[ETERNAL WARMING]

What am I doing wrong? I've been on it for 2 1/2 weeks and I've maybe lost 5 pounds. I eat meat, a couple of veggies...not huge amounts..mostly meat. I don't get it. Will someone please give me the first two weeks eating plan and then what to add after that?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Go to the Atkins LINK in the post above. Don't be discouraged, I didn't lose as fast as many others, and 5 pounds is nothing to sneeze at! There is a lot of information at the site that will help. Also read some of the old LINKS here on FR (Here's one). And remember to DRINK a lot of water when you're on Atkins.

[Hank Rearden]

If you haven't read Atkins' "New Diet Revolution", you should. I bet you're eating carbs you're not aware of, especially from certain fruits and vegetables. Make sure you take appropriate vitamin supplements, too. I just use plain multivitamins; Centrum clone from Costco.

And be patient; some people start off with rapid loss, others take a little while to get rolling. For most people, it does seem to work. I'm down 47 lbs in 6 months; now losing about 7 lbs/month. But sometimes nothing happens for a week or two, than wham - 3 lbs. gone in a couple of days.

[jellybean]

Will someone please give me the first two weeks eating plan and then what to add after that?

Here are the Rules of induction. I do encourage you to get the book, however. It contains a wealth of information and is well worth the $15.00.

[BamaDave]

What am I doing wrong? I've been on it for 2 1/2 weeks and I've maybe lost 5 pounds.

5 pounds in 2-1/2 weeks is a reasonable rate of weightloss, actually! I didn't follow Atkins, but have lost 50 pounds through watching my diet and exercising religiously. I never did a ketosis diet. Instead, I watched (and continue to watch) the type of carbs I eat -- mostly vegetables, fruit, whole grains --- stay away from the processed garbage as much as possible. I also eat plenty of protein since I weight train, and make sure I get solid doses of healthy fats from nuts, fish, olive oil, etc. I don't eat a lot of high saturated fat meats or dairy, which is different from Atkin's.

I probably eat more along the lines of the South Beach Diet, although I originally started following these eating guidelines after reading The Testosterone Advantage Plan,a bok published by Men's Health Magazine. I had borderline hypertension previously (in my 30's!), and that is now gone. My cholesterol levels are all stellar. My triglycerides and blood sugar levels are excellent, whereas my triglycerides used to be too high when I was still buying into the high carb/low fat idea. My body fat levels are lower than they have ever been, even when I was as much as 20 pounds lighter in the past. Now if the nutritionists would put away their stupid "food pyramid," and look at the results people are getting my stepping away from their rice-n-bread-n-pasta mantra, we could potentially be a much healthier nation. Still, the decision remains with individuals to turn away from the Blooming Onions and Doritos.

[Teacher317]

Everyone hits plateaus... maybe you hit yours early like I did. I lost 6 the first week, then 0 for the second week. I added in a 2-mile jog twice per week, and lost 8 in my third week. Each week after that I lost 3. (Then I started cheating regularly, and wouldn't you know it, I stopped losing. Imagine that!)

Stick with it, or make some small adjustment, and you'll break through.

I was 230# in August 2002 (I'm 5'10), and I started watching my food intake. I started Atkins at 215 on Aug 24, 2003, and hit 191 by Oct 8. 15 pounds in 12 months versus 24 pounds in 6 weeks.

(Yeah, Atkins sure doesn't work. I love laughing at those who say it is a fad and that it isn't scientific. ROFL!)