Feel utterly broken - another diet failed again

[nameeCha]

I’ve just done 3 weeks of solid Atkins, not cheated, really tried a d lost nothing! Not even a measley 0.1 kg! I actually weigh slightly more than I did when started. I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m fed up of all these “diets”. Can someone please advise me? I stayed away from fruits even! I had such a craving. Just spoke to my sister whose managed to lost 10lb since start of summer eating all the foods I was told on atkins and keto boards that were to be avoided - bread, fruits, pastries. Where am I going wrong? Any advice please.

Have you tried intermittent fasting?

How many calories were you having a day?

I’m sorry you’re feeling disheartened, I know that feeling.

I’m sure you’ll get lots of advice & opinions on this and people suggesting different solutions. Keto, fasting slimming world etc, but I honestly think that all diets are doomed to fail eventually.

I used to follow WW & SW with varying success, but the only way I’ve managed to lose weight and keep it off is by not dieting anymore.

I eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m full. That’s my only rule around food. I’ve tried to make healthy choices amongst that, but I don’t count calories and no food is off limits. I’ve found that all cravings have stopped and I barely think about food anymore.

Good luck with whatever you do.

Did you use Ketostix? I’ve found them really helpful when low-carbing as it’s interesting to see what can unknowingly through you out of ketosis.

What about trying Mounjaro? Loads of us on here are enjoying great losses with minimal effort. I’ve just started week 6 and as of this am, I’ve lost 26 pounds and I’m a healthy BMI for the first time in months.

I've spent years and years on different diets. Wegovy has been a godsend.

Atkins is not an unlimited calories diet so you may have been eating the “right” things but too much of it.

What specific rules were you following? Which foods (if any) were unrestricted?

Im really toying with Monjaro in all honesty. For a weight reset whilst eating healthy and introducing exercise. Im 17st 6lbs size 18 atm 😫

People absolutely hate being advised to eat less, but IME it's nearly always portion size that's the difference between overweight and slim people (medical issues aside) - that and snacking.

If you eat less and fill up on water, your body really will get used to having less food in it.

If you were eating too many calories that would explain why it failed.

Ime calories are important. If you eat more than you're burning off it won't matter what you're eating, you will retain or gain weight.

You need to eat a healthy balanced diet but be careful not to eat too much.

Can you give an example of your daily / weekly menu with portion size and quantities. People may be better placed to help if they can see obvious things that could be causing issues.

Fad diets don't work. Depriving yourself of foods will just make you want them more. Do you need to lose weight? Did your sister have more to lose? I doubt she's lost weight by gorging on pastries, but having the odd treat while overall eating a healthy diet high in protein and low in sugar isn't going to hurt. Do you exercise?

I’m 47 and in perimenopause. I started tracking calories with MyFitnessPal app. I eat 1200-1400 calories per day. I haven’t cut out any food groups but I try to eat healthy foods. Plenty of protein, wholegrains fruit and veg and yoghurts. I stated on 21st July and am less than 1 pound away from having lost one stone. I still have 4 more stone to go but it IS possible. I walk for 1/2 hour daily.

you CAN DO THIS!

You’ll be eating more than you need still. It’s generally that simple, unless you have some weird metabolic disorder. If you’re quite short and fairly sedentary, you won’t need many calories - I’d imagine even with Atkins it would be easy to go over. Can you list what you’ve been eating?

It's very easy to go over calorie intake with Atkins. What have you been eating?

fast 800 works really well and transitions on to an easy healthy way of eating after the first 8 weeks

Do your clothes feel any looser?

Atkins and keto work really really well. What you will likely be experiencing is increased water weight as your body adjusts.

I lose weight similarly. I experience a 'whoosh'. 3 weeks isn't enough time to measure a diets effectiveness for women who haven't gone through menopause yet either. Your weight will naturally climb before your period, then afterwards you will get a more accurate reading of your 'real weight'. For me is be at say 70kg, I'd see the scales climb. 70.5, 71, 71.2... then my period would start and I'd go back down to 68.5. this would repeat each month. It's important not to let natural fluctuations deter you as you can't tell if a diet is working until several months in.

I don't do keto full time because it's very hard to stick to and I personally I find it a little hard on the kidneys. I sometimes do 3 or 4 months to lose a bit then swap to intermittent fasting.

I make a lot of things like miso broth with vegetables and watery soups as I find these really comforting. I often have a bowl of this and a very small portion of 'normal' dinner on the side. So maybe an omelette, a piece of salmon and small portion of rice. Usually a protein and a small amount of carbs, and it's usually whatever my other half is eating.

You also need to make sure you eat enough fibre. Keto and Atkins are very lacking but without fibre you will be hungry. Very hungry. No amount of protein will fill you the way healthy fibre will. Without fibre you're more likely to over eat, this is true all the time but especially true on Atkins and keto.

That’s really demotivating!

Rather than think diet, it’s good to think more lifestyle change.

And sadly, I would say unless you are ruthlessly tracking everything you’re eating, you will be overeating.

Yes I tried that but it was not something I could stick to

Diets aren't the answer. Changing the way you eat is what works. But take a look at Michael Moseley's Fast Diet. That trains you into a different way of eating. You have a weight loss period with intermittent fasting (which really gets the weight off quickly), but then you consolidate what you are doing. You don't go back to the way you used to eat, you eat much more healthily, and the weight stays off.

so for breakfast it was always eggs made in butter with veg like spinach

lunch was chicken salad and dinner was steamed fish like salmon or cod with green veg

No they feel really tight. A little tighter than before and my whole skin feels really saggy

Calorie counting.. I keep it at 1400 max, if i fancy something bad i cut something else out during the day so i keep my favourite snacks, and every week I drop 1lb .. its very reliable

Then either the portion sizes were far too big, or you may have a medical condition you're unaware of.