HELP diet not working???

[Mel Strong]

Help
I don't know what is wrong...I have been sticking to the induction plan for a month now, no cheating, and my weight is not budging???
I went on this atkins diet in the year 2000 and was 220lbs and stuck with it for one year and lost weight every month and lost a total of 60 lbs which was excellent.
I have managed to keep most of it off for the last 7 years but am now at 178lbs and would like to lose another 30 pounds.
I know this diet works but now it is not working...I have low thyroid but am on synthroid to compensate, I walk 40 min everyday and weight lift at the gym three times a week. I like this plan because when I am on it I don't have any wild food cravings and I feel more alert. I use Ketostix and they are turning color so I just don't know. I use splenda in some things like whipped cream where as back in 2000 I used aspertame, do you think this is an issue...I thought if the Ketostix are changing color I should be on track.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[spirittalker]

Re: HELP diet not working???

Why don't you post a menu so we can see what you are eating and maybe where you are going wrong. Are your clothes fitting better?

[Mel Strong]

Re: HELP diet not working???

I have 1 1/2 cups regular coffee with cream in the morning.
I have sugar free metamucil.
Supplements multi, chromium, cla, omega3-6-9, evening primrose oil, calcium
Breakfast#1- 4 slices Bacon or 2 sausage and 2 eggs
OR
Breakfast#2- 1/2 cup yoget [6g carbs] with splenda and some cheddar cheese
Chai tea [tea bag, cream, splenda]
one square unsweetened bakers chocolate
Dinner sample:
Pork loin
salad- romaine, garlic, onion, cheese, ranch dressing, 1tb sunflower seeds
diet pop

[Mel Strong]

Re: HELP diet not working???

My clothes are fitting the same , actually I feel bloated alot of the time?

[HulaMom]

Re: HELP diet not working???

Aloha Mel,

I would recommend that you take more of your carbs from veggies and cut back on dairy. Also, are you getting enough fat and protein?
Hang in there!
Hula

[spirittalker]

Re: HELP diet not working???

The menu you posted here is not an induction menu. Coffee, yogurt, sunflower seeds are all nono's. where is your lunch? your veggies? I suggest rereading the induction portion of the book and do a strict induction.

[Mel Strong]

Re: HELP diet not working???

After being on a strict induction for a month I have recently introduced a few more items still keeping my carbs grams very low at about 25grams. I added a small amount of yogert because I thought I needed the bacteria culture to help with my bloating.
One thing I didn't switch to on induction was decaf coffee.

[SwissMiss]

Re: HELP diet not working???

Hi Mel - my second time on this WOE isn't as easy as the first. I suggest you use www.fitday.com to monitor everything you eat and drink. Also stick to the plan, eat your veggies and if you want to add dairy etc. then move to OWL. Good luck and happy low-carbing.

[colleenieweenie]

Re: HELP diet not working???

Hi Mel,

I know how frustrating it can be to think you're working your hiney off and not see the scale reflect that - it totally hums!

Here's some observations:

No Yogurt, bakers chocolate or sunflower seeds allowed on induction. Those things are found on OWL, once you start moving up the rungs...

Your breakfast looks OK - eggs, bacon and/or sausage - good. Coffee - Maybe try some decaf.

Lunch - You need lunch!!! Have a yummy salad, or some veggies & meat of some kind.

Dinner - Dinner looks ok to me. (minus the sunflower seeds) Might want to throw in some more veggies, depending how many you eat throughout the day.

For snacks, try cheese, cut up veggies, make an egg or two, have some bacon, etc...

If you're not scarfing down enough food, your body will think you're trying to starve it - gotta eat all of your meals!
Also, sometimes cream, splenda, caffine can be stallers, this is a "your milage may vary" type of thing. Trial and error.

I also think you might need a bit more fat. Go ahead and add some butter to your eggies, steamed veggies, garlic butter to your steak, etc..

Make sure you're drinking enough water. Are you exercising? This is kinda a non-negotiable thing. Your body and heart will thank you

Last but not least... Ketostix... They aren't always the best way to determine if you're in ketosis. How do you feel? Hungry? Cravings? Kinda crappy? You can turn ketostix purple and still not drop a lb of fat.

Maybe re-reading the book might help you. I know after starting and re-starting, I forgot some things - those lightbulb moments really helped jumpstart things for me.

Best of luck to you!!

[colleenieweenie]

Re: HELP diet not working???

After being on a strict induction for a month I have recently introduced a few more items still keeping my carbs grams very low at about 25grams. I added a small amount of yogert because I thought I needed the bacteria culture to help with my bloating.
One thing I didn't switch to on induction was decaf coffee.

Going up the rungs in order will really help you out. You are gradually increasing your carb intake and re-introducing certain foods into your menu. Also - you can buy probiotics in pill form, so you won't need to eat the yogurt. I take them and it really has helped with bloating and my lack of bathroom fun

[Mel Strong]

Re: HELP diet not working???

Thanks everyone!
Just to verify...I was on induction for 4 weeks instead of the required 2 weeks and am now on OWL. I thought I might be eating too much fat?
I do walk 40 min a day and do weights at the gym 3 time per week.
I will increase my water intake.
My breakfast is more like brunch..I eat at about 11am for first meal.

Maybe I should do induction over again for two weeks omitting splenda and switching to decaf?

[spirittalker]

Re: HELP diet not working???

I was also tinking how much cream are you eating? And you should never go more than 6 waking hours without eating preferably lewss than 4 so only eating twice a day will slow up your metabolism. You should eat as early in the am as possible to kickstart things. I don't think you are eating too much fat but moving up the rungs in order is key to finding foods that stall you.

[HulaMom]

Re: HELP diet not working???

Aloha,

As a second time around-er myself, I've found it tempting to just jump to that last place that I was after all my weight had come off. I could eat more carbs, have a scotch -- life was good.
I echo the advice given here to re-read and follow closely the plan that Atkins outlined. Your body does need time to adjust to the types of carbs you are adding, and the way your body responded initially may be different than today.

That said, I'm struggling just like you right after induction. I've been 5 weeks and I'm hoping that there will be movement soon. I'm finding that the strictness seems very important this time around.

If you find the trick that works for you -- let me know!!
Hula

[Mel Strong]

Re: HELP diet not working???

I drink cream in my coffee and tea...maybe about 3TB each,
I thought cream is allowed on induction?

[OzLover]

Re: HELP diet not working???

Heavy or light cream is allowed but per DANDR only 2-3 Tbsp per day. Heavy cream has 0.4 carbs per Tbsp & light cream has 0.6 carbs per Tbsp. That is l.2 carbs per cup of coffee/tea & don't forget coffe has carbs also...1 carb per 8 oz. So carbs can quickly add up.