Atkins Diet Success Stories

mjcbills1980

Hi There-

So I am seeing if anybody has done Atkins, and still is doing it with great success? I lost 80lbs on it back in 2005 in 8 months, never counting ANY calories, just carbs and went off the plan due to lots of personal things. Having tried to count calories and always seem hungry and that it's not a cookie cutter approach for everyone, I need motivation from fellow Atkins, low carb peeps who can help me with this low carb LIFESTYLE, not a quick fix and then back to eating all the sugary, high processed carb crappy foods again, only to balloon up and plus some. Thanks!

LauraPacky

I'm not really following Atkins per se, I am doing a ketogenic diet, which is high fat, moderate protein and low carb. Doing pretty well. I do eat the occasional Atkins snacks but not really drinking shakes. I lost over 30 lbs back in 2003/04 and did pretty well keeping it off. Had a hysterectomy in Jun 2016 and gained 30 lbs plus! Just started back doing Keto on Jan 1st and have lost 10 lbs already. Plus i am losing the brain fog. I'm finding a LOT more choices in food this time around that's for sure!

mjcbills1980

Laura, do you think you can eat like this the rest of your life? It seems daunting to me at times, but I don't know if I am over thinking it?

dsboohead

mjcbills1980 wrote: »

Laura, do you think you can eat like this the rest of your life? It seems daunting to me at times, but I don't know if I am over thinking it?

I did it and lost years ago. But, seriously no more carbs???? Does not work for me as a lifestyle.
Rather learn to eat realistically as I lose cause do not want to be on a merry go round of gains and losses.

ITUSGirl51

I’ve done it multiple times. Lost 50+ lbs every time. Gained it all back every time. I would lose because I literally got sick of eating protein, so I barely ate anything. oh and when the weight comes back, it comes back fast! Also your teeth get coated in plaque very quickly. I had to go to get my teeth cleaned 4 times a year it was so bad. I was an Atkins believer for decades, but I would never recommend it now for people who just want to lose weight.

I’ve lost 60 lbs following MFP since March. I have learned how to eat what I like in moderation during this time. When I stop the ‘diet’ I will eat the same food I’ve been eating for the past 11 months, I just get to add more of it and maintain my weight. I’m very hopeful I can keep the weight off because I didn’t eliminate the foods I love to lose the weight.

kwalton65

Low carb is totally possible to sustain for the long haul. Me and many others have been doing it no problem. You just have decide if your goals are important enough to alter your way of eating currently. Here is a link to a low carb group. over 50k strong. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

I take in around 30g to 40g of carbs a day and workout like a madman. totally possible.

mjcbills1980

How much weight have you lost doing low carb? I know it works, just got to get my head in the game

lradtke72

ITUSGirl51 wrote: »

I’ve done it multiple times. Lost 50+ lbs every time. Gained it all back every time. I would lose because I literally got sick of eating protein, so I barely ate anything. oh and when the weight comes back, it comes back fast! Also your teeth get coated in plaque very quickly. I had to go to get my teeth cleaned 4 times a year it was so bad. I was an Atkins believer for decades, but I would never recommend it now for people who just want to lose weight.

I’ve lost 60 lbs following MFP since March. I have learned how to eat what I like in moderation during this time. When I stop the ‘diet’ I will eat the same food I’ve been eating for the past 11 months, I just get to add more of it and maintain my weight. I’m very hopeful I can keep the weight off because I didn’t eliminate the foods I love to lose the weight.

TheOldBallCoach43420

My wife and myself are looking to start ASAP. We are not finding many people that do it. We just want to make sure we are doing it correctly to get us started because both of us have quite a bit of weight that we both need to lose. Is it really as simple as making sure you stay below 20-25 net carbs per day? We haven’t really found “the plan” anywhere. We have found the list of foods that have zero net carbs but does that mean you can eat them freely? Seems odd.

mjcbills1980 wrote: »

Hi There-

So I am seeing if anybody has done Atkins, and still is doing it with great success? I lost 80lbs on it back in 2005 in 8 months, never counting ANY calories, just carbs and went off the plan due to lots of personal things. Having tried to count calories and always seem hungry and that it's not a cookie cutter approach for everyone, I need motivation from fellow Atkins, low carb peeps who can help me with this low carb LIFESTYLE, not a quick fix and then back to eating all the sugary, high processed carb crappy foods again, only to balloon up and plus some. Thanks!

