Hello, its me again

Well, I've been b___tchn for a day or two about not losing and switching plans, so after a day of indecision came home from my tiny towns tiny library with a few books am now totally confused and had no idea what I could possibly eat without doing horrendous damage to myself Monticnac, Somersizing, The Anti Aging Zone, ................ I thought a salad might be a safe choice and I fixed myself a big spinach salad with some other veggies and poured on the fat free ceasar dressing. It tasted funny......... I suddenly realized that for a month I had eaten full fat dressings and now this fat free dressing tasted strange.

To some of you, this will be hard to believe but until a month ago I had never tasted full fat dressing as I still have never tasted a soda that is not diet. So it took me some getting used to the fat dressings, but it was good, I am now having to readjust to fat-free and I will admit this ..hey when I'm wrong, I'm not chicken to say so . The fatty dressings do taste better. I really couldn't understand why you guys were raving on so about salad dressings when there were fat free's available. Now I know, I'm not saying I'll eat them but I will say they do taste realllllly good

My library didn't have body for life, which is what I am thinking of looking into, but I am going to the (small)city on Friday and should be able to pick up a copy there.

I have to ask-why did you go with fat free?

Hi Paleoanth,

Because I'm in a state of indecision right now as to which plan to follow, Atkins was not working for me so I am checking out some others - probably going with something like body for life (not sure tho) so I was trying to keep the fat out untill I had a new plan, its a big decision every time I eat right now, I'm not sure what will do the least harm.

oh! I see. Well good luck on your decision. Deciding how to eat is a biggie. I am sorry Atkins didn't work out for you. Just make sure whatever you choose is something you can do for long term.

KoKo,

I'd be interested in why you feel Atkins didn't work for you. How long have you been on Atkins. I have not done well on it either, but I think I'm a turtle.

I eat the right balance of fat, protein and carbs, no protein bars or shakes, the right veggies, no more cheese, no more processed foods like bacon or sausage, drink my water (which I hate - so I chug it down) and yet weight loss is not happening.

Don't give up, and in my opinion, switching around from one plan to another is detrimental.

Check out the Turtle thread, I haven't gone though all the postings yet, but that may be the answer for both of us. I'm staying with Atkins because finally I have no cravings and I love the food I can eat. I just bought a low-carb cookbook and the recipes look great.

Magic

You know, a MUCH better compromise, if you must watch the fat, is light (lower fat) dressing. The fat free stuff, unless it is a naturally fat free vinaigrette, is just plasticky and disgusting. When I was making my sad attempt to go low fat, I ate the light stuff. Light sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar, dairy, is at least edible. And the fat adds mouth feel that will keep you more satisfied.

Just a suggestion!

Hi Magicslr nice too meet you

I had been doing Atkins for about 5 weeks, I did a loose induction the first time(had wine that blew it) and a tight induction the 2cnd time and a day of fat fast. Appeared to lose a few pounds but it was on and off from day to day until I ended up still at my start weight. I peeked at your profile and could not tell your age, if you are like me, I'm 48 (hate to admit it, but the hormones don't lie) I'm finding that my ability to lose weight is slowed by age, this is also part of the reason I have gained the rest is from my nibbling while quiting smoking . It used to be if I needed to lose a few pounds I could do it in a matter of days, not anymore .

I think that part of the reason that Atkins does not work so well for me as a lot of others is that I may not be sensitive to carbs but think I am sensitive to fat. I usually eat only whole grain unrefined carbs and don't seem to be triggered to overeat with them. I admit that I like sugar but it also does not cause me to binge or anything, in fact I think that at times it causes me to feel more full than anything else.
On Atkins, I never really felt like I had eaten a real meal, and the protein although high in calories and fat takes very little room in the tum tum and dosen't for me anyway leave me feeling satisfied the way a meal containing some grains and or legumes would. I know a lot of Atkiners say not to count calories, but you are supposed to watch them (10-12xbody weight formula) and you reach that quite quickly on a high fat/protein routine when you are of petite stature like you and I.

