mywill12's Journal, 26 July 2012

OK, first off, congratulations on the 5 pounds you have lost since beginning. I realize it can be frustrating watching others talk about multi-pound losses. Sometimes it's because they're in the first week or so.....sometimes it's because they're dropping their calories to dangerous levels (IMO)....sometimes it's because they have a lot to lose, so those individuals tend to drop more each week (early on)....sometimes it's just their own metabolism. Whatever the reason really makes no nevermind, as you need to focus on what's happening with YOU. Your menus look reasonable but there are a few things you can tweak. First off, remember that the 20 net carb limit is for Induction-acceptable foods. Having a small bit of macaroni, for instance, didn't really throw you over your limit, but it's not a proper food for Induction. The macaroni will spike your blood sugar and insulin which is NOT what you want. And was that pumpernickel bread? The small amount of wine you had may throw your body off for a couple of days, again, the exact timing varies by person. Although you're past 2 weeks on Induction (so theoretically you can add nuts and seeds), I'm not sure about the peanut butter. Usually, that's added once you're on the appropriate rung in OWL. For now, to get your body on a nice downward trend, I wouldn't go anywhere beyond Induction-approved foods....if in doubt, don't eat it. You might also consider dropping the Atkins bars - for now. They are known stallers for the people sensitive to the sugar alcohols in them. Until you've got Induction rolling nicely for you, I'd skip the bars. You can always test them out at a later point. Just a few tweaks and I think you'll resume dropping weight. Good luck.  

Every body is really different and while the guidelines are there to help, our bodies do very significantly. I can relay what has worked for. If you are very overweight and you have tried a number of diets. Your body may have become very effcient at reserving calories. If you might want to make sure that you have sufficient calories (may be 1200 calories) to assure that your body is NOT in starvation mode. There is some evidence that it is not enough to go low carb you must also go high fat (maybe 75-80%). if your body is like mind, in general metabolic failure, not only will carbs throw your weight loss off but sodium content. I ate a low carb/high salt meal, my weight jumped up and it took over a week before. I lost the gain weight. You might want to get ketone sticks, and determine whether you are ketosis. If you are in ketosis than you are using fat for fuel. I agree with Sandy, I think the munching on macroni, pumpernickel and the wine can all combine to sabotage your weight lost.  

Sandy701 Thanks for your comment really, I am a bit surprised about the pumpernickle and especially since I eat just a little bit of it and also the Atkins bars but I will stop that. the day I took the wine I knew even while I was doing it the consequences. I was hoping to get away with less than 100% but if that is what it takes I am willing to try it by the book, I thought I had a bit of room to adjust the menu to my likeness but I guess not for induction nha? I do want to loose weight bad enough I just hope I can keep to it. 

UjimaNell I always appreciate your feedback and your insight. I do have a lot of weight to loose but I have always eaten healthy most of my life, really of course I use to eat bread, and stuff but for a while it was only whole wheat bread. and I use to drink alcohol, and that not that often. I typically do not eat out. I generally use to cook my own food with lots of fresh produce, for years I have tried to eat the right things, very little sugar, no white starches etc I have felt that I have always done right to a good extend and I often thought that my main reason for not loosing weight was portion size but I guess this expedition is opening my eyes to the details. When I started Atkins about a month ago, someone on the Atkins website discouraged me from using the Ketose sticks, stating that it is just a waste of money (which they are expensive you have to admit) and that Ketosis does not really matter that much, so I stopped worrying about that but since I am incorporating yours and sandy701 advise to stick to the rules I might as well pick the sticks up as well. 

I have personally witnessed the gammet of 'keto stix' and their issues! Some people can use them, and gleen great info from them. Others can be 'clean as a whistle' with their eating plans, be losing weight consistently, and the darn stix never show any 'ketosis'. I'm not saying don't use them...I'm saying...learn about them! Just like learning about eating low carb. Sandy is absolutely right. Start from the beginning, and start over. Evaluate all of what is, and is NOT, in the Induction Rules, and food choices. Then build your menu's from there. Log everything here on the food tracker. After about two solid weeks of eating a strict, whole foods, natural and healthy choices - no artificial sweetners, no Atkins bars, none of that... so at the end of the two weeks, you can begin to tell if at that point you are in Ketosis... and if your weight has dropped. Even by a pound or two. Then everything can be 'tested' from there. Can your body tolerate the occasional snack of nuts? Maybe. But let's not worry about that until we are back at the Induction is working great...and you are losing aprox 1 pound a week (or more) consistently. This is a great way to eat (overall for a healthy lifestyle)...but it is not the 'magic bullet' soooo many people assume it is. (And Sandy was right about that too...alot of that has to do with the person...how much weight they have to lose, and the initial changes that cause a drop in water retained.) It's all good, if you can live with the changes and eat this way (protein, healthy fats, and healthy veggie carbs) for life! Let us know how you are getting along thru the next week or two as you go back and review to restart Induction. 

I have some of the same background. I have not starches, sweets, etc for years. Over the years, I have given up beans, nuts, etc. Even with lower than 20 net carbs, my ketones, even healthy veggie carbs are a problem for me. So I have been essentially eating very little carbs, I got a blood ketone meter. I check my blood ketones and my urine ketones. I plan to stay in ketosis until I loose most of my weight. I will use the blood ketone meter to determine what I can add back in. I suspect very little. With the stick, they work for me. I like them because they assure me that I am in ketosis. If you decide to use them, just remember that fluid intake can affect results. You should probably measure couple times a day to try to figure out when is the best time for you. You probably need to be consistently in induction for at least a couple of weeks.  

