Multiple posts have suggested lifting weights as a good idea which I agree with. My question is whether I should be trying to bulk up (heavy weights, low repetitions) or toning (lighter weights, high repetition). It seems like when I’m trying to bulk up, my body stops losing weight and I feel hungrier. I can see how the extra energy is needed to repair and rebuild muscle but I have no scientific evidence of this. So if lifting weights is a good idea, what is best?
Everyone is different. Muscle mass is denser than fat. So you will gain (some) weight with muscle bulk. More muscle mass boosts (most) metabolisms, so it makes sense that you would be hungrier. On the other hand, not disporportionately so, and I would guess that perception outweighs reality in most cases.
Consider the timing of what you eat, with respect to when you work out. Also fluid intake.
I started walking yesterday as per new incentive plan.
Explanation: when I am on ww. I reward myself per every four days on plan (journalling, etc., not weight loss: I never want to reward actual lbs lost). I decided that every day I exercise (even walk) for 20 minutes I will treat that as a ‘day’. So I get rewards quicker. This puts a high premium on exercise: 20 minutes exercise = 24 hours ‘on plan’. And even if it amounts to 4 days over a 2 week period (like, when I am travelling) it still counts.
239/221/144
Well, I weighed this morning and I’m down 6 lbs! I feel great, and have lots of energy dispite giving up caffiene, and my insomnia is much better.
I haven’t been craving bread or sweet stuff, but I am having trouble controlling my veggie habit. I never would have thought that 3 cups a day wouldn’t be enough, as before I’d barely choke them down.
Thanks for the tips on the ketosis taste. Gum didn’t do much, but I’vee been having my water with a slice of cucumber and that seems to work quite well.
Now I have a middle number!
216/210/150
Got weighed on Monday, down 1.2 kilo’s. Well pleased with that, hope I can keep it up.
194/171.5/172. I’m there, I’m done. Weighed the same last night, this morning, and tonight, so it’s not just a one-weighing fluke.
So, can I hang around while I try to maintain my weight, or should I start a thread for people trying to maintain their weight loss?
Congrats RT! While I’m not the starter of this thread, IMHO you should stay. Keep the rest of us motivated 
That being said, tomorrow I start walking on the treadmill. I have got to get some of this damn weight off and I’m tired of being “off the wagon”
Luna, even though Atkins says to give up caffeine during Induction, I never did. I get (or used to get) terrible migraines. I knew I could never live without my caffeine in the morning, and I did just fine on Induction with coffee (with Sweet & Low and real cream).
Congrats on the weight loss!
Ok folks,
My first official doper post
HI to all those I met at AnitaVacation’s party! This is Kathy (the tall redhead) I came with Olent.
I was reading the posts on weight loss and all that. Most people have to pretty much find what works for them for weight loss. I found mine through gastric bypass. I can do any diet and lose the weight, I just could never do maintenance…would always overeat. At maximum density I was 320 lbs and now I"m 220. Need to drop the last 40 but to be honest, I just haven’t worked on it. At 6’ tall I get away with a lot more. Been dealing with other issues in life. This year seems like a good year for resuming. I was up to running 5K’s before I became a walking health issue last year, so I’ll start running again.
Something for the women…if you are gaining weight from birth control pills switch to something else. Ortho Novum’s are known for causing weight gain. If you have the right pill/balance, it should not cause weight gain except for maybe a once a month 3-5 day bloat that we all love so dearly. You also should not be breaking out horribly on them. I had to try about 5 different ones before they found one that worked for me.
Also, do measurements not pounds. Especially if you’re working out. Measurements will show your progress better than pounds because of the difference in weight between lean muscle and body fat. You might think you’re not doing good because you haven’t lost any lbs when you, in reality, have lost inches.
The other thing you want to do is only weigh yourself once a week. Do NOT judge yourself on that weight. Do your monthly average. A person can fluctuate 10 lbs in a day (more or less). Also, if you’re trying to lose, make sure you’re getting enough fiber. If you want to lose the weight, you gotta keep the system running well to get it out. Benefiber is great, you can mix it in coffee or tea and never taste it, nor does it get all gross like Metamucil.
Good luck!
Welcome, Kathy! It was a pleasure talking with you that night.
We will begin assimilating you at once.
Most of your thoughts are good, but I think weekly v. more frequent weigh-ins depends on one’s particular psyche, quirks, and so forth. I can understand why some people will do better if they only weigh themselves once a week, but for me it’s exactly the opposite, especially when I’m not dieting but just trying to keep my weight constant. If I’m letting an overabundance of ‘bad’ foods creep into my diet, and I only weigh myself once a week, I can put on 10 pounds between weigh-ins. But with daily weigh-ins, I can react much more quickly.
