Atkins?

Ribbon35

Thinking of doing the Atkins diet? Any thoughts on this? Any real success on Atkins?

thedarkwombat

I was on Atkins and lost 50 pounds back in 2001. You have to do it right and read the books by Dr Atkins.

Atkins worked for me because it helped control my hunger. Carbs and sugar make me hungry. If they make you hungry too then this will work for you.

Ribbon35

good to know, yes, carbs & sugar make me hungry. I will look further into it. i need to drop 40-50 to be in a healthy diet range.
Thank you!

parkscs

good to know, yes, carbs & sugar make me hungry. I will look further into it. i need to drop 40-50 to be in a healthy diet range.
Thank you!

There are good and bad things about such a diet, but I think it definitely can help some people. You do limit your food choices, but you also are unlikely to go hungry, even at an aggressive caloric deficit.

I wholeheartedly agree with wombat above - read the book. Many people "think" they know what the Atkins diet is but when you see their food logs, it's clear they don't. The diet is actually a bit more carb tolerant than some of the ketogenic diets you see people following these days, where they essentially just stretching out the Atkins induction phase indefinitely. On the Atkins diet, you will slowly reintroduce carbs into your diet a little bit each week so long as you continue losing weight.

psuLemon

IMO, atkins if a bit of an extreme diet. Why don't you just use MFP as designed or get a member to set up your caloric requirements using a TDEE method and getting a good exercise plan? Plus it's free and there is really no need over restrict the foods you enjoy.

In fact, if you post your height, weight, age and workout routine, I will give you a calorie goal and macro goal.

fruttibiscotti

Atkins is not an extreme diet, and it is very effective.

There's an Atkins support group on MFP, you can ask questions there and get good advice:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/5181-atkins-support-group

sagefitnessfanatic

I tried low-carb, carb cycling, paleo and primal and was unsuccessful with all. In fact, it was the absolute worst thing ever. With that said, I do know folks that have been very successful with it. Now I eat 200g carbs daily and I'm in heaven. Seriously. Gains in the gym and my overall mood is better (there's serotonin in carbs - the feel good hormone).

Despite what you may have heard, it is perfectly fine to eat carbs during a fat-loss phase.

And guess what?

You can eat them in the evening too…even fruit!!!

There are no magical insulin fairies that appear after you drift off to sleep that somehow transfer the carbs you’ve eaten after some arbitrarily determined time into your fat cells.

CALORIES, not carbs, are the primary driver of fat loss....

parkscs

I'm not sure why the "pro-carb" people creep into every thread like this. Of course you can eat carbs and lose weight, and of course the diet designed by Dr. Atkins isn't the only way to lose weight. Who ever said it was? However, there are a number of advantages to such a diet, first and foremost being the foods you eat are very satiating and you are unlikely to go hungry, even on an aggressive caloric deficit. Take two people eating, e.g., 1200 calories, with one following the Atkins plan and the other consuming small portions of the same foods they ate when they put on the extra weight, and I'd be willing to wager that the Atkins person will be more satiated throughout the day. Just look at the number of posts you see where people are struggling to get by on the 1200 calories MFP recommends - I have yet to see one of them complaining they're starving at 1200 calories while following a LCHF diet.

In short, simply because you like to eat carbs doesn't mean it's for everyone, especially for weight loss. As for long-term success, if you truly follow the Atkins diet, you will learn all the needed habits to maintain your weight loss, such as weighing/logging your food, tracking your macros, tracking your calories, and so on. I personally see no harm in someone wanting to use a LCHF while cutting body fat in order to take advantage of the satiating effect of LCHF foods and then using a different plan for long-term maintenance if they so choose.

psuLemon

I'm not sure why the "pro-carb" people creep into every thread like this. Of course you can eat carbs and lose weight, and of course the diet designed by Dr. Atkins isn't the only way to lose weight. Who ever said it was? However, there are a number of advantages to such a diet, first and foremost being the foods you eat are very satiating and you are unlikely to go hungry, even on an aggressive caloric deficit. Take two people eating, e.g., 1200 calories, with one following the Atkins plan and the other consuming small portions of the same foods they ate when they put on the extra weight, and I'd be willing to wager that the Atkins person will be more satiated throughout the day. Just look at the number of posts you see where people are struggling to get by on the 1200 calories MFP recommends - I have yet to see one of them complaining they're starving at 1200 calories while following a LCHF diet.

