OWL Not Working :(
 

I was in induction for two weeks, during which time I went from 161 down to about 154. I'm sure some of it was water loss, though, so I probably only lost three or four pounds... but my tight clothes started fitting normally again so I was happy.

Anyways, I've been in OWL for the past three weeks and I haven't lost any additional weight. My carbs have probably been around 30-35 daily. Last time I did Atkins I lost 15 pounds in six weeks, but I stayed on induction the entire time.

My real question is this: Do some people have to stay on induction for the entire time? I thought I could do OWL, but I immediately stopped losing weight as soon as I started eating small amounts of nuts, strawberries, and low-carb ice cream. I haven't been eating any of the frankenfoods that are high in sugar alcohols... even the ice cream I buy is mostly fiber with only a tiny amount of sugar alcohol. I don't understand why OWL isn't working for me :(

Third week stall is to be expected. Mine lasted four weeks. :( Don't let it get you frustrated and off plan.

Yes, some people do need to stay in Induction longer. You'll have to tweak your plan and see what works, but don't be surprised at your stall.

Weight loss tends to go in jumps and slows. As long as you are headed downward over the long haul, you're doing good. :D

I'd track progress on www.fitday.com, you may be surprised that you're getting a lot MORE carbs than you think from eating anything other than whole foods. Also, are you still following Atkins to the letter? Real food, water, meats, cheeses, fish, poultry? I'd drop the nuts, strawberries & ice cream for when you're near or at goal. Stick to the whole foods and you will see success.

Are you exercising? If not, you should be, weight will not stay off otherwise, and exercise has to become a lifetime habit.

LL :)

Strawberries and nuts are real and whole foods. The LC ice cream is not. Save the ice cream for later. For now, I would add just one thing at a time. Try one week with either one serving of nuts, or one serving of berries (not both) every other day. If that works for you, then try alternating them on a daily basis for a couple weeks. Or, you could try just the nuts or just the berries to start out with. This way you can see whether or not you have a quantity control problem or a craving problem with either one.

Taking advantage of FitDay is an excellent suggestion. It was an eye opener for me.

One other point, are the nuts salted? Perhaps there is water retention from the salt. Even a single serving of salted nuts has quite a bit of sodium. You did not say what kind of nuts they are. Some have a much higher carb and calorie count than others. As to the berries, are you eating them as is or with whipped cream and Splenda? More carbs and more calories from the whipped cream if you have added them to the berries.

My first stall lasted weeks 3 and 4 .. then had a 3 pound drop in week 5. Sometimes, our bodies just need a little time to adjust to what's going on inside. :) STay the course and as the others have said make sure that you are counting any diet sodas, coffee....and any other "incidentals" because they CAN and DO add up. And as with any other WOE -- exercise and drink your water. :)

The same thing happened to me MONTHS ago. Didn't start to loose again till the 7th week. I had almost givin up. I feel your pain of frustration.

You're doing fine! A loft of people stay on induction and complain about not losing weight after the first two weeks! So I think you just hit the week 3 stall where your body needs a moment to adjust to the weight loss. Give it a few weeks. Don't worry if you stay at this weight for a week or two. Just keep plugging away at OWL and you'll be losing again in no time!

It took me a years worth of being mostly stalled before I realized I had to lower my calories too. Now I'm losing nicely again.