why can't I get passed a certain weight
 

It's not so much that my weight loss has stalled as it's been fluctuating in the same area. I weigh in at 150 sometimes and in the same day it can go back up to 155 (depending on time of day). I am very strick with the LCing and don't understand why for whatever reason I can not bust 150!?! Please let there be someone on this forum with enough wisdom to guide me and mercy to share it with me....this bites!
-mildwild
P.S. this has been going on for about 1 1/2 weeks now!

First, let me say I don't have true wisdom, but I'm willing to share my own experience with you. I'm sure that someone with really true wisdom will jump in later on.
Your true weight is the one from early morning. You go to the bathroom and then you weigh yourself before eating or drinking anything. After you eat, your weight will change! I usually weigh 5 lbs more at night than in the morning. Don't worry, it will go down the next morning.
A few things to consider:
Have you lost inches? Nobody knows how much you weigh; it is just a number on the scale. But they will notice how much better you look. Sometimes you just loose inches because the weight is rearranging through your body. Also, one and a half weeks is not enough time to worry. Sometimes your body takes time to get used to the loss and you are stuck in a number for a while and then your loss resumes.
I have been stuck on 140 for a while; I know I could do better if I'd cut a few LC extras. Think about any extras that may be stalling you: cheese, sodium, artificial sweetners, LC sodas and products in general.
Increase the amount of water you take. Also, are you taking the supplements?
Keep in mind that you may retain more water around TOM, too.
Hope it helps a little.

I have good and good news for you! :) The fluctuations you describe are normal and very common. Everyone hs been there. For me this process can go on for 8 or more weeks and then the next weight loss comes. Try to see the big picture here - you are losing weight and you WILL reach your goal.
Please don't let the scale ruin your progress, don't torture yourself.
See how your clothes fit, take pictures of yourself - there you will see the real results.

Very best of luck :)

Alina

With the extra protien of Atkins ou may be building lean mass. It could be a case that at around 150 you are at a healthy body fat percentage. That doesn't mean a percentage your happy with, but one that is considered healthy. To push it lower and to tone up trouble spots will take exercise.

Remember too that when you first lose weight it's not porportionate. As your body adjusts to a healthy weight it will start to become more even and not have spots that are small and some that still look chubby.

For those who have lost alot of weight there could also be the issue that it's not fat left, it's loose skin. At 10 pounds lost though you probably don't have an issue with excessive lose skin.

What you should do is find out your body fat percentage. For women 20-27% is a healthy percentage. You are probably alerady in the 20's. That will tell you how much lean mass you have and what a realistic goal weight would be.

Remember too that a number on the scale means little. You are the only one who will ever see it. Toning up and replacing fat with lean mass means becoming a smaller size, having a tone body, and firming up. That is what others will see.

Greetings!
The good news is that you are progressing nicely. The other good news is that you are right on track and everything is typical and normal. More good new: 1 1/2 weeks is nothing other than maybe a minor lesson in patience. I have bounced around the same 3-4 lb range for more than a month. Progress slows to an almost imperceptably slow pace sometimes but it comes.
1. Make sure to drink lots of water
2. Stay away from any frankenfoods
3. Make sure you get enough fats
4. Count your carbs. Use Fitday.com for awhile...it helps with accuracy and to avoid carb creep.
5. Find the right level of calories. Not too high. Not to low. It's about experimentation here as it's a little different for everybody. Figuring this out alone can take several weeks of playing around.
6. REMEMBER: Losing is great but not gaining is in itself an achievement. Focus on the positive.
IMHO.

Can I ask a question? What exactly does Frankenfoods mean?

My understanding of Frankenfoods is anything that is made through processing and needs to have the ingredients read as well as the nutrition label. A good example would be the 6 pack of Vienna Sausages I bought a while ago that had 0 carbs on the nutrition label outside the package. If I had read the actual ingredients I would have seen the corn syrup and passed on them. Most meats are natural unless you go into the meat that are processed like cold cuts.

Relax, Mildwild!

It's actually very common to have a brief (defined as 1-3 weeks) period after induction where weight loss seems to stop. It's just your body making sure that everything is okay before letting go of the fat. Stick with it and in another week or so I'd be willing to bet that you will see a few more pounds drop off. Also make sure that you are measuring yourself. Often people notice that they either lose inches or pounds, but rarely both at the same time.

For me franken food means I can't pronounce the ingredients on the lable, there is something added that shouldn't be, or there is something just scary on the lable.

Like the low carb bars or candy bars that say "minimal effect" on blood sugar. That is very different then no effect. Same with sugar alcohols that are sugar that has been altered by science. Also the fact they inject sugar and salt into fresh meats (why?), processed meats to where there is more chemicals then meat.

If I see a bake mix that is soy flour, gluten, and cocoa, then I don't think of that as a franken food because the ingredients are natural, even though it may be mimicing a normally high carb item.

That is my definition of frankenfood, but eating that way all the time would be very hard :) I do try to stick to whole fresh foods when I can, but anymore with addatives to meat and just living in the real world you get chemicals. Ther eare organic foods and meat with no processing, but I can't afford to eat like that all the time unforunetly.

It is important to remember that as you lose weight, you need less calories. If you plateau, eat a little less (don't starve, just cut out a bit) and do more exercise. Works every time. :)

brobin

Your body has to adjust to the new weight. Also, was this a weight you were at for a while some time in the past? The body often gets stuck at something it was used to before deciding to realign itself.
Don't give up! It's nice to see those numbers dropping on the scale, but the real test is inches and how those jeans are feeling.

I understand howyou feel. My body really likes being around 140. Befor eatkins the smallest I had gotten was 138. I managed to get down to 135 after a week of KISS, then gained it all back in one day of having cheese, peanut butter, and some SF candy. After a couple days of KISS again I've gotten back to 136. It makes me wonder though if I'll jump back to close to 140 every time I have any small endulgance, even an LC one, and if I 'll ever reach 125.