feeling suspicious

[piglet8]

I started Atkins just over 6 weeks ago now and i cant shake off the feeling that its not going to work for me.
So far i have lost just under 6 kg, about 0.8kg a week, although a loss is a loss i did kind off expect more as i have a fair bit to loose. Am i just being greedy?!
I have had to stop weighing myself as i have fluctuated massively and is not loosing anything reliably on a week to week basis, which is not helping my worries. I have in the past on previous diets always lost fairly consistently every week (when i have stuck to it!) so i dont understand why im all over the shop! On the plus side i have no dramas with sticking to this way of eating and i never really experiencing any cravings as opposed to prev. diet attempts. So i suppose on balance its better to stick to something that i can confidently manage, i just wish it wasnt sooo slow and un reliable, I really cant imagine continued weightloss :sigh:

 

[TahjmansMum]

So you have lost a stone in 6 weeks. Are you drinking 3 litres of water a day?

Start a diary in the diary section and write down everything that goes in your mouth every day so you have a record of what is happening. Some people only weigh in once a month on Atkins.

Keep going, you are heading in the right direction.

 

[bluecatlady]

Hey Piglet8. I'm feeling exactly the same way.

I'm week 4 now. I lost 9lbs over induction weeks one and two, but week 3 I stayed the same and the same again so far this week, so technically 2lbs per week which is the average weight loss but I was expecting something more dramatic during induction and to continue at 2lbs per week after, so now I'm 4lbs behind my hoped schedual.
I am also finding this 'diet' pretty easy to stick too.

Personally I think i'm going to have to give it another couple of weeks. I'm still eating induction carbs and have added nothing weird so if i don't start losing again then I'll have to reconsider but I guess it just depends on how impatient you are, lol. It does seem weight loss is consistant downwards but inconsistant week to week on Atkins which is why so many weigh in once a month and use a tape measure to keep a track on body shape which will show if you are stalling or not.

Hope you can make a decision that you can stick too long term

 

[TahjmansMum]

We mustn't expect instant results ladies. Just keep going and stop weighing yourselves. Drink plenty of water and have a multi vitamin. Stay away from anything made with sugar or flour. Maybe lower your dairy intake a little to see if this makes a difference.

 

[moonlights]

There's s really good post somewhere about why Atkins is a woosh and stall diet - maybe someone can dig it out?

Thing is, it's normal. If your losses are averaging to 2lb a week then the diet is working perfectly for you though I know it's annoying to see the fluctuations.

For me, a diet where I lose a healthy amount a month and don't have trouble sticking to it is better than a hard and fast diet where I lies a lot quickly then fall off and put it back on (and I've done lots of those).

 

[Kat1e]

Good replies - i think the key to remember with atkins is that your body is changing even when you dont see a loss. Everyday you stick to it, the body is burning fat and sorting out it's insulin response all at the same time while you are eating real food and teaching yourself new habits. The success of a diet should be whether it comes off and whether you can keep it off. If you follow the phases (and that DOES mean you need to move to OWL at some pooint) then it can be very successful!

The thing that is abitrary is using scales to measure health and expecting our bodies to be linear and consistent in how they sort themselves out! If you feel good and enjoy the food - keep going! Look at my stats - it does work and those lbs add up significantly

 

[southwestgirl]

Have a read of this article - Of Whooshes and Squishy Fat.

Lots of us do indeed stall for a while, and then you get on the scales one morning and whoosh several pounds have disappeared. This article talks about why that happens, it hope it helps.

 

[4isnotenough]

At the end of the day Atkins is really a lifestyle as well as a weightless plan. The first couple weeks is usually a good loss, the week 3&4 on any diet is slow as the body is trying to figure out what is going on and what speed it's comfortable at burning up food.
It would be great to be able to eat what we like and have massive instant results but that won't happen. Rapid weight loss is not sustainable and any doctor will tell you 1 - 2lbs a week is healthy and more likely to stay off.

If you do want big results quickly you can consider VLCD for a while, but even VLCD results can be disappointing at times when you think that you are not eating food and working really hard. I've done VLCD too.


We are learning a new regime, this is for life, we never want to see that weight again. Please be happy with what you have achieved, don't be hard on yourself or the eating plan. At the end of the day you have lost weight, that is good.

It has taken me two years to lose my weight, I look back with some regret. Sometimes I regret taking two years not one year To lose weight..... But more often I regret not addressing my weight issues earlier. I'm a lot happier now and I know I can eat plenty without having majorly bad results. Consider where you would be if you weren't eating Atkins plan.

Sent from my iPad using MiniMins

 

[boggins]

My sister had a tough time, and at one point was eating just Atkins bars and shakes as this was the only way she could lose. Far from ideal, but needs must. In her case I am tempted to say it's a hormones thing. The Atkins-bar-only approach worked, but of course can't be maintained long term.

What I wouldn't do is assume that Atkins is wrong and that something else will work better- yet. As far as I can tell the science behind Atkins is sound, and the science behind other diets is less so. It may be that you need a short (SHORT) spell of no carbs (the Fat Fast), or perhaps intermittent fasting would help, or maybe there's something you're eating that's stalling you and you need to do an elimination diet to find out what. Maybe, for you, calories are a bigger issue than for other people and you need to reign in on portions more than others would.

Even today, when I know pretty much what I'm doing, I find I have to tweak stuff- cut down on that, cut this out completely, try adding that back...it's constant experimentation to work out what it is I should be eating. This week I've had 2 large MiMs. Keep rushing to the loo in a rather urgent way. So cutting back on that is this week's lesson!

 

[triage999]

Have a read of this article - Of Whooshes and Squishy Fat.

Lots of us do indeed stall for a while, and then you get on the scales one morning and whoosh several pounds have disappeared. This article talks about why that happens, it hope it helps.

Really good read!!

If you look at my diary I've been saying this for ages!!!

'Finally, many have reported whooshes following an evening which included alcohol. A mild diuretic, this would also tend to implicate water balance issues in the whoosh phenomenon.'

So now I know I'm not mad!!

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

 

[Kat1e]

Thanks - good link