Low carb help? Only lost 3 lbs?

mandapanda721

So I recently started Atkins and started going to the gym and I feel great! I have been on induction for a week now, but I have only lost 3 pounds I have gone from 136 to 133, and have stayed at 133 for 2 days now. Is this normal? My goal weight is 125, but I'm going to go down to 120 so that when I gain water weight back from slowly reintroducing carbs, my weight will go up to 125.
Anyway, I think my food journal is public. I may be going over my carb limit a few days, but its still pretty darn low. Like on one of my bad days I must have had about 40 net carbs. Can anyone analyze and give me some advice?
Is it because I dont have much weight to lose that I am not dropping all of this water weight?
The password is....*drumroll*....."password"! I'm lazy.

ngyoung

3lbs in a week is good. In the long term you will likely average 1lb a week. You are also don't seem to be far from your ideal weight being in the 130s. You will likely see more results in changes to your body composition vs extreme weight loss. As long as you feel like your workouts are improving week to week you are making progress.

Mokey41

So you lost 3 lbs in a week and that doesn't make you happy? You shouldn't be trying to lose more than 1% of your bodyweight per week to start with and being close to goal I'd be happy with a half pound per week. You won't pull Biggest Loser numbers and shouldn't even expect that. Those 3 initial pounds were probably water weight from going low carb. Slow down, have realistic expectations and lose in a sustainable manner.

mandapanda721

Yes I guess you guys are right.... I just heard you;re supposed to lose a lot of water weight. Oh well! At least I'm losing something!

KathryneJY

For someone your size, your water weight won't be much. It sounds like 3lbs is about right. Also, your weigtht loss will be slower than someone who has a lot to lose. It might take you 10 or more weeks to lose 15 lbs with focus on diet and exercise. Your body doesn't have a lot of fat to draw on for energy, so be very mindful of how much carb restriction you are doing in order to avoid ketoacidosis. I was able to stay on induction for 6 weeks without doing damage to my body, but I was more than 50 lbs overweight. Also note, I gained all that back. I'm still doing lowish carb, but not as extreme as Atkins induction. The weight loss is slower, but more maintainable.

I'm no expert, but it seems Atkins is more geared toward people who have diet and weight induced insulin resistance. I don't think it would benefit someone like you as much since you are probably not in a category where carbs will have as big an impact on your body.

What made you decide to go the low carb diet route rather than counting calories and exercise? You might be better to go the weight training route to burn off that extra fat you want to get rid of.

mandapanda721

Well, I have a history of yo-yoing
IT started when I was 16 and weighed 143 lbs. I was able to get all the way down to 115. At first, I did it healthily, eating about 1500 calories and playing soccer, but this only allowed me to go down to 127 lbs. I lost the remaining 10 pounds eating only 500-1000 calories a day, until people starting noticing my weight loss and showing concern.
My relationship with food became unhealthy. Losing weight was addicting, but I would go through patters of starving and binging. Eventually Thanksgiving and Christmas this year screwed me over, and ever since then I've lost control and went all the way up to 140 again. Now it is hard for me to lose weight, and eating on a reduced calorie and exercise plan just wont cut it.
The effects of a low carb diet seem to show a speeding up of the metabolism and preservation of muscle. I lose 4 pounds dieting and exercising, then another 3 on low carb and exercising. I do strength training 2 times a week and cardio 3 times a week. I want to change my body composition to lose fat and gain muscle. If I can't gain muscle then at least I'll lose fat... I don't want to be super skinny anymore, just slim enough to fit into my shorts and jeans. I'm a pear shape : /

KathryneJY

Well, I have a history of yo-yoing
IT started when I was 16 and weighed 143 lbs. I was able to get all the way down to 115. At first, I did it healthily, eating about 1500 calories and playing soccer, but this only allowed me to go down to 127 lbs. I lost the remaining 10 pounds eating only 500-1000 calories a day, until people starting noticing my weight loss and showing concern.
My relationship with food became unhealthy. Losing weight was addicting, but I would go through patters of starving and binging. Eventually Thanksgiving and Christmas this year screwed me over, and ever since then I've lost control and went all the way up to 140 again. Now it is hard for me to lose weight, and eating on a reduced calorie and exercise plan just wont cut it.
The effects of a low carb diet seem to show a speeding up of the metabolism and preservation of muscle. I lose 4 pounds dieting and exercising, then another 3 on low carb and exercising. I do strength training 2 times a week and cardio 3 times a week. I want to change my body composition to lose fat and gain muscle. If I can't gain muscle then at least I'll lose fat... I don't want to be super skinny anymore, just slim enough to fit into my shorts and jeans. I'm a pear shape : /

I'm sorry to hear baout your food relationship problems in the past. I'm glad you have overcome it. I am a beliver in low carb and it can be beneficial. However, when I did it a few years ago, it changed my relationship with food to an unhealthy one. I obsessed over carb counts and peeing on the ketone strip. I couldn't maintain that kind of vigilance and when I gave it up, I really gave it up and put all the weight back on. 20g is super low, but I hope it works for you. Just be sure to get lots of fibre and to supplement if needed. Don't let yourself get too obsessed by it. Go tp phase 2 as soon as you can. Cutting out a macro like that can do wonky things to your body. If you are going to obsess, do it in the gym. Add another weight day and lift heavy.

