Day 5, and nothing

[michmike]

I am on day 5 today, and I just weighed myself and I weigh exactly the same as I did 5 days ago. What could I be doing wrong?

yesterday I ate:

4 eggs scrambled for breakfast

6oz steak and side of spinach for lunch

6oz steak & sauteed mushrooms with a side salad of lettuce, onion, and cheese w/ranch dressing for dinner

throughout the day I snack on cheese, I had 6 slices at 1 carb each.

And according to my Fitday food journal I have not exceeded 20 carbs each day.

I do drink tons of water everyday - from a 32oz cup - I probably have at least 5-6 cups.

I have not cheated on the diet, even tho I have really wanted to

So any ideas?

[Georgiana]

Re: Day 5, and nothing

Are you eating three cups of vegetables, with at most one coming from the "Other Vegetables" list? And are the majority of your net carbs coming from veggies?

Cheese is limited to 3-4 oz. What cheese are you eating that has 1 carb per slice? American cheese? Check the list of ingredients and you'll probably see that it has whey, which makes it "legal" only from OWL Rung 2 on.

Are you exercising? Did you follow any diet right before starting Atkins? Are you on any medication?

[michmike]

Re: Day 5, and nothing

well I have been snacking on colby jack slices of cheese, which the package says only has 1 carb each, but if this is what I need to cut out of my diet I will.

I am eating the vegetables as instructed.

I am not taking medication.

I wasn't doing any dieting right before this one.

I am not doing much in the way of exercise, but will start.

[Georgiana]

Re: Day 5, and nothing

Colby Jack should be fine. Just stick to not more than 3-4 oz per day.

It's not very common to lose no weight in 5 days, but I wouldn't worry about it. In general, it takes 2-4 days just to get into ketosis. If you follow the plan correctly, you should lose weight by the end of your 14-day Induction. You might want to weigh only on day 15. Saves the headache.

[dacocad]

Re: Day 5, and nothing

I can't help you on the menu/diet, I'm still learning too, but on the weighing thing try not to weigh but every 2 weeks or so, as much as your weight fluctuates from day to day its dissapointing when you weigh on a bad day and the scale doesn't move, so disappointing I've quit dieting before cause of it, but I'm certain if you stay on the diet you'll loose some lbs.
I finshed my first week yesterday, but do not planning on getting on the scale till I finished 2 weeks.

[michmike]

Re: Day 5, and nothing

Thanks to you both for the encouragement. I really should know better then to jump on the scale so soon, but when you read that people have shed pounds in just a couple of days it is just so tempting. But I am not giving up on the diet, but I am giving up on the weighing myself until I hit the 2 week mark.

[chinadoll]

Re: Day 5, and nothing

Its probably water, I also find that I weigh a few pounds heavy the day after I eat beef for even one meal. For some reason it happens although I have no idea why. Try a couple of days of tuna and chicken for lunch and see if that helps.

[amazon1]

Re: Day 5, and nothing

I've just finished week 1. I've been weighing myself everyday. 2 days ago, down 1/2 pound. Yesterday, back up the 1/2 pound. Today same as yesterday. It's pretty depressing. I've been drinking diet soda. Otherwise I've been very strict and somehow haven't been able to get my carbs up past about 10 a day. I cut out grains, dairy, sugar and potatoes about 20 years ago but now I've cut out a lot more and I know I'm in ketosis. I also am only about 20 lbs above where I want to be, so could 1 pound per week be normal for me?

[steffi44]

Re: Day 5, and nothing

Did you check the carbs in the ranch dressing?

[chinadoll]

Re: Day 5, and nothing

amazon, it sounds like you are not getting enough veggies. I know it sounds crazy but you need the veggie fiber and carbs. It will actually help your loss. You haven't read the book, I expect, so if you can get a copy I advise reading it. It explains a lot and will prevent you from doing things that "seem" right but are actually holding you back.

michmike, hang in there. I am 5 days in and only down a pound. It will work if you stay true.

[michmike]

Re: Day 5, and nothing

steffi44 I am actually using the south beach living ranch by kraft, which had less carbs in it per serving then the regular ranch did. But thanks

Well I am staying on the diet, and not giving up. I do know that I feel like I am skinnier, and my clothes feel better on and today is day 6!

