You know, last night I had a 2-hour-long "mood" when I just wanted to quit Atkins (see my journal). Besides not losing weight on my second week, I also was noticing that I'm all jiggly and doughy lately! I thought it was for sure a bad sign. I'm so glad I found this thread - now I know it's not bad and that I'm not alone.

Nope I too am squishy and at first I thought it was bad also, BUT as I read here it isnt. It is a good thing.:)

Brothers?
 

:yay: My first comment is to Airie: :agree: My goodness! You look like two different people. Very nice transformation. Keep up the good work.

:idea: After reading your posts on the "gushiness of fat" it seemed interesting enough that I want to read the best of the forum's article on it. Congratulations to everyone on your journey. I am new here and re-started my LC (Atkins) last Sunday. I gave in to the naysayers 3 years ago and gained the weight back. (one co-worker's husband actually told me his wife was jealous of me. I wondered why she started acting weird towards me even though she introduced me to this WOE but she couldn't sustain it for long and she just got bigger--20lbs.).

:nono: Never again will I stray from my program. This is the only WOE that works. As soon as I get the ok from the orthopedist, I will resume my bootcamp training program. :yay:

:doah: It's funny, most of the naysayers are either overweight and miserable or unhealthy "skinny" people. Anyone ever notice that? :lol:

In addition to dry brushing, massages also help with the elimination and firming. Aerobic brathing works for me, combined with light resistance exercise.

Of course I still struggle with a very stubborn patch of cellulite on the back of my thighs.

It seems that eating fish 5-7 times a week helps firming up the skin
(this knowledge comes from my former WW-days)
Anyway, I have tuna or salmon (canned) for lunch every single day,
with lettuce and mayonaise. And never get bored with it!
I'm going out to buy a nutural bristle brush today and start dry brushing
this evening!

Photos, Please?
 

:yay:Katinkaka, I'm new here and love to look at the success photos. Do you have any? I would love to see your progress. It looks like you've come a long way and your success is definitely my motivation and proof that LC works. If you have them already posted, please direct me to them. :roll: Thanx.

Not to freak everyone out, but thought I'd expand on some info I just got from the gym yesterday (as I started with a personal trainer instead of trying to figure it all out myself) -- I too had noticed 'squishy' fat on my tummy. This was scary as I could hop up and it would definately jiggle --

Much to my amazement when doing my body fat test -- I've GAINED 2% body fat since starting on Atkins, though I 'lost' 7 pounds. I'm pretty much done with this WOE. Hope all of you have better luck.

That answered my questions about the 'squishy' fat on my tummy. If anyone feels they can give a qualified explanation as to this startling find, go right ahead...otherwise, I'm out!

Best of luck~

I'm no expert, but doesn't weight training help get rid of body fat and gain muscle. Are you doing weight training? and how much cardio are you doing per week? I wouldn't be in a haste to stop this WOE if it's working. Are you planning on doing a different diet? It's probably a good thing that you are getting a trainer. The trainer can show you how to lose body fat. Think it over before quitting.

Read All Before you Quit
 

:read2: There is an explanation for the condition of the fat on your body. Please read all of the posts before you make your final decision and abandon your program, unless you have another that fits your needs in a better way.

I am new here, but have read lots of articles and DANDR many times over and believe in this program. I just want to say, THERE IS A REASON THE FAT HAS TAKEN ON THIS CONSISTENCY, but before you give up (don't like that term) give it a chance. It is your decision, I was just obliging your challenge for an explanation. :read2:

I do Jazzercise 3x a week for cardio and was hitting the gym at lunch 3x a week until I moved to another jobsite (stopped taking lunch for about 3 months while we were getting things under control at the site).

I'm basically fed up with depriving myself of pizza, nachos, whatever to find that I've gained body fat. You guys -- well, you all make decisions for yourself that serve you well. I'd be much happier eating what I wanted, working with a trainer to help increase my lean muscle mass NOT GAINING ANYMORE BODY FAT. I still intend to eat better carbs and won't pick up drinking beer again, but without a scientific explanation of how and why I gained body fat while supposedly losing weight -- I won't continue on.

Thanks for the input.

Most bodyfat measurement tools are a crock anyway. They cannot assess total body fat without sophisticated equipment that gyms do not have. Instead, they measure underarms or have you step on a scale. These can measure the fat at that site-but are hardly indicative of your whole body. I wouldn't sweat it myself. I have lost nearly 40 pounds and highly doubt my fat ratio has gone up-or I'd be feeling awfully weak instead of full of energy. Don't take the easy way out-stick to it!

I just want to echo what Hey-Neener said. The fat scale can change by even more than 2% from one MINUTE to the next. They are notoriously inaccurate.

You of course should go with the eating/exercise plan that works best for you, but if this is the only reason you're going off Atkins, I'd rethink.

