have been very overweight since I was 20 and am now 37. I lost 100 pounds 5 years ago on a liquid low carb diet and kept off for 1 year but then ALL of the weight came back on. I have tried low carb before but only ever stuck to it for a few weeks. In august this year at 262 pounds I started on a low carb diet after reading protein power and primal blueprint and am totally convinced about the health benefits. I have been on this for 6 weeks now and lost 10 in the first 2 weeks but have not lost 1 pound since! I eat around 90-110 grams of protein a day, less than 15g of carbs a day and about 1000 cals of good fat a day. I drink about 3lt of water a day, no caffeine or any other drinks other than water. No sugar substitue and I am very good at reading labels and measuring food vegetables to ensure I do not go over carbs and only eat low gi vegetables and no fruit.

My calorie intake a day is about 1300 - 1700 depending on the day.


I think this is a pretty strict! I do not take any medication I am not premenopausal and walk about 30 mins every day and do kick boxing 3 x 1hr
sessions a week.

I have missed some breakfasts sometimes or breakfast and lunch on others and eater higher on other days.

The only 'treat' I eat is at the weekend I make a dark chocolate mouse with 1 square of 80% dark chocolate egg and double cream.

I do eat dairy but this is only the cream in the mouse at the weekend, butter for cooking with and the occasional cream sauce and some slices of Brie a few days a week as a snack.

I eat- tuna, chicken, pork, beef, prawns, eggs, good sausages, bacon, cheese, cream, broccoli, asparagus, spring onion, garlic, tomatoes (in the chili) spinach, salad leaves, cauliflower (mash), leaks, full fat Mayo, cream cheese (in sauces) as my staple foods and I cook and prepare it all at home. I also drink the occasional protein shake.

What can I be doing wrong? I am sure some might say just be patient! I feel great on this diet and have no intention of going back to hi carb as I have never felt better but it is frustration at over 100 pounds over weight to not loose in 3 weeks when I am so near the beginning and did loose at first. I have checked and re checked quantities and carb count and am taking all the supplements suggested by dr meads. My family are all on the diet and it is working for everyone of them and all the success stories show easy at the beginning.

If you are still reading this and not fallen asleep, Sorry for long post but I really do not know what to do - has anyone experienced the same as me. I am a very positive person in all other aspects and really hope my story changes and I can find my way to great health AND weight loss and help others along the way. Congrats to all of you who are doing so well you really are an inspiration! ;)

HELP :help:
Hello Chirpyc!! :wave: I highlighted the dairy in your meals so you could grasp that it is a larger part of your diet than you may imagine..You are doing very well and I am here to be supportive for you..However Dairy can cause problems if you are sensitive to it.Some people are,and others aren't..I would suggest to try cooking with coconut oil instead of butter,and using coconut milk to make your sauces in the place of cream..Robb Wolf,whom I greatly respect,asks everyone to do a 30 day elimination diet..This cleans your system and gives you a clean slate to judge how you feel,look and perform.. :agree: Then you can add in dairy,yams etc,to see how they make you feel,look and perform..Good luck with this and I wish you well!! :)

[Chirpyc]

Thanks Thomas, I have heard a few people say this about dairy but probably did not want to hear it! Adding the cheese is an easy way to up the fat in my diet so did not want to have to go with out! I could easily use coconut though in place of butter and cream. Just trying to decide if I should try increasing the fat a bit more first to see if that make a difference over the next couple of weeks and if not then accept that I may need to cut dairy as you have suggested and see what difference it makes over the 30 days.

I suppose this is me trying to put off having to let go of something I love that is so quick and easy. I travel a lot and it is always easy to pack and get hold of cheese for snacks whereas
good meat, eggs etc goes warm in my bag and not easy to hold
of fat/protein on trains.

But wishful thinking will not sort the weight loss out so if this stall content
after ajusting the fat ratio (using fitday for help with this now) I will look at
the dairy!

Well done on your fantasic weight loss so far you must feel fantastic! Thanks again for the help - I really do feel so much better after everyone's posts!
Knowing I am not the only one who has struggled and knowing there are still
some things I can do I feel I have some hope again that I will crack the
weight loss side and not have to resign myself to being big and healthy
following this lc diet!
:)

[Kirsteen]

I think that what has happened to you is that you lost a load of water which housed your stores of glycogen (sugar) at the beginning of the diet, but the body then put water back into the cells which contained the glycogen, to retain its water balance, so although you subsequently lost fat, your weight appeared the same.. You know that you have lost fat because you did not REGAIN any weight with the replacement of the water in your cells. Loads and loads of people post here with the same problem in that their speedy initial weight loss either stops or is partially regained. They think the diet isn't working, but it is. Persevere and you'll probably start to see the weight falling again.

