I was on Atkins induction for 17 full days. I went off for two, but didn't eat a lot. I started SBD on Monday, so I'm on day 3. i have been working out regularly for at least 40 minutes each night (cardio and weights) for a week. I have not budged - NOT ONE POUND! What the heck??? I am becoming SERIOUSLY discouraged here. I know, I know - only 3 days...but it's been almost a month total. I don't get it. My measurements haven't changed, the scale hasn't budged, etc - AT ALL. What's the point? I'm so sad right now, I could cry.

have you posted a food journal??? that might be able to us tell you what's going wrong. Also, when you're lifting weights and cardio, how long are you doing each? Are you spliting it half and half?? I found that, by doing cardio for a 1/2 hour on an elevated treadmill and doing weights for about 15-20 minutes really does help. I know it's a little more than what you were doing but, you might see better results. Hope this helps

You really to need to relax in this process....its going to take longer than 3 days for you to see any loss....really!!
Please List all your food....
water? ...
any processed meats with too much sodium?
How much cheese?

Mom2Gavin is right, post your food in a journal so others can review and give tips.
3 days is not long enough to see a change.
When I go back to phase one is it usually the morning of the 4th day that I start seeing results, that doesn't mean it will be the same with you, everyone is different.
One tip Judy always gave me was EAT MORE VEGGIES! Always works, you fill up on veggies, and eat less limited items.
Keep your meats at 4oz a meal, 1/2 - 1/3 cup of beans two meals a day, keep your dairy (including cheese) intake low; 2 cups of dairy daily and keep hard cheese to a max of 2-3 ozs a day and drink lots of water!
It'll work, give it time!

Judy,

Per your advice, I have cut out all cheese and processed meats. I've posted a few of my sample menus over the past few days - but will update with more later.

Ok...here goes...

Monday:

Breakfast - 2 1/2 inch thick pcs of 75% fat free cheddar, can of V8

Snack - Cucumber with fat free yogurt dip, about 3 tbsp.

Lunch - Mixed Romaine with a small chicken breast, cuces and half of a vine tomato, 2 tbsp South Beach Balsamic dressing

Snack - 2 medium celery stalks

Dinner - Cornish hen, breasts only, no skin. Grilled Zucchini.

After workout - SF Fudge pop

Tuesday:

Breakfast - 2 egg veggie omelet, can of V8

Snack - Cucumber with fat free yogurt dip, about 3 tbsp

Lunch - Mixed Romaine with a small chicken breast, cuces and half of a vine tomato, 2 tbsp South Beach Balsamic dressing

Snack - 2 medium celery stalks with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter each (2 tbsp total)

Dinner - About 3/4 cup of salmon, green beans sauteed with garlic & almonds (about 2 tbsp sliced almonds)

After Work out - SF Fudge Pop, SF Ice pop

Today:

Breakfast - 2 Over Medium eggs, side of cuces with hummus, can of V8

Snack - 2 medium celery stalks with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter each (tbsp peanut butter total)

Lunch - Mixed Romaine with a small chicken breast, cuces and half of a vine tomato, 2 tbsp South Beach Balsamic dressing

Snack - Cuces with hummus

Dinner - Salad greens with grilled shrimp and 2 tbsp sliced almonds. Dressing was vinegar, olive oil and 2 pkts splenda

Dessert - Mocha Ricotta Cream, from the supercharged book phase 1 recipes - about 3 bites, it was awful.

Soooo...I'm following the guidelines. I'm under my calories according to fit day by 200-400 a day (they have built in a 900 calorie deficit, and I'm even below that). I've basically cut out cheese and processed meat. I make everything myself, no eating out - I know exactly what's in it. I eat every 2.5-3 hours, to keep the metab going. I have 2 cups of coffee in the morning, with splenda and fat free half & half, or skim milk. I drink about 30-100 oz of water a day, usually on the higher side. One diet soda, if that. Crystal light, in moderation, in the evening only. I'm not putting anything else into my body than everything I have listed above.

As for exercise, I am doing cardio and strength each night. I'm doing about 20-30 minutes of cardio - mixed cardio, incorporating some interval training and several different exercises. Then I do about 15-20 minutes of weights...arms, etc. I also do crunches (4 different kinds - upper abs, lower abs, side crunches and yoga ball crunches to strengthen entire core). Lunges and squats are also incorporated. I've been doing this about a week.

And hey - I know this weight isn't going to come off in 3 days. I'm a realistic gal. It didn't come on in 3 days, it won't come off in 3 days. But, with the Atkins extended induction I also did, it's been about a month now that I've cut out carbs, etc. I've been watching portions, calories, carbs, etc. I've been making good choices. For almost a month...and not one pound. I wasn't expecting to lose 20 pounds in a month....but if the average weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week, I would have expected to have lost at least 1 pound in a month, and I haven't.