In short, simply because you like to eat carbs doesn't mean it's for everyone, especially for weight loss. As for long-term success, if you truly follow the Atkins diet, you will learn all the needed habits to maintain your weight loss, such as weighing/logging your food, tracking your macros, tracking your calories, and so on. I personally see no harm in someone wanting to use a LCHF while cutting body fat in order to take advantage of the satiating effect of LCHF foods and then using a different plan for long-term maintenance if they so choose.

Most people join the threads to let the OP know it's unnecessary. My major issue with many of these type "diets" is they tend to cut calories drastically which adversely affect you long term. While LCHF is not a bad option, many people struggle when cutting large groups of food out of their diet. Short of having a medical condition, it's unnecessary from a weight loss perspective to cut out food group. Now from a satiety or diet adherence standpoint, that may not be true. Ultimately, the OP has to understand their current situation. If they have trigger foods, it would be advisable to cut them out of the diet. And for the most part, if you are exercising, 1200 calories is too little. Most women I know are eating 1700-2100 (tdee method with macros around 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats) which give you enough calories to feel full quite often.

I believe the issue that many of us have, is when comments like "LCHF" is much better for you or you will see much quicker fat loss through LCHF. Also, many of us want to get the OP's away from dieting and beginning teaching them how to eat long term for success, which most diets do not do. If you look at all the people who have done atkins... how many have maintained their weight loss and not gained back?

parkscs

Most people join the threads to let the OP know it's unnecessary. My major issue with many of these type "diets" is they tend to cut calories drastically which adversely affect you long term. While LCHF is not a bad option, many people struggle when cutting large groups of food out of their diet.

Cutting calories drastically... says who? No where in his book does Dr. Atkins suggest that you cut your calories to such a level as would affect you long-term. That some people cut too fast is not specific to any particular diet, nor is it actually even part of the diet as laid out by Dr. Atkins. In short, it sounds like your main issue is not with the diet, but with people misunderstanding/misapplying the diet. Rather than discouraging people from learning more about the Atkins diet, why not help them with the information they need to avoid the mistakes you're referring to?

Ultimately, the OP has to understand their current situation. If they have trigger foods, it would be advisable to cut them out of the diet. And for the most part, if you are exercising, 1200 calories is too little. Most women I know are eating 1700-2100 (tdee method with macros around 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats) which give you enough calories to feel full quite often.

My point wasn't to suggest everyone eat 1200 calories. Rather, my point is that you don't see a lot of people following a LCHF diet complaining that they're going hungry, yet that's a common complaint on these forums and I would be willing to wager a very common reason that people give up on dieting altogether. To put it another way, you say that some people struggle because they have to give up certain foods. I would argue that at least as many people with diets because they are hungry and miserable while dieting, and for some of these people, they may not mind giving up certain foods for a fixed period of time in order to feel more satiated.

If you look at all the people who have done atkins... how many have maintained their weight loss and not gained back?

If you look at how many people are successful with overall weight loss in the long-term, the statistics are bleak. If you want to start talking about failures, we can do that but failure abounds whether we're talking IIFYM, basic calorie counting, people playing with semantics and calling it a "lifestyle change" - the numbers suggest that the vast, vast majority of dieters fail. A conservative estimate I read suggests that about 20% of people that actually are successful in significant weight loss are successful in keeping it off long-term. That means that overall, 80% of the people who are successful in losing weight fail at keeping it off. How many people failed long before that though and didn't even manage to lose a significant amount of body weight? In short, I would argue it's better not to focus on the numbers because it's incredibly demotivating for most people and the fact is that success stories are much less common than failures, regardless of how you decide to lose the weight. For that matter, suggesting that failures are specific only to Atkins and not to other diets/ways of losing weight is simply a cop-out in my opinion. Failure abounds in this area and it's not specific to the Atkins diet.

fruttibiscotti

I'm not sure why the "pro-carb" people creep into every thread like this. Of course you can eat carbs and lose weight, and of course the diet designed by Dr. Atkins isn't the only way to lose weight. Who ever said it was? However, there are a number of advantages to such a diet, first and foremost being the foods you eat are very satiating and you are unlikely to go hungry, even on an aggressive caloric deficit. Take two people eating, e.g., 1200 calories, with one following the Atkins plan and the other consuming small portions of the same foods they ate when they put on the extra weight, and I'd be willing to wager that the Atkins person will be more satiated throughout the day. Just look at the number of posts you see where people are struggling to get by on the 1200 calories MFP recommends - I have yet to see one of them complaining they're starving at 1200 calories while following a LCHF diet.

