Major Plateau

[DvdLhy]

I've lost 80 pounds in a year, which is wonderful. Because I have a low threshold I have stayed, essentially, on induction the whole time. Typical day is 45 minute walk/run, 2 eggs + bacon for breakfast, 1-4 cups of coffee with H&H, cheese/salad/lunchmeat and 1 oz walnuts for lunch, and meat and low carb veggies for dinner. Most evenings include an oz of pecans for a snack and an ounce or three of bourbon to close the day. Weekends with friends I splurge with a beer or two (Ultra) and a few more carbs due to sometimes limited menu selections, but no more than 5-10 extra carbs. Most days I am under 20-25 carbs per day. I am still in ketosis, but not as deep as before. I have fluctuated from 237 to 242 for 6 weeks now. I am running more now, so some of this could be the result of more leg muscle, but the breakthrough just isn't happening.

My conclusion: cut back on the coffee, pecans and the bourbon, and try to cut portions back.

Other than strict recitations of the rules, any suggestions or insights based on your experiences?

David

[Shrew2u]

Re: Major Plateau

Start tracking your consumption in FitDay or NutritionData so you KNOW how many net carbs you are eating.

Move to OWL 1 and add 5 net carbs of vegetables to your daily.

Make sure your water intake is at least 64 oz - 120oz might be even better.

Indeed, no more alcohol - when consumed, your body uses it for fuel first, then switches back to fat burning. Alcohol is added back in OWL Rung 5.

Do you have DANDR 2002? If not - get it and read it cover to cover. You are approaching a time when you should incorporate more food variety into your diet and you will need to find out which foods or types of food will cause you to crave/blood sugar spike/stall/gain weight. Oh, and Chapter 15 gives the run down for sourcing and addressing stalls/plateaus, so there's that!

[imagood1]

Re: Major Plateau

1 oz walnuts for lunch,Most evenings include an oz of pecans for a snack and an ounce or three of bourbon to close the day. Weekends with friends I splurge with a beer or two (Ultra) and a few more carbs due to sometimes limited menu selections,

nuts of any kind, bourbon and beer are NOT induction foods. Check the acceptable food list for induction food.

I am still in ketosis, but not as deep as before. .

My conclusion: cut back on the coffee, pecans and the bourbon, and try to cut portions back.
[/QUOTE]


there is no such thing as "deep keotsis" or "not so deep" keotsis...you are either IN or you are NOT IN keotsis.

It's time to move to OWL and start adding foods back to your daily meals. Atkins is more than induction - it's Induction, OWL, Pre-Maintenance and Maintenance. Time to read the book so you know how the plan works.

Start by adding 5 additional net carbs of vegetables (that's OWL Rung 1). Stop eating foods and beverages not on the Rung you are on, how much water are you drinking? You say you drink up to 4 cups of coffee - is it decaf?

[Shrew2u]

Re: Major Plateau

Oh, and as a non-strict rule recitation...

Yes, I oscillated between 143-145 lbs from October 10 - 31. I combed through my daily meals for carb creep, off-plan and out-of-Rung items, monitored my water intake to ensure I was drinking enough and then waited for my weight to stabilize or come off. In the meantime, I enjoyed feeling great, being able to chase my toddler around without huffing and puffing and having lots of energy to go about my day.

[Elizellen]

Re: Major Plateau

I am still in ketosis,

Are you judging that by keto sticks? Unfortunately if you drink alcohol the sticks will register the acetones (I think) given off by your body using it as a preferred fuel in the same way as they register ketones. So you might not be in ketosis

My conclusion: cut back on the coffee, pecans and the bourbon,

I would try dropping the alcohol (rung 5 OWL) and nuts (rung 3 OWL) first and see if that improves things, then move on to OWL and start to discover your CCLL.

[DvdLhy]

Re: Major Plateau

Thanks for all the suggestions. I guess I am really in OWL rather than induction. Point is, I have been doing it this way for 6 months, with a little alcohol and nuts, and now I'm stalled. I've read DANDR front to back and in between. I'll work on the water and counting more religiously. I can give up the pecans, but not my bourbon!

My point on ketosis is that the strips are not as dark as before, but they still change.

Thanks again.
David

[Elizellen]

Re: Major Plateau

I can give up the pecans, but not my bourbon!

My point on ketosis is that the strips are not as dark as before, but they still change.

But they probably are changing colour because they are reacting to the acetones given off by your body using the alcohol for a preferred fuel, not necessarily because they are measuring ketones!