Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

[mitzimarie]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

Hi, dpaca

My best advice to someone is returning to Atkins after having left the plan is - DO NOT COMPARE THIS TIME TO ANY OTHER TIME THAT YOU HAVE DONE IT.

What purpose does that serve? Do not view Atkins as a means to lose weight... view it as a time to change your lifestyle to become healthy. Weight loss is merely a perk.

As you can see from my stats, I am a proud second-timer to Atkins. The difference between that first time and this time, is that this time I did not do this just to lose weight, and I have followed the plan to the letter. I did not do that the first time, and while I was able to lose weight, I never did reach goal or gain the skills to maintain the loss that I did have. This time, I have relaxed into it, and trust the plan 100%.

Did I lose as fast this time as I did the first time? I have no idea... what difference does that make? I do know that I am under my goal weight, and have been able to maintain through Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have developed an inner discipline that I never knew I had in me. I can do this forever.

Put your past behind you, and commit to this time being the REAL DEAL. That's all that counts. Good luck!

[not2late]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

For the time being, what I wanted to know was if others had the same experience and if they found that it’s not necessarily resistance but other underlying reasons, and not necessarily metabolic ones.

Other have experienced this. I'm not sure if it's still around, but there was a webpage called "The Golden Shot", written by a person who would go on a low carb diet, get to goal, eat higher carb, gain weight, go back on a low carb diet, etc. Everytime she went back on the low carb diet, she found it harder and harder to lose the weight. She continued this pattern until she couldn't lose weight anymore doing low carb, hence her article about a "golden shot".

While the "golden shot" author's experience might be the exception, not the rule, it does happen. We see it here with second timers (third timers, fourth timers, etc.) Why it happens could be a combination of many things: your age, your metabolism (thyroid and insulin resistance issues), medications, how well you are following the diet, exercise, etc.

Basically, once you are in this situation, how do you overcome it and can you overcome it? Exercise is great and there are probably many other things that people have perhaps tried that also work, perhaps just drinking more water.

The successful second or third timers stick to the diet. No cheats, no sneaks, no tiny tastes, none of that. They stick to it strictly. They stick to their exercise regimen. And they also move through the Atkins Diet Phases, as Dr. Atkins wanted us to do. I'm not saying you do, but many people make the dreadful mistake of staying in Induction phase to lose all their weight. When they get to their goal they have learned absolutely nothing about how their bodies react to foods and they have learned absolutely nothing about maintaining their weight while eating lower carb. Everytime I hear someone say "I couldn't do Atkins forever, eating only 20 grams of carbs for the rest of my life would be too hard to do. Besides, I would like to eat things like fruit and potatoes" I know they are clueless about this diet and how it's supposed to work in the short and long term.

Is it harder the second or third time around? Yes, because these folks have to work harder and be more strict. But in the end, they reach their goal, learn about their bodies, and maintain their goal weight. Mitzi is a good example of that.

So be diligent to sticking to the diet. And be sure to move through the phases of the diet.

[spazzyhilo]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

I'm a second timer and it seems to me that I'm losing more easily this time around then I did the 1st. There are a couple factors for this. About a year after I fell off Atkins I started excercising more. I still wasn't eating right so I didn't lose any weight but I did gain muscle. When I finally "woke up" and got back on atkins the muscle I had gained has been actually helping me lose weight easier.

I also feel I look better this 2nd time around then the 1st time thanks to that muscle gain 1st time I got down to 170 and currently I'm at 195.

There are numerous factors for one losing weight or not. Gender, thyroid, the awesomeness of your metabolism, age, how much weight you want to lose, how much you excercise, are you following the plan, what vitamins are you taking, smoking or non, etc. etc. etc. etc. No one gains weight the same, no one is going to lose it the same no matter how many times you have gone through atkins. Even if you follow the plan properly.

[Brook]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

I came in to check and see other responses on this thread, read my last post and went .

I owe you an apology, dpaca. That last post came off really snotty and it wasn't my intention at all. I was multi-tasking when I posted and was trying to be short and to the point and came off being a real piece of work. I'm sorry.

I removed over 100lbs. I put 20lbs back on and took it back off, then put 20lbs on again and took it off again in the last 4 years since I hit goal. The Atkins WOE was never the issue, nor was my response to it. The first time I put 20lbs on was stress and having to feed me and my kids on mac-n-cheese cuz we were broke, and the 2nd time was straight up depression and anger (my husband died). I got my feet back under me and took it back off again. Again, the Atkins WOE was never the issue, it was me not following it and being dilligent about it.

