I bet you will be able to get back into ketosis within a couple days. So far, I have avoided ever getting out of ketosis since I started. I love not being hungery all the time. As far as the starvation response goes, I was referring to how our metabolism gets lower and lower when we eat very few calories and soon we can gain if we eat 800. That's what's happened to me after a couple months of 500-600 calorie eating. According to Kimmers there is not such thing as the starvation response, but then why do you see so many people over there having to go lower and lower to keep on losing?

Yes, ketosis is great. As long as you can keep your insulin levels from jumping up and down, you don't get the low blood sugars that make you hungery and craving. Here is a better explanation of the starvation response:
http://www.fitnessmantra.info/2006/08/25/s...-does-not-work/

I only followed Kimkins for 11 weeks before I started to up my calories, but the weight loss was down to 1/2 pound the last week and I had the feeling I was about to stall. I think I feel better at 1000 calories. Now I just have to talk my body into losing at that amount.

Here is some good information about zig-zagging to lose weight and fool your body into not going into the starvation response. That is what I'm going to try once I get through the next couple weeks of adding calories. Then I don't think 2 very low days a week will hurt.

http://www.fitnessmantra.info/2007/09/08/z...to-weight-loss/

Hi guys,

Lori, I have found that once in ketosis if it's just a day or two of more carbs, then ketosis returns more quickly the second time around. Try to round out your eating with more fat, watch the carbs, and watch the protein too. If you eat protein in excess then it too can be converted to enough glucose to mess with your weight loss.

Stilldew, cycling calories is something a lot of bodybuilders do and for some it does work, so it wouldn't hurt to try that too. The body is smart and we have to keep fooling it with different ways of diet and exercise.
Good luck and I'm here if you need me.

I'd also try to eat 1200 calories as a minimum. They are not all created equal and fat is the least likely to put weight on you.

I do agree that you have to gradually increase your calories up to a safe number..SLOWLY..or you will gain. Adding fat is the way to go. Some people LOVE to add coconut oil to their coffee, etc..It is such a great oil and it increases your metabolism at the same time..

There is TONS of information on this wonderful on the net..If you like a coconutty flavor, you can find Virgin Coconut Oil..if you don't like the flavor, go to Wallie and get the Louana coconut oil and use it in your cooking/baking. OR, if you want more organic, get cold expeller pressed..

I have a zillion books on dieting and one suggested that you could eat
lower calories EVERY OTHER day..say 600-800..but if you do it longer than a day, your metabolism will slow down as your body will be using lean body mass for it's energy and your muscles will dissappear..not a good thing. But, this is only to be done for a couple of months.

Just some thoughts..

WOW , I just read the latest questions and answers were great . I'm so glad to be here to get all this wonderful guidance . I too am upping my cals slowly and fats from k plan . I almost have a fear of those additions - not almost, I do . Not wanting to gain any large amounts . Atkins was too high in fat for me and I had very bad acid reflux during those 4 months ( only 14 lb loss too) and then went to K plan .
Carolyn I'll look for that coconut oil today, thanks for posting that . Melodiegale thanks for the great tip on keeping our body guessing . I have always heard that, but did not know how to actually incorporate it into my plan now. I like the high- low cal idea there!!
Thanks so much gals - I know we refugees are gonna have a lot more questions and needing help as we integrate a healthier WOE . Three months on K and it has really left me paranoid - I need to get over that too !

Thanks so much , Patti

Hi, gals (Lori and PatTee)! I am trying to learn this site now....hmmmm. Just barely logged on and will spend the weekend getting used to it.

Scanned this thread, and there's some excellent info there, but want to really take my time to absorb thid new info.

Lost 1 # this morning. Not much, but better than the rest I've been on!

Gotta get back to work.

Take care and I'll be checking in regularly!

Kat

Hogsfan sounds like you are doing a great job. Glad you are finally getting to enjoy those kudos you fought hard to earn. It's so nice when people notice.

