gaining and constipated!! ouch!

[shannon07016]

Please help me, fellow ADBBers. I just finished a CLEAN induction period of 14 days, but I am continuing to remain under 20 carbs per day for a few more weeks. I was slowly losing at first (only 6# in 2 weeks, which I already know is average) but I got on the scale today and had GAINED 3# since Tuesday! What gives?? Here's what I've been eating:

Breakfast - 3-4 eggs, scrambled, 3-5 slices of bacon, 2-3 oz of cheese, a couple of mornings, I'd make a tom/mozz/basil omlette, or maybe turkey sausage instead of bacon.

Lunch - Usually not too hungry for lunch, so I'll have a light snack, like salami/crm chz or ham/string cheese rollups. A handful of salted pumpkin seeds. If I am hungry, usually a LARGE cheeseburger (w/o bun) from either McDonald's or Burger King.

Dinner - Some form of lean protein and veggies. Last night, I fried porkchops coated with parm chz and some spices and served it with green beans. Tonight, we had sauteed sausage and onions, and a green salad with cucumbers, tom, fresh mozz, tossed in a thin layer of Balsamic vinegar dressing.

Dessert - SF Jello with a dollup of Rediwhip, or cream chz and Splenda with some Vanilla extract.

Coffee - 1-2 cups per day with 1tbsp of heavy cream and 2 Splendas

I've also been in Moderate Ketosis, according to the degree of purple on the sticks. However, I am REALLY constipated and bloated. I'm wondering if it's from all the meat and chz I've been eating?

Well, that about wraps it up for my last couple of meals. Let me know what you think. Thanks, everyone!

Shannon
211/206/125

[shannon07016]

Re: gaining and constipated!! ouch!

Me again. A side bit of information: I have been exercising pretty regularly for the past couple of months (brisk walking, eliptical, workout videos), at least 3 times a week.

[hopejoy]

Re: gaining and constipated!! ouch!

I have found that sometimes when I'm constipated I can gain like 5lbs! Drink water like a crazy person, and consider a laxative if you need it. Take your fiber of course. You might want to go to a health food store and ask them to recommend an herb for the constipation... something mild! Hot water first thing in the am sometimes makes me 'go'... even though it's a bit nauseating. It helps.
liz

[shannon07016]

Re: gaining and constipated!! ouch!

Thanks, Hopejoy. I've been trying to get 1tbsp of ground flaxseed in daily. But I only started doing that this week. I wonder if the flaxseed is causing me to constipate? I was fine before, but I know that's supposed to be the OPPOSITE effect of flaxseed?

[imagood1]

Re: gaining and constipated!! ouch!

some of the foods you are eating aren't on the acceptable food list - check the list and watch what you are eating. (What foods can be eaten on Induction?)http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-low-carb-dieting-faqs/6781-what-foods-can-eaten-induction.html. If a food isn't listed on this list you shouldn't be eating it. Learn to read the label on all foods you buy - don’t just look at the “carb” number look at the ingredients list of everything and check the ingredients against your list. Just because it says "low carb" doesn't mean you can eat it. Also check for hidden sugars (learn the names used in place of the word “sugar”). Balsamic vinegar is made with sugar and shouldn't be used. It looks like you are eating way too much cheese - 3-4 ounces daily is allowed. Also watch the cheese at Burger King and McDonalds -- it's not one of the allowed cheeses on the list. s/f jello is made with aspartame (not allowed) and RediWhip isn't on the list - you should be making whipped cream using heavy cream - commercial creams.

there are no degrees of keotsis - you are either in or not - color doesn't matter. The sticks aren't the most reliable method of knowing if you are in keotsis or not....depending on when you test, amount of water you drink, illness, etc.

You are allowed 3 packets of sweetner a day -- it looks like you are getting more than that in.

How much pure water are you drinking daily? When you take flaxseed you should make sure you get at least 64 ounces in (that is the minimum suggested daily anyway) -- and even more...if you don't drink enough water the flaxseed can have the opposite effect on your system and constipate you.

Do you have a copy of the 2002 DANDR book and have you read it? If not you may want to invest a few dollars and get one.

[ErinB]

Re: gaining and constipated!! ouch!

Don't be startled by the title, but this recent thread has a lot of suggestions in regard to the constipation.

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/main-atkins-diet-forum/79626-poop.html

[liv]

Re: gaining and constipated!! ouch!

Shannon if you finished a clean induction you should continue by adding 5 veggie carbs. You are doing a few things off schedule there. I see some hidden sugars.

I think the amount of cheese you are eating constipation may follow. Try cutting it down a few days and drink plenty of water.

[shannon07016]

Re: gaining and constipated!! ouch!

Thanks, guys. Where are these hidden sugars?? I'm seriously asking. I really don't know. Does anyone have any suggestions of how I could improve my menu? Any thing else I can subtract from it, or add? And yes, I've read the DANDR 2002 about 5 million times since 2002. I don't understand why it was so easy for the weight to come off in 2002 and soooooo hard now? It used to be effortless I could eat whatever legal foods I wanted, and drop weight by the minute. Now, I can hardly get 5# to budge!

[shannon07016]

Re: gaining and constipated!! ouch!

Update: I'm feeling MUCH better now

[imagood1]

Re: gaining and constipated!! ouch!

I posted this above:

Balsamic vinegar has sugar
RediWhip ingredients;
INGREDIENTS:
Grade a whole milk,* sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, grade A cream,* inulin (polyfructose), non-fat dry milk solids, modified food starch, cellulose gum, mono- and diglycerides, artificial color, artificial flavors, disodium phosphate, polysorbate 80, lecithin, carrageenan, guar gum, nitrous oxide (propellant).

SF Jello ingredients: (contains aspartame - causes slowed weight loss in many people)

Ingredients
Gelatin, Adipic Acid (for Tartness), Disodium Phosphate (Controls Acidity), Maltodextrin (from Corn), Fumaric Acid (for Tartness), Aspartame (Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylalanine.) (Sweetener), Contains Less than 2% of Artificial Flavor, Acesulfame Potassium (Sweetener), Salt, Blue 1, Red 40.

These are a couple hidden sugars in your daily meals.

[liv]

Re: gaining and constipated!! ouch!

Yup Carole covered the hidden sugar bit.

And yes we change - metabolism change. It is a drag but it is a fact. Just hang in there, it may be slower this time but it will happen.

And SO glad you're feeling better.