Atkins diet - your views

Tigermum9

What are your views on the Atkins diet, I have my own opinion but my famly are divided on it. My mother swears its bad news,my sister swears its amazing...

TheVimFuego

Might help if you have difficulty processing refined carbs but apart from that I see no metabolic advantage, it all comes down to the deficit in the end.

Why restrict anything if you medically don't need to?

And believe me, I've read a fair bit around low carbing and did it for 9 months.

I'm glad I did it because I seem to have less hunger issues even when eating a balanced diet these days.

shadus

I'd head more towards a normal ketogenic diet than atkins specifically were I going the keto route again. Personally, i find the restrictions hard to maintain long term so it's not necessarily the best of plans for me.

On the other hand one of my friends has lost and kept off over 80lbs and for him it takes -0- effort sticking to it.

The long term key is-- find something you can LIVE with... not a DIET.

ninerbuff

If your sis ain't gonna do it for life, then she should expect weight regain eating carbs again.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

TheVimFuego

If your sis ain't gonna do it for life, then she should expect weight regain eating carbs again.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

How so? Are we talking a bit of inconsequential water weight?

Chadomaniac

If your sis ain't gonna do it for life, then she should expect weight regain eating carbs again.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

How so? Are we talking a bit of inconsequential water weight?

Water + Glycogen . I can gain 10 pounds in one day moving from Keto to carbs .

Calorie Deficit is always the ultimate , No point in Fad diets if ylou don't NEED to do them

theskyisbluewoohoo

I tried the Atkins diet so many times to no avail. Being an athlete who trains 3-4 hours a day, I simply couldn't stick to it for more than a week. It wrecked my performance, I hated being in ketosis, and my view is that going ketogenic for weight loss is not necessary bc there are better ways to drop body fat. For one, calorie restrictions important, and IF has helped me lose body fat quickly.

tbrain1989

i find not eating carbs is a good way to eat less calories, and a high protein intake suits my end goal in terms of body composition,

i also echo the rebound risks though, these can only be counteracted if you cycle the carbs back in,

thats where atkins helps compared to a pure keto diet, it explains about adding carbs in small increments until you find a level at which you maintain your weight!

annakow

Are you ready to eat this till the end of your life? You better find normal healthy and balance diet because diet is forever.

Lobster1987

I like it. I always use phase 1 to kick start my low carbing when I fall off the wagon.

hararayne

I posted earlier about 4HB, Cheat2Lose and mentioned Atkins. I will just say, low or "slow" carb gives me major nasty headaches where I cannot function.

However, I have met people that have lost weight on it. I know NO ONE who has maintained afterwards. I'm unsure why this is. My best guess is they added back in carbs, this increased calories and they never really adressed how they ate.

I think you need to make a lifestyle change rather than go on a "diet". I know people have been throwing that around for a long time. However, I feel at this point in my life that it is true. You have to make small sustainable changes that you can stick with. Atkins just doesn't seem sustainable to me.

lesley964

I'm not strictly following Atkins, I like the shakes and the bars for convenience but I am watching my carbs (no bread, potatoes or pasta etc) and I would agree that I do not feel hungry now at all in fact NO cravings!!! it is bizarre but I eat because I know I have to stuff calories in to be healthy but I rarely feel hungry. As for weight gain at the end if you have a good maintenance program bringing you up to normal calorie intake and stick with your healthy lifestyle choices why would you gain? Anyone reverting back to what they used to eat no matter what weightloss plan they followed would.....no particular certified qualifications in weightloss however I do have about 30 years experience of that weight regain after diet!!!!!!

BEEUK

Are you ready to eat this till the end of your life? You better find normal healthy and balance diet because diet is forever.

QFT.

I tried it, lost a lot of ‘weight’, found it hard to train and as soon as I reintroduced carbs I put some of the ‘weight’ back on. It wasn’t bodyfat that I lost, it was water, muscle and fat.
My skin suffered, I was miserable and obsessed with what I ate, coming close to a complete burnout after a month. Now I eat a balance, still more good fats and protein than carbs but way more than the 20 – 40 allowance that Atkins prescribes.