Again, I couldn't leave the thread without apologizing for coming off the way I did. It wasn't my intention. I should know better than to try to get kids out the door, puppies out from under foot and post at the same time.

[hrgillespie]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

Hi, dpaca

My best advice to someone is returning to Atkins after having left the plan is - DO NOT COMPARE THIS TIME TO ANY OTHER TIME THAT YOU HAVE DONE IT.

What purpose does that serve? Do not view Atkins as a means to lose weight... view it as a time to change your lifestyle to become healthy. Weight loss is merely a perk.

As you can see from my stats, I am a proud second-timer to Atkins. The difference between that first time and this time, is that this time I did not do this just to lose weight, and I have followed the plan to the letter. I did not do that the first time, and while I was able to lose weight, I never did reach goal or gain the skills to maintain the loss that I did have. This time, I have relaxed into it, and trust the plan 100%.

Did I lose as fast this time as I did the first time? I have no idea... what difference does that make? I do know that I am under my goal weight, and have been able to maintain through Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have developed an inner discipline that I never knew I had in me. I can do this forever.

Put your past behind you, and commit to this time being the REAL DEAL. That's all that counts. Good luck!

Excellent advice as always Mitzi!

[Brook]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

Excellent advice as always Mitzi!

She's a smart low-carb cookie, that's for sure!

[hawkeyelinn]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

I have started and stopped several times. The first time around I lost a lot more weight initially, however the following times I lost less. I didn't gain weight after going off plan, but I didn't lose either. This time I'm trying to lose my last 10lbs and it was going very slowly (only 1lb in a week). However, I finally saw a good move downwards on the scale the day after resuming kickboxing. I haven't kickboxed since I moved (the move was the reason I fell off plan last month), and I think the exercise helped get things going again. That, and also drinking a lot more water. I had a migraine for the first 3 days of reinduction then started upping my water-- the migraine left within a few hours and I lost my first lb after being on induction level carbs in a week. So now I realize being dehydrated was a big issue as well.

I also consume Coconut Oil (3 TBSP spread out over the day, every day). I started in December and my body temperature shot up from 95.8 to 98 within two hours after taking it. I've had normal body temps since, and have not stopped taking it to make sure my fats are high enough and to keep my body temperature higher. I'd been around 95 degrees ever since I stopped being a gymnast (I was anorexic from 11-13 years old due to the pressures of being a competitive athlete). Interestingly enough, my thyroid tests were and have ALWAYS been normal. My low body temperature was explained away as "Some people just have low body temperatures." But based on what I experienced with CO my first night, I believe my anorexic years shot my metabolism to **** in other ways not measured by thyroid tests, and coconut oil is now doing something (whatever that may be) to help better regulate this problem. In this way I have to agree with Brook and others. I don't see much difference on the scale, but I do feel the difference in terms of achieving more normal body temps- definitely be conservative if you decide to try it, though. Start with 1tsp a day and gradually work up to 3tbsp over a few weeks, otherwise you may experience some gastric distress if you take too much too quickly (nausea, diarrhea). Many people don't see any difference, some can't tolerate it at all, and some have actually gained alittle weight from it temporarily-- but I know others find it very helpful in different ways. I mainly find it helps better regulate my body temperature... but that's about it.

So the only things I can say is: Exercise is mandatory. Drink a lot of water to flush as many ketones out as possible. And consider taking or cooking with extra virgin coconut oil (I buy Nutiva brand CO through Amazon.com.)

Hope this helps. Stick with it and don't lose hope!

[FatBottomGirl]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

I have started and stopped several times. The first time around I lost a lot more weight initially, however the following times I lost less. I didn't gain weight after going off plan, but I didn't lose either. This time I'm trying to lose my last 10lbs and it was going very slowly (only 1lb in a week). However, I finally saw a good move downwards on the scale the day after resuming kickboxing. I haven't kickboxed since I moved (the move was the reason I fell off plan last month), and I think the exercise helped get things going again. That, and also drinking a lot more water. I had a migraine for the first 3 days of reinduction then started upping my water-- the migraine left within a few hours and I lost my first lb after being on induction level carbs in a week. So now I realize being dehydrated was a big issue as well.

