Anyone able to tell me an encouraging tale about a 50+ old LCer who had slow start?
 

I've been on induction phase and in ketosis for 5 weeks without dropping a pound. Hoping there is some one out there who had a similar slow start but eventually saw results. Anyone?!? Not losing inches either.)

Mpl16

Mpl: have you been paying attention to your volume of intake? Are you on any meds?

Diabetic? Any other health issues?

Any or all of the above can impact our ability to lose weight.

Dr Atkins said to eat when hungry, stop when not hungry. For many of us, that means eating a whole lot less frequently than when we ate a lot of carbs.

And eating when you are NOT hungry can contribute to staying where you are.

OTOH, have you been measuring? Are your clothes feeling looser, your face thinner? Many times this WOE will allow us to build muscle and lose fat, but in equal weights, so, while the scale hasn't moved, our size has shrunk.

I usually do lose weight during induction because I retain a lot of water, and that's mostly what I lose. When I was in my early 50s and still in the throws of peri/actual menopause I didn't lose any weight after that initial loss -- not for 3 months. I was in ketosis every day and I kept strictly under 20 carbs (basically stayed in ketosis).

Now that I am through menopause, I am having more success -- maybe because my hormones are more stable. But I have had to incorporate intermittent fasting with ketosis in order to lose weight. I've also lowered my protein intake and increased my fat moderately.

Thanks mickisue,
The tape measure is not snugging up either unfortunately. I have no health issues other than high bp. I don't eat unless I'm hungry although I'm still learning about fullness and stopping.

Just frustrated that so many seem to lose so effortlessly once they start lc -- I am so committed to this and would like to see even modest results.

Thanks for the response. Did you start losing fat after 3 mo in ketosis or did you have to do IF in order to do so? What is 23:1 -- 23 hours of fasting 3 days a week?? I'm terrified of fasting based on extreme attempts when I was younger.

Your stats are so impressive and very inspiring! Thanks again for sharing.

The other big thing, which I didn't mention, due, apparently, to being brain dead...you have relatively little to lose.

You are starting out where many people work for a year or two to get to.

So, that can slow things down, considerably, as well. Kat's comment about the pokiness of weight loss during menopause rings true to me.

The only time I could lose, back then, was when I had an infection in my thyroid, and it was acting like I was severely hyperthyroid, including palpitations, tremors and losing half my hair.

Otherwise, even with the most excellent of standard, "healthy" diets, I just slowly gained from the age of about 47-60.

You are so smart to work at this NOW, when most women's sensitivity to carbs starts climbing.

Hi MickySue,

Thanks for that. That infection sounds nasty!

I tried the original incarnation of Atkins as a teenager and promptly stopped having periods. Following that, I have used lf dies to yo-yo between 140 and 220 lbs for 30 or so years (mostly at the higher end of the yo you). In the last 8 years I've been maintaining my weight at 175 despite trying to lose on more moderate lf diets. 175 is definitely better that 220, and it looks like I have made this weight a real set point. I would still like to lose at least 15 pounds -- nothing terribly skinny for 5'4" -- but at least out of the obese range.

I was down a couple pounds this morning (probably water), but I'll take it. Feeling a bit more optimistic today and will be trying everyone's advice here.

Mpl, I am 58 and it has taken since Dec 2012 (3.5 years) to lose 30 lbs or more. My start weight is a State Secret. Drinking wine every night with DH and eating too much were early errors, along with making sure no sneaky carbs were there.
Don't despair and once I got through menopause, the weight started coming off slowly. In fact I might change my goal post because I am on the weight loss bus until it stops.
:yum:

Yeah, period irregularity is common with LCHF, because you are taking the fat out of your fat cells, and your estrogen levels need to adjust to a new, lower, amount of fat in the body.

Not enough to completely stop, of course, but enough to reset the meter, as it were.

To be honest, after being so strict after 3 months (really mostly in ketosis for 5 months) I was getting pretty frustrated and starting allowing in "just a few" extra carbs. Then I decided to have "just a couple" of chips, and then just "a taste" of refried beans (Mexican food is my thing). So I don't know how long I could have gone in ketosis without losing weight. It was the, "what the f*&k, I'm not losing any weight, so I might as well enjoy myself" trap. Anyway, it kind of went downhill from there where I was still relatively low carb, but even then I gain weight -- so I gained about 50 pounds in 5 years.