TheVimFuego

Water + Glycogen . I can gain 10 pounds in one day moving from Keto to carbs .

Calorie Deficit is always the ultimate , No point in Fad diets if ylou don't NEED to do them

Indeed, as you can easily drop weight from dehydration.

Not much point unless it's primarily fat.

And as far as I can tell maintaining a reasonable deficit, keeping the protein up, balancing the fats/carbs and getting some resistance training in is the best way to do that.

plantboy2

Atkins works because you monitor what you eat. Because you cut out a major food group, you eat less calories overall and go into deficit. Nothing to do with carbs being fattening. It is a diet. Diets don't work.

Much better to use this site, count overall calories and stay in a calorie deficit to lose weight. Then you can eat every food group for the rest of your life. This is not a diet and does work.

Even better, do some exercise as well.

enchantedgardener

I'm not a fan of 'diets'. Usually, what tends to happen is that once the 'diet' is over, the weight returns.

When asked about diets, I always encourage others to make healthier food choices. Not a short-term diet, but a permanent change to healthier ways of eating and living. Because that's what will keep you healthy in the long term: eating sensibly, exercising regularly, managing stress, getting enough sleep.

That being said, I find that a lower carbohydrate eating plan is what works best for me. I aim for approximately 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fats. I've nearly eliminated my sugar cravings since I've cut back on added sugars and refined carbohydrates. The higher level of protein keeps me feeling full even though I eat fewer calories. I eat healthy fats every day (nuts, seeds, olive oil, or fish) which are good for keeping my moods in check.

There are lots of risks involved with very low carbohydrate diets like Atkins. There are plenty of safer ways to lose weight!!!

Me2FitMe

I've done it before but I am not a fan of salads... I have enjoyed the fast results (in the past)!! I just can't stick to it long term. I love sweets and the cravings go away with it. I do have friends that have lost and maintained the weigh loss with Atkins. I think it just depends on whether the adjustments needed can be made and you incorporate many of the "allowed" food items in your diet. So long as you enjoy them, you're ok.

As for me, it is not for me long term as I rather eat everything in smaller amounts and eat lots of fruit which also takes most of my sweets cravings away.

mrmagee3

If your sis ain't gonna do it for life, then she should expect weight regain eating carbs again.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

How so? Are we talking a bit of inconsequential water weight?

Water + Glycogen . I can gain 10 pounds in one day moving from Keto to carbs .

Calorie Deficit is always the ultimate , No point in Fad diets if ylou don't NEED to do them

I guess the question would be whether or not you consider the water+glycogen to be real weight loss at the front end of the diet. I personally don't -- because I focus on fat loss -- so I just assume that if I go back to eating some carbs, I'll have a bit of a rebound in ultimately meaningless scale weight.

mrmagee3

There are lots of risks involved with very low carbohydrate diets like Atkins. There are plenty of safer ways to lose weight!!!

Risks, such as...?

highervibes

Might help if you have difficulty processing refined carbs but apart from that I see no metabolic advantage, it all comes down to the deficit in the end.

Why restrict anything if you medically don't need to?

And believe me, I've read a fair bit around low carbing and did it for 9 months.

I'm glad I did it because I seem to have less hunger issues even when eating a balanced diet these days.

exactly this. I have done low carb in the past and it's helped me moderate the foods (I felt) I wasn't able to at first. It was like rehab for me LOL. Now I eat everything in moderation and I feel so much more in control.

mrmagee3

Might help if you have difficulty processing refined carbs but apart from that I see no metabolic advantage, it all comes down to the deficit in the end.

Why restrict anything if you medically don't need to?

Couple reasons:

1. I find it significantly easier to maintain than the "everything in moderation" viewpoint.
2. I don't have to obsessively log everything I do (I rarely, if ever, log).
3. I eat foods that I enjoy.
4. I have significantly more energy.