ready to throw in the towel....
 

Okay I am up 2 lbs again...

Some of you have said i am not eating enough...but then when I eat more my carbs are above 20...I have re-read and re-read the book ...my diet appears to be as it says...site is posted on previous thread...

I am so frustrated..I have to loose weight as I am way above what I need to be...for my health.

http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/Public...?Owner=lalbert1

Laura-

I looked at around 4 days of your fitday. The only thing I can suggest is that on a couple of days it looked to me like your protein was kind of high and your fat was a little low. I have found that I lose best when my fat is 65-70% of my calories. You can add fat without adding carbs-try adding more butter or olive oil to your food.

Are you on any medications that might be slowing your losing? Atkins said that any prescription medication tends to slow the losing, and so do 'over the counter meds' including aspirin, ibuprofen & tylenol.

Are you drinking the water every day? This is SO important in losing that if you are eating perfectly on plan but not drinking several litres of water, you won't lose.

Laura1
If you are weighing yourself everyday you are going to drive yourself nuts unless you have a better understanding of how your weight loss works. I chart mine on fitday and until I saw it on a chart I was going crazy with my weight gains. Sometimes during the week I would gain as much as 3-5lbs! But if you look down at my signature you'll see that by the end of the week I did manage to show weight loss.

My weight chart looks like a city scape! up and down and straight and up and down. It is normal to show ups and downs during the week, Dont' let the scale set you off. Also remember that it takes 3500 calories to equal 1lb of weight gain. If you didn't eat that many calories and are showing a gain its water retention. It is soooooooo easy to gain a bunch of water weight even while you are losing fat. I have to absolutely stay away from anything with added salt or I instantly gain at least 3lbs.

Take it easy. If you had gained weight due to calories it would have taken a whole lot of calories and longer to show up. Try upping your fat (not carbs) to up your calories and DRINK DRINK DRINK LOTS OF WATER. The easiest way to get rid of water weight is to drink water.

Hang in there!
Lori

yeah, I'm having a similar problem Laura1. I only recently bought some scales, and the temptation to weigh yourself everyday is so great! But I am trying to resist. It is heartening to hear that others also experience slight gains before dropping again by the end of the week. I have resolved to do more exercise as of this week (my fourth on induction). Hang in there, I'm sure this will work for you.

P.S. pick a weigh in day. I only count Sunday morning as my "Official Weigh in" simply because it was the day I started Atkins. It isn't usually my lowest weight of the week that usually happens on Monday and Tuesday.

If you are going to weigh everyday no matter what (I understand I have the same problem) keep really good records (perfect?) of your food too and it might help you to discover potential problem foods that cause you to retain water or gain weight.
Lori

You've GOT to drink lots and lots of water! And stay away from salt...including hidden salts. If I don't drink a minimum of 10 8-oz glasses of water a day it shows on the scale. I gained 5 lbs during the week and it was because a new spice I was using had salt in it and I didn't realize it. And if I go a couple of days without drinking all 10 glasses of water, that makes me retain fluid, too. Stay away from high-sodium foods (celery, tomatoes and canned veggies have sodium, too).

You know what really helped me? Skipping the scale and using the tape. I got obsessive about the scale and it kept me so upset I now only weight ONCE a week. And know that if it seems to be high it could be water weight. The tape shows the inches lost and that is more important...but keep in mind that if you are bloated it will really show on the waist measurement. I have taped and had as much as an inch show back up on my waist...but my eyes and hands were swollen and as soon as the water weight was gone, so were the extra inches. DON'T GIVE UP! You didn't gain your weight quickly and won't lose it quickly. Give this WOE at least a couple of months and then reevaluate and see how you feel. Stay honest with the carbs (and be sure to take in the minimum) and I think you will be able to look back and see progress. After my initial two-week induction weight loss, my progress has been only a pound a week. Slow compared to a lot of other people. But after 10 weeks I can really see a difference. I got frustrated, angry, whiney and irritable...but stuck with it and have no regrets.

..and if you just CAN'T stop the daily weigh-ins, keep track of your weight each day then AVERAGE them for the week. Weight can fluctuate SO much from day to day, even HOU to HOUR that you really can drive yourself nuts! I weigh five pounds more at night than in the morning, TOM shows up I can weigh TEN pounds more, then BOOM, down again.

The old adage is true... I didn't gain all this weight overnight, so I can't LOSE it all overnight.

thanks everyone for the encouragement....I am drinking 8 glasses of water and not on any meds...pork may have some salt though...I have been obsessed with the scale and will try one weigh in day

Remember to weigh in right away in the morning, after going to the bathroom. Also, wear the same thing (preferably nothing, but since my scale is in the kitchen...I just refuse! lol)

I tend to be the "weigh-every-day" type. It really DOES get me doen sometimes. When you've been "good" all week and it shows no loss it's hard not to give up, but stay with it, and you'll be glad you did.

If you check your carb count column you will notice that veggies like peppers, tomatoes and onions are high carb count. Since you are concerned about your carbs being a little high, can you replace the peppers, tomatoes and onions with veggies that are lower in carbs like broccoli, cauliflower, celery, spinach and so on? Even half an avacado is lower in carbs than peppers, tomatoes and onions. I love the flavors of peppers, etc., too, but have learned to eat them in very small amounts.

Good luck.

shortstuff

yes I have noticed that about tomatoes and peppers...and onions pointed out to me...thanks...

Laura: I'd say 8 glasses is probably not enough. 8 glasses is the _minimum_ recommended for ANYONE. This diet needs you to have more. Try for 2-3 litres a day (64-100oz) or even more if you can. Try and sip constantly throughout the day... It's tough at first but you get used to it!

Good luck!
Steven

water can be a challenge...I am often on the road alot with my work and I need to be by a washroom when drinking water...I tend to drink my quota so to speak when I am at home of in the office.

Hi there Laura...

The first thing I want to say to you is "DON'T GIVE UP!" I had a somewhat rocky beginning to my low carb journey, but was fortunate enough to have a few people here in the forum help me stay the course. It's all there, at the beginning of my journal.

The second thing I'd like to share with you is that starting a journal will help you. It gives you a place to ask questions and collect answers. Recording your daily food intake there in great detail will also give "eagle eyes" around the forum the opportunity to check it out and give you guidance.

I had a look at your fitday and a couple of things jump out at me. One is that you are eating what appears to be very similiar things every day. It would be best if you had a bit more variety. Another thing is that you appear to be eating some salty and/or processed things that may be holding you back. Some folks can manage to lose, eating those things. Others of us need to eat really "clean" in order to lose. I'm one of those. You may be too. It takes time to really get in the groove when LCing. What I mean by that is tweaking until it fits you perfectly.

If you could record your daily meals in a journal, with as much detail as possible, it would help us to help you sort it out. You may be able to eat more than 20 carbs a day, if they are spread out through the day and come primarily from the "good carb" sources. Try not to lump all of your carbs in one meal. This will make your insulin level spike. I also think you may be eating too little too. A general rule of thumb is 10X your weight in calories, keeping your fat at about 60-75% and protein around 25-35%. I know I struggled with the concept of eating around 2500 calories a day too. I was however, able to lose weight while eating a lot more than I had ever before. And now I maintain at a much higher level than before as well.

One more thing I noticed is that you are using a diet mayonnaise. It's not necessary. When a low fat product is used, it means that you are getting more carbs and lower quality fat. Don't be afraid to use the "good fats" which actually have a lot of health benefits.

Hope this helps.
Marlaine