Am I eating too much??

[Kathi22]

Good morning Atkineers. I need some help, please.

I started this WOE July 16, 2008. Since then, I have only lost 40 pounds. I say only because in an 8 month period I should have lost about 60 or so. Granted, I took 3 months "off" from this WOE so technically I lost this much in 5 months. Either way, it is far slower then I am used to. I am OK with this, as long as I lose inches. Well, I am not losing inches either. So I was wondering, am I eating too much, too little??? Can you take a look at a very typical day for me and let me know where I am going wrong??

Yesterday
Breakfast - 1 scrambled egg with 2 slices of bacon (used butter in egg)

Lunch - 1 cup, maybe 1.5 of romaine lettuce, 2 tbsp of ranch dressing, 1 oz. shredded cheese, 1 1/3 tbsp of salad toppins (1 carb)

Dinner - 4 oz. steak
3 jalapeno peppers, sliced in half making 6, baked in the oven with cream cheese (2 oz) and topped with 1 slice of bacon and garlic powder

I did take 2 Fiber Choice chewables which is 3 carbs for both. This was my first day taking them. 96 oz. of water.

Today
Breakfast - 2 eggs with sausage and cheese (fastfood) which was 7 carbs and 630 calories. Bad I know, but I was really late

Lunch - 1 cup, maybe 1.5 of romaine lettuce, 2 tbsp of ranch dressing, 1 oz. shredded cheese, 1 1/3 tbsp of salad toppins (1 carb)

Dinner - 4 oz. pork chops baked with 1 cup of green beans, 1 oz feta cheese, 2 slices of bacon

2 Fiber choice chewables. 96 oz. of water

[Elizellen]

Re: Am I eating too much??

Congratulations on your loss

To have lost that much in 5 months with a break of 3 months in the middle I think you have done very well

In fact if you decided to eat lots of carby meals in your 3 months 'holiday' then the second few months might have been like starting from scratch if you added pounds back so you have done incredibly well

So I think it is time to move on through the rest of the Atkins phases now, find your CCLL and see if any foods affect you adversely.

I assume from your menus that you are still eating induction levels of carbs and food choices? With about 1/3rd of your total goal loss left to go it might be time you move to OWL.

[not2late]

Re: Am I eating too much??

Good morning Atkineers. I need some help, please.

I started this WOE July 16, 2008. Since then, I have only lost 40 pounds. I say only because in an 8 month period I should have lost about 60 or so. Granted, I took 3 months "off" from this WOE so technically I lost this much in 5 months. Either way, it is far slower then I am used to. I am OK with this, as long as I lose inches. Well, I am not losing inches either. So I was wondering, am I eating too much, too little??? Can you take a look at a very typical day for me and let me know where I am going wrong??

Yesterday
Breakfast - 1 scrambled egg with 2 slices of bacon (used butter in egg)

Lunch - 1 cup, maybe 1.5 of romaine lettuce, 2 tbsp of ranch dressing, 1 oz. shredded cheese, 1 1/3 tbsp of salad toppins (1 carb)

Dinner - 4 oz. steak
3 jalapeno peppers, sliced in half making 6, baked in the oven with cream cheese (2 oz) and topped with 1 slice of bacon and garlic powder

I did take 2 Fiber Choice chewables which is 3 carbs for both. This was my first day taking them. 96 oz. of water.

Today
Breakfast - 2 eggs with sausage and cheese (fastfood) which was 7 carbs and 630 calories. Bad I know, but I was really late

Lunch - 1 cup, maybe 1.5 of romaine lettuce, 2 tbsp of ranch dressing, 1 oz. shredded cheese, 1 1/3 tbsp of salad toppins (1 carb)

Dinner - 4 oz. pork chops baked with 1 cup of green beans, 1 oz feta cheese, 2 slices of bacon

2 Fiber choice chewables. 96 oz. of water

You aren'te eating enough vegetables. 3 cups of veg, either 2 cups from the "salad" list and 1 cup from the "other" list OR 3 cups from the "salad" list are the amounts we eat daily during Induction.

Read the ingredients to the "salad toppings" to make certain they truly are legal on this Diet.

And read the ingredients to your bacon. Remember that if it does contain sugar, the nutritional data is only valid for the listed serving size. Once you go over the serving size, then you may need to count each additional serving as 1 net carb to be safe.

And check the ingredients to the Fiber Choice chewables, again to make sure they truly are legal for Atkins.

