I started this WOE on May 1st and have lost 41 pounds...which I guess is pretty good. But my weight-loss hasn't been consistant. When I was doing the low-fat approach & if I stuck with the plan, I lost every single week! It was nothing but consistant. Don't get me wrong, this WOE is definately for me. On low-fat I was ALWAYS hungry, with Atkins I am always satisfied.

I was just wondering if there was any specific reason for this? Or if anyone else has noticed this. What makes this WOE different? I'm pretty happy with the weight I have lost...I just get frustrated on a weekly basis when I have done EXCELLENT & no change!

Thanks in advance!

~Amy

Amy, congrats, you have done Excellent!

What you're noticing isn't uncommon - and I'm pretty confident I have an explanation for it

When you diet using traditional methods you restrict calories and you typically eat inadequate protein - traditional dieting tends to be very low fat and high carb. What you lose every week on the scale as 'weight' is a mix of both fat and lean mass and water because of this. Restricting calories and eating little protein creates a negative nitrogen balance - this makes it possible for muscle to be used as fuel.

When you LC you typically eat more calories and you definitely eat adequate protein, thus maintaining a positive nitrogen balanced. So guess what happens? Muscle is spared. You keep your active lean tissue, and after Induction (or those first 2 weeks) you keep your water, and all you lose is FAT.

While you may not see the fat leaving every week, it most likely is. Fat is always being burned for fuel when you restrict carbs. What you notice with scale blips, or with no change is your body adjusting to the loss of fat. Fat cells hate to shrink (you never lose fat cells, they just 'empty' and get smaller) so when fat is released and burned the fat cells will absorb water to try and retain their shape. They give up after a few days - this is what we notice as a 'whoosh'.

So the next time you're frustrated, just think of all the fat you're burning and imagine those fat cells shrking, and drink a little more water to push them along !

Nat

Nat - Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! You have made me feel a lot better! They say you learn something new everyday...thanks for the lesson. Maybe I will learn to "chill" when the scale doesn't move.

~Amy

You're welcome, Toots "Chillin" is definitely better for fat burning than "Stressin"!

Nat