I was thinking about giving up on my Atkins diet until I read some journals and postings.
I started my diet on 2/15/03 and was really excited when I started to lose weight. I lost about 7 pounds within the first week and then the second and third weeks I have lost nothing, in fact I've gained a pound back what I lost. I was so frustrated and dissapointed that I wanted to get off Atkins and try a low-fat diet.
The first week on Atkins, I didn't even exercise and I was losing and in my second and third weeks I started walking and I've gained a pound. So really in three weeks I've only lost 6 pounds. Because I didn't loose any weight the second week I totally cut out my salad on induction and still I didn't lose anything. I'm still doing induction withouth the salad, because I haven't lost anything in two weeks.
What am I doing wrong? I was doing so well the first week, then now my body is not budging.
I've been reading some journals and everyone was doing so wonderfully which motivated me to stay on Atkins for a little while longer, but if I don't lose another pound by the end of this week, I'm going off of it and starting a low-fat diet.
ARE THERE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM???
I really want to know. It pains me to see all the glorifying that is done about these low-card diets and not one has something similar to mine. Do some hit plateaus as early as I have?
It's been three weeks and I'm still waiting to go on to my OWL, but with this happening to me and having to cut out my salad on induction, what does that leave for me? I'm afraid that I'll start to gain my weight back and then some if I add any more carbs to my diet.
Please help, because I'm seriously thinking about giving up on Atkins.
Addie

Addie--I hope you don't mind that I've moved your question to the Atkins area of the forum rather than leaving it in the journals. It seemed as though it was more of a request for information than a personal journal entry. Also, here's the link to information about starting a personal journal if you would like to...

http://forum.lowcarber.org/announce...p?s=&forumid=36

Donald

Oh, please don't give up!!! 6# in 3 weeks is wonderful progress!! I think you'll be making a mistake by giving up your salads. The veggies are very important -- most all of your carbs should come from your vegetables. Are you drinking water? I never before believed that drinking alot of water really helps, but let me tell you....IT DOES! Drink, drink, drink........you'll lose, lose, lose. I wouldn't be surprised if you aren't consuming enough calories either. If you enter your day's menu on Fitday.com you'll be able to keep yourself in line and monitor your eating.

Again, please don't give up! It's a long road, but it's by far the easiest program I've ever tried and I've tried them ALL in my lifetime! Hang in there!!!

Debbie

hi... plateaus on the atkins diet are really common.. so please don't give up... if you average your weight loss you are losing 2 pounds a week.. on any other diet this is considered great! i think our expectations on low carb diets is to lose weight very very quickly.. that may not be a very realistic outlook.. there is a great book called* the secret to low carb success* by laura richard which gives alot of perspective on the stalls that occur during low carb diets.. she even discusses the stall that can occur in weeks 3 and 4 of diets.. so you see this does happen to other people.. also want to add that if you are exercising now you could be adding muscle which will add weight so it will look like you are not losing fat but you are.. scales can be a curse ( i know this well as i just came off a 2 and 1/2 week stall) .. maybe stepping away from the scale and just going by your measurements and how your clothes fit would better for you right now ... hang in there .. this is just a detour in the road to your weight loss.. trust me it will get better! ( i also agree not to cut out your salads ..just stick to the 20 grams of carbs and drink lots and lots of water.. it truly does make a difference.. you will see results)

I always get soooo sad while reading post like yours. First of all, you have done very well so far, by any standards...certainly by those mentioned by Dr Atkins.
Secondly: are you REALLY concerned only with numbers, with pounds???? Haven't you noticed any other changes?
Try to look at this:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...?threadid=91369

I just don't understand why so many people see Lowcarbing as a quick crash diet, taking you very fast to your goal and then...what?
This takes time. I haven't lost any weight in over 3 weeks, so what??? It will come, we can not force our bodies to do just as we please.
Sorry if I sound harsh but I think you really need to find out what you want, besides loosing pounds.

Good luck!

Alina

Addie...

Three weeks is WAY too soon to give up! Atkins is not a quick fix. You lose pretty quick in the very beginning but you can't expect to keep up that kind of momentum. It wouldn't be good for you even if you did! Your body needs time to adjust so every time you lose a few pounds, it may take a little break. I'm beginning week 5 and here's how it's gone for me:

Week 1 - 6 lbs
Week 2 - 1 lb
Week 3 - 3 lbs
Week 4 - up 3 lbs

So...I've lost a total of 7 lbs so far and an inch and a half in my waist. I've been working out 4 times a week for the past two weeks so I believe I'm building some muscle.

It's fine to stay at induction levels for longer than the first two weeks if you feel like you need to...but you DEFINATELY need to get your 2-3 cups of veggies in every day. That's not optional on induction. If you're not eating veggies, where are your 20 carbs coming from? How many calories are you consuming? Are you eating ENOUGH? (I know...not a normal question for any other diet!)

Please don't give up yet. You're probably just starting to feel better after the detox of the first couple of weeks. Give it more time. It'll work. YOU CAN DO IT!

