Someone please help!

[hayli67]

I am 41 years old and have went on a low carb diet before ( when I was in my 20's) eating around 55 carbs and went from 220 lbs down to 130 lbs really fast. But now I have been dieting for 3 weeks today eating only 20 carbs or less a day and I have lost only 2 lbs! I read in this forum that sometimes you need to shake it up by eating one day (going off the diet) then resumeing it the following day, I have tried this and nothing. I have been eating mainly meat but I do drink alot of diet coke. I also drank it alot on my first diet. But I just dont understand this. I told my husband that I am about to just start drinking water and not eating, I know this is unhealthy but I am at the end of my rope and don't know what else to do. I weighed 240 when I started this time and now weigh 238. PLEASE HELP!!!!

[pagbut]

If your on 20 grams a day you should be in ketosis. Go back to basics, check that your not having to many sauces with your food or too much carb. eg 100g of cucumber is 2 grams of carbs. Make sure you count eveything. I also drink diet coke alot, maybe try caffine free instead, as caffine can stimulate insulin response. Make sure you have black tea and coffee again caffine free as you could be adding too much milk. Sauces are deadly, but nice, but can be full off sugars. I have lost my weight on 40grams per day - and I keep between 40-60 per day. I drink red wine and dry white wine and low carb beer. in boots I have atkins choclate,which after a week taste great. Most people think there eating the right stuff, but always check. If the food or drink has no information on the back do not have it, do not assume the carb count. Remember count nett carbs which is the carb per 100g less the fibre content. Eg 10g of carb per 100g - 4g off fibre so you count 6g of nett carb for your day. I repeat, check everything write it all down, I found the best results came when i kept a daily log, otherwise its easy to forget something you have had. I hope this helps, keep going I have lost 6 stone and have my six pack back. low carb works, remember low carb not no carb, stick to 40g a day it will work

[hayli67]

Thanks Pagbut, But I do not eat much sauces. An example of things I have been eating is meat with no carbs, pork rinds, no carb cheeses, and diet coke. If I do have any kind of sauce on my meat I count it faithfully! My husband says maybe it is because I am older but still if I am not eating the weight should come off. I will try drinking more water but I still dont get it because I lost so much so fast before. It has been a month now and I went from 140 lbs to 133. But to me that is nothing considering how I lost before. Could there be a medical condition that may be causing this? I had my thyroid glan checked a few months ago and it turned out ok????? Thank you for the reply.

[hayli67]

OPPS in my last post I said 140 lbs to 133 but I meant 240 lbs to 233 lbs lol thanks!

[Jen1029]

Good Afternoon! You havent posted in about two months but I wanted to see how things were going. I also wanted to give you a couple pointers that might help get the "low carb party" started . You said you were drinking diet coke, and I know you really dont want to hear this but, I would hold off on any drinks other than water, at least until you start seeing the weight coming off. The only reason I say this is because the water helps flush the fats and toxins out of your body, causing the weight to come off a little faster. Also, make sure you are checking the nutrition label on the pork rind pakages, some have more carbs than others. Also, make sure your calories dont vary much from day to day. I know you shouldnt have to count calories on this diet, but Its not going to help if you have 1100 calories one day, then 1800 the next. Are you getting enough exercise? If so, this is another great reason to be drinking lots of water. If you dont like water much, buy the little packets of flavoring for water. They have some that are carb free and calorie free. Just check the label. Working out/exercising could also be another reason the weight is coming off slow. You could be gaining muscle. Did you take your measurments before you started your diet? I would definitely go by measurements more than what the scale tells you.
I hope this helps, and I hope you are still going to give the low carb diet a shot. Good Luck!!

[un4givun2]

Thanks Pagbut, But I do not eat much sauces. An example of things I have been eating is meat with no carbs, pork rinds, no carb cheeses, and diet coke. If I do have any kind of sauce on my meat I count it faithfully! My husband says maybe it is because I am older but still if I am not eating the weight should come off. I will try drinking more water but I still dont get it because I lost so much so fast before. It has been a month now and I went from 140 lbs to 133. But to me that is nothing considering how I lost before. Could there be a medical condition that may be causing this? I had my thyroid glan checked a few months ago and it turned out ok????? Thank you for the reply.