You have lost 10lbs in 6 weeks. 1-2lbs a week is supposed to be a healthy weight loss. I only lost 1lb a week, and it felt quite scary - I started to lose hair at that speed. Many people who lose more quickly get left with really ugly loose skin which hangs in folds around them, and does not recover, leading some of them to resort to plastic surgery. A slower weight-loss with vitamin C rich foods in the diet enables you to avoid stretch marks and gives your skin time to adjust. I lost 50lbs and had no stretch marks and no loose skin at all, and I attribute that to the great quality veggies on the Atkins diet.

Thomas's suggestions are really great. Coconut oil seemingly boosts the metabolism amd supports the thyroid, and many people on this forum swear by it. It would possibly be good to do the elimination diet at some point when you have the time to accomplish it. However, losing the cheese might create a lot of difficulties for you with your present lifestyle. I personally couldn't manage the diet without cheese at the present time, but I do exercise portion control on cheese, limiting myself to 2-3 oz at one time. So, meantime, use the coconut oil instead of cream, juggle with the protein/fat balance, if possible, and give the diet a bit more time. Your body might just be adjusting its fluid balance. Try squeezing handfuls of your body fat daily. If the fat is breaking down, you'll feel the texture becoming less dense and solid.. Your weight and measurements could well stay the same, but at a cellular level the fat is disintegrating and eventually will start to shrink.

With regard to the protein, I agree with the other poster who suggested cutting out the protein shake. Adding more fats like coconut oil instead of the protein shake might work better for you, if you need the calories. Although your protein intake sounds quite high to me, if you are feeling better then it's likely that the protein isn't a problem. The body turns extra protein into sugar, so when that happens you'll start to experience cravings or hunger, as if you weren't on the diet. I personally never eat eggs in the morning, as I get terrible cravings and blood sugar issues from eating even one at breakfast. I have been eating cheese for breakfast. Later in the day, I can eat eggs with no problems. Most people on this site can eat several eggs for breakfast with no difficulty, so you just need to listen to your body and experiment to see what works best for you.

[QUOTE]The idea suggested above that you need to increase your carbs is just silly.[UNQUOTE]

I disagree that raising your carbs is silly. At the most basic level of science, on a very low-carb diet, you will burn a certain amount of dietary fat, protein or carbs just to stay alive, so the form it takes isn't going to matter. What does matter is whether or not those carbs are affecting your blood sugar levels. Too low or too high might make a difference to the success of the diet. You also don't want your body adjusting to extremely low carbs, as you'll just pile on weight once you get sick of the diet, or will have nothing left to cut if you hit a stall.

It's important to know that some people seem to lose better on more carbs, and particularly women have higher needs for certain nutrients from green leafy veggies. Without those nutrients, the body will struggle to lose, and you might develop more serious problems. Some people do exist longer-term on ultra low carbs, but they usually source their food carefully, buying grass-fed, free-range meats, dairy, etc., and often supplement with vitamins and minerals. I think you need to be more patient and look to the diet as a way of feeling great, increasing your energy and finding a good balance which enables weightloss while being enjoyable and sustainable long-term.

I personally use the Atkins diet, which starts at 20 grams daily and increases in 5g weekly increments. First time I did it, it suited me perfectly and I felt fantastic, even at the lowest level of carbs. I went off the diet for a couple of years, then returned to it recently.. I quickly discovered that what suited me several years ago is no longer the best thing for me, and I had to add the carbs more quickly by adding some pulses in order to avoid feeling really ill and unable to get off my bed. I didn't add extra veggies, as I was already eating about 30-40 grams of veggies, and too many more would act a bit like sugar to me, whereas pulses seem to be digested slower, which enables my blood sugar to be better controlled. With 10g worth of pulses added every other day, I am feeling great again, and am convinced that the additional carbs aren't putting my blood sugar out of balance which is the main issue which causes weight gain for me. I don't care if I lose slowly.. Having tried the Atkins diet once, and being back to it now, I have decided that I am now low-carb for life, so I am not looking for a quick-fix any more. I am also not weighing myself, because I got too hooked on seeing the scales drop last time I was on the diet, and that sabotaged the diet for me when my weight loss leveled for a couple of months, even though I could see I was still losing fat and was close to my goal weight.

Good luck with your diet. Don't give up on it. It took me a while when I first did Atkins to get the balance right. 1lb a week might not sound a lot, but I had been piling on weight in a frightening way before trying Atkins, in spite of eating very low calories, avoiding fat, trying other diets, etc. Atkins (which essentially starts very low carb then builds the carbs up gradually) worked like a miracle for me. Given what you have written, I believe that you have a diet which potentially could be great for you if you can be patient. Do use My Plan and count all your carbs. It's amazing how they can creep in when you aren't watching.