This is most likely your reason for not losing right now. When you quit smoking, your metabolism can drop up to 10% and can take several months to return to normal. You most likely would have gained weight even if you changed absolutely nothing at all about how you were eating and losing is going to be even harder because you're fighting a lowered metabolism. Even low carb can't always overcome that.
What's the best way to increase your metabolism? Exercise, specificically, weight resistance training. More muscle = higher metabolism.
I personally think you're making a big mistake by trying to go low fat. Schwarzbein or the second stage of Protein Power would most likely suit you better than induction levels of Atkins; they both allow a much greater variety of food. Even the Zone might work if you can keep up with counting blocks all the time (that would drive me batty!).
Whichever method you choose to lose weight, it's going to be slow going right now. You have age and a recent separation from nicotene working against you. You will need to be patient and wait for your metabolism to heal before you can really be successful at losing weight.

Thanks Lisa, :)
Thats sad sad news for me, but I guess it does give me a ray of hope that eventually something will happen. As desprately as I want these pounds gone, I'm not silly enough to start puffing away again, that would mean I'd gained them for nothing right.

Thankfully I do exercise so that will help some. Empty ashtrays are great receptacles for olive pits tho. :)

exercise?
 

Hi KoKo,

I can understand u being frustrated with not loosing weight. I just went through a whole month without loosing a pound, but i stuck it in there and in the last 2 wks i have lost 7 lbs. I have found that in the 2 yrs i have been doing this that if i don't exercise along witht he diet, i don't loose i just maintain. I haven't researched all of your posts but i haven't seen anywhere that u r exercising too. If you are i am sorry, but if you aren't you should start. Even if it is a small walk each day. I think that if you really want to see steady weightloss you have to at least do some cardio 4-5 times a week. I do 5 or six. Well good luck with whatever u decide to do. No matter what plan u choose exercise will double your weightloss.

Jon :rose:

p.s I would only weigh once a week. I find that when i weigh once a week i am usually happy. When i way on sat then weigh again on sun. i find i have gained back the weight i thought i loss, but when i weigh again the next sat. it is always gone and then another pound or 2. I hope that makes sense.

Hi BigGuy

Wow that is great that you had such a good loss after being stuck for a month. Just shows you what being patient, and determined to stick to the plan will do. Great for you :thup:

I have been exercising, but am planning on upping it. I go to Curves for Women which is circuit training and manages to combine cardio with resistance/strength training. Hopefully the weather will warm up in a couple of weeks and I can get back to walking outside for a few miles a day. I have some weights and other stuff (quite a dusty collection of exercise things I own :D )
and am getting ready to start using them again. I had a bad back for a year and my exercise sort of suffered because of it but going to Curves has helped me loosen up and unstiffen myself so I am optimistic about starting some weights again.

I have put a dried flower arrangement on my scale and hope that slows down the weigh ins a bit, every time I move it little bits of flowers drop on the floor. So I have to clean them up. (some exercise there anyway :D )

Congrats again on that 7lbs gone :thup: :thup:

:)

Fat free-sugar free stuff
 

Hi KoKo,
I can believe it (about not having tasted fat-free salad dressing and sugar-free soda :D ). I've been yoyo dieting since I was 14 and also had it in my head that full fat stuff (and I mean everything - cheeses, dressings, etc.) were horror. What's interesting is that I did the Scarsdale Medical diet while I was LCing as a way to break a stall (Scarsdale is high protien/low fat) and what I found out was that the fat really really helps in keeping full. It was unbelievable how hungry I felt eating mostly protiens like Atkins, etc. and I didn't think I would be because I thought it was the protiens that filled me up. I think it's the combination of protiens/fats that make the carb cravings go away.

Now I know I'm an LCer for life - no more yoyo dieting!

Tam

Hi Koko, :wave:

I would say we should walk together but it's a long walk to canada. :D

I think if you stick in there you will start to see some good losses. May the woosh fairy bless you.






Jon :doah:

Body for Life
 

If you put 'body for life' in your search engine and go to the official website, you can request a package for the next challenge. It's free and has everything you need to enter! Plus, you can read up on it on the net.

N.

I too gained 20 lbs when I quit smoking a year ago and that with working out 5 days a wk. I am 45 years old a haven't had to watch my weigh for atleast 10 years, so I didn't handle this weight gain/diet thing well. The only way to look at this is "could you imagine how much we would have gained if we didn't watch what we were eating.

Hang in there, read every WOE plan out there and decide what you can live with for a long time and then commit to it. Base your decision on what's good for you and not what's good for someone else.The biggest problem is being patient. We all want he weight gone in a month. All the best ..keep off the smokes