You have testicles???? I thought by your picture and name that you were a female. That was a shock to read.

sorry to have startled you so. that's not my picture. that's rae dawn chong. i picked her in honor of my undertaking of the neanderthin plan (she was in 'quest for fire').

yes, I was startled there for a minute, thanks for clarifying, fuschia.

most people don't realize this, especially if they are of 'healthy' body weight like me, but in the atkins book there is some info about thyroid problems. while people who weigh more than what is considered healthy body weight( overweight or obese) can lose weight on atkins and other low carb plans, people with thyroid problems can not lose weight as their bodies have more lean muslce and less total fat. even those who lost a lot of pounds may have the thyroid problem and as these same people near an ideal body weight, they too stop losing. The main reason for this is that the body does not convert T4 in the liver in T3. The thyroid is responsible for this process. Most conventional doctors will not do this thyroid test and you have to go to a doctor that will do, not just a family practicioneer.
what causes thyroid problems? well, in atkins book, some of the signs are low body temperture and fatigue, amoung others. but a major cause that is becoming an increasing problem(leastwhys in the US) is the amount of estrogen in meat. animals are fed with chemicals to help them to grow faster. woman who take birth control are also especially victim to the thyroid problem. one of the best things to do in this scenario is to look for organic meats, that is non-steroid fed animals. I hear tyson chicken is hormone free, but most of the time when you go to the deli or buy a slim-jim, that meat is processed and once part of an animal that grew via hormones that can effect the human thyroid. the same applies to vegetables, for they're sprayed with pesticides that often cause the same problem. most people have not heard this much, but having a european background, it is no suprise to me that people from eastern europe aren't suffering from obesity like this possibly because they a) don't eat things like doritos and krispy kreme and b) don't eat hormone-injected beef.
and even for people that do eat healthy, it is not their faults y any account that the food ahs been tainted. it's a bad situation when you sit and think about it, but at least there is a lot of organically grown vegetables and fresh meat that can be purchased from whole-salers and markets.

I guess this diet works for me so far. I am not expecting miracles...I am not expecting to lose the entire 72 pounds all at once....I dont care if it takes me forever....One thing is certain...Atkins works for me, Im no longer reserved to the idea that I am going to be fat forever

I agree, Atkins is not for you. It sounds like you want a quick fix that you'll be able to stop doing when you reach your goal weight. As I'm sure you already know, from doing reading around this forum, this is a way of life not something to be abused when you need to shed some weight fast.

Besides, you do not look even mildly overweight to me. Perhaps you need toning, not actual loss. Just a thought.

- Meagan

After reading all of this, I want you all to know that I am going, full steam ahead with this WOE. I'm sorry it didn't work out for KOKO, but I know that I am a cheater, and this is why it has not worked fully for me. If I had half the discipline everyone on here has, I would have reached my goal weight long ago. Instead I have good days, when I do really good with LCing, then I think, "it's ok, I've been good, I can cheat for the next few days". Honestly, I have not done 2 straight weeks of LCing. A little here, and a little there just isn't going to cut it. I want to thank each and every person for their thoughts. You have all definately inspired me. Hopefully, in the next 2 weeks, I wll have some good news to report!!

as you may know, i am not a lover of low-carb diets. however, irregardless of what diet you may be trying, please do not judge it solely by your weight loss. remember, the goal of nutrition, is optimum health, not a target weight. if you are feeding your body the nutrients that it wants, your body will gradually get to the weight that brings it optimal health, but not necessarily one's opinion of optimal-looks-in-the-mirror.

also remember that the amount of fat that our body will keep is largely regulated by the number of adipose fat cells that we have. about the only time, that as an adult, we can increase that number, is during pregnancy or obesity. so for those of you who have been quite large, you may find it harder to get back to some desired fat-level, because you now have a greater number of fat cells.

I never took the as a quick weight loss solution. Its the first program I have been able to stick to for more then a month.
20 pounds in eleven weeks for me is great sucess. I feel so much better then I have in years.
So if it takes me 5 years to take off the weight I have gained in 18 then I think thats great.
I'm actually hoping to hit goal weight in 15 more months, if I don't then no big deal , i'll still look and feel better then I do now.

It never cease to amaze me how people reply to threads without actually reading through them first. (Thinking about a few "half-harshish" replies on this page, several months later...)

Koko already replied on page 2, post 20, and said she had a bad day when starting this whole thread. She's apparently been continuing LC WOE ever since, as far as I can see, and also has a 100-pages somewhat journal for anyone to see.

Maybe give it (or at least Koko) a rest?

/gil

Is the woman that origninally posted this still around? I hope so.

I lost 20 lbs 5 years ago on Atkins. Then I began a long struggle with my weight that culminated in my being diagnosed with an underactive thyroid 2.5 years ago.

Even after starting thyroid meds, I continued to gain weight. For example, I went on induction for 2 weeks and GAINED 3 pounds. I was devastated.

I reached an all time high of 182 lbs, and luckly through research I found an amazing naturalpath who agreed to do a phone consultation with me. Everything he 'diagnosed' me with over the phone was confirmed with blood tests.

1. I was undermedicated. I'm now taking 3 times what I was taking then;

2. I had very high levels of a steriod hormone and glucocorticoid (hormone that raises blood sugar);

3. My progesterone levels were low which interferes with the absorption of thryoid meds.

Last year at about this time, I finally went back to low carb, after having all the above hormonal problems addressed. I'm down to 154, and I intend to be 140 by Christmas. I would have lost more if I'd stuck to LC and not cheated.

Women, don't discount the powerful influence of hormones. They can make it impossible to lose weight no matter what your diet is like. I've been there!


Maggie

not to be picky, but it's fuscia (fuschia is a color).

Not to be picky, but "fuschia" in not a coulour - "fuchsia" is... (although frequently misspelt!..) My ketostix just turned fuchsia again! sorry, couldn't resist... have to.... *thomp*... get a.... *thomp*... life... *thomp* *thomp*

As everyone here knows, you need to keep your blood sugar level balanced to lose weight. I dont think you could lose weight fast on any other plan. Most of the people who have not suceeded also have not followed the plan correctly. I wish you luck, but giving up isnt going to do you anygood. Everyone hears that on atkins you lose mass amounts of weight, ect ect. Well I dont know anyone who loses that much weight, unless they have alot of weight to lose. Losing weight takes work. If you arent willing to put in the effort and TIME, then you arent going to be very happy with your body.

I just had to jump into this subject of age and diet.

I have had a problem with carbs since I was 15 years old. I worked summers in an ice cream store and I truly destroyed my metabolism. I was always on a diet after that about 50 years of all kinds of diets. I should win a prize for yo-yo.

Last November I woke up and started Atkins after another weight loss & regain.
I had one advantage ..time! So I read books, spent hours in research online for recipies and low carb products. I found a great workout program.. aerobics & body sculpting. I have worked at this program plus walking 5 miles daily. I am now a toned size 4.. 36/26/34. I truly believe you can be anything you want, but it does take work. Not having a time limit helps. Every day just strive to do your best.

Trine