low carb success stories

22dream

does anyone have success with atkins southbeach or just plain low carb?? I feel like ive had most success with low carb just wanted some success stories

save me the neagative feedback dont care

celtic_fiddler1

I just started a low carb diet today. I thought I would be hungry all day or really crave bread but that wasn't the case. I am reading up on wheat belly. When you were on low carb, did you limit carbs severely ? I just wonder how strict I should be. I changed my fitness setting to show how many carbs I'm eating and today I was below the limit.

22dream

i did it last year lost 50 pounds in 4 months i followed atkins was never really hungry i went back to eating the same and gained my weight back with any new way of eating you cant go back to your old ways the weight comes back on. i had a baby in december and was smaller than i am now i was cutting out carbs and eating healthier then too and then went back to my old ways it has to be a new way of life all together not a short period of time

zivasak

Been on LCHF for 3 months now and it is the new lifestyle I chose to stick to. Better skin, more energy, my hormones are happy, I am happy and bonus I lost more than 30 lbs (13 kgs). I am never hungry and don't crave sugar or junk/fast food.

I am a moderate gym goer (bodyweight exercises, lifting and cardio), been going for 2 months and my body looks way better, more toned and waistline has shrunk which I thought would not be possible before a six month period.

Keep at it!

vegansassy

Atkins or protein power…they are very similar. both ketogenic diets. I have done very well. Still a work in progress though. I am hovering now between 166-170 lbs. I was initially about 260 lbs. It works, you just have to persist through the stalls. Everyone has stalls here and there. Yes it is, and can be difficult. You will thank yourself later. You will feel better, and it will show in your physical body, attitude, outlook on life, in relationships with others. I especially enjoy not being out of breath from walking. I have to run now to be that winded! Change can be good, but are you willing to sacrifice the sugar and starchy processed carbs for the change?:flowerforyou:

nayward22

I have tried about every diet out there! The MOST successful lifestyle change for me is low carb, low sugar. I do help myself to some of the Atkins drinks, and I do exercise. I was such a carb-aholic, but have noticed how much better I feel when I limit to 20 grams a day. I do try and count net carbs when I can.

SharonNehring

I eat a reduced carb diet and exercise 5-6 days a week to manage my blood sugars. I do not do Atkins or extremely low carb. It's working great for me so far so I'm not going to change a thing.

This is a lifestyle change that will be with me long term so I have to learn how to manage vacations, holidays, and whatever life tosses my way without going back to old habits. I feel this plan is more realistic for me to be able to do that.

andylowry

I did it for about six months-- had good results weight-wise, but my cholesterol count and blood pressure went through the roof. Beware the animal fats!

tech_kitten

I did it for about six months-- had good results weight-wise, but my cholesterol count and blood pressure went through the roof. Beware the animal fats!

I am doing low carb and all of my blood test results are better than they were 6 months ago when I was eating high carb. Maybe I am eating more whole foods, and that's why, but I do use real butter, coconut oil, and bacon grease to cook. My blood sugar has gotten so much better too since I don't eat sweet stuff every day and I try not to eat processed foods. I'm not doing as low carb as I was for my initial 20 lb loss, but lower carb than what most would consider "normal", I have found I am less hungry all the time and my hormones are more balanced. It's not for everyone, but it has worked well for me.

mamaomefo

Just bagan Atkins 11 days ago, have lost 5 pounds. I tried counting calories for over a year here, lost 12 pounds but gained it back during stressful times. I realized trying to have "a smaller portion" isn't working for me. I need a bit more restrictive plan right now. But, I am happy with Atkins, and I feel better. My hands aren't bloated feeling and I am ready to work on this for quite some time. Friend me if you like.

willnorton

bump

andylowry

I did it for about six months-- had good results weight-wise, but my cholesterol count and blood pressure went through the roof. Beware the animal fats!

