Congrats Bambi that is amazing!
15lbs. I haven’t been this low for about a yr. The instructors at the gym are really impressed with how much I’ve improved. proud The gave me a 2 day program last month and I can really feel the difference.
flexes tiny yet developing bicep muscles 
If it’s not too much trouble, and if you have the time, could you post a couple of sample menus or meals that you’re making? I’ve hit a stall, and even doing the Atkins Fat Fast (the one where you eat macadamia nuts and cream cheese and tuna for three days) hasn’t helped. I keep cutting the carbs, but I’m wondering if I need to add some back in.
Man, I typed out this long post about step away from the Fat Fast! and something weird happened, and I lost it all! I hate it when I lose my brilliance with the hamsters!
Ok, in short, I said that with your previous weight loss, you’ve proven that you’re not metabolically resistant–and only metabolically resistant people should try the Fat Fast (IMHO). I do believe you’ll do better with adding more carbohydrate and dropping your fat intake, which will help with your caloric intake.
As for what I’ve been eating lately:
Breakfast has been 1/2 cup of egg whites (from the carton) + 1 whole egg, scrambled. I’ll add a serving of Morningstar Veggie Breakfast Sausage, or some sliced tomatoes, or a half grapefruit. Or, I’ll have some plain yogurt (I found a brand of Greek yogurt that’s higher in protein and lower in carbs), with fresh berries and some Trader Joe’s* More & Less Cereal for some crunch. TJ’s has also come out with some reduced-carb Blueberry Waffles, which will be nice for a Sunday breakfast.
For lunch, I tend to graze at work. Whatever I’m cooking is generally what I’ll have–this week, I’ve had gazpacho, coleslaw, grilled chicken, turkey taco meat, and hummous. If there wasn’t anything appropriate for me to eat a large serving of, then I’d have an Atkins bar to make up the difference (my boss keeps a stash of them since both her & her husband generally eat low-carb themselves). I’ll throw in a snack of a handful of grapes, blueberries, or baby carrots.
For dinner, I’ll have something like Cedar-Roasted Salmon with a small serving of Quinoa** Pilaf and grilled asparagus. Or, Chicken Pillard (boneless & skinless chix breast pounded thin and browned, with a serving of sauteed butternut squash with caramellized garlic and thyme; or Tilapia Filet with an Almond Meal crust, with coleslaw. Basically, I’m sticking with the serving of protein and serving of vegetable, but more vegetable and less protein–I’m eating around 4-6 oz. of protein, and just fill up on vegetable. I might have half a nectarine or some watermelon for dessert.
*Note: I don’t know if Trader Joe’s is in your area, but I do most of my shopping there–they’ve come out with a line of reduced-carb products that aren’t full of sugar alcohols and other crap. Their “Soy & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips”–I can pronouce all of the ingredients! I do pick up a few of their products and use them a few times a week, considering they’re not really so much 'Franken-Atkins-Food" like some of the other stuff out in the market right now.
**Note: Quinoa is a South American grain that is high in protein and fiber, and is similar in texture to couscous/rice. I’ll have about a 1/2 cup serving, which is around 22 net grams.
Thanks for typing all that up, JavaMaven. That will give me a good place to start. I do have a Trader Joe’s here, so I can look for the things you mentioned.
I had tried the Fat Fast diet to get myself back in ketosis. I had been out of it for a while, and was having trouble getting back in. I haven’t gained any weight back, which is good, but have just hit this damn plateau that is frustrating.
I’m at 221 today, which means I’ve lost 21 pounds so far and I’m 20% of the way to my goal weight. Woohoo!
I’m part of a few other low-carb online communities, and there has been some debates on doing this. One of the things to remember is that being in ketosis is very dependant upon the amount of fat in your body, and that the less fat you have, the tougher it will be for you to slip into ketosis–especially because you have lost a tremendous amount already. It’s also quite possible that you are technically in ketosis, but because you have much less fat, it’s not going to necessarily register on the pee-stick, or in having ketone breath.
Sometimes the best way to break a plateau, that many people have found, is the adding of carbs, rather than the removal.
Don’t forget that Atkins devised the diet as not just a basic weight-loss diet, but to be taken in as a lifestyle–a way of life. And, when you get closer to your goal, the more foods you should be bringing into your daily diet. He never expected for people to completely and totally shun every carb out there–except for those heavily refined ones that have no nutritional value whatsoever.
I know that trying to break that plateau is tough, and it’s the reason why I did that big change in my diet. I’ve noticed that watching my calorie intake is helping to get things moving, too. Give it a try for a few weeks and see where it takes you.
Reporting in.
I haven’t been to the Y since the first of May, but I’ve been bicycle commuting 9 miles daily about 3 times a week since then. I don’t have a current weight, but I do have a doctor’s appointment Friday, and I’ll get one then.
