I was really inspired when I heard so many success stories about Atkins. I tried Sommersizing last year before I got pregant with my 3rd child, which is a combo between Atkins and Fit for Life. I lost a whopping 28lbs in 3 months (6lbs in 1st week) and was obviously very pleased. And this was without exercise. While I was pregnant and gained about 50lbs (up to 225), but wasn't overly concerned because I figured that I could just get back into Sommersizing and lose the weight as easily as I had the first time.

The first 25 pounds was fairly easy and took only about 1.5 months. However, it came to a standstill at 200lbs. I decided that drastic action was needed. I hired a personal trainer and started working out 5 times a week. And these were intense workouts - running in the hot sun on the beach, weight training that included leg lifting 180lbs, running up and down the seats of the bleachers 90 times. I lost another 20lbs in 5 months doing this - but it probably looks more like 40lbs because my muscle mass is quite large. I'm extremely happy with my fitness level. However, I still would like to get down to 135lbs - another 45lbs.

While I was exercising, I wasn't following any specific plan because my trainer insisted that I needed to focus on ensuring that my energy level was high enough for the intensity of my workouts. He assured me that now that the pace had been stepped up and I was doing more cardio (ie bleachers) that the weight would start melting off. This didn't happen.

Therefore, I decided to finally give Atkins a try. I was extremely meticulous about it. For the week before I started, I read the book, searched the internet site, bought all the necessary foods so I wouldn't be tempted to cheat.

Finally on the Monday I was ready. I wanted to follow it religiously so that I could be sure that I'd given it a fair shot. I even bought all of the supplements (ie the Basic 3, the multivitamin, the omega 3/6 oils, the Accel). Every night I would spend about an hour going through everything I'd eaten that day, using the Atkins carb counter to count the net carbs. I counted and measured EVERYTHING. I had bars and shakes as snacks, usually because I'd gotten used to not going more than 2 hours without having something to eat (as per advice from my trainer). One bar in the morning, and one in the evening when I got home from work, because I was going to be going to an extremely intense 1 hours exercise class in about half an hour and needed the extra energy. I've been drinking about 4 litres of water each day. I had no more than 20 carbs/day except for maybe 2 days when it creeped to 21 or 22, but sometimes I got it as low as 14.

The first week was good - I lost about 4lbs. I followed the same routine for the second week, and watched my weight creep UP each day. By Friday, I was back where I started. I was working out at least 3 times per week and not doing anything differently. Two of my friends were also doing Atkins and both lost about 8 lbs in the first 10 days. I was in tears. I truly believed when I started this that if I was disciplined, and followed everything to the letter, that my goal of 135 was attainable.

I almost gave up over the weekend because I thought, why am I going through all this trouble to keep track of everything I eat, and still maintain the same weight? I've maintained the same weight at 180 for about 2 months now by just eating what I want and exercising. On Saturday night, 13 days into it, I had about 3 handfulls of peanuts - that was my big cheat. Whoopie.

However, my friends kept insisting - don't give up! If I hadn't spent so much damn money on the bars, shakes, vitamins and supplements, I might have said to hell with it. It's probably only because I've invested so much that I'm still on it.

So, here I am almost at the end of my 3rd week and I've LOST NOTHING!!! The measuring tape is still the same as it was 3 weeks ago. I can't sleep at night - I don't know whether it's because of those so-called Atkins fat-burners, but I'm completely wired at 1:30 am, and have to be up for work and 3 kids at 7 am. My butt hurts because my "# 2's" are completely abnormal - almost diarrhea. And I feel like I'm going to faint every time I turn my head quickly. My legs feel more toned, but I think that has more to do with the new exercise classes.
Although, a few people have mentioned that my face is looking smaller these days - again, may have more to do with new exercises.

I'm very frustrated and confused. I'm starting to become less diligent about measuring this week because it hasn't seemed to have helped so far. I’m not prepared to do a “fat fast” because I don’t believe that I should have to do that in order to lose weight. So am I just going to be one of the few for whom Atkins just doesn't work? Will I have to eat no more than 20 grams of carbs a day for the rest of my life so that I don’t gain any weight?

Any thoughts would be welcome. Thanks for taking the time to read my extremely lengthy life story.

