Calling the experts, please help!

[cheesybake]

Hi all, I've been lc-ing for 12 days now. I've been following the IPD As I had bought it before I discovered this site. I've found it quite easy and haven't been hungry at all. Had all the good feelings of energy etc that others have described. I lost 5lbs in the first week which I was amazed at but weighed myself this morning and have put on a pound. I know I should only weigh once a week but wanted a boost as there will be wine around later and wanted willpower! I am determined to stick to it as can see from everyone's stories how much you lose but am really confused as to where I've gone wrong as I've stuck to it 100%, I do eat masses of cheese but am vegetarian so not sure what other fat source apart from butter and oils there is. If I don't have cheese with a meal I tend to get hungry. Please someone help!

[WillieWaggledagger]

well done on your loss so far, and it's great that you're enjoying this way of eating. although you do tend to see quite high losses when you start low carbing, the speed of weight loss overall is probably similar to other ways of eating

it is very common with low-carbing to lose a lot in the first 1-2 weeks, and then to find you stall or even put on a little during the subsequent couple of weeks. you really just have to keep the faith and plough on, and your weight loss should restart again. the initial weight loss is very motivating, but it would be very surprising for you to keep up that level of loss over a longer period. in fact, a good proportion of that initial weight loss will be your glycogen stores emptying, rather than actual fat loss. my understanding is that it's not really possible to lose more than 1-2lb of fat per week, and i have read that the fat cells, once they have released their fat, will often hold on to water initially so it doesn't always show on the scales right away. you may also be at a point in your hormone cycle where you retain water - the body is very mysterious - or it could just be a mistake on the scales, or you ate later than usual the day before! have you travelled any long distances? driving a long distance or flying anywhere cause me to retain water and gain weight. there could be many reasons why you have gained a lb, and you really need to look at the overall trend over a number of weeks/months rather than daily or even weekly fluctuations.

have you taken any measurements so that you can see your shape changing even if the scales aren't moving? because of the anti-bloating effects of low-carbing you will likely find that you are trimmer than you were at the same weight when you were eating higher carb iyswim

wrt cheese, it slightly depends on how much you mean by 'masses' as to whether this is causing you problems. some people are sensitive to dairy, but as you say you need to include it otherwise your diet might not be varied enough to keep in interesting. mayonnaise is another good fat source, as is something like avocado (though both of these will contain a certain amount of carbs so you would need to check the brand/variety). it may well be though that your weight fluctuations are due to one or other of the reasons i've outlined above, rather than any problems with dairy consumption

[cheesybake]

Thanks for that Willie. I an really pleased with the 5lbs and knew it wouldn't continue like that but just wasn't expecting to put on.
You might be right about the water retention, I am quite prone to that anyway. I have ketosticks and am def in ketosis, the colour is quite dark, about the second patch from the end. Is it ok for it to be so dark?

[WillieWaggledagger]

I've never used ketostix myself, and I believe thy if they are showing very dark then it may be an indication that you aren't drinking enough fluid (you want the ketostix I be flushed out as the fat is less likely to break down into ketones if there is a high concentration of ketones already)

Also drinking more water helps with water retention

Are you definitely drinking enough?

[WillieWaggledagger]

*you want the ketones to be flushed out...

[BIWI]

If you're prone to water retention, and your ketostix are showing dark purple, then you are definitely not drinking enough water. It's really important on a low carb diet.

[cheesybake]

Bloody hell! I'm drinking about 10pints a day! I'll try to up it but not sure if I'll manage, I've always drank a lot of water (habit from living in a hot country previously) but have increased it since starting this. I'll but out my mint tea and replace with more water to see if that helps. I'll be sloshing around
Thank you, I'll jump on the questions thread with anything else, just realised I should prob have put this there - sorry!