Really discouraged....Help please!!!!

[wifetoEdmotherof10]

Okay, Wow am I frustrated!!! I need some advice and a kick in the pants!

I have been low carbing for 4 weeks, 2 weeks grain and sugar free and the last 2 weeks on serious induction. I weigh myself and haven't really lost anything to write home about and my clothes don't feel any looser.
I know that it may not matter but I have been in ketosis (generally the darker of the colors) for about 12 days.

I am 47 so I know hormones play into this but I really thought just cutting all carbs/grains out I would have seen some kind of loss.
I am taking a really good quality multi vitamin and I am still really tired. Although when I first started I felt like I was on a high but had only experienced that for a few days.
My husband is doing this with me as well and he usually loses weight quickly and he is not losing either.

I am exercising; Walk away the pounds with 2-5 pound hand weights. Anywhere from 2-4 miles per walk3-5 times a week.
SO....I feel like I am whining and I apologize but I am ready to go in another direction except I know this works but don't know what I am doing wrong.

Thanks for listening.
Tina

[ravenrose]

so sorry! the bad news is that when one weight loss plan is very slow, usually they all are. it's your body that has changed, and your husband is older too.

a lot of people find JUDDD works if they have relatively normal insulin/glucose metabolism, but many who low carb do not.

you know the trouble is, even if you aren't losing, if you don't eat right you will GAIN and that just makes life harder in every way. good luck.

[wifetoEdmotherof10]

Ha ha... you are right about going back to the regular way of eating. I am pretty sure I don't have normal metabolism..so I'll soldier on and find our what works.

[moniruth]

Hang in there- check that you are eating the right ratio of fats to proteins to carbs (but unfortunately I can't help you there- some others on this site are great at doing that).

It is a good thing to check as I have realised I need to eat waaaaay more fats, and after doing that this morning I finally have that "full sensation" that I never had before.

Re-read some of the DANDR or book you are following and check off some of the points he makes to make sure you are doing it right.

The answer might be very simple (like more fats) or you might find something else.

Hope this helps!

[SweetMe678]

What really caught my attention was that neither you nor your hubby are losing. Maybe post a sample days eating?

Also that you are still really tired. Do you both see a doc regularly? I'm asking to rule out underlying medical problems.

Also if you weren't exercising before, it *may* be interfering. You may be overdoing it. You may just be building a lot of new muscle.

Which version of low carb are you doing?

[wifetoEdmotherof10]

We are trying to follow DANDR. But, I have to admit, as I look at all the other LC styles, paleo/primal, NK, EFGT, it is mind boggling. So I am trying to stick to the basic premise of high fat, moderate protein and low carb. I am actually scared to change the way I am eating because I am afraid I will put on weight and I can't handle that.
I am not hungry, and have to make myself eat.

Here is an average day, I don't measure (which I am thinking about doing to help) but these are averages:
2 eggs fried or 3 egg omelette w/Heavy cream, butter and coconut oil, sometimes with cheese sometimes without
1 cup of tea w/heavy cream
bacon or sausage or keilbasa
Lunch:
usually meat rolled up w/mayo, deviled eggs, or some chicken salad. (Trying to eat moderate amount of protein,m not excesssive)
occasionally a pickle or some olives
I eat a couple of teaspoons of CO throughout the day or avocado as a snack
Dinner:
fried green beans w/bacon and feta cheese, steak or pork chop or chicken and maybe a small salad w/ full fat dressing, no sugar
We drink anywhere from 80-150 oz of water a day.

We cut out the 3 cups of vegetables and went less when we were not losing. We have both been in ketosis, I got deeper into it than my hubby.
How long does it take for your body to go from glucose burning to fat burning? I thought that was what ketosis was all about
Thanks for the help.
Tina

[SweetMe678]

With DANDR Atkins suggests that cream and avocados and even olives can slow weight loss for some people. I just re read that chapter so it is fresh in my mind.

