Are you Really a Turtle?
 

For some people, LC weight loss is smooth and steady. For others, it can be a bit more difficult. At any stage, our plans can be “tweaked”. We eliminate or cut down on certain foods, discover that the sugar alcohols in those two low-carb bars a day are the culprit or realize that dairy products slow us down. We may be intolerant to certain foods or are not aware that our carbohydrate intake is creeping up.

It may seem that people that don’t have a lot of fat to lose – generally in the 5-30 pound range – lose slower than those with a lot of weight to lose. But, that’s not true. Percentage-wise, it works out to be the same. If you’re aiming to lose 100 pounds, ten percent would be 10 pounds. If you’re aiming for 10, ten percent would be one pound. Remember that this is not a quick weight loss diet, it’s an eating strategy for life. On this site, the percentage feature is in every member’s post.

1. Have you read the book for, and followed your chosen plan to the letter for at least a month? No digression in the food front at all? No skipping meals?

2. Do you figure out your carbs/calories each day? Do you use a carb counter or a program like fitday.com? Or if you can’t be bothered with micro-managing, do you know what your critical carbohydrate level is and eat accordingly?

3. Do you regularly drink alcohol?

4. Are you scale or Ketostix obsessed? Compulsively weighing or using Ketostix will make the process seem slower and more erratic than it actually is. If you must weigh yourself everyday, chart your daily weight and figure out a weekly average. Don’t take it personally. It’s only a hunk of metal and a piece of plastic.

5. Are you trying to do a low fat version of your chosen plan?

6. Have you been a yo-yo dieter? People who have severely restricted their calories in the past due to low-fat or calorie restricted dieting may find it difficult to lose weight initially. In this case, using low-carb as part of the process of metabolic healing will help. You will lose fat once your body learns to trust what you’re doing. Persistence will pay off.

7. Are you consuming any or all of these items on a regular basis? If you are, stop consuming them one at a time, for at least two weeks to see if it initiates weight loss.

• Processed meats, including bacon
• Caffeine
• Cheese and dairy products
• Alcohol
• Nuts and Nut Butters
• Peanuts and Peanut Butter
• Artificial Sweeteners
• Diet Drinks
• Protein Bars
• Low carb food products that imitate high carb food
• Eating a wide combination of food in one day
• Overly salty foods? For example pork rinds? Processed meats?
• Sugar Alcohols

8. Prescription drugs or hormones:
• Estrogens and most synthetic HRT's including birth control pills
• Anti-depressant drugs, insulin and insulin stimulating drugs
• Anti-arthritis medications including steroids
• Diuretics and beta blockers

9. Underactive thyroid (hypothyroid) function which can be present when blood tests indicate no abnormalities

10. Overgrowth of the yeast organism Candida albicans.

For more details on overcoming metabolic resistance, read Metabolic Resistance: Causes and Solutions, Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, 2002 edition.

11. Often overlooked but are you getting enough sleep? Or, are you going through an unusually stressful period? Stressing over what is perceived as lack of progress, being to hard on yourself and obsessing on scales or Ketostix is stressful.

After going through this list, contemplate your answers and work out a strategy for yourself. Learning to low-carb is a steep learning curve and will reward you richly by becoming educated and more aware of your body and how it will function optimally.

Don’t be discouraged! Look at overall health and well-being instead of using your plan as a diet just to lose weight. Keep learning about what works for you. You’ll be better able to deal with all the “forks in the road” and “speed bumps” along your low-carb journey.

Hi Karen,

Thanks for these notes. I have only been LCing for about 4 weeks and fell of the wagon at the end of the 2nd week.

I was poking around the forums tonight trying to get some ideas about how to restart the weight loss.

Quite a bit of what you write hit home for me. I have printed out this message and will cut out the carb bars first thing tomorrow morning. I had been using them as a sub. for the eggs I was getting tired of for breakfast.

