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This issue is so important that I hope we can create a sticky out of it.
A lot of us discover that the second (third, fourth, 90th) time we get on this woe, the scale does not register changes as quickly as the first time. During the first two weeks, we may or may not lose a ton of pounds. In subsequent weeks, the weight loss may register even more slowly.
It's important to be reasonable and realistic as we deal with this sometimes frustrating and often confusing part of losing by ketosis, in order to have a better understanding of what is happening to our bodies.
The Golden Shot
There's a theory that you have one golden shot at a low carb diet. This theory states that the FIRST time you do induction is the only time you will lose a ton of weight in the first two weeks. Any other time you work at going into ketosis, the weight will come off as slowly as in any other diet.
This may be true for many of us. I know that in my first four weeks this time around, I only lost about 5 or 6 lbs, as compared to about 10 in the first two weeks the first time around. Some of us, however, have had a big drop in the first two weeks. You won't know until you try it. What is certain is that whether you lose a little or a lot, you'll lose inches.
"Body Memories"
It is a known fact that for many of us, our bodies will shed weight up to a point, then "pause" at a given point on the scale for up to 2 weeks. The theory is that our bodies get used to a certain weight, and will hang out there for awhile, because it is comfortable. I know that when I started last time, I hovered around 200 lbs for about 3 or 4 weeks, and that 200 had been a place where I'd been for several years before I got my act together and started Atkins. The same thing happened at around 192. I think it is happening to me now at about 207, because for several months, this was where I stuck before popping up to 218.
At first, I just gained about 4 lbs, to 192. Then I went up to 197. Then 204. Then 210. Then 218. It wasn't a pound a day, or even a pound a week. It was jumps like that. I expect the same thing on the way back down.
How long did it take?
It took me 9 months to go from 188 to 218. 9 months. 30 lbs. That's about 3.5 lbs per month. I'm now losing about 1 lb per week. I'd guess that I will be losing about 3 lbs per month, perhaps 4. The same rate I gained. That is very reasonable. We should not expect to lose faster than
we gained, necessarily.
Inches, Inches, Inches
In addition to figuring how much we gained back, we should be able (if we measured the first time around) to figure out how many INCHES we gained back. I just checked my MyBodyComp.com measurements for the last time I measured last August. I had gained 51.47 inches by June 20. (OY Vey! 30 lbs, but 51.47 inches? That's disgusting!)
Before you get depressed, check how many inches you've lost so far. I personally have lost over 30 inches as of today. That's MORE than half of the inches I had gained!
So I may "only" have lost 11 of the 30 lbs I gained (about 1/3), but I have lost HALF of the inches I gained! Who could complain about THAT?
Atkins is about more than the scale
We know this, because we've done this woe before, but it's important to keep reminding ourselves. Atkins is about fundamentally changing our relationship with food. It is about gaining a relationship with our bodies that we haven't had before. It is about hydrating our bodies (and I don't know about you, but I would go an entire day before, not drinking more than maybe a cup of water) to allow them to work more efficiently and rid ourselves of toxins. It is about exercising our muscles and the heart. It is about getting energy that allows us to do WAY more than we could before. It is about FEELING good, not just looking good.
Whether you are losing slowly or quickly this time around, you should be experiencing all of those things. Just check this forum. We may not all be drinking a full gallon of water a day, but we are consuming vast quantities. We ma not all be running marathons, but we are all working out more than before. We may not all be taking the supplements that others do, but by virtue of eating all these veggies, we're getting better nutrition than before.
The bottom line
First, you cannot eat at or around your bmr, with less than 20 grams of carbs and a high fat and protein percentage, and not lose weight. It's just not possible. So whether you are losing slowly or a lot, you are losing.
Second, inches count more than pounds. We all know this because we are doing the Tape Measure Challenge.
Third, losing weight is not like going from popping popcorn on the burner with the old Jiffy Pop thing to popping popcorn in the microwave (way faster!). Losing weight is the same as gaining. A pound at a time.
Fourth, and most important, a person who gets into ketosis, exercises, and drinks water is going to feel a whole lot better than a person who doesn't. Happier, more energetic, and healthier. And that's where we are. The weight is a lovely side-effect, and whether it is slow or fast, it's still lovely!
