If you're in a stall, and getting discouraged, read this!

I was in a stall for over 5 weeks, losing ZERO lbs. - how did I get out of it?

Let me back up for just a sec and tell you that I had successfully done lc-ing 2 yrs ago - a sort of Atkins/CAD combo, and the weight literally fell off painlessly, and I thought I had found "the key" to finally becoming slim.

At that time however, I was using lc-ing as a quick fix, rather than a way of life, and so of course, I gained it all back. Serves me right, I guess.

Anyhow, I went back to lc-ing Jan 1st, and once again, grinned like an idiot while 10 lbs just "fell off" within the first week or so. I was elated, and
already envisioning all the new clothes I would buy, and how gooood I'd look in them.

Then, it stopped.

Totally.

No matter what I tried, the weight would not budge.

So what got me back on track? Ya know, I'm not exactly sure, as several eating and lifestyle adjustments came in to play pretty much at the same time. But here's what I did:

First, I tried to get more sleep. There is some sort of a biological factor involving cortisol that will work against you. And it's not uncommon for insulin resistance people to have insomnia. So, if you're in a stall SLEEP MORE!

Second: Get up off your butt, in earnest. Now I loathe exercise, or at least conventional exercise. So, although not a "western" type person, I tried taking Line Dancing Lessons. It was a blast, while still being as much exercise as 3 aerobic classes rolled in to one. In a stall? Find something FUN to do that will get you MOVING.

Third: Consider if you have a yeast infection, as described in Atkins. I used Oil of Oregano for 2 weeks or so (see book for details), and noticed that some misc syptoms that I had seemed to slowly disappear. Maybe I did have a yeast infection - who knows. Oil of Oregano is a painless way to treat it (apparently), and although you walk around smelling a bit like you work in a pizza factory, it beats the heck out of "ketosis breath" <grin>. So, carefully consider that you may have a yeast infection that needs a little extra help (beside the lc diet) to clear up. According to Atkins, a yeast infection will make losing weight nearly impossible. You must also avoid foods that aggravate yeast infections, also (see Atkins).

Fourth: Watch the fake foods. All those great fake foods may make it seem much easier to lc, but they may hinder you a bit, as well. Be especially watchful about consuming artificially sweetened fake foods throughout the day (even if sweetened with Splenda or Stevia). Some people are Soooo insulin resistance that just the taste of sweet, whether real sugar or not, will make your body act as though it is encountering sweets, and slow or prevent weight lose. Do ya have to give it up entirely? Not necessarily. Try to limit sweet tasting things to once during a day. If this is your prob, at least you won't be reacting all DAY to the sweetness.


Fifth: Limit or avoid the foods suspicioned as causing stalls in others. For me, this meant nuts and cheese (I must have been a rat or squirrel in a previous life!) Once I limited or eliminated them, my cravings for them pretty much disappeared. And as we've all read, the curse of lc-ing is the fact that the very foods you crave often are the ones you have an intolerance for, and need to avoid. Don't whine - just do it. You'll be glad you did.


Sixth: Be sure to take your vitamins. You may want to check out suggested additional supplements, too, lik EFA's, etc.

Seventh: Drink lots of pure H2O. We've all heard that preached like the gospel on the forum. Time to be believer and DO it.

Eighth: Don't hover over your Ketostix readouts. Dark readings can be achieved when you're a little dehydrated, and they certainly don't mean you are necessarily losing weight. My readings have actually become LIGHTER (more water?) at the same time my weight loss has finally begun to move again.

By incoporating these changes in my lifestyle, I have lost 4 lbs this week - plenty for healthful weight loss.

Ninth: Most importantly, don't give up! Keep searching until you find what gets your weight moving again.

I hope this helps some of your who are discouraged and stalled to HANG ON. Keep trying. Something WILL work. Good luck to everyone!!!