Longshore

just do keto. Its Atkins but focus more on whole foods.

neugebauer52

I discovered Atkins for myself when it became all the rage in around 1978 - 1980 (?). I managed to stay on it for about 9 months and lost a good amount of weight. So it did work for me as a short time "diet" but not as a life style where I could have learned about balanced meals, portion control, (PORTION CONTROL !) trigger foods, macros, meal plans and all those other things I have learned - and am learning through MFP and the amazing members. Some 21 years ago our dear son George Paul was born - but died an hour later. Years of depression followed, doctors loved to push medication, I started to overeat again and over the years I ended up on 170 kg (375 pounds). Eventually I realized that I have to start healing myself from within, tablets are not always the answer to any ailment. It took me about 6 months to very slowly stop the anti depressants - I still think that I was one of the lucky ones who managed that. But I understand my psychological trigger points now and avoid what hurts me mentally. I discovered MFP, signed on, let them do all the calculations and listened to the knowledgeable members. That was just over 400 days ago - so far I have lost about 32 kg (70 pounds) - and I still have a long way to go. I learn something new every day, (thank you MFP and members!), over time slightly adjusted my macros so I don't need cheat food days and I am never sick, sometimes a bit tired. I have started to exercise - mainly walking, since I don't fit into all those training machines at the gym. I do enjoy water aerobics there, no wonder - lots of fun without feeling all that weight! Once I reach 120 kg I will buy myself a bicycle and later I will start ice skating again. Obviously (?) I ask myself often: do I do everything right, why I don't lose weight faster, do I record all my food and beverages correctly, why my exercise efforts are so hugely calorie - burned overestimated, etc. Generally I prepare myself a basic meal plan for the next day, taking into consideration the odd meal out, invitations, parties etc. I take it meal by meal, day by day and stick to MFP. Next week I will see my GP to compare blood tests from 13 months ago, he hasn't seen me since - there was no reason to. Time to put on my walking shoes and enjoy nature this morning!

echmain3

Longshore wrote: »

just do keto. Its Atkins but focus more on whole foods.

Forget keto, just use MFP.

Sabine_Stroehm

dsboohead wrote: »

mjcbills1980 wrote: »

Laura, do you think you can eat like this the rest of your life? It seems daunting to me at times, but I don't know if I am over thinking it?

I did it and lost years ago. But, seriously no more carbs???? Does not work for me as a lifestyle.
Rather learn to eat realistically as I lose cause do not want to be on a merry go round of gains and losses.

Atkins doesn't mean "no more carbs", not during the weight loss phase, and certainly not during lifetime maintenance.

Sabine_Stroehm

Longshore wrote: »

just do keto. Its Atkins but focus more on whole foods.

Atkins IS focused on whole foods. Keto is like Atkins early phases.

Sabine_Stroehm

A reminder about the low carb group on here:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum

VictoryGarden

Firstly, if either of you are at all kidney compromised, then low carb is not a good idea. If you are on any meds for diabetes or blood pressure you will need close monitoring by your doctor.

I strongly recommend joining the Low Carber Daily Forum https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum. They discuss all types of low carb ways of eating.

They will have loads of info. Atkins at it's core is a low carb way of eating. There are as many ways to do it, as there is just not a one size fits all approach. Some people do great on 75-100g of carbs per day. Some people need less. Some need a lot less. I personally do best on less than 20 net carbs a day (net carbs are total carbs minus fiber). So what you need may be different from what your wife needs. Don't let that discourage you, it is very worth testing the different levels to find out what suits your body.

You will also need to be aware of the initial side effects of switching from the typical Standard American Diet to a low carb one. "Keto flu" can be avoided, or at least the symptoms can be decreased. There are also the sugar addiction withdrawal to just be aware of as well. Don't let them discourage you. When you come out on the other side of it...... it is so liberating.

zeejane4

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

dsboohead wrote: »

mjcbills1980 wrote: »

Laura, do you think you can eat like this the rest of your life? It seems daunting to me at times, but I don't know if I am over thinking it?

I did it and lost years ago. But, seriously no more carbs???? Does not work for me as a lifestyle.
Rather learn to eat realistically as I lose cause do not want to be on a merry go round of gains and losses.

Atkins doesn't mean "no more carbs", not during the weight loss phase, and certainly not during lifetime maintenance.

This.