I am doing low carb and all of my blood test results are better than they were 6 months ago when I was eating high carb. Maybe I am eating more whole foods, and that's why, but I do use real butter, coconut oil, and bacon grease to cook. My blood sugar has gotten so much better too since I don't eat sweet stuff every day and I try not to eat processed foods. I'm not doing as low carb as I was for my initial 20 lb loss, but lower carb than what most would consider "normal", I have found I am less hungry all the time and my hormones are more balanced. It's not for everyone, but it has worked well for me.

I'm glad it's working for you! I had expected what you experienced, based on the literature I'd read, but I think I did things in a stupid way-- very little vegetables or fruit, with most of my calories from animal fats. If I do it again, I'll do it vegetarian style with olive oil instead.

Boogage

This is a difficult one for me. I did lose weight eating a low carb diet once and I didn't regain after as I continued to eat healthily but I wonder now exactly what it was I lost. I caught the end of an interesting programs couple of weeks ago which looked at sugar vs fat. Two identical brothers ate either high fat or high sugar for a month and while they both lost a bit of weight by the end of the month, for the brother that ate high fat, his loss was half muscle. Because he didn't have sugar/carbs in his diet his body made its own sugars for fuel, it turned his muscle into sugars. It sounds like very low carbs diets aren't all that great if you want to have a good strong body at the end of your diet and you should try to balance your macros.

mockchoc

I did low carb for a short while and when I went off it my body fat went up a lot. I would never do it again.

AmyWininger

I'm trying to now. Add me if you want. It seems a few months ago I went low carb and lost a couple of pounds, but got sick and just gave up a bit on it. Trying a lower carb than normal now, but not too low. Trying to eat at least my BMR everyday, and I'm having trouble doing that with low carb. I'm always under, so I eat like, 6 tablespoons of peanut butter. I need new ideas. Lol. I dont really understand carbs, and net carbs and such yet. Is low carb just overall carbs?

toadg53

I've been doing a low carb, high protein, high fat diet that my doctor gave me since last August. I had started a no sugar, no flour diet myself in July and he "tweaked" i for me., It has worked wonderfully for me. I had blood testing done a couple months ago, and my cholesterol went from 212 to 168; my hdl, ldl and triglyderides are all now in the "optimal" range. I had a sed rate (measures inflammation in your system) done as well, and normal for my age range is from 30 to 60 and mine was 11. So for me, it has been very good. The doctor said I have insulin resistance, so that is why he put me on this diet. But I have had no cravings, and I have hit no plateau during this time. Which is a first for me. I have continued with the no sugar as well. Oh, and he also said no fake sugars like aspartame, that kind of stuff as it will also cause your insulin to spike. I can use stevia or Truvia. I guess it doesn't do that (evidently). Also, no diet foods, like no low fat. All full fat food. Greek yogurt, not regular yogurt and full fat, not low fat. However, I do drink skim milk and eat 1% cottage cheese. I eat bacon, eggs, butter, lots of the previous no-no's. So anyway, for me, it has worked well. I'm sure it's not for everybody. However, I don't miss the carbs at all. Vegetables are good, however, he said none that are grown below ground, such as potatoes, carrots, beets, etc. I'm assuming they are more starchy. It's definitely a different way of eating, but I like it. It's something I will be able to do long-=term, the rest of my life. I don't miss anything I used to eat. Oh, and grains, beans, etc are good foods and ok.

littlelaura

I have lost 33 lbs since mid December on low carb and have lower blood sugar, but the last 3 weeks had to go off of it because of gall stones and needing my gall bladder removed next week, once I am feeling better I will go back to it asap, but for now oatmeal and toast are the only things staying down lol. I think its good for weight loss and for controlling blood sugars for me as I am diabetic.