I also consume Coconut Oil (3 TBSP spread out over the day, every day). I started in December and my body temperature shot up from 95.8 to 98 within two hours after taking it. I've had normal body temps since, and have not stopped taking it to make sure my fats are high enough and to keep my body temperature higher. I'd been around 95 degrees ever since I stopped being a gymnast (I was anorexic from 11-13 years old due to the pressures of being a competitive athlete). Interestingly enough, my thyroid tests were and have ALWAYS been normal. My low body temperature was explained away as "Some people just have low body temperatures." But based on what I experienced with CO my first night, I believe my anorexic years shot my metabolism to **** in other ways not measured by thyroid tests, and coconut oil is now doing something (whatever that may be) to help better regulate this problem. In this way I have to agree with Brook and others. I don't see much difference on the scale, but I do feel the difference in terms of achieving more normal body temps- definitely be conservative if you decide to try it, though. Start with 1tsp a day and gradually work up to 3tbsp over a few weeks, otherwise you may experience some gastric distress if you take too much too quickly (nausea, diarrhea). Many people don't see any difference, some can't tolerate it at all, and some have actually gained alittle weight from it temporarily-- but I know others find it very helpful in different ways. I mainly find it helps better regulate my body temperature... but that's about it.

So the only things I can say is: Exercise is mandatory. Drink a lot of water to flush as many ketones out as possible. And consider taking or cooking with extra virgin coconut oil (I buy Nutiva brand CO through Amazon.com.)

Hope this helps. Stick with it and don't lose hope!

I might have to try the coconut oil as my body temp. is always around 96.5 - 97.4 (even when I am sick)... Thanks for the suggestion

[not2late]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

I just noticed this:

Hi All,

After a few months of not being on the Atkins diet, yet still not having gained the weight back (only 5 pounds out of the 30 lost), i am back to Atkins again and this time hopefully with a vengeance. However, I have been 'Atkinsing' since 2003, and every time I stop and start, I seem to be losing less and less. The first time I did the Atkins diet I lost a lot of weight in a very short period of time, whereas this time round I am struggling to lose more than 1 or 2 pounds a week. Has anyone else ever experienced this? Please post your experiences, it would be very helpful for me, and many others who perhaps have had the same experience.

Thanks

So your current weight loss goal is 5 pounds? Don't beat yourself up if you aren't losing those pounds as quickly as you took off the 30.

During the 14 Day Induction you can expect to lose 5-10% of the weight you need to lose. If your weight loss goal is 5 pounds, then you can expect to lose 1/4 to 1/2 pounds during the first 14 days.

So losing 1/2 to 1 pound a week for you isn't abnormal at all.

[mitzimarie]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

I just noticed this:

Quote:
Originally Posted by dpaca
Hi All,

After a few months of not being on the Atkins diet, yet still not having gained the weight back (only 5 pounds out of the 30 lost), i am back to Atkins again and this time hopefully with a vengeance. However, I have been 'Atkinsing' since 2003, and every time I stop and start, I seem to be losing less and less. The first time I did the Atkins diet I lost a lot of weight in a very short period of time, whereas this time round I am struggling to lose more than 1 or 2 pounds a week. Has anyone else ever experienced this? Please post your experiences, it would be very helpful for me, and many others who perhaps have had the same experience.

Thanks



So your current weight loss goal is 5 pounds? Don't beat yourself up if you aren't losing those pounds as quickly as you took off the 30.

During the 14 Day Induction you can expect to lose 5-10% of the weight you need to lose. If your weight loss goal is 5 pounds, then you can expect to lose 1/4 to 1/2 pounds during the first 14 days.

So losing 1/2 to 1 pound a week for you isn't abnormal at all.

Thanks for bringing this up, Megs.

I wanted to add that when I re-started on 2/25/07 at 187 pounds and hit my goal of 125 on 11/11/07, my losses averaged between 1 and 2 pounds a week, including the 7 pounds I lost during the 2 week Induction... meaning, there were a lot of weeks I lost 1 pound, some weeks that I lost 2, and some weeks when I lost none. And I had a lot more weight to lose, than you do. Weight loss in not linear... it would be nice if it was, but it's not. No big deal, as the number on the scale is not the best indicator of fat loss, anyway.

My point - Megs is spot on. There is nothing wrong at all with an average of .5 to 1 pound a week for you. It is the healthy way to do it, and those losses surely add up!

