Calorie counting vs atkins

ekbwk

Whats your opinion? I started atkins. However, all the protein has made me so sick this week. Should I continue and play it out or go back to just counting the calories and working out? On atkins, they tell you not to work out much, however, I've started to LOVE working out AND my knees have improved because of it. Thoughts?

Daisy_May

I did atkins for a few weeks once and it made my stomach hurt so bad I had to stop, I find men do really well on it but women not so much.

callipygianchronicle

You love exercise, which the diet plan you are following tells you to stay away from. Eating the foods on that diet plan has left you feeling sick all week. I don’t see why there’s a question, when you own body is screaming the answer at you. The choice you are making right now isn’t working. When something isn’t working, it’s best to find something else that does.

jennywrens

I'll start by saying I've never been on Atkins .... but it scares me! All 'diets' that ban certain foods can't be healthy for you in the long run??

I'd go with calorie counting and exercise all the way - it may take longer, but changing your mindset in to making healthier choices will help you keep the weight off long term.

kbdelarosa

Here's my thing with Atkins....that is a "diet"...you can't live that way forever. Once you are off it, the pounds will come back. I think healthy eating and watching what you eat is a much better plan. Everything in moderation. And any plan that tells you not to exercise is not healthy in my opinion. You don't have to count calories forever either, but entering everything in MFP makes you accountable and teaches you what is in your food.

MelleyJ

Personally, I think Adkins is a waste of time and I don't think it's good for your health. (Just my personal belief). Anything that tells you not to work out isn't something I would recommend. (And I don't even like workout out that much... but I do now!) Also, adkins isn't something you could maintain after you reach your goal weight.
Neither should be a "diet". You should be on a lifestyle change adventure. I know that's how I see my changes. Chose something that will keep you healthy, something you can maintain, & something that you will enjoy because if you are sick from adkins already, think about what will happen when you no longer chose to continue this "diet".
Just my opinion, but it's up to you. Only you know what is right for your health and what you can enjoy and maintain. Good luck!

ck163044

Ditch the Atkins and keep counting calories and working out, it is a lot healthier way to loos weight. If you are working out regularly you will need keep protien in your diet (approximately 40 to 60 grams depending on your weight) to feed the lean muscle you are building.

Keep up the good fight.

KrystiR

I tried adkins and I got headaches and kinda felt sick in the stomach from the shakes. I felt it was more restrictive and after a week got really sick of it. Now I am doing the baked chicken, fish, veggies, salad, brown rice, plain oatmeal (not all at once
I feel physically better and no headaches with the latter. I think calorie counting and workouts. but just my thought.

larsonp

Calorie Counting.

There isn't even a question worth asking or a discussion worth having.
Atkins is a fad diet. It always has been. It has no basis in science.

EmicaL

I do an Aktins inspired... I workout and I limit my carbs and increase my protein... but not to the extreme of Aktins. I do 60g Carbs and 110g of protein daily. I can stay under the carb limit but have a hard time getting all the protein.

I also have a cheat day. Every 5th day I triple my carbs for the day.

I've noticed my calorie intake has decreased just by lowering my carbs.

I think you have to listen to your body. Maybe try different balances of carbs and protein for a week at a time and find what works for you.

hpsnickers1

They tell you not to work out much because of the low carbs. Carbs are energy for our muscles and we need more of them when we exercise (and protein too). If we exercise on a low carb diet it can really wear the body down and that can slow your metabolism and stall your weight loss efforts (The body recognized diet and exercise as stress and proceeds to protect it from that stress the best it can).

There is one line is this short article that mentions extreme carbohydrate restriction:

http://www.hussmanfitness.org/html/TPAdaptation.html

TiniTurtle

i've done atkins many times & am considering it now as a quick fix because i've had an awful last week & i'm not going to meet my goals this month. after day 3 you start losing about a pound a day & i think that makes it worth it. you feel crappy because you're not getting in the carbs your body is used to using for energy & it's using fat stores & intook instead so it has to relearn, besides there are a lot of toxins you've stored in your fat that are now circulating your body & once those are out, you'll feel better after about a week of doing it. they say don't go more than 2 weeks doing atkins stage one though, move on to stage 2 or take a break before starting again )

hpsnickers1

The law of unintended consequences

Your body is an amazing feedback system aimed at balance and survival. Humans are at the top of the food chain because they are able to adapt to their environment. Every action produces a reaction. Every change in its environment triggers a survival response. It's important to keep that in mind when you plan your fitness program. If you treat your body as an enemy to be conquered, you'll produce unintended results.

