Active Low-Carber Forums
Atkins diet and low carb discussion provided free for information only, not as medical advice.
Home Plans Tips Recipes Tools Stories Studies Products
Active Low-Carber Forums
A sugar-free zone


Welcome to the Active Low-Carber Forums.
Support for Atkins diet, Protein Power, Neanderthin (Paleo Diet), CAD/CALP, Dr. Bernstein Diabetes Solution and any other healthy low-carb diet or plan, all are welcome in our lowcarb community. Forget starvation and fad diets -- join the healthy eating crowd! You may register by clicking here, it's free!

Go Back   Active Low-Carber Forums > Main Low-Carb Diets Forums & Support > Best Of
User Name
Password
FAQ Members Calendar Mark Forums Read Search Gallery My P.L.A.N. Survey


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #46   ^
Old Thu, Dec-10-09, 13:37
zanjabil's Avatar
zanjabil zanjabil is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 120
 
Plan: Mostly meat
Stats: 215/193/150 Female 63in
BF:
Progress: 34%
Location: DC
Default

I needed to find this article. Great info!
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
  #47   ^
Old Sat, Dec-12-09, 17:57
cricket56's Avatar
cricket56 cricket56 is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 6,654
 
Plan: my own low carb
Stats: 100/100/100 Male 50.0 inches
BF:
Progress: 100%
Default

glad it helped.Now print it out and post by that darned scale!
Reply With Quote
  #48   ^
Old Sun, Dec-13-09, 13:47
zanjabil's Avatar
zanjabil zanjabil is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 120
 
Plan: Mostly meat
Stats: 215/193/150 Female 63in
BF:
Progress: 34%
Location: DC
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by cricket56
glad it helped.Now print it out and post by that darned scale!

For real! I think i will
Reply With Quote
  #49   ^
Old Sun, Jan-03-10, 01:43
AiB's Avatar
AiB AiB is offline
New Member
Posts: 7
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 190/180/165 Female 172
BF:
Progress: 40%
Location: Norway
Default

Wow..this was was a great read!! Its much clearer to me now,I knew about water retention, but didnt really get it properly until I read this post.
Reply With Quote
  #50   ^
Old Sun, Jan-17-10, 01:31
Ruralgurl's Avatar
Ruralgurl Ruralgurl is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 437
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 225/190.5/150 Female 5' 7"
BF:
Progress: 46%
Location: British Columbia
Default

thanks for this article cricket
I immediately feel better within days of lowcarbing but the scale just moves soooo sloowly. Yea I do get discouraged by week 5 as well. Thanks for helping me understand those shape shifting fat cells a little better!! I do notice my clothes baggier but yea the scale does not budge much, maybe a no weigh for 6 month is the thing to do?
Reply With Quote
  #51   ^
Old Sun, Jan-17-10, 08:49
cricket56's Avatar
cricket56 cricket56 is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 6,654
 
Plan: my own low carb
Stats: 100/100/100 Male 50.0 inches
BF:
Progress: 100%
Default

Sorry to have been off this site for so long.JUst checked in after many amny weeks away. I am a scal-a-holic- and use the keto strips like a crutch. Whatever works for you is a go-for-it!
Mo matter what plan you follow the scale deal is the same.
Good luck.
Reply With Quote
  #52   ^
Old Thu, Feb-18-10, 14:40
Ruralgurl's Avatar
Ruralgurl Ruralgurl is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 437
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 225/190.5/150 Female 5' 7"
BF:
Progress: 46%
Location: British Columbia
Default

I am going in to week 8 and the scale is going down again and I notice that I do not have the water retention feeling that was bothering me.
Great thread thanks again!
Reply With Quote
  #53   ^
Old Thu, Jan-20-11, 02:45
Ruralgurl's Avatar
Ruralgurl Ruralgurl is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 437
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 225/190.5/150 Female 5' 7"
BF:
Progress: 46%
Location: British Columbia
Default

Just want to BUMP this!
Reply With Quote
  #54   ^
Old Thu, Jan-20-11, 03:11
Wildeone's Avatar
Wildeone Wildeone is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,213
 
Plan: Cambridge diet
Stats: 275/220/155 Female 158cm
BF:
Progress: 46%
Location: England
Default

Thanks for the bump - this article has helped!
Reply With Quote
  #55   ^
Old Thu, Jan-20-11, 07:57
tommiec68's Avatar
tommiec68 tommiec68 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 736
 
Plan: low carb HCG
Stats: 200/159/150 Female 5 5
BF:YES it is!!
Progress: 82%
Location: TN
Default

DANG IT, WHERE WAS THIS INFO 6 YEARS AGO MY FIRST GO AROUND???? FABULOUS INFO THAT I TOO THINK EVERYONE STARTING OUT OR RESTARTING SHOULD READ. I am a slave to my scale and am glad to now know its nasty little tricks! Thank you so much for sharing it.

