Jlee - I tried Ketostix but they never told me anything. Whether I was losing or not the were just pale pink. Don't waste your $.

Thanks, Poofie, for confirming my view. You're just a little more eloquent that I, but you said what I feel! I think there's a lot that is still being learned about our bodies and how they work. All you have to do is listen to the news...seems like every year they come up with something that used to be bad is now good, and vice versa. All I know is low carb, low fat, low calorie just doesn't work for me. I'm 55 and I'm determined not to be chubby for the rest of my life. I really don't care what the scale says, but I want to fit into my clothes and I don't want a roll of fat around my belly! I'm willing to try something new instead of sticking with what seems to make sense but doesn't work. I'm very sensitive to anything that I think is just a scam, but I don't think low-carb is one of those. I also don't think what we know now is the last word. Even 5 years from know, I think we'll be surprised about new findings about weight, metabolism, etc.

To those who beieve that Eskimos eat fat therefore unlimited fat ok for us:

Here's a newsflash: Eskimos do not live on pork chops and bacon and brie and eggs and cream.

Virtually everything native Eskimos eat comes from the sea: one of the best sources of nutrition.

Fish fits well in a healthy diet since it replaces red meat, which has a heavy load of saturated fat. But fish may go farther than that. A certain type of fat in fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids) may actually be good for the heart.

Researchers began to explore the possible cardiovascular benefits of fish oil some 20 years ago when they first noted that Greenland Eskimos rarely developed coronary heart disease.

Heredity does not account for this - Eskimos who migrate to other countries eventually assume the same coronary and obesity risk as their new compatriots. One study, for example, demonstrated that Eskimos who move to Denmark develop coronary disease at the same rate as Danes - more than 10 times the rate of Eskimos in Greenland.

Instead, the explanation appears to lie in the native diet: Eskimos typically consume just as much fat as Danes do, but in Greenland that fat comes entirely from the sea. In Denmark, on the other hand, dietary fat comes primarily from land animals, much as it does in the U.S.

Ergo,eats lots of seafood if you want, the fats wont be a problem. Work out your body's calorie requirements (10 X weight usually), eat just enough protein (ave 1 g protein per kilo of body weight - too much gets converted to glucose), figure the remainder of your diet up to the body calories requirements which can then be composed of fish oil sources plus a reasonable amount of leafy greens, nuts, etc.

This is a very satisfying LC diet, you wont be hungry and you probably can exceed your body calories requirements by a little since protein and fat dont convert down in the body very efficiently.

But beware: if the total calories of fat + protein equal or exceed your actual body calorie requirement, you will most certainly not lose weight. These forums are full of people experiencing this problem.

Makes sense to me .....

Poofie:

I read your post here. I have found that, while walking/treadmill/cardio is necessary, weight training is also necessary. You have to do BOTH. I do my weight training (circuit training) and immediately do the treadmill. I am up to four workouts a week.

My program was designed by a former Mr. America, who is the head trainer at my gym. It works.

In addition to fat loss, you need to build muscle. Walking will not build muscle. It will only burn fat.

This is a very active thread and I thank everyone for their comments and support - This is indeed the ACTIVE LC team!

Based on the bulk of the advice here, I should be right on the LC target...but no results!

Blood type - O neg!

According to my journal for the last 2 weeks, I have increased my %/total cals to an average of 68% fat, leaving 4% for carbs and the balance protein. During this period, my calories per day were in the 2500-3000/day range which is in the 10-12x my current body weight - H2O in 1-2 Gal/day range, nothing else to drink other than decaff w/cream! KStix in pink to purple.

NO CHANGE in scale weight and no significant loss of inches based on clothes-fit....bummer! This past 2 weeks has been discouraging as it is uncomfortable for me to eat that much fat% - I ended up with an upset digestive system and feeling dehydrated & lousy most of the time!

While I still have minor carb cravings, the good news is that I rarely feel like eating when I am not hungry...this is great for confirmed carb junkie! I guess my next step is to remove some of the stall-triggers I am reading about here like coffee, dairy, nitrites, nuts, etc! What's left after that??