For example, if you severely cut off the supply of food to your body, it will defend itself by slowing down its metabolism to survive starvation. The body will shed muscle mass the same way that you would throw cargo from a plane that was low on fuel, and it will reduce its thyroid activity to conserve energy. The body will also actually defend its fat stores. In anorexia, muscle loss can be so profound that fat as a percentage of body weight actually rises. Extreme carbohydrate restriction also causes muscle loss, dehydration, and slower metabolism, which is why even successful Atkins dieters can have a significant rebound in weight after they stop the diet (don't worry – the advice on this site will prevent that from happening).

As another example, if you put your body under stress through overexertion and lack of sleep, it will respond by slowing down, reducing muscle growth, and increasing your appetite for junk food, carbohydrates and fat. If you feed your body excessive amounts of sugar and quickly digested carbohydrates, and it will shut off its ability to burn fat until those sugars are taken out of the bloodstream.

This website will show you how to work with your body to quickly produce the changes you want. In order to do that, you need to take actions that push your body to adapt – to build strength, burn fat, and increase fitness. You need a training program, not an exercise routine. You need a nutrition plan, not a diet. You need a challenge, not a few good habits you usually try to follow except when you don't.

This is from the link I posted before.

TiniTurtle

oh & as far as working out? i've never heard that before & always have worked out through it, taking advantage of the extra protein to build some muscle ) if you feel good, then listen to your body & workout!

SheehyCFC

You love exercise, which the diet plan you are following tells you to stay away from. Eating the foods on that diet plan has left you feeling sick all week. I don’t see why there’s a question, when you own body is screaming the answer at you. The choice you are making right now isn’t working. When something isn’t working, it’s best to find something else that does.

I'd go with calorie counting and exercise all the way - it may take longer, but changing your mindset in to making healthier choices will help you keep the weight off long term.

Very good advice in both cases. Calories in and out works... always (taking into account nutritional value of those calories)

CassieLEO

OMG guys, I know everyone thinks low carb is the easy way to go, and it helped me out years back, but it literally took about 8 years for my metabolism to adjust after stopping it. Im not a diabetic but I would get horrible low blood sugars and shakiness and everything. It is a drastic diet, please think this over!

spackham

Atkins tells you not to exercise because the diet cause your body to aggressively eat your muscles. Your heart is a muscle. If you do Atkins AND exercise you could have a heart-attack. I suggest you exercise and count calories for all the reasons listed above.

weelissa

I think if you follow Atkins healthily and don't just eat buttery, cheesy, fatty stuff, then yeah it can work if you want to lose X amount of lbs for a special occasion but it is in no way whatsoever a substitute for a healthy and varied diet. I did Atkins and loved it because the weight fell off so fast, but then what happens when you re-introduce carbohydrates? The weight goes back on. By restricting nutrients to the body, you're forcing it into a meltdown which is why it made you feel awful.

The only way you can lose weight and keep it off is to eat a nutritionally balanced diet. People have been saying it for years and although I get that it takes time, which some of us can't be patient enough for, when you lose the weight it goes. For good. I lost all my weight eating healthily and exercising.

Therefore I think, as previously said, you know the answer yourself. Bin atkins and bring back the fresh fruit!

That_Girl

I do not believe in "diets" that deny you of major things. Your body NEEDS carbs. Maybe not as much as many people eat, but definitely not as limited at Atkins.

I also don't trust a diet that says you can have a plate of bacon but not an apple. Just sounds stupid to me.

I recommend counting calories in the fashion that you can LIVE BY that way you won't gain weight back when you start eating "normal" again. Maybe people lose great on Atkins and then gain it all back plus some when they start eating normal.

LeonaB17

I did Atkins for a month and my cholesterol went through the roof! And I was only 20. Way too young to have high cholesterol! And as soon as I quit and ate carbs again- I bet you can guess what happened next. The weight came back almost overnight!
What I currently do is a low-glycemic lifestyle (I hate the word diet bc that sounds temporary and this is not temporary). Basically I try to eat foods that have a minimal effect on my blood sugar. You can google it for more info. It is especially good for persons with type 2 diabetes, but generally is a healthy way of eating for anyone wanting to lose weight or just be healthy. I do it b/c I have insulin resistance caused by PCOS. Let me know if you want more info and I'd be glad to share. Best of luck!!

