Im giving up :-(

[sandrac02]

Hi

Just like to thank everyone for their kind support and help with my questions while I have been on this forum.

I am not sure what way of eating I am going to be doing, but have given this since January and basically, I am heavier by around half a stone now, than when I started Not sure if that was because of the low fat, low cal diets I have been on previously, not sure, Im guessing Ill have to go back to them. Im gutted, because I absolutely love the food choices on Atkins.

Any way, thanks for your support.

San x

[chibelly]

Re: Im giving up :-(

Whats going on San? Have you posted what you are eating each day? I bet there is a simple fix... something small you are overlooking. I cut out rotisserie chicken and bacon and i think i just passed my stall out. I think if you tweak your diet you will do the same thing.

[sandrac02]

Re: Im giving up :-(

Hi I posted my menu many times. Yes, there is always something that can be tweaked. Im on OWL rung 2 but love my veg so have added more veg rather than the dairy. I was told I could do that. Over the last couple of days Ive given up and just been eating eggs and veg couldnt face meat. So the last couple of days look pretty bad.

SANDRACOLDER02 - free online diet and fitness journal

Thanks

San x

[ShannonK]

Re: Im giving up :-(

Come on, San. Don't give it up. Not now. Give it some time first. You don't want to be back in six months even heavier than before. Do *you* have any idea why it isn't working for you right now? What are your thoughts?

[sandrac02]

Re: Im giving up :-(

The reason I think its not working is I have been on low fat diets all my life, eating very little calories and my metabolism is just messed up, plus I think Ive got middle age spread Ive been on this WOE since January. I am very disappointed. In all that time I only cheated once, ate chocolate, at that was early on.

San x

[mission to lose]

Re: Im giving up :-(

Hi S,

I do not see your sw/cw/gw, or your age height, etc. in your siggy. That always helps people to comment.

FOR EXAMPLE----If you weigh 225#. your food consumption is too low.

Even if you weigh 150# a bit too low. Just do not know how to comment. I saw many days where your calorie counts were too low.

And many days your net carbs were about 10g . On Induction they should be around 20, and Each rung they should be going up.

Well, sorry to see you go, but are you sure this is what you really want to do? What eating plan do you think will be better?

[Jules1980]

Re: Im giving up :-(

This happened to me in July of 2009. I came on here raring to go and started off great...than I noticed I had gained some weight and was severely constipated. I was so fed up and frustrated that I said F it! And quit!! Well here I am 8 months later...pre diabetic and in the worst shape/condition of my life, and to make matters worse I just turned 30 in Feb. So I am doing induction and asking alot of questions to ensure that I am doing it right. I have gotten some critical feedback but also some really great feedback..the first time around I was doing all of the wrong things....but this time I feel im doing it right!
Look over your menu, read the book again to refresh your mind...you can do this. Or maybe see your doctor.
I wish you all of the best, but hate to see you go
Best wishes,

Jules

[kjel]

Re: Im giving up :-(

I did Weight Watchers (basically low calorie) for over a year and was stuck at 160lbs. I switched to Atkins and am down 15lbs in 2 months and I'm no spring chicken at 39years old. Switching over to Atkins from a low calorie diet can be done successfully. I do exercise 5-6 days a week but I was doing that before on Weight Watchers as well.

Hope you get things sorted out and continue your weight loss.

[Dryunderwater]

Re: Im giving up :-(

Please don't quit! You can do this....you may just be stressed or not drinking enough water, both of those things can make your body hold water weight....don't stop now, the best is yet to come!

Best wishes.....

[2big4mysize]

Re: Im giving up :-(

before you quit did you see your doc to see if you have any medical reasons for gaining weight and being overweight on a low fat low cal diet? cause if not then some blood work should be the order of the day. many folk discover they are hypothyroid about this time in life and once that is fixed atkins gets easier.

[mirna05]

Re: Im giving up :-(

Specific Suplements can help also

[funkyangel]

Re: Im giving up :-(

Sandra, please don't give up, 8 weeks with Atkins after a 'lifetime' of low fat high carb eating will take a while to even out. I am 46 and menopausal (sigh) and this is the first time I have felt in charge of what I am eating. I have lost 10lbs and 12 inches in about 3 weeks, I put on a pound a week ago and have not been able to get it off and have stuck. I have been cheating this week and drinking a glass or two of wine in the evenings which has stalled me, prior to the pound put on I decided to stay on extended induction for another two weeks. I have not felt hungry so I have not been eating enough and skipping meals. I am going to move to OWL next week and am sure this will get me moving again. I have tried everything to lose weight for ever and it hasn.t worked - this WOE is working but it has to be done 'by the book'. Those of us who are 'well upholstered' have to re-learn how to eat doing this and to eat much more than we were used to on the usual dreary low cal, low fat regimes. Are you sure you are not still in that mindset of being deprived and hungry and feeling guilty if you eat? The joy of this WOE is that you don't have to deprive yourself - if you are hungry EAT!

Please dont give up.

