Let me clarify
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annekejohnson
Posts: 49 Member
When I say I'm doing Atkins here's what I mean...
Typically I eat bacon and string cheese in the morning
Chicken and broccoli, hot wings (baked), salad, nuts, and occasionally berries.
No fruit, no sugar, no bread/potatoes...
I have been under 1200 calories most of the month I have been doing this.
I lost 17 lbs and then gained back about 7 and have been up and down on five of those pounds for the past 2 weeks.
So, I understand less calories equals weight loss... so what's going on here?
Also my exercise usually cosists of 20-45 mins of cardio in the morning with weights almost every day. Which only burns about 150 - 250 cals...
Originally I lost the 70 lbs then it has taken me five years of being off the diet to gain back about half of that, I never gained it all back, I never gained more and I don't understand why it's not working the same this time as last time.
My plan.... to do this "harsh" Atkins diet until my birthday (Jan 11) in an attempt to lose as much as possible and then switch to a healthier slow loss diet.
Typically I eat bacon and string cheese in the morning
Chicken and broccoli, hot wings (baked), salad, nuts, and occasionally berries.
No fruit, no sugar, no bread/potatoes...
I have been under 1200 calories most of the month I have been doing this.
I lost 17 lbs and then gained back about 7 and have been up and down on five of those pounds for the past 2 weeks.
So, I understand less calories equals weight loss... so what's going on here?
Also my exercise usually cosists of 20-45 mins of cardio in the morning with weights almost every day. Which only burns about 150 - 250 cals...
Originally I lost the 70 lbs then it has taken me five years of being off the diet to gain back about half of that, I never gained it all back, I never gained more and I don't understand why it's not working the same this time as last time.
My plan.... to do this "harsh" Atkins diet until my birthday (Jan 11) in an attempt to lose as much as possible and then switch to a healthier slow loss diet.
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Replies
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When I say I'm doing Atkins here's what I mean...
Typically I eat bacon and string cheese in the morning
Chicken and broccoli, hot wings (baked), salad, nuts, and occasionally berries.
No fruit, no sugar, no bread/potatoes...
I have been under 1200 calories most of the month I have been doing this.
I lost 17 lbs and then gained back about 7 and have been up and down on five of those pounds for the past 2 weeks.
So, I understand less calories equals weight loss... so what's going on here?
Also my exercise usually cosists of 20-45 mins of cardio in the morning with weights almost every day. Which only burns about 150 - 250 cals...
Originally I lost the 70 lbs then it has taken me five years of being off the diet to gain back about half of that, I never gained it all back, I never gained more and I don't understand why it's not working the same this time as last time.
My plan.... to do this "harsh" Atkins diet until my birthday (Jan 11) in an attempt to lose as much as possible and then switch to a healthier slow loss diet.0 -
Have you tried just eating healthier foods and portions with more exercise?0
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Annek is is working?
Are you happy with your results?
Are you happy with day to day living?
If so then take a multivitamin and calcium supplement, and go for it.0 -
All I have to say is I have never met anyone that has had long term success with Atkins. Any diet that cuts out entire food groups is not going to be healthy. No offense but bacon and string cheese are not healthy day in and day out (Dr. Atkins did die of a heart attack).
sometimes we try things to "kick start" our weight loss and that can be ok. I have tried a lot of different things in my life to lose weight and as much as I hate to say it I did not lose weight and keep it off until I started to eat a well balanced diet and exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.
Like I said yesterday, go online and type in "how many calories should I eat" or "how many calories do I need" and put in your current weight. Take the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight and subtract 1000 from that if your goal is 2lbs per week. If you don't want to exercise you will have to restrict your calories by that much each day.
Basically, you are eating too few calories, less is not always best. Your body needs a certain amount of calories just to maintain brain and organ function (you know, keep you breathing etc). The average sized adult needs a minimum of 800 calories just to do that, so if you planned on doing nothing but lay in bed all day 800-900 cals would be enough, but most people need more.
Try doing what i said above and give it a few weeks, I think you will be surprised with the results.0 -
All I have to say is I have never met anyone that has had long term success with Atkins. Any diet that cuts out entire food groups is not going to be healthy. No offense but bacon and string cheese are not healthy day in and day out (Dr. Atkins did die of a heart attack).
sometimes we try things to "kick start" our weight loss and that can be ok. I have tried a lot of different things in my life to lose weight and as much as I hate to say it I did not lose weight and keep it off until I started to eat a well balanced diet and exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.