A lot of us discover that the second (third, fourth, 90th) time we get on this woe, the scale does not register changes as quickly as the first time. During the first two weeks, we may or may not lose a ton of pounds. In subsequent weeks, the weight loss may register even more slowly.
It's important to be reasonable and realistic as we deal with this sometimes frustrating and often confusing part of losing by ketosis, in order to have a better understanding of what is happening to our bodies.
The Golden Shot
There's a theory that you have one golden shot at a low carb diet. This theory states that the FIRST time you do induction is the only time you will lose a ton of weight in the first two weeks. Any other time you work at going into ketosis, the weight will come off as slowly as in any other diet.
This may be true for many of us. I know that in my first four weeks this time around, I only lost about 5 or 6 lbs, as compared to about 10 in the first two weeks the first time around. Some of us, however, have had a big drop in the first two weeks. You won't know until you try it. What is certain is that whether you lose a little or a lot, you'll lose inches.
"Body Memories"
It is a known fact that for many of us, our bodies will shed weight up to a point, then "pause" at a given point on the scale for up to 2 weeks. The theory is that our bodies get used to a certain weight, and will hang out there for awhile, because it is comfortable. I know that when I started last time, I hovered around 200 lbs for about 3 or 4 weeks, and that 200 had been a place where I'd been for several years before I got my act together and started Atkins. The same thing happened at around 192. I think it is happening to me now at about 207, because for several months, this was where I stuck before popping up to 218.
At first, I just gained about 4 lbs, to 192. Then I went up to 197. Then 204. Then 210. Then 218. It wasn't a pound a day, or even a pound a week. It was jumps like that. I expect the same thing on the way back down.
How long did it take?
It took me 9 months to go from 188 to 218. 9 months. 30 lbs. That's about 3.5 lbs per month. I'm now losing about 1 lb per week. I'd guess that I will be losing about 3 lbs per month, perhaps 4. The same rate I gained. That is very reasonable. We should not expect to lose faster than
we gained, necessarily.
Inches, Inches, Inches
In addition to figuring how much we gained back, we should be able (if we measured the first time around) to figure out how many INCHES we gained back. I just checked my MyBodyComp.com measurements for the last time I measured last August. I had gained 51.47 inches by June 20. (OY Vey! 30 lbs, but 51.47 inches? That's disgusting!)
Before you get depressed, check how many inches you've lost so far. I personally have lost over 30 inches as of today. That's MORE than half of the inches I had gained!
So I may "only" have lost 11 of the 30 lbs I gained (about 1/3), but I have lost HALF of the inches I gained! Who could complain about THAT?
Atkins is about more than the scale
We know this, because we've done this woe before, but it's important to keep reminding ourselves. Atkins is about fundamentally changing our relationship with food. It is about gaining a relationship with our bodies that we haven't had before. It is about hydrating our bodies (and I don't know about you, but I would go an entire day before, not drinking more than maybe a cup of water) to allow them to work more efficiently and rid ourselves of toxins. It is about exercising our muscles and the heart. It is about getting energy that allows us to do WAY more than we could before. It is about FEELING good, not just looking good.
Whether you are losing slowly or quickly this time around, you should be experiencing all of those things. Just check this forum. We may not all be drinking a full gallon of water a day, but we are consuming vast quantities. We ma not all be running marathons, but we are all working out more than before. We may not all be taking the supplements that others do, but by virtue of eating all these veggies, we're getting better nutrition than before.
The bottom line
First, you cannot eat at or around your bmr, with less than 20 grams of carbs and a high fat and protein percentage, and not lose weight. It's just not possible. So whether you are losing slowly or a lot, you are losing.
Second, inches count more than pounds. We all know this because we are doing the Tape Measure Challenge.
Third, losing weight is not like going from popping popcorn on the burner with the old Jiffy Pop thing to popping popcorn in the microwave (way faster!). Losing weight is the same as gaining. A pound at a time.
Fourth, and most important, a person who gets into ketosis, exercises, and drinks water is going to feel a whole lot better than a person who doesn't. Happier, more energetic, and healthier. And that's where we are. The weight is a lovely side-effect, and whether it is slow or fast, it's still lovely!
23/F
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