Hi CayCarrie,

Well I'm not an expert....but I'll give my 2 cents. During induction, it is extremely important that you follow the food guidelines set out. Bars and shakes may be useful during ongoing weight loss or maintenance, but should not be used during induction. Try to stick to whole foods. I am not a purponent of calorie counting...and I don't know what you eat on average, but I would suggest that if you are doing the exercise indicated that you fuel your body to do so......our bodies are just like a car as I am sure you know.....no fuel.....it does not want to go.

Great job at getting your water in....that is usually one of the hardest parts of when a person starts out.

My suggestion? I would start at induction again....using only the foods outlined in the induction phase....stay away from caffiene....nitrates...and put away the bars and shakes. Follow it to the T...no ifs ands or buts.....If you get through induction cleanly (no cheats) and still have not lost inches and/or weight.....then yes perhaps it's not the program for you or you are extrmeley metabolically resistant. Something that can be looked at at that time.

I know how frustrating it can be to do something and not see results....but sit down and look at your daily menu....are there things that you should not be eating on induction....are there hidden carbs? Remember, even the smallest and simplest things have carbs.....like gum! Each little bit adds up.

Give it a shot....it's really worth it....you have worked really hard and done really well to get to the point you are at today. Give Atkins way of eating a chance....follow it as written....and let us know how it works out for you.

Hope this helps a little. Have a great night & keep us posted on your progress.

Jo

I hate to hear anyone sound so frustrated, especially since you seem to be very dedicated and trying so hard.

I second dumping the shakes and bars. I know that the Atkins site says they are OK for induction, but they have been known to stall some people. You might also want to start up a food log at www.fitday.com I have found this to be a helpful tool and easier to track my carbs and other food in this than trying to write it down. I keep my fat at 65-70% of my calories a day. That seems to be the only way I lose weight. You might want to go ahead and post several days worth of menus here to give us something to look at.

You might also want to add some sort of fiber suppliment if you haven't already. That might help the bathroom problems. Several people here use psyllium husks.

Please continue to post here. I want to see you succeed.

What a bummer! As soon as I saw "shakes and bars" in your post, I cringed. All that effort on your part, railroaded by those naughty things. Not only that, but it can't be good for your intestines! Those bars have sugar alcohols, which cause a laxative effect (as you've noticed. )

Anyway, as already pointed out, they're not on the <a href="http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/12/15-464579.html">acceptable foods list</a> for induction. I find it easiest if you follow the guidelines on that page and build your meals from that. Y'know, three cups of salad veggies, liberal meats and fish, liberal eggs, a few ounces of cheese...

You'll get the hang of it! Stick around!

I was at a low this morning when I got to work because I weighed myself this morning and was 2lbs heavier than when I started Atkins 3 weeks ago. Which is why I couldn't face spending 1/2 hour making the perfect low carb breakfast and lunch that I have been making for the past 3 weeks. I had a bowl of Wheaties with milk and Splenda instead.

When I arrived at work I though I'd check the site and was amazed and touched that I'd received responses already. And a little reinspired.

It's lunchtime now, and I've been struggling with whether to continue with this since this morning. I think it's worth trying what most of you have suggested - cutting out the bars and shakes for a couple of weeks and seeing what happens. Do you think I should also cut out my 2 cups of decaf coffee that I have with 1 splenda and 1 tblsp of cream?

Also, I'm going on vacation next Friday to see my family for 2 weeks and we'll be staying at in-laws and my parents. I don't know how realistic it will be to stay on this low-carb plan, especially considering that my father-in-law is a low-fat nut. I was thinking about waiting until I get back. What do you guys think? I won't fall off completely while I'm away, and it can't get much worse than it already is (ie 2 lbs more than when I started).

To address some of your comments directly:

Josiekat (Jo) - sometimes experts can be idiots. So I value your comments. The confusing part of Atkins is that the book actually says that you can use the bars and shakes. Also, when you look at the Shopping part of the Atkins website, each product has a little icon beside it to indicate which of the 4 phases you can use the product in. The bars and shakes show up as a "1" in here as well. Also, I did well in the first week, even with the bars. However, putting all this aside, I think your suggestion of starting from scratch with none of the fake stuff makes the most sense.

Paleoanth - Thanks for the understanding and the advice. I was amazed when I quickly scanned the Fitday.com site. What a great tool. I will definitely start using it.

