Considering Atkins

lil_missfit

Please don't do that. All my aunts who did atkins have gained the weight back plus some....though when they were doing it they all lost tons of weight and looked great, it wasn't worth what they're dealing with now....more weight and disappointment:(

You can do it w/o atkins:flowerforyou:

l3ugjuice

For the record, the only actual experience I have with Atkins is a coworker, who dropped about 60 pounds and has kept it off for 4 or 5 years. Having eaten lunch with this coworker, while I'm certain his diet has worked for him (I can *see* it) I'm equally certain it would not work for me...because I've watched him eat a couple times a week for 5 years. No thanks!

theresa7576

consider south beach over atkins if you really insist- atkins is just not good.

WhereBthe6Pack

don't do it. if you want to lose weight follow the calorie in minus calorie out model.

lodro

Please don't do that. All my aunts who did atkins have gained the weight back plus some....though when they were doing it they all lost tons of weight and looked great, it wasn't worth what they're dealing with now....more weight and disappointment:(

You can do it w/o atkins:flowerforyou:

the point is: not all people can. for instance, people who are already insulin resistant will do very well on a carbohydrate restricted diet. And, after having gone through all Atkins phases, a person may end up with an eating pattern that isn't so weird, but that contains: a very little amount of carbohydrate from grains, much more carbohydrates from fresh, non starchy vegetables, protein from lean sources, a bit of protein from legumes and healthy fats, perhaps a little dairy and a sensible intake of fruit. all in all, a very healthy way of eating.

Anyone who starts eating according to their previous pattern after having restricted their intake of anyone will gain weight back. It's not typical for Atkins that that should be happening.

lodro

don't do it. if you want to lose weight follow the calorie in minus calorie out model.

See above for a reason why that doesn't work for a considerable number of people

lodro

I've spent years living in the Romance countries of Europe and yes, my diet consisted of a lot of pastas and cheeses and wines, but I lost weight and was smaller than I had been since I was 12--but then, I was also walking everywhere (or, at the very least, walking to a bus or train) and spending a large portion of my time outside moving around, which in the US is not very common.

Also, I'm with the person who said "we're not judging you, we're judging your diet"--I certainly have nothing against the Paleo/Primals, I'm very happy that they've found a lifestyle that works for them! Truly! :happy: But I really wish they would (1) change the name and the way they describe it, because it carries a connotation with it that it is the way humans originally ate or were originally intended to eat [:noway: VERY VERY WRONG] and (2) be a little bit more careful about the way they encourage people into their fold...the fact is that, like any diet that restricts entire food groups, it's not across-the-board healthy or recommended for the average person.

I'm not a nutritionist, but I am an archaeologist (and have taken several classes on human nutrition as well as the history of the human diet) and I've seen hundreds of generations of bodies who have given me all the proof I need. :flowerforyou: Whole grains are your friend...not that there's anything wrong with you yourself cutting them out if you want to (Seinfeld!), but to spread the idea that they are bad for you or in any way OUGHT to be cut out for one's health is untrue and irresponsible.

We've all come here to support each other and yes, these days research can be found on the internet to support almost anything, but maybe we should concentrate on just encouraging each other to eat a healthy, balanced diet that is based on decades and decades of research.

I'm not sure it will really matter though...I sense this thread is about thisclose to being shut down since it's getting people a little riled up.

Atkins doesn't cut out "entire foodgroups" as you still will be eating carbohydrates. Of course, those of the paleo persuasion will ditch grains, legumes and dairy, but what exactly is "bad" about that? In the SAD fat was almost entirely cut out and see where that has brought us. If you are really an archeologist, could you tell me what exactly is the scientific basis for _your_ sweeping statements? What is that diet with decades and decades of research that you speak of? Also, people around the mediterranean are among the most unhealthy Europeans, with Greece topping the list with a whopping obesity rate. The "mediterranean diet" is an invention based on a selective interpretation of the "7 nations" diet.

meggiemaye

I've spent years living in the Romance countries of Europe and yes, my diet consisted of a lot of pastas and cheeses and wines, but I lost weight and was smaller than I had been since I was 12--but then, I was also walking everywhere (or, at the very least, walking to a bus or train) and spending a large portion of my time outside moving around, which in the US is not very common.