Tammie
Reply With Quote
  #56   ^
Old Fri, Apr-08-11, 16:51
cricket56's Avatar
cricket56 cricket56 is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 6,654
 
Plan: my own low carb
Stats: 100/100/100 Male 50.0 inches
BF:
Progress: 100%
Default

I AM BACK AND SO HAPPY TO BE HERE!!! ( would be happier if I were thin and back and not fat again!)
Reply With Quote
  #57   ^
Old Tue, Apr-26-11, 13:53
Leizal's Avatar
Leizal Leizal is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 128
 
Plan: Atkins-ish
Stats: 232/207/166 Female 5 ft 6 inches
BF:52/48/30
Progress: 38%
Default

Both my sister and I really appreciate this post! I'm new to low-carb but my job has always meant that I can't drink as much as I should (very busy cashier in a bank; barely get time to sip that pint-glass full that sits in front of me) and my sister stresses at TOM when she gains four pounds. Lovely to read that there's a sensible, non-fat-related explanation.
Reply With Quote
  #58   ^
Old Wed, Apr-27-11, 05:12
cricket56's Avatar
cricket56 cricket56 is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 6,654
 
Plan: my own low carb
Stats: 100/100/100 Male 50.0 inches
BF:
Progress: 100%
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Leizal
Both my sister and I really appreciate this post! I'm new to low-carb but my job has always meant that I can't drink as much as I should (very busy cashier in a bank; barely get time to sip that pint-glass full that sits in front of me) and my sister stresses at TOM when she gains four pounds. Lovely to read that there's a sensible, non-fat-related explanation.

Hi Leizal It doesn't matter WHEN you drink your water, just try to get it in. After work is fine and in the evening. aT FIRST you will be running to the bathroom, but your body adjusts to that too... it is important to get the kidneys flushed, and your skin needs it as well. LC tends to be diuretic so you don't want to make your body think it is in water denial and hold on to every once it gets!!
Ejoy the foods and eating LC does not mean being deprived or ever going hungry
Have a great day! and I am happy you enjoyed the info
Reply With Quote
  #59   ^
Old Thu, May-19-11, 13:12
soul's Avatar
soul soul is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 476
 
Plan: Atkins DANDR- Induction
Stats: 155/158.0/120 Female 5 feet
BF:
Progress: -9%
Location: East Coast
Default

thanks for the ariticle
Reply With Quote
  #60   ^
Old Sun, May-22-11, 22:18
cricket56's Avatar
cricket56 cricket56 is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 6,654
 
Plan: my own low carb
Stats: 100/100/100 Male 50.0 inches
BF:
Progress: 100%
Default

decided to move it closer to the currrent page.I read it a lot!

WHY THE SCALES CAN LIE
A biologist at Berkeley shared something very revealing on the low-carb BBS system about 4 years ago that helps us all through the erratic weight fluctuations you invariably encounter: Fat cells are resilient, stubborn little creatures that do not want to give up their actual cell volume. Over a period of weeks, maybe months of "proper dieting", each of your fat cells may have actually lost a good percentage of the actual fat contained in those cells. But the fat cells themselves, stubborn little guys, replace that lost fat with water to retain their size. That is, instead of shrinking to match the reduced amount of fat in the cell, they stay the same size! Result - you weigh the same, look the same, maybe even gained some scale weight, even though you have actually lost some serious fat.

The good news is that this water replacement is temporary. It's a defensive measure to keep your body from changing too rapidly. It allows the fat cell to counter the rapid change in cell composition, allowing for a slow, gradual reduction in cell size. The problem is, most people are frustrated with their apparent lack of success, assume they have lost nothing, and stop dieting.

However, if you give those fat cells some time, like 4-6 months, and ignore the scale weight fluctuations, your real weight/shape will slowly begin to show. The moral of the story - be patient! Your body is changing even if the number on the scale isn't.