Kristine - thanks also for your comments. I didn't realize that the bars had a laxative effect.

Another question for you guys...Do you think I'll have to continue eating 14-20 carbs a day for a long period of time? What about the bars and shakes. They're so handy. Will I have to stay away from them forever?

Thanks again,

Carrie

Hi Carrie,

I am glad you are feeling reinspired....this site is great for that.

Yes I have seen on the Atkins web site where it shows the bars and shakes are ok for level 1 being induction....I'm not sure why that's there, in my book it says to use whole foods and avoid the fake, but girl I hear you about convenience, the bars are a life saver if you are pinched for time and are on the run. I have to tell you.....when I first did Atkins, using only whole foods, and not counting calories....I lost weight....no problems. This time around, I have been using bars and shakes and worrying about calories and I have to say....it has been brutally slow.

You have so much going on right now...you should cut yourself a little slack until you get back from your vacation. When you get back, then you can take a look at the program again and see if it's the one for you. I honestly can't say enough good things about it....it has been a life saver for me.

Hey....I must commend you on your exercise regime too! Tremendous.....I am envious of your commitment & your success. Keep it up.....it is something to be proud of.

Hope you have a terrific vacation and look forward to talking to you when you get back!

Keep smiling,

Jo

Let me start by saying "wow"! All that ambition and motivation in 1 person. I'd like to address a few things that may help you out.

1) Induction(?) but no progress? - These rules are pretty strict. You'll find that deviation even in the smallest degree can have adverse effects on some people. Please, please try induction again with more attention to detail.

2) Workouts - wow! Again, I'm impressed. Most people think walking around the block is a workout. Yours sounds solid enough. One thing that does come to mind is muscle mass. You mentioned the "weight" isn't coming off. Do you mean FAT or POUNDS? I suggest a skin fold caliper to determind your body fat.

3) Factors - Age, sex, kids, hormones.. all things that can count against you down the road. Most people find that the older they get, the harder it is to do things. Just something to keep in mind. Don't get mad - we all have to deal with this one.

4) Calories - Not a big deal when on Atkins (as a rule), but it is possible to over do it. Consider your volume in VS volume out. Considering your exercise regeme, I don't think this is an issue for you.

5) Diet - kinda reflecting back on #1... FAT & Protein are your friends right now. Carbs can be too, but they have to be the right kinds. Please save your bars and shakes for OWL.

6) Vacation - Take this time to re-evaluate your plan. Eat sensibly when you're there and try not to binge. When you get back, you can start anew. And you can definately come here anytime for our support!

Good luck!

I am really impressed with your determination. I'm also concerned about a few of your choices. I think that by eating anything that is not on the induction list (shakes and bars) and by drinking the coffee with splenda and creme you are sabotaging yourself.

Let me explain. While I was on induction I followed the Atkins Induction plan to a tee. The one thing I didn't think about was the coffee I drank in the morning. I would have two mugs of decaf with 2 packets of splenda in each and a splash (Large) of half and half. When I found out about FitDay and put in my food choices, I found out that that innocent coffee that I enjoyed so much was costing me about 15 grams of carbs. I forgot that coffee comes from beans so of course it has carbs, that splenda is less than 1 carb but that could be .9 carbs and the half and half was 2 carbs per tbls. My splash was probably about 2-3 tbsps.

I still lost weight, but it was slow and now I'm losing very slowly after losing 40+ pounds. So I'm starting induction on Monday again. But this time I'm going strictly by the book. And I'm giving up coffee.

Hi there Carrie....

I can sure empathize with your difficulties. I had an excellent weight loss in the first week or so that I did Atkins induction, followed by about a 6 week stall while my metabolism adjusted to the changed way of eating. If not for this forum, I would have given up. I was encouraged by the more experienced LCers to persist and as you can see from my stats, I have had further success.

One of the things that I've noticed happens for me that may relate to you, is that when I work out extensively, the scale holds. Then if I take a week off from working out, the scale will drop again. I think that when we go at the exercise extra hard, our bodies hold what fat we have to sustain us in what appears to be an emergency situation. I know it's hard to believe, but there IS such a thing as too much exercise and it sounds to me like that may be part of it for you.

Bottom line though is that patience and persistance will pay off. Hang in there with LC and I'm sure that you will see results.