In short, simply because you like to eat carbs doesn't mean it's for everyone, especially for weight loss. As for long-term success, if you truly follow the Atkins diet, you will learn all the needed habits to maintain your weight loss, such as weighing/logging your food, tracking your macros, tracking your calories, and so on. I personally see no harm in someone wanting to use a LCHF while cutting body fat in order to take advantage of the satiating effect of LCHF foods and then using a different plan for long-term maintenance if they so choose.

Most people join the threads to let the OP know it's unnecessary. My major issue with many of these type "diets" is they tend to cut calories drastically which adversely affect you long term. While LCHF is not a bad option, many people struggle when cutting large groups of food out of their diet. Short of having a medical condition, it's unnecessary from a weight loss perspective to cut out food group. Now from a satiety or diet adherence standpoint, that may not be true. Ultimately, the OP has to understand their current situation. If they have trigger foods, it would be advisable to cut them out of the diet. And for the most part, if you are exercising, 1200 calories is too little. Most women I know are eating 1700-2100 (tdee method with macros around 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats) which give you enough calories to feel full quite often.

I believe the issue that many of us have, is when comments like "LCHF" is much better for you or you will see much quicker fat loss through LCHF. Also, many of us want to get the OP's away from dieting and beginning teaching them how to eat long term for success, which most diets do not do. If you look at all the people who have done atkins... how many have maintained their weight loss and not gained back?

I see lots of scattered points and reasoning without a basis, especially the last paragraph where you say how many people do you know that have followed Atkins and maintained their weight. Like non Atkins dieters have no problem with weight gain, just the Atkins people. :noway: And I know lots that have done Atkins and have kept weight off, and improved their health and rid themselves of terrible cardiovascular problems that run in their family. Have you considered that not everybody has a body just like yours? Have you considered that by telling people certain healthy dieting programs that are not extreme and that have improved health that they are not sustainable and not healthy will have the effect of harming?

LisaMS83

I did Atkins/low carb last year starting in april when I was 168, but really did it right starting in june and by the end of September I was down to 145. With no exercise. I ate a tone of veggies,(I swap regular pasta for zucchini noodles) and lean meats. I went back to eating carbs and sugary food when we bought our house in Oct, because it just was cost effect for 2 different menus each day any more. And I went back up 4 pounds.

I start MFP last Tuesday. And have cut out soda, sweet, and large portions. Now I eat smaller portion and yogurts and fruits and this time I am exercising! So NO more diets and just good habits for me.

So in short, YES Atkins does work, but when your around/living with someone else who isn't eating the same foods, I found it difficult, I have to really focus on just my foods,

JamericanBoy

bumping for later read

sbbhbm

I lost my first 100 pounds on Atkins. I love it. I'm actually back on it to kick off these last 20. I lost the other 47 on a moderate carb diet, but with my various health issues, I just fare better overall on low-carb. And feel better for that matter.

ninerbuff

If you can't do it for life, then don't do it. If you can't imagine yourself restricting any pasta, rice, ice cream, candy, etc. forever, then look for a different program.
Can you lose weight on it? Sure, but you can on ANY CALORIE DEFICIT program.

EDIT: For people who are diabetic, this may work for them.

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

Skykilr1

Atkins has always been the best diet plan I've ever used. I've probably done it right 2-3 times and within 2 months I lost approx 50 lbs each time with little or no exercise. When I've added exercise I would lose even faster but then the carb cravings really made it hard to stick with it. Problem is it's really hard to stay with it for long. If you can, it's definitely a good change up to the usual HiCarb diets.

WhiteRabbit1313

Atkins is not an extreme diet, and it is very effective.

There's an Atkins support group on MFP, you can ask questions there and get good advice:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/5181-atkins-support-group

Lol! YES, it really IS an extreme diet. I was on Atkins Induction off and on for months and found it absolutely miserable. Not to mention, I lost weight the first week, then NOTHING after that. If you're diabetic, then that's a good reason to limit carbs, but to lose weight, as a lifestyle option, it's just not for most people...and it only helps if you have a LOT of weight to lose. Despite what the book tells you, it works through calorie restriction, because you can't eat a lot of foods, especially at first. If the OP is set on this diet, I'd suggest that they try a lower carb diet, in order to restrict calories that way, rather than demonizing specific types of food. Simple carbs aren't that filling, so it's easy to stick to a diet if you're eating more filling foods, like protein and veggies. However, in a lower carb diet, you CAN eat a freaking cookie without feeling like you've blown your entire diet (because you "knocked yourself out of ketogenesis").

