Completely Frustrated

[valcan]

Hi,

My name is Val, I am 43 years old and I am stuck!

On June 9, 2007 I weighed in at 275 lbs. I am 5'3". I started the KK
diet and in six months I lost 75 lbs. My hair started to fall out and
the KK fraud was exposed. I left KK the first week of October, 2007.
I have spent the last nine months since then jumping from diet to
diet, trying to find a way to shed another 60 lbs. During the last
nine months I have kept my carbs under 20 except for a few high carb
days (a week at Christmas, a week at Easter and two separate days in
June). I have played around with fat and protein levels. I have tried:
Somersize
Groves
Fat fast
Zero carb
Cycling between high fat and low fat
Cycling between high calorie and low calorie (but kept my fat % high)
Upping my protein and fat and eating higher calories

Nothing seems to work. During the last nine months, I have lost 25
lbs but I have yo-yoed a lot. A lose 2 lbs, gain three, lose 4, gain
2. I am all over the map. I lost about 16 of that 25 lbs on spurts
of fat fast that I have done periodically during the past nine months.
At my one year weight loss anniversary I lost 100 lbs.

About a month ago I cut out artificial sweetener, caffeine and dairy. I
decided to try zero carb, only fatty meat and water.
In two weeks I gained 5 lbs. How is it possible for be
to gain weight when I have been eating zero carb? My understanding is
that the body will not release insulin in there are no carbs and the
only way to store fat is with insulin. Here is an example of what I
ate on zero carb:
B - Fried ground beef, 8 oz
L - 3 chicken thighs cooked in chicken fat
D - Prime rib steak fried in beef tallow

I exercise daily at home and once a week with a trainer. We work on
both cardio and strength. I am also experimenting with high intensity
interval training (HIIT).

Where am I going wrong? Do I need to take
carbs up to 30? Before zero carbing, I was eating between 15 - 20
carbs a day and mostly at one time (i.e. I would have a large Greek
Salad with dinner but no veggies or carbs for breakfast and lunch
besides the carbs found in eggs or cream). Nuts make me gain. I
thought cheese also made me stall but I have cut it our entirely for
almost two weeks and I gained weight. Did I do permanent damage to my
body from KK? I would think that after nine months of keeping fat
high and carbs low, I would start to see improvement by now. I am so
discouraged. Am I stuck at a set point that requires drastic measures
to get past?

I have done Atkins before and would like to start again but I am unsure of where to start. I stopped losing at induction levels so that is why I dropped to zero carb. I hoped to start losing again and then add in carbs each week to find my CCL. Gaining weight on zero carb really threw me for a loop. I am back to eating induction and I have not gained or lost any weight.

Should I consider doing another fat fast? I am so sick of them that I dread the thought of having to do another one. It has been nine months since I have seen any steady, weight loss.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Val

[murphy'smom]

Re: Completely Frustrated

Well, I am no expert but I would suggest doing Atkins by the book. You need more veggie carbs, not zero carbs. Read the book, start with a clean 2 week induction and move up the OWL rungs and you will have lifelong success and weight loss, not to mention your health. Please, don't forget your health in your mission to lose weight. My best wishes and good luck to you.

[sugarsack]

Re: Completely Frustrated

i agree you need to add the salad greens... read all you can on atkins here and even at the atkins web site if you dont have the book ...

[eclectikat]

Re: Completely Frustrated

Hey there. I am so glad you found this forum... YOU have literally been putting your body through dieting ****... The beauty of Atkins is KETOSIS... ie getting your body to use your fat as energy and the process of burning fat causes ketones to be released through your blood breath and urine... so there is a measureable way to tell you are BURNING FAT. It is the brilliance of this way of life. you can remain in ketosis with a measured amount of carbs and when you reach your goal you have to find what the amount of carb intake will be for you to maintain that goal weight. IT IS pure science and verified by the dozens of success stories you will read here.
THis forum is the best place to spend your spare time to learn how to do this plan and the best way to STICK with it.
GET THE BOOK.
Read some other posts... there is a particular edition this site goes by, I don't have it but I have another version and have still had success...
Do it by the book as the other responses have said
DON"T try and alter the plan... do it to the tee and give it some time. BEcause your body has no clue what is next... you might be frustrated initially because it is prepared to wage war with you, to keep the fat at all costs. BUT if you stay true to this plan you will preservere and YOU WILL SEE RESULTS.
I am now at 51lbs down since late april... and to be honest it has not been that difficult.
IT is a mental decision, and you have to make the desicion to adopt this plan as a way of life, not just a quick fix or another diet, if you treat it like another diet.. you will lose because it is pure science but once you go off the"diet" you will gain... again it is pure science.
YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Congrats on the weightloss so far!

GOOD LUCK and keep us posted.
We are here if you need us.
Kathy

[ValidRouge]

Re: Completely Frustrated

Hi, Valcan.

