Frustrated

[Atomicblonde]

I Wish to GOD i knew what i was doing wrong!!

I've posted my menus numerous times and everything "looks great"
I walk every night for at least 3 miles.
I drink almost a gallon of water a day.

And since starting in August, ive only lost 10 pounds.
THATS IT!

Im getting frustrated because of all the sacrificing ive done, it sure hasnt paid off. and this way of eating ( i dont care what anyone says) IS more expensive than just eating whatever.

I need some encouragement or something

[not2late]

Re: Frustrated

At the end of your first 14 days did you look at the chart in Chapter 13 to figure out your degree of metabolic resistance to weight loss? If so, what was it? That number is very important because it gives you an idea of your weight loss speed.

The other thing too is if you've been on Induction for this period of time, you might want to consider moving to OWL. For some people, OWL with its controlled addition of carbs kick-starts their weight loss.

[cleochatra]

Re: Frustrated

{{{Atomic}}} Some people lose realllllly slow. We have an administrator who only lost 60 pounds in a year.

Whether you do Atkins or another diet plan, you're going to lose as slowly. The question is: do you want to be hungry, or do you want to feel satisfied?

I know I can't EVER do a low-cal, low-fat diet again. I was miserable. It was something I couldn't do for the rest of my life! This is. And the time it takes to lose this weight will remind us why it's all the more important to keep it off for good.

You'll get there!

[bizzlekitty]

Re: Frustrated

I'm a very slow loser and feel your frustration. I have gone 8-12 week periods without losing anything. I do have health issues that slow my weight loss, so you might want to read DANDR about issues that could slow your weight loss and see about having things checked out. Also take your measurements, it's very likely you are losing inches, which doesn't constitute a stall.

Most commonly, thyroid issues and PCOS can make weight loss slow. Yeast (Candida) can as well. Check the forums here for more info on all of these.

Tweaking with what you eat (various rungs of OWL) may stir things up a bit too. I found I stalled on extended induction, but did better once I added more veggies and some nuts and berries.

I've done all of the above and still may lose only 1-2 lbs a month, if that. Last month I lost about 3-4, but nothing since then (also TOM now which changes things).

But I also look on the bright side of things.... losing slower means I'm more likely to keep it off and my skin adjusts better. I am also in control of what I eat and feeling better for it. I'm in this for life, and if it takes me a few years to lose the weight, that's ok, because it sure took me many years to gain it.

Keep at it and maybe have your thyroid checked etc. How much did you lose on induction?

[Atomicblonde]

Re: Frustrated

Thanks everyone. I will look into all the things you've posted here. My total induction loss was 10lbs.

[not2late]

Re: Frustrated

Thanks everyone. I will look into all the things you've posted here. My total induction loss was 10lbs.

It's the results from the first 14 days that matter in regards to your degree of metabolic resistance to weight loss. So if you can remember what that number on Day 14 was, you'll be able to figure it out.

[jsj0305]

Re: Frustrated

I want you to know I'm here for ya Babe!! Hang in there. I lost fast the first go round, and the second, now it's S>>>L>>>O>>>W!!! I have noticed though that since I'm losing slower, my body is ajusting well to the loss...aka my skin is INTACT! I walk 3 miles also and it does wonders. Keep up the great work!!! I know you can do it!!

[Atomicblonde]

Re: Frustrated

My total induction loss was 4lbs.

[iyamamaschke]

Re: Frustrated

I had the same thing Happen that you ahve had happen I lost 12 pounds in my first 2 weeks then NOTHING nada Zilch for let me tell you 6 weeks I lost nothing. I feel your frusturation and it's sooo hard to get past the little weight loss stoppage you are having but, there is an explanation for it Please let me post some information for you to help you feel good about your loss. Cause you are doing Fantastic.

This article is great for two reasons: 1) it provides the best explanation ever of what happens when we burn fat but aren't losing weight and/or going down in size, and 2) it provides the best reasoning ever for getting off the scales.


From http://stores.yahoo.com/carbsmart/outout.html

By Sonya Tilley

How the **** does your body hold onto weight and still manage to get smaller
while you are on your chosen low carb diet?!? You know the scenario: You are on
Induction for two weeks, and you haven't cheated even once. You notice that
your clothes fit better, that you are stepping a little livelier, and as far as
you're concerned, all's right with the world.

But then you step on that evil construction of the Devil himself, the bathroom
scale, and you instantly feel betrayed. The stupid thing insists that you have
done nothing! Sometimes, it even states you have done less than nothing; it
accuses you of cheating because it tells that you haven't lost any weight!
Well, there area couple of simple explanations to help you get through this
trying time.

