How many carbs?

[MammaC]

Hi,
Dr Atkins said in the book that you would lose faster at induction level carbs, but many have said that they were stalled or losing very slowly while eating at induction levels, and began to lose again when they raised their carbs. I have been on Atkins for a little over six months, and have lost 55 of my total 70 pounds during that time, and have stayed near induction lever most of that time. Lately, I sometimes I eat around 25 carbs, but never have gone over 30. I have not stalled, but my loss has slowed a lot. Would raising my carbs help, or should I lower them back down to 15 or 20, or just be content with slow loss.? I don't count calories, but do calculate them a few days at a time just to see if I am on track, and they are usually just a little below 10X my weight. Thank you for your help.

[Atkins_Nutritionist]

Hello MammaC,

Wow, 15 pounds 'til you reach your goal, that is fantastic!

I certainly understand your concern with determining your Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE). The individual number of carbs that allows you to maintain weight. This number or carb threshold is different for everone and will vary based on many factors age, gender, hormonal status, thyroid condition...

As you get closer to your goal weight, especially the last 5-10 pounds, a natural slowing of weight loss will happen. This is not from anything you have or have not eaten. It is Mother Natures way of making sure we have enough fat stores in case we are unable to find food. Of course, modern day man, in the US, certainly does not have to worry about where his next meal is coming from!

You may be metabolically only able to tolerate 30 grams or maybe a little more on maintenance.

I think you should get used to a slower weight loss, start preparing for maintenance. Continue what you are doing for the next 5 pounds. Your last 10 pounds, allow yourself to go up to 30 grams of carbs. Use a carb counter or visit the Atkins website, www.Atkins.com to see a variety of foods you can include that conatin 5 grams of carbs. Increase your variety of foods by switching the types of carbs you are using. Somedays, you may want to eat berries, other days you may want to use nuts or seeds on a salad...

Adding healthy carbs back into your meals slowly, will allow you to stay in control of your weight. If you add a food that causes cravings or weight gain, omit this from your meals.

Also, you did not mention exercise. You may want to increase your physical activity as this will allow you to consume slightly more carbs while reaping the benefits of exercise (improvements in blood circulation, skin, cholesterol amd much more). Studies show that exercise is a key factor in maintaining weight.

Good luck and let us know how you are doing!

[MammaC]

Oops I think you missunderstood. When I said a total of 70 pounds, I meant that is what I have lost so far, 55 of that since being on the Atkins plan which I started in February. I still have about 73 pounds to go, so I am really only about half way there. All of those factors you mentioned do come into play for me. lol I am female, 55 years old, menapausal, and have hypothyroidism. I do exercise every day. I walk between 1 1/2 and 3 miles a day, as well as do a little stretching I am going to add some other exercise also using hand weights, some rebounding, and more stretching type exercises. Maybe that will help speed things up a little. I guess my question really was can I be eating too few carbs and cause my weight loss to slow. That seems to be the theory of some. They say adding some carbs helped them to lose faster. I would like to lose about 2 pounds a week, but maybe that is just not possible for me. I do thank you for your response.

[Atkins_Nutritionist]

For those with hypothyroidism, it is best to eat slightly more carbs. Try adding 1/2 grapefruit/day.

Let me know what happens.

[nonstickpam107]

Several noted thyroidologists have done research on hypothyroid individuals with respect to T4 to T3 conversion and carbohydrate and caloric levels.

It is the consensus of many (including the noted thyroidologist Broda Barnes) that a hypothyroid individual needs at least 30NET grams of carb, and at least 1200 calories a day. Most of us don't have a problem getting that on Atkins WOE.

Also, the reason that menopausal women are so very often dealing with hypothyroidism is because their hormone levels are low. The thyroid doesn't like to work without adequate estradiol and progesterone (a balance). It also will slow if you are eating soy.

If you are taking HRT, please keep in mind that the HRT will bind part of the thyroid hormone (your own, and incoming meds), so that you will want to discuss a possible titration of thyroid med dosage to counter that.

Pam

[MammaC]

Thank you both for your good advice. I will try upping my carbs a little. A half grapefruit sounds good.I just bought some of the new hood juice for my daughter, maybe I will try a little of that.

Pam,
I have been hypothyroid since my early twenties, and I don't take any hormones, but I will sure keep the things you said in mind and keep a close check on my thyroid levels. It is really interesting that those with hypothyroid need more carbs when they also tend to gain weight easier.
Thanks again for the good advice,
Martha

[nonstickpam107]

Martha,

What type of hypothyroid do you have? The autoimmune type is the most common (untreated, it can lead to more autoimmune diseases), but my husband has clinical, and my DS has tertiary.

The amount of carbs really doesn't have to do with the weight aspect....it has to do with healing in a cellular level....if you don't convert the T4 to T3 than it has to be replaced in the body, this is the reason I take T3 AND T4 hormone. It's also the reason why I went fully post-meno at the ripe old age of 41....I was untreated for my disease.

Pam

[Recluse8]

Wow - you guys are such a wealth of information! I have been reading on here about a soy/synthroid connection and asked the pharmacist at work about this. He looked it up and told me I should wait at least an hour after taking my synthroid before eating my Balance low carb bar. I did not know this. I was stalled for a month or so but have begun eating more carbs (approx 5 a day - a 1/4 cup or so of grapes) and am now losing again. Where would I be without this information....Thanks!

[nonstickpam107]

Recluse8,

Are you sure the pharm. said that? Most of them (even the pharmacy techs) know about waiting four to six hours for calcium, and hour for fiber, and four hours for iron. But soy is like taking HRT....the Bi-est I take doesn't just last an hour...it lasts 24 hours, but the soy doesn't work that way anyway. It actually gets processed in the body as an estrogen, much like a birth control pill, and it affects our thyroid and our thyroid med in our bloodstream.

Pam