So, please don't flame. I think I'm posing an idea that a lot of you are feeling...........

Okay, so this WOE is great......the hunger pangs are not there like they are with low fat diets. BUT (and YES I UNDERSTAND it's a Way Of Life, not a crash diet), I'm a little confused at the praise Adkins gets when you can go 6-8 weeks on the plan and not lose an ounce. People speak of how much weight you can lose (and how quickly) on Adkins.....but reading everyone's experiences here, I surely don't see evidence of quick or even steady weight loss. I know that MANY of you (and myself included) have had great success initially, but it seems to take an awful damn long time. I'm beginning to think that my initial great success was mostly water weight loss. And now, my loss is next to nothing. So, besides the lack of hunger pangs, I'm wondering why I shouldn't go on a weight loss plan that actually allows for a steady weight loss.

Please don't flame me (my skin is too thin-even if I'm not!).....I'm just trying to be completely honest here. I hear so many people on this forum talk of stalls, gains, constant wondering whether some small morsel (sugar alcohol, artificial sweetners, nuts, cheese, dairy, caffiene, etc) of food has caused them to stop losing. It makes you a tad paranoid and also makes you wonder if this insulin/glucose mechanism is just too fickle to work with.

I know that it can work for many people over time. But, I feel like there are so many qualifiers, so many things that cause stalls, so much lack of progress...........does anyone understand where I'm coming from?

Hi--I am new here and am hoping that what you say is not true--but I am sure you are right--but I still have to give it a try

The last thing I want to do is discourage anyone.....please, please stick with it Sherri. It really is a great way to eat, and weight will come off. I have just had this frustration for some time and have been biting my tounge. I finally had to say something. But, it is SOOOO worth giving a shot.....please stick with it and enjoy not feeling hungry!!!

Thanks for the uplift and advice--I will definetly give it a try and see what happens--again thanks

In my personal opinion I think its more than just losing weight.
I know for a fact that it helps with depression and sever anxiety. Know that it drops triglyciride levels and know of a person now that is getting off diabetic meds because of it. It makes you feel great. I think that is the most important of all things on this WOE is the way it makes you feel. I myself know that it is a little annoying sometimes to get on the scales for say a week and not have it move. But this is to say as well that it doesnt move in the wrong direction ( for me anyway ) when I lose a pound its gone! There will be stalls in weight loss. I think you have that with every diet. Every person is different and some people never have a stall.

One of the other reasons this WOE is great is that you can eat till you get full. I do not know of any other diet out there that allows you to get full. Most people can stay on hunger diet for a while, but eventually those pounds come back. If you stay with this WOE those pounds should never come back. Just my 2 cents on why I love this WOE

1. Think about how you feel, and not only the weight loss. Measure, not just weigh. If weight loss is your only goal... then I dunno. You think weight watchers is easy to stick to? lol

2. Exercise. Do you?

Hi Louisa,

After reading your post and you listed all the good things about this WOE I'm wondering what other plan you would choose to do? I don't think there are any that gives a steady fast weight loss once your body gets used to the way you're eating.
I also lost the most in the first 6 months, now I'm lucky if I lose 1lb a month, which I am currently doing, but I like eating this way and if I never lose another pound I really can't see myself giving this up and it will be 1 year for me on the July 17.

Sheryl

I started Atkins May 15/03 at 189 lbs.

The way I figure it, if I hadn't changed my WOE I'd now be closer to 195 lbs if not more. My blood pressure would still be 180/110. I'd still be having chest pains. I'd still be sleeping all day. I'd still be depressed and not feeling a lot of love for myself. Both my hubby and I would still be eating our way to an early grave.

Today, all of these things have changed for the better. This WOE includes so much more then just the results on the scales!

<font color="brown"><B>I totally understand where you're coming from. I felt the same way in the beginning. I was stalled for quite awhile. But like others have already said, it's not JUST the weight. I feel 20 years younger than I did before I started eating this way. I can't tell you how much money I've spent on shrinks and antidepressants (to no avail), and NEVER felt as good as I do now; in body AND mind.

