Plateaued already??

[IndyRoadie]

Greetings all.

I am mystified here. I am on day 14 of Induction. I thought I would stick it out since it was working for me. I didn't get a scale until over a week into it, but I know I lost about 20 lbs total since my last Dr. visit, between six weeks ago and last week.

Well, in the last week I have lost NOTHING. Here is an example of what I have been eating. Yesterday:

Breakfast: A couple slices turkey and a couple oz cheese, coffee, 2 splenda, splash of carb free cream
Snack: Celery and Green Peppers
Lunch: Tuna salad with pork rinds.
Snack. About an oz of cheese, and two small Slim Jims
Dinner: One grilled chicken breast, and some mashed cauliflower. coffee, 2 splenda, splash of carb free cream

I drink a lot of water throughout the day. I have not splurged, not even once. (well, the first week I forgot about the carbs in milk and had a small glass). What am I doing wrong? Is it the caffeine?

I haven't touched a potato, rice, bread, chip, nothing. Getting discouraged here, lol. I heard that Atkins just isn't for everyone, maybe that's me?

Thanks in advance for any advice.
Jim

[chinadoll]

Re: Plateaued already??

Your body may be adjusting. Give it time. Weight isn't going to drop at a steady rate. Atkins especially seems to have a wait and whoosh loss pattern where you will go a couple of weeks and then lose several pounds overnight. Just keep doing things right, exercise and keep your water intake up. Be more stubborn than your body and you will get it to give up the fat.

[liv]

Re: Plateaued already??

I agree with Jill. Almost all see a pause sometimes around week 2 or 3. Keep going.

Here is a suggestion for things you may look at:
You may be needing a bit more fat. I would get the fat from fat, oil, butter rather than dairy (cream and cheese)
Are you using fitday to check your menu to see if you are eating enough and landing around 65% of calories from fat.
Four splendas may be too much (we are limited to three)
Slim Jims have sugar? Make sure you check.

[IndyRoadie]

Re: Plateaued already??

Thanks for the advice. I am probably just hitting a dieters downturn mentally.

The Slim Jims are zero carb, so I assumed they were zero sugar. I will have to look.

Only 3 Splenda, ugh! lol. Will work on that.

Will have to check out fitday, thanks for the tips!

[Elizellen]

Re: Plateaued already??

Welcome to ADBB

As you did not know what weight you were at your 1st day of induction it might be that you lost some pounds between then and when you got your scales a week later.

Some people lose weight at the start of their 14 days on induction, some not till the second week or later and some lose consistently over the 2 weeks, so your induction 'woosh' might have happened in those first 7 days!.

[Georgiana]

Re: Plateaued already??

Thanks for the advice. I am probably just hitting a dieters downturn mentally.

Yep, I agree with the others. Patience...

A stall/plateau is defined as 4 consecutive weeks without any loss of weight AND inches, so you're far from that. Don't forget to take body measurements too. If you're shedding inches you're not stalled even if the scale is stubborn.

The Slim Jims are zero carb, so I assumed they were zero sugar. I will have to look.

About the Slim Jims and the "carb free cream". Just because there is a big zero written on the label, it does not mean the carbs are zero. If the carbohydrate content per serving is below 0.5 grams, the producer is allowed to write zero. So it can add sugar or some non-Induction ingredient in the food and if the serving size is small enough for the carbs to come out <0.5 grams, the label will say 0 carbs. Also, the carbs might be <0.5 if you eat one serving, but eat two and you may have eaten 0.99 carbs, so the carbs will add up quickly.

That's why you always have to check the list of ingredients and not only the nutritional info. If one of the ingredients in the list is not "legal" for Induction, then the food is not "legal" either.

[IndyRoadie]

Re: Plateaued already??

Wow, more great advice. You guys rock!

I jut think I went through a dieter's panic. I started a FitDay account, and yesterday I had about 19 carbs and 2200 calories.

That a great tool that is! Thanks for referring me to it!

[burgan]

Re: Plateaued already??

it wouldn't hurt to check if you are in ketosis by using the ketosis sticks.

also, how do you feel?? Is your appetite suppressed?? This to me is the best part of Atkins. I can resist snacking and have more energy than I have had in years. it's amazing (ketosis).

[IndyRoadie]

Re: Plateaued already??

Can't really afford the ketosis sticks right now, but yeah, my appetite is MUCH lower. The energy is starting to come. I was pretty lethargic until a couple days ago, then I started feeling back to normal, and maybe a little more energetic.

[sham]

Re: Plateaued already??

Just hang in there take it slowly a day at a time your body will lose again.

[chinadoll]

Re: Plateaued already??

Indie, you do not need the ketostix, so don't sweat it. If you are less hungry, and your urine smells funky and you have a not so nice taste in your mouth you are in ketosis.

[IndyRoadie]

Re: Plateaued already??

Been awhile, so I thought I would update.

Total weight loss so far: 40lbs!

Been kinda rough lately, as I lost my job. NOT easy to eat low carb AND cheap, but I am trying.

I need to spend more time on this site! Take care.

[Elizellen]

Re: Plateaued already??

Good to hear you are losing now

Congratulations on those 40 pounds gone!!

[mizski]

Re: Plateaued already??

Congrats on the 40#s! Yaay!

Been kinda rough lately, as I lost my job. NOT easy to eat low carb AND cheap, but I am trying.

Sorry about your job loss. Both Mr. Ski and I have gone through that and it stinks.

It is still possible to eat well on a budget.

• Check out the sale flyers that come out each week and look for veggie and meat/poultry/fish sales.
• Also, our local groceries have a reduced-price produce rack where they put the produce that is no longer perfect or a little older. It is similar to the "day old" bread rack only for veggies. I can usually pick up 6 cubanelle (Italian sweet) peppers or red bell peppers for $.99 and I chop them up and freeze them in baggies. They usually have 6-8 zucchinis/yellow squashes or boxes of grape tomatoes and other veggies for cheapo too.
• Check out the produce department for lower priced veggies. Cabbage is usually cheap and there are often broccoli (the crowns are a better buy than the big stalk regular broccoli) or cauliflower sales.
• Buy meat/poultry when it is on sale. Chicken is often on sale especially the thighs/leg. Pork chops are on sale a lot too.
• Compare the pricing of regular packages with those bigger family packs. A lot of times you can get a big tray for a great price...pack up the chicken, chops, beef, whatever in individual servings and freeze.
• Check out the meat section for "Manager's specials" which are meats/poultry that go out of date that day or the next. Those have a big markdown...either eat them that day or pack & freeze for another time.
• Learn when your grocery store marks down produce & meats. Here it seems to be late Thursday or Friday morning as the new flyer starts Friday.
• Check out Linda's Low Carb recipes for ideas on how to make affordable home-cooked meals.

Spending more time on ADBB will give you lots of ideas and support.

p.s. Maybe it's time to change your status from 14-day Induction?

[Juniper]

Re: Plateaued already??

Jim, that's soooo normal. Not to worry! That happens to me all the time. That's why I just keep my head up, keep going and ignore the scale. I pay more attention to how my clothes feel and how I feel. Weigh every two weeks, in my opinion. I've been on Induction 4 days now and have not lost ONE pound, according to the scale (in fact this morning, I was 2 lbs heavier! But I know that's not true. Your body will respond in it's own way, in it's own time. I's a way of life, after all .