Just a thought

[easttexasdaisy]

I have been struggling with a stall for awhile now but I feel like part of the problem is I am trying to analyze everything. I am not interested in doing any type of fast to get things moving again, but was actually thinking of moving into maintance for awhile. Finish the Owl ladder, up my carbs and just hang in there with exercise and see if not counting everything might actually move things along. I want to eventually lose one more size, but really feel so much better were I am now that if I never get down that one more size it won't make any difference. I do feel this is a healthy size for me, or at least a lot healthier than were i was.
Guess I'm just curious if anyone else entered maintaince from a long stall? Like i said i feel great about the size I am at. it is so much better than where I was before. I know I am getting discouraged because of lack of loss, so I think I would be happier just maintaining and adding more fruit, whole grain breads and a few root veggies back in. I do wear a size 12 with a 32 inch waist and 5'7". I carry a lot of muscle so i feel that a size 10 is a more realistic goal than a weight goal.
Thanks for your opinions.

[2big4mysize]

It looks like you have done a fantastic job working your Atkins to become the healthier smaller person you are todsy.

if you can chek your body fat % and see if that too isn't already in a healthy place. many of us are fixated on a number form a chart and forget about all the leanbody mass whe created when we wewrer at our largest and bto carry our lare bodie around with and then added even more muscle tissue eating Atkins and working out that we are actuaklly smaller size at the weightr on the way down then we were on the way up. I know I was really stuggling to get those last 4 pounds off and was contemplating just calling it goal if my body fat was under 20 when I did the math and realized based on my dunk take lean body mass I was under 15% body fat and below normal for jocks so I posted my deconstruction complet pics and anounced I was a gaolie. back calculating the numbers i was a goalie back in Dec 2003 and didn't know it LOL

yep many have declared victory and then found themselves even lighter as they continue to work out.

Happy low carbing and congrats you big loser

[easttexasdaisy]

Well I could stand to lose a little more in my arms and chest (which i figure may or may not happen, but a lot of the weight is there). And just tired of making myself crazy. I truly thought about trying somethingelse and looked into it, but the only thing that looks promising would be some sort of fast and I just really don't feel that is healthy. The veggies, fruits, whole grains, (an occaional carrot or sweet potato which is something I really want to add back in) all of these in maintance look a lot better than what i was eating prior to Atkins. I don't know that i have access to a dunk tank and really my general practioner is just happy with my loss so far because I am so much healthier now than I was before. He is an older doctor though and told me I would probably still have a good sized number on the scales and be a good size for me due to muscle mass. He told me the most important thing was to eat healthy and believes in low carb/better carbs. Told me white bread is just useless. Wish they would pull it from the market.... etc. At least he is supportive. He has in the past told me it would really be best for me to lose some weight, but this time told me if I lose a little more that is great, if not then that is fine too. He thinks I'm healthy, just wants me to eat well and come see him I am sick not concerned about losing another inch or two in my waist..... He did say keep grains to a minimum, eat protein, veggies and fruits mainly and stay away from transfats...... So I think I'll be joining ya'll here in about a month. Going to do the grains and root veggies rungs.

[cmcole]

I figured out that I entered Maintenance more by accident than on purpose - just because it seemed more apt to say I had attained the size I wanted (even though I could afford some toning), than to say I had stalled for that many months.

So, now I've published a photo that was taken yesterday at work - and I'm not loving what I see. Can I blame it on the camera angle or something? I'm not sure.

I'm still happy with the size I am. I still know I have some toning to continue working on (and I have been working). But that doesn't alter the photo, and I think I look chubby all over again. Bummer. I really didn't need that ego buster at this moment.

I hope you can sort out your own emotions and continue to persevere with this lifestyle. It is grand. It works. It is an avenue to health. Now, I have to get myself to get my head around that just now, too.

[ttdriver]

Congratulations on your terrific success!

Going on maintenance sounds like a good idea to me. I would also suggest you try limiting calories .. I know for alot of low-carbers, counting calories seems unnecessary, but truth be told, it does work!!

You can use www.fitday.com to enter all the foods you eat and it will calculate your calories for you. If you're not sure how many calories you should be eating, visit www.countcarbs.com, use their tools link and it will compute your basal metabolic rate (the number of calories your body needs just to perform its basic functions) and also your active metabolic rate (the calories you need with your exercise, lifestyle, activities factored in). I know I was amazed at how low my BMR was (1100 calories), but then I factored in the running I do and my AMR was something like 2500 calories!!) Anyway, its worth a shot to monitor your calories for a while and see if makes a difference for you!!

I think you look awesome, though!! Again, congratulations on the fabulous job!!

:hug

Betty

[easttexasdaisy]

Thanks everyone. I understand about the picture thing. I feel Ic an see my flaws as well, but I think a little toning will improve that greatly. And yes I have looked at calories, IK have lowered them, upped them , lowered them even more and upped them even more and nothing to speak of, I will fluctuate 5 pounds or so but it always just varies even on the weeks down or up. Have played with 20 carbs difference as well, and no long term difference. That is why I think my body just like this size....
So I'll be moving here full time very soon. Going to add everything in and watch for problems. If I have a loss here or there that will be great ut going to just be happy here.

[2big4mysize]

Good for you I know untill I saw the pics from my nephews baptism i didn't realize how small I had gotten as my fat goggles were welded on my face. Don't let the scale numbers nor the published charts tell you were your weight should be. on the BMI I am overweight but from my dunk take results I have 14.9 % body fat and am lower then I should be. on the height weight charts I'm over weight on the site Becky Sur gave us a link to from De Koop I'm underweight too. Since you and your doc think you are heathy and you are doing all things Atkins correct climb the ladder and hoiist the goalie flag on your house of Atkins when you finisah added those last Premaintneance shingles.

[artgirl7]

Congrats on your loss, you look great!

Keep in mind that the more you exercise and use your weights, you will tone up. I personally still have lots of toning to do, even as a size 4 in my legs and thigh area. There are certain exercises that can help in your tough-to-lose areas. If you need any suggestions or thoughts on this, PM me, I am more than glad to share!

EDIT

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