sunnyskys2013

bump

StacyRenee77

I've been doing a low carb, high protein, high fat diet that my doctor gave me since last August. I had started a no sugar, no flour diet myself in July and he "tweaked" i for me., It has worked wonderfully for me. I had blood testing done a couple months ago, and my cholesterol went from 212 to 168; my hdl, ldl and triglyderides are all now in the "optimal" range. I had a sed rate (measures inflammation in your system) done as well, and normal for my age range is from 30 to 60 and mine was 11. So for me, it has been very good. The doctor said I have insulin resistance, so that is why he put me on this diet. But I have had no cravings, and I have hit no plateau during this time. Which is a first for me. I have continued with the no sugar as well. Oh, and he also said no fake sugars like aspartame, that kind of stuff as it will also cause your insulin to spike. I can use stevia or Truvia. I guess it doesn't do that (evidently). Also, no diet foods, like no low fat. All full fat food. Greek yogurt, not regular yogurt and full fat, not low fat. However, I do drink skim milk and eat 1% cottage cheese. I eat bacon, eggs, butter, lots of the previous no-no's. So anyway, for me, it has worked well. I'm sure it's not for everybody. However, I don't miss the carbs at all. Vegetables are good, however, he said none that are grown below ground, such as potatoes, carrots, beets, etc. I'm assuming they are more starchy. It's definitely a different way of eating, but I like it. It's something I will be able to do long-=term, the rest of my life. I don't miss anything I used to eat. Oh, and grains, beans, etc are good foods and ok.

Do you eat the amount you want?

atfirstblush

I'm on a low carb diet and I've been doing really good. I've also been doing cardio for 30 to 60 minutes a day. I feel great, my skin looks wonderful, most days I'm not even hungry and have to remind myself to eat. Best of all I can work all day, come home and still have the energy to exercise, work outside. Low carb was recommended to me by my doctor because that's what she lives by especially when you get older (I'm 52).

thatdupeally

This is after about 8 months

BEFORE




After

mckat08

does anyone have success with atkins southbeach or just plain low carb?? I feel like ive had most success with low carb just wanted some success stories

save me the neagative feedback dont care

I am on day 4 and am down 5 lbs. My sister recently lost 55 lbs so I decided to give it a try. Good luck.

thatdupeally

I do Keto btw. I stay under 20 net carbs a day.

Edmond_Dantes

Low carb and Atkins works for me. I don't feel hungry, can concentrate and have energy, yet still lose weight relatively effortslessly. I highly recommend it! "A calorie is a calorie" is actually kinda BS. There are very different hormonal and physiologic changes depending on what you eat. Anyone who tells you otherwise is full of it.
Has anyone really lost weight on a pure sugar diet? Maybe, but with miserable consequences and feelings.

For me, the only caveat with a low card diet is that I find it hard to sustain over the long run as, unfortunately, I love fries, rice, pasta, and bread.

Best of luck!

pudstah

I've had success but to be honest I wasn't really doing it specifically to lose weight.

I've been able to lose weight on almost any dietary lifestyle I tried, whether low-fat, low-carb, high-fat, etc. In order to lose weight you still always need to create a calorie deficit somehow; simply changing the foods is not what achieves weight-loss. You can still create an excess whether you're eating rice or bacon; eliminating one or the other is not going to cause faster loss, but depending on you individually, one or the other may fit into your lifestyle with a bit more ease.

However what I did find was that eating low-carb/high-fat kept me satiated for a great deal longer, meaning I was less likely to snack mindlessly or overeat. I realized that although I created a healthy deficit on low-fat, it was never going to be sustainable as I was always hungry, stopping to eat 5+ times a day so that I wouldn't flag or become edgy, and that certain foods particularly grains were not agreeing with my digestive system. Quite simply the lifestyle that worked for me was going to be one where I was fuller for longer, and had consistent energy levels - not short spikes. Most importantly, I wanted to FEEL good. Losing weight was going to be pointless if I still felt as bloated as a pufferfish.