Another question---did you just stay on Induction or did you move into OWL at all? Dr. ATkins wrote that only people who are severely metabolically resistant to weight loss may benefit from extending Induction past the initial 2 weeks because it might correct the metabolic imbalances that hinder weight loss. From what we've seen here on the Board, staying on Induction doesn't guarantee you continued weight loss nor a consistent weight loss.

[clogger]

Re: Am I eating too much??

Ditto to what Elizellen and not2late said. I've had great success moving up the rungs of OWL.

Are you exercising? That makes a big difference for me.

How long has it been since you haven't been losing weight or inches? I've had stretches of 10 days where nothing moves and I'm doing everything right. Then I start losing again. Weight loss is not linear.

[steady as she goes]

Re: Am I eating too much??

we started around the same time, and it's taken me this long, with no real break period, to lose 30 lbs, 5 of which have been from re-starting induction. don't complain! it sounds like you're doing so well!

I have to ask what's in the salad toppings though.

[Kathi22]

Re: Am I eating too much??

To answer some questions - according to the weight chart, I have 108 pounds left to lose. My mini goal will be met in 23 more pounds; but my longterm is 108 left. I was 151 pounds over weight, I am now 108 pounds overweight. I have been stuck here for 3 weeks now.

I do exercise but not as consistent as I should! I just started up walking again because it isn't so cold outside. I try to walk 2 miles, 4x a week. I haven't exercised all month until recently so this may be the reason.

I have not moved up rungs yet. I got into this induction style of eating and just stayed here. However, I am not really induction either because of the salad toppins and bacon being more then twice a week.

The salad toppins are made by McCormick. It is a mixture of crunchy toppings. It does have sugar and constarch. This topping is what gets me to eat my salad everyday because I literally gag when eating salad. If anyone as another crunchy alternative that is better please let me know!! The ingredients are:

SUNFLOWER SEEDS, SOYBEANS, TEXTURED SOY FLOUR, RICE, ONION, CARROTS, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL*, SALT, RED AND GREEN BELL PEPPERS, SUGAR, PARSLEY, CORN STARCH, BARLEY MALT EXTRACT, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, CARAMEL COLOR, HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN, CORN GLUTEN AND WHEAT PROTEIN, FD&C RED 3, SULFITING AGENTS, AND AUTOLYZED YEAST.

[Lyssie]

Re: Am I eating too much??

You can be on induction and eat bacon more than twice a week. You could eat it every day if you wanted (as long as it does not contain sugar).

The salad topping stuff is not allowed, neither are the Fiber things. Why not go without salad? There are a *ton* of other veggies that you could eat (like the jalapenos for starters). They would have more fiber (so you wouldn't need the supplement) and not have you be adding things you shouldn't eat.

I'm pretty sure you are aware that the best way to do this is to have a CLEAN induction. That way you can start off on the right foot and ensure that you are actually *in ketosis*.

Just my opinion.

[Kathi22]

Re: Am I eating too much??

Lyssie I did "clean" induction from July to October. I use ketostix and I am in a very deep purple range - the darkest there is. The veggies are not helping me with fiber; I didn't want to have to take Fiber Choice but I really needed to! Keep in mind I just started the fiber yesterday so this has nothing to do with my stall. I haven't lost anything since January. I just went out to fitday because I thought my stall was for 3 weeks and in actuality my last weigh-in was Jan 30th - that is a stall for 5 weeks.
What I am asking here is for advice on if I am eating enough or too much. Say I cut the toppings and I cut the fiber. Am I eating enough to get my metabolism going? Thanks everyone.

[Georgiana]

Re: Am I eating too much??

You should eat just enough to feel satisfied, not stuffed. For some of us this difference is not so obvious, so one way to approximate how much you should be eating, in calories, is to know your BMR and AMR. Here's something to read:

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-low-carb-dieting-faqs/6747-bmr-amr-bmi.html

You should either do a clean induction or a proper OWL. I've discovered on my own skin that tweaking rules does not work.

For fiber, Dr. Atkins recommended 1-2 tbsp of flax, wheat bran or psyllium husks. Veggies like broccoli and spinach are also high in fiber.

What I am asking here is for advice on if I am eating enough or too much. Say I cut the toppings and I cut the fiber. Am I eating enough to get my metabolism going?

There is more important things that have to be changed before tweaking your calories, which is why that part was overlooked. But to answer your question. Your menu for "Yesterday" seems to be too low in calories (800 maybe?). The one for "Today" is not bad in terms of calories... but there are things wrong with it, which Megs explained already.