So, I guess it really all depends on what you're looking for. Yes, the weight loss is slow (after the initial pounds), but slow is better if you're wanting it to STAY off! And, in my opinion, you MUST exercise. Once I started exercising 5 days a week; I broke my stall. There is no "one size fits all" and I can only speak for myself, but this is the best move I've ever made. The weight loss is just a bonus to all the other improvements it has made in my life.

Good luck to you and try not to look for immediate gratification. Getting "unhealthy" is not immediate....nor is getting "healthy."

Morgan </b></color>

It's a good question .. and it's been asked before. Maybe reading through this thread might provide some insights and answers for you?

Stalls and slow rate of loss will be found with ANY weight loss method, including low fat and low calorie. My thought is that we're going to see a disproportionately large percentage of struggles and lack of success here, because the people who ARE losing successfully don't feel the need to post questions or seek advice on an internet support forum We have over 25,000 members, but on any given day fewer than 5% are actively posting. Many members sign up, ask a few questions how to get started, where to find stuff .. then they disappear into the ether never to be heard from again. Why? Because they aren't having any problems. I'd say that's the majority of low-carbers. Other members are quietly logging their success in their journal or gym log .. and don't feel a need to post in the support areas. We do have a Success Stories forum .. maybe you might feel encouraged to have a read through some of the threads there?

But I agree with you .. it can be discouraging to read so many posts about struggling and stalling, and it can look like that's the "norm".


Doreen

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1. I do measure. I acknowledged that I had had some fat/size loss. Did I say WW was easy? No.

2. Yes, I do. Everyday, I hike in the mountains for 1-2 hours.

I'll second what a lot of others have already said. It's not just what the scale says that matters to me. Heck, I lost a whole pants size without the scale even budging.
What matters more to me than that arbitrary number on the scale is how I feel, how well my blood sugars are controlled, the fact that I've gone from needing two prescription medications to needing none and that my bloodwork shows that I'm far healthier now than I was when I started. Low fat/low cal wasn't doing any of that for me and I was always hungry and craving on top of it all.
When the scale doesn't want to move, it helps to consider the alternative...it could be going up and I could be feeling lousy instead of feeling great.
When it comes to struggling and frustration, I think that happens with any weight loss plan. I've watched my dear SIL struggle with trying to lose on Weight Watchers and being hungry and obsessing over points over and over. She'll lose a few pounds only to go off the plan and gain it all back plus a few more. I see that same story played over and over again in my workplace. People are successful for a short while but eventually give in to cravings and hunger and gain it all back plus some.
I've tried virtually every weight loss plan out there, but this is the only one that I have been able to stick to for any length of time (2+ years now) and while I can't say I've never eaten something I shouldn't have, I always go right back to low carbing because I feel so much better when I stay away from the junk. Even if I didn't lose any more (and I know I will), I'd stick with this just because of how much better I feel.

If I can just interject here with my little story. I was stuck at 210 for about a month, not cheating but just stuck.. Then I had a few days in a row where I was really busy out in the car (looking for a new one, actually) and only ate very basic stuff on the fly (steak, salad, water, etc). I dropped 5 lbs in a matter of days! And they are still gone, too! I know it could have been just *time*, but I can't help but believe that the "going back to basics" helped a lot.

Doreen wrote:
But I agree with you .. it can be discouraging to read so many posts about struggling and stalling, and it can look like that's the "norm".


Doreen[/QUOTE]

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This quote from Doreen is precisely what I was getting at. I understand the health benefits. I understand the mental benefits. I understand, I understand............BUT, you cannot deny that there seem to be many land mines (all the various foods, etc., that cause stalls) in the LC valley.

I totally understnad your "tale" jean....I have had the same thing happen to me.....