This is such a good topic because once I decided to stop doing Kimkins, I didn't exactly know what to do. It was like I had an eating disorder and only knew one way to eat to loose the weight. It was very, very wierd. But I KNOW I have to keep my carbs low to loose the weight but now I know I can still do it all healthy. Thanks for all the info.

Kat and hogsfan, congratulations on continuing to lose weight while getting off KK. My weight was up a pound today. Again!! I just checked my fitday for the last week and my average calories were 1124, fats 72 gm, carbs 32 gm and protein 94 gm. I am thinking maybe I need to cut the carbs back to around 20. Or maybe 58% is too high on the fats? I may do a low calorie day today and see what happens. I have also been eating some cheese, but not more than 2 oz a day. That may need to go. I'm reading Jonny Bowden's Living the Low Carb Life book now and just relooking at all the different low carb plans. I think I've been on all of them at one time or another. This is the first time I have been faithful about using fitday and I do think it is a good tool for me to get a better idea of exactly what's causing my problems.

THANKS for your comments everyone! Keep it up!

Hogsfan -

Thank you so much for sharing your advice. I particularly liked what you said about not being afraid of food any more. When I went to Kimkins it seemed that I went from food having control over me one way (eating all the wrong things all the time) to food having control over me another way (I was afraid of it). I hope to reach that feeling of contentment that you have.

Jenna

Hi Everyone-
I am another KK refugee, currently posting under another name...
I too am upping the fats. An earlier post said to watch the protein levels, as if they are too high it can promote fat-storage. What is too high? I figured my protein needs at one site that calculated I needed 70 g of protein a day. Should I shoot for that? I am usually much higher than that... What about carb levels? I have been used to shooting for 10... but I think I will up it to 20 or so. Any thoughts?
Howdy to all my 50+ refugee buddies!
Skitch

Skitch, some of the low-carb plans have you count protein grams or portions while others suggest that you use your appetite as a gauge. I would suggest reading 1 or 2 of the published low-carb plan books.

IMHO, most people don't need to worry about protein amounts *unless* they are restricting fats.

The Kimkins "only enough fat as you need to cook your food" rule was a poor one.

A safer, healthier, more delicious guideline is "as much fat as you want to make your meals taste best to you." This guideline is much more effective when it comes to FAT loss.

(Some people will have a small initial gain coming off Kimkins; if you've lost muscle, your body will want to replace it, and that's definitely in your best interests when it comes to long-term weight loss.)

Rita your here!!! YEAH !!!! I'm taking the additions slowly olive oils , even had blue cheese salad dressing !

Oh gee I'm hoping skitch is really Rita - but I think so...... weight looks familiar with that need to lose the 5 lb --- wiggle room !! ??

So happy you are here .

I lost 2.5 lbs this week w/ my additions and will continue those additions too . Everyone's so helpful and willing to keep us going after our K debacle .

I wish everyone could actually see as we have , now .

Jimmy so thankful you started this thread -- HUGE help for us !!

HUGS , Patti

Hey Skitch! GOOD to have you here and we're happy to help you with any questions you may have. Above all, right now you need to probably increase your fat to at least half of your caloric intake and get those calories to a MINIMUM of 1200. Carbs can be kept low and come primarily from non-starchy veggies early on. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

Yes, Christin- it's me!
I tried the coconut oil tonight- I cooked my pork chop in it. It's good even straight! I don't know about putting it in coffee, though...hmmm
I am also enjoying nuts and my favorite salad dressing- Newman's own oil and vinegar. Yum!
I am so glad I got to meet you! I'll be seeing you here, I'm sure!
Skitch

Good news. My lower calorie and carb day yesterday seemed to work. My weight is now down to 179 which is only 0.2 pounds above my lowest wt on Kimkins and back doen 3 pounds from a few days ago. I was so happy to see the 170's again. I did lower my calories back to about 850 and carbs to 19, but overall for the week have averaged 1100 calories. Hopefully doing just one or 2 low days and the rest higher will keep thing moving in the right direction. I think I will aim for around 20 carbs a day for awhile anyway.

Personally I'm not keen on the taste of things fried in olive oil.

I have found success with Macadamia nut oil!

