My name is Sheri and I am from NC. I did Atkins about 4-5 years ago and lost 153 lbs in 10 months. I ended up gaining almost every pound back because of a lot of stress in my life and very very poor food choices (carbs are my comfort food) Then when the stress was over I found out I was pregnant and had to be on bedrest and take lots of hormones to be able to carry the baby to term so the weight just kept adding on. Well, now that the baby is 13 months old I am back to Atkins for the past 3 weeks. I was pretty excited because I had lost 13 lbs in 3 weeks (tomorrow will be 3 weeks) although it is a much slower loss than last time (I lost 27 lbs in that amount of time the first time on the diet). I got on the scales this morning and it was up 2 lbs!! WHAT??? How can that be? I have a lot to lose...about 130-140 lbs so the weight loss should not be so slow. And gaining is just crazy. I can tell you that I do eat ketchup not a lot but once in a while (but I did that last time too) and I have to admit I have been drinking more diet drinks. Last time WATER was all I drank. I just feel so discouraged today. I had my hopes up to lose like I did the first time and I just don't see that happening. I have a very important event coming up in June and I had thoughts of being down atleast 70-80 lbs at that point but I guess that just isn't going to happen huh? I need support, ideas, and advice from all of you who can spare some. I don't want to give up on the diet. I have started it several times since the birth of my son only to give up within 1-2 weeks. This time I have passed that point and don't want to give in now.

You lost alot of weight back then congrats. But look, you did it once you can do it again.
You've answered your own question I think. For one thing, stop eating ketchup. And water is better than even "DIET" soda.13 pounds is good your off to a good start. I have to lose 130 pounds so I Know how you feel.



>>I got on the scales this morning and it was up 2 lbs!! WHAT??? How can that be?


I got on the scale this morning and showed me up the 6 pounds I lost. But weight fluctuates. Don't be discouraged. You can do this.

I'm not going to give up so don't you ok.

Keep a journal and we can help each other out. We are here for you, so don't hesitate to stop by my journal and vent. Together we can support each other and cheer each other on, ok.


Take care, hope to hear from ya soon.

Lily

By the way my inlaws are from NC.

Sheri, welcome back! Not that this is something I guess people want to be welcomed back to if one had a choice in the matter. First of all, 2 pounds gain over night is going to be water. So try not to worry about it. You may not lose as fast as you did 4 to 5 years ago. BUT alot has happened in that time, and naturally your body has changed. Even if it goes a bit slower than it did before, so what? Next month you will be lighter than this month. AND isn't that what matters in the end?

You want to make a life style change that you can live with. Just take if one day at a time, and know that we are all here for you and all going through the same thing. Don't give up!! Give it and yourself time.

See you around the boards

Keep going! You'll be better off either way. Good luck. We'll help you!

Sheri:

Keep in mind that your whole body has changed. After having a baby, nothing is the same, plus, if I'm not mistaken, steroids, like you had to be on to have your baby are stored in fat. This could be the culprit for the slower loss. But on a positive note, 13 pounds is 10% of your goal! Another thing to keep in mind is if you are on any type of hormones (birth control especially), weight loss will be slower as well. The important thing is you need to get healthy for your baby.

I understand and can relate. I too dropped a lot of weight before pregnancy with Atkins, but now my daughter is 2 and I have lost none of my pregnancy weight! Starting over isn't fun, but neither is going to the park and not being able to play with her.

We are all here for you! Keep going.
Sandy

yes..your weight will come off slower this time for sure...you'll probably have to wrok harder...but you can do it! it's worth it you know!

hang in there! i try to forget the scale when it fluctuates up a little, but i always focus on the number when it goes down! and it WILL go down--you owe this to yourself!

Hi there, first off give yourself a big pat on the back for getting back on and staying for the 3 weeks so far
For sure the 2 pounds will just fade away,stick to the plan, it's water. But you must drink more when this happens. "Water gets rid of Water" Very true

The ketchup can't be helping in that department cause it is loaded with salt and sugar So try give it up at least to get a few weeks of a clean induction, which you really have to eliminate all sugars, to make that break.

The other thing too, that can be hard to take, is you just can not expect to lose each and every week, it just won't happen. But don't give in, stick to it, that is the only way you'll get there

See my weekly records below.

Cheers Kathy

One suggestion is to put your scales away for awhile ( 2 weeks to a month). Focus on doing what you know needs to be done--eating right and drinking plenty of H2O. I didn't even own a set of scales for the first 4 months I was on Atkins (my house burned a little over a year ago and replacing them was low on the priority list). I still keep then in an out-of-the-way place and only weigh once a week.

SheriLynnC,

Just wanted to know how your coming along? Are you hanging in there? Feel free to post me if you need anything. We are here for you.

Hope your doing good. Don't get frustrated. My weight is coming off slowly but at least it's coming off. Remember to drink you water. Walk around with a bottle if you have too, tie it around your hip even Ok I'm being silly but anything to get you to smile.

Noticed you don't have a journal yet. Why don't you start one. Sometimes looking back to what you've eaten before helps you figure out what you may be doing wrong. Or sometimes you come across a recipe you haven't had in days and then you can enjoy it again.

Also this way others can help you by finding the dents for you. Or just to cheer you on.

Hooray Hooray your doing great! See like that.

Fitday.com helps too. If you don't already use it, and it's free.

Well take care, hope to hear from ya soon.

Lily

Welcome back SherilynC! I first did Atkins over 20 years ago and dropped weight so fast it was unbelievable. Over the years I have used this approach and I can say that it does come off slower with age. Plus I am sure that all the yo-yo dieting I did in my lifetime also is to blame. But I can tell you that I have lost a significant amount of weight and most of it comes off in 4-7 lb increments. I might not see any difference for weeks and then Poof! 5 lbs gone. Please keep at it....I know you can do it. Just think, even if you dont lose all the weight by next summer, you will be well on your way to looking and feeling a lot better. If we just take it one day at a time, we can do anything.

SheriLynn, don't give up! You probably just have to make some modifications to accelerate your weight loss. The diet drinks & ketchup probably add up to quite a few carbs. Why don't you try small amounts of low-carb ketchup, like Atkins or Keto? And as everyone's been saying, drink lots of water.

You DID lose 13 lbs. - that's a great start! 130 lbs seems like a daunting amount of weight to have to lose, but you did it before, and this time, now that you know the ropes, you'll do it for good! The scale will fluctuate from day to day: what you're looking for is a downward trend over longer periods of time, like a week or 2.

Good luck and stick with it!

WHERE ARE YOU?

Hope your doing good. Keep us posted.

Take care,

Lily

HI,

Congrats on doing a great job!! I think the most important thing is to make it so it is not a diet and a way of life, so it comes second nature. I love this way of eating and don't think twice that I am being deprived of anything. If you want bread, cakes, cookies, ice cream, etc, there are always low carb substitutes to come through for you when you have a craving. If you can find foods that you love that are low carb, start experimenting and trying recipie's and you will find that it can be dificult do stop eating low carb for some!!!!

Hang in there and just remember this is a life change, a mind change, and a way of eating you can maintain for a lifetime