Also, I'm with the person who said "we're not judging you, we're judging your diet"--I certainly have nothing against the Paleo/Primals, I'm very happy that they've found a lifestyle that works for them! Truly! :happy: But I really wish they would (1) change the name and the way they describe it, because it carries a connotation with it that it is the way humans originally ate or were originally intended to eat [:noway: VERY VERY WRONG] and (2) be a little bit more careful about the way they encourage people into their fold...the fact is that, like any diet that restricts entire food groups, it's not across-the-board healthy or recommended for the average person.

I'm not a nutritionist, but I am an archaeologist (and have taken several classes on human nutrition as well as the history of the human diet) and I've seen hundreds of generations of bodies who have given me all the proof I need. :flowerforyou: Whole grains are your friend...not that there's anything wrong with you yourself cutting them out if you want to (Seinfeld!), but to spread the idea that they are bad for you or in any way OUGHT to be cut out for one's health is untrue and irresponsible.

We've all come here to support each other and yes, these days research can be found on the internet to support almost anything, but maybe we should concentrate on just encouraging each other to eat a healthy, balanced diet that is based on decades and decades of research.

I'm not sure it will really matter though...I sense this thread is about thisclose to being shut down since it's getting people a little riled up.

Atkins doesn't cut out "entire foodgroups" as you still will be eating carbohydrates. Of course, those of the paleo persuasion will ditch grains, legumes and dairy, but what exactly is "bad" about that? In the SAD fat was almost entirely cut out and see where that has brought us. If you are really an archeologist, could you tell me what exactly is the scientific basis for _your_ sweeping statements? What is that diet with decades and decades of research that you speak of? Also, people around the mediterranean are among the most unhealthy Europeans, with Greece topping the list with a whopping obesity rate. The "mediterranean diet" is an invention based on a selective interpretation of the "7 nations" diet.

Haha, bro chill out! You seem really defensive on behalf of Atkins...and like several of us have said we're not attacking you, we're just not that diet's biggest fans. Not a big deal.

I love how you write about me "really" being an archaeologist though, as if it's something really crazy to be...it's not like I said I'm a superhero from another planet who can fly and move things with her mind. I have a master's degree in archaeology and I've worked in the field. We're not all like Indiana Jones, there aren't only twelve of us and we're out doing insane things like saving artefacts from villains.

The 'diet' I'm talking about isn't really what someone on this site might think of as a 'diet' at all--it just means eating balanced proportions of all food groups, which is exactly what I said. That's the whole point. It's simple, it's not trying to cut any corners or work any magic by eliminating types of food.

meggiemaye

Also, people around the mediterranean are among the most unhealthy Europeans, with Greece topping the list with a whopping obesity rate. The "mediterranean diet" is an invention based on a selective interpretation of the "7 nations" diet.

Also also, though nearby to some, Greece is not one of the Romance countries I referenced. You seem to be confused. I've never lived in Greece, so I couldn't really comment about their lifestyle--good thing I didn't. All I said was that when I lived in Europe I used a lot more public transportation than I do now...not sure how that ties in to your schpiel about greasy Greek food.

ktbug82

One of my best friends did the Atkins diet and lost 70 pounds.. but then 5 months later gained it all back! She said if she could do it again, she would've just ate healthier and exercised more because you are making a LIFESTYLE change- not just a diet that will help you lose the pounds and then you don't use again once you've reached your goal.

heniko

I've spent years living in the Romance countries of Europe and yes, my diet consisted of a lot of pastas and cheeses and wines, but I lost weight and was smaller than I had been since I was 12--but then, I was also walking everywhere (or, at the very least, walking to a bus or train) and spending a large portion of my time outside moving around, which in the US is not very common.