You are correct that ketosis is about burning fat. And 4 weeks of LC you should be pretty adjusted to a new fuel source, but I believe it can take up to 8 weeks in some cases for a body to fully adjust? This is something I sort of remember after reading a research study about ketosis a few years ago, so my facts are a little fuzzy.

On the bright side you are in ketosis! And everyone here seems to be very helpful and informative.

[Big Stevie]

Looks like you are doing everything right diet wise. Take he cream out for a couple of days and see if that is causing you problems. (Cream doesn't effect me at all.).

The only other thing is that for a week or so, slow down on the exercise. It will give your body a chance to adapt to the new way of eating while not under the demands of the exercise. Sounds counter intuitive, but i have observed that most of the people on this board who struggle early on to lose, are working out really hard. I personally lost 50 pounds with no real exercise.

[moniruth]

Well...I am stumped too! I don't think you're overdoing it with the exercise but maybe drop the handweights for a week and see. If you exercise alot you will start to build muscle and retain water, so gentle exercise might show you a loss. I am sure there is nothing wrong with more active exercise but we are trying to get you a loss here!

Dr Atkins also suggests to mix it up a bit- so instead of walking pick something else like 20 mins of swimming or a bike ride, and he says about 3 times a week for a while.

That might help- interested to see. Good luck!

[DairyQueen]

i strongly urge you to buy a little food scale and a set of measuring cups and Tablespoon, teaspoons, etc. Take the time to log it all in a food tracker. You might be surprised at how LITTLE one tablespoon of cream is.
Everything else seems to look right to me.
If you aren't hungry, don't eat. Part of how low carb works is that the food satiates you. A little bit of cream goes a long way in the satiety department.

[wifetoEdmotherof10]

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. DQ I was just discussing with hubby that I need to take the time to measure for a few days and see where we are, maybe calories are too high. I am definitely a cream baby, you see, we have dairy cows and we separate the cream and have this fabulous stuff that is worth all the work of milking cows, but I may be using too much. It's the only reason I drink tea
I will not be giving up on this WOE, I believe in it! I am not hungry and no longer have any cravings...that alone says something.
Walk away the pounds is good to bring up heart rate and burn calories, I think I will drop the weights and see if that helps.
Thank you again to all who responded. I do feel better about this WOE.

[wifetoEdmotherof10]

Big Stevie&moniruth: I am afraid to not exercise, although I have never enjoyed it, because with 100 lbs to lose, I want to fend off the loose skin. I feel so much better after I exercise as well. My personality is such that if I stop exercising I may never begin again
Thanks,
Tina

[DairyQueen]

You are so lucky to have fresh raw cream to drink!! I LOVE it!

[moniruth]

No worries Tina, I am in the same boat about needing to move, my husband is a distance runner and here I am at 200lbs. I am sure you're not training for a marathon (YET!) but hubby is quick to tell me not to try to exercise every single day. Walking really is the best thing though, I agree.

What are you snacking on? Just curious, would be nice to have a handy snack thread for when I need inspiration.

Me: I just ate a mozzarella stick with butter on it. Sounds gross but YUM!
- celery and cream cheese
-devilled eggs

[Eyma]

Originally Posted by Big Stevie

Looks like you are doing everything right diet wise. Take he cream out for a couple of days and see if that is causing you problems. (Cream doesn't effect me at all.).

The only other thing is that for a week or so, slow down on the exercise. It will give your body a chance to adapt to the new way of eating while not under the demands of the exercise. Sounds counter intuitive, but i have observed that most of the people on this board who struggle early on to lose, are working out really hard. I personally lost 50 pounds with no real exercise.

I agree on the exercise. I didn't exercise at all on my first week and then only strolled (seriously, senior citizens exercising whizzed past me) for 30 minutes or so every day. I have been losing slowly but consistently (10lbs in 3 weeks, havent' weighed myself this week yet). When I have tried to diet LC in the past and exercised really hard, the scale didn't move at all, I guess our bodies rebel and go into calorie saving mode. I do measure my cream (4 tbsp/day), cheese (4 oz/day) and avocadoes (half small one a day).

