No progress in weightloss - looking for advice

[freeon9999]

I've been following this forum for quite a few years, but this is my first post, and I'm looking for some help/advice. I'm 23 years old, 5'8 and about 195 lbs with approx. 26% body fat. My "journey" I guess you could call it into fitness began my senior year of highschool when I reached about 185 lbs and decided I really needed to lose weight. I went on Atkins and started serious weight training/cardio and lost about 20 lbs fairly easily over perhaps a summer and was down to about 165 from which I gained about 10 lbs per year doing college (I was still working out fairly regularly but the lifestyle was just not conducive to great health.

So here I am, having embarked on another weight loss journey about a month and a half ago, starting out at 198 lbs. I started counting my calories and have been eating around 1800-2000 calories a day while running/walking for about 45 minutes about 3 times a week. I started on a CKD diet and maintained that for about 2 weeks but was having trouble keeping the schedule and not seeing progress so I switched to basically the Atkins diet about a month ago. I have been in Ketosis mostly throughout and have not cheated, yet I am seeing no results whatsoever. I weighed myself today and I was back up to 198 lbs (I have been at 192 at the lowest maybe a week ago). What is going on? My diet consists mostly of turkey, tuna, cheese, protein drinks, atkins drinks/bars, buffalo wings, and salads. I have been in ketosis for most of the past few weeks (measured with Ketostix). While this is not the cleanest, I have not been eating over that 1800-2000 point really, with the only problem being that I have a real problem with night eating and generally eat little during the day and most of the food at night. The past week I have started on thermogenics (Thermocin and Dexatrim nighttime formula) trying to spark some results but like I said I'm now back to where I started and this is making my daytime eating even less (although it is decreasing the total eating period as I'm still eating about 800-1000 calories before bed but maybe only 500 throughout the day).

Has anyone been through this or have any advice on what I should do? Should I try to make myself eat more during the day? I have had this problem with nighttime eating for the past few years which I think has been my major problem, but isn't still about how many total calories in vs. out? Would this timing be enough to totally halt any weightloss progress or might there be another problem? I seemed to lose this weight quite easily a few years ago but not I am just really having the most difficult time. I also have considered I might have a metabolism problem so I just purchased 7-Cort with 7-oxo-DHEA to try and possibly increase my T3 levels, but I'm not sure how much this will help. Any opinions that any had would be greatly appreciated and if theres any other information that might help just let me know, I'm just really starting to get discouraged at this point still seeing little progress. Thanks alot guys.

[Paul Stagg]

First, there is not a pill that will help you right now, unless you have a medical issue (Thyroid), for which you should see a doctor, not GNC.

A couple of points:

A CKD is designed for people who lift. If you don't lift, don't use a CKD or TKD.

Keto diets can be very effective, but, to paraphrase someone else, if you can't figure out how to eat 5 or 6 meals a day that include a protein source and vegatables, getting more complex isn't the answer.

Your calorie consumption may still be too high. Are you only moving as much as you said, or do you train with weights or play a sport or anything?

Do you track your eating accurately? You may be eating far more than you think, especially on a keto type diet.

[RhodeHouse]

So, you did Atkins in High school? Then, over the 4 years in college you put all the weight back on? I hope you realize that diets don't work. All diet means is, Did I Eat Today? Following some fad diet will lead you to exactly where you are today. What happens when you're body comes out of ketosis? You can't do Atkins forever? You reintroduce carbs into your diet and you blow up again. Just like in college.

There are 4 essential components to good eating habits:
Fat
Protein
Carbohydrates
Water

Rather than following a diet that you won't be able to follow for the rest of your life, try making small changes.

1. No processed foods or foods with excess sugar
2. Increase fluid (water) intake
3. Eat 5-6 times per day
4. Cut out excess calories (beer, soda, junk food, etc...)
5. Lift weights 3-5 times per week
6. Do REAL cardio 3-5 times per week

You're setting yourself up to fail by following a diet like Atkins. And, if I remember correctly, Dr. Atkins died of a massive heart attack. Sign me up to follow his program.

[FiveSpeedG]

Do you know where your numbers are in terms of basic caloric needs and how your current level of exercise plays into that? Remember that weight loss is a combination of eating and exercise, not supplements and eating.

I'll reiterate the need for a good "diet" which entails eating "good" foods. Fresh meats, vegetables, fruits, and other fibers, all in moderation. You can adjust your intakes of proteins, fats, carbs, fibers accordingly, but shutting one of those out completely can be detrimental. Dr. Atkins's fate actually began with a slip on ice which put him in a coma due to head trauma. But studies have shown that "Atkins followers" are more likely to yo-yo diet and fail.

Spend the extra $$$ you're throwing at supplements on good stuff from the supermarket, and set up a sustainable level and different types of activity.

"Night eating" is tough, especially at our age...Drunken Jack In The Box runs, throwing a frozen pizza in the oven while you're gaming, or ending up at a bar with terrible food and drinks. Or just having too little time, and having your biggest, tastiest meal of the day late in the evening after everything else is done. Make adjustments, and prepare yourself to fend off deviations from good eating (i.e. pack good foods with you during the day).

[freeon9999]

Thanks all for the advice so far. To Paul - while on CKD I was following the article by Justin Frank on here and doing a depletion workout on friday then carbing up and doing my heavy workouts on monday and tuesday. However, I have since lost access to a gym temporarily and only have my bowflex to work on and found it difficult to do the proper exercises that I needed to do. Thus, my decision to switch to a straight Keto. Unfortunately this has given me an excuse to not really weight train much at all the past few weeks, but I will try to get back into that starting now. I'm usually very active in sports a few times a week but since moving back home I haven't really had the opportunity to play anything. That being said I've been working out a few times a week the past few years using the guidelines on here so I know how important that is.

More generally concerning my diet: I do realize for sure what you guys are saying with keeping a sustainable balanced diet and the point on the supplements. However, I was only looking to use Atkins for about a month to lose some initial weight before I would change into a longterm balanced diet at maintenance levels. And I agree totally on the supplements, I just have kind of used them these past 2 weeks as a last resort because I was not seeing any progress with the diet and exercise.

With my activity level I have calculated that my maintenance calories should be about 2400 cal, so I don't see why this diet of 1800-2000 cal is not showing progress. I have been keeping pretty accurate records off/on using Calorieking software (similar to Fitday), with the days I haven't recorded being almost identical in consumption to those where I am in the proper levels. Perhaps I haven't been as accurate as I need to be though, its just hard sometimes to keep it everyday, but I guess that is what it is going to take.

[Paul Stagg]

Sounds like you have the right idea - I would first double check your calorie intake. Let us know what you find.

I would also find a gym and get back to lifting. If you aren't lifting, your maintenance levels might be much lower than you think.