I, too, have found myself plateaued for over a year now. I gain and lose and gain and lose too.

This is just my two cents, take it as you will. It appears to me that in your desire to lose weight and lose it fast like you did at the beginning of your low carb weight loss, you are yo-yo dieting all over the place. Your poor body just doesn't know whether it's coming or going. I would suggest that you carefully read the plans and decide which one of them you can live with for the rest of your life. Pick one that is going to offer you the best health in return for modest (if any) weight loss. Pick one that is going to fit into your lifestyle the best.

The reality is, you've lost a LOT of weight and look really good!! Congratulations. I know, I know, I know you want to lose more weight. I do too. Desperately. But, not desperately enough that I'm willing to monkey with my metabolism any more than I've done all my life already. I might have to accept that this weight is the weight that my body wants to be at. I still look damn good...and you do too!

Focus on exercise and health, and the weight loss will happen or it won't. But this bouncing all over the place simply cannot be good for your body.

Now, that's just my two cents.

[SouthBayDreamer]

Re: Completely Frustrated

I don't know how often you are eating your meals, but I can tell you that I am becoming a true believer in the the six-hour rule ("don't go more than 6 waking hours without eating")

I've been keeping a close eye on my eating habits, and am finding that the days that when I stick to this rule I'm losing. And when I don't, I stall.

Hang in there!

P.S. I've been keeping a food log, too. It's amazing how helpful it is to do that. You can really see the correlation between the eating/drinking habits and the weight loss or stalls.

[gman]

Re: Completely Frustrated

Val-
Congrats on your success and in joining the ADBB.
I agree with all of the above posts. I'll add these two points:
>On the getting stuck issue, there can be many reasons ... so you need to do some problem solving at that point, i.e. it is a process. Re-read the book, read postings, and put out new postings like you just did. Reflect on what you are doing and objectively analyze all the input you are getting. I have often figured out things with the help of the book, postings and analysis (examples: I was drinking regular coffee - so I dropped it; I was not careful counting carbs, fats and proteins - so I started using fitday.com; I was eating off the second list of veggies in Induction, so I stopped that; I was not getting enough exercise, so with the help of the Challenges I have stepped that up; etc....)
> Also, while you can be 'stuck at a weight,' you can still be losing sizes per measurements, getting toned up, looking healthier, sleeping better, having more energy.... All pretty good benefits on your journey.
You'll get there.
Glenn

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Completely Frustrated

You need to stop in your tracks and take a deep breath! You have been putting your poor body through torture for some time. You have a mutiny on your hands. My head is spinning and I just read the list of diets you have tried.

You may have done your metabolism damage by doing KK (Kimkins/Kimmer?) and then with the fat fasts and the all meat diets. It's time to settle down to a way of life that you can live with. You are stressing your body out by changing the rules all the time. It's time to chill out and take one day at the time.

If you believe that Atkins is the way to go, then sit down with the book and map out your first two weeks. Don't deviate at all. If the number on the scale causes stress, don't weigh for the 14 days of induction. After 14 days of doing induction by the book, weigh to see how much weight you have lost. Since you have already lost a tremendous amount, you can't expect to see a big amount on the scale. It will give you some idea if you have a true metabolic disorder. Make sure you are taking in a reasonable number of calories.

You should measure, as well. With your heavy-duty exercise, you should be losing inches.

There is fallacy in your thinking in the following from your post:

I decided to try zero carb, only fatty meat and water.
In two weeks I gained 5 lbs. How is it possible for be
to gain weight when I have been eating zero carb? My understanding is
that the body will not release insulin in there are no carbs and the
only way to store fat is with insulin. Here is an example of what I
ate on zero carb:
B - Fried ground beef, 8 oz
L - 3 chicken thighs cooked in chicken fat
D - Prime rib steak fried in beef tallow

Too much protein is indeed turned into glucose by the body. Dr. Atkins said that 58% of protein will become convertible to glucose, while only 10% of fat will be converted to glucose (paraphrased). So you see, you took in a lot of protein which can be turned into glucose and you took in a lot of calories. I don't care what you eat--if you take in way too many calories, you will gain weight.

You have done extremely well and I think you will continue to do well if you settle down to one diet and keep at it diligently. Come here often and post to stay accountable. Maybe you would like to join the Century Club where there are several of us that have taken off 100 pounds or more and many members that want to lose that much. We have a unique situation and it helps to be among people with the same struggles and successes.

Sunny!

