I have been on Atkins since 1/4/02 and I have only lost 2#. I walked 2-4 miles a day and do weight training 2 times a week.
I keep track of what I eat and enter my food in fit day daily also in the bookcamp section. I think I may be eating to many calories so I have tried to cut back on that. I only have 17# to lose but I feel am depressed that I am not losing.
My husband and sister-in-law have lost over 20# and we all started the same time.
Good news-I was in Florida last week for a seminar and did not gain any weight. I found it was really easy to stay on low carb diet.
I was thinking of cutting down on carbs or doing the meat fast.
Any suggestions anyone has I would greatly appreciate it.
sallyd

Sally,

You are probably not going to lose weight very quickly, because you don't have much to lose. It tends to come off in proportion to one's size. Someone weighing 300 pounds will lose pounds in a shorter amount of time, but as the amount left to lose gets smaller, so does the rate of fat loss.

Additionally, if you are doing strength training, you are gaining muscle weight, and muscle weighs more than fat. What you really should be using to measure your progress is your body fat percentage and the way your clothes fit (a measuring tape could work too).

I have checked my measurements and have not lost any inches but I just started working out faithfully the past couple of weeks.
My husband and I used to work out together but he ruptured a tendon in his arm so has not been able to work out. I need him to push me as it is easy to talk myself out of it.
I got my friend to do Atkins and she is working out with me now. I have got several people doing Atkins and they are all losing. I will hang in there because at least I have not gained.
sallyd

if you continue to lift weights, not overdo cardio, and eat LC, you should see changes in your inches. People with little to lose (whether they are starting with little or at the last 10-15 pounds of their larger loss) often need 6 months or even more to reach their goal size. So hang in there, find the motivation to get to the gym, enjoy the process, and keep notes on any health/emotional benefits you are getting from LCing. Those benefits can help us hang in when the scale does not budge.

HTH!

Razzel
I will continue to hang in there as I really like the low carb diet and it is the easiest diet I have ever been on.

Hi SallyD,

You must have a natural sales gift. Congratulations. I have told many friends and relatives about the Atkins low-carb diet and only one other person picked up on it. Even then, she didn't start until another woman at work also told her how well she was doing. I can't take credit for that person either. This was after I had alread lost about 30 lbs and had only glowing reports. You are having trouble getting started but selling others to give it a try. This I can't understand. My gift is not sales.

To get the weight loss started try cutting out absolutely every carb you can find and don't over eat on large quantities. When you start to drop DON'T be tempted to sneak back in a few delicious carb item. I hit a plateau after each ten pounds loss and had trouble getting off each one. After finally reaching my first goal, I set my present goal ten pounds lower. I am in the ideal weight range so the weight is much harder to loose.

Let us know how it is going,

Kent

I've been on this diet for almost 2 months and haven't lost a pound. I've been soooooooo meticulous with it hoping that if I just got more and more strict and followed the plan perfectly, then I would HAVE to lose weight.

Well, I hate to say, I've gained 2 pounds. I was hoping it was just water, but no, it's not going anywhere. It's fat, and it's stubborn.

I am still on the diet, and still trying my best to lose. I'm sticking with plan for about another week so that I can finish eating off all the steaks and various Atkins foods I invested in. If by some miracle some weight happens to finally fall off I'd consider staying on it, but seriously, after 2 months on a diet, I should see some progress or it's time to consider trying something new.

It's becoming very apparent that this diet doesn't work for everyone, and I'm a good example of that. I doubt there is one diet that suits all body types, so consider that and monitor yourself carefully so that you don't end up like me: 2 pounds heavier with the profound feeling that I just wasted 2 months for nothing.

I'm sorry if I'm asking a dumb question or a question that has already been answered but ... what do you mean "too much cardio"? Isn't it the cardio that makes you burn the blubber? I'm trying to do weights and cardio, but I reckoned I'd priviledge the cardio until some of my butt can get into my jeans (even just a piece of it would make me very happy ).

Thanks
Liv

Kent,
I am a great sales person but it is sure depressing when they lose and you don't. I will try to cut out the carbs but I wanted to make sure that you meant you cut out all carbs.

Headstrong
I know what you mean about feeling like you wasted 2 months I feel that way to but at least I have not gained. When I went to Florida for a seminar I ate low carb and even had a drink a couple of times and I did not gain any weight. I am still sticking to the low carb but you are right it does not work for everyone.
sallyd

Hi SallyD,

Atkins' website a lots of good information. Check out this page:

Atkins - Why Can't I Lose Weight?

You are so right about not gaining weight. We all gain weight easily or we wouldn't be here. Leaving the low-carbohydrate way of eating could result in troubling weight gain. I know it would for me.

Headstrong and Viv,

I hope you don't give up. Carbohydrates only make insulin resistance worse over time and weight gain easier. A low-carbohydrate lifestyle is also very healthy as Dr. Atkins discusses in detail in his book, "Age-Defying." Age related degenerative diseases can be avoided. On the other hand, the low-fat, low-calorie diets are not only less successful at weight lose but can cause serious health problems because of the deficiencies in amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. The low-fat crowd blames all their diseases on hereditary and search without success for that "magic bullet" in herbal products or some missing vitamin. I hear the same excuses over and over.

Keep us informed,

Kent

headstrong - you really don't have much to lose to get to your goal, so it IS going to be slow. However, if you were trying to stay low cal or low fat previous to doing Atkins, your body has probably been short of protein & is grabbing all it can to make repair to muscle. If you are exercising, you can be SURE that you are putting on muscle while burning fat. That is so common.

It has often been said that the tape measure or a piece of tight clothing is the best measure of how you are losing - NOT the scales

I sure hope you are drinking the water, because if you aren't, you won't lose. Period.

So consider those things before throwing in the towel.

BarB