[zawar1]

Re: Im giving up :-(

I think you need to exercise a little bit too. This will help with the constipation and fatigue and depression. I hope you haven't quit. I was a believer of the food pyramid my whole life. I ate very little in general, and one year I even went vegetarian, but nothing really helped me lose weight until I did Atkins and exercise. I didn't have a typical induction period which was depressing, but just lost 3 pounds per week for a long time. The food pryamid is fake. It really should be food skyscraper, where you can eat more fat and meat and less carbs. Although my net weight loss over the last 7 years is only 47 pounds, the real change is in my appearance. Please tell me you haven't quit. Its tough, but its worth it.

[Goomama]

Re: Im giving up :-(

I have a couple thoughts -- maybe you are gone and it is too late, but maybe someone else will read this and be helped.

Water is a huge reason for plateau. Dehydration causes the body to hold on to water weight, which can mask fat loss. Water helps flush out metabolic waste products and toxins which can additionally impede weight loss. Joining the water challenge in December helped me break through a 6-week plateau.

Thyroid problems can cause metabolic inability to lose weight. If one consumes many goitrogenic (thyroid-suppressing) foods (such as soy and cruciferous vegetables, which can be consumed in high quantity according to DANDR), thyroid problems can be aggravated. Also, soy contains extremely high levels of phytic acid which leaches many minerals from the body, and can cause metabolism problems. If a person has eaten a lot of soy in the past, perhaps because of dairy intolerance or because one was a vegetarian, there may be multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies and also thyroid issues impeding weight loss. Check out the about.com page on thyroid disorders, and take the quiz to see if you have symptoms of thyroid problems (hair loss, fatigue, thinning eyebrows, inability to lose weight, abnormal menstrual cycles, and plenty of other symptoms).

Also, if one has been a vegetarian for a long time, there may be a deficiency in the amino acid carnitine. Carnitine is a requisite for transporting fatty acids across the mitochondrial membrane for use as fuel. So, no carnitine, no fat burning. Carnitine is present only in meat. I also decided to take acetyl-l-carnitine when I hit my plateau, and I only tried vegetarianism for a couple weeks, about 6 years ago.

If a person has been on a high-carb diet for a long time (um, who hasn't?!) then a magnesium deficiency comes into play. Being sure to take magnesium not only helps prevent those horrid leg cramps, but also helps move the bowels regularly (a full colon can hold several pounds of stool). Alternative healthcare providers recommend taking magnesium "to bowel tolerance." You'll know when you've exceeded your tolerance. @@

I see from your food diary that on occasion (though not very often) you have consumed Splenda. I would encourage you to try a more natural alternative, like stevia (the liquid drops are very good) or Truvia (stevia and erythritol) if you have that available where you live. Some people do not react very well to Splenda -- they can react to the chlorine in it, which may cause inflammation. Chlorine, fluoride and bromine can all be taken up by the thyroid, as well, displacing iodine and suppressing immune function. That's a leap of logic for me -- but I know that Splenda and I don't get along (makes me grumpy and causes some neuropathy for me even in very small quantities), so I would encourage you to try scrapping it for a while.

I don't know if you are using these things, but some other things that can cause inflammation are vegetable oils (soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, corn) and powdered proteins/fats (I'm thinking of egg and dairy powders, specifically). Vegetable oils are comprised of mainly polyunsaturated fats which are extremely vulnerable to oxidation. Once in the body, they can trigger lipid peroxidation in the fat, which is the fastest oxidative process in the body, triggering inflammation on a massive scale. Egg and dairy powders contain oxidized cholesterol, which tells the body that damage is present and stimulates inflammation.

It's also possible that food intolerances can be inhibiting weight loss, by stimulating an inflammatory response. On induction, and the lower OWL levels, the most likely culprits would be dairy, eggs and soy.

Also, knowing your lean body mass can be helpful, so you can calculate your daily calorie requirements. Even if there is a 'metabolic advantage' it is still possible to eat too many calories for your body's requirements. If you have a larger frame, your body fat may be very low even at a higher weight. I like Covert Bailey's calculations, which can be found on the web. If you are close to your goal weight, it is harder and harder to lose the weight.

As other people mentioned, exercise is invaluable. Not only does it help energy levels and outlook, the skin is the body's largest detoxification organ. Metabolic waste and toxins in the body can impede weight loss, but sweating them out on a regular basis and moving lymph can help the detoxification process move along more quickly. Also, it helps prevent constipation. Not to mention, a calorie deficit is created, so the body has to find something to burn! If you *are* exercising, maybe you are overtraining (exercising so much your body is holding on to weight for the perceived emergency), or maybe you need to switch up your routine because you have become too efficient at whatever movement you are repeating. I like to switch up my exercise to keep up my interest, but also to keep my body guessing.

On the other hand, sleep is also very important! Fat loss occurs at the greatest rate during sleep. Not getting enough sleep can increase circulating levels of cortisol, which can cause weight gain.

Good luck. I hope this helps someone... even if you do jump to some other diet plan, all these things are going to be important to consider to break plateaus.

[zawar1]

Re: Im giving up :-(

Goomama,

When I was about 7, my parents used to boil chicken because they were on some kind of diet. The smell was so bad, that I stopped eating all meats till I was in my very late teens. Even now, sometimes I can't stand chicken as it reminds me of the time when I was 7. Could me not eating enough meat in my childhood have caused my hypothyroid?

About cooking oil, it makes me feel bad. I just eat lots of butter.