Just as an aside, I found some old test strips the other day and tested. I'm in ketosis and eating around 90-120g of carbs a day and losing on average about two pounds a week, so just know it is possible to do without going down to 20g. I do work out 6 times a week. 3 days in the weight room, 3 in the pool, and daily walks. I am 50 lbs heavier than you, though so YMMV.

psuLemon

If you have been a yo yo dieter why would you do another diet? Why not learn how and what to eat to do this for a lift time. Also, an active 18 yr old has the ability to eat a lot more calories than what you are eating. One of the issues you are facing is you keep going back to low cal diets which arent good for you. Most of the women I know your age are eating 1800 + calories and losing weight. The issue with lcd's is you tend to lose more muscle which can hurt long term results and caus3 you to binge.

My best advice is drop aktins and start learning how to eat. Start with 1500 and eventually but it up a few hundred calories. Also, work on getting whole lean meats, fresh fruits and veggies. Also develop a good workout routine that consist of weught training and some cardio. If you see that success will come and stay.

goldfishgoo

I found that dropping bread was not helping at all for me. In fact, I actually GAINED weight. But that is not for everyone. It did, however, help when I started to make my own bread...I control what goes in the bread, no preservatives, etc. I don't get all fancy either: just regular, run of the mill (HA! no pun intended but...) bread machine bread. I make the dough and pop it in the oven. I also control how much I make and how much I take in. The recipe I use does not use any sugar. Still not the epitome of "health" and that is fine. I can have a little and be satisfied at least.

Mokey41

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The effects of a low carb diet seem to show a speeding up of the metabolism and preservation of muscle.

It did neither of those things.

I want to change my body composition to lose fat and gain muscle.

You won't gain muscle eating at a deficit.

If I can't gain muscle then at least I'll lose fat... I don't want to be super skinny anymore, just slim enough to fit into my shorts and jeans. I'm a pear shape : /

You'll lose muscle, probably retain your body fat and feel crappy. What you are doing is very disordered eating and not healthy. I realize that you're 18 and indestructible. I also sense that you really don't want advice but affirmation that what you are doing is right. It's not.

cingle87

I will appologies in advance if what Im about to say comes across as rude, blames the internet. 3lb a week and you're not happy? granted in my first week I lost 5lb but I was 80+lb overweight so I had alot more to loose than yourself.

What an OP mentioned the Atkins dieting is not something I personally think you should be doing. If you have a history of Yo-yo dieting then once you are off the Atkins dieting and eating "normall" from what alot of people have said you will gain alot of the weight back. Its a good diet for the short term, a horrible diet for the long term.

Its hard to gain muscle on defict unless your are morbinly obese. Your body needs fuel to repair your muscles after you lift, because what happens when you lift you create micro tears in your muscle fibres whic your body then stiches back together to create bigger stronger muscle. Now If you dont have much bf to loose or are eating a defict, the last thing your body will use what little calories its getting is for building muscle, its all used to keeping you alive.

On the body composition, its the same as building muscles unfortuantly. You cant build muslce so its will be hard to change your body shape. SPOT reduction is a total and utter myth, so when your body uses your bf its will take it from where ever it wants, so again under a defict you cant control what parts of your body will change.

There are thing that you can do to help though, if you do lift while on a defict, although you wont be building "muscle" above the noobie gains, you will increase your strength as your body adapts, and also help you to retain LBM for when your bf% decrease.

Hope this helped, give us shout if you want to ask any more question

mandapanda721

Alright yall.
This is just induction. I am going to SLOWLY reintroduce carbs. I'm not going to go back to "eating normal", as that implies eating white bread, sugar, desserts and crap. My diet after losing weight is going to consist of meat, veggies, fruits, nuts, whatever. This is not a quick fix, it is a lifestyle change.
As for not eating enough, I'm simply not hungry enough to eat 1800+ calories. Maybe once in a while on a weekend I have gone up to 2000 but that was when I exercised too. I really think it was the diet soda and grazing that made my body put on weight for the second time.
Also, I am not trying to spot reduce. I know where my body loses weight... my hips, thighs, and butt. That's where it is going to come off. By body composition, I meant that I want to lose fat but keep muscle, not necessarily gain any.
If I eat low carb and am in a deficit but I lift weights, will I lose fat and preserve muscle mass? I read somewhere that they did a study of two groups of women lifting weights. The low carb group lost fat and gained no muscle, and the high carb group gained muscle but kept fat.
Thanks for your input everyone. As for the nagging, I'm sure you're just trying to help, hehe.