PATTERNS OF WEIGHT LOSS

Common patterns of weight loss from tracking a lot of people who become assimilated into the low carb lifestyle, a pattern emerges.... the 2 week induction is pretty heady...weight lost just about every single day, enormous and unbelievable amounts of weight loss are reported. This is often followed by complaints that weight loss "stalls" or that the rate drops to only 1 pound per week.

Many people just don't know that fat-loss ...the actual goal when on a weight-reduction" diet, is rate-limited. In other words, the human body has factors that prevent more than a certain amount of fatty-acid release from storage...and even more factors that prevent those released fatty acids from being used up instead of stored back into the fat cells.

A priority of the human body is survival. Anything that threatens its survival results in the cascade of events to maintain the previous status quo. Water fluctuations are one way the body does this. OK...so you done good on Atkins' during induction...lost 10 pounds the first 2 weeks. Maybe 7 the first week and 3 the second. But, whoa! Weeks 3 and 4 there is NO loss! And weeks 5 and 6 is only 1/2 pound each!

So... what gives? Initially, the body jettisons the water attached to the glycogen stores that we diligently deplete to get into ketosis...this accounts for about 3-5 pounds of water. In addition, muscle stores of glycogen are not being replaced when used...which will account for the rest. All in all...MAYBE 1/2 pound of fat was metabolized during the first week... and MAYBE 1/2 pound of fat was metabolized the 2nd week. Of that 10 initial pounds, only 1 pound was fat and 9 pounds water...

The body senses this lack and sirens start shrieking: Warning! Warning! Losing water... new thing...got to get back to the status quo! Brain tells body to produce and release that vasopressin anti-diuretic hormone....more water is retained, and no weight loss noticed. Fat loss is still occurring, MAYBE even 2 pounds per week, because ketosis is firmly established and appetite suppression is in effect...but water retention is hiding that continuing fat loss. The body is preventing dehydration with this mechanism, and that's a *good* thing.

From the perspective of the scale, it can be discouraging. Which is why the mantra: Water retention masks fat loss (repeated frequently to oneself) is helpful. Water retention will mask ongoing fat-loss for as long as the body retains the water. We can combat this by drinking more water...but we aren't going to totally overcome this mechanism during the initial water-loss phase of the Atkins diet. By weeks 5 and 6, things start to get back in balance, and the scale will begin to reflect the true fat-loss...which, as mentioned before is rate-limited.

Individuals vary, but max weight loss runs about 2 pounds per week...under extremely optimal conditions... or 1% of body weight (whichever is the lower number). So don't use the scale as an excuse to undermine your progress. Even when the scale is in a stall, fat loss can be occurring.

----------------

We've been told over an over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet many of us can't resist peeking at that number every morning. If you just can't bring yourself to toss the scale in the trash, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the factors that influence it's readings. From water retention to glycogen storage and changes in lean body mass, daily weight fluctuations are normal. They are not indicators of your success or failure. Once you understand how these mechanisms work, you can free yourself from the daily battle with the bathroom scale.

Water makes up about 60% of total body mass. Normal fluctuations in the body's water content can send scale-watchers into a tailspin if they don't understand what's happening. Two factors influencing water retention are water consumption and salt intake. Strange as it sounds, the less water you drink, the more of it your body retains. If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang onto it's water supplies with a vengeance, possibly causing the number on the scale to inch upward. The solution is to drink plenty of water.

Excess salt (sodium) can also play a big role in water retention. A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium. Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it's easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers. However, a food doesn't have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts.

The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content. That's why, when it comes to eating, it's wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains. Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners.

Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking plenty of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum.

Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and it's packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it's stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates.

As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with it's associated water. It's normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if you're prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.

Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it's wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you've had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It's the actual weight of everything you've had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you've finished digesting it.

Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely, in fact it's not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, it's likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in.

Generally, it's only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it's physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you're really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle.

This brings us to the scale's sneakiest attribute. It doesn't just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesn't necessarily mean that you've lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what you've lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when you're just sitting around. That's one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.

Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn't differentiate between the two. It can't tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat.

There are several other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current.

If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn't appeal to you, don't worry. The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don't be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 21:18.


Copyright © 2000-2024 Active Low-Carber Forums @ forum.lowcarber.org
Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.