Started on Valentine’s day, lost 10 pounds in 7 days. (I know, what more can one ask for?) Unfortunately, I’ve gotten addicted to seeing the scale dip, and it’s remained constant for 3 days now. Previously, my body has seemed to have a "set point" at 292 for years, fluctuating by a couple of pounds only. For about 3 months, I’ve been watching what I eat a little better and got down to 286. Here’s some other background info:

I am male, 6′2", pretty muscular but carrying around what I think to be at least 50 lbs. of fat I could get rid of to reach good muscle definition. I work out 5 days a week (not new). Workout is usually 20 min. cardio (walking/running) followed by 30+ min. of fairly intensive weightlifting, rotating between chest&triceps/back&biceps/legs/shoulders&neck on alternate days. At most, each body part gets a workout 2 days a week; intense lifting (warmup set plus 3 sets of 8-10 reps, to failure on each set with the heaviest weight I can achieve those reps with, usually 4 exercises per body part for a total of 12 sets). Having done this for quite a while, I would seriously doubt that any slowdown in loss has anything to do with simultaneous increase in muscle mass.

Now, for what you want to hear: food. I’ve been sticking to induction. As a vegetarian, it has been a little modified, but still well within the rules. Here’s today’s menu, which is pretty typical (in fact, identical to yesterday):

7 am: Atkins vanilla shake plus coffee with Splenda (2g net carbs total)
8 am: 2 eggs, scrambled in butter (1.2g)
11am: Atkins vanilla shake pre-workout (1g)
1pm: Subway salad (lettuce, spinach, olive, cucumber) with veggie max patty, oil/vinegar (12g total for all, checked on Subway website)
3pm: 2 eggs, scrambled in butter (1.2g)
7pm: 2 mozzarella cheese sticks (0.5g ea = 1g)
9pm: 1 Morningstar farms veggie sausage patty (2g)

As you can see, this works out to 20.4g, even with me counting the Splenda packet as 1g, and the 0.5g each in the mozzarella cheese sticks. I purposely stuck the highest carb meal (12g, mostly vegetables) right after the workout because in the past it was a 60+g carb veggie sub post-workout to replenish me a tad.

The good side: honestly, I could eat this way every day, with maybe adding a big spinach/broccoli/green pepper salad and another protein shake once I’m on O.W.L. Zero cravings for anything except maybe another salad. Besides, I’ve been losing on it so far.

The bad side: a 3-day stall, when I am already used to already drinking 120 oz. of water a day, working out this exact regimen, not likely to be gaining much muscle mass at this point, etc… I mean, literally, my scale has varied by 2/10 of a pound for 3 days (same time of day).

Thoughts?

Margarita

but I have a question…. since I have been sick my doctor put me on an antibiotic (my husband and I had strep and I also had an infection in each ear….fun fun fun) I still have about two days left of them and my stomach is twisted in knots… my mom is telling me that I need to eat yogurt to replace needed bacteria… but I went through every brand at publix and they are all full of carbs and sugar…

Does anyone know of a low carb friendly option I might have?

Thanks!

Breakfast: hard boiled egg

later in the morning an Atkins bar

Lunch: 2 cups romaine with cucumber, celery broccoli and ranch dressing

Snack: Atkins bar

Dinner: My husband and I stopped (unexpectedly) at Applebee’s. I had a difficult time making a decision on what to eat. Here is what I chose.

Margherita chicken with 2 servings of steamed vegetables (opted out of baked potato) and water with Real Lemon and Stevia.

I seek advice. Thanks for the help.

Sandy

I am in a bit of a mental pickle as to my weightloss plans. Short background, I lost quite a bit in ‘07 (from 152->125) I lost with EFGT/Atkins. It was fairly effortless. Well, I flirted with inutitive eating but really abused because I figured that I could eat a lot of junk with minimal gains. That is, until this summer when the minimal gain became 20 lbs.

So here I am in this journey once more. I have lost 6.5 of the pounds regained. I would really like to see below 130 again. But I am not doing this is the *best* way. No offense meant to those whol use Stillman’s, but for me, using QWL to get my weight down is a but unreasonable because I am mostly dealing with vanity pounds.

I know I should probably be followings Atkins or something of that ilk, *but* I feel like my metabolism has changed. Before, I was in my mid twenties. Now I am getting closer and closer to the 3-0. I am fearful that to weigh 120-something, I will have to be far mroe drastic.

I guess I am just looking for stories of success or words of wisdom or something. I know I am being a bit vague, but do you think I can accomplish my goals with Dr. A? Are my goals unrealistic?

TIA