My current braglet is that I put on my suit yesterday to go to church. I was being made a member of the congregation, so I dressed up. The last time I wore it was for Easter in April, and it was noticeably looser since then. I could pull on the front of the pants and get a gap 
I do have a big issue to take up with the doctor. I’ve complained about having to take Glucophage for blood sugar control, and that it interferes with the Atkins diet. He blew me off before because he’s not an Atkins fan, and didn’t think it important.
I have documented proof to show him that my blood sugars are in better (but still bad) control when I’m behaving on my diet and bicycle commuting without the Glucophage than when I’m taking it. I was typically 50 points lower without the medication.
As of this morning I am down by 47 pounds. So far I’ve gone from a tight size 24 to a 16 (although my 18s aren’t exactly falling off yet). 
I’ve been doing the lower calorie/low fat thing and exercising a LOT (both cardio and toning), but I have been stalled at around 235 for about 3 weeks. I am finally ready to try Atkins. I’ve been looking at the official website because I want to do it correctly, and it seems fairly straightforward, but if any of you veterans have any advice and/or recipes, please share!
280/233/160
Update:
I weight in this morning at 330. 330! I’m about to be 320-something for the first time since I was a junior in HS – which is to say 8 years. In addition to that, my my exercise levels (7x weekly 2 miles walking at around 3 miles per hour + 2x weekly high-intensity strength training for about half an hour) lead my bodyfat analyzer to consider me an athlete. A 5’10", 330-lb “athlete”. I don’t feel particularly athletic.
Anyway, body composition as of this morning is 330 lbs, of which 223 is lean mass and 107 is fat. Based on this new information, my goal weight is now 250 - 260. I’d be 12% bodyfat at 250 and 15% bodyfat at 260, both of which are normal. I’ve always known that I’m just a big person, but having a normal fat percentage and still weighing 250 pounds is surprising. Years of carrying me around have left my legs and back very muscular, and I guess that’s where the extra weight is.
411/330/260
Am another Atkins convert here. Have lost 8 inches around my waist and am working towards a 40 inch waist by the end of it all. Am still doing induction here and will keep with it until my waist is at 48 inches. Then I will add berries and more veggies. Plus I need to find a regular exercise routine that will engage me and not bore me, with little or no equipment. Any suggestions?
I don’t have much to advise you on, because I don’t really have difficulty sticking with Atkins at all. That said, there are a couple of things to tell you.
On induction, the first 3 - 4 days are simply horrible. You’ll hate it. You’ll feel hungry and foggy and terrible all at the same time and you’ll have an incredible urge to suck down something starchy or sugary. So, don’t. Here’s why:
In a person who is in glycolysis (no carbohydrate restriction), the body uses ingested carbohydrates to form glucose, which fuels the body. The body turns excess glucose into glycogen, which is stored in the liver and muscle tissue for use when you haven’t eaten for a while. The excess is stored as fat.
When you restrict your carbohydrate intake, the body begins to draw down the glycogen stores in the liver and muscles to supply the glucose you need. Once the glycogen runs out, you will get that wretched headache and foggy feeling that you get when you haven’t eaten for a while, no matter when you last ate. This will last for probably a day as your body switches to ketosis to supply your energy needs. In ketosis, the body converts the fat you eat into the energy for your body. The excess of what you need over what you eat comes from your fat stores, so in addition to counting carbs, you need to track fat. Once you’ve been in ketosis for a day or so, that headache and foggy feeling will lift.
I suggest you plan your induction so that days 2 and 3 are at a time when you needn’t be at your best, because you won’t be. It’s called “induction flu” in some circles, and I believe it’s worse than real flu.
So my advice, to sum up, is to stick with it for at least your 2 weeks. You’ll want to quit within the first couple of days, but don’t, because if you eat over your daily limit, you will be knocked out of ketosis and have to start over. That’s all.
Wow, thanks for all the info, Bambi. I had no idea I should be watching my fats, too. I think I’ve been doing OK in that regard, since I prefer chicken and turkey and turkey bacon and turkey pepperoni (you get the idea), but how much fat is too much?
I’m actually on day 5 of the induction, and you’re completely right about feeling horrible…day 2 I just crawled into bed after work and stayed there. I feel much better now, but I’m still getting headaches in the morning. Maybe I’m still not in ketosis. If I go get those strips, do I have to ask the pharmacist for them? I hate the thought of that for some reason.
Thanks again for the help, and congrats on reaching 330. You’re my role model.
Well, I wouldn’t worry too much about your fat level right now – it’s just later on in your diet plan, it will start becoming more relevant. As for showing on the Ketostix, you may or may not turn them purple. It’s partly dependent on how much water you drink. If you drink a lot, it’ll be too diluted to turn the stick. Having an odd taste in your mouth and constant thirst (no matter how much you drink) are both better indicators than the sticks for many people.
