I have been doing Atkins for 17 days and have only lost 2 lbs. I use the keto sicks and they have only turned light pink. I am not sure what I am doing wrong, but something is not working.

Daily diet: 2 eggs omlette with 1 ounce cheddar cheese, 2 sausage patties (2 carbs each/0 sugars), diet pop
a couple of ounces of red meat, 2 pieces of string cheese (pepper jack)
one/two strip steaks stir fried with olive oil and soy sauce, salad with dressing (2 carbs/1sugar per serving)

That's my typical day. Can anyone help with the progress? I thogh the first 2 weeks wer suposed to have great results?

Hi JJ Mom,
Everyone is different, and it could be it will just take you some time. Don't get discouraged. With your food, it is hard to tell without more info. The sausage with 2 carbs each sound a little suspect - read the ingredient list. Bet there is sugar there. What kind of diet drink? Does it have caffenine or aspertaine? Is your red meat deli or what? Many deli meats have added sugars also. Unless you bought special sugar free soy sauce that often has sugar in it. I don't see very many veggies. You really need the 3 cups of veggies. For a salad go for the dark leafy greens like baby spinach, not plain lettuce. You will get more bang for your buck. Also, how much water are you drinking and are you taking suppliments? These are some questions based on what you have listed. We all want to help you in any way we can. Good luck.
Marie

Wow, it lookd like you really know what you are doing! Congrats! I just checked out the sausage and it said 0 sugars, but after tking a closer look at the ingredients the last one listed was SUGAR. The soy sauce I am using is La Choy and it has 1 sugar in it. I probably am shaking that on way too liberally. Thanks for the insight. I usually have a diet coke in the morning or coffee. Do I have to get rid of caffeine and diet pop altogether? I will to make his work. Thanks!

I'd say 2 grams each for the sausage is a bit much... it may not be the only culprit, but it's a good starting point. You're also on track with the soy sauce, I think.

I'd suggest quite a bit more veggies, really, like broccoli with butter..cauliflower, etc.. They really help.

Drinking tons of water is always good! I personally have given up diet pop for the most part..but haven't been able to part with my morning coffee.... I try to counter the effects of the caffeine by drinking a glass of water for every cup of coffee I have.

Hang in there!

How much water are you drinking? THe more water you drink the better. You need to drink something like 100 oz. of water a day. I would also say that you need a bit more vegetables too.

Have a great day!!

As you add vegetables remember to eat them with protein and fat. I found out the hard way that by themselves that can interfere with my weight loss. I have also recently discovered that I lose better not eating late in the day.

What kind of diet pop are you drinking? If it contains asperteme it can stall some people.


It also looks like you have alot of higher sodium foods which can lead to water retention.

Hi jj mom,

I know how frustrating that can be! A lot of people start of slowly but all of a sudden, everything clicks in to place.

This is a whole "reposted" post. A lot of folks don't realize that certain medications, Candida or thyroid problems can cause challenges. I don't know of course, but some of it may apply to you. If you click the underlined words, they'll take you to the Atkins website where strategies are discussed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For some people, LC weight loss is smooth and steady. For others, it can be a bit more difficult. At any stage, our plans can be “tweaked”. We eliminate or cut down on certain foods, discover that the sugar alcohols in those two low-carb bars a day are the culprit or realize that dairy products slow us down. We may be intolerant to certain foods or are not aware that our carbohydrate intake is creeping up.

It may seem that people that don’t have a lot of fat to lose – generally in the 5-30 pound range – lose slower than those with a lot of weight to lose. But, that’s not true. Percentage-wise, it works out to be the same. If you’re aiming to lose 100 pounds, ten percent would be 10 pounds. If you’re aiming for 10, ten percent would be one pound. Remember that this is not a quick weight loss diet, it’s an eating strategy for life. On this site, the percentage feature is in every member’s post.

1. Have you read the book for, and followed your chosen plan to the letter for at least a month? No digression in the food front at all? No skipping meals?

2. Do you figure out your carbs/calories each day? Do you use a carb counter or a program like fitday.com? Or if you can’t be bothered with micro-managing, do you know what your critical carbohydrate level is and eat accordingly?

3. Do you regularly drink alcohol?

4. Are you scale or Ketostix obsessed? Compulsively weighing or using Ketostix will make the process seem slower and more erratic than it actually is. If you must weigh yourself everyday, chart your daily weight and figure out a weekly average. Don’t take it personally. It’s only a hunk of metal and a piece of plastic.

5. Are you trying to do a low fat version of your chosen plan?

6. Have you been a yo-yo dieter? People who have severely restricted their calories in the past due to low-fat or calorie restricted dieting may find it difficult to lose weight initially. In this case, using low-carb as part of the process of metabolic healing will help. You will lose fat once your body learns to trust what you’re doing. Persistence will pay off.

7. Are you consuming any or all of these items on a regular basis? If you are, stop consuming them one at a time, for at least two weeks to see if it initiates weight loss.

• Processed meats, including bacon
• Caffeine
• Cheese and dairy products
• Alcohol
• Nuts and Nut Butters
• Peanuts and Peanut Butter
• Artificial Sweeteners
• Diet Drinks
• Protein Bars
• Low carb food products that imitate high carb food
• Eating a wide combination of food in one day
• Overly salty foods? For example pork rinds? Processed meats?
• Sugar Alcohols

8. Are you drinking at least 64 oz. of water a day, plus 8 more ounces for every 25 pounds you want to lose?

9.. Prescription drugs or hormones which impede weight loss:
• estrogens and most synthetic HRT's including birth control pills
• Anti-depressant drugs - Insulin and insulin stimulating drugs
• Anti-arthritis medications including steroids
• Diuretics and beta blockers

10. Underactive thyroid (hypothyroid) function which can be present when blood tests indicate no abnormalities

11. Ovewrgrowth of the yeast organism Candida albicans.

For more details on overcoming metabolic resistance, read Metabolic Resistance: Causes and Solutions, Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, 2002 edition.

12. Often overlooked but are you getting enough sleep? Or, are you going through an unusually stressful period? Stressing over what is perceived as lack of progress, being to hard on yourself and obsessing on scales or Ketostix is stressful.

After going through this list, contemplate your answers and work out a strategy for yourself. Learning to low-carb is a steep learning curve and will reward you richly by becoming educated and more aware of your body and how it will function optimally.

Don’t be discouraged! Look at overall health and well-being instead of using your plan as a diet just to lose weight. Keep learning about what works for you. You’ll be better able to deal with all the “forks in the road” and “speed bumps” along your low-carb journey.