As you get further along into the weight loss phase you add carbs and in maintenance you continue adding carbs until your weight stabilizes, with a ball park figure of around 100 net carbs.

I'm in maintenance and my current goal is 90 carbs (not net). I'm eating an ice cream right now and I'm still going to come in under today. There's a lot of wiggle room with 100ish carbs, plenty of room for lots of veggies, dairy, some fruit and treats and even some grains. Heck, I ate out 4 times this past weekend and was able to stay completely on plan. I haven't found a lower carb way of eating to be that difficult after you make a few adjustments.

zeejane4

TheOldBallCoach43420 wrote: »

My wife and myself are looking to start ASAP. We are not finding many people that do it. We just want to make sure we are doing it correctly to get us started because both of us have quite a bit of weight that we both need to lose. Is it really as simple as making sure you stay below 20-25 net carbs per day? We haven’t really found “the plan” anywhere. We have found the list of foods that have zero net carbs but does that mean you can eat them freely? Seems odd.

mjcbills1980 wrote: »

Hi There-

So I am seeing if anybody has done Atkins, and still is doing it with great success? I lost 80lbs on it back in 2005 in 8 months, never counting ANY calories, just carbs and went off the plan due to lots of personal things. Having tried to count calories and always seem hungry and that it's not a cookie cutter approach for everyone, I need motivation from fellow Atkins, low carb peeps who can help me with this low carb LIFESTYLE, not a quick fix and then back to eating all the sugary, high processed carb crappy foods again, only to balloon up and plus some. Thanks!

Sending you a message

thanos5

nary a single 'woo'. well done, kids.

TheOldBallCoach43420

zeejane4 wrote: »

TheOldBallCoach43420 wrote: »

My wife and myself are looking to start ASAP. We are not finding many people that do it. We just want to make sure we are doing it correctly to get us started because both of us have quite a bit of weight that we both need to lose. Is it really as simple as making sure you stay below 20-25 net carbs per day? We haven’t really found “the plan” anywhere. We have found the list of foods that have zero net carbs but does that mean you can eat them freely? Seems odd.

mjcbills1980 wrote: »

Hi There-

So I am seeing if anybody has done Atkins, and still is doing it with great success? I lost 80lbs on it back in 2005 in 8 months, never counting ANY calories, just carbs and went off the plan due to lots of personal things. Having tried to count calories and always seem hungry and that it's not a cookie cutter approach for everyone, I need motivation from fellow Atkins, low carb peeps who can help me with this low carb LIFESTYLE, not a quick fix and then back to eating all the sugary, high processed carb crappy foods again, only to balloon up and plus some. Thanks!

Sending you a message

We are struggling With what meat we should eat as we are still trying to figure out the “net carbs” and how those work

zeejane4

TheOldBallCoach43420 wrote: »

zeejane4 wrote: »

TheOldBallCoach43420 wrote: »

My wife and myself are looking to start ASAP. We are not finding many people that do it. We just want to make sure we are doing it correctly to get us started because both of us have quite a bit of weight that we both need to lose. Is it really as simple as making sure you stay below 20-25 net carbs per day? We haven’t really found “the plan” anywhere. We have found the list of foods that have zero net carbs but does that mean you can eat them freely? Seems odd.

mjcbills1980 wrote: »

Hi There-

So I am seeing if anybody has done Atkins, and still is doing it with great success? I lost 80lbs on it back in 2005 in 8 months, never counting ANY calories, just carbs and went off the plan due to lots of personal things. Having tried to count calories and always seem hungry and that it's not a cookie cutter approach for everyone, I need motivation from fellow Atkins, low carb peeps who can help me with this low carb LIFESTYLE, not a quick fix and then back to eating all the sugary, high processed carb crappy foods again, only to balloon up and plus some. Thanks!

Sending you a message

We are struggling With what meat we should eat as we are still trying to figure out the “net carbs” and how those work

I sent you a link to another forum I hang out on, that's Atkins/low carb specific (I didn't want to spam the boards here, though it is a free site so maybe it's ok to post?). It has a lot of info on Atkins and an active group of Atkins followers, as well as people who follow other low carb plans.

Also, a really good book to read is Atkins: Eat Right, Not Less, by Collette Heimowitz. I borrowed it from the library and it has a lot of information about how to follow Atkins, and it didn't push the packaged foods they sell (I don't like the Atkins website because of this). https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071YBXT4G/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1