*smh* Atkins isn't an extreme diet. Psshh! :noway:

WhiteRabbit1313

If you can't do it for life, then don't do it. If you can't imagine yourself restricting any pasta, rice, ice cream, candy, etc. forever, then look for a different program.
Can you lose weight on it? Sure, but you can on ANY CALORIE DEFICIT program.

EDIT: For people who are diabetic, this may work for them.

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

^^THIS!!!

parkscs

If you can't do it for life, then don't do it. If you can't imagine yourself restricting any pasta, rice, ice cream, candy, etc. forever, then look for a different program.
Can you lose weight on it? Sure, but you can on ANY CALORIE DEFICIT program.

EDIT: For people who are diabetic, this may work for them.

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

Why is this? By what logic must your diet today be the same as your diet tomorrow? If through doing the Atkins diet you learn to track calories, macronutrients, weigh your food - basically developing good habits for long-term weight loss success - where does the harm come from? If through doing Atkins you are able to eat at a caloric deficit without going hungry, where does the harm come from? No offense, but mere conclusory statements that you should not follow a diet simply because you may not follow it until the day you day are not very convincing. Not to mention, you've disregarded most of what's been said in this thread and fall back on the "you can lose weight on any calorie deficit program." No one is denying that.

parkscs

Atkins is not an extreme diet, and it is very effective.

There's an Atkins support group on MFP, you can ask questions there and get good advice:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/5181-atkins-support-group

Lol! YES, it really IS an extreme diet. I was on Atkins Induction off and on for months and found it absolutely miserable. Not to mention, I lost weight the first week, then NOTHING after that. If you're diabetic, then that's a good reason to limit carbs, but to lose weight, as a lifestyle option, it's just not for most people...and it only helps if you have a LOT of weight to lose. Despite what the book tells you, it works through calorie restriction, because you can't eat a lot of foods, especially at first. If the OP is set on this diet, I'd suggest that they try a lower carb diet, in order to restrict calories that way, rather than demonizing specific types of food. Simple carbs aren't that filling, so it's easy to stick to a diet if you're eating more filling foods, like protein and veggies. However, in a lower carb diet, you CAN eat a freaking cookie without feeling like you've blown your entire diet (because you "knocked yourself out of ketogenesis").

*smh* Atkins isn't an extreme diet. Psshh! :noway:

I don't know anyone that is suggesting Atkins is the "best" diet for everyone, nor do I see people suggesting it's the only way to lose weight. If it didn't work for you, then it didn't work for you - that doesn't mean it doesn't work for other people. I know plenty of people it works quite well for, and I'm simply suggesting it can be a better way to cut for certain people. If cookies are important to you, it's probably not the diet for you.

WhiteRabbit1313

If you can't do it for life, then don't do it. If you can't imagine yourself restricting any pasta, rice, ice cream, candy, etc. forever, then look for a different program.
Can you lose weight on it? Sure, but you can on ANY CALORIE DEFICIT program.

EDIT: For people who are diabetic, this may work for them.

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

Why is this? By what logic must your diet today be the same as your diet tomorrow? If through doing the Atkins diet you learn to track calories, macronutrients, weigh your food - basically developing good habits for long-term weight loss success - where does the harm come from? If through doing Atkins you are able to eat at a caloric deficit without going hungry, where does the harm come from? No offense, but mere conclusory statements that you should not follow a diet simply because you may not follow it until the day you day are not very convincing. Not to mention, you've disregarded most of what's been said in this thread and fall back on the "you can lose weight on any calorie deficit program." No one is denying that.

He's simply stating that you have to develop a diet for yourself that creates a lifestyle change, otherwise you will go back to eating the way you did previously and end up gaining your weight back (and more), in many cases. As far as harm in it, you can do the diet, if it makes you happy. It's not going to kill you. Lol. Additionally, the initial ketogenic effect is really helpful. Don't eat when you're not hungry, and you'll do better at losing weight (calorie restriction). IF you can follow the plan all the way through to maintenance and actually maintain the loss, then great; you found what works for YOU.