Like I said yesterday, go online and type in "how many calories should I eat" or "how many calories do I need" and put in your current weight. Take the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight and subtract 1000 from that if your goal is 2lbs per week. If you don't want to exercise you will have to restrict your calories by that much each day.
Basically, you are eating too few calories, less is not always best. Your body needs a certain amount of calories just to maintain brain and organ function (you know, keep you breathing etc). The average sized adult needs a minimum of 800 calories just to do that, so if you planned on doing nothing but lay in bed all day 800-900 cals would be enough, but most people need more.
Try doing what i said above and give it a few weeks, I think you will be surprised with the results.
Yes, and the TYPE of calories consumed are SUPER IMPORTANT. You can live on 1200 cals of "bad foods" and not lose a single thing because your body feels like it is starving (which it would be, due to the lack of nutrients).
If you want to loose weight and keep it off, you have to change your thinking about foods. :flowerforyou: Fruits and veggies and bread aren't bad for you. You just have to know how much and when to eat them.
That's how South Beach is different because you only do the "cleanse" or "phase 1" for 2-4 weeks. Then you start bringing back the other foods into your life. Atkins is not a life style. It's a diet that isn't healthy.0 -
I have to agree with Fab40.
My uncle lost 50lbs on south beach and has kept it off for 3 years so if that is the diet you can stick with then there are long term results there, and he can eat every food group.0 -
I too agree with Fab40. I hate atkins its like saying here eat 1200 calories worth of eating artery clogging bacon ground meat and pork rinds but no apple??? A more healthy approach is a south beach type thing if you wanna follow a "diet" like that. It focuses on lean protien and healthy SLOW carbs.0
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Just curious...
Nich0le and Fab, have you ever read any one of Dr. Atkins' books? Do you even know about the Atkins pyramid or about the carb ladder? People tend to think of carbs as only bread, rice, potatoes, etc., but fruits and vegetables are also carbs and on Atkins, you eat plenty of those in the form of low sugar fruits and low starch/leafy green vegetables. You also gradually add back in grains and complex carbs. A big misconception about Atkins is that it's all meat, meat, meat and fat, fat, fat. The people who take it to those extremes are no different than the people who manipulate their points on Weight Watchers to eat nothing but junk or those people on South Beach who use it's no calorie counting approach to go hog wild.
Contrary to what was said, Atkins can, in fact, be a lifestyle. Look at my menu below of one of my typical days on Atkins. Does it look all that unhealthy to you?
Breakfast: 1/2 cup low carb cereal (homemade) w/ 1/2 cup low carb milk and a few blueberries, 2 pieces of turkey bacon
Snack: 4 chicken meatballs, 1 part skim mozzarella cheese stick
Lunch: grilled chicken salad (3 cups mixed spinach and romaine lettuce, 1/4 cup tomatoes, 2 tbsp chopped onions, 1/4 cup sliced cucumbers, 2 tbsp chopped green olives, 1/4 cup reduced fat cheese, 1/4 cup chopped green peppers, 6 oz. sliced chicken breast, 2 tablespoon Italian dressing
Dinner: 6 oz. moderately lean steak, 1 cup grilled mushrooms and onions, 1 cup Caesar salad (no croutons)
Snack: 1/2 cup strawberries, 2 tbsp light whipped cream
So yes I did do Atkins. I think it is a great WOE for those who can stick to it (and believe me there are MANY people out there who can and have!). I couldn't simply because it really didn't fit my lifestyle.
Oh and it is unknown as to whether or not Dr. Atkins died of a heart attack.0 -
When I say I'm doing Atkins here's what I mean...
Typically I eat bacon and string cheese in the morning
Chicken and broccoli, hot wings (baked), salad, nuts, and occasionally berries.
No fruit, no sugar, no bread/potatoes...
I have been under 1200 calories most of the month I have been doing this.
I lost 17 lbs and then gained back about 7 and have been up and down on five of those pounds for the past 2 weeks.
So, I understand less calories equals weight loss... so what's going on here?
Also my exercise usually cosists of 20-45 mins of cardio in the morning with weights almost every day. Which only burns about 150 - 250 cals...
Originally I lost the 70 lbs then it has taken me five years of being off the diet to gain back about half of that, I never gained it all back, I never gained more and I don't understand why it's not working the same this time as last time.
My plan.... to do this "harsh" Atkins diet until my birthday (Jan 11) in an attempt to lose as much as possible and then switch to a healthier slow loss diet.
Honey, you do know that you're not eating nearly enough, right? You need to eat more! Are you following the Atkins guidelines at all? If so, where are you on the carb ladder? Where did you get your 1,200 calorie allowance? Are you sure it's healthy?0 -
Just curious...
