Well, I'm getting really upset now

[Evermind]

Between July 29 and the first week of November, I lost 35 lbs. I was in OWL, doing fine. Hit a stall. Kept on going, going, eating the right foods, the correct number of calories, in ketosis.

Nothing. No loss, and, in fact, a 3 lb. gain. So I decided to go back to induction for 2 weeks. That was last Wed. This is day 5 for me.

And I've gained another 3 lbs.

I'm now at 208. This is not water weight gain. I'm peeing just fine. This is not muscle mass gained, as I have been off of weights for over a month and only just the other day started again - it takes 2-4 weeks of working out to gain 1 lb of lean muscle mass.

I am simply at a loss. This has never, ever happened to me. I can deal with not losing, because the food is good and I feel better than if I eat lots of carbs. But GAINING weight? My calories are at 1550, average; my BMI is 1600. No WAY should I be GAINING.

I've absolutely had it. Ready to cry.

[ValidRouge]

Re: Well, I'm getting really upset now

Evermind, in situations like this, it is almost always something you're eating.

I know you may think you're not eating anything...I thought that too for almost a year! Come to find out the unsweet tea had high fructose corn syrup in it! Okay, with that said,let's see your menu.

EVERYTHING, brands, amounts, EVERYTHING.

I can tell you too, that I lost for a long time eating dairy, but it soon came around and bit me in the butt. I will gain weight if I include dairy (cream, milk, half n half, fresh cheese). You may have become more sensitive to an existing food intolerance.

Let's get to the bottom of this.

[Mirya]

Re: Well, I'm getting really upset now

Between July 29 and the first week of November, I lost 35 lbs. I was in OWL, doing fine. Hit a stall. Kept on going, going, eating the right foods, the correct number of calories, in ketosis.

Nothing. No loss, and, in fact, a 3 lb. gain. So I decided to go back to induction for 2 weeks. That was last Wed. This is day 5 for me.

And I've gained another 3 lbs.

I'm now at 208. This is not water weight gain. I'm peeing just fine. This is not muscle mass gained, as I have been off of weights for over a month and only just the other day started again - it takes 2-4 weeks of working out to gain 1 lb of lean muscle mass.

I am simply at a loss. This has never, ever happened to me. I can deal with not losing, because the food is good and I feel better than if I eat lots of carbs. But GAINING weight? My calories are at 1550, average; my BMI is 1600. No WAY should I be GAINING.

I've absolutely had it. Ready to cry.

Keep in mind also that with eating higher protein foods and working out along the way you may fluctuate in weight as protein helps to rebuild the muscle, muscle weighs more than fat. It doesn't mtter if your usin weights or just doing cardio, you are still using muscles. Your weight gain may actually be muscle gain so I wouldn't worry. Maybe one of the foods your eating is causing the weight gain. It culd also jus tbe bowels backing up a bit more which will also cause weight gain. I would do my best at trying to BM, urinate, first thing in the mornin and see if that changes anything just to make sure otherwise its probably something your eating.

[Evermind]

Re: Well, I'm getting really upset now

A menu:

Breakfast: Flax seed cracker with cream cheese

Snack: 1 slice roasted turkey, 5 olives

Lunch: 1 cup salad veggies (no carrots, onion or tomato) with blue cheese dressing, 4 eggs scrambled with 2 chopped mushrooms.

Snack: 1/2 cup spaghetti squash with dash of olive oil, 1 packet splenda

Dinner: 1 cup salad veggies (same as above) and dressing. 1 tiny zuchini chopped, 1 tablespoon of minced onion, 1/2 cup of grated cauliflower, fried in olive oil, blended with 1/4 or less grated cheese.

Before bed: choice of: sf jello with cream cheese; hot cocoa made with unsweetened dark chocolate and 1 packet splenda, dash of cream, 1 piece string cheese, 10 olives.

Another menu:

Breakfast: flax cereal (home made) with dash of cream

snack: 1/4 to 1/2 cup pumpkin mixed with 1 egg, pumpkin pie spice, 1 cube cream cheese, 1 packet splenda, nuked for 2 min.

Lunch: 1 cup greek salad (feta, black olives, oil and vinegar dressing), 2 slices of turkey OR 1 omelette made with 4 eggs, 1 cube of cheddar cheese and 1/2 avocado.

Snack: 1 cup beef broth mixed with steamed broccoli (2 small stalks, chopped very fine OR 2 devilled eggs OR 1/2 cup tuna with mayo.

Dinner: 1 cup spaghetti squash with butter and 1 packet splenda.

Before bed: same choices as first menu.

(I allow myself a before-bed snack but my fitday indicates I only have it 3 out of 7 days a week, and it is usually a non-sweet choice)

There are no "brands". I cook everything myself, including the jello.