Maybe it's time for me to listen to my body and try a different plan?? Thx again for all your help - enb

It seems like our foods/drinks are becomming more restrictive. Am I now to understand that- coffee (decaf), anything w/nitrites, sweet n low, and dairy cause stalls and should be removed. The window seems smaller and it seems that our destiny exercises its influence over us even when we haven't learned its nature...

why is it I feel someone is soon gonna tell me I have to exercise too!!! lol

Jlee - I am not saying to remove all of those foods. I am saying that each of these can stall SOME PEOPLE. You may find that any one of these, perhaps ALL, do not cause a stall.

I have read that dairy, nuts, coffee, caffeine, alcohol, mold, sugar substitutes, nitrites and probably a host of other things CAN stall you. For me, I have noticed this effect with some dairy, coffee and some mold-generating or bacteria filled foods like some cheeses. I have not noticed any problems with caffeine, sugar subtitutes (except aspartame), nuts (macadamias, anyway) or nitrites. I avoid aspartame - it gives me stomach problems. It's different for everyone. It depends on your food intolerances. Some can eat protein bars, while others can't. You have to see what works for you.

EBesanko - Although I haven't tried it myself, you might benefit from the stuff you can find at fitday.com. I hear a lot of people benefit from being able to track their calories/protein/fat/carb counts there. Perhaps you could track what you're eating for a few days and maybe there will be a trend that develops. I am thinking that either you have developed a very stubborn metabolism or there is something that you are eating that is causing a stall. If it's the former, you may have to tough it out a few more weeks before seeing a difference. If it's the latter, you may want to try looking on this site about stall tips and figure out what you can do, including trying to eliminate some foods to see if they make a difference. Are you taking any supplements? If no, perhaps one supplement or another you are not taking could help.

Two other things (related) - By any chance, do you use a lot of vinegar/vinegar based products (eg. some salad dressings, mustard, mayo)? I was noticing the mention of a vinegar/oil dressing in an earlier posting. If you are having problems with fat digestion, it may be that your stomach is not acidic enough. Vinegar is a base, which would cause you have less stomach acid and give you a harder time digesting fat. I used to be the same way. I am also thinking that perhaps you have candida overgrowth, which I also had. Vinegar and candida are a bad combination, and for a lot of people, myself and a fellow coworker included, the source of weight gain and a lot of other health problems.

I found a questionnaire online:

http://www.flora-balance.com/candid...naire_short.asp

I hope something in here helps you! Just keep at it!

I too have a very resistant metabolism. I see that you are eating a lot of lean meats. Stop it!! On this diet it takes fat to make the pounds drop. To much protein can stall weight loss.

Try this. Broil/bake a couple of salmon steaks. Once cooked, mix it with plenty of mayonaise, some mustard, scallions, garlic, hot sause, salt and pepper. Eat it with a fork, pork rinds, celery, cucumber or wrap it in lettuce leaves. Have some whenever you're hungry. Do the same thing with eggs, ham, roast beef, crabmeat, sardines, pate, chopped liver. Make up enough so that you have at least 3 selections available, keep them handy and enjoy. The pounds will start coming off quickly.

Thx for the latest advice...and congrats on the great results you are getting - I hope to be losing like you soon but my confusion continues!

I have been primarily eating lean meats out of habit & preference - Other than adding mayo to cooked meats or eating processed sausages or deli, any suggestions on good quality/natural sources of dietary fat

Part of the reason I prefer lean meat is that hi fat has always been a source of gut irritation problems for me! I took the questionaire Brian sent - It indicates I am likely a risk of candida causing some health symptoms - ?? - What is the story here and how would that effect my ability to lose weight on a LC plan?

As usual, thx for your support! enb

Thanks Brian for the clarification. You have lost close to 100lbs, so you must be doing something right. I'm on my 9th week of induction and have only lost 4lbs. Seems like EBsanko and I share the same delima. Fitday.com seems so labor intensive, but I might have to try it as Atkins isn't really hacking it. What are the toughts about Protein Power Lifeplan?

EBesanko - It would take me a while to explain candida. I suggest you check the forums for candida and do a search on Google for candida and see what you find. I will give you a quick reference pertaining to what we've discussion, based on what I know.

A candida infestation will affect a person's metabolism. It will also reduce stomach acid and cause a lot of side effects, which could explain the digestive problems with fatty foods. Candida uses carbs for fuel. It causes you to crave carbs. Candida also grows in low acid environments, so if you ingest base foods, like vinegar, the candida will grow.