Thanks again!
Regards, Judy

Well, that was super interesting - I mean that sincerely - because I wasn't sure just what would qualify but now I know I truly do!! You see, I have only lost 9 pounds since November of 2000!!!!!!
Now that is slow! But it's still a loss, right????

Please say right..hehe. :roll:

Wow! I have just realised that I am doing so much wrong. I do drink alcohol (probably 1-2 nights/week), I drink too much coffee...nuts are a fave of mine, cheese, milk - I often have a protien shake with it instead of a meal....fills you quickly.

It is really a learning game this LCWOL. I am amazed at how my attitudes toward food have evolved since learning about Low Carb. You can never think the same way about food again. I must say that I am craving sugar RIGHT NOW! AAAaarrrrgh...what has caused that? Maybe boredom...I think I will do something else now.

Thanks again for your insightful wisdom...truly the mother on this site.... :p

Deb

Thanks so much for the compliment, but that would actually be Doreen! :D

I'm your auntie. ;)

Karen

Karen,

Great info. Really! Thank you. I'm new to this site but not to lc'ing. I've been following Atkins since April 2000. I lost 20+ lbs in a matter of weeks but have been stalled since that time. I have tried cutting out cheese, nuts, all AS (including Splenda). I don't drink caffeine. I don't drink alcohol. I get about 100 oz of water a day and I eat about 100 cals over my basal of 1350 because I exercise a lot. I run 4 times a week and weight train 4 times as well. I'm actually training for my second marathon. I haven't lost lbs or inches.

I've been thinking about changing programs. I just don't know how I'll do on Sugarbusters though. I don't want to gain. I don't think I have the patience for the Zone either. Do you have any other ideas or things I should be thinking about?

I admit I cheat on occassion. But, when you go months without cheating and and there is no movement on the scale...sometimes you eat a little apple pie to keep sane. You know? If I do cheat, it is truely once in a blue moon.

Thanks!
Sid

Thank you.
 

Karen,

Your advice really helped. I was feeling a little discouraged because I am just completing one month on Atkins and I have only lost 7 lbs. The ironic part of this however is that is exactly 10% of my goal. So, surprise, surprise I am right on track.

Thanks again. You just made me feel "normal" instead of slow.

Golden moment
 

I read an article in another site, saying that if you have been on a low carb diet previously, that it is more difficult to lose. They say you might have missed your "golden moment".

That the first time you ate LC and dumped a lot of weight quickly was your "golden moment". Does this ring true? My friend has lost twenty five pounds since June 13, 2002. This is the first time she has eaten low carb.

This is my second attempt, I've lost fifteen since the same time frame, and we are basically the same weight.

Not discouraged, just curious.

Katy :)

Am I really a turtle, Well, let's see, I haven't lost any weight since March (actually 4 punds) The firs 40 lbs came off quickly and easily, I guess I got used to that. Not having changed my habits, but I do have cheese, processed meats (pepperoni) and coffee. Wine maybe once a month or twice the most, one glass. and caffeine I have cut way back, using a blend, 50 % of caffeine only in the am, I've already cut out those lo carb bars, I do have sugar free jello with cool wip almost every night, I just need to have something when dh is having icecream I was having walnuts but I thought that they might be the culprit so they are gone. so I guess I've got some things to work on. thanks for the input, I'm going over to your journal to get some ideas on what else to eat. chris

jello and cool-whip
 

chrisews, I used to have jello and cool whip almost every night for a little snack after dinner. I found out that it stalled me! (Not exactly sure why.) I stopped eating it and dropped a couple of pounds right away!

It might be worth it to cut it out for a few days to see if a change in your weight occurs?

Thanks garrison, i have stopped it for the time being, we'll see if, while we are on vacation, that helps. chris :thup:

Hello All,
I guess this makes me officially a turtle!

I am 50 lbs overweight and have lost 4lbs and 1 inch since June 1st.
I work out about 3 -4 times a week and follow the WOE, including the tweaking all that was in the post to see what was slowing me down to no avail.
,
It also appears that when I have a good loss, it goes back up within a few days.

