Well I did Atkins for a few weeks about 3 years ago and lost a few pounds. Then I got pregnant and went off. During the pregnancy I developed gestational diabetes and had to do the diabetic diet (about 150g carb daily). I ended up loosing 25 pounds while pregnant. After I had my baby I continued the diabetic diet and gained back some weight. I switched back to Atkins (4 or 5 months ago) and have slowly lost some weight.

The problem is that I feel like crap. I no longer have any energy, my hair is falling out, and mentally I am gone. I try to keep my carbs as low as possible but I think they are just too low. I have been really counting them for the last few days and am at about 20g total....6-8 fiber. After 5 months that is just too dang low right? I am just wondering what you guys are all doing? How many carbs are you managing to eat and still lose? I just know I cant go on this way.

Thanks for your help, Stacey

PS.. I am taking suppliments and L-glutamine hasn't been making a difference.

read the book "dr. atkins new diet revolution," then we'll talk.

TC

I agree with TC, but it sounds to me like you are not getting enough carbs you NEED at least 20 not counting the fiber. I think people make the mistake of thinking that 20 is the maximum. 20 is what you need (in veggies etc) to keep healthy and have energy. Don't stress if you are at 21 or 22 each day, you will (most likely) still lose weight. If you eat fewer than 20 "net carbs" after you subtract the fiber your body will go into starvation mode and you won't lose anything and you will feel like crap.

I average between 20 - 28, after the fiber is substracted. Some days less, some days more, but the average stays about the same. Make sure your carbs are from veggies and dairy, not the bars, shakes and other processed food. On my high carb days, I've eaten a cup of full fat yogurt with sugar-free jelly or berries.

I have read the book, inside out! I am asking for advice from people living this everyday!

Hi Stacey!

Post some daily menus and we'll go from there.

I go between 20-25 carbs per day and that is after subtracting the grams of fiber & sugar alcohols from the number of carbs, which Atkins recommends. Are you taking vitamins/supplements? They are a must. I wasn't taking them for a few weeks...I started up again and whoa what a difference in mindset. I eat eggs, meat, cheese, usually 1 bar a day, a shake per day (chocoholate here, even if it is sugar free), salad, peanut butter & celery, low carb bread, brocolli, bell pepper, onion, green beans, mushrooms, etc. Not all of those everyday but those are the main foods I eat. Make sure you are getting enough calories and fat too. Eating more fat will give you more energy and help you to lose weight faster. Good luck!

Well, Lisa I am actually doing pretty much the same type menu daily.

Breakfast: Eggs and Bacon or sausage - or some left over dinner from night before. Maybe half a tomato or some cucumber slices also

Lunch: Chef salad or chicken or tuna salad all homemade- no take out or carb filled dressing

Snack: 2 oz real cheese or sometimes an Atkins bar

Dinner: Some type of beef chicken or fish with a good sized amount or green beans or zucchinni.

I was doing pretty well on this for months. I rarely uped my carb intake because I am very insulin resistent. What I think may have gone wrong is that about a month ago I started really exercising more. About 20-30 mins on a stationary bike 4-5 times a week. Not excessive but I think it may be boosting my metabolism some and I may need some more carbs. What do you think?

Get rid of the bars, and up the veggies.

Since you were preggie you might also want to get your tyriod checked again as pregnancy can effect that.

Pregnancy can also help with candidia overgrowth, so you might want to read the yeast chapter of the book carefully to see if you exibit alot of those symptoms.

Other things that can be effecting it is a dairy intolerence. You might try cutting out the cheese and mayo for a few days.

It also looks like you need more fat and cals. Remember Atkins is a high fat eating plan and during induciton you should be getting around 70% of your calories from fat. For an easy way to watch ratios sign up for an account at www.fitday.com

I noticed after increase in excersising, it took more carbs to lose weight.

Suggest checking for hypothyroidism. Signs of an underactie thyroid is sensitivity to cold, weight gain or inability to lose weight, hair loss, fatigue and lethargy, depression, dry skin, chronic constipation, poor nails, poor memory and elevated chlesterol levels.

Simply take your temperature orally four times a day before each meal and before going to bed for four days. Average your temperature each day and if it consistenly below 98 Fahrenheit, you are likely to have hypothyroidism. This is called the Barnes technique of basal metabolism.

Take this info to your Doctor. Ask him to run an full thyroid panel that includes Free T3, T4 and TSH levels. However, these clinical tests do not catch all cases. That's why doing the Barnes technique first is helpful and can save you the blood tests if your temp is normal.

Lastly, are you suffering from post partum depression?

I do have a history of post partum, but my baby is 18 mos, so I think I am back to normal hormone-wise. I have had thyroid tests before and they have always been normal, but none since my last child. I definately will try taking my temp. just to see. I am also going to get some better suppliments and up the high fiber veggies in my diet. Thanks for the advise

Ok This is just to lend my own personal experience ... but after induction (other than that #%*#* 3rd week) I lost about 1lb/week. That was fine and dandy as I had less to lose than a lot of people. However, once I upped my carbs to 30gs I started losing almost as fast as I had on induction. I did a program where I dropped down to 50g/carb and I lost weight fine at that level then so I do expect that I have a higher carb tolerence than some people. So I think that some people ... especially those who workout regularly might do well to increase their carbs. Everyone is different. Remember that if it doesn't work for you to increase them that you can always drop them back down after a week and there will be minimal damage. This is a WOL and you have to make adjustments as you go along to find your own exact needs.

That being said, I'd try making the little tweeks to your current daily menu that have been suggested. You've gotten some sound advice.

Good luck and I hope you see some more positive results soon!

Thanks for the advise Lori, wow you are from my old stomping grounds. I miss CA so much.

Stacey you might want to consult your dr. you might have low thyroid. It does happen out of the blue. A simple blood test can show. It can't hurt and it would but all your worries back in perspective.