I'm with you on the processed foods, I'm very sensitive to sodium and these all make me retain fluid. Checked on the turtle thread also and had really eliminated any of the causes. Without overeating, I was always hungry on Atkins and not losing - .
Years ago when Atkins and LoCarb was a new concept I did lose on it - boiled egg and sardine diet I called it - but only ever did it for a few days a week - to lose any "weekend weight"
The main thing is that you are happy with it and so this means you will be able to stick with it and probably start losing soon.
I do believe in lo-carb, and thats why I'm checking out some of the others. The montignac method is interesting, but the section in the forum here is not the liveliest and I'm quite confused over some things. I spend a lot of time being confused so the feeling is familiar anyway

Sorry this turned out to be a rather long reply I have a rambling problem

Hang in there tho, sounds like this is the plan for you .

KoKo,

You and I should picket!!! It's not our fault we are petite. I wish I could eat as many calories as I want in the Atkins diet, but as you said, with all the fat which I love, it counts up quickly.

Stick with it, you'll find your answer. Have you had any blood work done or ever determined you are sensitive to fat?

I've started a new trick: no soda or tea w/o first chugging 12 oz. of the dreaded water. I don't like it flavored so that isn't an answer for me.

As to age, ahem, I could just about be your mother.

I'll have to update my profile and add a picture.

Magicslr

If you're unable to find Body For Life, then take a look at BodyRX. In my opinion, the eating plan is much more flexible and tolerable. The weight training is just icing on the cake. If you can read both, I recommend that - 'cause then you can make a more informed decision.

-- Loretta

Loretta - Hi

Thanks for the tip, I'll remember to bring my reading glasses to the Coles Books tomorrow and have a good flip through lots of books before deciding what to buy, wish my town's library was a little bigger, but the benefits of small town living have some trade offs I guess....

I've skimmed through the montignac plan a few more times and it becomes a bit less confusing each time. Most of the plans have one thing in common- the carbs permitted are all pure and unrefined - which makes sense.

hmmm weight training - icing on the cake - if only it tasted like it

Hi KoKo, I hope you find the WOE your looking for!!

I also hope you'll stick around to say Hi and let us know how is goes!!

I thought Atkins wasn't working for me either, I had all the right ratios and percentages, and then I toyed with fine tuning my induction plan. I apparenlty needed MORE FAT and MORE FIBER and woolah it works for me.

My ratios aren't what is normally suggested but it works for me. Hopefully you will find something that works for you.

Good luck!!

Thanks UAGirl,

I guess thats the thing eh? tweaking it just right for ourselves, I do believe in lo-carb and surely one of the plans will be good for me thanks for your support and all the best on your weight loss voyage.


and oh I'll stick around, I luv this place, specially on a cold winter day

Hi KoKo:



I think you hit the nail on the head. Is your frustration with Atkins' or the fact that weight loss is now slower. Alas, no plan will resolve that problem. Just make sure that whatever you stick to is workable for life.

I've read almost all the books out there on LCing and I pick up great ideas from each. Probably PP would better suit your needs. It's basically Atkins without Induction and they do like their wine (in moderation). If you read Atkins' for Life, he suggests that people with little to lose should start out at 60 grams of carbs/day and then judge whether to increase or decreased based on whether you lose weight. If you gained just by nibbling, I think you belong in that category.

But, if you are looking for faster weight loss, Atkins is it. Trust me, if you aren't enjoying the food, it's time to shake up your menu . I can't stress that enough. I've never been so satisfied with food in my entire life. The biggest challenge is fighting boredom b/c it's just too easy to eat the same things.

BTW, how many grams of fat were you eating when you were on Induction? My requirements for protein are quite small compared to other people (67 grams according to PP). It wasn't until I learned how little I needed (by logging my foods through fitday) that I started feeling satisfied with my food. The reason? B/C my fat intake increased. Like you, I'm small with little left to lose. I need to count my calories too.