Add to that that I am losing my hair since LC, the only reason I am staying on it is because I am free of my food cravings and severe hypogycemia for the first time in my life.

So welcome this turtle, Eileen. LOL

When I first read Karen's suggestions on the water (64oz plus 8oz for EVERY POUND YOU WANT TO TAKE OFF) I thought NO WAY... that's 200 ozs a day... then I read it again... PLUS 8pz of water for every 25pounds you want to take off... thankgoodness... I thought I was going to float away :p I can barely get the 64oz down! But since I was thinking that I was a turtle... I am going to up the water intake to 72! thanks again Karen

10-12 times the amount of my weight
That would be 2750 to 3300 calories????
I couldn't possible eat that much??????
I'm eating under 2000 for sure... probably in the 1500-1800 range?

Can some one explain why I'm supposed to eat that many calories?

am i a turtle
 

I have the same question that katydidit has.......is there a "golden moment" I have been back on dr atkins seriously for the second time and the weight is not budging........I know i do everything correctly.....i know im in ketosis........its been 3 weeks and no weight loss on induction. Whats up with that??? When will it change
Not giving up in SC :thup:

Karen - Questions on Calories Needed to Lose
 

I definitely am a turtle and I read the list of questions you posted. Does one actually have to consume 10-15 X their weight in calories? (169 X 10 = 1690; 169 X 12 = 2028). I am only consuming between 1400-1600 calories...could this be why I am not losing?

I never kept that caloric amount...even during induction.

1. I have cut out nuts/seeds from my diet
2. I drink alcohol 1-2x a month
3. I drink 1/2 decaf/1/2 regular coffee - 1 cup a day usually.
4. I consume no more than 2oz of cheese a day (mostly less)
5. I eat bacon 1-2x every 2 weeks at most
6. I do eat pepperoni almost daily? Is that considered processsed? If so I will have to stop that too.
7. I don't eat bars and or shakes.
8. I don't drink diet sodas or use more than a teaspoon of splenda a day

So what's my problem :( HELP!

What about the other things? Meds, yo-yo dieting, post menopausal? Second time around on low-carbing?

I also have to say that 5 lbs. a month is nothing to snerk at!

Karen

Im actually losing 2 lbs a month now. Lost 20 at the first 3 months of induction and now that I am starting my 8th month it has slowed down considerably.

Am I pre-menapausal - - probably (I am 39).
Yo Yo dieting = = I started lots of diets but lost max 5 lbs so I don't know if that qualifies.
This is my first time Low Carbing...

So do you think I need to eat around 1690 calories a day to lose? What about carbs...I am eating 20-25 now with no loss.

Any advice would be helpful.

Well, there's no harm in starting at the max calories and then fine tuning it down if you need to. But, don't eat more food, eat more fat. Some bodies like consistency, and some like it shaken up a bit. The thing is to experiment without fear.

That said, weight loss is not a consistent downward trend. Your body has to regroup from the changes it has been experiencing. Any long term LC'er will tell you this and this is the point where - I believe anyway - LC'ing starts to turn into a WOL.

Karen

Too Much or Too Little Food?
 

Dear Cheryl R.

The conventional wisdom on stable bodyweight is that you must be eating exactly the right amount of calories to maintain your current weight. If you weight 269.5 and are fairly inactive, you are SOMEHOW consuming about 3,775 calories per day.

If you need 3,775 to maintain your weight and are really eating just 1,800 calories per day, that creates a deficit of almost 2,000 calories per day or 14,000 per week. You should be loosing 4 pounds per week (probably too much to be healthy). So either you are eating a LOT more calories than you think you are, or you are eating SO FEW calories that your body has switched to starvation mode and regular caloric requirements don't apply.

So, should you eat less, or more? You need to know. Get a food log then enter your paper data at fitday.com and get the facts. Or buy a Nutricounter and watch your carbs and calories in real time, as you enter them. You may be suprised at what you learn.