First of all, if it is at all possible for you to do so, throw that insipid
Monster Scale in the trash. Or at least put it up somewhere that it is really,
REALLY inconvenient to get to so that you won't be tempted to ask it's opinion
every single day of your life. Face it. If you are feeling better and your
clothes are looser, do you really need the scale to tell you that you're on the
right track? No! You don't! Why do you think you do it, then? I'll tell you
why. The low fat diet demons have a tenacious hold on your brain. That's right,
you've been brainwashed. All your life they have told you through doctors,
dietitians, newspaper and magazine articles, surgeon generals and the like,
that you give up X calories per day and you will lose a pound of fat. They even
go on to tell you how much fat you should lose each week. In the process,
they've made you dependent on the Monster Scale to gauge your progress!

What a big lie!

Even on the diets that "they" advocate, the Monster Scale does not often
cooperate. You go back to the Diet Demons and demand to know why the scale does
not reflect the torture you have put yourself through for a month. They
immediately start backpedaling on the "give up X calories and lose a pound of
fat" story, and start talking to you about water retention and muscle buildup.
Sometimes, they even blame it on you with questions like, "Are you sure you
counted the calories in everything you ate?" (This is delivered with a knowing
little smile that makes you want to rip their knowing little face off.) Being
the type that is given to blaming things on yourself, anyway, you cooperate
with an answer like, "Well….." They pounce on this with "Ahhhh, well.." Then,
they launch into one of their scoldings/lash/encouragement speeches.

So, get off their bandwagon, already!

Then, there's the competitive spirit. You hear about what other people have
done on your chosen diet. Yes, Brian went on Atkins a year ago and lost over a
hundred pounds. Yes, a hundred pounds in a year is over eight pounds a month,
or 2 pounds a week, or .0119 pounds per hour….but, "Hello? You ain't Brian!"
And, did Brian ever say that he lost .0119 pounds per hour? No! He said a
hundred pounds in a year. This only proves he got on the scale twice; a year
ago, and yesterday. Take a hint from Brian. Stay off the scale!

The second solution is to understand what is going on in your body in light of
the current state of human affairs. Today, all a person has to have to eat
every day is money and transportation to a grocery store or, better yet, a nice
restaurant. However, your body's survival instincts have not matured in a
million years. Your body still thinks you are a hunter-gatherer. Yes, in spite
of a million years of evolution, your body still thinks you are going to have
to go out and kill a mammoth to eat. The survival instincts with which you are
going to have to come to terms are read-only memory. You can't overwrite them.
Deal with it.

That said, let me tell you what happens when you lose a pound of fat. Your body
has been saving this fat for that long hunting expedition you're going to have
to go on to track, kill, dress and retrieve that huge animal. It keeps the fat
in little pillows distributed throughout your body. When you start losing fat,
it doesn't trust you to continue whatever insane path you have chosen that is
causing the fat to dissipate. So, when the fat comes out of the pillow, it
injects water as a "place holder." Sometimes that water actually replaces the
weight of the fat it lost. Sometimes it replaces the volume.

Water weighs more than fat just like lead sinkers weigh more than feathers. If
you stuff a pillow with a pound of feathers, you'll have a nice big pillow. If
you stuff a pillow with a pound of lead sinkers, you'll have a nice (but rather
hard and uncomfortable), small pillow. Now, let's say your body removes a pound
of fat and replaces the weight with a pound of water. Your weight will stay the
same, but you will be smaller. But, if your body decides to replace the lost
fat by volume, that is a quite different story. Remember the great big feather
pillow as compared to the tiny lead sinker pillow? Well, now think of a gallon
of feathers and a gallon of lead sinkers. Try to pick up the gallon of
feathers. Piece of (you'll pardon the expression) cake. Now, try to pick up the
gallon of lead sinkers. Sucker's heavy, ain't it? So, you will be smaller, but
you will have gained weight.

Eventually, your body makes the executive decision that you are not going to
replace the fat you lost, and it lets go of the water. In the words of Danny
Skaist: "When your body accepts the fact that they are no longer needed, the
water will be expelled and the cells closed. This is known as the "whoosh."

What makes your body decide to replace by weight or replace by volume? I dunno.
But I do know that it does not seem consistent to the casual observer. What
makes your body decide that you are seriously not going to replace the fat you
lost? I dunno. But now you know why it's so important to drink your water, huh?
Loss of fat is inextricably related to water intake. It's more than a little
foolish to go on a diet that facilitates the removal of fat and then refuse to
give your body the tools it needs to do so.

Bottom Line: Stop getting on the scale and drink your water. If you stick to
your plan and wait for the "whoosh," it will come.

Please Know that this is a normal thing that happens to just about everyone the term used for this lack of weight loss in week 3-6 around there is called Post induction Stall Syndrome. I went through it and I have still lost 87 pounds in 11 months so you can too.

Sarah

[LyssaRene]

Re: Frustrated

Don't beat yourself up!

First, your start date shows August 30th. So, you have been on the diet a month (Sept)and lost 10lbs? That is great!!!

You figure a 2 week loss in induction then 2 weeks even or so in the post induction stall. You are doing great, don't get frustrated! Think about your expectations on how much you want/expect/can lose in 30 days. A month and 10lbs is a great loss.