Okay, I hit the magic number that is making me happy, 175. That is the signal for me that it is time to start cranking the carbs (but not really sugars) back into my system and to start to work out more.
I also got a secondary signal last night, while playing badminton. Near the end of the night, I started to feel very tired and very weak, not getting good recovery speed or anything. Usually a few minutes break and I am good to go, but in this case I was pretty much worn out and not feeling really up to anything else. This is certainly a sign that my blood sugar was probably pretty low, and that the conversion of fat to energy was no longer matching up to my needs. For me it is a (perhaps false) indication that I have burned off all the easy fat, and now it is just the leftovers I am dealing with. It may also be an indication that the carb levels in my system are just too low, and that I am missing important stuff to actually convert fat to energy. Either way, it tells me that my diet restrictions are likely now too severe to get done what I want on those last 5 pounds, so change of course.
If I am going to work out and get more exercise, I will need to have enough energy to get that done. So I am going to very carefully add in some more carbs, possibly allowing a fajita type shell (15 net carbs or so) in at least one meal, so that there is something there to work with. Yes, this will pull me out of Ketosis, and I am sure my liver will be happy about that. But I have a feeling with decent eating and exercise, the rest will come. I will continue to work on the food side of the equation until I find that carb limit for losing level where things are still going well but I am no longer denying myself quite so much.
IMHO, Atkins works, even for someone like me who was only in the 20-30 pounds need range (I am at 18 pounds off now). It is a clear indication that things are possible, and that this sort of deal works at least during the intial phase to get your body changed completely. I am sure I have burned off fat that has been stored for years, and that is a real good feeling.
More as it happens… the game isn’t over yet 🙂