Marlaine

Check out my record (below). After my first 2 weeks, 3 weeks with 0 loss. *However*, due to a suggestion from this forum, I began measuring myself weekly with a tape measure in about 9 places. In spite of NOT losing weight I WAS losing inches. I was very concerned about not losing though.

If I may be a little personal, and I say this only because I think I recognize a similar personality, you may be suffering from a little perfectionism. I think the conventional wisdom with lowcarbing is, relax and let it happen at its own pace.

From my experience, I have learned that my body is DEFINATELY changing even when the scale is not moving. So this diet affects more than bodyfat and scale weight. My hypothesis is that the enormous amount of protein I am consuming (relative to my previous WOE) has put my body into some kind of massive rebuilding mode. I can tell you that I have been packing on muscle faster than any other time in my life (so poo-poo to those who blame slow metabolism on age!).

During my three weeks of no losses, I had to come to terms with my impatience. I decided at that time to give this WOE a full year. This makes sense to me because 1) I'm not gaining any weight, even though I'm eating as much as I want, and 2) the other benefits like energy, sense of well-being, etc. The cool thing about my decision is that I have started thinking more long-term, like what I'll wear to Thanksgiving dinner, rather than pinning my hopes on next week's scale weight.

Other posters have given you good advice: cut out 'frankenfoods', look out for hidden carbs, get ENOUGH carbs (lower than 20 is not better). I would add: try learning 3 new lowcarb recipes each week. This seems to make the weeks go by faster and also keeps it interesting.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

I have to second what lostarts said. There are many, many benefits from this WOE that are not reflected in the scale:

1. no more mood swings, exhaustion, irritability.
2. no more guilt about eating until you're full.
3. no more cravings for sweets (if that is, you cut out ALL sweets, including Splenda -- you find that if you don't eat them, you don't want them).
4. glowing skin, healthier, shinier hair, stronger nails.
5. no more worries about cholesterol/heart health.
6. more muscle for better workouts.

Relax and know that the benefits are coming to you. Think about how great it is to never be hungry and never feel guilty about it. Try to stay off the scale for a while. It'll happen.

Hi, I do hope you keep trying, I agree with the other reply, your working out so much that your muscle mass is getting bigger, and muscle does weigh more than fat. We all have stalls I do believe, I'm on one now, this is week three for me, and I haven't lost in a week. So, just stay determined. I am.

Induction is hard...VERY hard, yet easy at the same time.
I eat no bread, pasta, rice, potatoes...all the stuff I LOVE.
I just finished week one, and amazed!!! Now I will just do the Induction week by week to see how I go.
I wish I had your determination to exercise and focus. Always remember you are allowed 20 grams of carbs while on the induction.
What else can I say that hasn't already been posted here.
You have so much support, and ANY question can be answered in here.

I love it!!!!
Just never give up....you CAN do this

I just want to say "thanks" to everyone for all the great information. I am kind of in the same boat (long time with no loss) and feeling a little down about it. The good news is that in the 5 wks since I started Atkins, my blood pressure dropped 20 points and I am stopping bp meds for the first time in 10 years! So I know there are good things happening, even though the scale doesn't show it. Carrie, keep trying. I think there are a lot of us out there who think we are the unlucky few Atkins doesn't work for. I've been feeling that way too. I understand your worries about vacation. I'm dreading spending time with my mother-in-law who is the Queen of the Low Fat Tribe. I've told some people that my doctor put me on a sugar-free regimen. (It's true and) I've found there is less argument. Keep your chin up. Noel

I have one thing to say BARS, BARS, BARS! I bought some and ate only one so far. 2 net carbs sounds great and it tastes like CHOCOLATE! What could be wrong with that? Then I started reading on the boards how all these people are stalling and they can have up to 20 plus hidden carbs in each bar! Yikes! I have 6 more left in my cabinet that I am only saving for DIRE emergency (like it's either eat the bar or inhale and entire box of captain crunch!). The only reason I'm keeping them at all is because they were expensive and I feel like I can't just toss money in the garbage.

I'm not too sure about the shakes but I suspect from the other replies you have been getting they will put you in the same boat. All in all don't give up. This WOE is great! Stick with real food-- there is A LOT you can eat and it tastes GREAT! Give it one more try!