Please help me stay motivated

[Goodbyebabyw8]

I have been on atkins now for 13 days, i have not been tempted to cheat even once, and i have exercised for 30-45 minutes 5 days a week every week even before i started this WOE and still i have not lost any more weight since last friday when i lost 8 lbs in 6 days and it is getting really hard for me to believe that this WOE is working for me...i have always lost weight pretty fast when i put my mind to it (i lost 50lbs in 41/2 months on the slimfast diet, but i was hungry ALL the time) but i am just not losing as fast as i had hoped i would...people have told me to be patient and to check what i am eating, so i cut out the diet pop, and the pumpkin to see if it would help but it has not helped anything...is it possible that maybe my body is so used to a low fat diet that it will not respond to a high fat diet??? or does Atkins work for everyone???...please share any advice that you have on how to lose weight quickly (i see so many people on here that lose 50 to 100lbs in just a few months and i thought that was the norm) i only have until the end of april to at least get down to 160lbs before i go on vacation that means i have 61lbs!!! to lose do you think it is possible??? and please do not think that i am just looking for a quick fix (well sort of, but only because i have a very short time to lose this weight) but i do not fit any of my clothes and i can not afford to just go out and buy new ones, nor do i want to (i like my skinny jeans!!!)...thanks in advance for any advice you all can give me!!!

[TitianWasp]

Re: Please help me stay motivated

Goodbye - calm down, deep breath....ok. You lost 8 pounds in 6 days. Some people don't lose that in the full two weeks of induction. This is a process, a way of life. While the quick weightloss at the beginning of Induction is great, a real rush, it's not sustainable and you will eventually drop into a reasonable weight loss, which averages one to two pounds per week. Most of the weight lost during induction is water, which you wouldn't have been carrying in great excess because you are a regular exerciser.

This way of eating does work, for pretty much anyone, but individual rates will vary considerably. The less active and heavier you are to begin with, the more remarkable the change will be. If you were reasonalbly fit to begin with or don't have a lot to lose, it will be slower going and you will have to work harder at it. The biggest benefit to Atkins is that you will not be hungry the same way as you would on a lower calorie diet. I had 35 pounds to lose, dropped a quick 10 on Induction and have scraped off 4 since then. I still have basically 20 to go, one pound at a time, but I don't worry too terribly because it does come off. It's a marathon not a sprint, and I am not starving all the time so I am not concerned that I cannot stick with it.

You can do this, but remember, it is real, not magic. Read the book, and read this site in depth. The stickies offer great information and a lot of stuff that is the result of experience or fills in the gaps in the book.


And welcome!

[julirama723]

Re: Please help me stay motivated

First off, pumpkin is considered an "other" veggie and you can eat 1 cup per day of it if you like! Don't be afraid of it--it's got TONS of fiber (10 grams per cup!) lots of vitamins and nutrients that are great for your body.

This isn't a race. The slower you lose weight, the easier it is to maintain your losses, because you have to make LIFE CHANGES, not be in a diet mentality. You have to think, is this something I can do for the REST OF MY LIFE? The answer had better be "YES!" 8 pounds in 6 days is phenomenal. During induction, we're to lose 5-10% of total weight we'd like to lose. You lost 6/67 pounds, that's about 11%, which is HIGHER than average!

Weight fluctuates, and weight loss is not linear. If you're exercising, you might see a pause in the scale, which is normal. Our muscles retain water to repair themselves after a workout, and if we don't drink enough water to rehydrate, we will retain water. Does this mean you stop exercising? HECK NO! Exercising is what is helping you to burn fat and to create sleek, sexy muscles. Let the tape measure be your friend. Often I have weeks where I lose inches instead of pounds. I have figured out that the scale is not my friend.

Atkins WORKS. The reason it works is the amazing part. Think of the GREAT foods you get to eat (butter, red meat, eggs, cream, etc.), along with healthy and tasty veggies. Because the majority of your daily caloric intake is from fat (65%), your body begins to burn fat as a source of energy, putting the body into ketosis, and appetite is suppressed. On a low-fat diet/plan, that satiety factor is missing, and many people end up starving all day long. Not with Atkins--if you're hungry, EAT! Often many people don't eat ENOUGH during Induction because they feel so satisfied with what they're eating.

My advice? Get the book, read it, study it, follow the plan TO THE LETTER. Eat your veggies (and bring on the pumpkin!), drink your water, keep exercising, eat when you're hungry, and enjoy your energy and freedom from food addiction! No one can guarantee that you'll lose the remaining 61 pounds by the date you've chosen (our bodies lose pounds when they're READY to lose them!) but if you start now, think of how much closer you'll be to that goal!

[godsbeloved79]

Re: Please help me stay motivated

Awesome posts ladies.

That was more then enough information for me to stick with this WOE for good !

[TitianWasp]

Re: Please help me stay motivated

First off, pumpkin is considered an "other" veggie and you can eat 1 cup per day of it if you like! Don't be afraid of it--it's got TONS of fiber (10 grams per cup!) lots of vitamins and nutrients that are great for your body.

Thanks, Julie! Yay pumpkin!

[julirama723]

Re: Please help me stay motivated

If pumpkin weren't legal...I'd be in serious trouble. I LOVE the stuff! It's awesome mixed with cream cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sweetzfree/stevia/or splenda. I feel like I'm eating dessert, but really, I'm eating my vegetables!

[fowlergirl]

Re: Please help me stay motivated

Hi Goodbyebabyw8. I can tell you that if you follow the plan it will work. It won't work overnight but it will work. I agree wholeheartedly with what the others had to say. Please give it time. Hang in there.

[jimmyolsenblues]

Re: Please help me stay motivated

the nicest thing about atkins is the longer you are on it, the easier it gets. its like re-programing your brain and body. you can do it, i believe in you.

[Goodbyebabyw8]

Re: Please help me stay motivated

thanks all, i am thoroughly motivated to stay on track!