Try setting your calorires NOT LESS THAN 3,275 per day and alternating slow walks and easy weight lifting every other day. This should give you a healthy 1# per week fat loss, plenty of rich, satisfying food and better health.

Rodney...
thanks for the feedback.
I have written in my journal now that I am going to post my food everyday...
I am meeting with a personal trainer that one of the docs I work with uses. I will be starting an easy exercise program on Monday. This has been in the works for a few weeks, but I am post op from gall bladder removal (3 weeks). I had to cancel my first appt. with her due to being ill, and then having the surgery. I can't lift any weights for 3 more weeks, so the trainer is going to start me off at my house with my tread mill that I just had my husband set up in the middle of my living room in front of the tv.

I know it will be hard in the beginning, but I hear from a lot of people once you get going on an exercise routine it starts feeling good. I know my threshold is 200 pounds... as soon as I hit that number, I will have more energy and be able to exercise even more... I just want to feel good.....physically...

Can I join you?
 

Hallo all,
I saw that this thread was last active early December, but I'd like to join me and get some help for losing weight. I know it's important for everybody, but my husband is so anti Atkins that it is very hard to keep doing it when I don;t lsoe anything <g>!
I'll answer the questions from the first message of this thread first, and hope for some more golden tips!

1. Have you read the book for, and followed your chosen plan to the letter for at least a month? No digression in the food front at all? No skipping meals?
Yes I have read the book, this is the 3rd time I do Atkins and I started on 6 November, and have only taken some extra nuts when we were on holiday in the Netherlands and some extra sweetener and cream stuff at Christmas.

2. Do you figure out your carbs/calories each day? Do you use a carb counter or a program like fitday.com?
I use so few carbs, ever since 1 jan only some lettuce and a little bit of cream every day. I haven't calculated my calories, but I make sure I have enough - I love meat and add olive oil when I think it's not been enough calories.

3. Do you regularly drink alcohol? Your body will burn alcohol before it burns fat.
I never drink alcohol, never done.

4. Are you scale or Ketostix obsessed? Compulsively weighing or using Ketostix will make the process seem slower and more erratic than it actually is. If you must weight yourself everyday, chart your daily weight and figure out a weekly average.
I check with Keotstic two or three times a week and just hop on the scale every morning before my bath. I am not obsessed with the scales, just like the habit to see every morning if anything is happening.

5. Are you trying to do a low fat version of your chosen plan?
No.

6. Have you been a yo-yo dieter?
Yes, absolutely, abd I read about the fat, so I've been doing that - upping th fat I mean

7. Are you consuming any or all of these items on a regular basis? If you are, stop consuming them one at a time, for at least a week to see if it initiates weight loss.

Processed meats, including bacon- only bacon without any dextrose
Caffeine - no, I quit coffee a bit more than a year ago, only have decaf; don't drinbk normal tea either, only herb tea now and then

Cheese and dairy products - no cheese, only eggs and a little bit of cream in my decaf

Alcohol - alcohol will be burned for fuel before fat - no alcohol
Nuts & Nut Butters - no nuts after my holidays
Artificial Sweeteners - one saccharine sweetener in my decaf 2 or 3 times a day, and one teaspoon of liquid sacch sweetener in my protein drink

Diet Drinks - none, I always drink plain water when I'm out and about

Protein Bars - no
Low carb food products that imitate high carb food - no

Eating a wide combination of food in one day - I don;t know what this means, I eat simple meals

Overly salty foods? For example pork rinds? - no, I use herbal salt (approx 33% of normal salt) in my cooking, that's all. Bacon is not very salty here


8. Are your calories at least 10 – 12 times your current weight?
- Yes they are

9. Are you drinking at least 64 oz. of water a day, plus 8 more ounces for every 25 pounds you want to lose?
- I try for 96 oz every day and most days I manage that

10. Have you eaten any high-carb foods? - none


I hope this gives somebody an idea of what I can still change to finally start losing weight again!