[Trillex]

Originally Posted by wifetoEdmotherof10

Big Stevie&moniruth: I am afraid to not exercise, although I have never enjoyed it, because with 100 lbs to lose, I want to fend off the loose skin. I feel so much better after I exercise as well. My personality is such that if I stop exercising I may never begin again
Thanks,
Tina

I started a very heavy, 5-day per week exercise program on my very first day of Atkins last May. A close friend who is a bodybuilding coach is training me as a favor (for free) and I absolutely love it! I lift super-heavy weights 2 days per week and do intense interval cardio 3 days per week. I feel AMAZING after my workouts, especially after weight training. It's a genuine feeling of euphoria and is impossible to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it.

For me, the workouts have been the absolute best part of my fat loss journey because I'm losing fat specifically to improve my health and stamina, and the exercise makes me feel strong and powerful. People would probably disagree with me (beauty is in the eye of the beholder) but I don't think I looked bad when I started the diet so this diet has never been about aesthetics to me, it's always been about strength and physical power -- when I started the diet, I couldn't run half a block or carry my groceries home from the market. I needed to lose fat so that I could be healthy and strong, so I love the feeling of strength and power that comes along with the gym work I've been doing.

With that said, though, I don't know what exercise is supposed to do about loose skin. Muscle isn't going to fill out the skin and smooth it out when you lose A LOT of size. And if you lose 100 pounds, you will lose A LOT of size. I started with 100 pounds to lose and I've currently lost almost 70 pounds, which means I've lost almost 4 inches from each thigh, more than 6 inches from my hips, more than 7 inches from my waist, and inches from my face and neck and wrists and even my feet are a half shoe size smaller and my rings are two sizes smaller. Even with muscle-building weight training, your skin is going to cover a much smaller body when you lose a substantial amount of fat. So I'm not sure how or why exercise would help your skin adjust to massive size loss.

Someone recently posted (in the Main Lobby) a video of a guy who lost 175 pounds. That guy has done a lot of weight training and his muscles are absolutely stellar -- he does some poses where you can really see the kind of muscle size and definition and separation that bodybuilders would be quite proud of. But that guy has hella loose skin, of course, because he's lost 175 pounds and an enormous amount of inches.

To be honest with you, my skin has been surprisingly resilient despite the fact that my body has lost a lot of the fat that had been filling out the skin. I don't appear to be saggy or loose anywhere. I honestly don't think that has anything to do with exercise, though, I think it's a combination of genetics and ethnicity and luck.

[wifetoEdmotherof10]

Trillex,
Wow! Congratulations on your wonderful results!! You look great!!

I have read that using alfalfa tablets and dry skin brushing will help with the skins elasticity and has something to do with the collagen.

So, you are right about exercise in itself not doing anything for the loose skin.
Thanks for posting, it is great inspiration!

Have a great day!
Tina

[wifetoEdmotherof10]

Moniruth,
I have been having chocolate bombs; which consist of either 2tbs CO or butter, high fat cocoa powder, heavy cream and a bit of xylitol.
I have tried stevia but it gives me a stomach ache. I will not use artificial (splenda) sweeteners.
I have researched xylitol and it is recommended for diabetics and a low glycemic diet, although it has more carbs than all the others.

I like what you snack on as well, I just miss the raisins on the celery,cream cheese
If you like spicy, try adding a bit of horseradish to your deviled eggs, changes things up a bit.

It is nice to have your hubby to be active and fit, which will continue to help you get to your goal.

Have a nice day!
Tina

[Big Stevie]

I want to be clear for the record. I would never discourage folks from working out. It is a healthy thing to do. So do it.

But my point is that exercises relationship with weight loss might now be so clear cut as we are all lead to believe.

