Hi, I've been on induction for about 3 weeks. My first two weeks I lost quite a bit (10 lbs). I'm female and according to the book that's a moderate resistance. The problem I'm having is that I have already stopped losing. I exercise, though not as regularly as I should. I've started a new, more vigorous, exercise program today and have reduced my caloric intake to the "modified fat fast" 1200 calorie diet as of yesterday.
I was wondering if anyone else has stopped losing after 2 and a half weeks when they had fair results the first two weeks?
Thanks in advance for any help and I'm sorry if this has been asked and answered before. I did do a search on google for this topic before posting. Thanks again.
first off, welcome. secondly, you never mentioned how much weight you have to lose. if youre close to goal (like 20lbs away or something) its not just going to FLY off. its all about percentages. the 10lbs you lost is mostly water. i always count the first 10 as water and anything after that true poundage. give it time. you mentioned you were on this way of eating for 3 weeks. since youre female, isnt that 4th week gearing up for menstruation? i gain up to EIGHT POUNDS (!!!ungh!!!) when that happens.
also, take a look at caffeine intake, water intake, are you on birth control..? another good resource for folks that have been on this plan and really know their stuff is at www.atkinsdiethelp.com. go to the messageboard. there are a few folks (susan, monica, and others) who have been doing this a few years. im new here as well so i cant vouch for the folks here, but ive been on those boards for 3+ years and they have been there much longer than i have. good luck, and i would just be patient. weight loss isnt fast, if it is, its not safe. even that bariatric surgery has me questioning how safe it is. anyway, before i ramble way off topic, i hope that helps. keep in touch.
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
Quoted message said:
Hi, I've been on induction for about 3 weeks. My first two weeks I lost quite a bit (10 lbs). I'm female and according to the book that's a moderate resistance. The problem I'm having is that I have already stopped losing. I exercise, though not as regularly as I should. I've started a new, more vigorous, exercise program today and have reduced my caloric intake to the "modified fat fast" 1200 calorie diet as of yesterday.
I was wondering if anyone else has stopped losing after 2 and a half weeks when they had fair results the first two weeks?
Thanks in advance for any help and I'm sorry if this has been asked and answered before. I did do a search on google for this topic before posting. Thanks again.
Yes, that happens to a LOT of people. A temporary lull tends to happen in the third week. Not only that, but the impressive loss during the first two weeks is mostly water because there are about 4-5 molecules of water bound to each glycogen molecule stored in the liver for emergency fuel. As you use up that emergency store during Induction, the water is shed. It's not so much that you've stopped losing weight as that you've stopped losing WATER. After THAT what you lose is usually fat, which takes longer. A fat fast is not necessary so early in the process -- a "stall" is usually defined as 6 weeks or more of no loss. Just stay the course and it will start up again, but at a more sedate rate of 1-2 lbs a week (except during PMS, when you will most likely gain WATER temporarily).
Thanks tia. I did leave out some info, I guess. I'm 35 and have about 80 lbs to lose. The weight was gained in a very short period of time. I had my period during week 2 of induction and my loss stalled during that time, but I didn't worry about it. It was a week early, but I read somewhere that low-carb diets will make that happen sometimes during the induction phase. My caffeine intake is pretty high. I live in Seattle and we all live on coffee (haha). I'll have to really just bite the bullet there although, I figure it all into my carbs. No to the birth control. Thanks for the link. I'll definitely have a look at that site.
Thanks for responding. I do retain water easily, which is why I chose the Atkins diet. But I've not been eating that much--I keep a diary and weigh/measure every bite I eat. I truly did stall. But I'm glad to hear that others have had this same problem and gotten pass it. Gives me hope. And thanks for the advice.
Oh my. I knew most of my loss was water, but I didn't realize... Well. Thank you. I've got my head back on now. I guess I was just hoping to keep losing at that rate, in spite of the water weight.
I'll have to rethink my strategy. Anyway, I feel 100% better physically in spite of not losing anything for a few days. grizz
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
Quoted message said:
Oh my. I knew most of my loss was water, but I didn't realize... Well. Thank you. I've got my head back on now. I guess I was just hoping to keep losing at that rate, in spite of the water weight.
