Hello,

Just wanted to introduce myself.... it's great to see so many people working towards the same goal... and succeeding!

Kudos to you all.

I started Atkins 3 weeks ago (at 205 lbs), and by the middle of last week I had lost 13 lbs. But, this morning when I weighed in I was up 4 pounds!

Any ideas? I was really good all weekend.. and no... it's not PMS time either!

Thanks, Linda in Montreal, QC Canada

Great to have you join us!

Three possibilities occur to me:

1. Water retension--Weight can normally fluctuate within a 3-5 pound range from day to day. Did you eat some salty founds? Some dieters like to average their weight loss from day to day to even out these normal fluctuations so they can clearly see the downward trend.

2. Have you been on protein-sparing or low calorie diets frequently or recently. After being on a protein deficient diet, the body naturally repairs muscles when adequate protein is available. This can cause the body to gain weight.

3. Have you been exercising or exercising with weights? This builds muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. You can gain muscle weight at the same or greater rate than fat loss.

In all cases except 1 you should be seeing a loss of inches.

Hope this helped.

Perhaps you are right Zuleika, and it is reason No. 1.

I took my waist measurement this afternoon and it's a good 3 inches more than last Friday. In fact, it's the same as when I started.. This is VERY disappointing, as it makes me think that perhaps all I have lost is water? I'm trying to drink about 2 liters a day.

Has anyone ever had the experience of Atkins bars, or bake mix throwing them out of ketosis? I had a bar on Friday and Saturday, and tried a slice of the bread on Sunday.

I'm going to keep on trying anyway...

Linda

Hello Linda,

I would try not to weigh yourself every day. As for the bars, I cut mine up in 8 to 10 pieces ...for an treat here and there.
You did well so far, hang in there and the weight will come down again

Good luck

Mischa

Sorry Linda

I should have given you reason #4

Use of meal replacement bars and shakes, i.e. Atkins. These bars and shakes claim that they only have 2-3 net carbs. In reality they contain 28-32 gms carbs. The other carbs are comprised of sugar alcohols that they claim have no effect on insulin levels. However, for people sensitive to them and carbohydrate addicts they act just like sugar. They can stall you, put you out of ketosis, or even cause you to gain weight! I was in a stall all summer because of these bars and shakes! If you are sensitive to these products, and it seems you are, don't use them! Use nuts or cheese products instead! When using nuts a serving is 1 ounce or a half handful. Not a big grab! Count or portion them out before eating! If you eat them from the container, they will all be eaten!

Hi Linda,

Yes, as Zuleika says, the bars are a definite trap for many people.

If you want more info on the sugar alcohols (and lots of other good stuff), have a look at Low Carb Tips on the orange bar at the top of the screen.

Cheers.

Rosebud