brianne715's Journal, 20 Apr 12

Please forgive me, as I might be wrong. Possibly you aren't eating enough fat. I have seen this suggested on other posts. Also, are you drinking enough. Could you have some mayo with your meals? I hope you see progress soon, its a bit disheartening, eh! 

Hi Brianne! First let me say I know how frustrating it can be, and second, you've done a great job! My thought is that possibly your calorie intact might be just a tad too high. The 2100 day with crab and steak for dinner was a big one. Do you have the Atkins book? I think that your .5 lb of steak was over by a few ounces of the recommended amount. Small things really do count on this diet. Also, during induction (though it's been awhile and I need to get back on it)I believe the net carb count is to stay as close to 20 and under if possible. It's that number that is so important during induction. Try cutting down the net carb number and see how you do this week. If you can, look up my food journals from Feb/March '11... My induction phase should help you... Good luck on your journey - we're all walking with you...  

Brianne, Thursdays food journal looked really good..I would stick with that calorie/carb range for the next week or so and see if that works. Sometimes it takes a little fine tuning....good luck! Lisa  

Try to keep protien to no more than 4-6oz per meal or 84-126grams per day, keep carbs to 20 or less, up the fat to at least 2 to 1 ratio fat to protien--that's ratio not grams. Your pie chart is very close, but if you ate more fat and a bit less protien I can almost promise you'll see that scale move. Drink your fluids and include fiber with every meal if possible, either through your vegetables or by adding soluble fiber. That will keep your food in your stomach longer and when it gets to the intestines will help it pass through faster, while absorbing some calories along with it. 1500 kcals per day is a pretty good number for you for the weight you hope to reach (or aim for 10 x your desired weight). If you're going to exceed just make sure it is in fats. The key to Atkins is realizing once you are in ketosis the body prefers to use stored fat as fuel rather than consumed fat. So a percentage of the fat you eat will just pass through unused. Extra fat will not affect you unless you are getting too much protien and/or carbs. In ketosis the body converts protien into the glucose (sugars) your body (mainly your brain) requires. Too much protien is just like getting too much sugar and can stall you. Since you're weight lifting getting adequate protien is important, but you just don't need too much. Do not fear FATS! Fats alone are never the problem on Atkins, but too much protien or carbs can be. Heres some numbers: 1500 kcals - 80 kcals in (20) carbs = 1420 kcals left. Of that 1420 kcal left try to get 300-500 kcals in protien. ALL the rest should be fat, so that's nearly 1000 kcals per day in fats. Your pie chart, at the end of the day, should be about 65%fat/30%protien/5%carbs. If weight loss is still slow increase the fat. 

Hey Everyone! Thanks for the suggestions! Yeah, yesterday was a great day. I knew I over ate one day... was surprised with a nice dinner by my fiance that I hadn't calculated in for the day! lol... I have been playing with my veggies and my net carbs and think I finally got that part down as of yesterdays (as Lisa mentioned). I am trying to keep my calories around 1500 (it says I should be at 1800 for the RDI). I am raising my fat intake as well. My net carbs have been under 20 every day. I am usually not a high fat eater (i don't eat the fat on meats). But, I have been changing that and forcing it down, along with adding some olive oil and butter to my diet. I am keeping positive with this! It is trial and error! Any thoughts on flavored water? I cut that out yesterday. It said 0 calories and 0 sugars but I suspect something secret must be in it as well. I don't have the book, but I am reading everything online and taking advice from everyone as well. I am going to eat the same thing that I ate yesterday every day for a week and see what happens (probably cut out the bacon tho). Thanks for the suggestions! My ketone strip came back pink today, so I am in ketosis!!! 

Hi I noticed you were including onions in your diet. Why don't you also try eliminating them. I read about a man who was not able to get the scale to move. He began eliminating foods systematically, and if he did not drop the weight, he would add them back in. In the end he found that it was onions that were to blame. he stopped eating them and began losing again. Just a thought. 

Well, actually, I lost my first pound eating onions. then the next day I added spinach and the atkins shakes. So, i don't know if that is it, but I didn't eat any today. thanks!