[cfine]

My suggestion would be to cut some of fat, measure your protein(go to the NK thread to figure out how many grams you should be eating) and measure anything with carbs. I am very strict when it comes to protein and carbs. Those numbers don't change much. If I am not seeing the scale move, I know that I need to adjust my fat levels. It is possible to be in ketosis and not lose weight. Your body will use the fat that you are eating as fuel first. You want to have a fat deficit so that your body will use your reserves.

[wifetoEdmotherof10]

Thank you Cfine, you know that could be that I am taking in too much fat, great observation! I will definitely look further into the numbers.

BigStevie; I never thought you were suggesting not to exercise, but merely that the weight will still come off even if I didn't.

This weight thing has been a battle most of my life and now that I finally have motivation, Thank you Jesus, I want to do it all

[Lisa M]

It sounds like way more fat than would be necessary to stay full and satisfied. I'd eat eggs without the heavy cream AND butter AND coconut oil. And fat bombs.

[wifetoEdmotherof10]

Yes Lisa, that is what we have concluded. I am still low carbing but I am redirecting my efforts to T-Tapping/exercise. My husband and I realize we can never return to eating SAD, nor should we, given the way we both feel.

I have also concluded that I am in it for the long haul and I am not getting on the scale at this point and may only use it every couple of weeks, but more importantly I am losing inches.
I guess I have "figured" out a bit of what works for our family

Thanks to all who have taken the time to respond and encourage us along the way.

[Trillex]

Good luck! If you just stick with it, you will get to goal. It won't happen tomorrow or next month -- for those of us who have a lot to lose -- but it will happen sooner than you think. Persistence pays huge dividends.

[zoidberg]

You could try eliminating all carbs for a day or two if at all possible. Some may consider this horrible advice... but who knows, everyone's body is different and this might speed up you burning off your glycogen stores... remember to drink a lot of water also I found that it helps. Best of luck.

[Shrinkingviolet]

The first time I went LC with Atkins, I lost really well, then got a bit cocky I think with eating low carb but not keeping half an eye on my calories. I stalled and figured that might be the problem so cut back on the nuts and LC cake I had been consuming, lol! And started losing again. So I think even though you don't have to count calories with this WOE, it's worth just appraising the cals you're eating if you're not listing. Also bearing in mind your body fills the fat cells with water as you lose, you might be due a big whooosh of loss? Good luck and keep up the good work, it does work and everyone is different so your body may react to different foods and stall you. A bit of time and experience will see you figuring it out xoxo

[Shrinkingviolet]

*losing, not listing! Lol :s

[wifetoEdmotherof10]

Thank you all for your encouragement!!
I still have not lost 1 pound Haha! but I am not discouraged, oddly enough. I guess it is because I feel so much better.
You know though, my son has lost 18 pounds!! so no matter if I never lose weight, it is all worth it for him alone. I am so proud of him!! I did modify it to add good quality carbs. He completely cut out all sugars and even drank iced tea with no sweetener!!

Although it has put a bit of a damper on my 30#'s by May 26th, my birthday

I am going to add more vegetables, less protein, and still good high fat, just a modification of Induction.

Have a wonderful day!!
Tina

[cmcd1070]

So, day 4 of induction. Sugar free for the first time in my life. Struggling with sugar withdrawl, Atkins flu and my TOM all at the same time. I am doing everything the book says. I weigh today and I'm up 5lbs. Bummer but not a deal breaker, I'm gonna keep going.
Dear Hubby, cut back on eating an ENTIRE CAKE every night after dinner and a 6 pack of beer before dinner and lost 3lbs so far in 3 days.
Ugh....
I'm going to go buy myself a pair of sandals. =\

[cmcd1070]

I got my sandals, they're dreamy lol. And day 5 induction, I finally lost 2lbs. A little less discouraged, even though my wonderful husband lost another pound too, after another 6 pack of beer last night. *sigh...