Plateau of Doom

[MelTin]

Re: Plateau of Doom

If you average 2 pounds a week you are doing good. So expect you can lose 40 ponnds in 20 weeks.

[MrNice]

Re: Plateau of Doom

From atkins.com, I saw this:

Vegetable Serving Size/Prep grams of net carbs Escarole ½ cup 0.0


But I realize it's saying 1/2 cup is 0 carbs. But that can be up to 0.4999 carbs.

So, that brings up another question. We are allowed X number of cups of veggies a day but we are also supposed to eat roughly 15g of carbs coming from vegetables. Which one takes precedence over which? I'm guessing the "x number of cups" takes precedence over the carb amount.(for example if I eat like 10 cups of cucumber but remain at 10 carbs that is not permitted)

In any event...with that being said I did see escarole on the list of items we can have 2-3 cups of...so if I eat it, I will be careful

If you average 2 pounds a week you are doing good. So expect you can lose 40 ponnds in 20 weeks.

Awesome, thanks.


*EDIT* Escarole is a spinach-like vegetable that can be used in a watery soup (I was brought up with escarole and pigs feet mixed with kidney beans). Actually, I'll have to check kidney beans next lol

[JulieB]

Re: Plateau of Doom

From atkins.comWe are allowed X number of cups of veggies a day but we are also supposed to eat roughly 15g of carbs coming from vegetables. Which one takes precedence over which?

Atkins.com does not follow the same rules as DANDR. The 12-15 carbs/day rule is not in DANDR (which we follow here). In DANDR, it is 3 cups veg/day with at least 1/2 of your carbs coming from vegs. Pick your vegs carefully, if you eat nothing but lettuce or escarole (very low carb), you are 1) not eating very nutritious veggies and 2) limiting the carbs you can eat from eggs, cheese, etc.

[mitzimarie]

Re: Plateau of Doom

Julie is right - 2002 DANDR (Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution) is the plan this board is based upon. It differs from the newer plan on the Atkins site, put together by Atkins Nutritionals (the company).

You need to make a decision as to which plan you would like to follow; just keep in mind that the advice given on this board is from 2002 DANDR.

[MrNice]

Re: Plateau of Doom

Oh thanks! I was clicking around links and ended up there.

[not2late]

Re: Plateau of Doom

Would you care to elaborate? I'm not sure I understand what you are saying and how it relates to my transition. I never did mention my expectations of after I make the switch to the Atkins diet. I don't expect to lose an average of 10 lbs over the next 2 weeks or anything. I think that "first week" is already done for me.

You posted this thread because you were concerned that you hit a weight loss plateau after 3 weeks of doing your version of Atkins. So obviously your results do not meet with your expectations. I do not want to give you the impression that by switching to Atkins, your results will dramatically improve.

As Dr. Atkins wrote in the book, "the Induction phase is designed to switch your body from burning carbohydrate for energy to burning primarily fat for energy". The Induction phase is characterized by eating a small amount of carbohydrate.

Since you have spent the last 3 weeks on your own low carb diet, you might not get the same results from doing a proper Atkins Induction after you have done your low carb diet, as compared to someone who just dove head first into Atkins. See, you have already switched your body to a fat burning metabolism, which is partly responsible for the initial amount of weight loss during Atkins Induction.

Also, I wasn't under the impression that going though another diet (non-Atkins) was such a bad thing! I guess the term "Fake-kins" applies to me then.

Atkins has gained a very bad reputation because people call almost anything "Atkins". For example, some people go on a meat and egg diet and call it "Atkins. It's because of that, the general impression is that Atkins is a very unhealthy diet, where you only eat beef and askew any vegetables or exercise.

So people who really are doing Atkins have to constantly defend their diet choice. "No, Atkins doesn't ruin your kidneys." "I don't know what Gertrude was doing, but if she wasn't eating any vegetables at all, she wasn't doing Atkins." "Yes, I really can eat chicken and turkey on Atkins", etc. etc. etc.

I figured it was better than nothing, and I didn't realize what the Atkins diet was about in full.

Sometimes doing something is better than nothing. Sometimes it's not.

All I know is that last time I had done what I'm doing the past 2 weeks, I lost 40 pounds relatively quickly. So, this time I'm willing to do it different...just need to read up more and take it one step at a time.

I'm not saying your low carb diet won't work. It's just not Atkins. And going to Atkins Induction after 2-3 weeks of your low carb diet, might not give you the results as someone who didn't do what you did.