Macadamia nut oil is AWESOME and so is avocado oil.

Thanks for some specific tips on how to transistion off KK. This was supposed to be my grocery store errand day, but I was feeling--can I say it?--SNATTy. My family was out, so I just had to feed myself lunch and when I saw I was out of my "handful of lettuce and a piece of chicken breast" I just didn't eat...for 3 hours I kept putting off lunch. Hello?

I checked these boards, got some ideas and convinced myself that NOT eating was no longer an option. A piece of string cheese is not a meal! So I made some broccoli in olive oil AND coconut oil AND butter and threw in some almond slivers...maybe a whopping tablespoon...and ate the last of my hot wings chicken thighs from last night.

Then after lunch I was going through some LC cookbooks to get some ideas and I completely bypassed any beef recipe and found myself thinking of how to cut fat out of the chicken recipes...

I had been indoctrinated much more than I suspected.

I pulled out my 2002 Dr. Atkins book and Dana Carpender's cookbook, so I hope to have some sort of workable plan in place over the next day or so. I am happy to have lost 28 lbs, but not happy with the dry skin and the hair in the drain and the unhealthy relationship...i.e., fear...I had developed toward food.

Thank God I found you guys. I feel a little like I'm backing away from the edge of a cliff. In college I was part of an education team that helped ID eating disorders. Seems I forgot what I used to know.

Jill

Jill,

It takes a real shift in perception after following Kimkins because you are really doing a 180 here. Don't be afraid of red meat or butter or cream or any other of the lovely foods God gave us to eat. What your body probably needs the most is fat. I hope you will look around on some of the other threads. I'm hearing many stories of ex-kkers who have added a lot of fat and calories to their diets, kept the carbs low (as in induction, 20g) and are continueing to lose weight and even breaking stalls. So have no fear, start living and enjoying food again and good luck to you.

Hogsfan,

I needed to hear what you said about not being afraid of food any more. Thought I was headed in the right direction but I'm still a long way off. My subconscious still seems to be in control. Thank you again for your post, I'll keep reading it over and over until it finally sinks in.

Jill,

Indoctrinated/brainwashed .... we can all find a word for what we allowed that miracle weight loss program to do for us and to us. Guess I went into it with my eyes wide closed. Something that sounds too good to be true always is too good to be true. Amazing that a desperate search for a healthier, slimmer body took so many of us in the opposite direction. Oh yes, our bodies are slimmer but healthier, not on our lives.

Jill, we seem to be walking in the same shoes. I still find myself not feeling hungry and and when I look at the clock, it's already the middle of the afternoon. Breakfast, what's that? Since I live alone, dinner is never on my mind. Oh yes, I do take time to feed my furry children but then I just look around in the fridge and can't decide what, if anything, I want to eat. Having had a late lunch, who can think of eating again. So then I have to force myself to cook and get some protein down.

Had to do some shopping a few days ago and when I got home, low and behold, with the exception of butter, a small container of heavy cream and a bag of shredded cheese, everything else looked the same. Ahi tuna, salmon, talapia, ground turkey and chicken breasts.

"Where's the Beef?"

Yes, I had a yummy cheese omelet cooked in butter for one afternoon, I've dressed my salads with olive oil and lemon, and I actually "fried" my talapia in coconut oil but my calorie count last week was still WAY too low. Help, I'm only in the 750 - 800 range. I stopped having the whey protein shakes because I didn't want my protein count to go too high. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated. Can you tell me exactly what our protein count should be? Thanks!

Dry skin, ha. I'm probably spending more money on body creams than I am on food. Thought I left the alligators behind when I moved from Florida six years ago. Somehow, there is one is right here, right now, posting on this thread. I've been tossing and turning every night for close to two weeks now, my entire body itching from head to toe (literally). And as for my hair, I've only been washing it every other day hoping more of it would stay where it belonged. I'm not back to work yet so on the days I do shampoo it, I let it air dry so as not to have to brush it and cause more damage with the heat of a blow dryer.

During my sleepless nights I'm pouring over different low carb recipes but most of them are high in carbs, not what we need to do here.