So now I'm willing to fast to get results. I think I'm in a better place overall, so I don't think I'll fall back into the "trap," but I'd still like to have the scale move in order to be motivated.

So what I did yesterday was have a normal low carb dinner. I ate late and stopped eating around 8:00 p.m. I got up in the morning and did some work while drinking a couple of cups of coffee with heavy whipping cream. I then left for the day and was just too busy to think about eating. Then I went to the gym to work out for an hour (a new thing for me), and got home about 5:30 p.m. I find that working out while fasting gives you a lot of energy -- just the opposite of what you would think. So about 7:00 I ate about 1/4 of an avocado to break my fast, then dinner at 8:00 -- so about 23 hours between food. So from the end of dinner the night before until the avocado I had no food and only water, coffee, and tea. I've been doing this for a few weeks now (about every other day) and I do not get very hungry at all. I might feel a slight wave of hunger, but just drinking some tea makes that go away (I especially like Good Earth spicy tea for this). It's kinda weird but I now look forward to fasting days -- I love how it feels to be so light and energetic. This type of fasting is not extreme and is actually quite healthy as long as you are in good health.

You can just try skipping breakfast to see what it feels like.

Kat

Hi Mintaka,

I love the State Secret start weight! Thanks for the sharing your progress. Can't wait for the weight loss bus to pull out of the station!

Thanks for the detail, Kat -- it is really helpful. I have skipped breakfast for two days now (foregoing my beloved eggs, but I really wasn't hungry), and it seems to be budging the scale a bit. I usually finish dinner by 6 p.m. and have lunch at noon or 12:30 p.m., so hopefully that's a bit of a fat-burning IF for me.

Well I can tell you I started out good and then, wham, slow slow slow. I have been stuck for 23 days and finally today I dropped a pound. Whew! lol Anyway my take away from this is just stay the course. Your body is gonna do what it is gonna do. It will happen. One of the other posters in this thread, MickiSue, is a very wise woman. She has helped me along when I was going nuts. She told me (and I am paraphrasing) what does it matter if you lose a pound a day or a pound a month or a pound a year? What are you going to do, go back to eating the way that got you here. That put it in perspective for me. The point is this is going to be your way of eating for life. So just do it and your body will lose fat. Hang in there! By the way I am 61 and have lost 36 pounds since February 1, 2016.

Thanks Enaid. I agree that I don't want to eat the way I was eating, but I feel I've essentially traded one maintenance diet (lf) for another (lc). I'm convinced this one is endlessly better for my health, but I wish my effort would show up on the scale or tape measure.

Anyway your progress is an inspiration! Thanks for sharing it!

One other thought. If you are doing induction based on the Atkins website, that's NOT Atkins induction.

Take a look at the first couple pages of the Atkins '72 Hardcore thread.

They contain the information about the REAL Atkins induction. The people in that thread have been eating at induction levels for a LONG time, and their results show it.

The Atkins website does, IMO, more harm than good, being a very poor imitation of Dr. Atkins' advice, and pimping their nasty, processed to make you want more products.

Hi MickiSue,

Where is the thread?

I will not eat anyone's bars, shakes, packaged meals etc. I'm eating organic and wild eggs, fish, meat, greens, and induction veggies, butter, coconut oil and a handful of nuts. I am counting net carbs though. Is that ok on original Atkins? I can eat this way forever, but it's essentially a maintenance plan, which is a bummer.

Here you go, mpl: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=474032

The rules are right on the first couple pages.

Nuts are no noes for induction, and the type of veggies matters, too.

Ok. Thanks.

Since I posted I have continued to lose daily. Point is your body needs time to understand how you are nourishing it now. It is different, it does not trust you right now, but it will. And when it does you will be back on track. Weight loss is not linear, it comes in spurts.

I'm glad your seeing results again!! I am so envious. My problem is that I have not seen any At all yet.

I just returned from a week of vacation and stayed completely on plan. Did not gain weight and ate at delicious restaurants. Like I said this is a terrific maintenance plan for me. Unfortunately it looks like I need either a nearly no carb like the folk at the Atkins72 thread (I'm at 20 net carbs right now) or intermittent fasting to actually lose fat/weight. Not too excited about either (I love my veggies).

I'm nearly 7 weeks in ketosis now, tested by blood levels, still the same weight and inches. Sigh.

Mpl, you may have mentioned this before, but a) how old are you and b) are you on any meds?

