Motivation

[easttexasdaisy]

I am having such a hard time staying motivated. I am eating under 30 carbs a day and rarely see a loss. Have been hovering at 187-188 for 2 weeks and not going down. Today up to 191. I just don't get it. Added berries last week, but didn't see a change then. Haven't added anything new this week. Should I drop the berries? They didn't seem to make a difference last week.

Typical day....
Breakfast 1 egg, 1 slice of cheese 3 pieces of bacon scrambled together or 1/2 cup cottage cheese

Snack: a serving of walnuts

Lunch 2 cups lettuce, garnished with tomatoes (just a few) grated cheese about a slice and a half worth and about 4 ounces of chicken or hamburger meat. (Usually stays like this so I can get in those salad veggies)

Snack: a serving of berries: 2 strawberries or 5 blackberries

Supper 2 cups of veggies (cabbage, mushrooms, onions, spinach, green beans, etc) with a serving of meat. Could be chicken, beef, or pork (about 4 to 6 ounces)

[Laurenfra]

3 things slow my loss.
1. Not enough water.
2. Not enough Exercise
3. Not enough Sleep.
Are you getting enough of these 3?

[2big4mysize]

okay I saw your post earlier in the walnuts topic and think that is your problem. Eating them just to get to your BMR level.

DId you use the BMR based on your lean body mass for an accurate assesment for your body build or did you use the general calculator based on heigh weight age and sex? the general one doesn't know if you are a fluffy mashmellow flabby 200 pounder or a rock hard muscular 10% body fat 200 pounds so it is an average general number for all types.

Don't eat foods just to get to your BMR. Follow Dr Atkins instructions and eat only enough food to satisfy your hunger at the time you are eating and stop. Period no matter how much food is on your plate, room is left empty in your belly or carbs/cals in your budget. When you get hungry eat again and stop again as soon as you feel your hunger satisfied.
When you aren't hungry do as Dr Atkins says and when you hit the 6 hrs no food eatten mark have a bit of fat with some of your carbs. You will not jump to starvation mode immeditatly. Have you ever seen a small child eat? they will go several meals even days just picking at food and then suddenly they are stuffing the food in like there are full grown. That is eating according to your hunger. Somewhere in growing up and joining the clean plate club cause kids were starving in Africa we lost the ability to feed only our hunger or to even recognize hunger cues.

If you are currently in ketosis try that change without making any other changes in your current eating for 3 weeks and see what Happens. If you are out of ketosis then dropyour carbs back to the level you were at before you added the berries and make that change and see what happens. Measure yourself too so you can see the inches of body fat melting off as your body morphs from all the lean body mass you are adding.

Happy Owling to you.

[easttexasdaisy]

The general calculator. So yes I do try to stay within 100 calories either way of the BMR they suggest. But I will allow it to drop some. When I first started I only ate when hungry and never got over 1000 calories in and stalled from that so I really try to watch it not, guess maybe too closely anymore. I am a lot lighter than I was. And yes have decreased the calories with the weight loss.

By the way
I do get 72-75 ounces of water daily and usually 1 to 2 cups of coffee
Lots of exercise
Sleep? I typically wake up after 5 or 6 hours energized and ready to face the day. Could that be a problem?

Anyway thanks for your help. Just getting discouraged. Have a birthday party to go to today as well. Pizza and cake..... Will eat some toppings off the pizza, and no cake. Just a little frustrated this morning.
Thanks again.

[2big4mysize]

since you know your Body fat% try using this one for a more accurat look at your needed cals

BMR (men and women) = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg)


Example:
You are female
You weigh 120 lbs. (54.5 kilos)
Your body fat percentage is 20% (24 lbs. fat, 96 lbs. lean)
Your lean mass is 96 lbs. (43.6 kilos)
Your BMR = 370 + (21.6 X 43.6) = 1312

[Heidi3]

I agree with Lauren 100 percent ..I get about 6 hours on a good night if I get less my weight sits still....

look at how much you have lost over the period of time you have been seriously doing this woe ...see how satisfied you are with the whole pic..that helps to motivate me!!!

good luck and hang in your food plan sounds good...

[easttexasdaisy]

Thanks for the compliment. I lost so much so quickly in the first few months and things have just slowed and when I saw a gain I was just really concerned. I will try to get some more sleep, but just so energized and have been since I started eating this way. And never really hungry, so I just know I should eat at least a certain amount and try to stay in that range. Will scale it back some.
Coming from someone who ate all the time cause I was never satisfied and someone who slept 12 to 13 hours a night and got up exhausted. I guess I should be thrilled with just overall improvement in my health, I just don't want me weight to creep back up. Want to stop that when it starts if it does. Don't want it to ever get out of hand again.
Thanks again everyone for your help.

The calculator I was using said 1670. So thanks for the smaller number. I may start alternating a snack a day either nuts or berries. I carry a lot of muscle in my legs and always have so I do think I'm a little more dense muscle wise than the calculators allow for.

[2big4mysize]

your welcome the Katch McArdel formula only uses lean body mass as that is what is burning most of the cals. I know what you mean about muscle mass in the legs.

[ex-barbie-doll]

Re: Motivation

Typical day....
Breakfast 1 egg, 1 slice of cheese 3 pieces of bacon scrambled together or 1/2 cup cottage cheese

Snack: a serving of walnuts

Lunch 2 cups lettuce, garnished with tomatoes (just a few) grated cheese about a slice and a half worth and about 4 ounces of chicken or hamburger meat. (Usually stays like this so I can get in those salad veggies)

Snack: a serving of berries: 2 strawberries or 5 blackberries

Supper 2 cups of veggies (cabbage, mushrooms, onions, spinach, green beans, etc) with a serving of meat. Could be chicken, beef, or pork (about 4 to 6 ounces)

I don't see any fat in your diet except for the bacon and cheese.... ensive

I fry my egg in butter or oil...
use blue cheese dressing on my salad,
top my cooked veggies with butter....
use heavy cream on my berries.... :nod

What do you think 2big??? not enough fat???? :wave

[easttexasdaisy]

Well,
I use pam for my eggs
Nuts have a lot of fat in them and are healthy fats.
And the meats I choose are higher fat cuts. i also try to do fish a few times a week and that is another healthy fat.
My fat percentages are usually always a little low. Pretty happy with my daily menu though. I just never have cared for mayo or salad dressing so I just garnish my salad with a little chese, and it's very tasty. I do use only butter if I cook with it but prefer my veggies plain. And use olive oil, but typically just PAM and it has been working.
Anyway, I can try to add some more fat if absolutely necessary, but really I prefer things a little more plain. I do use some spices liberlay though, like garlic, pepper, chili powder, paprika, cumin, etc.

[Sarah_K]

The points Laurenfra made about sleep, exercise, and water intake is important, and I'd add another: even if I'm doing everything right and "by the book," if I have a lot of stress in my life, my weight loss tends to stall completely. (Stress hormones like cortisol affect weight loss.) So look at your stress levels, too.

Luckily, if you eat right, exercise, and get plenty of rest/sleep, it all helps lower your stress level, so if you find you are stressed out, staying on the plan will really help.