Need help! Stalled at 263 lbs.

 I have lost tons of weight many years prior to surgery eating the low carb/Atkins diet.
Since recently finding out that my protein was very low, I'm kinda torn between keeping the carbs super low & getting my protein in.  I was not drinking milk for a while because of the carbs then after getting the low protein news I added it back in.  I'm not sure if that's why I'm stalled or not.

this is what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast: Atkins choc. chip granola bar 17gm. protein 3 gm net carbs ( needed a break from                          eggs) & coffee with half & half   (yes real coffee)

lunch: small portion of left over anti pasta salad with blue cheese dressing. no croutons
            the salad had some tomatoe, oinions, lettuce, olives, lunch meat etc.

snack: protein shake made with GNC choc. protein powder (4 carbs) 20 gm protein. & 8 oz. skim                  milk

dinner: 2 hot dogs (all beef) no bun (low carb ketchup & mustard) I don't usually eat hot dogs,                      but I needed a break from chicken.

snack: atkins endulge peanut caramel cluster bar  8 gm protein / 2 gm net carbs & 8 oz. 1 %    
                 milk

snack:  Philly swirl sugar free popsicle 14 cal. /4 carbs  ( 3 of which are sugar alcohol & 1 gm                        fiber)

Do you think it's the milk or the Atkins bars causing my stall or neither?  Maybe it's just a stall?
             

Hi,  great that you've joined us!

I think there are several things in your plan that I might change if it were me.  (this is coming from someone who stalls for a month at a time and loses very slowly).

1.  processed foods tend to have a lot of sodium.  Check your hot dogs and antipasta.   I ate bacon yesterday and I'm up 1.2 pounds this morning.  I guess that doesn't work, eh?
Not only does it stall me, it makes me gain.

2. Some say atkins bars stall them.  I was eating high protein/low carb bars occasionally but gave them up when I started Atkins in January.

3.  Maybe the milk?  I only drink a tablespoon of heavy cream a day.  For shakes I used Almond Breeze unsweetened - 8 oz. 40 calories and 2 carbs.

I log everything in myfitnesspal . com and then post on the daily CAR thread with my calories, protein, carbs etc.  You might try that so that we can see what your totals actually look like.

For breakfast, instead of a bar, what about leftovers from dinner?

Perhaps try doing one thing differently, like give up bars for a few days, or cut back on sodium and do them one at a time so that you can see where change happens for you?

I pee on the stix to see what knocks me out of ketosis.  I get knocked out really easily if I don't stick to meat/cheese and more meat/cheese.

Good luck!

Thanks for the great advice!  My only problem with meat/chesse & more meat/cheese is constipation!! Even with bars & milk I have been taking 3 colace usually 2 x a day, plus mirialax on most days (usually double dose, one day I had to take a tripple dose!!)  It's terrible to get so constipated!  I love cheese & could eat it for every meal & a snack, but then I would be totally locked up,  I think I will def. give up the bars first.  I did atkins years ago & bacon never seemed to slow me down, & I don't eat it very often anyway.  Thanks again for your help!!  :)

ha...I was just posting a product suggestion that is great for low-carbers who are "poop challenged"!

See my post at the bottom of the page on this link:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/atkins/discussion/4311297/P RODUCTS-Thread-Low-Carb-Yummies/

Hey Christy,

I'd say its likely the milk and the Atkins bars. For sure the milk anyway. For me, when I started eating Atkins bars my weight loss stopped in it tracks. I eliminated them then started losing again. Then I decided it was not the Atkins bars - maybe just a stall - so I started eating them again. Well, once again my weight loss stopped. So, no more Atkins bars for me!  I found out later that its something to do with glycerin and sugar alcohol - so now I look for bars that have no glycerin and no sugar alcohols. "Oh Yeah" Wafer bars fit the bill and are really good! You might give them a try. If you don't want to eliminate milk, try unsweetened almond milk. It is low carb and I actually like it better than milk!

I'm with the above posters.  There are many, many things I might change about this menu, 

To begin with, find a program to log your intake, and write down EVERYthing that goes in yiour mouth.  I think you might be surprised at the total fat, protein, carbs.

Second, there's a lot of processed food here.  And a lot lot LOT of sodium.  The hot-dogs concern me because of the sugar and nitrates/nitrites.  And the sugar alcohols are a concern.

I'm just suggesting you lg it ...and then take a good, hard, long honest look at what the totals look l****


Please see the sticky at the top of the threads list.  There's one that suggests protein intake.  To get into induction (if that's what you're after) you would need 20 or fewer NET carbs.  You need to drink lots and lots of water .... maybe bring yourself back to nutritional basics?

About that constipation, I think we all have known it at one time or another.  I read about someone that takes 1 colace a day so I've been trying that.  The interesting thing is that I'm less constipated without the low carb products, like bars, than I was with them.  Yesterday I had a cup of crisp romaine lettuce and woke up to a great surprise visit from the BooM Princess  this morning.   When I went to Costco today, I picked up a big bag of organic celery and plan to eat several stalks a day. 

 honestly LOLled at "a great surprise visit from the BOO"M Princess"

I have to concur with everyone else.  Processed meats are taboo for those *****tain water.  In some sensitive folks, sugar alcohols trigger insulin as though it were real sugar. 

Double the daily dose of benefiber helps clear the way for me.  In your position, I'd try lower carb unsweetened almond milk; zero carb liquid sucralose sweetener;  limiting or eliminating cheese; and getting my carbs from green leafy vegetables.  That should allow you to cut the carbs and still go.