Experienced Atkins Folks... Help!
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Teach4Hisglory
Posts: 48 Member
I did Atkins a few years ago with great success, but as I began working out I was encouraged to add carbs back into my diet. Long story short... I went carb crazy, and when circumstances changed so I wasn't working out like crazy, I packed the pounds back on. Now I'm back to the trusty Atkins, but I'm not seeing the same success this time. In the first week, I only lost 6 pounds. This week I lost 1 and haven't budged in 4 days. I have to get moving again, but I was waiting until induction was over so I don't feel so jittery. I know my carbs are in range, so I don't know why I've already stalled. I have TONS of weight to lose, so it's not that I'm close to goal. Any advice?
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I read on here that there is a 'week 2' issue of not losing much weight...I didn't in week 2. Lost bugger all...but after that it's been coming off easily. Stick with it
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This might not be the message you want to hear but " It takes as long as it takes." I am a second time around Atkins follower. The first time about 10 years ago - I lost 50 pounds from January to May. I have been on Atkins the second time since January 2013 and I am down 56 pounds - very slow this time around but my focus this time is maintenance versus just getting to goal. I've lost weight plenty of times just never managed to maintain. I always ask myself "what will I do when I get to goal?" and the answer is the same thing I am doing now - eating less/following low carb and moving more. Keep doing what you are doing and the scale will move - take measurements too - because you are changing even when the scale is not moving!! Best wishes for an on-plan day!!0
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you say your "carbs are in range" ,, what is your range, are you using straight carb count, or net carb count?0
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you say your "carbs are in range" ,, what is your range, are you using straight carb count, or net carb count?
I'm shooting for 20 or fewer net carbs per day. I haven't found a great way to track that on MFP, so I set my macros so that carbs are 10%. After fiddling with the numbers, I landed on 10% (as opposed to the recommended 5%) because the fiber must be subtracted. As I've checked the numbers each day, I'm averaging 14g. net carbs. No day has been over 21.
I do have a bit of difficulty getting the large percentage of fat into my diet because of my tastes. (i.e. I can eat egg whites all day, but I really struggle with yolks. I can eat whole eggs scrambled, but I cannot just eat yolks as the fat fast recommends. I've also been a meat trimmer my whole life. It's hard to go outside of that box...) Is it possible that too much protein is the cause of the stall?
Am I off-base in my calculations?0 -
Thanks for the help so far! :flowerforyou:0
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Oh... I almost forgot...
I've been using the Ketostix (even though I've read that they can be unreliable). I'm not seeing that I am producing (or at least releasing) many ketones. The color is hanging between medium and trace ketones. Should I invest in a blood ketone meter? The strips are killer expensive, but I don't know what could be throwing off the ketosis. I'm motivated to succeed, but that motivation will continue to waver without results...0 -
Have you tried Ebay for test strips? I'm unsure what the price is like over in the USA but here in the UK i bought 200 tests for £6.50 (think thats about $10) from Ebay. you may even find a UK seller willing to ship to you cheaper than you can buy locally.
Just an idea.0 -
sugar alcohols and "net" carbs can make your keto strips never change, how many carbs are you eating each day as a whole before subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols?,, those things effect people very differantly, many people have posted here this has stalled them , some have reported that "atkins bars" or low carb bars have stalled them, or low carb ice cream or snacks with sugar alcohols or mysterious fiber on the lable ,0
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"Only 6 pounds" doesn't make sense, and you have not "stalled". You dropped water weight first week in. You may not have had as much as before, but 6lbs is not worthy of an "only" in the slightest. Don't compare your current experience to any past experience or the experience of anyone else. You only set yourself up for disappointment using data that does not pertain to your specific case.
Second week, a 1lb loss is a loss. It is not a stall in any way whatsoever. You are setting yourself up with some unrealistic expectations and that's not going to end well.
When your weight loss slows down, your glycogen stores have most likely been depleted and you are transitioning to losing fat. Fat is estimated at 3500 per pound, whereas glycogen is 500 per pound. Slowed weight loss after transitioning to fat burning is a good thing. It counts for much more than glycogen and water weight.
