Starting Atkins. Need Support!

TheBraveryLover

You and everyone else on here who didn't fit the OP's target audience are self-righteous. Period. I'm seeing it more and more on the message boards here and it's quite annoying.

It's not like she wanted support for wanting to eat 500 calories or less a day. Stop overreacting. There are plenty of people who are successful with Atkins, so it has nothing to do with it being controversial or not.

sweetheart03622

Just throwing out how I felt on it. Truthfully, the issue is sticking with it. For most people, who spent their entire life eating bread pasta and other junkie carbs, just dropping them off is impossible. That's like telling a 500lb man that he can be skinny for life, but all he has to do is run a marathon a day. It's a huge change, that few if any can really sustain.

Mmmary212

I don't think she needed advice on whether or not to DO atkins...she wanted support from those who are on it. So if you don't do/like atkins...fine.

Your body does not NEED carbs. There are no essential carbohydrates. No body needs to eat bread, rice...etc. Yeah fruits are a great dessert nature has provided, but people treat these as "all you can eat" and that's just not right. Fruit is sugar and your body treats it the same as any other kind.

People do not need grains.... There's a whole heap of info about this that is just wrong information.

Again OP I'm here for support if you have any questions.

Please tell me where you get this information, because ever single thing I have read about diet and nutrition states that carbs are essential. No one needs to eat a loaf of bread a day, but healthy carbs are a very important part of a diet.

Don't have a list of links to share (work)...but why does the food guide pyramid states grains are the largest section and of course now people eat far too many! I'm not about to get into the nitty gritty....but it's quite ironic over the past 35 years america is fattening up nicely and everything seems to be surrounded by grains and refined carbohydrates...and the lovely HFCS. That's the biggest issue here (nevermind all the others, but this would get lengthly). too many carbyhydrates make one fat....eating fat does not.

Now no one said never eat fruits, never eat vegetables, never eat ANY grains again, heck they're tasty...but can your body be just fine and even healthy with them sparingly? Yes. Monitoring my carbohydrates is much more important than my calorie intake...and it works SO much better and I've received much better results...and if you change your lifestyle, you wont gain the weight back (just like hmm...any diet!)

Again, it obviously works this way for MANY people....but eating the recommened 250-300g carbs a day (gasp) doesn't work for most people (see america)...

FairyMiss

I did Atkins for 2 months in college as part of a documentary-style assignment for a writing class. I followed the plan and recorded it every day. It. Was. Hell. You have NO energy, your "systems" are completely blocked up, your hair will start to look like hell. That beings aid, you will lose weight. I lost 23 pounds in two months. However, within 3 weeks of going off it I gained 30.

I'm currently doing a 40/40/20 ratio of protein/carbs/fat and have had great success. I still have enough energy to work out and have been losing steadily. Everything is moving along nicely and my hair and nails aren't looking like crap. Neither is my skin. Just some food for thought.

that is not how it is for everyone trust me.. when i do atkins, i feel great, have more energy then i ever have when i am eating "normal" , and actually when i started doing it again this time i have noticed (not entirely to my pleasure) that my hair has thickened up again. Its all in figuring out what works best for your body and its chemitry

Mmmary212

I've done my research and heard both sides. I am making sure to take precaution on it and I'll be the first to grab a slice of bread if I feel like I need it. Thanks for the concern. I do appreciate the help.

If you do the Atkin's diet....then you'll have to bypass that craving for the bread, at least for the first 2 weeks. Just understand that is the point of it is to eliminate the cravings for starches and sugars. If you want to get into ketosis, you can't give into cravings...But once you get through the first part of it, the cravings are (should be) gone really. Get ketostix if you're serious about that.

Or if you want to not limit yourself to not eat certain foods, then just go "low carb" and that can vary for many people...from 20 cabrs/day or 50 carbs a day or even 100 carbs a day.....then you'll need to set a level of carbs you want to limit each day and work that piece of bread into it. But keep in mind, it adds up really quickly.

MinnieInMaine

I did Atkins about 5 years ago and had some success so I won't completely dismiss it but I would say to be careful...which it sounds like you're doing but I have to give my advice anyway :bigsmile:

Make sure you get the book and read it cover to cover (and keep it handy to reference) to get the whole plan down. There have been copycats floating around that aren't nearly as healthy as Dr. Atkins intended plan.

My only other input is to be prepared for induction! You may get very crabby and have some stomach issues at least in the first few days while your system is getting used to having less carbs/sugars. Oh and if they still sell their breakfast bars, I'd recommend the cinnamon one - YUM!

FairyMiss

Another vote for the 40/20/20 ratio. Atkins in particular is not great due to muscle loss.

South Beach isn't nearly as bad. Atkins will give you headaches, make you cranky and make your breath smell.

You brain can only function on carbs. The amount you get on Atkins is barely enough for brain function, let alone any energy for anything else.

