Over 11 weeks, I have averaged 1.1kg (2.4lb) per week. I was 235lb and 6'1" when I started (Yes, I am still 6'1"!)

The consistent opinion I hear is that 1-2lb per week is the OK range. Anything beyond that and you are burning up too much lean weight. I also read in the gym forums that actually your loss is around 1lb per week and everything beyong that has a fairly high proportion of lean weight.

Do forum readers agree with this? Am I in fact wasting away at this rate as well as getting lighter?

I ask because I have been really tired all the way through. This is the first serious diet I have ever been on and I am giving it a real go.

My thinking is that all the exercise that I have taken up along with the diet is too much for my system without carbs. Here is a typical day:

Food:
Breakfast: Lots of bacon and eggs.
Lunch: Salads, salami, cheese, olives, mayo etc.
Dinner: Big steak or chicken, cheese, steamed veggies
Snacks: Cheese, nuts.

No cheating. I counted out once an average day and it was around 3,500 calories at 70% fat, 20% protein, 10% carbs. Daily supplements are a multi, B and those husk thingies.

Exercise:
5 early morning empty stomach sessions a week, consisting of 2-3 strenuous swimming sessions ranging from 25 mins to 90 mins and 2-3 runs hilly 5km runs in about 23 mins.

My general feeling is i) Not too bad in the mornings apart from getting up; Eat my lunch by 11am because I can't wait any longer; Fall asleep at my desk between 2pm and 3:30pm; Feel a bit better by 4:30-5:30pm; Ravenously hungry when I get home; Feel great at dinner; Sleepy by 10pm.

Before you say "Potassium" I'm going to try the natural solution with a daily 1/2 avocado.

Are we people who are loosing weight really at this rate loosing muscle as well?

All other things considered, I am over the moon to have got this far.

I think that you are doing just fine. Men lose faster than women, due to their hefty metabolism. The first couple of weeks are water loss. Your actual weightloss began, probably, 2 weeks after you began your lc woe. I don't really have time to be analytical but someone else will probably add to my reply. Avacodo is a great way to get potassium into your system. You might also consider using lite salt since it is made from potassium.

Take Care and Congrats on your loss,
Black57

Enjoy it while you can. It will slow down on its own.

--nw

This is probably a YMMV (your measurements may vary) issue at best. You are doing quite a bit of exercise, during which your body breaks down then rebuilds muscle.

With that exercise regimen, it looks as if the 87.5 carbs/day that you are eating isn't stalling you (3500 kcals times 10% carbs divided by 4 kcals/carb).

I have been on Atkins this time for eight weeks and have averaged 2.75 pounds per week. But having done this before, I know it will slow WAY down as I keep going. I would be satisfied with 1-2 pounds per week - definitely! Enjoy this ride for awhile and don't get discouraged when it does slow down - it is perfectly normal. Getting some major weight off in the beginning is what makes Atkins so successful - it really gives us the needed boost to make it in the long run!

Orchid

Avacados are good for potassium. Are you taking a good general vitamin as well as magensium and calcium? You are getting very few veggies and quite a bit of processed food, so you might need more nutrients.

Well back when i was doing my own diet (Which was very unhealty) i was loosing about 5 pounds a week, every week.. until i got down to 190 pounds. I looked really unhealthy there for a while.
But to answer your question, if you are losing the weight quickly be happy.. it will slow down the closer you get to your goal, so dont worry you will be fine.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I was wondering if I would get a response at all as loosing weight too fast is something that most people would die for right? :-)

black57, I'll look into the lite salt. I am in Australia so our product lines are different but I will check it out. I certainly know from the amount of salami and cheese I eat that my salt intake is already on the high side.

nowonder, orchidday & moonwalker, I realise that the rate of loss will slow but I am happy it has been rapid to my 50% goal.

sixpence, your observation that I am taking in 87.5 carbs was an eye opener. I actually went back to my calculations and the exact figures were 3,861 calories, 22P/75F/4C which puts the carbs at 46. This was just one day so I am sure it varies but yes, with that number of calories and the greens I eat I think my carbs is averaging around 50-60.

ladybelle, probably the only processed food I eat is salami, if you could call it that. Or do you class things like bacon, if it has nitrates, as processed? I have not eaten anything out of a packet since going on this diet.

I do have a plan to change my diet in two weeks. I am off on a water skiing weekend over Easter (In Australia we get both the Friday and the Monday as holidays). It's been a year since I have skied and every year I end up over doing it on the first day and feeling sore the rest of the month. So I think I will back off on some aerobic exercise for the preceeding month and start a gym workout to condition back and shoulder muscles. I read that lifting weights is difficult on low carb unless you carb up occasionally so I am thinking of some variation here, somewhat like the CKD. There is a concern, however, that this will derail me since I have been going well so far.

I am in no hurry, although I would be lying if I didn't pray every Wednesday morning before the weekly weigh in. I have to admit that I am not so obsessed with waiting for Wednesday to come around as I was in the first 6-8 weeks.

Bottom line is that clothes are now getting too big and I am looking forward to going out and buying 36" trousers for the first time in 5 years to see if I can get into them. 4 months ago I would dread going to buy trousers to find that a) Gap has not much stock in 40", and b) I would not be able to throw them in the dryer.

Life is a whole lot more fun when you loose weight, isn't it?

Congratulations on your weight loss to everyone who responded. 25-50 pounds must feel as great as it does for me. Moonwalker, 210 pounds is AMAZING. You are a machine. Did you ever run into someone you had not seen since you started? That is a blast, isn't it!