MakingAChoice

Atkins is not a lifelong supportable lifestyle. I have done it and lost a lot of weight on it that came right back when I went off it. The only way to be successful is through a balance of good foods. Not through gimmicks like any diet program out there today. Whole grains, fruits, veggies and lean protein are the way to success.

Adsnwfld

Atkins is a diet (and a bad one at that) not a lifestyle. Exercise and watch your calorie intake. It is the only responsible way of losing and maintaining your weight.

ekbwk

Thanks everyone! Lots of good points that I never took into consideration. Wish me luck on my calorie counting! Goodbye Atkins and feeling like crap! Hellllllo normalcy!

Laurieannfanelli

I agree plus no carbs ,you don't have the energy to workout. Doing it slow and being acountable for what you eat and how much excersise you body NEEDS is the way you will keep it off. You want a well balanced muscle and fat and eating the right amount of fat, protien and carbs will give you the look you want. Take it from someone who has done it before and see where I am now doing it again. I gained the weight back when I started eating normal again. It reallly messes your body up rather then helps.

labgirl3

Well, I guess I'll put in my 2 cents in quasi-support of Atkins, although I don't really "do" Atkins. I eat Primal / Paleo (you can find more info if you're interested in www.marksdailyapple.com) - but I do eat pretty low carb, high protein, and high fat. My totals for about 1400 calories are roughly 70 g carbs, 70 g fat, and 120 g protein. I don't eat any sugar or flour (or gluten) - carbs come strictly from veggies, fruit (1-2 a day), and greek yogurt.

There is a LOT of research out there that supports a higher fat, high protein, low carb diet, especially for obese people (which I was, and as of yesterday, am no longer). Gary Taubes has a great book called "Why We Get Fat" that addresses the myth of low-fat, higher-carb (even "good" carbs like whole wheat) diets.

As for limiting an entire "food group" - meh. For me, carbs are trigger foods. I can't just eat one Girl Scout cookie and be ok - I needed the entire box. Now that I simply don't eat them anymore, I don't want them anymore. And oddly enough - now I CAN eat just one, because they're just not as tasty anymore! Yes, the first few weeks were hard and I felt pretty blah. Now though - I have more energy than I have in the past 10 years. Seriously. I've lost over 50 lbs eating this way. I don't see a reason to go back. Why woud I? Cookies and cakes and buns and bread provide nothing, nutritionally speaking, that I'm not already getting. My bloodwork is excellent - cholesterol HDL 43, LDL 101, triglycerides - 49.

As for exercising - I exercise plenty, and while I'm sure that more carbs would probably give me more energy in the gym, I'm more focused on weight loss right now. Once I'm closer to my goal weight I'll look at increasing my carbs more (not with grains - probably just add more fruit).

Links for more reading, in case you're interested:
Gary Taubes article in NYT about Atkins and the fat "myth" - What If Its All Been a Big Fat Lie? http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html

And his blog - he was just on Dr. Oz and wrote a good summary / rebuttal here:
http://www.garytaubes.com/blog/

From Mark's Daily Apple: Why Grains are Unhealthy
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/

Edited to add: in true Primal fashion (striving for about 80% perfection), I am not perfect! I have a little honey with my greek yogurt, and I don't panic about accidentally ingesting a crouton in my caesar salad! I might have a bite of dessert if it's a special occasion (my mom's 70th bday was last week for example). But I don't order or intentionally eat bread / tortillas / rice / chips / crackers / desserts.

cinderswella

Okay I know this is an old post but for anybody coming here like I am now please don't believe what these people are saying about the Atkins diet! They clearly have no idea what they are talking about! If you want Atkins you really hurt if the book and do the plan as instructed. People get hung up over the idea of no cards, but that is not really the basis of Atkins! You start off with a very limited amount of carbs for only 2 weeks to break your cravings. After that you slowly add cards back in until you figure out how much you can tolerate in order to lose or maintain your weight. This means that you can eventually go back to eating whole grains, along with other card. The biggest thing is you just can't go back to eating sugar and junk food and unlimited card like you did before or of course you will gain the weight back! But if you follow the plan and make it a lifestyle change and limits sweet and sugar to very very rare be at Athens is a great diet of whole food! You eat meat and vegetables for two weeks and then you start adding in healthy whole food card how can you go wrong?