I'll have to rethink my strategy. Anyway, I feel 100% better physically in spite of not losing anything for a few days.
Great! I focused so much on answering your question that I forgot to actually WELCOME you :-) At first, it's hard to accept that the initial loss is only going to happen INITIALLY -- I feel for ya! After you've been doing it for a while, though, you'll probably find yourself gradually coming around to seeing the bigger picture from a different perspective. Honestly, I don't think I've ever had better training in sticking with something for the long term and working toward delayed gratification :-) It's kind of Zen-like :-)
Oh my. I knew most of my loss was water, but I didn't realize... Well. Thank you. I've got my head back on now. I guess I was just hoping to keep losing at that rate, in spite of the water weight.
I'll have to rethink my strategy. Anyway, I feel 100% better physically in spite of not losing anything for a few days. grizz
One of the things that DH and I found helped us get through the early days when we were afraid we were stalled for good was to measure ourselves. The Atkins Diary that I'd bought him to get started had a page to measure waist, hips, thighs arms and neck. Even though he wasn't losing pounds, he was losing inches...so was I. If your clothes are fitting differently, you're losing inches, even if it's not measurable on a scale. I had much less to lose than he-28 to his 50. It took us about 8 months to reach goal but we did it,although we did slip a pound or two over the holidays.
Oh my. I knew most of my loss was water, but I didn't realize... Well. Thank you. I've got my head back on now. I guess I was just hoping to keep losing at that rate, in spite of the water weight.
I'll have to rethink my strategy. Anyway, I feel 100% better physically in spite of not losing anything for a few days. grizz
One of the things that DH and I found helped us get through the early days when we were afraid we were stalled for good was to measure ourselves. The Atkins Diary that I'd bought him to get started had a page to measure waist, hips, thighs arms and neck. Even though he wasn't losing pounds, he was losing inches...so was I. If your clothes are fitting differently, you're losing inches, even if it's not measurable on a scale. I had much less to lose than he-28 to his 50. It took us about 8 months to reach goal but we did it,although we did slip a pound or two over the holidays.
Oh my. I knew most of my loss was water, but I didn't realize... Well. Thank you. I've got my head back on now. I guess I was just hoping to keep losing at that rate, in spite of the water weight.
I'll have to rethink my strategy. Anyway, I feel 100% better physically in spite of not losing anything for a few days. grizz
One of the things that DH and I found helped us get through the early days when we were afraid we were stalled for good was to measure ourselves. The Atkins Diary that I'd bought him to get started had a page to measure waist, hips, thighs arms and neck. Even though he wasn't losing pounds, he was losing inches...so was I. If your clothes are fitting differently, you're losing inches, even if it's not measurable on a scale. I had much less to lose than he-28 to his 50. It took us about 8 months to reach goal but we did it,although we did slip a pound or two over the holidays.
Oh my. I knew most of my loss was water, but I didn't realize... Well. Thank you. I've got my head back on now. I guess I was just hoping to keep losing at that rate, in spite of the water weight.
I'll have to rethink my strategy. Anyway, I feel 100% better physically in spite of not losing anything for a few days. grizz
One of the things that DH and I found helped us get through the early days when we were afraid we were stalled for good was to measure ourselves. The Atkins Diary that I'd bought him to get started had a page to measure waist, hips, thighs arms and neck. Even though he wasn't losing pounds, he was losing inches...so was I. If your clothes are fitting differently, you're losing inches, even if it's not measurable on a scale. I had much less to lose than he-28 to his 50. It took us about 8 months to reach goal but we did it,although we did slip a pound or two over the holidays.
I was wondering if anyone else has stopped losing after 2 and a half weeks when they had fair results the first two weeks?
Welcome to the group. Stick around - reading & posting has really helped me.
As to your question: This is VERY common. Don't worry. Just continue following the plan and head into OWL (the fat fast is most likely not necessary) and you WILL see progress, it just may take another week or 3. A "stall" around week 3 happens to almost everybody.