[Kathi22]

Re: Am I eating too much??

Sorry but I disagree. My tablespoon of garnish and my TUMS sized tablet of fiber is not a problem, especially when I stopped losing weight 4 weeks and 5 days before I started using the fiber - and I have used the toppings on my salads for 6 years now and lost 100 pounds then. Thanks for the calorie info.

[Lyssie]

Re: Am I eating too much??

Have you tried keeping a journal? LIke, on Fitday or Dailyplate? G has a point - I mean, calculating out the fast food day (at 1oz cheese = ~100 cal) you're less than 1000 calories.

Even when I weighed more, if I ate 900 calories and worked out for 2 hours a day I couldn't lose weight.. when I started eating more, I started losing. Nobody is supposed to be eating below 1400. It really messes with your metabolism and makes it pretty hard for weight loss.

To comment on a personal issue (I really don't need to know the answer) - if you are not ummm.. having regular bowel movements (as in, about every day, or every other day) without taking a supplement, chances are that your body is not getting enough, so it is holding on to everything and using what you're eating and trying to keep anything you give it... That's just another thought.

Edited to add: Erm, no, fast food day you're around 1000, I'm not sure about pork off the top of my head since I don't eat it.

[Kathi22]

Re: Am I eating too much??

Thank you Lyssie! Yes, I keep a journal and use fitday.

I took the link Georgiana sent me and I read through it. I then went back to my records when I was losing and found I was eating about 1600-1900 calories per day. Compared to what I am eating now is very little in calories. I also took my BMR and AMR and according to those, I should have about 2400 per day as a middle road. I think that is a lot - I will increase to 1800 and see what happens.

[not2late]

Re: Am I eating too much??

SUNFLOWER SEEDS, SOYBEANS, TEXTURED SOY FLOUR, RICE, ONION, CARROTS, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL*, SALT, RED AND GREEN BELL PEPPERS, SUGAR, PARSLEY, CORN STARCH, BARLEY MALT EXTRACT, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, CARAMEL COLOR, HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN, CORN GLUTEN AND WHEAT PROTEIN, FD&C RED 3, SULFITING AGENTS, AND AUTOLYZED YEAST.

I highlighted the ingredients in the salad toppings that are not allowed during Induction phase. Some of us are so sensitive to certain foods that even a tiny bit of them will throw off our weight loss.

These are the ingredients to Fiber Choice:

Inulin (a natural vegetable fiber), Dextrate, Cellulose, Citric Acid, Magnesium Stearate, Natural & Artificial Flavors & Colors

I had to look up the dextrate: Gluten and Medication Excipient Ingredient List

"
Dextrates - Mix of sugars resulting from the controlled enzymatic hydrolysis of starch."

So it's basically sugar.

The serving size for the FiberChoice is 2 tablets which is equal to 4 grams fiber. 1 cup of romaine lettuce has 1 gram of fiber. You're eating about 1.5 grams of lettuce fiber plus the 4 grams of the Fiberchoice for a total of 5.5 grams fiber daily.

If you add 1 cup of green beans, which has 3.7 grams fiber, to the 1.5 cups of lettuce, you'll get 5.2 grams fiber just from vegetables alone.

As for salad, Dr. Atkins said you have to eat 3 cups of vegetables daily. Either 2 cups from the "salad" list and 1 cup from the "other list" or 3 cups from the salad list. He doesn't say that you must eat them in a raw, salad. All the veggies in both listed may be cooked or marinated or something other than raw. For the ones on the "salad" list, bok choy, sweet peppers and mushrooms taste better cooked, imo.

[Kathi22]

Re: Am I eating too much??

Thanks not2late - I had 2 cups of salad instead of 1.5 today for lunch and 1 cup of green beans for dinner as well as 6 jalepeno's. I will stop the fiber choice and see if I can still be OK, if not, I will try flax seed.

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Am I eating too much??

Thanks not2late - I had 2 cups of salad instead of 1.5 today for lunch and 1 cup of green beans for dinner as well as 6 jalepeno's. I will stop the fiber choice and see if I can still be OK, if not, I will try flax seed.

In addition to fiber, you can take 1,000 mg of magnesium oxide at bedtime and it will keep you regular. Most of the population is magnesium deficient. It will also help with muscle building and sleep. Magnesium--good stuff.