Help wanted - last 3 pounds

[Toffee3]

I am a skinny build and just have 3 pounds to lose. Have tried for years - every diet out there. Done the induction for 2 weeks - no hint of any loss, tried the fat fast - also not making any difference. Any one out there had the same problem? Any ideas?

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Help wanted - last 3 pounds

The idea that I have is that you are already at the healthiest low weight that your body can tolerate. If you are a skinny build, why do you keep dieting to lose weight? A number on a scale doesn't mean a thing. Your own body is a better judge than you are about a healthy low weight.

The fat fast is dangerous for anyone not truly metabolically resistant, which you can't possibly be if even you think you only need to lose three pounds.

My advice is to stop dieting before you really screw up your metabolism. Just eat healthy. Low carb is very healthy, but you can tolerate more healthy carbs.

[Kathi22]

Re: Help wanted - last 3 pounds

Gosh I don't think you need to diet over 3 stinking pounds! Have you exercised to see if maybe some resistance training will get you where you want to be? I would say let it be, losing the 3 pounds you "need to" may not be what is best for your body since you can't seem to lose it.

[Elizellen]

Re: Help wanted - last 3 pounds

AS the others have said, with a few pounds you want to shed you should not be even thinking of doing the fat fast

I would suggest eating from the maintenance phase choice of foods rather than induction levels.

Basically this would mean not eating the 'whites' (anything made with flour that is not whole grain) and then in small quantities only, limiting your starchy vegetables and concentrating on the induction list for your main vegetable choices, eating mainly berries and melon with a few portions of the higher rung fruits, not eating anything with sugar in the ingredients and picking up your exercising routine.

You might find the book 'Atkins for Life' helpful to read as it explains the theory of the Atkins way of eating and expands on the kind of menus someone who has reached their goal weight by following through the 4 phases of Atkins would be eating.

Of course, as you will not have discovered your CCLL by following OWL as in DANDR you will have to do some experimenting to find out at what carb level your body can manage not to gain weight, but it should be do-able.

Eating maintenance for several weeks might well rid you of your 'excess' flab but if you turn any excess fat to muscle it will probably not make the scales go down - in fact as you get leaner you might even find your weight going up as your fat goes down, but look at your body shape rather than your scales weight to judge how you are doing.

Many Atkineers find that after following the way of eating they are actually slimmer at a higher weight than previously, as they have replaced fat with lean tissue which takes up less space while still weighing the same, so they accept a higher scales number, rejoicing in being able to wear smaller clothes sizes.

[jessyd88]

Re: Help wanted - last 3 pounds

I am def no expert but from what I know you actually may not be eating enough calories or the right percentage of fat/protein/carbs. Your metabolism could have slowed down from previous calorie restrictive diets. You should eat at least you BMR but ideally more to ensure you dont go into starvation mode and hold onto the fat.

[Lollypop]

Re: Help wanted - last 3 pounds

I was going to write a new thread, but saw this one and thought it might apply. Indeed, it may have provided the answer, but just thought I'd run things by here to be sure I haven't missed something.

I was down to 123+. got there when I had a gall bladder attack and couldn't eat for over a week, but hten maintained it for several months. Then I had dental work, changed my diet slightly (a lot more nut butters) and gained about 5 pounds. I want to get those 5 pounds back off - not necessarily immediately, Ijust want the 5 pound cushion.
I seem to have stabilized now around 127. I started keeping track of my diet (particularly carbs & calories) after reading something on the boards and was surprised to learn that my calories range from 1000-1700 per day(frequently under 1500). That seems low to me. My carbs are about 20-30 carbs. When I maintained at 124ish I was eating 30 carbs/day range.
I'm a little concerned that I'm only eating about 1000-1500 calories/day. I don't feel hungry, and in fact one time I finished a portion of meat that I really should have stopped earlier and it felt lousy. So I'm prettymuch stopping eating due to satiation. I will say that I probbly should add in more veggies, and I suspect that I nuts (mostly almonds) interfere wtih my weight loss, but I'm not positive.
Does this make sense? Should I be concerned? I can live iwth the 127, even though I'd love the cushion of being below 125.

[Elizellen]

Re: Help wanted - last 3 pounds

I would guess that eating between 1000 & 1500 would be about right for someone weighing around 127 pounds and that you run no risk of being in 'starvation mode'.

So move up the OWL ladder, carry on eating when hungry and stopping before feeling 'stuffed'.

You might find that after adding more 'good carbs' - veggies and the lower OWL rungs that your fat intake percentage will naturally go down as your carb level goes up and so you may not get so much appetite suppression and might even find your caalorie intake goes up!

[Toffee3]

Re: Help wanted - last 3 pounds

Thanks for all the advice. I think I'll move up and see how it goes from there.

[Lollypop]

Re: Help wanted - last 3 pounds

I would guess that eating between 1000 & 1500 would be about right for someone weighing around 127 pounds and that you run no risk of being in 'starvation mode'.

Thanks for hte info (and the rest of hte post, but I try not to quote too much for ease of reading). Very helpful. I'll relax about hte calories.
Still don't get what is going on. I'm eating about 30carbs/day (which is what I was eating when I stabalized about 5 pounds lighter). But on the suggestion of someone else here (not sure which thread, and sorry I don't remember who) I measured my waist and it's about the same.
So guess I better just get used to the higher number, and if it ever goes down, have a nice surprise.

[WaterBaby]

Re: Help wanted - last 3 pounds

I am very surprised that no one has mentioned EXERCISE yet. I am a huge proponent of this program, but my success has been due to a combination of diet and exercise. To successfully (and healthfully) take of weight and keep it off you need to be eating right AND exercising right.

If you are looking to make three pounds budge (and I can understand because I am on the lower end of the scale than the majority of people doing Atkins) you need to start challenging yourself in the physical fitness realm.

For example, if you are a jogger and typically log in a 30 minute run everyday, push yourself to do 35 minutes for the next few days. If you have been taking the same exercise classes week after week, take a new one that your body isn't used to.

Your body will become used to any exercise program you are doing and adapt itself. Which means that you need to be constantly "tricking" your body to keep it working harder and harder, i.e. burning more and more fat.

AND if you are counting calories STOP! That is one very important reason that Atkins is so successful. It is not about calories. If you are counting calories, you are not doing Atkins correctly. If you haven't, you need to read the book!

Hope this helps guys!

[Elizellen]

Re: Help wanted - last 3 pounds

Good post, Waterbabe