I lost 6 pounds the first week. Then starting saturday I gained 1.5 pounds. This morning I'm back down to 1 pound gained, but I'm retaining a bunch of water. I can feel it in my hands and my left knee is so swollen I can hardly walk up and down the stairs. To just stand on it, it wants to give out. I think that may be another problem going on there. I am drinking 3-4L of water a day or 100-120oz so I shouldn't even be retaining-never have before on that much water. It's not time for TOM (last week)

I'm not hungry at all and when I started last week my calories were between 2200-2400, but now they have dropped to around 1900- I"M JUST NOT HUNGRY. Problem is my fat intake is just above 70% averaging around 72-75. Is my fat intake to high for my calorie intake? I'm only hitting 14-18 carbs a day, when I started it was right on 20 most days. I'm in moderate ketosis everytime I check a ketostrip. Only once has it dropped to light pink instead of moderate and that was a check in the pm just to see what it looked like after reading another post about times and checking. I just did measurements on friday, so that isn't going to show anything either.

Even with taking 2 psyllium husk caps every morning I can't poop, it's been 3 days now again. I have no urge or feeling of need to even go although my belly feels full. What's everyone's average fiber intake a day? Yesterday I had 14 fiber and that's higher than any other day I've had!! That should have gotten something going. Even if I go it's just a little bit and I still feel full.

HELP!!!!!
Otherwise I feel great!! lol

Good morning!!!!!!!!!!! My wieght drives me nuts, I am up and down constantly.. BUT I only take one wieght a week seriously. WEd night I weigh in at a TOPS meeting and that is the weight I go by and so far it is going down.

This morning I weighed and am up 2.... frustrating YES but I am not concerned about it. Your weight will flucuate.. hang in there and maybe lower your calories a bit more.

Make sur eyour eating your veggies. They are the most important source of fiber in your diet during induction. After induction you can start adding in more high fiber foods.

As for the water retention and bloating. Are you eating alot of highly processed foods such as bacon, lunch meats, jerky and ham? These contain extreamly high levels of sodium, not to mention sugars. Also are you having a large amount of dairy? Too much cheese can add to constipation and if you have mild lactose intolerence can also contribute to bloating. Any kind of sugar free candy or other things containing sugar alcohols are a no-no on induction and can also lead to alot of bloating. They usually come with the opposit problem of constipation though

70% of calories from fat is actualoy great for induciton. As you raise carb levels that will slowly lower. When you say your only hitting 18g of carbs a day, is that total or net? If that's total then definetly up your veggie intake. Try to have some with each meal. You only need to keep your net carbs below 20.

You're using fitday right? Is that wher eyou get the 70% of caloreis form fat? If so why not make it public then post a link so others can see what your eating and offer suggestions

I discovered yesterday that I had gained a pound when I weighed myself yesterday morning. This was, however, after a bacon and eggs breakfast! I think I was retaining water from eating the bacon because that night before I went to bed I weighed again and I was back at 184. I had drank about 110 oz of water throughout the day. It was probably the sodium content. It could perhaps be a food like that.

The salty foods postings make a lot of sense. And one thing I've always wondered---it there such a thing as too much water intake? The Atkins book recommends 64 oz., and personally, I could never get into consuming much more than that. Maybe try less water??? JMHO

just try to keep going , everyone in here are great supporters and they have kept me going , i still have a long way to go , but everyone here are always willing to help and no one here judges you they just want to help each other, and these days that is a rare thing, so try to take everyones advise and keep going...ddd

I eat very few processed meats, bacon actully is all for the most part. I'm actually cooking dinner every night!! I will never decrease my water intake, it's essential for weight loss IMHO. I've peed like a horse today, and I'm feeling less retention in my hands and even my knee isn't quite as swollen. I limit my cheese to 4oz/day, and have whipped cream maybe 3 times a week. I think I'm gonna have a drop tomorrow. This WOE is easier for me to follow when I work, I drink the same only slowly throughout the day, and I have nothing else in the car to change my mind on what I'm going to eat. It's either eat that or nothing. My carbs are that after subtracting off the fiber. So 14-18 carbs a day net.

Less water would backfire if it's water weight. If your body feels it's not hydrated enough it will hang on to what water it has. Drinking more water will help to flush excess water weight form your system, taking along with it toxins and other nasties. It will also take sodium, pottasium, and electrolytes, which is why supplimenting can be so important.

ok I added my fitday journal.

You need to make it public, then follow the link they give you. That one just leads people to thier own fitday journal

It would be something like
***.fitday.com/WebFit/Publicjournals.html?Owner=<your username here>

***=www I didn't want it to parse the url

ok todays counts cal-1741 carbs 16-4 fiber=12 net 69% fat. Still to low!! damnit. I can't eat more I'm stuffed. On this WOE Dr Atkins says eat till you are satisfied. Well that would be about 500 cal and 5 carbs. 2 bites makes the stomach growl go away and it takes me from 9am to 11am just to get 2 eggs and 3 slices of bacon down for breakfast, then start in and eat lunch from 1pm-3pm 2 or 3 bites at a time. I eat dinner around 6 or 7 and am not hungry for that either. It is my biggest meal of the day because of my job and I'm just stuffed and still don't have my cal's up high enough.

why does this page say I've had 47 carbs when clearly when you look above that in foods eaten it says 16?

