Well didn't want to resort to this !

Well it has been since October 14th I started my diet and I am now 198 loosing 8.8 lbs., the first 1 1/2 wk.  It is now. November 13th and I have decided to resort to the old " Atkins", which I didn't want to do as I lost the weight and gained it back. I have tried writing things down that I ate, get great grades, but every few days I jump on the scales and not a change. Not even a little.  I think I am going to try high calories and low carbs once again. Didn't want to go that route again, but I think it is the only way you can truly loose weight.

I just can't see doing it any othe way. I am very frustrated, got some feedback from people in the past and have followed their advice, but still nothing. I eat 1100 - 1400 calories a day, but seem to get my carbs up their also, not many foods that you can eat with high calories and low carbs, so I am going to resort to low low carbs, which means I can almost eat nothing. I am working out, walking, and doing dumbell exercises, one of them daily and snacking 5 times a day, I have never ate so much, but still nothing. Something is wrong and I am getting  around 45% of carbs daily, 35% of fat and 25% of protein, so I was told I am doing okay with that. The only thing I can see is that carbs are to high as that is what puts on weight.

Anyone have any other suggestions that I haven't tried yet, I am willing to try anything at this point. Thanks for listening.

Why go back to something that clearly doesn't work?   As you've noticed... you can lose weight with low-carb but unless you're committed to staying low carb for the rest of your natural you're going to bounce straight back up to where you started.  All that effort  - again - and for what?  You were right to say 'never again'.

1100-1400 is too little food for someone your size who is exercising.  Your loss pattern of a lot week 1 and then a stall ever since is classic 'starvation mode' i.e. someone that has shocked their body into stopping burning fat.  Eating less will make matters worse rather than better.

I'd strongly suggest that you go with a steady 1600-1800 cals a day, a small amount of carbohyrates at each meal, light servings of wholegrains, a few pieces of fruit, plenty of vegetables.... and take it from there.   If you still don't lose any weight then go see your doctor.  It could be that you have a medical problem that makes weight-loss difficult.

Atkins really raises cholesterol levels, though. If you are eating high cal, high fat, but low carb foods, you aren't getting the whole range of nutrients you need. Think about it, what kind of healthy diet says you can't eat most fruits and veggies?

Anyways, gi-jane is right, why go back to something that isn't going to work, which you already know? She also is right about not eating enough calories. 1200 is the very minimum that a woman should eat, and for MOST women, it's MORE than that....I'd go w her advice, keep eating a range of healthy stuff, just eat more of it! Go ahead and up your cals (especially on workout days) and give it a month.....you'll see!

*sigh* my problem is eating too many cals! haha

I think that if your salt is high the weight sticks around.  I noticed that once I watched my salt intake with the right protein, carbs, and fats I lost weight. 

If you're going to be lazy about losing weight then it's going to show.  There's no point in dieting and doing atkins, it's just going to put your body through hell.  You've got to start slow, from the sounds of it you've only just started your journey to hell and back.  Nobody said it would be easy, and it never will be so you might as well learn that now, accept it and do the right thing about it.  You're just going to prolong whatever goals you might have because the weight will come back if you don't take the right steps.  The whole point in losing weight is to get over being lazy, to become energetic and a healthy person, and doing what you're doing is not going to help any of those.  I've been trying to lose 50 pounds and it's taken me three years to lose half of that.  YOU MUST BE PATIENT!  It will take a long time to reach your goal but if you are truly dedicated to your deciison to get rid of that spare tire then you've got to be prepared to take the long way.  I know, it sucks, but deal with it.

Wait a minute-- did you say you lost 8.8 pounds in one month? That is about the correct rate to be losing. Patience, Grasshopper! I am in total agreement about upping those calories some. Use the tools here on this site to see how many calories you should be eating to lose weight. I KNOW it sounds insane to up them, like that what kind of bass ackward sense does that make, but it really does work that way. People here are saying that if you eat too little, you will lose at first and then stop losing, and that is exactly what happened. So adjust those cals, keep up the great work with the exercising, and the weight loss will happen. Think of it not as a diet, but as "the way I eat now."

I tried Atkins once as well, and I stuck to it like a pro. I lost about 10 pounds and felt deprived of so much good food constantly. It was really tough to go out to eat at all, eating burgers without any bun, etc. I quit doing it because I quit losing and because it was totally no fun. And the weight came right back.

Thanks Shinyblackpit, but I am confused about one thing, if I up my calories then by carbs go up also. It is soooo hard to find foods that are not high in calories, am I suppose to concentrate on the carb thing or just on calories. I realize that I am not going to go to McDonalds, just cause I can have lots of calories, but even when I stick to salmon, broccoli, yogurt, celery, weight watchers bread etc. the carbs are still high. i average in carbs about 100-150 gms. a day about 40-50% is this normal. If I keep eating more calories, I will be up to almost 60% of them being carbs.

Am I figuring this all out right.

Original Post by debramatthews:

Thanks Shinyblackpit, but I am confused about one thing, if I up my calories then by carbs go up also. It is soooo hard to find foods that are not high in calories, am I suppose to concentrate on the carb thing or just on calories. I realize that I am not going to go to McDonalds, just cause I can have lots of calories, but even when I stick to salmon, broccoli, yogurt, celery, weight watchers bread etc. the carbs are still high. i average in carbs about 100-150 gms. a day about 40-50% is this normal. If I keep eating more calories, I will be up to almost 60% of them being carbs.

Am I figuring this all out right.

I think the problem here is that CC isnt differentiating between 'good' carbs and 'bad' carbs.  The fruit and veges you are eating will be counted as carbs by CC, but that doesnt mean you shouldnt eat them!!! 

If you can keep your carbs to 60% and your protein and fat to 20% each that should be fine. 

Ultimately, its calories in versus calories out that counts.  Pretty much EVERYONE who has used this site properly for any length of time will tell you that.  Count your calories and dont worry *too* much about the carbs you are eating and you will be fine.  I also recommend up-ing your cals to around 1600.  As you lose weight you can decrease this or exercise more to compensate for your lowered BMR/RMR.

I think you're giving up far too soon, Deb! Counting calories works, it really really does. And it's a lifelong plan that will continue to work. You can't restrict one kind of food for a set period of time and expect that you will not regain the weight once you go back to your old eating habits - you have already experienced that. Atkins is not sustainable, and unless you chnage the way you eat to eating less and eating balaced, nutritous meals, the weight will always come back.

You're doing so well! Already, you're out of the 200s, and exercising, which will get you numerous health benefits down the line. I agree w/ the rest of the posts, you should up your calories a bit to 1500-1700 so you won't feel deprived, and oddly enough, having a smaller calories deficit often has the effect of helping you lose more (with a deficit greater then 1000, you will go into starvation mode.) And carbs don't make you gain weight, calories do.  It doesn't matter what KIND of calories you eat, it is how many you take in vs how many you're burning. You can do this!