[amazon1]

Re: Day 5, and nothing

I'm not sure why everyone is assuming I didn't read the book but I actually did. Not every word but I have the book and have read most of the relevant stuff. A few days ago I started eating broccoli, tomatoes, a few pickles (I know not that great for you but I think acceptable) along with my lettuce - which isn't iceberg - it's a blend of good lettuces - green and purple. I've been keeping to 1 cup of the non-salad vegetable, just like the book says.

What happened your other time(s) on Atkin's? Just so we'll know the perils. Did you totally fall off the wagon or did the pounds just creep back?

[chinadoll]

Re: Day 5, and nothing

Hi amazon, I ask because the 2002 version advocates around 20 carbs with more than half coming from your veggies, and you veggie count looked a bit low. Glad you are eating more now.

As for myself and my re-induction, I have kept off about 60-65 pounds for five years but then lose the focus and bob up and down the same 15 pounds, still low carbing but sloppily so.

This spring I got serious again and lost 17 and got down to my most recent low, then blew when some thing in my life just got crazy and gained 10 back. Now I am back in focus and determined to do this right for as long as I can. I know that when I stick to the plan, as stated in the book (my one vice is still a morning coffee though, I admit it) I lose. When I stray, even a little, my losses slow to a cccrrrraaaawwwwwllllll.

[amazon1]

Re: Day 5, and nothing

It doesn't say 10 net carbs of vegetables. It says 1 cup of higher carb veggies and 2 cups of salad vegetables as to my reading. I'm coming out with way less than 20 net carbs a day. I don't eat dairy. 1 cup of broccoli or one cup of tomatoes has about 5 net carbs. I've been eating lettuce for the otherr 2 cups but I don't think the other ones on the list have a lot more carbs.

I would like to get down to where I was about 5 years ago, which is pretty slim, if I can do that, and then go back to my pretty low-carb life but eating as much fruit and vegetables as I want. I always thought I didn't really eat enough fruit and veggies. But in my heart of hearts I question that you can really gain weight by eating a lot of fruit and veggies unless Atkins messes you up somehow. Almost everyone thinks that calories are really what counts in the end. I don't eat grains (pasta, bread, etc.), potatoes, sugar, or dairy. Almost no processed food. Do you think you'd gain weight back on this diet?

[Georgiana]

Re: Day 5, and nothing

It doesn't say 10 net carbs of vegetables. It says 1 cup of higher carb veggies and 2 cups of salad vegetables as to my reading. I'm coming out with way less than 20 net carbs a day. I don't eat dairy. 1 cup of broccoli or one cup of tomatoes has about 5 net carbs. I've been eating lettuce for the otherr 2 cups but I don't think the other ones on the list have a lot more carbs.

Other vegetables on the salad vegetables list do have more carbs. You can check the carbs in FitDay. A cup of jicama has about 5 net carbs, a cup of red pepper has about 6 net carbs... Lettuce is not very nutritious.

I would like to get down to where I was about 5 years ago, which is pretty slim, if I can do that, and then go back to my pretty low-carb life but eating as much fruit and vegetables as I want. I always thought I didn't really eat enough fruit and veggies. But in my heart of hearts I question that you can really gain weight by eating a lot of fruit and veggies unless Atkins messes you up somehow. Almost everyone thinks that calories are really what counts in the end. I don't eat grains (pasta, bread, etc.), potatoes, sugar, or dairy. Almost no processed food. Do you think you'd gain weight back on this diet?

"On this diet".... you mean, if you go off Atkins and do your own thing? Probably. I don't know what "as much fruit and vegetable as you want" means for you. On Atkins, if you go above your CCLM with the carbs, you will gain weight. On your diet, if you eat XYZ carbs (whatever that number is), you might gain weight or not. The thing is, Atkins is not an X-months diet, but a way of eating for life. If you do Atkins correctly, you don't go off Atkins, but rather progress through all the phases (Induction, OWL, Pre-Maintenance and Maintenance) and learn how to maintain your weight by the time you get to Maintenance.

If you haven't read the whole book, please do it. If you had and you still believe the Maintenance phase of Atkins is not how you want to eat for life, then my suggestion would be to look for a plan that has a Maintenance plan you would like to follow. This is important, because progressing through the weight loss phases of a good, healthy nutritional approach will teach you how to maintain your weight on that plan once you reach goal. Otherwise you will have a bunch of tools learned on one diet, which are completely useless on your maintenance plan.