Also, if you haven't already: Take measurements! There were times when I would go weeks without losing weight, but I was losing inches. It was very helpful to know that I was doing it right, even when it didn't show up on the scale.
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
Quoted message said:
"grizzelda" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
Quoted message said:
I was wondering if anyone else has stopped losing after 2 and a half weeks when they had fair results the first two weeks?
Welcome to the group. Stick around - reading & posting has really helped me.
As to your question: This is VERY common. Don't worry. Just continue following the plan and head into OWL (the fat fast is most likely not necessary) and you WILL see progress, it just may take another week or 3. A "stall" around week 3 happens to almost everybody.
Also, if you haven't already: Take measurements! There were times when I would go weeks without losing weight, but I was losing inches. It was very helpful to know that I was doing it right, even when it didn't show up on the scale.
Also take photos. You don't have to show them to anyone if you don't want to, but you can often see a difference in photos even when you can't see it on the scale. I wish I had taken photos of my hands/wrist beforehand, because there is a BIG difference (but I wouldn't SHOW them to anyone :-)
Oh my. I knew most of my loss was water, but I didn't realize... Well. Thank you. I've got my head back on now. I guess I was just hoping to keep losing at that rate, in spite of the water weight.
I'll have to rethink my strategy. Anyway, I feel 100% better physically in spite of not losing anything for a few days. grizz
Hey, don't feel bad about it. One or two pounds a week adds up! And, welcome to the group. And, please quote at least the relevant part of the post you're responding to. Thanks!
I use the download version. I think it is easier than doing it in a written log.
A pound a week is good progress, and pauses in weightloss for a week or two are common.
"grizzelda" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Thanks for responding. I do retain water easily, which is why I chose the Atkins diet. But I've not been eating that much--I keep a diary and weigh/measure every bite I eat. I truly did stall. But I'm glad to hear that others have had this same problem and gotten pass it. Gives me hope. And thanks for the advice.
-- "grizzelda" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Hi, I've been on induction for about 3 weeks. My first two weeks I lost quite a bit (10 lbs). I'm female and according to the book that's a moderate resistance. The problem I'm having is that I have already stopped losing. I exercise, though not as regularly as I should. I've started a new, more vigorous, exercise program today and have reduced my caloric intake to the "modified fat fast" 1200 calorie diet as of yesterday.
I was wondering if anyone else has stopped losing after 2 and a half weeks when they had fair results the first two weeks?
Thanks in advance for any help and I'm sorry if this has been asked and answered before. I did do a search on google for this topic before posting. Thanks again.
Induction is supposed to be two weeks. Why did you switch from following the directions to looking through the book for justification to do what you want to? I know right now you want to be extreme, but on the average following the directions works better than not. I know it's quite a leap of faith, but go ahead and move on to OWL.
Quoted message said:
The problem I'm having is that I have already stopped losing. I exercise, though not as regularly as I should. I've started a new, more vigorous, exercise program today and have reduced my caloric intake to the "modified fat fast" 1200 calorie diet as of yesterday.
Yikes! Terrible idea. You've had success to the tune of ten popunds and already you are trying wild overreactions without the slightest justification. Not a good idea.
Quoted message said:
I was wondering if anyone else has stopped losing after 2 and a half weeks when they had fair results the first two weeks?
Somewhere near 80% of folks. It's one of the most predictable events there is and it in no way indicates anything but success. Please can the wild overreaction this hour.
|| There were times when I would go weeks without losing weight, but I || was losing inches. It was very helpful to know that I was doing it || right, even when it didn't show up on the scale.
I've heard this quite a bit over the past couple of years, but don't understand the reasoning. Where are the inches going if they are not fat loss or water loss -- which would mean weight loss? Is it magic? I could see this happening if someone were doing daily vigorous weight-resistance exercises and building muscle. But the average joe (or jane) who loses ten pounds in two weeks then stalls isn't going to show a dramatic difference in muscle mass. Again, where are the inches supposed to be going?
