Hang in there, ouch! As an example - I haven't lost any weight or inches recently, but all of the sudden my clothes are fitting looser. Just focus on the positives ("My arms are looking great, and toned, and my butt's shrinking") and the rest will come too! I'm expecting my own "whoosh" any day now

And don't forget...water water water water. Eight glasses of 8oz each just doesn't seem to be enough. I keep a 24oz cup near me and drink from that all day. I refill it 4 or 5 times. Yep, I have to 'go' all day long, but I think of it as flushing out toxins. If you're feeling bloated, try increasing your water. Are you taking flax or psyllium husks? (did I spell that correctly?)

Hang in there!

Hey guys...

one thing for sure, I definitely drink enough water! I drink water constantly all day and all night long! Like you, I also have to "go" all day long...but I always feel better when I drink tons and tons of it!

No change again all weekend..I'm actually up a couple of pounds...so I think that this diet isn't right for me at all


O

Are you eating enough? I went almost 2 weeks and didn't lose anything (maybe some inches but I don't formally measure). Then this past weekend I upped my calorie intake and fat intake (to 70+%) and voila, I lose 3 pounds in 2 days. So, try eating a little more, particulatly fat content and see if that gets you going.

I'm pretty sure that I do? I eat cheese, and sour cream, salad dressing...and fatty meats and fishes. So I think I'm getting enough in that area.

I honest to God feel like I'm gaining. Everyone thinks I'm being foolish, but it's the truth!

Oh I'm sure no one thinks you're being "foolish". This WOE is individualized and we all have different experiences.

Are you recording your food intake anywhere? I keep a very detailed journal at home so I know precisely where I stand on calories, carbs, fiber, protein and fat each and every day. Some people say that cheese/dairy stalls them. As another note, I often go for 4 or 5 weeks with no change.

Like SmallerMe, I lose better when I'm intaking more calories. At 1700/day I lose better than at 1500/day.

Hopefully some of the more experienced members here can add some insight for you.

No one with any heart at all would think you're being foolish! Just a few days ago when I was ready to give up this plan because I didn't see any changes on the scale in weeks, I read lots of postings on this site and learned that some people get stalled by eating too much cheese. So I cut way back on cheese, but still ate fat/protein/carbs in that classic 65/30/5 ratio. (More or less...it's hard to stay exact.) I made sure I ate at least 1300 calories. And I had my whoosh.

Who are we to say it works for everyone? But it does work for many.

Have you looked into the 'fat fast?' It's another method to shake things up and get over a stall. Keep posting! We'll keep supporting you!

xoxo

Hi guys...

I hope my big supporters are still kicking around!

i'm still stuck in the same spot as before...no change, but still at it. Some of you say to cut out cheese, but if I cut out cheese, I'm afraid I'll have nothing left! I feel like I'm cutting out so many things, and cheese is something I really enjoy.

What to do?

It may be worth it for you to see if the cheese is making you stall out. Are you saying that cheese is your only source of protein? What else are you eating?

Cheese can stall you. It stalls many. You may not have to cut it out totally, but cut way back. How much cheese are you eating typically?

Let's figure this out.

Ia

Hi ouch! I'm still here and glad you are too I guess my question would also be how much cheese are you eating - and what else are you eating? Are you not eating anything else you enjoy? I agree with Robert Crayhon's view (and it was cited in PPLP) that pleasure is a nutrient and is important. So, how about Isa's suggestion - let's see what you're eating and we can get something figured out!

allrighty then folks, here we go!

this is a typical day, and I don't stray much from this...

breakfast: 2 boiled eggs...I find them easy to make, I dry my hair and put on my make-up while they're boiling and I can throw em back quickly

lunch: salad (pretty much every day) with dressing, and tuna salad/chicken salad/sausage/or any other leftover meat from supper the night before.

supper: steak or chicken or fish or pork chops, often cooked in butter, usually served with fried mushrooms and generally always covered with melted cheese. in addition to that I'll have broccoli/spinach or some other veggie.

if I have a snack, it's usually a few pieces of cheese and some pepperoni, or I'll have the cheese with celery...I eat celery frequently.

I gave up on the coffee completely, and now the only things I drink are water and herbal tea (and the occasional vodka/diet 7-UP!)

This is completely honest, no fibbin!

Oh, here's what's usually in my salad...

lettuce, celery, mushrooms, red pepper, cucumber, grated cheddar and bacon. YUM!

Help!

Hello Ouch!

There's not much that I can add to all the great advice you've already received, except to perhaps reiterate a couple of important points:

I stalled for several weeks after my induction, too. If I would have quit at that point, I'd weigh 172 (or much more!) instead of 156 today.

I've been LCing for a year but I have been losing at a snail's pace since about September....about 1/2# per month. However, it IS still moving in the right direction.

Yes, I've been discouraged by this slow loss, but I re-measured myself this morning and found that although I'd only lost about 5#, I've lost almost 6 inches in that same time!! It IS a very real fact that as you increase protein and lower insulin in your diet, your muscles AND your bones increase in mass. The scale does not reflect all that is going on in your body!! MEASURE LOTS OF PLACES AND MEASURE ONCE A MONTH, 1 week after TOM.

Please keep in mind that depending on what kind of dieting history you have and how poor your diet was before LC, your body is in the process of healing itself. This takes time and sometimes the losses are slow. Your patience and persistence will pay off for you in spades.... even if you never lose another pound!! I'd never in a million years trade the health I have now for what I had 'then'.

PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE!!!

Hi TeriDoodle! I love your name (almost as much as I'd love some Cheese Doddles right now!)...

you have re-inspired me once again!

Maybe I'll keep at it for a bit, I really don't find it too terribly difficult...so maybe I'll just keep going. I just figured that I've been stalled for so long now that I don't think I'm going to lose any more

I will keep checking in here, and seeing what wise words you wonderful people have to throw at me!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!


O

ouch,

Which phase of the Atkins program are you on? How many carbs are you allowing yourself daily? How many calories? Have you measured your 'few pieces of cheese?' How many ounces are in a few? And how much cheese is melted over your steak cooked in butter? Have you calculated all the carbs in your salad?

If you're not in the Induction phase you should have figured out how many carbs you can eat and still lose weight. If you're in Induction you can't have more than 20. And that also means no vodka. And that means 3 cups of loosly packed salad, or two cups of salad and one cup of another vegetable that Atkins doesn't classify as salad vegetable, such as broccoli.

Have you considered the possibility that your 'occasional vodka' and 'few pieces of cheese' and all the extra salad carbs are adding up to a great big stall? Am I saying don't eat your salad? Of course not. I am saying measure what you're eating and adjust accordingly.

Hi ouch (and everyone else )!

I just re-read this thread - there's a lot of good advice and information here . I think TeriDoodle had some wonderful points about looking at the overall picture and all the changes in your body that are going on!

You've still lost that 7 pounds - is that not an accomplishment? Have you made a list of all the postives of this WOE/WOL? Do you feel better, look better, sleep better, focus better - are there not some good things coming from this? Are you measuring in addition to weighing? Maybe you should just blow the scales off and focus on how you're feeling and looking.

Now, if it were me - and I am speaking only for me here - I would eat cheese at only one meal. I would also try to spread my intake more evenly throughout the day. I just don't think I'd survive through a morning on just two eggs ! If you stick pretty much to the same eating/exercise habits day in and day out, I would just try to tweak one thing for two weeks and see if there's a change. If not, change something else. Only one change at a time, though

Have you read all the great information under Lowcarb Tips? As I recall there's quite a bit of useful information there.

Best of luck and keep us posted !