tips or advice from Atkin dieters please?

livestrong65

Switched half way the week from Dukan to Atkins Diet Lost only 1 lbs. I exercise 3 times a week (45 min to an hour on my road bike) and think the weight loss should be more so I did something wrong I think.
Sigh, hard to be motivated if you only lose 1-2 lbs a week. Any Atkins tips, advice, please?
(I have times I feel I'm starving and don't give in....read something about that eating less brings your body in starvation mode and doesnt make you lose weight. I am honest to myself and know I did not 'cheat' because that only hurts myself.)

Circapaleo

It's hard to say without knowing what you are eating. If you make your food diary public, you could get some input on it.

strawmama

Sigh, hard to be motivated if you only lose 1-2 lbs a week. Any Atkins tips, advice, please?

1-2 pounds a week is GOOD. My first month on Atkins I only lost about a pound a week--I felt like crap the first week adjusting, but now, 5 weeks into it--I feel great. I think my biggest loss so far has been 3lbs in one week--and that only happened once. A slower loss is a healthier one, and you're more likely to keep the weight off too.

nancycaregiver

One of my favorite things I read in the Atkins book was "Don't let yourself be hungry". There are so many things that have 0 or 1 carb. Some people lose weight rapidly at first like I did and others not so fast like strawmama. I think it has a lot to do with how overweight you are. Either way, a loss is a loss! You should be happy that you are going down instead of up!!

Eat, plan your meals and watch out for hidden carbs. A lot of things have sugar in it that you may not realize. I have a cured ham in my fridge right now. Meat is supposed to have 0 carbs, right? But it is a SUGAR cured ham. Read labels.

Also, you should not be concerned about calories on Atkins but if you are way under for several days you could go into starvation mode. You can count on feeling not so great the first few days. Your body has to adjust to the lower sugar intake. But after about a week, you will feel great. Give it some time and keep it up. You're doing great!

praxisproject

1 pound is good, 2 pounds is great

Keep in mind if you're changing plans, you may also slow down while your body re-adjusts, don't make too many changes in a single week if you want to measure your results.

I find eating too little is a much bigger staller for me than eating too much, counter-inuitive, but it's what works for me. If I'm hungry still, I'll have extra protein and fat rather than extra carbs, it keeps my blood sugar even.

I've learned so much since opening up my diary, I highly recommend it Sometimes an outside view helps you see clearer.

ILovePink77

I have been doing Atkins for over 8 years. It could be your metabolism plus muscle weighs more than fat. I would go more by how your clothes fit than the scales. I rarely weigh myself as it can be so discouraging. You lose faster on induction that just watching your carbs. Like it was suggested read the book.

sallyaj

I'm losing a pound a day -- but I'm doing the 1972 version of Atkins Induction. It's a lot stricter -- just meat and eggs and cheese really with a few cups of lettuce -- but by day 2 or 3 hunger/cravings completely turn off and the weight just melts off you.

I'm going to try to sustain it two weeks, then turn to carb cycling.

sgh10

I think a 1-2lb weight loss a week is good tonight also need to check your calories as well it does say that in the book that I have but keep going it can take time to adjust.good luck and take care

sallyaj

Well I'm up a pound today. But that's okay. I'm eating right on plan and trusting it will work the way it has done before.

Tonight I'm making sausage and peppers.

Next week I'm having crustless quiche for breakfasts, wedge of iceberg lettuce with full fat blue cheese dressing and crumbled bacon for lunches, beef in mushroom cream sauce for dinners.

What's everyone else planning food-wise?

LaJaunaF

I'm losing a pound a day -- but I'm doing the 1972 version of Atkins Induction. It's a lot stricter -- just meat and eggs and cheese really with a few cups of lettuce -- but by day 2 or 3 hunger/cravings completely turn off and the weight just melts off you.

I'm going to try to sustain it two weeks, then turn to carb cycling.

Explain the carb cycling, please. If you mean carb loading and then fasting from carbs you are setting yourself up for a big disappointment.

Smuterella

I'm losing a pound a day -- but I'm doing the 1972 version of Atkins Induction. It's a lot stricter -- just meat and eggs and cheese really with a few cups of lettuce -- but by day 2 or 3 hunger/cravings completely turn off and the weight just melts off you.

I'm going to try to sustain it two weeks, then turn to carb cycling.

Explain the carb cycling, please. If you mean carb loading and then fasting from carbs you are setting yourself up for a big disappointment.

