Anyone doing Atkins?

MsCyone

Has anyone had any success with the Atkins diet or any other type of low carb plan?

AggieCass09

I find that those fad diets rarely provide you with long term and lasting results. A healthy balanced diet with natural foods is best...everything in moderation!

MayaPapaya64

You will lose weight, then gain EVERYTHING back the minute you start eating carbs. Not worth doing.

Try going vegan. Or just eating non-processed foods (stick to the perimeter of the grocery store - produce, fresh meats, and dairy).

JennaM222

Heck No! I would die with out bread.

NoAdditives

Whether or not the provide lasting results, they just aren't good for you for more than a couple months at a time. Your body needs carbs, and too much protein over a long period of time is very hard on your liver and kidneys.

crissimoyer

It's a lifestyle change...you will never be able to eat carbs/sugars the same way. I find this is the best lifestyle for me since it's the best way for me to control my eating habits. I do allow myself 1 meal a week where I do not watch the carbs at all. Good luck with it if you choose to go that direction. This site has lots of low-carb recipes -

http://genaw.com/lowcarb/index.html

bonniecameron68

I tried the new low carb diet the Dukan diet and it worked, I lost 10 pounds in less than two weeks. It also sucked as far as variety of foods, you eat no carbs no veggies for 5 days, then you alternate one day no carbs another day carbs and veggies (low carb veggies) for about a month then you slowly introduce carbs but must have one day a week where you eat only protein. It is hard to eat the same protein type foods for so long, I didn't gain the weight back when I stopped because I watched my carbs and still continued to exercise 5 days a week. It isn't a great long term healthy diet, just a quick start to a diet or if you need to loose weight really quickly for what ever reason. I still believe eating well, and less and lots of solid exercise where you are really working your body is the best. Good Luck!

MsCyone

Thanks for the input so far, I have carb sensitivity so a lower carb plan was recommended by my doctor, so as long as I go through all the phases as the diet outlines, I'm not worried about it being a fad diet.

brittlynne3579

I've done it as a jump start and the only things I'll say is...

*Watch your sodium...meats, soups and cheese pack alot and that's what you're eating mostly
*Plan ahead...you think it'd be easy but you get bored...fast!
*Take fiber...you'll become constipated rather quickly so make sure to either factor in leafy greens or take a fiber supplement

neelia

I did Atkins a few years ago and had amazing results- over 40 lbs lost in a period of 2 1/2 months. However, I felt AWFUL. I was tired constantly and had stomach issues, bad headaches, irritable, etc. I had my blood drawn and my cholesterol was outrageous. When I stopped eating low card, I gained ALL of the weight back plus more. I would not recommend this diet only because it is a lfiestyle change- you have to stick to low card in order to have great, long lasting results.

ropedancer

Just adding my experience.

I knew a whole family that tried Atkins and I was amazed with the results. Here was a family who had always struggled with a healthy lifestyle, and they were losing weight really fast. I had known the father of the family for over fifteen years, and had never seen him so thin and so happy. The only problem was they gained it all back almost just as fast. As a result, I'm nervous about the Atkins diet. I guess it all depends on what you and your doctor decide is healthy for you.

imustdecrease

I know several people who have done it. the weight came back plus more..It is not a natural to eat that way for long term.

imustdecrease

You have lost 30 lbs since Oct. Was that on Atkins..If not, what you are doing does seem to be working:)

UT_Nut7

My mom and I both did Atkins, or a variation of it, about 7 years ago. Both my mother and I lost significant weight, but I gained all of it back plus 30lbs, though she was able to keep the majority of hers off. That said, my biggest problem was coming off of the plan. Besided gaining all of the weight back and then some, I came off of it with labels for certain foods. I would look at a piece of fruit and think to myself, "this has sugar in it, it's bad". And when I tried to eat healthy and didnt lose the weight as fast, I would immediately go back to what I knew worked- low carb. However, it didnt work as well the next time I would do it so I would yo-yo. It's really messed me up mentally with food. It's taken me 7 years to find a healthy balance and realize that yes low carb might take the weight off quickly, but I cant sustain it so it's not the answer for me.

However, saying all of that, if your doctor advises you to adopt a lower carb lifestyle then I would listen to him/her and read as much literature as possible. If you are eating healthy carbs in moderation and dont fall into the same trap I did, I dont see a problem with monitoring carbs, I just would make sure to work hard to make it a lifestyle change and not a diet.

MsCyone

You have lost 30 lbs since Oct. Was that on Atkins..If not, what you are doing does seem to be working:)

Thanks in part it was due to lowering my carb intake not as low as Atkins but about 50 or so grams per day. I'm reading the Atkins book now and phase one doesn't seem much different that what I did to lose weight originally, I eat lots of green veggies, that don't have that many carbs after you take out the fiber grams, I see myself being able to stick to this long term if I follow the diet. I think the first 2 weeks would be a great way to get my loss started again and the second phase you add back in 5g to 10 g of carbs every few weeks until loss stops or slows down.