thanks in advance
Vilica

Vilica, I've had that same experience, In fact for much longer, I lost 40 lbs in 5 months, and nothing since March 02. Now, I'm kind of hanging out, and not as strict as I once was, some people suggest moving on to CAD at this point and I guess, I'm kind of doing that. but, note, I haven't gained anything, and to me that's like almost as good as losing. Dont get discouraged. Vilica, because it's discouragement that will cause you to gain everything back, but you might take a look at CAD. There are a number of people who swear by the change, and it might be just what you need. Chris

turtle
 

I could be willeke............she answered all the questions just like I would have.......thisis my third time to atkins.....all I can say or do is hang in there.I feel better and that counts for something. I have been in ketosis for a month with no loss but Im hanging in there :confused:

hi chris
 

Does being in Ketosis automatically mean that you will lose weight?

My sticks are pink to dark purple.... but only four pounds since January 2nd.


I have been a yo yo dieter all my life... my sister just tells me to keep it up and the "fairy" will visit soon....


I am on the pill and can't help but wonder if that's the problem. (I drink plenty of water, eat my veggies and have cut caffine - although I have eatten sf jello with cream cheese)

ngarbade
 

I seem to be on the right track now also........brain power has so much to do with it. I am back for the third time. I lost 35 pounds very quickly the first time. And for some DUMB reason quit the diet when I tried to go back on it just didnt seem to work and I just quit....but I am back again....have lost 6 pounds my first week and feel like this time I might make it.
BTW....why did you say interesting name :confused:

Vilicia and Yvonne326
 

Dear Vilicia and Yvonne326,

Glad to hear you are both staying with it so well. You both sound very determined. If you don't mind, and can sit through a little more, I'd like to play fun with math again.

Vilicia: At 285# and maybe 50% bodyfat, you probably need at least 150 grams of protein per day (or 1 gram per pound of lean body mass). That would be 2 scoops of whey protein for breakfast, 7 grams of chicken for lunch and 7 grams of beef for supper. Them thar's big ole chuncks ah meat! Are you really getting that much protein? If not, you could be slowing your metabolism and delaying your weight loss.

Also, you should be able to eat 3400 calories per day and maintain your weight. At 2900 calories, you should loose about 1 pound per week or more. I say more, because at your bodyweight, you have a lot of muscle and a fast metabolism (I'm sure it doesn't seem that way right now). If you cut your calories to 1900 per day, I'll bet your body will panic and go into starvation mode, so make sure you get somewhere between 1900 and 2900 calories per day and at least 150 grams of protein.

Yvonne326

You are so careful with your diet. Well done. My question for you is, with no nuts, no seeds, no cheese, no bacon, no bars, no shakes and no carbs, how the heck are you getting anywhere close to 1400-1600 calories per day? On Atkins, fats are your friends! To get 1600 calories on low carbs and low fat means you would have to eat, maybe, 250 grams of protein per day (250x4=1,000 calories). This is really, really hard to do without protein shakes (I like Myoplex or make my own using Nitrowhey). Even with shakes at 50 grams per shake, that would be 5 per day or 35 onces of meat! If you really are eating this much, please write back soon, but I'm thinking you are not getting nearly enough calories to create a fast, fat burning metabolism. If you've done the math, please correct me on this.

At 166# and what, 25% bodyfat? you might need 125 grams of protein per day. That's not too tough and could come from, say, one 50 gram shake and two meals with 5 onces of meat (minimum). Your calories to maintain might only need to be 1800 (166x11) so, for you, a pound a week would come at 1300 calories. Please make sure you get at least that much. Because don't have that far to go, you need to be more careful about going too low than Vilicia.

For both, even a LITTLE bit of exercise goes a long way toward improving insulin sensitivity and the bodies ability to handle carbs. Even 5 minutes a day with some exercise tubes or fairly low weights will really, really help you. And I do mean 5 minutes per day. I brought my morning glucose down from 115 to 95 with a total of 18 repetitions (3 exercises, 6 reps each).

Keep trying. I think you are both doing great. And if you think I'm full of cabbage, feel free to ignore everything I've said.

Very best wishes,