Also, I'm with the person who said "we're not judging you, we're judging your diet"--I certainly have nothing against the Paleo/Primals, I'm very happy that they've found a lifestyle that works for them! Truly! :happy: But I really wish they would (1) change the name and the way they describe it, because it carries a connotation with it that it is the way humans originally ate or were originally intended to eat [:noway: VERY VERY WRONG] and (2) be a little bit more careful about the way they encourage people into their fold...the fact is that, like any diet that restricts entire food groups, it's not across-the-board healthy or recommended for the average person.

I'm not a nutritionist, but I am an archaeologist (and have taken several classes on human nutrition as well as the history of the human diet) and I've seen hundreds of generations of bodies who have given me all the proof I need. :flowerforyou: Whole grains are your friend...not that there's anything wrong with you yourself cutting them out if you want to (Seinfeld!), but to spread the idea that they are bad for you or in any way OUGHT to be cut out for one's health is untrue and irresponsible.

We've all come here to support each other and yes, these days research can be found on the internet to support almost anything, but maybe we should concentrate on just encouraging each other to eat a healthy, balanced diet that is based on decades and decades of research.

I'm not sure it will really matter though...I sense this thread is about thisclose to being shut down since it's getting people a little riled up.

Traveling is great huh! Seeing how others live and eat, etc.

I live in one of these Mediterranean countries; while the obesity rate is much less here then in the US, I'm not going to say here we have the 'prefect' eating plan' we do enjoy breads, pastas, cheese and wine, ... and the cake too on occasion. People here also general walk much more and are activity. But with that said McD has also made an invasion and all the teenagers eat there. So the average person is much bigger then in the past generation. With the exception of Italy, McD has made an invasion of all our countries in the same way.

And I think in the most general sense if you make a change from eating fast food or even home-cooked greasy of the unhealthy foods theeen to move to country with where the food is mostly vegetable based,portions are smaller, meals are a form of art and enjoyment not usually binge fasts then YES you will lose weight!

I'm living as I said in a Mediterranean ... have all my life. I ate this way, very few times I went to McD ......yet I'm obese! And many more like me!

But for some it may not be enough! I know many many on here have said LOW CARB is the ONLY way! Well they are zealous, what can I say! But you know, I have heard the same schpiel from vegetarians and vegans too! So I don't think one size fits all. BUT I would say to everyone out there ... give it a chance! Cut all the wheat, dairy,soy and genetically modified foods for 2 weeks ... and see how your body reacts. If you see a good difference, you may decide to continue GREAT! If you dislike the reslt, then cleary it's NOT for you! I think may of us are just saying give it chance ...

I'm also not sold on the names this lifestyle has gotten. But it's catchy! It's meant to be catchy - to catch the attention of people. But in reality this lifestyle wasn't invented by the authors of these books or even back in the 60s with the 'back to nature" movement. Many people around the world were and are eating like this ... take the Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean it's a naturally lower-carb quasi-Mediterranean diet/lifestyle where olive oil, red wine and fish are the main staples. It's isn't a diet where people eat on the plan for certain amount of days, lose the weight then go back to their old many times unhealthy ways, but it's a lifestyle.

And this lifestyle (also called Primal or Paleo or many other names) encompasses other acespts of life, not only food ... but fitness, choices we make that will effect our enviroment and allowing/not allowing known toxins in our bodies.

So anyway, while some of my other Primal lifestyler may agree or disagree - I agree with what you said read, read, read, read, filtier out the lies, learn, trail and error!

lodro

Also, people around the mediterranean are among the most unhealthy Europeans, with Greece topping the list with a whopping obesity rate. The "mediterranean diet" is an invention based on a selective interpretation of the "7 nations" diet.

