Atkins experience please? Why am I putting on weight??

[FifiFerusha]

Hi all,

Just for the record I am a newbie to diets but...

Just wondered if anyone could share their successful or unsuccessful stories on the Atkins diet. I am only on day three so realise there is time yet but I have gained three pounds.

Previous I had a terrible diet, eating nothing but biscuits and coffee In the day while I chase round my toddler and stocking up on a big meal and sugar carb treats in the evening. I hoped atkins would encourage a structure. However I am seriously finding it all a bit too much food for me as I am not used to eating much in the day. Here is a typical day if I am getting it right:

Breakfast: two rashers of bacon and a one egg omelette( feel sick after it)
One coffee with soy milk and sweetener
Lunch: one chopped chicken breast with small amount of salad, two radishes and a little bit of cucumber topped with a dollop of mayonnaise.( feel sick after it)
Tea: one fillet of fish/ or tuna mayo/ or burger with mashed cauliflour with melted cheese and a small side salad( just plain)

Snacks: radishes, celery, two cheese strings.

This amount of food seems quite a lot. Surely I am suppose to be losing weight though somehow. Maybe it isn't the right diet for me. So would love to hear your experiences x x x

How much water are you drinking?
If it feels too much food drop the snacks? Don't force yourself to eat them. Try include more fat so butter olive oil etc.
Plus you will prob have a massive sugar crash first few days

What were you really eating before? You can't just have been existing on biscuits!

If you're doing low carb properly, you should be eating high fat, medium protein and low carb - and this will keep you full and satiated between meals.

Which will mean that you don't have to eat the snacks.

Have a look at your portion sizes - although your food sounds lovely (although probably a bit low in fat - you need to have dressing on your salad), it's also possible that you're eating too much. Low carb isn't carte blanche to eat whatever you like, in huge quantities. You eat till you're satisfied.

However, having said all that, it's only day 3. You need to settle into the diet a bit first!

Hi,

Thank you for your replys. I winder if I am making the diet too protein based. I will cut out the snacks and start putting some dressing son the salads etc..

I really did somehow survive on biscuits and a couple of slices of toast in the day. I am overweight though so you can just imagine what man sized portions I was eating in the evening(:)).

I am drinking water loads and loads and am getting a bit sick of needing to wee all the time ha.

But, with regards to protein and meat portions I have had the bacon in the morning, one chicken breast, bits of cheese and then a small fillet of fish or about a can of tuna. IS this too much protein. I could easily just have the omelette in the morning and cut out the bacon, or just have half a chicken breast. . Or do I have to eat a certain amount to achieve ketosis. Excuse me, I probably should have bought the books. I am being a bit on an atkins internet diet girl :) x x

OP you don't need to eat more than you feel you need / want to on any diet! I struggled with LCHF too because it was too rich for me, so just stuck to the LC side for the most part and was definitely in ketosis. You'll definitely be OK ditching the cheese, bacon etc. if you don't want it, and definitely drop the snacks. If you want to introduce more fat until your diet how about Greek yoghurt? Much lighter.

On the whole I would say only eating when you're hungry and stopping when you're full is always a good rule of thumb, whatever your WOE.

.and as if overnight the three pounds has gone plus an extra half a pound on top of that. Always weighing in the morning. Strange that. Maybe it is just kicking in. Will keep going and have faith. It is strange as although I am not, I feel thinner today :)

I'd stop the daily weighing if I were you - it will drive you nuts! Your body will naturally fluctuate.

The Atkins book says just eat til you're satisfied. There's no specific amount of anything, other than 20g max carbs, so if you're feeling like it's too much then cutting down isn't a problem - though you do definitely still need several meals each day!

No - you don't need several meals each day. Each time you eat you provoke an insulin spike, which leads to the laying down of fat. Much better to stick to three meals a day.

And when you're used to low carbing, and you find your appetite is suppressed, you can skip a meal if you need to

Ha ha I have had fluctuating weight for over a week now but as you say this was me kidding myself by weighing myself too much. But but, 8 days on and I am now down 5 and a half pounds. Is this good, bad of average? But Yay anyway and I even had two slimline g and ts on Friday night. Naughty I know but I have Irish blood ;) I am going to give myself a surprise( I hope) and not weigh myself for a few days. Ah that is going to be hard?

Also am I able to stay In Phase 1 longer than two weeks to maximise weight loss. I don't think I will be within 10 pounds of my weight goal by the end of this week. I am thinking of doing phase one for three of four weeks, or would that be a mistake.

Have cut out snacks( except for today as bought a pack of frankfurters that had 'trace' carbs so had to try one as soon as I got home ;) x

Woo hoo! That's fab!

I think, but I'm not entirely sure - it's a while since I read Atkins - that you can stay on phase one for as long as you like.

(Except I have to point out that if you're drinking you're not in phase one ... )