[Clarasassycat]

Re: Completely Frustrated

Gongrats on the weight loss so far!!
Everyone here has given you great advice! You do need to get in some carbs with veggies though.
2 key points I have noticed with myself and my loss pattern....
If I get in a hurry and miss veggies....I dont lose and I feel like crap. Honestly, you need that little bit of carbs...don't forgo them totally.
Water..this is a BIGGIE! If I dont get in at least 64 oz of water, I tend to gain back a pound or 2. This is always the case...so I make sure I drink water, water, and more water!
Just thought I would add those 2 things in to what was already said. Good luck, you can do it! We are all here for support and this is a great bunch of folks

[chinadoll]

Re: Completely Frustrated

I second the advice you have heard from the others. One last note-- if you were ingesting all your carbs in one meal as you say, you are still giving your body a carb rush that will mess with your blood sugar levels. You should try to sace them out through the day so your blood sugar remains steady. Also, to rebuild your metabolism you should eat small mini meals five to six times a day. It will help your body to trust that it will be fed instead of wondering what you are going to do next.

Don't expect to see quick results on any plan you choose at this point. I think you have to let your body settle down before it is going to let go of those pounds for you. As the others said choose something and make your goal to follow it closely as you can for (I would say) three months and DON'T get nuts about the scale. It may even get worse before your body gets better.

A quick loss isn't worth your health or your long term success.

[IrishIrish]

Re: Completely Frustrated

Try Atkins and do it the way it is prescribed by DANDR. Follow the Acceptable Food List and don't deviate by taking shortcuts. You may need some time with the alternative food plans you have tried and what they may have done to metabolism. Drink water, eat your veggies and protein and keep track of what you are eating. There is no magic bullet here ... it is pure science prescribed by Dr. Atkins and if you don't follow it like he wrote it, it may not work regardless of how deperate you are for it to do so.

[valcan]

Re: Completely Frustrated

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the advice. For the last two weeks I have been following Atkins Induction by the book. I have spread out my carbs (veggies) and have continued to limit cheese and cream and have eliminated caffeine and AS. The scale still does not move. Should I stay on induction until I start losing? Should I drop carbs to 15 or 10 until I start losing and then try to go up a rung? Should I go up one rung right now to 25 g to see if that helps? Even with all the tweaking I have tried, I feel that for the last nine months I have followed Atkins Induction for about 80% of that time. When I don't see results after a couple of months, I start playing around with what I eat but eventually go back to Atkins Induction when the tweaking does not work. I love eating on Atkins Induction but I just don't seem to lose on Induction so I never seem to get to a point to try to go up a rung to find my CCL (I have tried going down and that does not work either).

I am committing to Atkins for the next few months without any tweaking to see what happens. For now I will stick with the Induction level of carbs unless someone else has a better suggestion. I have already started to spread out my carbs and cut down on my protein intake. I do not eat processed or frankenfood so that is not problem. I render my own animal fat (pork, chicken and beef) to use to cook with instead of oil. Cheats are very few and fair between because too many carbs makes me sick and gassy (so not worth it). I drink lots of water and I exercise (both strength and cardio). Mini meals is something I have not done on a regular basis and may be something I need to give a try.

Again, thanks for all the advice. Bottom line, I am in such a better place than I was a year ago. LC is a WOL for me, not a diet so I just need to be patient.

Val

[losetocruise]

Re: Completely Frustrated

WOW! I have to agree with all the above posts, Jill (China Doll) made an important comment about notgetting all your carbs in one sitting.

But you have made fantastic progress in osing so much, no matter how you did it and your serious attempts at various plans show that you have a strong mindset to lose. As Sunny said, it is time to rest your body and take the stress out with one simple plan.

I find when I am dieting, (this has been true on other plans too, but especially so with Atkins), I eat healthier overall. I think it is because I am so aware of everything that goes in my mouth. Careful veggie selections, no sugars, etc. But really radical plans, take that healthy option away form you.

I hope Atkins works for you and from the many replies you have already received, I'm sure you see that this board is supportive and will help you any way we can!

[OzLover]

Re: Completely Frustrated

You may not be losing as your body/metabolism needs to figure out what is going on. Definately don't cut back on your carbs, keep exercising, drink your H20 & just be patient. Take your measurements & keep track of loss that way. Since being on Induction how are you feeling? I think right now patience is the key.

How much more weight do you want to lose & how tall are you? Congrats on your incredible loss thus far!!

[murphy'smom]

Re: Completely Frustrated

Good for you!! I am glad you are going to give it a good try. I wouldn't cut anymore carbs, maybe even try OWL rung 1, its just 5 more veggie carbs. I agree with everyone, if you give your body a chance it will settle down. I have heard some scarry things about KK. I am sorry that happened to you, but you have lost a lot of weight. You should be proud of that, don't forget all that you have done already. You are still a lot thinner then you were a year ago. It will happen for you!! I am jealous of your zeal for working out, that is something I struggle with. If you work out a lot, the scale may not move but the inches will. Have you taken any measurements? Do you know your Body Fat Percentage? Personally, I would rather be a toned 145, than a flabby 135. Muscle weighs more than fat, but looks so much better. Please, keep us updated.