Also also, though nearby to some, Greece is not one of the Romance countries I referenced. You seem to be confused. I've never lived in Greece, so I couldn't really comment about their lifestyle--good thing I didn't. All I said was that when I lived in Europe I used a lot more public transportation than I do now...not sure how that ties in to your schpiel about greasy Greek food.

It's all lumped together under "mediterranean diet" I'm well aware what the Romance countries are, living in Europe myself. More use of public transport notwithstanding: obesity rates in france, italy are rising too. Now why would that be, you think, since they are supposed to be on a healthy mediterranean diet. Point is, that diet is an invention and doesn't exist in real life.

jknops2

To go back to the original poster.

I think you have two groups of people posting here.


1. The dieters, who are looking for something magical that works for them, in this case Atkins, but there are many different fad diets, HCG, Paleo, it is hard to keep up on what the flavor of the month is. The bottom line is, if it works for you, and you can loose and keep the weight of, great go for it. The only thing that matters is calories in and calories out. Any diet that restricts calories intake will cause weight loss. But for most dieters it only works for a time, they yoyo in weight up and down, and blame their lack of adherence to their diet, hence they try to have more faith and better stick with it. And like religion, they seem to want to spread their faith.

2. Secondly, if you have health issues, like high cholesterol, diabetes, etc, yes you need to work with a dietitian to come up with a sustainable diet that works for you. Don't try to get this on this board or any website, too much of the stuff is just plainly made up, distorted, and likely will do you more harm than good.

3. In my opinion, for most of us, eating less and substituting healthier items in your diet is the way to go. There is no quick solution for weight loss, and the ones who think they have it are just yo-yoing up and down all the time. Check out "The hacker diet", he said it best. If you got overweight, your bodies control is out of control and you need to keep track of your calories and eat less to keep your weight in a healthy range. So forget about diets, either eat less calories or exercise more to lose more calories. That's it, nothing magically that you need to do.

KarenLouise1981

... take the Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean it's a naturally lower-carb quasi-Mediterranean diet/lifestyle where olive oil, red wine and fish are the main staples. It's isn't a diet where people eat on the plan for certain amount of days, lose the weight then go back to their old many times unhealthy ways, but it's a lifestyle.

Thats it - i'm moving to Spain!! lol

To go back to the original poster.

I think you have two groups of people posting here.


1. The dieters, who are looking for something magical that works for them, in this case Atkins, but there are many different fad diets, HCG, Paleo, it is hard to keep up on what the flavor of the month is. The bottom line is, if it works for you, and you can loose and keep the weight of, great go for it. The only thing that matters is calories in and calories out. Any diet that restricts calories intake will cause weight loss. But for most dieters it only works for a time, they yoyo in weight up and down, and blame their lack of adherence to their diet, hence they try to have more faith and better stick with it. And like religion, they seem to want to spread their faith.

2. Secondly, if you have health issues, like high cholesterol, diabetes, etc, yes you need to work with a dietitian to come up with a sustainable diet that works for you. Don't try to get this on this board or any website, too much of the stuff is just plainly made up, distorted, and likely will do you more harm than good.

3. In my opinion, for most of us, eating less and substituting healthier items in your diet is the way to go. There is no quick solution for weight loss, and the ones who think they have it are just yo-yoing up and down all the time. Check out "The hacker diet", he said it best. If you got overweight, your bodies control is out of control and you need to keep track of your calories and eat less to keep your weight in a healthy range. So forget about diets, either eat less calories or exercise more to lose more calories. That's it, nothing magically that you need to do.

Probably the most sensible post on here - thanks for doing as she actually asked!!

freerange

I've spent years living in the Romance countries of Europe and yes, my diet consisted of a lot of pastas and cheeses and wines, but I lost weight and was smaller than I had been since I was 12--but then, I was also walking everywhere (or, at the very least, walking to a bus or train) and spending a large portion of my time outside moving around, which in the US is not very common.