Tricia

I can TOTALLY relate to your frustration. I was in the same place where you're at right now. After what seemed like a long stall - almost a month - I was ready to call this total nonsense and start doing low-fat or something. But I spent a long morning reading through this site and really examining my goals. I decided to stick with it, cut out the daily Atkins bar I was eating, and cut out most of the cheese. I made sure I ate enough carbs (the two cups of green salad and one cup of broccoli) and I made sure I ate enough fat. I went to fitday.com to examine my food ratios. And guess what...I lost four more lbs within about two weeks after being stalled for so long. Stick with it! It really does work. But you have to follow the program. Don't make up your own rules. I mean, there's a good reason why you have to eat your salad. And exercise. And drink your water. And eat the fat.

Are you exercising? Muscle weighs much more than fat. I was really discouraged during my stall, then I read about that muscle/fat thing and remembered that I started walking and doing pilates regularly as soon as I started Atkins. I work out 4 or 5 days a week. I used to NOT work out at all! So obviously I was building muscle. And muscle weighs more than fat. Etc.

Also, don't focus on the scale. It doesn't tell you the real situation. Take your measurements. How do you feel in your clothes? Honestly, I resisted this way of looking at my progress, until I saw and felt the difference in myself. Now I don't care if I make it to my stated goal of 110. I'll be happy with fit and trim, at whatever weight.

Stick with it. Read this site. Read the book again. You can achieve your goal!

Let's stay in touch. We're all here to help each other.

Isa

NEVER GIVE UP!!

Hi Addie...

I'm with the others, don't give up. I'm just (I hope) coming off a four week stall. Hey, it happens. Can you imagine 6 months from now saying, oh yeah, I tried low carb for 3 weeks and it didn't work? 3 weeks is a blink of an eye when you know that this is NOT a quick weight loss plan, this is a choice for life.

I'd ask the same questions the others have...are you eating enough? calories=10-12 X your weight? are you getting the proper nutrition? 65% fat, 30% protein, 5% carbs? Undereating will absolutely stop your weight loss. Your body thinks it is starving and holds on to every ounce.

The main thing is..how do you feel? Full of food? Peppier? In control? Those are the real benefits of low carb, but if my dress size comes down too, hey, I'll take it!

We're all pulling for you, Addie!
Sue

When I was reading everyone's responses I was very touched and my tear were just streaming down my face knowing that there are people like you out there that I can receive support from.
I just had my first salad again in two weeks for lunch with a hamburger patty with melted cheese and two tall glasses (20 oz.) of water. I'm drinking my third glass as I'm typing.
You are right that I havent' been eating enough and I haven't been drinking much water, sometimes a day will go by and I don't drink any at all. That's not good.
I exercise about 4 to 5 times a week brisk walking for about 30 to 45 minutes. Sometimes I'll be jogging without realizing it and I have to force myself to brisk walk again.
Even when I wasn't losing any weight in the past two weeks, I still stayed on Atkins because I have never felt better in my life since I was in high school. I don't get those low-blood sugar headaches anymore and I have a lot of energy.
I have been depending too much on the scale for my progess and never even thought of using a measuring tape. Today I'm going to measure myself and again the same time next week and I'll go by that.
Thank you all so much for your responses and support. I think I needed a slap of reality to wake me up. I think because I was losing weight fast in the first week that I figured it would be like that the rest of the time. Now I know and I'm staying with Atkins. I really want to get down to my goal weight, even if it takes til Christmas.
Thanks again so much everyone!!!
Addie

Oops, I made a typo -
I meant TEARS not tear. Believed me I just cried like a baby.
Thanks again for your support.

I think I wasn't eating enough because since I started on Atkins, my appetite has been suppressed and sometimes lunch time will come and go without realizing it and I would only eat two meals a day.

addie, i wanted to throw my .02 in the ring.
i posted on the started 2/15 thread, as you may have seen i have lost a lot of weight in three weeks, however i know it is going to stop. i am carrying alot more body fat than a lot of people and am male. that combo seems to speed weight loss. i know it is going to slow down and then stop for awhile
i notices that you are at 20% of what you wanted to lose, i think that is huge progress, just think at that rate you are at you goal in 5 months .
keep your chin up. when i was a mere 40lbs over weight i didn't have sence enough to do anything about it. geez talk about hindsight!!
read the boards and stick with it, you've taken the hard steps now it's all down hill.
hey...can i buy you a bottle of water??

Addie,
That is wonderful news that you have decided to stick it out. I think all of us get in rutts sometimes and want to give up. I know I have been there. I have been on a stall for the past few weeks and have been frustrated as well but finally threw my scale in the back of my closet where I can't even see it. Trust me you are not the only one who has had moments of defeat. At least you stuck with it and spoke up about feeling like giving up so you could get some well deserved and needed support. Keep up the good work and before you know it you will be whooshing away the pounds!


Jenn

This is my first post, and I'm very happy to be here, but I was begining to feel the same way. I just started doing Atkins three weeks ago. I lost 10 lbs in my first two weeks, and then whamo....nothing. I was starting to wonder where I may have had some sugar or something to make it stop. I got the impression from the material that I read that as long as you were under your carb count for your metabolism, you would loose weight. I'm glad that I came and read this otherwise I was starting to actually worry.

I'm glad that I can sit back and just follow the program, and know that I'm doing my body some good.

Incidentally, I started to get some bloodshot eyes the last week and a half, and I've never had that before. The only thing I've really changed in my life is my food consumption, has anyone come across similar a problem?

Thanks for being here, and thanks for listening.

Wendy