I have been low-carbing, doing Atkins, since mid-January and am very happy with the WOL. I feel better, more energy, better skin, etc. I follow the program strictly and wouldn't even have a bite of my favorite gourmet chocolate cake on my birthday last week. At first, the weight fell off and I was so happy knowing that I would be at my goal weight with no problem by the time my DH and I left for our beach vacation mid-May.
But then I reached that magic weight: 128. It's the weight that I could never get past after I had my first child, and now I'm stuck at it again. I haven't been able to get past it for over a month and keep going between 128-130 on my scale (tho my clothes fit the same). My body fat is holding strong at 26% BF also, won't budge any lower.
I exercise (aerobic weight-training) and follow the diet to the letter, I've even lowered carb intake again, but it's not budging. I am not doing anything different except eating LESS carbs than when I was still losing 1-2lbs weekly. I am so p*ssed!!!!!!!!!! Jeez, it makes me so mad!! Why is my stupid body so stubborn about this????????????? Before my kids, I was 120 lbs, 17% body fat, and ate anything I wanted, all day long, every day. I was a size 2 or 4 (depending on make of clothing) and pretty happy with my figure. Granted, I'm not big now but I am quite short and hate looking so dumpy with this extra 10lbs on me. Before the kids, my DH was the guy with the hot wife. Now, he's the guy with the wife who was hot before she had kids, now look how she's let herself go.

When you get closer to your goal, your body will hold on for dear life. It thinks you are starving.

Try drinking more water.

Don't give up! You are almost there!

Hang in there! The last few are the slowest to leave.

I'm sorry that I dont' have any words of wisdom for you but I just wanted to let you know that we are rooting you on!!! Stick with it - you can do it!!!!!

Yes, I know-and it took me a year to get to this weight after my son was born, and my daughter is only 5 months. I am nursing (even tho Dr. A says it's not for nursing moms, my lactation consultant was very approving of high-protein, low-carb diet. I imagine Dr. A was simply protecting himself with that message) and when I am nursing, my body holds on for dear life to those last few pounds-it thinks it needs them or the baby will starve. It is so FRUSTRATING tho...
I know that no-one can really give me advice on what to do to break the plateau...(and I do drink tons of water, always have!)
I won't go back to low-fat, high-carb eating ever again. I'm just so frustrated with my body right now and it's stupid d*mn resistance. It's not like I want to be too thin-I've never been too thin in my life!!! (I am only 5'2", so my old weight/size was perfect for me). I mean, how does your body even know it's within a few pounds of your goal anyway???? What if my goal weight was 110? Would I then have coasted to 118lbs effortlessly? It doesn't make any sense. I just wish you could go, "Look, Body, you're not gonna starve so just give it up and get over it!"

That's a really interesting theory. Maybe i will try to send my subconcious messages saying that my *actual* goal is 150!
Hang in there, you are doing awesome!! Maybe it will be like losing your keys - the harder you focus on it, the more it p!sses you off, but you still can't find them. Finally, when you throw your hands in the air, and say 'i give up!' then you find they are in your pocket. Maybe you just need to not be so hard on yourself, and the last little bit will come off Bodies are stubborn sometimes.

I read in a book how your body stops at natural plateaus for a while and then eventually when it is ready gets past it.

Just keep doing the right thing and your body continues to change for the better.

I wouldn't be as concerned with the scale as how my body looked and felt.

Just my perspective.

All the best to you!

My real goal is to be a size 4 again-but I know even at my "goal weight" of 120 I won't be that small yet, cuz at that time before my kids my body fat was 17%. It will take some time and effort to get my body fat that low again (I'm aiming for a year post-partum, which would be the end of Oct.). So, really, 120lbs is my "mini goal". I just wanted to be a bit smaller before I had to be on a beach for a week. BUT my body had other plans. Maybe my huge breast-feeding boobs will call attention away from big-ish hips on the beach, huh? Heh heh...

ROFLOL! I can totally relate! I am also a nursing mom, although my baby isn't much of a baby anymore at 19mo. On the days I work I find it amusing how my shirt gets tighter as the day goes on. To be this close to your goal at 5mo postpartum is wonderful. Your body will hold on to some extra body fat while your baby is nursing for most of his/her nutrition. I hit a stall like that after both of my babies, and then at around 6 or 7 months when they started eating more solid food the weight started falling off again. Now with a combination of low-carbing and exercise, my body looks better than before I had kids. Hang in there! You are doing an important thing for your baby. Think of how amazing your body is to be able to make and nourish a beautiful baby.

Jen

Hi Sydney and Caverjen,

Congrats on both of your stats! It's always encourging to see people who are succeeding at this WOE!

Please tell me, did you both breastfeed while in ketosis when your babies were teeny tiny (mine is 3 months). I want so much to continue with this WOE, but most of the threads here say ketones COULD be harmful to the baby. I haven't seen any evidence, but it is still scary.

Do either of you have any more info on this? It would be much appreciated!

Thanks

My co-worker & pal Stacey is now 11 lbs UNDER her pre-pregnancy weight on Atkins. Her clothes have turned into tents - damn, she looks great!

She's observing Passover this past week so I imagine the matzo and other goodies are taking their toll, but I'd also bet once Passover is done she'll be losing again.

I followed the Zone diet initially and then switched over to Schwarzbein for maintenence. Neither diet is ketogenic. I had good results on the Zone, losing 1-2#/week most of the time. Is your milk supply keeping up while doing Atkins? My understanding is that you need a certain level of carbs to keep up the milk supply, but that could be a fallacy. I know you definitely need enough FAT. I had to double my fat on the Zone to keep from starving to death, and I still lost weight. I just heard my baby crying... time to nurse!

Jen