I have been on induction for almost 3 weeks. I lost 7 lbs in the first week and a half, then I gained 1.5 lbs back and it hasn't come back off? I started exercising consistently w/in the last week and I am thinking this might be why? Do you think it is muscle weight? Am I still burning fat? I looked at the atkins FAQ's and I saw that it says to "increase fat and decrease protein" to help the weight loss continue, and then at the bottom it said to "cut out cheese" How in the world do you increase fat w/out increasing protein and not eat cheese??? I picture eating a cube of butter That can't be very tasty. Can u help me figure out what to eat or if I should even change anything?

Thank you for your help!!!

Katie Johnson

Hi Katie

First congrats on your weight loss to date

In the two weeks of Induction you should expect to lose 10% of the total weight you need to loose - so taking what you lost into count it seems like you are on the right track...

Your body will stop and start, it will probably not lose weight equally and evenly each and every day, it needs to stop sometimes and balance itself out before starting again.

Exercise will increase muscle mass - muscle mass weighs more than fat therefore that could explain the gain, also the time of the month may also explain the gain so would tonnes of other factors.

My suggestion, don't do anything to change what you are doing right now, give it another week doing what you are doing.

A lot of people put too much emphasis on the weighing thing and less on the measurement idea in my book, yeah its great to see the weight go down (I weigh myself every 4 weeks I can't trust myself with a scale in the house - I'd get obsessed ) but measure yourself and see how that changes especially since you are exercising you should see good results!

Cheese can stall some people and others can eat it without any hassles, maybe if you posted a sample of your diet we can have a better look at what you are eating...

Oh and you can increase your fat intake by using more oil, butter, cream in your cooking - it doesn't have to be totally from cheese.

HTH

Fiona

Hi Katie, welcome!

Great advice from Fiona there.

Low carb weight loss seems to happen in fits and starts. After an initial weight loss, the body seems to want to hang onto as much as it can for a while, so it is VERY common to see what you are going through. I know it's frustrating, but if you just stick to your plan and carry on, you'll soon have a "whoosh."

Have a look at this site on whooshes for more reassurance.

Cheers, and happy low carbing.

Rosebud

Thank you so much for your relpy... Isn't it wonderful to have a board like this where you can get answers SO quickly!!! I love it. I don't feel alone on this seemingly hard and long journey.

As a sample of my diet:

Breakfast: Egg Casserole (which I will put on the recipe board because it is AMAZING. Basic ingredients are eggs, 2 tbl sour cream, 1/4 cup salsa, cheese and sausage)

Lunch: Salad w/ regular cesar dressing
McDonalds double cheezburger w/ out the bun

Dinner: Steak w/ brocolli & butter

Snack: Low carb cheesecake (9 grams per serving)

Exercise: 40 min of aerobic and light weight training combined

I know complaining about the halt in weight loss at this early stage is pretty impatient, but I want to be at my goal in about 5-6 months... I am hopefully getting married at the end of this year so I would LOVE to be at my goal....

Thanks for your help and inspiration! You have come a long way!!! Do you have any before and after pictures?

Katie

Thank you for the advice Rosebud, I will definitely check out that site!

10%? So if someone wanted to lose 25 lbs, they should only expect to lose 2.5lbs during the first 2 weeks of induction? In that case, I must kick butt because I lost 4 times that!

= Meagan

Katie

First - congrats on your upcoming wedding, I'm sure you will have a wonderful day and be a stunning bride!

Now, thanks for posting your menu, from my point of view it looks fine, you are getting plenty of vegies with the salad and the broccoli (remember it needs to add up to 3 cups per day and salsa isn't veggies as tomato is a fruit), and eating a bit of fat with the sour cream, cheese, butter and dressing ...

Just an aside - that cheesecake is really high in carb value (there are others on this board which are lower in carbs if you want to check them out - try the Jello cheesecake (yum!)

To add some more fat to your diet if you wanted I'd add some butter to your breakfast casserole but thats about it, it looks like you are getting plenty of fat ....

But do as Rosebud suggested, read that site about wooshes it makes a lot of sense.

The other suggestion I'd have is to type that all into www.fitday.com (its a free website which a lot of us use to keep details of our food intake - you can make it open to public view (as mine is via the link in my signature line below)... and see how you are really going, that will give you your daily percentages and you want to aim for atleast 70% fat 25% protein and 5% carbs - I try to keep mine at 75% fat, 22% protein and 3% carbs... (remember though that Fitday doesn't subtract fibre from the count you have to do that yourself.)

I think after seeing your menu my opinion is that that it would be your muscle mass increasing due to exercise thats caused the weight gain, measure yourself and see if you are seeing a difference in cm/inches cause is what I think is going on here....

Try taking your measurements this morning, and in 1 week then jump on the scale and take a new set of measurements. That way daily fluctuations of weight and size kind of even out .....

I hope that helps Katie, and thank you for your kind words I don't have any before or after shots yet (I still have a long way to get before I have "after" shots, but one day I will post them ...

Oh and Katie, get yourself a journal - they are great and very helpful in this process... a great place to talk and get out everything you are feeling and reading others journals is often really inspiring and gives me lots of answers to questions I hadn't even voiced yet.....