MoniMoni2u

How tall are you?

mandapanda721

5'4

Mokey41

You seriously need to educate yourself about diet and nutrition. No, fat will not just come off your hips, butt and thighs. Fat deposits are everywhere on your body. You may carry more in those spots than others but it's still everywhere. You won't gain or maintain muscle mass eating low calories. It just doesn't work that way and eating low carb for the rest of your life doesn't guarantee not gaining weight. Bread, sugar, desserts and crap are not evil, they don't make you fat. Eating too much makes you fat. Plain and simple.

It's totally in your head that you can't eat more. You can eat as many calories as you want, you just have to make different food choices. Eat calorie dense foods, peanut butter, avocado, full fat dairy, meat, eggs, nuts. You're young and have already developed some bad ideas about food, dieting and weight so in order to avoid a life time of yo yoing and the inherent health risks, take the time to listen to what people are telling you now. You keep making excuses for why you plan to continue doing what you're doing. Don't ask for advice if you aren't willing to listen and take it in.

getyourbeans

You seriously need to educate yourself about diet and nutrition. No, fat will not just come off your hips, butt and thighs. Fat deposits are everywhere on your body. You may carry more in those spots than others but it's still everywhere. You won't gain or maintain muscle mass eating low calories. It just doesn't work that way and eating low carb for the rest of your life doesn't guarantee not gaining weight. Bread, sugar, desserts and crap are not evil, they don't make you fat. Eating too much makes you fat. Plain and simple.

It's totally in your head that you can't eat more. You can eat as many calories as you want, you just have to make different food choices. Eat calorie dense foods, peanut butter, avocado, full fat dairy, meat, eggs, nuts. You're young and have already developed some bad ideas about food, dieting and weight so in order to avoid a life time of yo yoing and the inherent health risks, take the time to listen to what people are telling you now. You keep making excuses for why you plan to continue doing what you're doing. Don't ask for advice if you aren't willing to listen and take it in.

I think when she said she loses off her hips and thighs, she meant that's where it goes from first. To be fair, I always say I lose like a melting candle - face, boobs, belly then legs last. Of course there are fat cells everywhere but my initial obvious places to lose are always upper body.

I hate that a lot of people on this site word their responses in an unnecessarily aggressive way - everyone has to start somewhere, maybe this thread is the thread that will help OP begin to consider changes to her routine. Your last line was just totally unnecessary.

OP, if I understand your comment correctly, I gather what you're saying is you want to lose fat and preserve muscle mass. With any weight loss there's going to be some loss of LBM along with the fat - my understanding of maximising fat loss and minimising LBM loss is to incorporate strength training into your routine, eat at a MODERATE deficit (so probably a few hundred higher than the 1200 your on - TDEE -20% might be a good place to start) and eat at least one gram of protein per lean pound of body weight. Atkins presumably covers the protein requirements, but you should definitely consider upping your calories and incorporating a strength training workout. Weight loss is a constant battle and I absolutely understand the desire to race to the finish line, but sometimes slow and steady really is the best approach. Good luck in meeting your goals!

annakow

3lbs a week is to much, you will get it back, double. The only way is slowly but steady. It takes months to lose weight, you won't change in few weeks. Losing weight is life changing long process. Good luck.
Change your mind and your body will change.

crimsontech

I think you've lost just about what you were supposed to lose. Your diary seems to show that you're averaging 40-60 carbs per day. Atkins induction is supposed to be 0-20 carbs per day. You are probably not in full ketosis just yet, but the calorie deficit and reduced glycogen stores are where that 3 pounds went.

You can buy ketosis test strips from any pharmacy over-the-counter to see if you're in ketosis. If you keep doing what you're doing, you will probably continue to see 0.5-1.5 pounds per week. If you can cut the carbs a bit more, I think you'll see a more consistent 1.5-2.5 pounds per week. I wouldn't expect huge drops when you don't really have all that much to lose.

My first week of low-carb was through a medically-supervised very low calorie, low carb diet plan. I lost over 12 pounds in the first week but I was only eating 500-800 calories per day and no carbs (0-10 carbs/day). After that, I lost about 5 pounds a week for the 3 weeks I did it. I stopped because it wasn't a lifestyle change I could live with and I didn't want to pay $80 per week to see the doctor. I went back to 1200-1500 calories per day and kept that weight off and lost more on top of that. (Also, you won't have these results because I was about 320 pounds when I started low carb and 281 right now!)

I'm not telling you my experience to try and talk you out of it. I just wanted to qualify my statements and opinions so you can decide for yourself whether I'm full of $*** or not. Overall, I think low carb is a great way to trim some pounds so long as you realize that once you go back on carbs, you will gain 3-5 pounds of water weight back when your glycogen stores refill. Most people, without knowing that fact, will think they have ruined their diet and will go back to old (bad) habits and end up gaining the weight back (and then some). Having a plan for going to maintenance mode is a VITAL component to ANY weight loss plan, regardless of how you lose the weight in the first place!

Good luck to you!

mugsy303

3lbs in a week is great, I would be delighted. Stick in there you are doing fab.

psuLemon

Do you work out and if so, how often and what do you do?

msjames1999

3lbs in a week is great, I would be delighted. Stick in there you are doing fab.

I would love to lose 3 pounds a week too!

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