Around menopause, with the spikes and troughs of hormones, a lot of women take longer to start losing with LCHF. But they do lose, and they don't gain.

Any medication can interfere with your ability to lose, some more than others. Or, a lack of medication, for example, an undiagnosed condition like hypothyroid, will make losing weight particularly challenging, as a slow thyroid slows down the metabolism and leads to depression symptoms and lack of energy to move.

Right around the time I turned 50, I joined a web program called ediets.com. I followed it faithfully, day after day for three months. In the first month, I lost 10 lbs. In the second two, I gained 12.

I've been a wellness coach for 15 years, now, and even with all the conventional wisdom that I learned throughout my adult life, I was unable to lose more than a few pounds by following the best conventional program I knew of. By eliminating grains, potatoes and sweets, I managed to lose 20. But then, I got stuck, and, by dropping total carbs to under 20/day, I have lost another 12, and am only 7 lbs from the goal I'd come to believe I'd never make.

But. This is over the course of three years. I would try, if I were you, to stick to 20 or fewer total carbs/day, and give it a good month. See what happens.

Hi MickiSue,

Your posts are always so encouraging and enlightening!

I am on nothing except for lisinopril for high bp, which actually is coming down a bit and I hope one of the benefits from lc is that I can go off of it eventually.

I hit menopause about 8 years ago. I had my thyroid checked as a 12 year old because I gained about 10 pounds with puberty and my very appearance-obsessed young parents freaked. Everything checked out. I now feel terrific, look forward to walking 3 miles a day (1.5 miles to work and another 1.5 miles back), so doubt it is a thyroid issue, but I could get certainly get it checked.

I am so impressed with your progress! I'll definitely try to stay under 20 carbs and give it a month. Not sure what else to try, and except fort the lack of weight/inches progress, this WOE is awesome.

I just got out of hospital after surgery to remove ovaries and tubes. It was a difficult surgery due to internal scarring from previous hysterectomy. My poor tummy is swollen but slowly coming right. Good health is paramount and making the effort to lose excess weight has - I believe - helped me. Ovarian Cancer can be a death sentence but the surgeons have told me that they got everything and that the lab tests will take 2 weeks to come back. I am very relieved that the surgeons got everything and I am now taking daily herbal anti cancer supplements until I get the results. I have yet to step on the scales post surgery but will when the swelling recedes. ☺

I just had a full hysterectomy on 9/6 and although my weight is down a bit I must still be swollen because none of my fitted pants fit. I hope that changes because my work uniforms will hurt me when I have to go back next week.
I am worried about having a weight gain since the surgery will push me into menopause.
In a few weeks I go to my new primary dr to check hormone, thyroid, and vitamin levels. She is concerned because I have been under 20 carbs for a long time and under 1200 calories, sometimes under 1000 and have a ridiculously active job (average 18000 steps a day and lift 25-75 pound cases 1296 times a day.) by the way I am afraid to go back to full duty so soon but my surgeon is convinced that lifting 75 pounds over my head is fine as long as I don't bear down. I have no choice in the matter, so wish me luck.

Liddie01, My normal STRETCH pants are still uncomfortable. It will be a few more weeks before I attempt to wear my old levis which are extremely close fitting. I am now 4 days post surgery and have been told to be patient. Coughing and sneezing are not options, nor is laughing!
Forgot to mention my surgery was keyhole surgery, at my insistence. The surgeons wanted blanket permission to cut me from navel to crotch and I said to abandon surgery if incision was necessary. (I had to be prepared for advanced OC and was not keen on invasive surgery to get cancer that had already spread).

Although this thread has been around a while, I felt compelled to respond. I hope all are continuing to pursue this program. I am new to this, started May 18, 2018. I do believe the Atkins web site may advertise too much of their products and not enough on the program. Atkins original plan (look for an older book) starts with lower than 20 carbs. We are all different, but for some to start at 20 carbs may be too much. It was not until I went down to 5-7 carbs a day did I start loosing, but not very quickly. My sister started at the same time and has lost more than me while eating more carbs. But we are both committed to this lifestyle, mine just needs to be a little stricter, at least for now.

Hi, BobbieLee. :) Welcome to the forums. :) I'm glad you found a food plan that works well for you.

I have to be more strict than some others, too. And my food plan is more strict than it was a few years ago. Even with aging, it is still a relief to live LC.

Best wishes to you. :)