These are just suggestions, you never know what might kick start your
weight loss. I like the idea on FTS message boards of measuring, not just the scale.
From By Laura Dolson at About.comIt happens to almost everyone -- your
weight loss s-l-o-w-s down, or seems to grind to a halt. Sometimes you may even start regaining some of the weight, and there aren't many things more demoralizing than that! Here are some tips to help you in this situation. Not all of them work for everyone, but they are all good things to try to get you back in to
weight loss mode.
Many of these suggestions came from a conversation I had with Dr. Eric Westman. Dr. Westman is an associate professor of medicine at Duke University and the director of the Duke Lifestyle Medicine Clinic where he has been treating obesity and diabetes, using a low-carb dietary approach, for many years. He has many published research papers to his credit, and is the co-author of The New Atkins for a New You, among other books.
Remember - Weight Fluctuates Even when we're taking in the same amount of calories as we're expending, weight fluctuates. The amount of fluids, fiber, etc, in your body changes from day to day, and the scale, of course, reflects this. It's actually best not to weigh each day during the
weight loss period -- once a week is plenty. Even then, there may be weeks when you don't show a
weight loss, even though you may be losing fat. You may be gaining muscle, for example. So don't get too fixated on the scale.
On the other hand, if a month has gone by with no
weight loss, you may be in a stall. In that case, here are some things to try.
1. Don't Let Carb Creep Creep Up on You!This the most important point, and a VERY common problem. It happens to almost everyone, where we let carbs back into our diets in a haphazard way, often without even realizing it. Most of the low-carb diet studies which track what people eat over time find this to be true.
Low-carb approaches such as the Atkins Diet do encourage increasing carbohydrate after the initial very low-carb phase. It's important to carefully follow the guidelines as to how fast to do this and when to stop. This is helpful, because it encourages very conscious awareness of the carbohydrate you are eating and how it is affecting you.
Tips to Combat Carb Creep
Keep a record of everything you eat in a typical day -- don't leave anything out! Measure your food as much as possible to be as accurate as you can. Then use a carb counter book, app, or Web site such as Calorie Count to enter in all the food and find out how much carbohydrate you're consuming. Some persistent souls are able to keep ongoing food journals which is ideal (mobile apps can be very helpful with this), but on a practial basis, doing a day every now and then can work well for most of the rest of us.
Watch your portions! It's easy to get carried away with foods that have "just a little carbohydrate". Nuts, cheese, and cream all have small amounts of carb, and if you eat too much, it adds up!
6 Foods that May Have More Carb than You Think
Start Over - If, for example, you have been following the Atkins Diet, go back to the Induction phase and start again, being careful to follow the plan exactly.
2. Eat According to Your Hunger
One of the very best things about a low-carb diet is that your hunger should adjust so that you are taking in fewer calories. If you are eating the right amount of carbohydrate for your body, the food cravings you may have been experiencing should calm down. (People often talk about "feeling normal around food" and what a wondrous experience that is.) If you're still feeling urges to eat when you aren't hungry, you may be still eating too much carbohydrate.
Combat Cravings
How Much Carbohydrate is Right For You?
That said, it is perfectly possible to override your actual hunger signals. Don't do that! If you aren't hungry don't eat! Also, don't stuff yourself -- just eat until you are no longer hungry.
3. Nix the AlcoholDr. Westman tells me that some people are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol than others vis a vis
weight loss. Some can drink moderately, while others can't. So if your
weight loss is stalled, it's worth trying to cut out any alcohol you've been consuming. In any case, be sure you count the carbs in those drinks!
Alcoholic Beverages on a Low-Carb Diet
4. Exercise!Dr. Atkins called exercise "non-negotiable" for a reason. One thing that happens when we
weight loss is that our metabolism slows down. Although there is evidence that this happens less on low-carb diets than on calorie-restricted ones, it still does happen. One way to combat this is with regular exercise. It works best if the routine includes some strength training.
It has been shown that, while exercise is not vital for
weight loss, it may be essential for maintaining a substantial
weight loss. In particular, vigorous exercise (even in short bursts) can improve the functioning of the energy-producing organelles in our cells called the mitochondria. People with insulin resistance (i.e. people most likely to respond to a low-carb diet) are more likely to have difficulty with optimal mitochondrial function, so exercise may be even more beneficial for them.
5. Try Varying Your Meal PatternsPeople sometimes find that they can shake things up by trying a different eating pattern. For example, try eating a larger breakfast and a smaller dinner. Don't eat in the three hours before bedtime. Or try a technique called intermittent fasting where part of each day is spent without food.
6. Strive for Ketosis
When our bodies are primarily using fat for energy, we are said to be in ketosis. A low-carb diet may or may not be a ketogenic diet for any particular person. Some people are in ketosis eating 100 grams of carbohydrate per day, whereas others need to be at 20 or less. We can tell by testing the ketones in our urine or blood (some are experimenting with measuring ketones in the breath as well).
What is Ketosis?
What are Ketones?
What is a Ketogenic Diet?
7. Increase FatsMany a low-carber has found that increasing Fats is a great way to break a stall, and Dr. Westman says he recommends it to some of his patients in this situation. What is a fat fast? It is a 3-5 day "diet" of 1000 calories per day, where 80-90% of the calories come from fat. It works by jump starting the body into ketosis. Dr Atkins recommends foods like macadamia nuts, avocados, and cream cheese. It's important not to do this for longer than Dr. Atkins recommended.
If you're interested in the Fat Fast, author Dana Carpender wrote about it on the Carbsmart site, including menu suggestions. She has a Fat Fast Cookbook as well.
8. Try the FAT TO SKINNY eating planThe FAT TO SKINNY eating plan keeps your net carb intake at 20 per day while still giving you a tremendous variety of food choices. Replacing all high carb foods with low carb replacements has put this eating plan at the top of the list for low carbers.
9. Daily Weighing - and Body Fat PercentageDuring
weight loss, I do not recommend daily weighing, as it tends to drive people crazy tracking the ups and downs of their bodily fluids. However, when
weight loss stops, it has been shown to be a good thing. You can make sure your weight is staying within a "safe range" and if it starts to go up, it can motivate you to take some of the other measures, perhaps increasing the intensity of your exercise program.
Additionally, Dr. Westman recommends considering getting a scale that tracks body fat, not just weight. Even though the the number you get may not be strictly accurate, it will tell you if you are going in the right direction. Sometimes your weight may not change, but you may be adding muscle and losing fat.
10. MedicationDr. Westman tells me that about 5% of his patients benefit from adding medication to their lifestyle changes. If all else fails, this might be something to discuss with your physician.
Be Patient With Yourself
Everyone loses weight at different rates. Dr. Westman says that in his experience, diabetics lose more slowly, and post-menopausal women certainly lose more slowly (and may need hormonal adjustments). I know one woman who stalled for quite a few years until she made it through menopause and then lost more weight! When
weight loss isn't happening as fast as you'd like, or you're waiting out a stall, focus on all the great health benefits you are getting from your low-carb way of eating. You deserve congratulations for making the changes you have to improve your health.
