Atkins Plan

nehushtan

Thoughts?? Any and all commments are welcomed!

I lost a lot with Atkins (the "new" version he published in 1995) before my wedding and I loved folloowing that diet. Don't be scared by people telling you it is not healthy. I restricted carbs only, not calories or fat, and my cholesterol dropped significantly. My own doctor recommended a low-carb aproach. Within the last 5 or so years a number of studies have shown low-carb dieting to be effective and safe.

If you get off the maintenance program you will gain the weight back, like I did. This criticism is often leveled at the Atkins diet but, hey, is there any diet that allows you to keep the weight off after you quit? It's a bogus criticism.

The main reason I'm on low-cal instead of Atkins now is because I tried it again about 5 years ago and it didn't work for me the second time. My body didn't respond in the same way.

Low-carb dieting is back in vogue. Body-builders use low-carb dieting to focus on protein. Try to find the "old" Atkins books. The new ones (that he did not write) are too cautious. Atkins was a maverick and plenty of fun to read. He introduced the original Aktins diet in the 1970s (Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution) and an updated one in the 1990s (Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution). Dr. Atkins was way ahead of his time and a feisty writer, taking on the establishment. His ideas have finally gained some traction.

Another worthwhile low-carb book is Protein Power by Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades. It is explains more of the history and science behind low-carb diets. Dr. Atkins basically said "this diet works, who cares how?". The Eades explain how. They also have a blog. Just google Eades and you'll find it.

I might get back on a low-carb diet from time to time after I reach my goal weight, just because I know it works and it was fun to eat that way. Also, like I said, if you start doing strength-building exercises (which -- trust me -- you will want to do once you get close to your goal weight) a lot of that community encourages low-carb eating.

All the best!

cosgroveh

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lieselotte2

South Beach is a lot better than Atkins. It is low carb AND low fat. My friend did his own "lifestyle change" eating, stuck to 50 "bad" carbs a day, and lost 85 lbs. between May 31, 2010 and December 1, 2010. I have been able to lose 25.5 lbs. since February 15, 2011 by just sticking to my 1,200 calories per day as MFP calculated for me. It has worked really well - my structure is that I stick to my 1,200 calories like glue! I wish you all the best :happy:

otr12

I did atkins and lost a lot of weight. As a matter of fact I've done lots of diets and lost lots of weight. In spite of all that I still found myself standing on a scale last month and praying I wouldn't break 250lbs for the first time. I got really close!

I finally had to admit that they were right when they said a lifestyle change was the only way to go. Calories in / calories out. And all those other phrases I thought I could cheat my way around. I've been doing 1200 calories a day with MFP for about a week now and have never felt so positive in my life. It's the only thing that's ever felt permanently doable. I can eat anything I want. If I run out of calories today I only have to wait until tomorrow to eat it.

Plus the numbers are an undeniable truth. How much I burn, how much I eat, how much I weigh. I'm pleased with my weight loss so far but I'm also impatient. So I'm walking more, and faster. I hate it but it's worth it. I can add up the numbers and KNOW that I will lose weight because of it. My obsession with food has moved to an obsession with weight loss.

nehushtan

I also tried the Atkins plan years ago. I lost lots of weight very quickly but felt horrible. Little did I realize that the problem was that I only have one functioning kidney and the program had thrown me into ketosis which was affecting my kidney. My doctor told me to NEVER do a program like that again unless I was prepared to eventually end up on dialysis. I totally agree that people should check with their doctor before starting on any weight loss program.

I agree that you should check with your doctor before going on Atkins. But specifically go to urologist and check your kidneys. There are doctors biased against low-carb diets and specifically against Atkins. You won't get a fair answer -- or an answer that is specific to your body -- if you happen to ask a doctor with that disposition.

Low-carb diets break down your fat reserves and partly convert them into ketones. Ketones are acidic. In diebetics, excessive ketones is called ketoacidosis. In low-carb dieting, the ketones are never as excessive as they are in someone with diabetes. But if your kidneys are not healthy to begin with, the mild ketosis of low-carb dieting can put a strain on them. So if you aren't sure about the health of your kidneys, see a urologist and make sure.

Ketosis can make for darker-yellow urine and funny-smelling breath but you can mitigate these by drinking plenty of water.

tmaksparkie

Are you looking for a quick fix diet or lifestyle change? I personally don't care for Atkins but I am a primal eater( google marks daily apple) so low carb is a lifestyle because if you go back to eating carbs you will gain the weight back. So do what will work for you and your son, I have lost all my weight eating primal and I don't plan to change it anytime soon. And yes I do have a cheat day once in a while normally once a month around TOM.

