When I started Atkins, so did my husband. He is quite overweight, by about 120 pounds, and he suffers from fibromyalgia, so I really wanted this WOE to work for him. I know it's helped so many other fibro sufferers.

Unfortunately, he felt pretty crappy all during the two weeks of induction, and he didn't lose anything. I felt that if he'd stuck with it, he would have lost, but I understand his reluctance, too. Give up foods he loves AND feel like crap AND still be fat? I've been trying to gently encourage him to get back on the wagon. To his credit, though, he has really upped his water intake as well as cut back on the carbs and really only has a few foods that suck him in (chips, sugar in his tea, ice cream, and potatoes).

Yesterday, I read an interesting post about basal metabolism and how you need to eat more than your basal metabolic requirement in calories but less than your total metabolic requirement in calories to lose weight. The larger you are, the more calories you require, too. Just out of curiosity, I figured up his requirements. Depending on the calculator, he needs anywhere from 2500 to 2700 calories per day just for basic functioning. I estimate (and this is a generous estimate) that on induction he was getting maybe 1500 calories a day because of the appetite-killing effects of induction.

So ... could the low caloric intake be an explanation of why he didn't lose? I don't know if the "starvation mode" thing would have happened that quickly, though. Has anyone else here experienced that? Was it alleviated by eating more?

Please help me. More than anything, I worry about my husband and want him to feel better and be around for a really, really long time. Thank you all in advance for your comments.