The 47 is how many calories came from carbs.

1741 isn't low on calories, it's probably just fine. Also You don't have to hit exactly 20 net carbs and 70% fat each day, just get aorund that.

I'm seeing alot of processed foods though. Cut down on the bacon to start. Sausages also have alot of salt and usually sugars. In fitday what is best to do alot of times is to enter foods raw. When fitday sees cooked food it will automatically add margerine or salt (usually both)

I'm also seeing not to many veggies. Remember to have the salad greens (2 cups every day) The spinach is actually in the 1 cup section, but don't start cutting back I'd say. As low as you are on carbs you can use alot more veggies as "fillers" to help you feel satisfied and make meals with more variety. Just use butter, olive oil, or mayo with them to keep fat up. These will also help with the constapation.

4 oz of whip cream is also way more then is allowed on induction. That is 1/2 cup. Limit yourself to only 1-2 table spoons a day. Mixed nuts are also a no no on induction and can carry massive amounts of salt with them. Cheese is also limited to 3oz a day total.

Make sure to read over the allowed food slist carefully. Also read the rules for induction. Both articles can be found on the Atkins web site under "How to Do Atkins".. "Induction".. "Page 2" They allowed foods can be printed off and easily attached to the fridge as a reminder, and as a quick reference when you aren't sure if something is allowed or not.

I do have them printed off, but I am a homecare nurse and am in my car 90% of my day. I have to have stuff that I can eat while driving. Most of the bacon (except breakfast) is 1 or 2 slices to add flavor to other stuff. I know I'm not allowed nuts on induction but that is something I can keep in the car and not have to have refrigerated in case I get a little hungry and don't have anything else. I think I've only had them 2 or 3 times and it's just a 1/4c. I baggied up my nuts in measured out 1/4c bags so I know I'm not eating more than that at a time. It can be so easy to go over that- 1/4c doesn't look like much when you are just eating them from a bag or can.

I was eating that much cream- I measure out 4oz of cream first then whip it. I needed to add the fat. It's not 4oz already whipped- does that matter or is it the same weight after whipping? lol I don't know. The spinach was raw and I used it for my salad, instead of lettuce (since I was out) and it seems to have less carbs then lettuce anyway, and has way more nutritents then even Mixed greens. I had my 3 cups veggies today. Celery was approx 1c and spinach was 2.
I eat veggies every night with dinner, and try to get in one with lunch, but again my job only allows me to eat uncooked ones, and carrotts are out. Hate uncooked broccoli, so that leaves me pretty much with cauliflower, celery, and possibly a few tomatos. It would be nice to access to a microwave and a table to eat lunch at most days. I get tired of cold everything and don't want to get started at fast food places for warm meat. Everything tastes so salty from those places when you don't have the bread to cut the salt flavor. I'm trying to stick to just 3-4oz of cheese a day, but I can't hardly stand hard boiled eggs (hate the yoke) and don't have time in the morning to fix scrambled ones. So I try to do cheese for breakfast every other day. I'm trying to start having left over meat from dinner to use for breakfast in place of the boiled eggs.

With my weight of 220 according to the 10-12x weight rule I am running short of calories by 500. Is that rule really that important?

To save time do your cooking on the weekend or day off then freeze. Tuna salad made with store bought mayo is not only high in fat, but can be kept in a lunch box safely until lunch time.

Make up quiches. They are LC and a filling, plus usually freeze really well. Use muffin tins to make them, then just grab 1 as you head out the door in the morning. They can also be carried for lunches and are a good way to get in veggies.

Mix up a salad, just pack dressing seperately. Add the dressing just before eating.

Instead of bacon, learn to experiment with various spices and veggies for varried taste and less sodium. You can also try a pottasium chloride salt sub to get in your pottasium better and further cut back on sodium levels.

Make a soup in the crock pot and just leave it plugged in on warm. Grab a cup full for a warm breakfast, or a relaxing snack after work. Crock pot meals also work great if you mix everything together the night before, leave it in fridge, then the enxt mornign as your rushing out the door, plug it in. When you get home a hot meal will be waiting.

If you don't mind not being a strickler for traditional breakfast foods you can also start soemthing in the crock pot the night before and have it waiting for you warm and ready when you get up in the morning.

Make up a plate of snack foods to keep in the fridge for easy grabbing as you go out the door as well. Thigns that work great are deviled eggs, bacon wrapped scallops, meat cubes and so on. Snack size zip lock baggies can also help.

Some people will pack a hunk of meat or a steak in a baggie. Then eat it using the bag as a glove to keep hands from getting greasy.

As for calories, I wouldn't worry about the 10-12x right now. Make sure though that you are getting at least enough to keep your energy up and your body from hanging on to fat. Esp as a nurse who is on thier feet all day, under extream physical as well as emotional stress, and who needs to be alert and have energy. I'd say not to let cals go below 1400-1600 a day. That's an opinion though. Find what amount works best for you to lose at and have energy.

Make sure to suppliment for energy too. A good multi vitamin, plus pottasium, calcium and magnesium.