Hi Everyone!

I am brand new to this forum and the low carb way of life. I started Atkins on October 2nd and have stuck with the program so far. I started at 134 lbs. and am now at 129 lbs. That doesn't seem like a lot of weight loss to me. I was expecting a faster drop. My goal is 115 and it is seeming far away. My biggest fear is when I start uping my carb intake this weekend. Will I start putting it on right away? Am I doomed to stick between 10 and 20 grams of carbs a day? I drink about 3 litres of water a day...no kidding...and exercise 4 days a week. I am looking for suggestions...ideas...or plain old support! I look forward to hearing from you.

Carats

Hi and welcome!

Your weight loss is right on track. A general rule of thumb is that you can expect to lose about 10% of the weight you need to lose on induction, and then another 5% per month after that.

It's great that you're within 20 lbs of your goal weight - but weight loss is always slow down here. I've never quite gotten there in almost two years!

One last point: think of how you were eating the last time you were at 115. Chances are, it was low fat with insufficient protein. What you'll find now that you're LCing is that you'll look the same at a higher weight. So do anticipate the difference - you're not going to be the same now that your body is going to have sufficient protein for your muscles.

The closer you are to your goal, the poorer of a job the scale does at measuring fat loss. If you haven't done so already, take some measurements and/or find a pair of jeans to use as a pant-o-meter.

Enjoy the forum!

Hi Kristine,

Thanks so much for the info! I have been feeling fantastic on the low carb diet. So, even though the weight loss is slow, it is making a difference in my life.

Carats

Carats
Welcome aboard! When you have less weight to lose the pounds do come off a bit more slowly.

But as Kristine said you will find that LC does allow you to wear smaller sizes and look even lighter (pound wise) than the low-fat diets do. I've also lost a fantastic amount of body fat while LCing. I was so pleased with the difference between low-fat/low-cal and LC that I actually upped my goal weight after losing a few pounds.

I am currently at about 144 and wearing a size 6 (I'm tall 5' 10"). When I started I was at 30% body fat, 165lbs and wearing a size 12. I never would have worn a size 6 at 143 on a low-fat diet. The inches lost are what are really amazing with a small amount of lbs lost on the scale. My waist alone is down 7 inches!

About the fear of upping your carbs. Don't be afraid. If at any time you feel that you've upped your carbs and are putting on weight because of it you can always just drop back down a level. I'm having a good reaction to increasing my carbs. Remember that this is a WOL (Way of life) and that eventually you'll want to know which foods will work for you and which will not AND how many carbs. The only way to know that is to work the program and use yourself in the experiment. Its really rather exciting!

Good luck and congratulations on your success so far.

P.S. look into starting a journal so that others can drop in on you and cheer you on or help you out if things get a little sticky.

Also do you know about fitday? www.fitday.com

Lots of people use it to keep track of their foods. It's been a great tool for me!

I started Atkins to lose weight, which I have been and am so thrilled about that, but to me, the overall feeling of wellness I'm experiencing is worth so much more! I'm beginning to think the weight loss is just one great bonus to feeling good! LOL

I also completely agree about the weight thing. Try not to think about what weight you want to be, but what size you want to wear. I'm shooting for a size 12. If I can make that, I'm going to be ecstatic at whatever my weight is, and who knows, just might be able to get down to a size 10 for the first time in over 20 years!