I don't understand why I haven't reached KETOSIS am i doing something wrong? I have followed all the ATKINS induction rules, kept my carbs under 22grams, don't eat or drink anything that has sugar on it and even exercise once in a while but i can't reach my goal. I am in the last 15 pounds to reach my goal of 97lbs for my 5'1 height. What's wrong here? I mean, i have done exactly everything by the book and still have difficulties losing those last 15 pounds I'm getting so frustrated with this diet that i'm thinking of just leavin it, especially now that i broke one of the rules and ate fruits (watermelon yummy). I'll start again tomorrow and will go again through the 2 weeks of induction phase but i need help cos i can't see what i'm doing wrong here. Is ATKINS all about PROTEINS and no carbs and sugars? I know from it just what i have read so far and that's not much cos i'm barely by Chapter 4 of DR. ATKINS NEW DIET REVOLUTION. I also haven't got to that Chapter where the whole process of KETOSIS is explained so i don't know much about it either. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Any feedback is greatly appreciated... really, anything at all cos i know most of you guys have read the whole but already


P.S. How do i put and icon next to my posts? How do i start a journal?

Are you drinking tons of water?

The lowest ideal weight I could find for a small framed 5'1" woman was 101 pounds. The range on different "ideal weight" sites was 101 to 135. If you are now actually at your ideal weight you probably will not lose anything on Atkins.

Correction from last post:

Forgot to add "BOOK" in my last line but you know what i mean right?

Can you post a couple menu's of what you generally eat in a day? That might be easier.

hey sobxlady!

Yep!! i'm drinking between 24oz-64oz each day, depending on my mood and how thirst i'm.

Can you tell us what you have been eating. I am looking for
Franken foods and hidden carbs. Also not that 2 grams would make the difference by 20 carbs sould be your target.
Fruit. Fruit contains Fructose (fruit Sugar) that will refill your liver Glycogen levels and keep you from Ketosis.
How much water are you drinking? Any exercise?
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=182859 Read this.
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=183774
Jag

Well let's see... For breakfast i'll usually have some 2-3 fried eggs with 1 bacon or f1 ried hot dog(the ones with low carbs). Then around 1pm i eat lunch and that usually consists of either 2 pieces of broiled chicken or steak with 1 cup of salad and lots of mustard(to give some flavor to the meat cos then it would just taste pretty bad) and another bottle of 8z water. After lunch i might still be hungry so for a snack i'll eat a can of tuna with some mayo and again 1 bottle of 8z water. By night I don't usually get hungry but if i'm i'll have something small, maybe just tuna again or chicken but no salad. You can pretty much see that my menu isn't that great, just plain old simple meals that can be made in less than 15 minutes or so. I wish i knew of other things to cook but i hardly have any time for that (too busy with work n school) and even if i did had the time i wouldn't know how cos i am an awful bad cook. So anything that's easy, simple and just ready to eat i'll have. But now i'm trying to find some new things to make cos this menu is making me sick, have had TOO MUCH eggs already > yuck!!

Wnnabethin...your menu looks very low on the fats and veggies and high on the protein. Contrary to popular belief, Atkins is not a high protein way of eating, but a high fat adequate protein diet. Your menu is also lacking the veggies that you need. Even on the strictest induction, you need to get at least 3 cups of veggies per day. 1 cup of salad isn't nearly enough and if it's iceburg lettuce, that particular veggie is very lacking in nutritional value. Try to add some more veggies (darkest green ones or very colorful ones are best) and don't be afraid to use some salad dressing like vinegar and olive oil, ranch or bleu cheese.
I'd also like to point out that at 112 pounds, you are already within a healthy weight range for your height, so any weight loss you do experience will likely be slow. We'd all like to be at the low end of our healthy weight ranges (well..a lot of us would anyway), but often our bodies have a very different idea of what a healthy weight is for us and will fight any efforts to get to a lower weight. You will need patience to get much lower than you are already so while you're excercising that patience, you might be better served by working on adding some healthier foods to your menus like more veggies and more water (try to get 64 oz. daily, not just when you feel like it).
You also didn't mention whether or not you are excercising. Adding an exercise routine or changing the one you are already using might also be helpful.
Good luck!

Is your fat level >65% of your calories and protein <30% of your calories???

This WOE requires a lot of self modifications. You have to kind of tailor the diet to your own needs.

1) your body may be already at the lowest weight it wants to be.
2.) Make sure you read the ingredients. Some companies market low carb products, but upon reading the ingredients, you'll find that there are hidden sugars in the form of corn syrup or brown sugar. Also stay away from all process foods, even low carb hot dogs while you're getting started. Those are usually the culprits for hidden sugars.

3.) When I had a problem staying in ketosis, I found the drinking a lot of water, I mean like at least 3 liters a day, helped kick me back in ketosis. I am also they type that cannot eat any low carb products such as Atkins shakes and bars. They stall me. When I keep it all natural, the scale starts moving.

I hope some of this info has helped you. If you have any more questions, feel free to stop by my journal and drop a dime!

All righty now, Your foods look OK.
Keto stix measure "excess" ketones in your urine. You don't have to show on a keto stix to actually be in Keto/liposis. Some people who workout alot actually burn the ketones and don't have "excess" in their urine. I do CKD and it takes me 2.5 - 3 days to show on the stix. I don't worry about the sticks because I can "feel when I am in Ketosis.
Keep your calories 10-15 % below Adjusted BMR and stay away from Franken foods, exercise regularly and you will lose weight.

Jag

How do you "feel" when your body is in Ketosis?

According to some users and Janie3k:

I haven't tried the Ketostix but i have heard that it's a good tool to use when trying to find out if one is going through Ketosis. I would really like to trt them but don't know where to buy them, any idea where i can get them?