Stalls and Plateaus
Another Atkins-based site lists these things to try if you are not losing weight:
Stalling can be caused by many factors, and many factors are still unknown. If you are stalling, it is recommended that you confirm you are still in Ketosis using your Ketosis testing sticks. If you are in Ketosis, and feel you are still losing inches, continue the diet as normal, the weight should follow. If however, you still feel you are not progressing, or you are not in Ketosis, you can try some of the following:
1. Make sure you are drinking enough water
2. Are you taking enough vitamins?
3. Make sure you are eating enough calories, and not starving yourself.
Eating too little could be the number one cause of a plateau.
4. Eliminate caffeine if you haven't already
5. Eliminate artificial sweeteners from your diet
6. Eliminate dairy products - i.e. cheese
7. Exercise
8. Increase the total fat in your diet
9. Add additional supplements to your diet such as Omega-3 Fatty acids or L-Carnitine that help in the metabolism of fat.
10. Eliminate medications - Make sure you check with your doctor first!!!!
11. Try going back to the Induction level of the diet
12. Try a Fat Fast
What is a Fat Fast diet?
Dr. Atkins recommends the Fat Fast diet for hard core metabolically resistant patients. It's designed to push your metabolism into Ketosis, fast. It's a 1000-calorie a day, 90% fat diet. You divide the food into small portions, and have them at different times of the day. Dr. Atkins suggests dividing 1000 calories into five 200-calorie portions, and have it at 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm and before bedtime.
SUGGESTIONS FOR 200-CALORIE PORTIONS ARE:
2 oz of sour cream, containing 1 tbs. of caviar, served on 3-4 pork rinds.
2 deviled egg halves, server not in the whites, but on pork rinds.
Graham Newbould's Pate for Royalty (2 oz.) served on the soya bread.
2 oz of chicken salad made with triple the usual amount of mayo (of ham salad, egg salad, shrimp salad.)
1 oz of the above in a half avocado
1 oz of macadamia nuts (or walnuts, or other nuts that fit the 90% fat criteria.
2.5 oz of whipped heavy cream, artificially sweetened, and with ground vanilla beans
2 oz of cream cheese
WARNING! This diet is extremely hard to do. For the first day or two you may feel a bit lethargic. So think twice about doing it. It is also recommended that you not continue for over a week because it has not been tested for long-term use. If you are not having trouble losing weight on the induction, or ongoing weight loss diet, the Fat Fast is not recommended.<
Another plateau-causing problem is a plateau caused by your body retaining fluids and losing efficiency at metabolizing fat. This is where the kidney flushing comes in.
Drink 32 oz. of water in 30 minutes in the morning, afternoon and night. Do this for 7 days or every other day for 4 days.
The extra water will fire up the metabolization again. There is also a drawback is the "memory" in your system will require a lot more water to break the stall next time.
Plateaus will also happen every time your body reaches a weight that you remained at for quite some time in the past. Your body is questioning any reason to reduce further. The only way to break a plateau like this, is to jump start the metabolism and you can do this by doubling whatever your daily exercise has been for the next 2 weeks.
This is guaranteed to start the metabolism moving again and at the end of the two weeks, your body will now realize that you can and will exist at a lower weight and the basal metabolism will be restored.
It starts out by stating there are a few reasons why a person stops losing weight when following a successful program. There are several reasons for a plateau and methods to help break the plateau and get back on track losing weight.
The first reason is because they're not following their program as close as at first. Could be menu, exercise, or water related. Your menu can be affected unconsciously. The solution is to right down everything that goes into your mouth.
Exercise is important to weight loss. They recommend 30 to 40 minutes 4-5 times a week. Without exercise it will often slow loss.
8 glasses of water is of a person of normal weight. Water is important to because it flushes the body, helps digestion and metabolizes fat.
These 3 areas are the main items that will halt weight loss.
Another type of plateau is when a person has lost half of their weight and again when within 10 pounds of goal.
This is the point where you feel that you just aren't destined to be thin and just start to give up. Also you may feel that being thin
isn't as important as it was at the onset. Face it - you've lost some weight and you may feel like you are healthy and become content with the present state. Compliments, new clothes , eating out, rewards etc. may thwart your determination.
Also, beware of wolves in sheep clothing - friends that are envious and ready to help you throw in the towel!
Another plateau-causing problem is a plateau caused by your body retaining fluids and losing efficiency at metabolizing fat. This is where the kidney flushing comes in.
Drink 32 oz. of water in 30 minutes in the morning, afternoon and night. Do this for 7 days or every other day for 4 days.
The extra water will fire up the metabolization again. There is also a drawback is the "memory" in your system will require a lot more water to break the stall next time.
Plateaus will also happen every time your body reaches a weight that you remained at for quite some time in the past. Your body is questioning any reason to reduce further. The only way to break a plateau like this, is to jump start the metabolism and you can do this by doubling whatever your daily exercise has been for the next 2 weeks.
This is guaranteed to start the metabolism moving again and at the end of the two weeks, your body will now realize that you can and will exist at a lower weight and the basal metabolism will be restored.
The rest of the article was about how you may appear to be at a plateau, when in reality you are losing inches and gaining muscle. (something many of us Gym Rats have already
discovered.)
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