Thanks Guys! I am willing to learn and open to suggestions as you can probably tell by now that I am willing to be told what to do as far as I am convinced is the right thing I want to try it. My question is as I determined to do the right thing, I went back to the Atkins website to print out the induction Menu so that I can follow very strictly, and found they have lots of Atkins shakes and bars. I must have read that in the beginning that is why I have been eating and drinking them, I am not even drinking/eating as many as stated on the induction menu. I have no problem with dropping the bars for a while, but is that by the book? Full disclosure here, the 5 lbs that I lost, that was all in the 1st 10 days or so that I started Atkins! but since then - nothing!!! And I was in Ketosis the 2nd day after I started, like I said I kept using the stix and I was constantly in ketosis, that is why when someone made the comment on the Atkins website that the stix are just a waste of money I agree and stopped using them b'cos even though I was in ketosis I was not loosing anymore. it was then someone on the Atkins website suggested I register on Fatsecret to track my food intake even closer, b'cos on the Atkins website the food tracker there is not very comprehensive. that is why I came here. I am really open to any contributions, suggestions as you can tell, I take your suggestions seriously. 

Glad to know you are open to learning...and we can all learn from each other. So always filter mine..or anyone's info...thru your own lens! The Atkins Company has moved away from the original Dr. Atkins 'way of eating' in that...it used to be that you counted Total Carbs (not net) and they have figured out over time that the 'fiber grams' can be subtracted and not really have any overall impact on your losses. But then they stumbled into the arena of 'artificial sweetners and sugar alcohols'. And this is where it gets pretty tricky. Because each person's starting weight is different, and most people's sensitivity to things are different... the use of these products should be highly examined (slowly) to see how they affect your system (in regards to weight LOSS.) Perhaps as time goes on...you will be able to add in a bar here or there during a week or a month, and show no affect or no gain in regards to your weight. (great treat item for when you reach maintenance, for example.) But over and over, I have seen countless people do everything 'right' - but when I look over their food menu's ... there are those darn BARS! They are known to stall people out, and people get frustrated and soon give up, because they think the low carb eating just doesn't work. That is why - there are a few other items as well - that you have to become incredibly familiar with what is on, and is not on... the Inductions Food list. Even though their website says you can eat these...doesn't mean you really can. If they stall you..you can eat them..but you will go nowhere, fast! Some people can have some issues w/ getting the percentages right. 65-70% Healthy Fats, 20-25% Protein, and 5-10% Carbs. All of these carbs should be 20net g's / day, and of those...13-15g's should be from VEGGIES. The fats and proteins will keep you full, satisfied and generally not feeling 'hungry'. The veggies...become a challenge sometimes to actually eat that much! Add some butter to your veggies. Use coconut oil for cooking. Or Olive oil. Use things like whole mayo, heavy cream, olives, etc... and find menu choices to reach those percentages, try to stay around 14-1600 calories per day, and always be drinking your water (so your liver doesn't have to work so hard to process toxins / fat out of the body, but can flush them out and process FAT instead.) Each day, every day...you should be drinking about 1/2 your body weight in water ounces. Ex: 200 lbs = 100 oz.'s of water. (you can squeeze a lemon wedge into a water bottle if you prefer a little flavor.) 

Some people can only eat (for example) 1-2 oz of cheese per day. (where the Atkins site says you can have 3-4 oz.'s). Some people, like myself, sat still ALSO for over 6 weeks...and I was desperate to figure out why I had been losing...but now I was not... and someone pointed out to me that the arificial ingredients in the Sugar Free Jello I was eating, was likely my culprit. (I was pretty pissed!) WHAT? I kinda felt like I had already given up a thousand things I liked, and I didn't even really like the jello that much...but it seemed 'wrong' that I had to give that up too! OK - I'll give it up for two weeks. BOOM! My weight started coming off again. It was the only possible option at the time, as every other single solitary item I ate was whole, healthy, natural foods. Meat. Fish. Chicken. Eggs. Bacon. Veggies. Salad. Etc. REALLY? Jello is gonna do me in? LOL! I began to lose one pound, or two pounds some weeks...consistently. I found a lot of tasty ways to make the same 6-7 meals not get so boring. Rinse and repeat...and I kept losing until I reached near my goal, and then I moved on into OWL. All I am saying, is this is something that can be figured out. But you will need to be very particular about recording everything you eat each day, so that if things don't start moving in the next week or two, people can look at your food menus and help you play detective. 

Jsfantome thanks alot, great comments ( and funny too!) oh absolutely! I mean I like the bars and all, but as I said I am serious enough that I am willing to drop anything for a while if it helps me figure this thing out. so out goes the bars, in comes the stix. I am doing good on the water especially since this summer has been hot. I take the pains to measure it out just to be sure - following the Atkins website, once I get through 12 eight oz cups, any water I drink after that I consider bonus points (I normally get to my 12th cup right around dinner time so depending on what I eat for dinner I may add up to 2-3 cups before bed) I plan to continue recording my food and execise, I want to be sure that before I say Atkins did not work for me that I would have really given it a good try and time. I will keep on listening and learning and keep on trying, like I said keep telling myself to be patient.