Atkins

Lollies8530

Hi all,

Did some research before I wrote this. Seems people have for and against reasons which I understand.

My question....do you really loose weight?

I was 210 lbs when I started this in 2005 and got down to 130. I seems to bounce around now. I have been up to 147 and down to 120 but it's seems all over the place so looking to drop now about 12 lbs but stay there.

If you did Atkins, did you loose weight? Being that I have always counted calories, eating 1600 to 1800 calories a day and still loosing weight seems odd to me, but I want to be educated.

Wendy

marissanik

My dad did Atkins. Didn't work for him, it's not a long lasting thing. Weight Watchers worked better for him, but it's similarly just like counting calories when you count "points".

I've been netting 1600-1800 calories throughngout my weight loss with no problems. Eating healthy and being consistent will give you much better results in the long run.

Laurenloveswaffles

Hi all,

Did some research before I wrote this. Seems people have for and against reasons which I understand.

My question....do you really loose weight?

I was 210 lbs when I started this in 2005 and got down to 130. I seems to bounce around now. I have been up to 147 and down to 120 but it's seems all over the place so looking to drop now about 12 lbs but stay there.

If you did Atkins, did you loose weight? Being that I have always counted calories, eating 1600 to 1800 calories a day and still loosing weight seems odd to me, but I want to be educated.

Wendy

Why does it seem odd?

you will lose weight with a calorie deficit. Atkins, weight watchers and the like help you create that deficit. it can be done without them though.

you will gain weight with a calorie surplus.

Michifan

I don't read diet books - but I read the labels of food.

I am a proteinaholic. My body craves it and I feel better when it is the majority of my calories. It's who I am and not something that I adapted because of a book. Other people have different nutritional needs and I would never ever tell another person what is best for them (though we all know what is really really bad).

With that being said, I have almost eliminated simple sugars from my diet - don't eat anything at all that adds sugar, honey, fructose... I don't eat a lot of fruit (a few berries from my son's plate) - and my vegetables are green (a few carrots in my salads). I live on lean proteins (chicken and turkey) and lots and lots of fish (mercury be damned). A poached egg on a small bed of smoked salmon is absolutely delicious and nutritious to me.

One thing on a high protein diet is that you will get a lot of sodium. I think you can offset it by drinking even more water to flush it out. I know my body and my blood pressure, so I'm ok with my increased intake - but others should be sensitive.

End of the day, I believe that calories are calories - but nutrition is food specific. You can lose weight eating 1000 calories of chocolate every day - but your body isn't going to perform as well as if it were getting a balanced diet at the same caloric levels.

If the Atkins diet works for you (meaning you enjoy it) - go for it. If it doesn't, cut the calories another way. It isn't a panacea and if there was a high carb diet out there (same calories) it wouldn't work for me because when I don't have enough protein my body tells me. It seems to not care about the carbs - though I do treat myself to air popped popcorn a few times a week.

TheSatinPumpkin

Been following DANDR since 08/27/13. Ticker is my current loss while on this WOE.

sofpap84

Hi Lollie,

Yes it really does work. Low carb diets are not about eating meat which is a common misconception. When you deprive your body of carbs for energy it looks for a new source, mainly fat. That is why on low carb diets, people eat high fat foods. They need that as an energy source. I've been doing Atkins for about 4 months now and I'm down 40 lbs. I'm never hungry, and other than a few sugar cravings I have about once a month I'm completely content. The first week or so is the hardest, but the longer you do it the easier it is. The trick is to find foods that are high in protein and fiber to keep you full throughout the day. Lots of deep green foods, flax seeds, etc.

-Sofia

AllOutof_Bubblegum

Yes, you do lose weight on Atkins.

The problem is, a LOT of that weight is glycogen depletion, which you will gain right back if you ever stop the diet. And odds you will eventually, (who wants to live forever without pizza EVER again?)

Also, it doesn't teach you healthy eating habits. so again, unless you are willing to adhere to this excessively severe and unnecessarily strict diet for the rest of your life, the results are not lasting. Which means you will have done it all for nothing. I recommend not cutting out any food groups, but sticking to a calorie deficit and having small treats in moderation. I lost 40 lbs doing that. This is me in my picture.
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