Can anyone give me some tips on what to do?

I started the Adkins diet one year ago yesterday. I had 15 to 20 lbs to lose. I lost 15 and was okay with that. It took me 4 months to lose that amount. Occasionally I cheated. Sweets are my biggest problem. I am post menopausal and using hormone replacement since July. That didn't affect my weight at all. I made it through the holidays and was able to maintain. I ate sweets often but didn't gain. My weight had been fluctuating 2 to 3 lbs either way since August. About two weeks ago, I decided to try to lose the extra 5 lbs that I had originally wanted to lose. I started cutting out the extra carbs that I had gradually added to my diet. I gained a pound. That might not sound bad to most of you, but I'm really scared that I am going to start gaining. It was so hard for me to lose the initial 15 lbs. Why have I started gaining now that I've cut out all of the sweets that I had been eating over the holidays? I stopped eating them before New Year's. Three weeks later I gained. Help.

Hullo Jamesetta,

I have to ask: why do you feel the need to lose any more weight? Your weight is at present at the very bottom of the normal weight scale, so losing any more will make you underweight. Our bodies sometimes know more than we do, and it sounds to me as though yours is telling you it doesn't want to lose any more.

I think you should be celebrating the fact that you are so lovely and slim.

Rosebud

jamesetta, I am only 5 ft tall so I understand that 1 pound can make a difference and is frustrating when you are working so hard to lose. I have several suggestions. First, many many foods cause water retention. I gain 2 pounds very often when I eat Chinese food and it takes several days to go away. Salty foods will do the same. So, as hard as it may be, don't sweat one pound. Keep eating right and exercising and drinking plenty of water. Those last five pounds take a LONG time for most of us. My last five probably took at least 5-6 months. Today, my weight is + or - 2 pounds all the time. Don't panic, even though you are tempted to. Though I disagree a little with Rosebuds belief in weight/height charts (they just don't take bone structure enough into account) you may have to rev up your exercise routine to get your metabolism jump started.

What type of exercise are you performing right now? Instead of losing "weight" you should look at losing body fat via resistance training. Don't worry you will NOT gain bulky msucles like a man, however it will very much help your figure and make you feel better.