Hi hayli67,
I've had the same experience as you and we're about the same age. Look at the ingredients on your pork rinds. I'll bet you a pizza that it contains MSG. It may not say MSG directly, but I bet it's there. Pork rinds are notorious for having MSG. My wife works in a lab where they experiment with mice. They use MSG to make the mice gain weight!! MSG is a major inflammatory. You will gain weight if you consume MSG. Read the labels of everything you are eating and make sure nothing contains MSG.

Sugar alcohols are just as bad. Most of your protein bars have sugar alcohols. Both sugar alcohols and MSG are used to enhance the flavor of the food and they both cause inflammation. Some research has shown a connection between these two chemicals and IBS (inflammatory bowl disease).

Also, if it is in a bag, a box, or a can it's best not to eat it. There is no telling what is in there that can cause inflammation. Inflammation is the #1 cause of high cholesterol. Cholesterol is your body's natural anti-inflammatory. If you have high cholesterol there's a good chance you have inflammation somewhere in your body. It's been well documented that MSG raises your cholesterol levels and causes inflammation. MSG also causes weight gain. The 2 go hand in hand.

Rule of thumb for choosing foods to eat is very simple. If alcohol or bread can be made from it don't eat it. If it is in a box, bag, or can don't eat it. If you follow those simple rules you will loose weight.

[DebbiKitt]

I find that fish helps start you back on the losing track, also you may want to watch your calorie intake. Being a woman over 45 and 5'9" I try to stay under 1200 calories a day and under 20 carbs. Keeping a journal of everything you put in your mouth and totaling the carbs and calories could help a lot. GOOD LUCK TO YOU! This is the one time that being a loser is GREAT!

[happylandings1]

Ok, I have been an avid atkins dieter since back in the late 70's. One thing you have to realize is that though soda is diet does not mean carb free, and another is a lot of artificial sweetners have ingredients that act as carbs, so even though you may not take in carbs you may be eating or drinking something that reacts in your body like carbs. Another thing is if you take anything like tums, beano, or any over the counter drug like that then you can be jeopardizing your diet,,
If your drinking soda then your drinking less water,,, water water water,,, very important, for one it is filling and another it cleanses your system,,, but also just as important that I haven't seen mentioned yet is vitamins? Are you taking your vitamins? they go hand in hand, I too have got to stay below 20 carbs a day,,, be very careful of all foods that claim low carb,, sugar free,,, watch that sugar alcohol, on the induction cut all that stuff,,, stick to your meats, and your water,,, hey it's just two weeks out of your life,,, most people can go foodless for two weeks and survive,,, now are you eating enough??? not skipping meals? that can cause your body to say hey i am starving I need to store fat to protect myself,,, eat! that is the whole point,,, eat that meat and egg,,, don't get crazy and think wow i have these great low carb recipes,, the more you add the bigger chance of hidden carbs,,, go simple at first,,, I lost 153 pounds,,, and it wasn't easy,,, i am a stress eater,,, i have to eat constantly, so i chew ice chips, always have a bottle of water,,, in fact i drink more then a gallon of water a day,,, eat your breakfast, lunch and dinner,,, be sure to eat your salads,,, avoid the low carb breads and already prepared meals,,, at least for your induction,,, avoid caffeine, and if you smoke try to quit, or at least cut down,,, I don't know what you do for exercise but that is not one of my strong points, i take stairs instead of elevators, park away from the buildings so you have to walk farther and also some light weights when your sitting around help to build muscle,,,
I hope this helps,,,,,

[butterfly]

Drinking only water may help clear your system (just do it for a day or 2). Try using a good diet plan and back it up with some exercise. I've been using Bistro MD diet plan in the past 6 months and I lost about 35 pounds. It’s a ready made diet delivery program which is approved by Dr. Phil. It works really well for me and the best part is - you don't need to starve yourself! Good luck.