Bottom line is that Atkins' isn't for everyone. I wanted to do PP but couldn't manage the higher number of carbs to control bingeing. So I went to Atkins'. I let my body choose which plan was best. It might take some time for you to decide what's best for you. But the rewards are well worth it.

Regardless what you do, I hope you are able to find something that will make you happy.

All the best,
Wanda

Hi Wanda, nice to see you,

Don't be upset with me for being so dissillusioned, i can't help it

I just checked my induction fat levels they were ranging from 90-108 grams. I really think for me the satisfaction comes from consuming unrefined carbs. Currently I'm trying to wade through the Montignac Plan and it looks pretty good. Tomorrow I'll be in town and can check out some more books. I just remembered there is a used book store near where I am going so will stop in and see what I can scoop up.

I think the frustration with Atkins was both that the weight loss was slow/not happening and I saw a lot of people who appeared to be not losing or at very slow rates. I was worrying that the losses were only happening for people who had a lot to lose and even then were stopping after the first big loss. I saw a lot of people like me who did not have much to lose and were not losing any. Its not so much that I'm in a rush to lose, I am of course anxious but 2-3lbs a week would be quick enough. But I've been doing this Atkins now for over a month with no results. One day it looked to be down 4lbs the next day right back up???
The other frustration was that the meals were not satisfying to me, I am used to a high fibre diet with lots of unrefined grains and legumes. It is possible I have now found to do lo-carb and include these things but the atkins plan is not the best way of doing this.

I did a couple of sample days at FitDay ,sort of an average day of eating for me before I started Atkins and my carbs were about 100-130, the fat was quite low 10-20, the fibre 20-40 and the calories were 1400-1800. Remember though this eating was not what caused me to gain, my weight was quite stable on this - around 115-120 for a few years. I gained most of this extra 20 in a couple of weeks after xmas when fighting off the Nicodemon in the prescence of the treats left over from Christmas - not a good combination at all.
Wanda, what you said about PP being too many carbs for you to control bingeing, does it not help you if your carbs are all "good carbs" unrefined and natural? I think that is the difference for me.
I will check out PP too in my research, thanks again for the suggestion.

Hi Koko, glad you're still around!



Why would I be upset with you? You're simply having doubts. Nothing wrong with being human.

I think that you should try something with higher unrefined carbs. Basically, that's what maintenance is, right? That's what they all have in common. If you don't experiment, you won't know, right?

Koko, I went through the same thing as you. I was unhappy with rate of loss with Atkins' so I went back to my old ways. Low fat. I was a vegetarian for 17 years and followed LF for 6 years. Guess what? The weight wouldn't come off then either. In fact, it was slower. So then I had to re-evaluate. I went through every low carb plan trying to absorb what would work best for me. Ironically, I learned that the problem wasn't Atkins' plan, it was my impatience.


Even Atkins' says the last 10 pounds should take months to come off. The slower the better. When it comes off quick, it comes back quick.

Again, bottom line is that you need to find what works best for you. No one is the same. But above all, the only way you will succeed is if you become a little more patient. Stress will also cause you to stall. Now the other problem is that you are weighing everday. Based on your journal, I personally think it sets you up for disappointment. Don't let a stupid little number set your mood for the day. You're giving all your control over to a scale.



I like the concept of Schwarzbein and PP. I tried doing them, but the bingeing problem was a stumbling block. Good quality carbs cause me to crave sugar which causes a binge. That's not to say that in the future I won't change to their plans as my blood sugars stabalize (although really, Atkins' for Life is the same thing). It took years of being a sugar junkie to get me into this mess. The least I can do is be patient while my body recovers from the abuse.

I guess patience comes with experience (ie. past mistakes). You'll get over this hump Koko and then you'll come out even the wiser for it.

Wanda