WHY CAN’T I LOSE
WEIGHT?
Strategies to support weight loss
Jacqueline A. Eberstein, R.N.
Controlled Carbohydrate Nutrition,
LLC
Choose a plan that can work for a
lifetime
• Improves health & well-being.
• Includes whole, minimally processed foods that
are readily available.
• Supports your metabolism. Normalizes risk
factors.
• Includes a variety of satisfying foods.
• Controls hunger and cravings.
• Allows you eat between meals if hungry.
• Makes it easier to lose or maintain weight.
Are you really on a plateau?
You are only on a plateau if you have not lost weight
and/or inches for more than 4 weeks.
Ask yourself these questions:
• Are you feeling better?
• Are you losing inches?
• Do your clothes feel looser?
• Are you still in ketosis?
Don’t allow a plateau to sabotage
your best efforts.
Have the facts.
What can interfere with weight loss?
• Frequent deviations.
• Carb creep. Overeating allowable foods esp.
nuts and cheese.
• Doing your own version of Atkins
• Hidden carbohydrates in prepared food products
• Low fat products
• Improper use of low carb products
• “Diet” foods, i.e. ice cream, candy, etc.
• Chronic stress
• Yeast overgrowth and/or allergy to yeast and
mold
• Allergies-inflammation.
• Hormonal changes
• Low thyroid function
• Past yo-yo dieting
• Sedentary lifestyle especially as you age
• Prescription medications
Medications that increase metabolic
resistance
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Hormones-Depo-provera, BCPs, HRT
NSAID
Psychotrophics-many old and newer
Diuretics and other anti-hypertensives
Steroids
Antibiotics
Insulin and drugs that elicit an insulin response
Antihistamines
Diet pill rebound
Statin drugs
Get back to basics
• Since most people lose weight easily, they tend
to start adding extra carbohydrates too rapidly.
That slows weight loss. Add too much
carbohydrate, and you’ve exceeded your CCLL.
• Keep a food diary so you can more accurately
examine what you’re eating.
• Begin regular exercise if you haven’t already.
• To break a plateau, resume the Induction Phase
for 3 – 4 days. You should start losing.
Yeast Problems
Common occurrence in the U.S. population with a high
refined food / high sugar diet. Especially common in
people with diabetes.
It is associated by an imbalance of organisms in the
intestinal tract commonly caused by excessive use of
antibiotics, hormonal preparations and/or poor diet.
Individuals with yeast conditions commonly crave and
overeat yeast related foods.
Most people will have both allergy to and overgrowth of
yeast. Both can provoke symptoms.
Symptoms of yeast
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Post nasal drip
Chronic rhinitis
Sinus headaches
Sinusitis
Gas, bloating and
heart burn
• Constipation or
diarrhea
• Water retention
• Skin eruptions
• Cravings for breads,
pizza, alcohol, rolls
• Spaciness/brain fog
• White tongue
• Vaginal yeast
infections and
frequent urination
Improvements to expect with a
yeast-free version of Atkins
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Improvement in weight loss
Decrease in original symptoms
Decrease in cravings
Increase in energy
Increase in alertness
Decrease in PMS symptoms
Decrease in urinary symptoms
Decrease in vaginal itching and discharge
Less symptoms from other environmental allergies.
Yeast restricted items
• Any foods that contain refined carbohydratessugar, fruit, juice, refined grains, alcohol
• Cheese –except cream and mozzarella
• Mushrooms
• Vinegar
• Sour cream
• Soy sauce
• Fermented and pickled items
Low thyroid function
• Under-diagnosed, especially in women and
people with type 2 diabetes.
• Free T3, free T4, TSH
• Often normal lab results but many symptoms are
present
• Clinical trial: give thyroid & observe the patients
response
• Some thyroid prescriptions become ineffective,
especially T4 prescriptions
• Often hormonal imbalances can effect thyroid
functioning i.e. estrogen dominance
Thyroid Symptom Survey
For a copy of the Atkins Center thyroid
symptom survey email me at:
jeberstein@controlcarb.com
Carbohydrate gram levels for metabolic
resistance for losing
• High metabolic resistance: about 20 grams or
less per day.
• Average metabolic resistance: about 20 to 40
grams per day.
• Low metabolic resistance: about 40 to 60 grams
per day.
• Regular exerciser: about 60 to 90 grams per
day.
Carb gram levels for metabolic
resistance for maintaining
• High metabolic resistance: about 25 to 40
grams per day.
• Average metabolic resistance: about 40 to
60 grams per day.
• Low metabolic resistance: about 60 to 90
grams per day.
• Regular exerciser: about 90 or more
grams per day.
Tips for success
• Must eat breakfast.
• Eat at least 3 meals a day; skipping meals will impede
weight loss.
• Maintain a good intake of natural fats and adequate
calories.
• Don’t go more than 6 waking hours without a snack or
meal. Must include protein at each meal and snack.
• Eat only until you’re satisfied---not stuffed.
• Eat slowly.
Tips cont’d
• Drink plenty of fluids---at least 64 ounces a day.
• Read labels---look for hidden carbs in prepared foods.
• Avoid excessive intake of caffeine to avoid an unstable
blood sugar and cravings.
• Rely on inch loss rather than the scale to measure
success.
• Take your supplements regularly.
Tips cont’d
• Weigh yourself first thing in the morning and not just
before the period.
• Include exercise as a lifelong activity.
• Use good quality low carb products appropriately or not
at all if weight loss is problematic.
• Avoid liquid medications, cough drops or cough syrup
with forms of sugar.
• Use sucrolose or stevia as your primary sweetener. Do
not overuse.
Be Realistic
• Avoid comparing how rapidly you lost weight in the
distant past to the present.
• Men have an easier time losing than women do. Avoid
comparing how you lose with your male friends.
• If you are more stressed, find a stress reliever not
related to food.
• If certain medications are necessary adjust your goals.
• Be realistic about your weight loss goals.
• You are in this for the long run. If you want to enhance
your health keep it up.
Thank You
Jacqueline Eberstein, R.N.
controlcarb.com
veronicaatkinsfoundation.org