I have to see my personal trainer tomorrow..i haven't seen him in a week. But i think the reason they said you gained 2% body fat is because the skin is loose when it used to be tight. the fat on my stomach is very squishy and I can grab it, so I know that my percentage is gonna go up..but in due time(w/ enough toning excercizing) the percentage will go down. Thats why I'm going by at least. But I'm no doctor..i'm just assuming that how the body fat thing works, since most gym use those fat calipers thing that pinch the heck out of ya :P

I mean i haevn't seen my trainer in a month..i remember I asked him about atkins and he said it was a great way to lose weight, but dangerous to do cuz its a high protein and fat diet. OH well... I feel better w/ what I'm eating now that what i was eating under the foods he allowed me to eat while i was training... im no longer starving all the time.

Kinda sad your a senior member and are giving up. Must be a very easy way to become a senior member here if you ask me. Good luck with whatever you choose.

A loose skin is actually an indication of losing fat not lean tissue since fat is directly under the skin.

I believe I have read sometime ago that a research has proved that most of the weight lost by people on Atkins diet come from losing fat while people on other diets lose both fat and lean tissue.

Does skin that has been strecthed for so long ever go back to its normal shape? What is the best excercise for the saggy tummy? Any idas?

Skin that has been stretched for a long period of time can still get back near its normal shape. The longer you have been overweight, the longer it will take though. They say water, exercise and time is the only thing that helps :) I personally figure I will worry about hanging skin once I get SKINNY, I figure it's a good problem to have compared to the one i have now :yay:

Also as for specific exercises, I would just make sure your abs are nice and toned. You can't "spot reduce" fatty areas but if you have nicely toned abs the skin on the stomach will be less noticeable.

What A Day at the Doctor's
 

:Party::Party: At my check-up today, I found I have lost as of today from last sunday 7/6/03 six pounds, count 'em, 6lbs. have come off of me!!!!!


I didn't believe I was losing ANYTHING, but I wasn't about to quit. I figured, "at least I'm not getting any bigger." Well to my surprise, it IS working and this is only the early days of week 2!

:read2:One correction I have to make is that I was NOT 175lbs. when I started, forgot that I was weighed at the doctor's office and my beginning weight was 178lbs. Today, I weigh 172lbs. I can hardly believe it.:yay::yay::yay::yay::yay::yay:

Just waiting for my x-ray results and then I can continue my training.

Holy Blood Pressure, Batman!
 

:dazzle:If memory serves me correctly, my blood pressure this morning was 106/46. Is that too cool or what?:angel:

I found this in the archives, and it might explain A LOT about the squish factor, which I've noticed a bit of myself this week...in a nutshell, when your body first empties fat cells of their contents for energy, it temporarily stores water in them "just in case you need them again".

----------------------------
OUT OUT DAMN SCALE

By Sonya Tilley, CarbSmart Contributor


Here we go again...

How the hell does your body hold onto weight and still manage to get smaller while you are on your chosen low carb diet?!? You know the scenario: You are on Induction for two weeks, and you haven't cheated even once. You notice that your clothes fit better, that you are stepping a little livelier, and as far as you're concerned, all's right with the world.

But then you step on that evil construction of the Devil himself, the bathroom scale, and you instantly feel betrayed. The stupid thing insists that you have done nothing! Sometimes, it even states you have done less than nothing; it accuses you of cheating because it tells that you haven't lost any weight! Well, there area couple of simple explanations to help you get through this trying time.

First of all, if it is at all possible for you to do so, throw that insipid Monster Scale in the trash. Or at least put it up somewhere that it is really, REALLY inconvenient to get to so that you won't be tempted to ask it's opinion every single day of your life. Face it. If you are feeling better and your clothes are looser, do you really need the scale to tell you that you're on the right track? No! You don't! Why do you think you do it, then? I'll tell you why. The low fat diet demons have a tenacious hold on your brain. That's right, you've been brainwashed. All your life they have told you through doctors, dietitians, newspaper and magazine articles, surgeon generals and the like, that you give up X calories per day and you will lose a pound of fat. They even go on to tell you how much fat you should lose each week. In the process, they've made you dependent on the Monster Scale to gauge your progress!

What a big lie!

Even on the diets that "they" advocate, the Monster Scale does not often cooperate. You go back to the Diet Demons and demand to know why the scale does not reflect the torture you have put yourself through for a month. They immediately start backpedaling on the "give up X calories and lose a pound of fat" story, and start talking to you about water retention and muscle buildup. Sometimes, they even blame it on you with questions like, "Are you sure you counted the calories in everything you ate?" (This is delivered with a knowing little smile that makes you want to rip their knowing little face off.) Being the type that is given to blaming things on yourself, anyway, you cooperate with an answer like, "Well….." They pounce on this with "Ahhhh, well.." Then, they launch into one of their scoldings/lash/encouragement speeches.

So, get off their bandwagon, already!

Then, there's the competitive spirit. You hear about what other people have done on your chosen diet. Yes, Brian went on Atkins a year ago and lost over a hundred pounds. Yes, a hundred pounds in a year is over eight pounds a month, or 2 pounds a week, or .0119 pounds per hour….but, "Hello? You ain't Brian!" And, did Brian ever say that he lost .0119 pounds per hour? No! He said a hundred pounds in a year. This only proves he got on the scale twice; a year ago, and yesterday. Take a hint from Brian. Stay off the scale!