[dpaca]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

Hello everyone,

I am back this morning and firstly I just wanted to thank you all.

Also, I justed wanted to let everyone know that i weighed myself this morining and I had lost 2 pounds just yesterday. I think its due to the water and excersise that you all recomended. So thank you.

As for how much weight I need to lose. Well I lost 30 pounds and only gained 5 pounds (which is now 3 pounds) however, my goal weight is another 30 pounds along the line.

I will try to get some coconut oil, but wanted to ask if grapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil has the same properties since I have never seen coconut oil sold where I live now.

Thank you all again and looking forward to hearing from you soon

[dpaca]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

Hi Brook,

Thanks for the apology, i really appreciate it. Also, thanks for being so honest. I know you meant well before.

I came in to check and see other responses on this thread, read my last post and went .

I owe you an apology, dpaca. That last post came off really snotty and it wasn't my intention at all. I was multi-tasking when I posted and was trying to be short and to the point and came off being a real piece of work. I'm sorry.

I removed over 100lbs. I put 20lbs back on and took it back off, then put 20lbs on again and took it off again in the last 4 years since I hit goal. The Atkins WOE was never the issue, nor was my response to it. The first time I put 20lbs on was stress and having to feed me and my kids on mac-n-cheese cuz we were broke, and the 2nd time was straight up depression and anger (my husband died). I got my feet back under me and took it back off again. Again, the Atkins WOE was never the issue, it was me not following it and being dilligent about it.

Again, I couldn't leave the thread without apologizing for coming off the way I did. It wasn't my intention. I should know better than to try to get kids out the door, puppies out from under foot and post at the same time.

[hawkeyelinn]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

I believe coconut oil has MCFA's.... It's about 90% saturated fat and 60% of that is Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFA's) that aren't metabolized like normal Long-Chain Fatty Acids (LCFA's) in other fats/Oils. I'm not sure if Olive Oil or Grapeseed has MCFA's. The purported importance of MCFA's is that they require less processing in order to be broken down to be used as energy by the body, unlike Long-Chained Fatty Acids (I believe MCFA's go immediately to the liver and are broken down into ketones). I've also heard they are also less likely to be stored as fat (course, I believe one should always moderate themselves with any kind of supplement) than other long-chained fats and oils. I would definitely do a thorough Google search on Coconut Oil and MCFA's before you buy any just so you know what they are first and what the benefits and any potential hazards are in taking coconut oil / MCFA's. There seems to be many benefits of taking coconut oil and MCFA's and I've read very few hazards though.

I had trouble finding Coconut oil where I was too... Found a GNC that had it though. They stock a brand by Emerald Labs which is decent. I personally like Nutiva brand a little better though and I order it online via Amazon.com... but then everyone has their own brand preferences. lol

Hope this helps. Best wishes and good luck!

[Slingnmom]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

I only quit the first time- back in 04 because I become pregnant and I never got back on it again because I kind of put weight loss on the back burner for a while again and even had another child.

But the first time I did induction I wasmilitant and did great! I lost close to 60 pounds that time around. But life took over had 2 more kids and like I said just didn't take care of myself.

This time I am trying again even though I'll probably end up pregnant again before the end of the year as we do want one more, but I seriously could not let myself reach the 300 mark because I refuse to weigh that much. I came too close and knew I needed to do something now.

Still in a week's time I've lost 10 pounds so far and if I can keep this up for a while I hope to lose the weight I want and need to before another pregnancy happens.

I tried staying on the diet while pregnant but the morning sickness killed that idea quick!

[mystic]

Re: Resistant to the Atkins Diet?

Hey Dpaca - you should look up the BMR figures for people in your age range, you'd be pretty surprised at how fast they start dropping off after age 18. It's not a surprise to me that after five years it's harder.

My personal experience has been that my body absolutely adjusts to what I'm doing whether it be diet or exercise. I have to continually change up both to keep my weight loss going - there's plenty of research that proves the body does this, which you can find and read using Google.

The one thing I generally see in threads like this is the lack of emphasis on exercise or fitness level. I'm probably on the far end of the spectrum for low-carbers when it comes to the importance of fitness so you can take me or leave me, but personally, I believe that if you're not committed to bringing your fitness up to a high level, the whole weight loss part is much slower and much more frustrating. You're at the age where you need to create that habit cuz it only gets harder and harder down the road.