During my year or so of eating lean, high-protein and high-carb, I often felt bloated and sluggish regardless of the strenuousness of my workouts. Oatmeal felt like a dead weight, brown rice or bananas gave a short burst of feeling great followed by an annoying comedown, and quinoa just made me bloated. Some foods such as starchy beans, tempeh and tofu had me gassy and feeling pregnant by the end of the night. I also wasn't losing weight consistently despite my workout efforts and eating at a deficit.

I noticed during a plateau, when I began a food journal, that I was consuming a hefty amount of fruit. A banana smoothie here, an apple there, berries for breakfast, mango for an afternoon snack... they added up to a lot of sugars, and a lot of calories. I rationalized that it was better than eating fatty calories. I ate NO butter and only lean meats and fish - pork was out of the question. I ate tons of beans - lentil, black bean, split pea. I only used two oils: coconut (sparingly) to cook, olive for salads. Perhaps the only thing that's remained the same is an abundance of organic vegetables, although I was still eating a variety of higher-glycemic and low-fiber veg such as peas and carrots.

I then tried something like Paleo for awhile, thinking I might be lactose intolerant. But I was kind of more just eating modest amounts of everything, like a 33/33/34 (fat/carb/protein). I ate a great variety of fruits and vegetables. Still kept it lean and low-fat, but reduce my sugars a bit. I had results on the scale, but many of my other problems were still lingering.

When I finally began a keto lifestyle a few months ago (that's low-carb, high-fat, MODERATE protein) coming from an already moderately-low carb lifestyle anyway (100g more or less, per day).

After conquering my lifelong fear of fat and starting to reduce my sugar and carb intake I began to see a lot of improvements not just on the scale but also in the way I felt. I began counting calories again and found that although I was eating until I was full each day, I struggled to even meet my calorie goal - I was simply just TOO FULL to even think about overeating! And my cravings completely disappeared. After a lot of tweaking and experimenting, what I've settled into for the past month or so has been so far the most successful intake for me:

75%/5%/20% (fats/carbs/protein)
-Based on my calculated BMR minus a deficit of around 500 calories a day, a total in the range of 1400-1800 calories; always aiming for a NET of at least 1250
-Total carbs between 30-50g, NET carbs (carbs minus fiber) 20g or less
-An abundance of fats both saturated and otherwise (no trans) coming from: avocados and avocado oil, coconut oil, animal fats, butter/ghee, eggs, most nuts, cheeses and heavy creams
-Pretty much unlimited veg (as much as I can actually eat) made up of things like: dark leafy greens, sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peppers
-The odd fruit comprising mostly berries, lemons & limes
-Lots of water (3+ liters per day)

I occasionally drink red wine or whiskey, and enjoy plenty of home-baked goods made with nut flours/meals and natural, low-glycemic sweeteners such as coconut sugar/nectar, date sugar, or stevia. In this way I don't miss cakes or breads at all. I've no problem eating out at restaurants; most are absolutely happy to replace fries, chips, potato, etc with extra veg or salad.

In the months that I've been doing keto, I have been 'working out' little to none at all, and my exercise has been the occasional lifting of weights, lots of walking, and very little jogging/running.

In the first week of keto I lost about 7lbs, in the second week 4lbs, then 2, and in the 5th or 6th weeks, stalled. I then got a fitbit and realized I was actually still not eating enough, and consuming far too much protein (this can also be counter-productive), and now using the method above, I've been losing on average of about 1lb per week. Sometimes a bit more, sometimes none at all. A few weeks I've actually gained, which I put down to a combo of indulgences (bloat) and hormones (also bloat), as it fell right back off in the following week or so.