Good luck

Fiona

*****Meagan Thats what they say, I didn't fall into that category either, I lost less than the 10% I need to loose but in the second month (as I only weigh myself every 4 weeks) I lost a LOT more. Congrats on being such a good Loser!

Fiona

Try mixing the butter with a little cocoa powder and a pinch of powder type artificial sweetener. Instant high fat chocolate spread - heaven!!!

Robert

That fitday thing is cool... but does anyone know how many large eggs makes 1 cup? I'm thinking about 5...

By the way, I still haven't lost since my previous stall. I need to start exercising again cuz I quit for a while, and I tried those low carb choc bars that are amazingly good but very hard to stay away from. I think I need to cut those out cuz they started making me have cravings again and gave me a lot of bloating.
I'm up to 218.5 lbs today.. Decided to try that eggs fast that was raved about on the tips and stalls forum.

If anyone has any experience with that let me know!

Katie

Hi Katie, did you know you can change the Fitday measurements? Just click the arrow beside the eggs or whatever to see. Eggs will give you "extra large, jumbo, large" etc, and then you simply say 1, 2, 3 or however many you've eaten.

As for the eggs fast, I haven't seen anything about that. Sounds boring and not terribly nutricious to me. How about waiting a few more days? We all have fluctuations of a few pounds here and there. If it's just a bit o' bloat from the LC choc bars, it will soon go. Just stick to your plan, and I'm sure you'll be rewarded soon with some more weight loss.

All the best to you!

Rosebud

Thank you for the help with fitday Rosebud.

As for the weight loss stall, it's been about a month and I haven't lost anything since induction. In order to stay motivated with this thing I think doing some kind of fat burning kickstarter is just the key. I don't plan to do this often, but I've heard it works! I will take my vitamins and only do it for 3 days tops.

I also just bought the book The Secret to Low Carb Success: How to get the most out of your low carbohydrate diet by Laura Richard. I've heard rave reviews about this and from what I've read so far, it sounds like its going to be very helpful!

Anyone read this yet?

Katie

Hi Katie,

I haven't read Laura Richard's book, but have heard good things about it.

Have you measured yourself? Often at the start of low carbing, we gain muscle as we lose fat, and muscle takes up less space while weighing more than fat.

My next suggestion is that you list some of your regular menus here (or in a journal?). perhaps there is something you are doing that could be improved. Have a look at Karen's Are You Really a Turtle? Maybe there is something there that may help.

If all else fails (these things happen), how about trying the Stillman Diet for a few days? I've just completed 6 days on it (wouldn't try it for any longer) with great success. But do check the "turtle list" first - there may be something a lot simpler you can do.

Oops! Just saw where you mentioned your food. The main thing I'd drop from there would be the LC cheesecake. Eating 9 carbs worth may well have given you an insulin surge. That sort of thing is my downfall. As soon as I have much at all int he way of AS, my weight loss stops cold. Just a thought.

All the best, Katie.

Rosebud

You know it's funny, I've studied and performed (yes performed) many many diets in my time. Lost a lot, gained more etc. Like everyone has experienced. However, I have realized that when you add a positive attitude with a diet regimen, it goes a long way. Excercise is important, but if you're looking at the excercise to make a major impact on your weight loss forget it. I think about what my dad has said to me for AGES..."If you don't put it in your mouth"...etc. I finally have to agree.

With this WOL and I stress Way Of Life! You can not fail in the long run. You have to realize....it took awhile to put it on....it may take as long to get off. I think everyone is looking for magical numbers more than their future. If you lose it a little at a time...the longer it is going to stay off because you are retraining your body to understand the concept of becoming lighter.

It's frustrating as hell sometimes. I've been at the end of my rope often. But when I look back at what made me this way, I have no one to blame but myself.

Hang in there.....stick with what you KNOW is going to work. You must have read and researched this enough to know that it's going to work for you. Be patient. Wax on......Wax off.

Thank you both of you for the wonderful replies. I love this forum!!! I feel like I have a support group always waiting there for me when I get home.

You are right about the cheescake rosebud, I think I need to try a lower carb recipe. I will also check out those links you gave me. Thank you!

Nayner, I totally understand what you are saying about slow loss = permanent loss.. but there is one thing.. I am most likely getting married before the end of 2003 and I would REALLY... REALLY...REAAAAALLLYYY like to fit into a nice size wedding dress!!

So it is a little important to me to lose a little quicker than if I were doing this any other time.

You say to do what I know works.. well that was what I was wondering... was I doing something that wasn't making it "work"? Sometimes our bodies can be picky about losing and only cooperate when all the conditions are right. So that's why I'm trying to get off this plateau with a jump start and then continue with the normal induction routine after that. I will try and keep all atkins products out of my diet for a while, they seem to make me stall.

Katie

Hey you guys!! I broke my stall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After 2 days on the egg fast posted in the tips and stalls forum, I have broken the barrier.

I was between 216-217.5 for the last 3 weeks and after 2 days on that egg fast I'm at 214.5 whooohoo!!!!!!!

I think I will stay on the fast for one more day to ensure it will stay off and then do induction.

I'm so happy about the stall breakage, definitely worth the fast. I didn't even find it to be that difficult because I used 3 different forms of eggs for each meal. BTW using onion powder in your fried eggs makes them GREAT!

Katie