MinnieInMaine

First, make sure your doctor approves. Then, if you do it, make sure you read the Atkins book entirely and follow it correctly. If done improperly with insufficient info, you could cause more harm than good.

I did Atkins about 6 years ago for a little over a year and did pretty well. At that time it was all the rage so there were plenty of products on the shelves - breakfast bars, low carb pasta, etc. I lost about 45 pounds and lost a lot of belly fat. The thing with a plan like that is you have to be prepared to stick with it for a long time in order for it to really work. If you try to use it for a quick fix, you'll surely lose the weight but as soon as you get those carbs back in your system, the weight will pile on fairly quickly.

For me, it just got boring. I was able to make some of my favorite things by using the low carb pasta and cutting way down on my portions of potatoes and the like but I missed cottage cheese and yogurt and granola and, most of all, pizza! For me it was just somehing I couldn't stick with for life. I like what I'm doing now much better, even if the belly fat's not disappearing quite so quickly.

SueInAz

Anyone who tells you that Atkins is unhealthy hasn't done their homework. You do eat very few carbs at the beginning but slowly start adding them back in during the duration of your weight loss until you are in maintenance mode and probably up to eating 100 grams or so each day. There is no such thing as "unlimited meats" on this plan. I eat lean meats, flax meal, some hard cheese, nuts and lots and lots of green veggies. If I feel the need for something sweet I have sugar free chocolate, but that's not very often. I'm losing slowly, but steadily, given that I didn't have that much to lose to start with.

If you're truly interested, I would suggest checking out the Atkins site. They have more information than I can give here and will even send you some free information, recipes and some of their products by mail. You don't have to buy their food (unlike some other plans) but some of what they sell can be helpful, especially if you're on the go a lot.

Good luck!

robertf57

ANY diet that cuts out food groups completely is not a diet that is going to be good long term and I've found that this diet will help you loose but it is not realistic to stay on this diet because if you start eating things that aren't on the diet you will gain back what you've lost. The best diet is lean meats, fruits and veggies. Do a 7 day cleanse and you can eat all you can stand of lean meats, fruits and veggies and you will loose weight, I lost about 6 lbs the week I did this cleanse. After 7 days add ONLY whole grains back to your diet for carbs. NO processed junk food, cereal, chips unless whole grain. You can add yogurt and dairy products also. Just not more than 1-2 servings a day of dairy and whole grain carbs. Try to stay away from sugar, but you don't have to deprive yourself! Everything in moderation and remember the more processed the food is, the worse it is for you!!!

Atkins is not a NO carb diet.. It starts out with a very low carbohydrate 20-25 grams in the induction phase with an increase in the weight loss phase and an individualized increase in maintenance based upon how your body responds. Atkins never advocated cutting out any food group. If you actually look at it, it isn't really a high fat diet either. People who don't restrict carbohydrate also consume quite a bit of fat with their carbs. I personally like the Protein Power approach a bit better, but it's hard to argue with the empirical evidence supporting a low carbohydrate higher protein lifestyle.

robertf57

ANY diet that cuts out food groups completely is not a diet that is going to be good long term and I've found that this diet will help you loose but it is not realistic to stay on this diet because if you start eating things that aren't on the diet you will gain back what you've lost. The best diet is lean meats, fruits and veggies. Do a 7 day cleanse and you can eat all you can stand of lean meats, fruits and veggies and you will loose weight, I lost about 6 lbs the week I did this cleanse. After 7 days add ONLY whole grains back to your diet for carbs. NO processed junk food, cereal, chips unless whole grain. You can add yogurt and dairy products also. Just not more than 1-2 servings a day of dairy and whole grain carbs. Try to stay away from sugar, but you don't have to deprive yourself! Everything in moderation and remember the more processed the food is, the worse it is for you!!!

chuisle

I think what we can all take away from this is

1. MODERATION
2. Eating "whole foods" (ie processed carbs are obviously not part of a healthy lifestyle)
3. Check with your doctor
4. Think about what works for you

I don't know if Atkins works long terms. I don't know if its healthy/unhealthy. I am skeptical and know it wouldn't work for me personally but I can't say that with any certainty for someone else. None of us can. So hopefully those take away points are helpful in your quest to figure out what's best

aangrisani

I did Atkins in the past and it does work. It is very hard to stick to but with anything, the first 2 weeks were the hardest. I did lose weight quickly without exercising, which I loved. For me, Atkins wasn't a lifestyle change. Once I went off of Atkins, I gained my weight back rapidly and even more.

What I would do, is use bits and pieces from each "diet trend" and just try to eat healthier. Use this website and log everything you are eating and make some friends on here. I feel by being accountable and having other people see my diary, I am less likely to cheat.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.