The second solution is to understand what is going on in your body in light of the current state of human affairs. Today, all a person has to have to eat every day is money and transportation to a grocery store or, better yet, a nice restaurant. However, your body's survival instincts have not matured in a million years. Your body still thinks you are a hunter-gatherer. Yes, in spite of a million years of evolution, your body still thinks you are going to have to go out and kill a mammoth to eat. The survival instincts with which you are going to have to come to terms are read-only memory. You can't overwrite them. Deal with it.

That said, let me tell you what happens when you lose a pound of fat. Your body has been saving this fat for that long hunting expedition you're going to have to go on to track, kill, dress and retrieve that huge animal. It keeps the fat in little pillows distributed throughout your body. When you start losing fat, it doesn't trust you to continue whatever insane path you have chosen that is causing the fat to dissipate. So, when the fat comes out of the pillow, it injects water as a "place holder." Sometimes that water actually replaces the weight of the fat it lost. Sometimes it replaces the volume.

Water weighs more than fat just like lead sinkers weigh more than feathers. If you stuff a pillow with a pound of feathers, you'll have a nice big pillow. If you stuff a pillow with a pound of lead sinkers, you'll have a nice (but rather hard and uncomfortable), small pillow. Now, let's say your body removes a pound of fat and replaces the weight with a pound of water. Your weight will stay the same, but you will be smaller. But, if your body decides to replace the lost fat by volume, that is a quite different story. Remember the great big feather pillow as compared to the tiny lead sinker pillow? Well, now think of a gallon of feathers and a gallon of lead sinkers. Try to pick up the gallon of feathers. Piece of (you'll pardon the expression) cake. Now, try to pick up the gallon of lead sinkers. Sucker's heavy, ain't it? So, you will be smaller, but you will have gained weight.

Eventually, your body makes the executive decision that you are not going to replace the fat you lost, and it lets go of the water. In the words of Danny Skaist: "When your body accepts the fact that they are no longer needed, the water will be expelled and the cells closed. This is known as the "whoosh."

What makes your body decide to replace by weight or replace by volume? I dunno. But I do know that it does not seem consistent to the casual observer. What makes your body decide that you are seriously not going to replace the fat you lost? I dunno. But now you know why it's so important to drink your water, huh? Loss of fat is inextricably related to water intake. It's more than a little foolish to go on a diet that facilitates the removal of fat and then refuse to give your body the tools it needs to do so.

Bottom Line: Stop getting on the scale and drink your water. If you stick to your plan and wait for the "whoosh," it will come.

Medical Terminology
 

I like your terminology "whoosh." If I EVER hear my body lose weight, I'm goin' on Oprah! That was informative, yet funny.:lol:

I heard that almond oil helps shrink the skin. I saw it on a yoga program some years ago. I have plenty of stretch marks from 2 large pregnancies.

Sango,

Well put!!! Applause to you! Now I can get on the scale one a week instead of 3 times a day LOL!! Just kiddin' LOL I certainly get the point.

I am glad you found it useful!! It really helped me.

I got some good news yesterday. I went and saw my trainer and he did my measurements and the fat calpers. He said before he even took my measuremetns that I lost fat. I lost 6%!!! He hadnt seen me in a month or so and I lost 6! So now i'm down to 26% body fat. I'm soo excited. My scale hasn't moved in a week. He even complimented on my legs saying they look leaner. I thought the looked flabby from all the loose skin. But he did say that most of my fat is on my abs and back. But I'm gonna get rid of that!! Thought I should share the good news w/ you guys.

im so glad i came across this thread tonight ..i have been exercising my tale off and staying pretty much on track with this woe ..wheni weighed in and got measured on july 18th i had lost 10 lbs 14 1/2 inches and 1% body fat that was since june 18th ..but this month ...still exercising ....and eating right ( well had a couple bad days nothing too bad) i seem to be staying the same on my scale ...i do not drink my water but i assure you i will be starting now just took a bottle out of the fridge ..thanks for this post ..not like i didnt know i needed the water but just reminded me how important it is
good luck everyone ..thanks again
...................Geri :roll:

Wow..how's everybody's flab doing? mine is still on my tummy...but i haven't been working out..so I think thats my main problem! Any improvements since this thread was used?

Don't mention the flab-thing! I'm working like a thug in a rap video and my flab still insists on hanging around. I haven't started my regimented workout yet, but lugging heaving furniture, trapsing for miles and miles in malls, and painting a large apartment for 8-9 hours a day for the last 1 1/2 months, keeps me sweating.

I'll be glad when this is over and I can choose my own sweat forum and say "Goodbye to Flab" forever!

I'll be right there w/ you Linda!!! Wow..44days!! Your doing great! I would have been at 18days..but i screwed up today...woke up w/ a hangover..and felt like my body needed carbs...now i'm disappoint...oh well..you live and learn...right?