I'm at a loss and I am frustrated. I'll keep on keepin' on, but I'm baffled. I've seen the doctor. I am told there are no thyroid issues, etc. He's the one that suggested LC'ing to get my weight under control and was sure it would work. But a month - and nothing. I'm starting to think that no matter what I do, I'm going to be fat forever, and that's a really horrible and discouraging feeling.

Please keep in mind that you did just come off a few days where, by your own words, you wanted to eat "normal". You did eat alot of refined starchy carbs. It takes the body 3 days to clear those out and then your body can begin to adapt to see loss.

Make sure that you are drinking water...your foods look really right on target other than the cheese for breakfast on Monday morning. I know you were in rush...so just let that go, OK?

Trust in this process...it will happen but it will be slow for you as you don't have a lot to lose. Those of us who started out higher than you did see faster losses at first.....** we can expect to lose up to 10% of our total loss in the first 2 weeks and for you that'd be 2 lbs.**

One more thing...try to not get on the scale again until Saturday morning.
R-E-L-A-X and breeeaath!!

Kelly, it is the same for me, exactly the same, and I really don't understand why. Can't help you, sorry, but just to say that you are not alone.

I have to agree with judy. Your food is awesome. Right on target. As long as the yogurt is PLAIN fat-free, not flavored, which I'm assuming it is It is discouraging....as you can see in one of my threads, I was aggravated because I wasn't losing weight on SB and was ready to give up. Judy convinced me that it would happen and it did, pretty quickly after time. As far as Atkins go, your transfering from Atkins to SB with only a couple day's break in between. It will take a little while for your body to adjust...I promise it will work for you! Just give it a couple more weeks

Judy - thank you! A few things...

I don't have 20 pounds to lose, I have 40 pounds to lose. I know, though, that in comparison to some of the mountains other people have overcome, that number is still very low. For me, though, it is not. I'm sure you understand that.

As for the cheese - I'm confused. Because the food lists and books say we can have reduced fat / fat free cheese. Now, I haven't had any cheese since Monday morning (mostly because it tasted awful), but I am having a wee bit in my omelet this morning...ham and cheese to be precise...which is actually a meal plan suggestion in the super charged book for P1. If you ladies really think it will cause a stall, I won't revisit the cheese again.

And you're right. I spent 17 days on Atkins induction where I was eating maybe one serving of fruit a day and loading up on fats and processed foods - ceasar dressing, parm cheese, peperoni, cheddar, slim jim - etc, etc, etc. I'm a little disappointed that I essentially wasted all that time, but, I have to really just forget that I ever did it. MONDAY was my start on South Beach and MONDAY was the day that I really committed to getting the book and doing this right. So, I have to give it time - and I will.

Yes, my yogurt is completely plain and fat free. By the book.

There's many things I've had to learn from my weight loss journey --- one of the HARDEST ever was patience. It really really is. I hate to have to say it but it's true....Hang in there Kelly, seriously. What's the alternative anyway right?

Sending weight loss vibes your way.....

You're right, there is no alternative. I can either continue eating this way and be healthy, feel better and eventually lose some kind of weight (I mean, I have to lose weight at some point, right?) - or I can go back to my old habits and be fat forever. No thanks. I choose the former of these options. And hey - what's the worst that can happen? Maybe I am somehow metabolically resistant. Maybe I am supposed to just be this size. At the very least, I'll be eating healthy and guilt free. What do I have to lose? Nothing.

This is a journey, not a race. If it takes a year to get to goal, then it takes a year to get to goal. I'll still be better off a year form now than I am at this moment. And I can't imagine that at least by the end of the summer, eating this way and exercising 6-7 days a week, that I won't look and feel at least a little bit better. I mean, it would be virtually impossible not to. I hope.

Yes, it is very confusing because they list cheese as an unlimited source of protein. Yes, it says we can have cheese that is less than 6 grams of sat fat per ounce.
BUT...what they don't tell you is that cheese is very high in sodium and is constipating...and when eaten in too large of a quantity, does stall out most of us.
So I advise all to keep it to a maximum of 2-3 ozs a day and count it towards your 2 cups daily dairy totals.

I do it that way and I also keep my dairy on the low side and rarely use up all of the 2 cups daily. I have 1/2 cup of yogurt in the morning and some days I have 1/2 cup cottage cheese in the afternoon. Some days I eat 1-2 ozs of hard cheese but never more than that.

Sorry I got your total loss wrong....40 lbs is substanial and at 5'6"....you must have a small frame? When did you weigh 125 lbs and how long were you that weight?

Yes, it is a journey and we do learn many things along the way. Many have learned they are gluten intolerant and when they removed it from their diet, they began to see losses....some had to remove all dairy because they found that they are lacto intolerant and the same thing happened when they did remove all dairy.

I know you say you are under your calorie requirements, but have you calculated exactly how much you are eating calorie wise. Looking at your menus, they look abit low on calories. Maybe not though...just asking! Sometimes people tend to think that drastically dropping calories is the best way to lose weight. It really isn't. If this doesn't apply to you...ignore it!