i am so fed up. i have been doing this for about 6 weeks and seem to go up and down with the weight loss. this last week i have been doing really well and been purple for the whole time. when i got on the scales nothing!!! i have been doing more some exercising (actually running a couple of times a week!!! never thought i would do that). i have a lot of weight to lose over 100lbs so surly i wouldnt think that i would keep my weight by building muscles.

typical menu for the day

breakfast
2 eggs with mayo, or chicken, or ham or very occationally a protein drink or atkins bar.

Lunch

salad with chicken or fish or meat plus some cheese. used to add nuts but stopped that.

snack
has been salami blitzed in microwave till crispy and eaten with avocado dip

supper

fish/chicken/meat with stir fry using olive oil and sometimes butter

jelly with cream

drinks water, some diet drinks and coffee. have slipped a little and had the odd cup of coffee with milk but i cant believe that that can make me put on all that weight espcially when i am still purple.

please help. on the weekend i dont always follow this. i dont eat carbs but i dont often have set meals may just snack on corned beef, eggs and other meats during the day. is this what is doing it.

please plese please help as feel like giving up

First, I am sorry you are so frustrated. Looking at the menu you provided-I would give up the jelly and the atkins bars for sure. I also don't see any veggies listed. You really need your veggies!

You might also try to put your food in fitday.com to check your calories and fat %.

Hopefully those with more knowledge will be able to give more input!

Paleoanth

Hi Flossie:
I'm sorry you are having problems with this Atkins. I have had a lot of success with the diet (started back in 9/01). I'm also 41 yrs old.

I looked at your typical day of eating and it looks like you are doing a good job. Here's some comments that might be useful.

1) Did you get your blood work done before starting the diet? I think Atkins recommends getting thyroid checked if you can't seem to lose. Maybe stop by the bookstore and leaf thru his books and check to see what they advise or ask someone about this on this forum.

2) Hormones can cause lots of problems when trying to loose weight. I'm considering talking to my doctor about this. I think my hormane level has gone up and it's causing me to gain weight inspite of lo-carbohydrate consumption.

3) You might try reducing your salt and caffeine intake. That's something I plan to try and see if it helps.

4) If you are taking any medication, check Atkins books and see if those might cause you to not lose.

5) Start charting your food and weight lose/gain. I know it is painful when you know you aren't going anywhere but it might give you clues to areas where you need improvement. It will also be helpful to document how you are feeling, etc. You might see a pattern.

6) I think you could be experiencing a weight gain or no weight loss when you really increase exercise. You know the old saying that muscle weights more than fat?

7) if you aren't doing this, I'd take body measurements. If you become an exercise nut, you might not lose as quick because you are increasing your muscle mass. Your weight on the scale might not move but I'll bet you see a reduction in inches.

Keep at it and hang in there. -- Cheers, Nancy

A quick question: Did you experience weight gain eating Atkin bars? Thanks, Nancy

I agree with Paleoanth. I would definately give up the jelly and the lc bars. Any time that I have had a bar my weight loss seems to stop for about a week so I would definately avoid them.

About the purple test strips. You do know that purple isn't necessary a good thing, right? This often means that you are dehydrated and your urine is saturated with ketones. If the strip turns just the slightest bit then you are in ketosis. There is no such thing as being in heavy ketosis or just a little ketosis. Either you are or your not. I would up your water intake to at least 3-4 liters a day. This will keep you hydrated and keep your body flushed out.

Good luck

I would highly suggest giving up the Atkins bars and the jelly. Try drinking more water ( I know, ugh!!) and adding more veggies for your carb intake. Fitday is a really helpful site. I was surprised at how many calories I was consuming even though I was staying between 20-30 carbs. It will keep you in line! I'll be surprised if it doesn't help you out. DON'T GET DISCOURAGED!

I would agree with everyone. Dump the jelly and LC bars. I began eating the LC bars which started my cravings again. Then I went to the LC shakes in an effort to stop the cravings and the weight stall. That didn't help and I found myself waiting all day to have that LC shake after dinner.

Now, I've given up the LC shakes, LC bars and began drinking more and more water. Now after a long weight stall, I've lost a pound. I've also added 2-3 cups of green tea in addition to the water; don't know if it helps, but it tastes good and I love the aroma.

When you drink your coffee, add heavy cream instead of milk or half and half. It's delicious, sometimes I add a T of heavy cream to diet soda for a "cream soda". Get the Diet Rite which is sweetened with Splenda.

Don 't let your frustration get the best of you, it looks like you just need to adjust your menu.

Magic