Too much cream?

[Hopin2Lose]

Will too much cream (not excessive, but more than induction level) make it harder to lose? I'm in OWL's, but I mostly stick to induction foods since fruit upsets my stomach, I have no self control with nuts, and my doc wants me to avoid grains. Basically I just eat more veggies and more dairy.

I've been having egg nog shakes regularly with cream and I don't measure it out but it's more than a tablespoon. I have little to lose so I know it will come off slow, but I haven't lost hardly anything in the last 6 weeks...only like 3 lbs. I only have about 5-10lbs left to lose.

Thanks.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Too much cream?

How much cream are you having, exactly?

[EveWasFramed]

Re: Too much cream?

Are you having multiple shakes a day? If not, I would think it was unlikely that a little extra cream would stall you. If you're not counting the extra carbs that could be a problem though!

[Hopin2Lose]

Re: Too much cream?

Just one shake a day. I'd guess it's less than 1/4 cup.

I just thought of something though...I think I'm doing it wrong. The whole thing I mean. I have the book but I think I've fallen into bad habits. I eat like my husband does and it works for him and I think not for me. He just does mostly induction forever and then later adds in beer, nuts, and low carb tortillas and does fine. I don't drink beer or eat the low carb tortillas ever. But I mean I eat like him in that he just snacks and doesn't count carbs. He's lost a ton and I haven't.

I'm not doing it by the book. I just realized that. I'm eating only induction foods with the exception of the occasional nut, but I wasn't counting carbs. I did last time around and I had success. Maybe I got cocky and thought I could just do it the same way. Plus I never learned to go up the rungs. I was like induction or nothing.

So should I start back at the basics and count carbs and work my way back up and do it the right way? I have less than 10 lbs left to lose.

Thanks for the help.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Too much cream?

>>I'd guess it's less than 1/4 cup.>>

Best to measure so that you know for sure!

If doing what your husband does doesn't work for you, then yes, you should stop doing it.

If you only have 10 pounds or less to lose, you should be at premaintenance.

I think you need to ask yourself how you're going to maintain your weight loss if you don't do things properly?

And since you're doing this for a second time ... how successful were you? Isn't being successful on Atkins keeping the weight off?

That's the struggle!

Do it right so that you don't have to do it "again"!

[chinadoll]

Re: Too much cream?

1/2 pound a week is entirely appropriate for your approach to goal. I would say you needn't tweak at all as long as you are losing something from month to month. The slow approach gives you time to adjust to maintenance levels and see now far you can push the carb levels to find your maintenance carb threshold. By staying on Induction until now you have not done yourself any favors. Switch to OWL to start learning how to maintain.

[jcapulet]

Re: Too much cream?

I eat like my husband does and it works for him and I think not for me.

Dr. Atkins said that men might lose weight more quickly than women. He mentioned that men "generally" have an increased metabolism due to having greater muscle mass (which means they burn more calories overall). Dr. Atkins also talked about how estrogen or hormonal fluctuations have a role with the blood sugar/insulin response; and how this could result in a slower metabolism than men.

[Hopin2Lose]

Re: Too much cream?

Thanks ladies. Yes, I know I should be in pre-maintenance, but I've never done it the "right" way. I guess then I haven't been following Atkins as written. If that's the case, I shouldn't be complaining when it's not really working like I thought it should.

To get to pre-maintenance though, I need to go through OWLS so I know what my CCLL is and I have never done that. Well, I kinda did the first time, but not really because I didn't count the carbs meticulously.

I have MAJOR hormonal issues and take lots of meds/hormones so I know that impacts it and I don't expect I would lose like my husband did/does.

I think I'll start at induction again for just a few days and then move up the OWLs ladder and do it right.

Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.

[msanjelpie]

Re: Too much cream?

Just wanted to mention that heavy cream is very calorie intensive. You might want to switch to half & half for your shakes. I switched to yogurt because it has even less calories... Now that you are so close to goal, calories matter more and more especially for quicker weight loss.

I would start logging in all you eat for a couple of days and see where you are (carbs, calories, fat, protein etc...) so you have a benchmark when you start back at the beginning... if that makes sense.

[Hopin2Lose]

Re: Too much cream?

Good idea. I will enter it into fitday. I generally try to avoid it because then I obsess about calories, but I guess I probably should. Thanks.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Too much cream?

>>You might want to switch to half & half for your shakes.>>

Half and half isn't allowed on Induction though.

One could water down the cream.

[msanjelpie]

Re: Too much cream?

The opening post stated that she was in OWL eating additional veggies and dairy. Sounds like OWL 2 to me... Half and half is allowed in OWL 2.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Too much cream?

Yes, I know 1/2 and 1/2 is allowed in OWL .. however, the Atkins phase is listed as Induction ... thus the "confusion".