Low-carb approaches - how long to see progress?

castadiva
castadiva Posts: 2,016 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Just wondering how long it took to see some scale movement once you started eating a low-carb diet? I'm trying a no bread/potato/rice/grain regime in slight desperation, having been stuck on a plateau of around six months' duration, and so far (admittedly only a week), no movement at all, despite being at a deficit for the week, and eliminating these things which are supposed to be problematic for some people...

Edited to add: I have a condition similar to PCOS, which many say is improved by going low-carb, hence why I'm trying this approach to see if it makes a difference.

Replies

  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    It's going to vary greatly person to person. Many people see huge numbers quickly, mostly from water, a lot like people starting a deficit only diet. It could take weeks. And, it may not help you at all, again, it's just highly individual.
  • fitnessclare
    fitnessclare Posts: 5
    Hi there,
    I did the Dukan diet some while back which is about the same and the weight loss was about 5lbs for the first week and then slowed to around 2-3 a week, mind you I was eating a lot of carbs so my body was probably shocked an glad of the break!
  • alauzon
    alauzon Posts: 13 Member
    I eat low-carb keeping my net carbs between 20-25 a day with at least half of them coming from vegetables. When I started this new way of eating it only took about 3 days for the scale to move and I lost ten pounds in the first two weeks. I have since progressed to lose over 20 pounds and feel great. Everyone is different and loses at different paces depending on how close you are to your goal weight and what you are eating. Feel free to friend me and take a look at my diary I hope this helped in some way.
  • kriste1234
    kriste1234 Posts: 3 Member
    Hi, I just started the same type of diet. I lost 6 pounds in two weeks, but have not lost any on the third week. (I'm 48) I'm looking through my diet for hidden carbs and other offending foods/drinks. After reviewing my Atkins book, I realized I should not be having so much caffeine. What a bummer! I'm also going to lower my Splenda levels. Try diligently logging ALL your food/drink intake and maybe you'll find some hidden problems. Keep trying! (If you don't have an Atkins or other book-check it out from the library and save $$$.) Hang in there!
  • castadiva
    castadiva Posts: 2,016 Member
    More to add, it seems. I log diligently, as suggested, and have done for the last 18 months. I have lost 53lbs, without cutting out carbs, but only reducing them. The majority of my food is unprocessed. However, I have hit a plateau that has lasted about six months, and I am trying this to see if things get moving again - I'm aiming for another 25lbs or so lost in total. If it's not carbs/grains/simple starches etc, I guess I'll have to try eliminating something else next!
  • castadiva
    castadiva Posts: 2,016 Member
    OK...Trying this again. After eleven days of grain/simple starch-free eating, the scale has gone up 5lbs... Is this normal?? I'm still eating at a deficit that should allow me to lose 1lb/week, irrespective of protein/carb levels. Is this a temporary thing that will reverse in another few days/weeks, a la the 'Eat more to lose more' idea? Anyone?

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