If you want to try low-carb, try South Beach. What's your fear of carbs anyway?

I highly recommend the current book I'm reading called the Body Fat Solution by Tom Venuto. He also wrote burn the fat, feed the muscle. He explains how to eat regular food (at higher than 1200 a day calories) and exercise sensibly. It's an excellent resource.

Low/No Carb will lose water weight first, then fat/muscle. Problem is, it doesn't discriminate. When the weight is off, you'll gain it back easily as you will have lost the muscle that burns calories. You can actually decrease your metabolism.

actually the most import nutrion item for the brain is fat.

FairyMiss

Um, it has nothing to do with being full of myself, but with sharing experience on the diet. I like to share how crappy I felt so that maybe someone will rethink doing it and save themselves that feeling. She can still do it, and if she does, I wish her nothing but luck and hpe she feels great!

When you post on a message board, especially about a diet that can be controversial, you are going to get a variety of responses. Nothing wrong with that. It is not like we are berating her or something! Geez.

just because you felt crappy on it , does not mean she will. as i said in my first reply i feel my best when i am at low low carb and high protien . and the carbs i do get come from good healthy veggies, specially dark leafy ones yum

FairyMiss

oh and one last thing i want to add. Lots of people like to make the coment oh you will lose weight but once you start eating "normal" you will gain it back? Really? what is normal. mcdonald every day, I would not consider that normal, nasty but not normal. Normal is what is best for you, for me normal is low carb. And yes this is something i can do long term. especially if i dont get lazy about bringing lunch to work, which does also save alot of money.

and really as far as the 'food pyrimid' they have been shoving down our throats for years and years, if it is so correct, and if all the low fat, high carb is proper then why is obestity in america skyrocketing? if all that was correct shouldnt it be unheard of by now?????

okay time to put my soap box away and go back to work

BryanAir

oh and one last thing i want to add. Lots of people like to make the coment oh you will lose weight but once you start eating "normal" you will gain it back? Really? what is normal. mcdonald every day, I would not consider that normal, nasty but not normal. Normal is what is best for you, for me normal is low carb. And yes this is something i can do long term. especially if i dont get lazy about bringing lunch to work, which does also save alot of money.

and really as far as the 'food pyrimid' they have been shoving down our throats for years and years, if it is so correct, and if all the low fat, high carb is proper then why is obestity in america skyrocketing? if all that was correct shouldnt it be unheard of by now?????

okay time to put my soap box away and go back to work

If people were eating to the food pyramid they wouldn't be obese. McDonald's isn't to be found on the pyramid.

damonmath

I eat 60/30/10 - Protein/Carbs/Fat

I feel fantastic every single day... Full of energy... Athletic performance levels... And I'm 36!!!

Proteins I eat:

- Chicken
- Tuna
- Mahi / Hake / Salmon
- Greek Yogurt
- Boiled Egg Whites


Carbs I eat:

- Organic Brown Rice
- Black / Kidney / Lima beans
- Oatmeal
- Cottage Cheese


Fats I eat:

- Flax Seed Oil
- Fish Oil
- Olive Oil

That's it! Get creative with the spices for flavor and you will will look and feel fantastic too!

Edit: I eat a ton of vegetables too

sbwood888

I lost over 100 pounds on Atkins. Unfortunately I was not committed enough to the low carb lifestyle to keep the weight off. I gained it all back. I hope you are more successful than I was. :flowerforyou:

Mmmary212

oh and one last thing i want to add. Lots of people like to make the coment oh you will lose weight but once you start eating "normal" you will gain it back? Really? what is normal. mcdonald every day, I would not consider that normal, nasty but not normal. Normal is what is best for you, for me normal is low carb. And yes this is something i can do long term. especially if i dont get lazy about bringing lunch to work, which does also save alot of money.

and really as far as the 'food pyrimid' they have been shoving down our throats for years and years, if it is so correct, and if all the low fat, high carb is proper then why is obestity in america skyrocketing? if all that was correct shouldnt it be unheard of by now?????

okay time to put my soap box away and go back to work

If people were eating to the food pyramid they wouldn't be obese. McDonald's isn't to be found on the pyramid.

You can eat McDonalds everyday and still lose weight. NOT recommened but truthfully speaking, you can. McDonalds is not making people fat. People eating too many carbs and sugars is making people fat.

The more carbs you eat, the more carbs your body has to burn before it can get to your stored body fat. People eat too many carbs and after burning them, they still have some left over and it's stored as fat, even when people "go to the gym" and "count calories".

The less carbs you eat, the sooner your body will get to burning it's stored body fat. Point blank.

St33787

Good Luck! You WILL see results. I did Atkins in high school and lost 15 pounds. I lived off of salad, steak, and cheese. Counting Carbs is the worst part, but it did improve my math skills!