[MrNice]

Re: Plateau of Doom

Not2late thanks for clarifying! I see where you are coming from. Don't worry though, I never told anyone I was doing the atkins diet. I agree with all you have written (especially now after knowing more!). However, the only thing I disagree with is in regards to "Sometimes doing something is better than nothing. Sometimes it's not." If I did nothing, I would be 240+ pounds right now and not on this forum. As long as my entry into the atkins diet is not completely ruined or anything, I will move forward with minimal expectations

Thanks again.

[pagliaccia]

Re: Plateau of Doom

I have to say, you really seem to want to get this right. I find that commendable! I don't see that anyone linked to this earlier, so you should DEFINITELY check out Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes - Recipes . It's a fantastic site with loads of Atkins-friendly recipes. Make sure to look for the ones with asterisks, because those are acceptable for Induction. Best of luck to you!

[not2late]

Re: Plateau of Doom

Not2late thanks for clarifying! I see where you are coming from. Don't worry though, I never told anyone I was doing the atkins diet. I agree with all you have written (especially now after knowing more!). However, the only thing I disagree with is in regards to "Sometimes doing something is better than nothing. Sometimes it's not." If I did nothing, I would be 240+ pounds right now and not on this forum. As long as my entry into the atkins diet is not completely ruined or anything, I will move forward with minimal expectations

Thanks again.

Well you can make the argument that drinking you own urine is better than dying of thirst. But if there are resources available to you that show you a water fountain is around the corner, then drinking your urine isn't a great idea.

Alot of people make the mistake of starting Atkins or whatever they think Atkins is before they bother to read anything about it. If you read enough threads on this forum, you'll see who has and who hasn't read the book---it's that obvious.

Reading the book gives you a better understanding of why Dr. Atkins does somethings and doesn't do other things. Here's an analogy, if you read the instructions to installing a child's car safety seat, you'll understand why you need to place it just so. If you don't bother reading it, you'll just throw the safety seat in whatever way it fits best. You might luck out and by chance install it properly, but you might not be so lucky (or rather the child sitting in that seat might not be so lucky) and install it improperly. So in this case it isn't better to do something rather than nothing.

Atkins is a weight loss diet. If it's not done properly, you have the potential to run into serious health problems. You hear it all the time: "My kidneys were ruined by Atkins." But if you really tease out what that person did, you'll see it wasn't Atkins, but some Fake-kins diet instead.

[cherribom1]

Re: Plateau of Doom

I thought mozzarella was a fresh cheese and not allowed during induction??? What constitutes fresh cheeses?

[EmDee]

Re: Plateau of Doom

welcome Mr Nice! I think you are on the right track now...I hope the pace picks up some for you

[liv]

Re: Plateau of Doom

How is going Mister? I hope you are having a good day.

[Jarrod]

Re: Plateau of Doom

I respectfully disagree since he doesn't mention any strength training and I'm assuming most of his exercise is cardio. Also, it's a myth that someone three weeks in isn't showing a loss on the scale because they must be "gaining muscle".

My observation is that I stall when I do very intense exercise every day (i.e. crunches, pushups, cycling uphill) until these muscle groups cannot do the activity any longer.

I also observe that the week or so following these intensive activities, I am able to do considerably more of each activity (pushups especially for me).

I also observe that when I reduce the activity, my losing continues.

I am eating the same foods in the same amounts in either case.

I believe there is something to my statement - although it may or may not apply to the OP's case I very much believe that it applies to my own experience. I can see and measure the difference - except on the scales.

[IndianaGirl]

Re: Plateau of Doom

I must tell you that when I started a low carb diet, I did not follow Atkins by the book either. I stopped eating bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, and sugar. I ate lots of veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, salads, zuchinni). I ate hardly any fruit at first because some of them have a lot of carbs. I don't think it's true that you have to follow Atkins by the book to lose weight. I lost 50 pounds in 4 months and have kept it off for a year in November! I think that I mainly follow Atkins principles, but I have never counted my carbs each day. Good luck to you!! Eat more veggies-- they're good for you!

[MrNice]

Re: Plateau of Doom

Thanks for all the encouragement guys!

Pag - Thanks for the linda page. I kept hearing about those recipes...I'll be sure to bookmark it.

So everyone knows...when I stopped doing the Fake-kins diet and started Atkins I have so far lost 1.1 lbs in small decimal intervals! So, just by adding water, cutting out aspartame 100%, and adding vegetables I am slowly but surely pushing the mark past what it was. I've lost all that I gained back and a little extra too! Still fighting for that 9th pound but I feel it coming!

The only thing I am concerned about now is lack of going to the bathroom still (even with water and veggies). I do go, but not as often as I feel I should. I have Metamucil...but I can't have it because of the aspartame. I really should go out and get an alternative during the day.

Anyways, thanks again guys