I'm never constipated, and I weigh after I go to the bathroom, before I take a sip of anything.

[jimmyolsenblues]

Re: Well, I'm getting really upset now

I would cut back to pure meats, not blended meats like sausage, fish, eggs, lettuce, mayo, oil, vinegar, if its not on the induction menu, like flax cereal is out. cut down on the pumpkin and cheese. I would stop eating out. I would exercise a lot more.
Induction works. It worked for you before, so I know it will work again.
Be much more strict on any carbs you can discover in your diet.
Good luck, I know you can do it.

[Evermind]

Re: Well, I'm getting really upset now

Excuse me, Jimmy, but did you read my menu? Did you even read any of my post?

"I would cut back to pure meats, not blended meats like sausage" I don't eat ANY processed meats. I eat kosher meat. I prepare it myself.

"fish, eggs, lettuce, mayo, oil, vinegar, if its not on the induction menu, like flax cereal is out." Flax is not forbidden on induction. You can have 2 tbspns of flax if you are constipated. I do not eat fish. Everything else you listed is on my menu.

"I would stop eating out." We don't eat out. We keep kosher.

"I would exercise a lot more." Would you, really? Here's my exercise schedule: M, W, F, Sunday, I run outside, usually a couple of miles. T, TH, SAT I do yoga, for 1 hour. On three days a week I work out at the gym - 30 min. cardio and then weight training with a personal trainer.

"Be much more strict on any carbs you can discover in your diet." I enter every single ingredient and amount in fitday, every single day. There are no unknown carbs. I can't be more strict. You are making assumptions that you shouldn't be. I have cheated exactly once in the entire times I've done Atkins, and that was just with 2 potato chips. Never ever any other time.

Please, if you're going to give advice, don't give canned advice. Really listen to what people are telling you. Otherwise they will be tempted to throw something at you.

[jersey]

Re: Well, I'm getting really upset now

Evermind, I read your post with concern. I've seen your previous (enthusiastic!) posts about all your exercise. I thought WOW, that woman is so focused!

There's been some interesting board posts lately about eating too little. I'm not saying you are but I wonder if that's a possibility? I'm guessing that your labs are all right on target too?

My concern is partly selfish because I stalled out my last try and gave up. Its very hard to 'follow the rules' and not see the reward. I hope you can figure this out soon.

Sending you STRONG positive thoughts

Catherine

[Mirya]

Re: Well, I'm getting really upset now

A menu:

Breakfast: Flax seed cracker with cream cheese

Snack: 1 slice roasted turkey, 5 olives

Lunch: 1 cup salad veggies (no carrots, onion or tomato) with blue cheese dressing, 4 eggs scrambled with 2 chopped mushrooms.

Snack: 1/2 cup spaghetti squash with dash of olive oil, 1 packet splenda

Dinner: 1 cup salad veggies (same as above) and dressing. 1 tiny zuchini chopped, 1 tablespoon of minced onion, 1/2 cup of grated cauliflower, fried in olive oil, blended with 1/4 or less grated cheese.

Before bed: choice of: sf jello with cream cheese; hot cocoa made with unsweetened dark chocolate and 1 packet splenda, dash of cream, 1 piece string cheese, 10 olives.

Another menu:

Breakfast: flax cereal (home made) with dash of cream

snack: 1/4 to 1/2 cup pumpkin mixed with 1 egg, pumpkin pie spice, 1 cube cream cheese, 1 packet splenda, nuked for 2 min.

Lunch: 1 cup greek salad (feta, black olives, oil and vinegar dressing), 2 slices of turkey OR 1 omelette made with 4 eggs, 1 cube of cheddar cheese and 1/2 avocado.

Snack: 1 cup beef broth mixed with steamed broccoli (2 small stalks, chopped very fine OR 2 devilled eggs OR 1/2 cup tuna with mayo.

Dinner: 1 cup spaghetti squash with butter and 1 packet splenda.

Before bed: same choices as first menu.

(I allow myself a before-bed snack but my fitday indicates I only have it 3 out of 7 days a week, and it is usually a non-sweet choice)

There are no "brands". I cook everything myself, including the jello.

I'm never constipated, and I weigh after I go to the bathroom, before I take a sip of anything.

SF Jello has aspartame which stalls

unsweeened chocolte still has 4 net carbs per square.

[jersey]

Re: Well, I'm getting really upset now

Mirya - Evermind makes EVERTHING she eats from scratch - including her sf jello - no packaged, commercial products. And the chocolate - doubt its the culprit.

[Mirya]

Re: Well, I'm getting really upset now

Excuse me, Jimmy, but did you read my menu? Did you even read any of my post?