Good snack for Atkins: Peanuts/almonds and Diet Coke. ( I don't drink Soda anymore though) Cottage cheese. Fiber one cereal. Greek yogurt.

Worst part about Atkins: Cutting back on Fruit

Just be careful, this diet is addicting. I'm in college now and scared to death of high starch/carb foods. I cannot for the life of me eat bread, pasta, potatoes, and rice without feeling sooo so guilty.

I'm not currently on Atkins anymore, although i do not eat bread, pasta, or potatoes. I've been able to keep my weight off with an active life style and going to the gym a lot.

FairyMiss

Good Luck! You WILL see results. I did Atkins in high school and lost 15 pounds. I lived off of salad, steak, and cheese. Counting Carbs is the worst part, but it did improve my math skills!

Good snack for Atkins: Peanuts/almonds and Diet Coke. ( I don't drink Soda anymore though) Cottage cheese. Fiber one cereal. Greek yogurt.

Worst part about Atkins: Cutting back on Fruit

Just be careful, this diet is addicting. I'm in college now and scared to death of high starch/carb foods. I cannot for the life of me eat bread, pasta, potatoes, and rice without feeling sooo so guilty.

I'm not currently on Atkins anymore, although i do not eat bread, pasta, or potatoes. I've been able to keep my weight off with an active life style and going to the gym a lot.

and the whole not eating bread , pasta or potatoes i am sure helps alot too

BryanAir

oh and one last thing i want to add. Lots of people like to make the coment oh you will lose weight but once you start eating "normal" you will gain it back? Really? what is normal. mcdonald every day, I would not consider that normal, nasty but not normal. Normal is what is best for you, for me normal is low carb. And yes this is something i can do long term. especially if i dont get lazy about bringing lunch to work, which does also save alot of money.

and really as far as the 'food pyrimid' they have been shoving down our throats for years and years, if it is so correct, and if all the low fat, high carb is proper then why is obestity in america skyrocketing? if all that was correct shouldnt it be unheard of by now?????

okay time to put my soap box away and go back to work

If people were eating to the food pyramid they wouldn't be obese. McDonald's isn't to be found on the pyramid.

You can eat McDonalds everyday and still lose weight. NOT recommened but truthfully speaking, you can. McDonalds is not making people fat. People eating too many carbs and sugars is making people fat.

The more carbs you eat, the more carbs your body has to burn before it can get to your stored body fat. People eat too many carbs and after burning them, they still have some left over and it's stored as fat, even when people "go to the gym" and "count calories".

The less carbs you eat, the sooner your body will get to burning it's stored body fat. Point blank.

All the research shows that if you burn more calories than you eat you will lose weight. If you eat more calories than you burn you will gain weight. It doesn't matter if those are carbs, fat, or protein. It is basically the laws of thermodynamics.

reallivefitness

I'm doing a low carb diet right now (under 100g/day, which I plan on lowering as I get more used to eating this way) and I feel great! I think a lot of the failures with Atkins is people losing the weight and then going back to what they were eating before. You were fat before for a reason, and you lost the weight for a reason. Duh.

You go girl. You've done your research, so I hope you see great results! :-)

Ridestolive6969

Hi there!
I feel bad that this thread turned so controversial- I get a lot of great support from MFP!

When I began my journey this year I had tried the strict Atkins plan and wasnt able to do it. I knew I was a carb addict and that was something I had to break! So, I took my desire for a low carb lifestyle and started working on it. I cut out all refined flour, sugar, etc. and would only eat veggies, limited fruits, and very limited whole grains. Yes the carb cravings were very dificult for about 2 weeks. After that, it got much easier!!! I had so much more energy and didnt have the aches and pains. Cutting out as many refined foods as possible has changed everything for me.

I congratulate you on your decision to make a change. As a Registered Nurse I have been learning more and more about how overconsumption of carbs and refined foods affects our health in many ways. Soon we will all have to change our thinking that fat and cholesterol lead to heart disease etc. and start looking at our diets high in carbs, as that is what the new research is showing.

Just remember to listen to your body and ask for advice if you need it! Good luck! Feel free to add me as a friend!

SMJohnson27

There is a thread you can join for support. Search- No Grain...No pain, and there are alot of us on there. It is for low carb/low sugar etc. I think you will find a lot of like minded people on there for support!!!

SMJohnson27

I've done my research and heard both sides. I am making sure to take precaution on it and I'll be the first to grab a slice of bread if I feel like I need it. Thanks for the concern. I do appreciate the help.

I think the best part of sticking to this lifestyle change is to find substitutes for those things. I have recipes for shredded zucchini or eggplant pizza crust, use spaghetti squash instead of pasta, mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, and even one for bread made without flour (couldn't stand the thought of never having a sandwich again). I don't feel like me or my family is missing out on anything and know I can stick with it for ever!!