Also, I'm with the person who said "we're not judging you, we're judging your diet"--I certainly have nothing against the Paleo/Primals, I'm very happy that they've found a lifestyle that works for them! Truly! :happy: But I really wish they would (1) change the name and the way they describe it, because it carries a connotation with it that it is the way humans originally ate or were originally intended to eat [:noway: VERY VERY WRONG] and (2) be a little bit more careful about the way they encourage people into their fold...the fact is that, like any diet that restricts entire food groups, it's not across-the-board healthy or recommended for the average person.

I'm not a nutritionist, but I am an archaeologist (and have taken several classes on human nutrition as well as the history of the human diet) and I've seen hundreds of generations of bodies who have given me all the proof I need. :flowerforyou: Whole grains are your friend...not that there's anything wrong with you yourself cutting them out if you want to (Seinfeld!), but to spread the idea that they are bad for you or in any way OUGHT to be cut out for one's health is untrue and irresponsible.

We've all come here to support each other and yes, these days research can be found on the internet to support almost anything, but maybe we should concentrate on just encouraging each other to eat a healthy, balanced diet that is based on decades and decades of research.

I'm not sure it will really matter though...I sense this thread is about thisclose to being shut down since it's getting people a little riled up.

What kind of diet are you on, counting calories, vegen, south beach?

PurpleJellyean

Wow, I don't have time to read all the previous posts, but wanted to share what I saw on a program yesterday (coincidentally). It is a show with two women (called Shopping Bags - I think) and they review and give consumer reports on all sorts of things from best flooring to best diets. In terms of the diets out there now, the Atkins diet was rated the best. Of all the test dieters, no one dropped out of it, they enjoyed the food and recipes most, and they lost the most amount of weight.

I am not a dieter personally as I just gain all the weight back after when I revert back to my own ways. I don't know how these women did after the diet, but you were not asking about that...so there you have it.

Best wishes on however you get fit.

freerange

That's the thing, they arent bashing YOU. They are bashing YOUR DIET. Not the same thing. You are just interpreting it way too personally (which is what I was referring to when I mentioned the shooting your dog thing). Though I would imagine there are many who say "YOUR DIET SUCKS AND YOU ARE A MORON FOR USING IT!!!!!"....caps lock is cruise control for cool you know, but, you know...those people make me laugh too; I'm talking about them as well.

I’m not sure if you’re naïve, too young to know better or what, BUT. Saying I like Ford trucks better than Chevy Trucks, because Ford has more horse power, gets better gas mileage, has more room in the cab, or whatever is A LOT different than saying Chevy trucks SUCK.

In one you are giving a reasoned argument as to why you think Fords are better than Chevy’s, in the other you are attacking the truck for no apparent reason, AND you are attacking the person that would buy a Chevy truck. The implication is, if you are stupid enough to buy a truck that sucks, then you suck too.

Like I have said I don’t care how a person eats, I don’t care if they have well reasoned arguments why they THINK low carb is not healthy, or just not for them, it’s the haters that I have a problem with, and when someone says things like;

“It's a horrible diet”, It is sooo not healthy!! Why try a gimmick, enjoy having a stroke, goofy fad diets, but there are many different fad diets, HCG, Paleo, it is hard to keep up on what the flavor of the month is.

They are attacking, some may be doing it without realizing, but I know a couple here are doing it with full realization. And then there are just plain ignorant statements, and I mean ignorant as in, uninformed. Calling the statement ignorant is IMO calling the person ignorant, but that is not an insult it’s just a statement of fact, calling them stupid would be an insult.

freerange

I love how you write about me "really" being an archaeologist though,

Yes really, what does being an archaeologist have to do with anything, you brought this up on another thread? How many semesters of nutrition were you required to take to get your masters in Archaeology?

lovediets

I liked South Beach. You can print the food lists on line. I bought the Atkins book but I did South Beach I lost about 27 lbs on it.

heniko

Interesting videos on the history of Atkins for those interested - http://www.darwinstable.com/2009/09/20/low-carb-diet-documentary/