Some benefits I have noticed since transitioning to keto:

-I am almost NEVER hungry and the word 'famished' has disappeared from my vocabulary, unless I've gone for a significant time period without food - 6-8hrs or more; this means I'm generally in a better mood!
-Increased sustained energy levels throughout the day; no more post-meal fatigue or 2-3hourly flagging
-Less brain fuzz; more alert; better concentration levels
-Clearer glowing skin; shinier hair
-Weight-loss; although MFP says 5lbs, I've actually lost around 15lbs. (gained weight back at the end of the year, then re-lost it after starting keto)
-Less sensitive, whiter teeth; presumably from my limiting of sugary fruits
-No cravings

Sorry for the long post, but just wanted to clarify that there's a lot more to the success of low-carb lifestyles than just 'eating less carbs'. As with any healthy lifestyle there's loads of factors, you just have to find the best balance for you!

Edmond_Dantes

I've had success but to be honest I wasn't really doing it specifically to lose weight.

I've been able to lose weight on almost any dietary lifestyle I tried, whether low-fat, low-carb, high-fat, etc. In order to lose weight you still always need to create a calorie deficit somehow; simply changing the foods is not what achieves weight-loss. You can still create an excess whether you're eating rice or bacon; eliminating one or the other is not going to cause faster loss, but depending on you individually, one or the other may fit into your lifestyle with a bit more ease.

However what I did find was that eating low-carb/high-fat kept me satiated for a great deal longer, meaning I was less likely to snack mindlessly or overeat. I realized that although I created a healthy deficit on low-fat, it was never going to be sustainable as I was always hungry, stopping to eat 5+ times a day so that I wouldn't flag or become edgy, and that certain foods particularly grains were not agreeing with my digestive system. Quite simply the lifestyle that worked for me was going to be one where I was fuller for longer, and had consistent energy levels - not short spikes. Most importantly, I wanted to FEEL good. Losing weight was going to be pointless if I still felt as bloated as a pufferfish.

During my year or so of eating lean, high-protein and high-carb, I often felt bloated and sluggish regardless of the strenuousness of my workouts. Oatmeal felt like a dead weight, brown rice or bananas gave a short burst of feeling great followed by an annoying comedown, and quinoa just made me bloated. Some foods such as starchy beans, tempeh and tofu had me gassy and feeling pregnant by the end of the night. I also wasn't losing weight consistently despite my workout efforts and eating at a deficit.

I noticed during a plateau, when I began a food journal, that I was consuming a hefty amount of fruit. A banana smoothie here, an apple there, berries for breakfast, mango for an afternoon snack... they added up to a lot of sugars, and a lot of calories. I rationalized that it was better than eating fatty calories. I ate NO butter and only lean meats and fish - pork was out of the question. I ate tons of beans - lentil, black bean, split pea. I only used two oils: coconut (sparingly) to cook, olive for salads. Perhaps the only thing that's remained the same is an abundance of organic vegetables, although I was still eating a variety of higher-glycemic and low-fiber veg such as peas and carrots.

I then tried something like Paleo for awhile, thinking I might be lactose intolerant. But I was kind of more just eating modest amounts of everything, like a 33/33/34 (fat/carb/protein). I ate a great variety of fruits and vegetables. Still kept it lean and low-fat, but reduce my sugars a bit. I had results on the scale, but many of my other problems were still lingering.

When I finally began a keto lifestyle a few months ago (that's low-carb, high-fat, MODERATE protein) coming from an already moderately-low carb lifestyle anyway (100g more or less, per day).

After conquering my lifelong fear of fat and starting to reduce my sugar and carb intake I began to see a lot of improvements not just on the scale but also in the way I felt. I began counting calories again and found that although I was eating until I was full each day, I struggled to even meet my calorie goal - I was simply just TOO FULL to even think about overeating! And my cravings completely disappeared. After a lot of tweaking and experimenting, what I've settled into for the past month or so has been so far the most successful intake for me:

75%/5%/20% (fats/carbs/protein)
-Based on my calculated BMR minus a deficit of around 500 calories a day, a total in the range of 1400-1800 calories; always aiming for a NET of at least 1250
-Total carbs between 30-50g, NET carbs (carbs minus fiber) 20g or less
-An abundance of fats both saturated and otherwise (no trans) coming from: avocados and avocado oil, coconut oil, animal fats, butter/ghee, eggs, most nuts, cheeses and heavy creams
-Pretty much unlimited veg (as much as I can actually eat) made up of things like: dark leafy greens, sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peppers
-The odd fruit comprising mostly berries, lemons & limes
-Lots of water (3+ liters per day)

I occasionally drink red wine or whiskey, and enjoy plenty of home-baked goods made with nut flours/meals and natural, low-glycemic sweeteners such as coconut sugar/nectar, date sugar, or stevia. In this way I don't miss cakes or breads at all. I've no problem eating out at restaurants; most are absolutely happy to replace fries, chips, potato, etc with extra veg or salad.

In the months that I've been doing keto, I have been 'working out' little to none at all, and my exercise has been the occasional lifting of weights, lots of walking, and very little jogging/running.

In the first week of keto I lost about 7lbs, in the second week 4lbs, then 2, and in the 5th or 6th weeks, stalled. I then got a fitbit and realized I was actually still not eating enough, and consuming far too much protein (this can also be counter-productive), and now using the method above, I've been losing on average of about 1lb per week. Sometimes a bit more, sometimes none at all. A few weeks I've actually gained, which I put down to a combo of indulgences (bloat) and hormones (also bloat), as it fell right back off in the following week or so.

Some benefits I have noticed since transitioning to keto:

-I am almost NEVER hungry and the word 'famished' has disappeared from my vocabulary, unless I've gone for a significant time period without food - 6-8hrs or more; this means I'm generally in a better mood!
-Increased sustained energy levels throughout the day; no more post-meal fatigue or 2-3hourly flagging
-Less brain fuzz; more alert; better concentration levels
-Clearer glowing skin; shinier hair
-Weight-loss; although MFP says 5lbs, I've actually lost around 15lbs. (gained weight back at the end of the year, then re-lost it after starting keto)
-Less sensitive, whiter teeth; presumably from my limiting of sugary fruits
-No cravings

Sorry for the long post, but just wanted to clarify that there's a lot more to the success of low-carb lifestyles than just 'eating less carbs'. As with any healthy lifestyle there's loads of factors, you just have to find the best balance for you!

That's was a nice informative post. I have similar results but you had the patience to give more detail in your reply. The key to low carb is that you don't feel hungry all the time. And therefore it is highly effective .

Tymeforme68

I am doing a high protein/low carb meal plan given to me by a trainer. The protein i take is through shakes, protein bar (1 a day) and white fish and chicken with veggies, oatmeal and egg whites. i eat 6 meals a day and do not go any longer than 3 hours between meals. i have been doing this for about 5 weeks now and am losing on average 4 lbs per week. i definitely am noticing more energy, less bloating and no cravings thus far. I need to lose another almost 100 lbs so im in it for the long haul.
Good luck!

Keliandra

Day 78 for me. 1800 calories, (90 carb, 120 fat, 90 prot). 22 pounds down so far, labs improved across the board. Less insulin and metformin needed.

mitchdiane1964

Great job! I started keto 4 days ago and pray I have your kind of success!

soccerdog693

Hey, feel free to add me as a friend! I'm definitely doing a reduced carb diet. I try to keep my carbs to two starches and 3 fruits a day, everything else is veggies and lean meat! Portion control definitely goes a long with that, too. I'm definitely a bread addict - I was the girl that ate all the dinner rolls before anyone else got one. But now I crave bread less and less, my blood sugar has evened out, and I have more energy. Plus eating the healthier, cleaner foods means I get to eat MORE! Woo!

I didn't just want to lose weight, I wanted to completely overhaul how I ate and change my relationship with food. I'm about a month into this and I'm really enjoying it.

ddky

I can lose weight the fastest on low carb, but I just can't stay on it. So I settle for slower weight loss and just watch the calories. I still have the atkin's shakes for lunch just because they are filling and easy.