"I would cut back to pure meats, not blended meats like sausage" I don't eat ANY processed meats. I eat kosher meat. I prepare it myself.

"fish, eggs, lettuce, mayo, oil, vinegar, if its not on the induction menu, like flax cereal is out."Flax is not forbidden on induction. You can have 2 tbspns of flax if you are constipated. I do not eat fish. Everything else you listed is on my menu.

"I would stop eating out." We don't eat out. We keep kosher.

"I would exercise a lot more." Would you, really? Here's my exercise schedule: M, W, F, Sunday, I run outside, usually a couple of miles. T, TH, SAT I do yoga, for 1 hour. On three days a week I work out at the gym - 30 min. cardio and then weight training with a personal trainer.

"Be much more strict on any carbs you can discover in your diet." I enter every single ingredient and amount in fitday, every single day. There are no unknown carbs. I can't be more strict. You are making assumptions that you shouldn't be. I have cheated exactly once in the entire times I've done Atkins, and that was just with 2 potato chips. Never ever any other time.

Please, if you're going to give advice, don't give canned advice. Really listen to what people are telling you. Otherwise they will be tempted to throw something at you.

I know your frustrated but you don't need to be nasty to people that are just trying to help you come up with ideas. If you don't agee with what others are saying, fine, but be just as respectful as they are. I KNOW I am new here but your response even offended me an my name isn't even Jimmy.

On a lighter note I would reccommend on maybe doing something different such as removing things from your daily normal menu like chocolate. Once I get more familiar ith the diet and such I'll be able to give better pointers but for now I'll leave it to the veterans

EDITED :. hmmm I dunno then Soetimes the body reacts to a food allergy by adding on pounds so it coud be thatyou are ildly allegic to something. Personally I stillthink its muscle. I would ride itout for another cpl weeks and see how things go. Mabe it'll turn around

[Evermind]

Re: Well, I'm getting really upset now

myria - I wasn't responding to you but to the person calling himself "JimmyOlsenBlues".

When I'm frustrated, and someone clearly isn't listening to what I'm saying, and responds with completely useless and off-point information, I will be cranky. It was rude of HIM to respond with canned phrases when he obviously hadn't read what I wrote.

As for chocolate, I use 1/2 a square on the rare instances when I make hot cocoa. I do not have it daily. I don't even have it once a week.

[Evermind]

Re: Well, I'm getting really upset now

Yep, my labs are totally on track, and I'm always within 50 calories of my BMI. That's what gets me - I'm not in starvation mode, and I'm not eating more than I should, and I'm in ketosis, and WHAT THE HECK????????? This is making me really weepy. I'm usually a very positive person, and even when I was stalled, but not gaining, I was ok. But now that I'm GAINING....I simply don't know WHAT to do.

[Sheepie]

Re: Well, I'm getting really upset now

Just random thoughts here. My stall started shortly after starting to eat pumpkin. Was it the pumpkin or the cream cheese or neither? I don't know. I like flax muffins with added cocoa. Could be the cocoa. We're close in weight and according to fitday, I burn 2658 calories just being me and doing whatever my lifestyle is. You clearly excercise more than I do, so you should be able to eat way more than me, but I eat more than you. I know that drinking wine is not helping me, but you don't seem to do that. Just thinking outloud, but I wonder if you're not eating enough. I know we're not supposed to focus on calories, but it doesn't sound like enough for someone of your weight who excercises a lot. I dunno.
Weeping and gaining...pms?

[hopejoy]

Re: Well, I'm getting really upset now

Sending hugs your way Evermind... after all these months I've known you I know you are really really dedicated to this woe and wol... you deserve a large wooshie and I'm sorry that you gained. I have no advice right now. I admire your commitment to kosher and to keeping your food pure and wholesome... I believe eventually the stall will break and you will see it reflected in the scale... go ahead and have a good cry though... sometimes that's what we need.
liz

[partytrouble]

Re: Well, I'm getting really upset now

oh, evermind!!! i am so sad to hear you are discouraged!!!! i think you are doing a great job incorporating veggies, exercise, and watching calories.

one thing i would do for 2 weeks, is cut the flax, unsweetened chocolate, and pumpkin. and maybe even the splenda!! and keep your veggies to 3 cups only. it might also help to up your meat consumption? it seems like your menus are a lot of veggies (awesome!) and dairy, and not a lot of just plain meats for protein.

when i was stalling, i was also graduating away from meat and more to veggies, and boy did it stall me big. you have been working out at that consistent high level for a while, so i wouldn't attribute it to that. what i found was that i stopped losing if i ate over 20 grams carbs, period, no matter how many calories i ate. i can MAINTAIN on up to 60-90 grams of carbs, but for some reason my body does not lose at more than 20 grams per day. maybe you are the same?

hang in there!!