3 weeks in and no weight loss?

[hazel_fae]

Hello,

I did Atkins about 6 years ago to slim down for my brother's wedding and i lost like 20 lbs in the first week, granted i was almost hitting 200lbs then. Since then I have fallen off the atkins bandwagon but recently started back on it.

First let me say that in the last couple years i was diagnosed with PCOS/Insulin Resistance, some of the symptoms are excessive weight gain in the mid section, man hair growth patters (dark hair on upper lip/chest), hair loss (from too much testosterone) and acne. I suffered from all of those symptoms and was rx'd diabetes medication (which I do not take right now because of side effects).

Now since I began Atkins the first two weeks i saw a drastic improvement in my skin and hair. I would still get the occasional blemish here or there but nothing like what I used to have. Once i cut out caffeine my skin has been clearer than ever in my entire life. My hair is very soft and silky, no longer coarse and brittle.

However I haven't lost any weight. I might be gaining muscle, since i tried for so long to succeed with low calorie diets and lots of cardio.
I am 5'5 and weigh 150 lbs. I would like to ideally be around 130 lbs. I want to lose the weight before we try to have a baby so this has been very frustrating to not see the scale budge. I probably have lost some inches, i haven't measured, and i should make it a point to start doing that but some of my clothes fit looser but not by any significant amount.

I am getting frustrated. Any advice or encouragement is appreciated. I am probably a lifer now since i saw such a dramatic change in my PCOS symptoms but the fact that i am not losing weight is just a big bummer.
Thanks!

[MasterMake]

I found that any level of carbs caused me to crave more of them, so I ditched them completely,even the few carbs in a sausage would have this effect so I restricted those as well(but still ate them on occasion).

Basically I went strict carnivore with a carb pigout every 3-4 weeks(one day of soda, pizza, chocolate etc.).

The one factor for me was getting enough fat, if I didn't get enough fat I wouldn't loose much weight, and some people react negatively to dairy and it keeps them from loosing.

[hazel_fae]

I am thinking of trying stillman's for a few weeks. I definitely get enough fat. I have been trying to keep to the 65/30/5 ratio for fat/protein/carbs. I have tried Ketosticks a couple of times and it will show that sometimes i am in ketosis. I know the strips are not the end all be all but it at least made me feel better. I am at a loss on what else to do at this point. I exercise moderately, i find that i can't exercise as strenuously as i did when i ate carbs. i do weights and walk/bike/jog. i eat probably 1500-2000 calories a day.

[MasterMake]

That you tire quicker could be sign that you haven't quite adapted yet, it took me in excess of a month to adapt.

[Middlemist]

Same here hazel, am not losing this time as easily as I did previous times, but you need to remember last time you did this was 6 years ago, and your metabolism was different then to now.
I am going to stick with it and see where it takes me.

Yes exercise is a good idea, I tried to do lower fat VLC, but I keep failing, I need some fat with my meat.

Did you keep a journal previously? If so go back to it, and re-read. If not, start journalling now, write down your menu and weight, so you can see if you cam detect a pattern?
Best of luck :)

[hazel_fae]

thanks! I usually track via livestrong.com (used to be daily plate). i didn't track last time but maybe this time i will. I do feel a little more tone but my weight hasn't budged and sometimes my clothes feel even smaller! :( not sure what to do. I will keep a food journal maybe i am eating too much.
Today was: brkfst 2 sausage patties and 2 eggs
lunch - hard boiled egg and a brat with mustard
snack - half avacado with a tblspn cream cheese and occasionally some beef jerky.
dinner- chicken thigh/leg and side salad (iceburg and spring mix) with oil/vinegar dressing.
We had sugar free jello for desert.

I don't think that is excessive but im afraid to cut calories on this diet. so far i haven't gained just no loss.

[Middlemist]

Hazel, actually I think you are eating too little ! The only thing I can think of is to try to quit the dairy/cheese, and artificially sweetened jollo.

What about drinks? do you drink soda/coffee etc, perhaps that too needs to go, or only taken with the meal because these things can raise your insuling level.
But yeh, when I did Atkins first time, I never bothered to that extent, the weigth just fell off, even though I kept my drinks etc...

[hazel_fae]

I have cut out caffeine and occasionally have carbonated/flavored water that is make with sugar substitute or a cup of herbal tea. I will try cutting those out too. I have to finish them though :) can't let all this food go to waste! But once I finish the water/avacados/mushrooms/salad stuff I have in my refrigerator I will go to all meat and see if that makes a difference. :( I hope so! I have been reading other's who are completely no carb on this forum, i heard that is bad for your body to do long term though. Just curious if there's any long term effects of an all meat diet.

[leemack]

Also 30% protein is probably too much for someone with PCOS, you should probably aim for 15-20% protein and replace with fat.

Lee

[keis1225]

I was actually going to recommend adding more fat as well. I've heard on this forum cocoanut oil helps. For me when I feel I need to add more fat I add mayo sauces(which I make) to my meat, cook in more butter or up the fatty meat, chicken thigh oppose to chicken breast. Maybe this would help you too!

[hazel_fae]

I was tracking my percentages on the dailyplate.com and it showed i was eating the 65/30/5. Blah i dunno how much fat i can get in! i will try adjusting a few things gradually and see how it goes and i will update of course. If i don't come yell at me :) Thanks for the advice! I think i notice that i am gaining muscle and possibly getting more tone even though the weight is not dropping. Maybe it will just take some time? Either way, my skin/hair/nails are all much improved on this diet, the difference is considerable! No reason to deter from this WOE. :)

[Annabel33]

Hey Hazel... the issues with PCOS is that you do a lot of damage that needs to heal... That can take time. I know of other folks with PCOS who've not lost on Atkins, but have on South Beach.

I myself found Atkins very tricky with my auto immune thyroid issue... I lost no weight at all on it... pretty depressing.

The other thing is that large losses are generally seen when you've got a lot to lose, like 100lb or something. You've got little to lose so it will come off slower.

If your skin, hair, nails are all better, I would think that it's having a healing effect and you just need to wait it out.

[hazel_fae]

I have been logging my food on fitday I think eating beef jerky is sabotaging me! I didn't realize it had so many carbs in it. only 2 in a single piece but i have like 5 pieces or so throughout the day. People are always bringing in cakes and cookies so the jerky has been my savior. I think i will switch to hardboiled eggs though. surprisingly i have been eating about 30-40g of carbs a day and high calories and high fat and although i haven't been losing like other people, I haven't been gaining either. Kicking myself for all those times I meticulously counted calories. to stay under 1400 a day. oye. I definitely am putting on muscle mass. my clothes fit better, not looser but better overall.