frustrated...

[Kar68]

I completed Induction on Friday. I lost between 3.5-5 pounds (on the day I started, my weight jumped a bit up from the day before, so I don't know if it is real or not) during the first week, then NOTHING the second week. I know I have lost inches, because pants that I could not wear two weeks ago now fit comfortably, and I know I should not be focusing on what the scale says, but I am discouraged! I have been doing 45-50 minutes of cardio 4-5 times per week for the past two weeks.
I understand the whole muscle vs. fat thing, but there is NO WAY I can not lose weight! I am eating around 1200 calories per day, and sometimes a bit less. How is it possible that the scale doesn't move?
My goal weight is 110 (I am barely 4 feet 11 inches), and I am 38 years old. I started induction at 138 (but the day before I started I was 136.5), and now I have been at 133 or 134 everyday.
Should I just stop weighing myself? I fear if I do that, I may fall off a bit, thinking I am either doing really well, or doing really poorly.
After my second child, I lost 35 pounds on weight watchers, and consistantly saw the scale go down weekly. This is really frustrating!!!! There is no way my weight can stay this high!

***sigh***
Karen

[kylie]

Re: frustrated...

Karen~I understand your frustration - but you have done an amazing job! Induction is a "kick-start" during which your body moves into fat-burning mode. This is a big switch for your body. The fact that you lost between 3.5-5 pounds is AMAZING - that's between 12.5% and 18% of what you want to lose! A good "rule of thumb" for induction is between 5 an 10% - you have surpassed that!!!

Now, your body will adjust - the scale may not budge for a bit, but you are already noticing that you are getting smaller! That is the REAL story...the number on the scale means less that the visible changes in your body...sometimes the scale takes a while to catch up! And so many things influence water rentention - that scale is not always an accurate reflection of what is happening! If the scale is acting as a discouraging tool - you can stop weighing for a while and go by measurements and the way your clothes feel and the way your body feels! The scale will always be there later - but if it is making you feel bad - then don't use it for a while.

Maybe moving on to OWL will hasten your losses and improve your outlook! It does for many people. Whatever you do, know that you have a huge resource here at - Hang in there! You are doing GREAT!

[not2late]

Re: frustrated...

I completed Induction on Friday. I lost between 3.5-5 pounds (on the day I started, my weight jumped a bit up from the day before, so I don't know if it is real or not) during the first week, then NOTHING the second week. I know I have lost inches, because pants that I could not wear two weeks ago now fit comfortably, and I know I should not be focusing on what the scale says, but I am discouraged! I have been doing 45-50 minutes of cardio 4-5 times per week for the past two weeks.
I understand the whole muscle vs. fat thing, but there is NO WAY I can not lose weight! I am eating around 1200 calories per day, and sometimes a bit less. How is it possible that the scale doesn't move?
My goal weight is 110 (I am barely 4 feet 11 inches), and I am 38 years old. I started induction at 138 (but the day before I started I was 136.5), and now I have been at 133 or 134 everyday.
Should I just stop weighing myself? I fear if I do that, I may fall off a bit, thinking I am either doing really well, or doing really poorly.
After my second child, I lost 35 pounds on weight watchers, and consistantly saw the scale go down weekly. This is really frustrating!!!! There is no way my weight can stay this high!

***sigh***
Karen

Dr. Atkins wrote that the loss of inches represented fat emptying from your cells. Since we're in this for fat loss, don't pay attention to the scale. Pay attention to the inches lost. There was a time in my weight loss, where my weight ws stuck between 201 and 209 pounds for a few months, but I lost 3 dress sizes: I shrunk!

The other thing is that some Atkineers notice that there is a mini-stall between weeks 3 to 6 of this diet. Dr. Atkins explained it in his Atkins video as your body readjusting itself, due to the water weight and fat weight that was lost during Induction.

So hang in there. Keep doing what you are doing. Stay on track.

[not2late]

Re: frustrated...

Here's a link dealing with the "post-induction stall"
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ead.php?t=1378

[Kar68]

Re: frustrated...

Thanks for the replies, I do appreciate them...

Weighed again this morning, and still the same number. And I even made the "whooshie Pie" for dinner last night! Swam for 35 minutes yesterday.
I just don't get it. How can my body NOT lose weight? I had my thyroid checked not long ago, and it was fine, so I know it's not that.
I know people say that sometimes if you do not eat enough, you will not lose, but seriously, that makes no sense to me! My metabolism can't possibly have slowed down that much with 45-50 minutes of cardio 5 times a week! And the cardio is new to my body, I hadn't been doing ANY exercise before I started Atkins!
I am just not going to weigh myself for a while (2 weeks), because having such a great day food wise, with exercise, with TONS of water, then not seeing the scale move an ounce the next day is making me want to just forget all of it.

Karen

[kylie]

Re: frustrated...

Good Morning, Karen - Today was my "Official Weekly Weigh Day" and the scale said EXACTLY what it said a week ago...but as I just posted in my journal - a pair of pants that were fine 10 days ago were literally falling off of me on Sunday...it's not all about the scale. I think not weighing for a period of time is a very good idea if not seeing movement makes you want to throw in the towel. Hang in there! You can do this!