I was too embarrassed to ask for them at the Rx counter, too, for some reason and bought some cheap ones off the shelf at CVS. I don’t think they ever worked all that well.
I finally bit the bullet and asked for them at the Rx counter and the clerk knew just what I wanted and was very nice about it. No need to be embarrassed at all.
They’re Bayer brand and are very sensitive. Much better than they cheapy ones.
Take some of your pepperonis and wrap them in a paper towel, and microwave them for about 45 seconds (more or less, depending on your microwave). They’ll dry out and get all crisp and make a good crunchy snack.
And yes, Bambi is quite the role model, isn’t he?
Suze,
You want high fat at the beginning of Atkins. The fat content is the secret to convincing yourself that you’re not hungry. After about 6 weeks, your stomach shrinks in size so you eat less, and you wean yourself from the high fat stuff. People don’t realize that the Atkins diet carried to the end of the program becomes your basic low fat, low carb Weight Watchers style diet (at least what WW was in the mid '80s)
Got room for one more in the Club? After trying unsuccesfully for the past couple of years, I think the lack of a supportive, goal-oriented atmosphere may be a contributing factor to my failures. I don’t have my current weight (I dread scales, but will get one tomorrow) so I will post that soon.
As for my plan of action:
Exercise
a) Walking/Jogging: Currently I am at home in a development on the side of a substantial hill. The main roads make a nice 1-mile circuit with a good climb in the middle. I will start at one circuit/day and increase that as soon as I feel comfortable doing so. At school, I have access to an aproximately 2-mile path from my apartment complex to campus which I will use as my normal transportation.
b)Biking: Both at home and school I have access to a stationary bike. I plan to start with 3 30-min sessions per week plus make-up any walks missed due to inclement weather. I will add workouts or time as my fitness progresses.
c)Weights: At school I have access to a decent gym and will add a 3 or 4 day-per-week weight routine to my workouts.
Diet - I don’t plan to follow any set diet plan (Atkins, South Beach, etc.), rather try to eat healthier.
a) Water: I began drinking one liter of water a day about three weeks ago. I am upping this amount to 2 liters a day. I use a 1-liter plastic bottle to keep track.
b) Soda: I will be cutting this out of my diet (easily saving 300 calories per day). I think I might have better success if I switch to 1 can of diet cola per day as I really am a caffeine junkie.
c) Eat much more fresh fruits and vegetables. Luckily I have recently discovered that my childhood aversion to many vegetables has been outgrown.
d) Portion control: This, I think, is going to be the most key aspect for me to monitor.
e) Stop eating out of boredom/frustration/etc. I think I will work on this first by switching to carrot/celery sticks instead of chips, cookies, etc. and then work on eliminating it.
If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for improving this plan, let me know.
6’1, male. 370(guess - scales tomorrow)/ditto/250 (for now)
I really did’nt have a set goal weight to achieve but I have gone from 238 to 218 for a total of 20 pounds of weight lost, maybe I can lose some more, but a lot of my weight is muscle. I have only drank water for the past 6 months except for the occasional glass of milk or OJ, and I have only been eating 2 fairly large meals a day spaced 5 hours apart, I havent really changed my diet that much though…it may sound like a weird diet but I don’t find myself hungry between the meals, I have gone from “living to eat” to “eating to live” I guess.
Just for the record, Weight Watchers isn’t really like that now. You can eat whatever proportions of protein, carbs or fat you choose, but only adding up to a certain number of “points” per day. You’ll be allowed a lot less total food if you eat high-fat and high-carb foods, but you can do different things on different days. If you love spaghetti, fine, but don’t eat it every day. There’s no giving up whole categories of food, no sending your body into shock, no deprivation. I’ve lost 23 pounds on it so far and it hasn’t been very hard. I’m extremely pleased with the results and I still got to have a little bit of delicious creme brulee the other night.
I just got my scales and it was a good-news, bad-news sort of day. The good news is that my estimating skills are as sharp as ever. The bad news is that I was never good at estimating to begin with.
So, starting from today, I am checking in at 433/433/240 - a goal of losing 193 pounds or 44.6% of my current weight.
I liked it better the first time I weighed myself today - I was on carpet and came in at 287…too bad I can’t just go wtih that one!
Welcome, Akennet! I agree, it is a shock to get on a scale after years of avoidance. Congrats on your decision to live a healthier, more active lifestyle.
Wow. Where did the 2 months go since I last checked in? My stats are now 235.5/205/115. Body fat started at 49%; it’s now 44.3%.
Still lurving Curves 5x per week. I almost feel guilty taking Saturday and Sunday off. Such a remarkable change in my attitude towards food and exercise. My husband almost fell off the couch when I flexed my newly formed biceps. And I’ll be darned, but I seem to have a definable waist these days.
Seven more pounds and I’ll weigh less than my husband. I think I might cry…