Atkins diet - your views

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  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    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
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    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    No, not at all. A calorie deficit, however acheived is still a deficit. I started losing with Keto/Atlins and I had no transition period where I took a diet break, I simply added in more and more carbs. I had zero weight gain, only more loss. Furthermore, my bf% and weight have decreaced but my lean mass is unchanged.
  • ajaxe432
    ajaxe432 Posts: 608 Member
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    Diets temporary! Lifestyle change can be permanent:) I would go with option two!
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    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.

    I do all of those as well, but I don't have to obsessively worry about how many "net carbs" are in everything that crosses my lips.
  • mohanj
    mohanj Posts: 381 Member
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    My brother did it and lost lot of weight but regained it all back and more when he started eating normal diet.
  • mrmagee3
    mrmagee3 Posts: 518 Member
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    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.

    I do all of those as well, but I don't have to obsessively worry about how many "net carbs" are in everything that crosses my lips.

    I don't, either. I simply don't eat foods that contain massive amounts of net carbs.

    And, I'm not sure what the point of your post is. Did you want a pat on the back for finding something that worked for you, or did you want to snark about something that worked for me?
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    My brother did it and lost lot of weight but regained it all back and more when he started eating normal diet.

    No, when he started eating in a surplus. Nothing can cause you to gain weight (except some inconsequnential water weight as a pp mentioned) unless you eat too much of it. Period.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    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.

    I do all of those as well, but I don't have to obsessively worry about how many "net carbs" are in everything that crosses my lips.

    I don't, either. I simply don't eat foods that contain massive amounts of net carbs.

    And, I'm not sure what the point of your post is. Did you want a pat on the back for finding something that worked for you, or did you want to snark about something that worked for me?

    It was definitely the latter.
  • kgoodman0108
    kgoodman0108 Posts: 158
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    By trial and error, I've found that the Atkins diet is the key to success for me. I eat low carb, moderate protein, and high fat with the goal of being in ketosis. I am insulin resistant, so my body doesn't handle carbohydrates well. If you are not insulin resistant, there may be no need for you to do this type of diet.
  • kgoodman0108
    kgoodman0108 Posts: 158
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    My brother did it and lost lot of weight but regained it all back and more when he started eating normal diet.

    Your brother probably went from eating no carbs to going back to normal and eating hundreds. You cant jump off any diet like that, especially this one. You have to very gradually reintroduce carbs back into your diet.

    Low carb eating is a lifestyle change. If you plan on eating bread and pasta like crazy once you lose all of your weight, then this is not the diet for you. Once I lose the rest of my weight, I will up my carb intake to around 100 for maintenance. I'll never go back to eating 300+ carbs a day.
  • mrmagee3
    mrmagee3 Posts: 518 Member
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    It was definitely the latter.

    Well, hope you feel better about yourself? Or whatever you got out of it.
  • Ragtees
    Ragtees Posts: 33 Member
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    I've found the same. My brother lost a lot of weight on the Atkins diet but regained it back once he went off it. I agree with making a lifestyle change rather than finding a quick weight loss diet.
  • DiamondL88
    DiamondL88 Posts: 32
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  • mrmagee3
    mrmagee3 Posts: 518 Member
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    I've found the same. My brother lost a lot of weight on the Atkins diet but regained it back once he went off it. I agree with making a lifestyle change rather than finding a quick weight loss diet.

    The issue with saying things like this, is that you'll regain weight off any diet if you go back to eating like "normal" -- because normal got you overweight in the first place. There's no reason Atkins (or other VLC/Ketogenic diets) can't be lifestyle changes, just like any other diet. And you can eventually change your lifestyle in the future, again.

    Eating a VLC diet doesn't change the way your body processes extra calories when you stop eating a VLC diet.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    How many of us know someone who regained their lost weight? Isn't the stat a staggaring 95% of dieters? I don't think it's the carbs that did it, it was returning to old eating habits (surplus) which can happen no matter which side of this fence you're on.
  • akp4Him
    akp4Him Posts: 227
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    I lost 90 pounds using the Atkins diet. However when I went back to eating carbs....I gained a belly. I didn't gain any weight...but my body composition changed slightly. I kept the same amount of calories.
    I just knew that for me, I couldn't continue on the Atkins diet. I don't really like protein enough to eat that way for life.
    I'm back to eating 30pro/30 fat/40 carb. I like it! I still stay away from refined (90% of the time) processed breads, etc. But I eat fruits, veggies, cereal...etc.
    I haven't lost anymore...but I haven't gained.
  • mrmagee3
    mrmagee3 Posts: 518 Member
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    I lost 90 pounds using the Atkins diet. However when I went back to eating carbs....I gained a belly. I didn't gain any weight...but my body composition changed slightly. I kept the same amount of calories.
    I just knew that for me, I couldn't continue on the Atkins diet. I don't really like protein enough to eat that way for life.
    I'm back to eating 30pro/30 fat/40 carb. I like it! I still stay away from refined (90% of the time) processed breads, etc. But I eat fruits, veggies, cereal...etc.
    I haven't lost anymore...but I haven't gained.

    I'm not sure that Atkins calls for a specific protein amount as a percent of overall intake (I've never read the books), but I can't imagine it's much higher than the 30% you're currently eating.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    I've steered clear of it because an acquaintance of mine has been on and off Atkins for 10 years, losing and gaining about 60 lb over and over while experiencing terrible halitosis and other "fun" health issues that her doctor claims can be traced to the extremes of Atkins.

    No thanks!
  • akp4Him
    akp4Him Posts: 227
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    I lost 90 pounds using the Atkins diet. However when I went back to eating carbs....I gained a belly. I didn't gain any weight...but my body composition changed slightly. I kept the same amount of calories.
    I just knew that for me, I couldn't continue on the Atkins diet. I don't really like protein enough to eat that way for life.
    I'm back to eating 30pro/30 fat/40 carb. I like it! I still stay away from refined (90% of the time) processed breads, etc. But I eat fruits, veggies, cereal...etc.
    I haven't lost anymore...but I haven't gained.

    I'm not sure that Atkins calls for a specific protein amount as a percent of overall intake (I've never read the books), but I can't imagine it's much higher than the 30% you're currently eating.

    Funny you should mention that! When I did Atkins I ate TONS of protein. Way more than 30%. But when I decided to go off it...I happened to go back to their site and read that they advocate about 30% protein. People think that Atkins is high protein...but it really isn't. I started reading MFP message boards and went with what most people who were successful were doing.
  • LisaDunn01
    LisaDunn01 Posts: 173 Member
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    The body needs protein to heal and repair so in that regard, Atkins is fantastic. People also need (gasp!) saturated fat (read up on this at www.westonaprice.org). The problem with Atkins is that it also has processed food, which is bad for people (e.g., their protein bars & shakes). Whole food is the best food. Also, people don't need as many carbs as they think - and it's very easy to get them through fruit and vegetables (reference books: "Life Without Bread" & "The Schwarzbein Principle").
  • skinnyforcruise2013
    skinnyforcruise2013 Posts: 74
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    I did it for over 6 months last yr and lost well. The part I loved the most is that my sugar cravings were gone. If I got even a small craving I could eat some strawberries and I was fine.

    But after a cruise and the holidays, I gained 18lbs back. So now I'm here. I am watching my carbs but not totally restricting them. I can't eat potatoes or pasta without feeling icky so I don't eat them.

    You have to do what is best for your body!

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