Well it's after 6:15 a.m. so as soon as the sun comes up, I'll walk my little guys, take another shower, apply more cream and try to get some sleep. Starvation and sleep deprivation do not a good marriage make.

My prayers are there for all who are still experiencing health issues and for a smoother transition into the world of healthy eating.

Sorry to ramble so, I guess it was time to get it all out.

Hugs
Carole

Carole, I'm trying to get the calories up too without getting too much protein or carbs. I add 1/4 cup heavy cream to my shakes and also sometimes a tsp of macnut oil too. Then I scramble my eggs in 1 TB coconut oil, add 1 Tb butter to my cooked vegetables and 1 TB mayo to tuna or chicken or salmon salads and top chicken and other meats with 1.5 oz cheese. For a special treat, I melt 2 oz cream cheese in the microwave, add a TB of unsweetened dark baking cocoa, 1 tsp vanilla and some Splenda. Chill until set. This last week I was able to average 1144 calories a day doing that. Next week I'm going to aim for 1200. Isn't it funny to have to think of ways to add calories?? I gained a little the first few weeks, but am now back to my lowest weigh on Kimkins, so seem to be tolerating the additions well. If I don't lose on 1200 next week, I am going to do 2 days of low calorie and see what happens. It is certainly a learning experiment right now for a lot of us.

WELCOME to my forum, RobinW! It's GREAT to see you and I hope you continue to be educated and encouraged in your own low-carb journey. Take care!

Welcome, robinw! From Robin M! I think there are 4 (maybe 5 of us Robin's here!)

You are in good (great) company!

O.K. now you ladies have me confused. I'm apologising in advance if I mix you up in the future. Welcome to the "new"robin and good luck!

Thanks Jimmy, Robin M, and Melodie!! I appreciate the welcome and the resource.

I did notice there were a lot of Robins, lol. I'll have to add an avatar soon to try to stand out.

Low Carb Robins Rock!

Yep, there's about 6 Robins here. Maybe I should call it "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Robin."

Hi Y'all,
I lost track of where I was posting... forgot about this thread!
I have been having success zeroing in on the right ratios of cals/fat/carbs/protein, and lost a pound this week- first since stopping the KK WOE.
I am really loving the fats-I am fuller longer, and just feel better. I have also noticed that the inches are slipping off my middle and upper body! The dress in my after pic on KK is now too big, and that was only 3-4 lbs ago.
I am looking forward to trying out some of the recipes in that thread...

Hey Christin! How are ya?

Carole - How are the itchies? I have an itchie scalp, but I had that before I started KK- Don't know what it's about... But I do have Sjogrens syndrome, which is a drying out of everything- eyes, mouth, skin. Eyes have also been real dry, so I'm assuming it's more from that. The extra oils and fats have helped my arthritic hip, though!

Y'all have a great week

Skitch, AKA- you know!

I do not know where to post this so here it goes. I know we are not Doctors here (most of us) but just wanted to know if anyone else experienced this and what have you done or your doctor told you?

I got a real bad rash on KK twice while I was on it, the first time it was just on my stomach area (very itchy and red bumps large and small) the second time it was all over my body even lips. Now that I have gotten back to my LC eating the last 3 days today I have broken out again all over my body, when it's all over my body it comes and goes in different spots all day and even breaks-out like hives.

I went to the ER twice (not just for the rash) got really sick on KK and they said they did not know what it was from and gave me anti-itch meds. Please let me know if you have experienced this if no one else has I will chalk it up to allergic reaction to something else.

Please help.

WOW Lisa, that sounds horrible-the only thing i can think of (AND I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MEDICAL PROFESSION) is that a rash is sometimes an allergic reaction so are you eating something that you don't normally eat when you're not low carbing?
God forbid,like -peanuts?

I would go back to the doctor, and make sure to mention what you've been eating-you know how 'THEY SAY" constantly eating the same food can cause you to develop an intolerance to that food? Maybe it's something like that-dunno-i'm just drawing on my mom-dom....

definitely get it checked out though..

xoxox