Advice

rjel78

Me and my wife will be starting the Atkins diet and wondered.....
1) if you have done it and what success you've had
2) any tips you can share
3) what can we look forward to in phase 1?

happyauntie2015

My husband and I tried it and while we followed it we did really well. I bet it's been a good 10 plus years ago. We ended up gaining everything back and then some. We gave up got tired of feeling deprived and well life happened. We are both doing great now by staying within calories and not being so restrictive with what we eat. Good luck to you!

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

The Atkins diet works by eating less calories than you burn. It is not magical.

You could eat any foods you like and stick to your calorie goal and get the same results.

If you do want to try Atkins the below group would be a good place to start.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

LKArgh

The only person I know in real life who was on Atkins for years did control weight but developed gout! I am guessing there are risk factors for this, but he was not aware of them having no previous problems.

kommodevaran

If you've already made up your mind, why are you asking for advice?

The only tip I can share would be to not do it, and instead focus on hitting your damn calorie goal, in any way you like, or dislike little enough, to be able to do so consistently, for whatever time it takes to get to goal weight, gathering knowledge and experience and building confidence and commitment in the process, so that you can handle the transition into maintenance, which is how you'll be eating, with minor adjustments over time, for the rest of your life.

Johncalvinfields

I would be careful. Too much meat results in gout and health issues. Best thing is exercise daily, drink a lot of water , preferably spring or artisan. Keep track of your calories and stay away from saturated sugars

Old_Cat_Lady

Why not just eat healthy? Why follow a diet? You know diets don't work because they are temporary.
Focus on healthy eating for life, and your heart will thank you.
Grill your chicken breast and add a lot of veggies. Get some fruit throughout the day. Walk a bit each day.
@Johncalvinfields I'm sure you meant watch the saturated fats and added sugars consumption.

LiveLoveFitFab

I tried it, and I turned into a raving maniac. I was so moody and I hated life. And I was eating lots of food.

Coffee with pure cream for breakfast with eggs and bacon, atkins cream of mushroom soup and chicken breast for lunch, steak and salad for dinner and an atkins bar as a snack before bed, would be my usual day. Eventually my family begged me to stop before I killed someone.

I was too tired and run down to work out, and I love to work out so that was another issue.

I wasn't getting my proper omegas, and my nutrition was off. I lost about five pounds before I threw out the cream and went back to eating like a regular human being. My skin broke out from all the grease and fat that came with all that meat. I like meat, but not in those levels. I remember being disgusted just looking at a juicy steak. It was my bodies way of saying no more.

Plus, bread is really nice. I like bread. I eat multi-grain bread now with loads of seeds in it and I'm happier and healthier.

Right now I'm eating tonnes of veggies, like 9-12 servings a day. Lean protein, with at least one serving of whole grains, some greek yogurt before bed. And I'm getting all the nutrients I need to feel great and to fuel my workouts. At my age, being healthy is more important than getting skinny fast due to being in keto, and Atkins made it so hard to get my nutrients right.

There are no easy ways to do this. And being able to exercise is very important to this journey. Do you want to be skinny or healthy? They are two totally different things. Your mileage may vary though, so good luck if you do it.

cathipa

I tried it years ago when it first came out. I did lose, but realized I was just eating crap since I was eating mostly eggs, cheese and processed meats. When I stopped I regained everything and then some. Only until 4 years ago did I realize weight loss is about CICO and (for me) adhering to the 80/20 rule (80% healthy, 20% whatever I want). I don't eat bread too often, but I do like a good sub every once in a while. I find eliminating or severely reducing whole macros to be unsustainable for the long term and would rather just eat what I want as long as it fits my calorie and macro goals.

JJS1979

I dont think Atkins is Sustainable, at least for me. If you are just going to do it for a bit, lose weight and then go back to eating like you did before, you will just gain the weight back. You are better off just reducing your overall caloric intake by 5-10% and eat the foods you want within that macro/calorie breakdown. There is nothing special about Atkins that makes you lose more weight than just being in a caloric deficit.