As for the urine test strips, you misunderstand their purpose. You're either in or you're out. It's binary for our purposes. You will not see there whether you are in a greater degree of ketosis. Those strips measure excess ketones in the urine .This can mean that if your body is producing and using the ketones efficiently, you may get a false negative or a pale reading. If your urine is concentrated from not drinking enough water or your production of ketones is heightened, it will be darker. Do not rely so heavily on this marker. The color does not mean as much as many think it does.
Blood ketone meter will be much more accurate, yes. Not necessary for everyone, but if you'd like that to use as a measurement tool, sure! I do not use one because I find it unnecessary for myself.
Too much protein can stall you, yes, but you are not stalled. Do not limit your protein in order to break a non-stall, as you need the protein to ensure you will not lose lean body mass along with the fat. 0.8g per lb of LBM is the standard. You can use this site to calculate your macros if you'd like: http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
If you'd like to add more fat but are a meat trimmer and don't like yolks, try using cream cheese or heavy cream to make sauces for your veggies. You can have some tuna salad with full fat mayonnaise (I use olive oil mayo as it's lower in calories). More olive oil on your salad. Roast your veggies in plenty of olive oil. Top your meats with a pat of butter to melt. There are plenty of ways to increase your fat macro.0 -
Walmart sells 50 test strips for $6. Look in the diabetes section near pharmacy.0
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Thanks for the tips. I'm still pretty much stuck, but I have something to work with. I did purchase the blood ketone meter, and my reading was only 0.5. (I've looked into the Nova Max ketone strips on Ebay, but you can order them at $2/strip directly from the manufacturer. I think some folks are confusing blood glucose strips, which are very inexpensive at Walmart.) I'm going to eliminate all artificial sweeteners in my tea and water enhancer and eliminate Atkins products for the next week or two to see if something changes.
Thanks also for the Keto Calculator website link! That was extremely helpful!
Happy low-carbing, folks.0 -
The ones I got are for determining Ketosis. Pretty inexpensive. Im stalling out too btw. Not sure why. Its extremely frustrating. Send me a message if you want to talk further. Best of luck!0
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Thanks for all the advice. I have found my magic bullet (at least for awhile) - MACADAMIA NUTS! Unfortunately, I've been living a low fat diet since I was a child, and it is REALLY hard to find fatty foods that I like. (I'm one of those weird people with an extreme aversion to slimy textures and strong tastes... So that eliminates dressings, mayo, aged cheeses, etc.) After being stuck for another week, I was desperate for something that would help push me into optimal ketosis. Macadamia nuts are the key for me. I love the crunchy and salty fix, and they are high enough in fat that they can up my fat macro, without raising the protein macro too high. By replacing a few meals a day with Macadamias, I've gone from blood ketone readings of 0.1-0.6 to a steady 1.5 in 2 days. My blood sugar also dropped from the upper 90's to the low to mid 80's. I'm so happy to have found something that works for me! Have a happy Friday!0
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I have also found that doing atkins the second time around is harder as well!!!! Im yo-yo ing between 3-4 lbs! The first time i did atkins, it came off so easily!!! Now its like pulling teeth to get it off!
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It will still be SO worth it! Today I'm struggling a bit with wanting to eat ANYTHING that is NOT low-carb, but I know how it will make me feel. It's encouraging to know that the process will work in time. Hang in there and have a spectacular Saturday!0
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This lowcarb is amazing, and I sure don't get hungry! I'm on my 3rd day and have already lost 3 pounds!0
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This lowcarb is amazing, and I sure don't get hungry! I'm on my 3rd day and have already lost 3 pounds!
That's wonderful! Congratulations!!!0 -
Rockstar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!This lowcarb is amazing, and I sure don't get hungry! I'm on my 3rd day and have already lost 3 pounds!0
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This lowcarb is amazing, and I sure don't get hungry! I'm on my 3rd day and have already lost 3 pounds!
That's great. Im on my 3rd week of atkins now, and have lost 17lbs0 -
Love how positive you all are.
I found a few Atkins blogs, and the big advice there was to stay away from the Atkins products and follow the original book. I'm doing that, though I haven't been subtracting fiber to get net carbs---just following my MFP totals to see if it hit 20 carbs. I'm only a week in and it is my first time doing Atkins. Hoping to lose 45 by my 45th birthday in November, but also open to sticking with it as long as it takes.0