Candida infestation compromises the immune system. Many things can happen as a result: Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, rashes, athlete's foot, pain, arthritis, asthma, etc. Weight gain is a symptom for many of us.

To combat candida, use a pro-biotic, like those containing acidophilus. A pro-biotic will allow you to re-develop the ability to fight off candida naturally, using "good" bacteria. Also, reduce/eliminate intake of all sugar and starches, grains, eggs, dairy, and vinegar. Allow them back into your diet one at a time. If you go a few days without noticing a reaction, you should be OK with that food. Avoid mold. I have also read that taking doses of Hydrochloric Acid may also help to increase acidity in the stomach, but I have never done that myself.

It's funny. I have candida, fibromyalgia, and Type O blood (I think - still have to get that confirmed). All of these suggest that the remedy is a low-carb diet. Isn't that ironic??? And the low carb diet has worked incredibly well for me. It's serendipity...

I can't be 100% sure, but I think that your inability to digest animal fat is directly related to a candida infestation. If you can purge the candida, you just might be able to get that weight loss going. Again, that's just my opinion, but I am not an expert. It would be worth looking into.

Jlee - I bought the Protein Power infomercial course when they were selling it a few years ago. I think I soured from it because it seemed like a lot of work. I also got roped into buying some bars with it. When they came, they were MOLDY and one of them (the first one I opened that didn't show signs of mold) made me sick for a couple of days. It's funny how things work.

I have since read all of the material that came with the course. I bought the Protein Power Life Plan book, but I haven't read it yet (still reading Eat Right 4 Your Type). I think they have it right.

The plan I am on is very similar to Protein Power, and where the Herbalife Gold plan was lacking in information in spots, I filled in with information from Protein Power. Although I am a big advocate of the products they sell - I am a Herbalife distributor (but mostly to get the products at a discount - I am not going to start pushing them around here - conflict of interest) - I find that the company is too directed towards the products and not directed enough towards the plan. It's too open ended. Thankfully, I have been able to fill gaps in with my own research. Many of the supplements that are a part of the Herbalife Gold plan are similar/identical to those indicated in Protein Power.

So, to answer your question, I think that Protein Power is pretty well on the money. I think it's better than Atkins, but they are similar in many ways. That said, I still haven't read the Atkins book (that's the next one on deck, after Eat Right 4 Your Type), so I may feel differently after reading it.

Ebesanko: at a glance, I think you may be eating too much, ie: you are at equilibrium.

I think that with some people, their bodies are quite inefficient at breaking down protein and fat into the constituent parts, so they can 'appear' to be able to consume more calories. Maybe different for you, you are probably using every last bit of energy from your food intake. This is typical of people with a long dieting history.

Also, excess protein converts easily to glucose.
I dont think you are eating too much protein for your body weight, but as above it boils down to how efficiently our bodies convert fat & protein down to the base components. Carbs of course convert down very easily. At equilibrium, your body has no reason to go to its fat stores.

I would try halving the protein intake for a week, and drop the overall calories by 20 %. Do that for one week and check the result - it'll be fairly easy to do, given the high relative fat content in your diet.

And one other suggestion: become an eskimo - try substituting some of the red meat, saturated fats for good fats from fish.

I too read "Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type". And being type "A" the book says that I should be a Vegan!! I'm sure that one could lose weight on his plan, but it's far too restrictive and limited for my lifestyle. I'll try implementing PPLP with Atkins as I notice that many others have done that as well. Thanks all for the tips.

I think I'm experimenting too much. After reading all the news on this thread, I've tried leaner meats, more protein, less protein, higher fat meats, more calories, less calories....

and I am no longer losing weight. I have even started exercising which I swore I wouldn't do and now I've gained two pounds. I do not stray from the <20carbs and am really careful with the stallers. I started slow, had one good week of loss and now I'm back in stall mode. I feel like I'm losing way too slow for my liking considering that I can lose this much if I eat fastfood every day as long as I'm exercising!

I did lose the 10% of weight to lose in the first couple of weeks but that seems to be it. And that was only 4 pounds...

Ebasanko, I'm getting ready to join you in your frustration. It's even more frustrating for me because last year I lost quite a bit on Atkins and I was wayyyy less strict with myself. This time the harder I work, the more I seem to stay the same...