Why - it seems to work for a lot of people...

darleyschroeder

Well I'm up a pound today. But that's okay. I'm eating right on plan and trusting it will work the way it has done before.

Tonight I'm making sausage and peppers.

Next week I'm having crustless quiche for breakfasts, wedge of iceberg lettuce with full fat blue cheese dressing and crumbled bacon for lunches, beef in mushroom cream sauce for dinners.

What's everyone else planning food-wise?

your meals sound awesome, especially the lunch!

I need to go grocery shopping still..so for a while I will be eating eggs, cheese, chicken, fish, artichokes, onions and the last bit of stir fry veggies I have.

ericlamkin

I started atkins a little over 3 weeks ago and i've already lost 12 pounds. Probably a lot of water weight but i definitely feel better and will continue induction for another 30lbs or so. I've also weighed myself more than once a day a few times and noticed anywhere between a 3 and 5 lb weight fluctuation so it could depend on when you're weighing yourself. Also, as others have said, if you're working out, take your measurements. Muscle definitely weighs more than fat but I would definitely try to stick it out for a period of time.

GiGiBeans

The biggest tip I'd give you is to be doing a happy dance if you're losing 1 - 2 lbs a week, 50 years old and only have 20 to lose! You're doing great.

NurseSturgill

My husband and I have been doing the Atkins diet since the first of the year. We have been pretty successfull. I have lost over 20lbs and my husband of 30lbs so far.

You mentioned feeling hungry and worried about giving in. The first week/couple of weeks you do feel like you are starved. It's ok. EAT! Don't go way overboard, but eat when you are hungry. After you get through the Atkins "flu" your hunger becomes less and less. I actually have to remind myself to eat sometimes because my hunger levels are that low at this point.

Once you get in the grove it's easy to lose several lbs a week. My first week I only lost 2lbs, but the second week I lost about 7 lbs. It has slowed a little since then and I have been losing about 2-4 lbs a week (depending).

I would absolutely not recommend carb reloading. Some people have success with it, but I have tried it in the past and it made me feel bloated and miserable for several days. I also had to suffer through the atkins "flu" again which was no fun. For me it was just a gateway to failing. Pretty much after I tried it once, I failed within the next week. Got the taste of carbs and that's all she wrote (for me at least).

emstethem

There are many factors that could be hindering your weight loss...yeast is a problem...you could have an overgrowth in your gut and not even be aware of it. I suggest taking a clove of garlic a day (or a garlic supplement) to cure this problem if you have it. Also, be aware that you may have an allergy that you are not aware of...allergies will hinder your weight loss...if you have an allergy to mold-avoid cheese and nuts. Also, you could be sensitive to sugar alcohols...maybe best not to consume them while you are trying to lose weight...add them later, when you've reached your fitness goals... also, you may have a slow thyroid (or metabolism) and not even be aware of it...a simple blood test to check your TSH levels will answer this question. Make sure you are measuring your vegetables very carefully too...this was one of my problems... And make sure you are getting your calories or more! If you don't reach your calories goals (I say 1500 or more a day) your body might lock down as well... Oh, and drink your water...or you'll regret it... Learned this the hard way as well... Good luck. Sorry for your struggle.

LaJaunaF

I'm losing a pound a day -- but I'm doing the 1972 version of Atkins Induction. It's a lot stricter -- just meat and eggs and cheese really with a few cups of lettuce -- but by day 2 or 3 hunger/cravings completely turn off and the weight just melts off you.

I'm going to try to sustain it two weeks, then turn to carb cycling.

Explain the carb cycling, please. If you mean carb loading and then fasting from carbs you are setting yourself up for a big disappointment.

Why - it seems to work for a lot of people...

Atkins requires that you stick with your plan. If you keep going off and on the plan you are setting yourself up for great disappointment. When you carb load after being on Atkins for a while (depleting your glycogen stores) and then carb load your body goes into glycogen storage mode and you start to gain water weight and you will start to have cravings again. Why would you want to fight that beast again? The greatest benefit of Atkins is doing away with the cravings for crap foods. Just my 2 cents.

fire34116

Awesome info!!! Bumping to read later

tami6543

I have found that calories must stay around 1200 & carbs below 20 & no processed food like Atkins shakes & bars. This has worked better for me than all the other times I've tried to do Atkins. Two days into it my bloated tummy went down & I'm losing a pound per day this first week.