With the twice-a-day weigh-ins that are my routine practice, over time I can pretty much tell you which foods help me lose weight, and which ones help me gain it. And that’s a big plus. For instance, knowing I can give in to my urges and snarf down half a jar of TJ’s peanut butter, knowing that’s actually helping my diet, helps keep me away from temptations that would be diet-busters.
So it really depends on how you’re going to react to and use the additional information you get from more frequent weigh-ins. Know thyself, and choose accordingly.
I agree. I weigh myself each morning. I like keeping track of my weight that way. I know I’m not going to see the numbers move each day, but I like being able to keep track of it each day. Even if it’s the same for several days in a row, it’s better than not knowing for seven days in a row. Just my own way of doing it.
Checking in.
Still haven’t gotten on any scales to know where I started from, but I’ve been on Atkins since the 5th. Joined the Y, and I swim laps some mornings as my sinus infection allows. For the moment, I do 1/4 mile to ease my way in, with 1/2 as my minimum distance when I’m in the swim of things (pun intended).
I had a problem with my urine tests for a bit, because while I had the funky taste in my mouth that signals ketosis, the test strips simply would NOT turn color. Then I read the bottle: they’re good for 6 months after opening, and the bottle is 18 months old. Got a new one, and the test I did a few minutes ago was the farthest into the red that I’ve ever been
My jeans are a tiny bit looser, too. I’m ecstatic.
You really should get on a scale, vunderbob, so you know where you’re starting from.
Once you’re in ketosis, and eating right, the pounds just melt off, and it really helps when you actually SEE it on the scale. Looser jeans are a great incentive, but watching the numbers go down and down on the scale are so much fun. I bought a digital one from Target for about $12. It’s become my new best friend.
Monday I started my own little version of Atkins. I’m too big of a wus to do Induction to the letter, so I’m trying to stay around 20g of carbs a day (sometimes a little more) but I allow myself non-Induction foods.
Plus I’m not even bothering to eat beef this time. I don’t like beef that much, I quit Atkins in the past because I felt like crap because I ate so much hamburger, and dammit I’m not gonna eat it if I don’t like it!
So far so good, 4 pounds down since Monday. The plan is to stick with 20g or so for 2 or 3 more weeks and then sloooowly increase my carbs until I find out how many grams I can have and still drop 2.5 pounds a week. I expect it’ll be a decent amount because I’m walking 3 miles every day.
I got really sick of hamburger, too. I found some frozen turkey burgers, the brand-name was Jenni-O. Twelve for $7. I know, I know, it sounds awful, but they were really good. I had them with some really good honey-mustard dressing and it was a nice change from regular hamburgers.
I also ate a lot of fish and chicken. Check at your grocery store in the seafood dept. and see what they have that’s fresh or even frozen. It’s really easy to saute a small fish filet.
Oh, I will. The Y has a big one in the locker room, and I previously developed the habit of weighing in on Fridays. Since I’m swimming tomorrow…
I have a feeling I’m going to go off plan this weekend while at NYDope. Ask me if I care. Now? Nope. Next weigh-in day? Probably. Dammit.
So I have noticed that since keeping track of my ww points and journalling that when I go crazy and eat fried food and drink massive amounts of alcohol I don’t eat for the next 24 hours, just rehydrate, and end up making up for all the craziness pointwise in one day (or even bank points)
Waah.
Very odd but it makes me feel better about not worrying about how much I enjoy the odd night in the bar.
Having a hangover is good for weightloss.
239/217/144
I saw a comedian on Letterman last night, and I found this line of his to be very apt: “I just tried the Atkins diet. I lost 14 days of my life.” 
I have decided I will try to lose weight through excercise instead of strict dieting. I just got me a good pair of running shoes, and I’ll be trying the “Couch to 5k” program. Wish me luck!
Thursday night and Friday morning, I weighed in at 170 - two pounds below goal.
Since, like Ginger, I’m at the NYC Dopefest this weekend, and I’m also being pretty relaxed about what I eat and drink, I expect I’ll gain those two pounds back, at a minimum. But it sure is nice to have them to give away, before getting into weight I’d rather not regain.
I’d been stalled for a few weeks. I think I was eating too many nuts. I’m back on track, though, and down to 168!
Also, I ordered my exercise tapes and equipment (*Escape Your Shape * program—anyone tried it?), and I’ll start that when it comes. I look forward to accelerated results.
196.5/168/140