Nich0le and Fab, have you ever read any one of Dr. Atkins' books? Do you even know about the Atkins pyramid or about the carb ladder? People tend to think of carbs as only bread, rice, potatoes, etc., but fruits and vegetables are also carbs and on Atkins, you eat plenty of those in the form of low sugar fruits and low starch/leafy green vegetables. You also gradually add back in grains and complex carbs. A big misconception about Atkins is that it's all meat, meat, meat and fat, fat, fat. The people who take it to those extremes are no different than the people who manipulate their points on Weight Watchers to eat nothing but junk or those people on South Beach who use it's no calorie counting approach to go hog wild.
Contrary to what was said, Atkins can, in fact, be a lifestyle. Look at my menu below of one of my typical days on Atkins. Does it look all that unhealthy to you?
Breakfast: 1/2 cup low carb cereal (homemade) w/ 1/2 cup low carb milk and a few blueberries, 2 pieces of turkey bacon
Snack: 4 chicken meatballs, 1 part skim mozzarella cheese stick
Lunch: grilled chicken salad (3 cups mixed spinach and romaine lettuce, 1/4 cup tomatoes, 2 tbsp chopped onions, 1/4 cup sliced cucumbers, 2 tbsp chopped green olives, 1/4 cup reduced fat cheese, 1/4 cup chopped green peppers, 6 oz. sliced chicken breast, 2 tablespoon Italian dressing
Dinner: 6 oz. moderately lean steak, 1 cup grilled mushrooms and onions, 1 cup Caesar salad (no croutons)
Snack: 1/2 cup strawberries, 2 tbsp light whipped cream
Oh and it is unknown as to whether or not Dr. Atkins died of a heart attack.
I believe that is the newest version of it. My mother and grnadmother both did it when I was younger and never once thought about the amount of fat they were consuming, or calories. They were losing weight, but they both felt and looked terribel and their health was in jeopardy. This is why I do not believe in Atkins, because of the original books and how he would go around say eat meat, no bread!0 -
Just curious...
Nich0le and Fab, have you ever read any one of Dr. Atkins' books? Do you even know about the Atkins pyramid or about the carb ladder? People tend to think of carbs as only bread, rice, potatoes, etc., but fruits and vegetables are also carbs and on Atkins, you eat plenty of those in the form of low sugar fruits and low starch/leafy green vegetables. You also gradually add back in grains and complex carbs. A big misconception about Atkins is that it's all meat, meat, meat and fat, fat, fat. The people who take it to those extremes are no different than the people who manipulate their points on Weight Watchers to eat nothing but junk or those people on South Beach who use it's no calorie counting approach to go hog wild.
Contrary to what was said, Atkins can, in fact, be a lifestyle. Look at my menu below of one of my typical days on Atkins. Does it look all that unhealthy to you?
Breakfast: 1/2 cup low carb cereal (homemade) w/ 1/2 cup low carb milk and a few blueberries, 2 pieces of turkey bacon
Snack: 4 chicken meatballs, 1 part skim mozzarella cheese stick
Lunch: grilled chicken salad (3 cups mixed spinach and romaine lettuce, 1/4 cup tomatoes, 2 tbsp chopped onions, 1/4 cup sliced cucumbers, 2 tbsp chopped green olives, 1/4 cup reduced fat cheese, 1/4 cup chopped green peppers, 6 oz. sliced chicken breast, 2 tablespoon Italian dressing
Dinner: 6 oz. moderately lean steak, 1 cup grilled mushrooms and onions, 1 cup Caesar salad (no croutons)
Snack: 1/2 cup strawberries, 2 tbsp light whipped cream
Oh and it is unknown as to whether or not Dr. Atkins died of a heart attack.
I believe that is the newest version of it. My mother and grnadmother both did it when I was younger and never once thought about the amount of fat they were consuming, or calories. They were losing weight, but they both felt and looked terribel and their health was in jeopardy. This is why I do not believe in Atkins, because of the original books and how he would go around say eat meat, no bread!
Even on the plan today, you don't have to count calories or fat, but you still can't go hog wild on either.0 -
Just curious...
Nich0le and Fab, have you ever read any one of Dr. Atkins' books? Do you even know about the Atkins pyramid or about the carb ladder? People tend to think of carbs as only bread, rice, potatoes, etc., but fruits and vegetables are also carbs and on Atkins, you eat plenty of those in the form of low sugar fruits and low starch/leafy green vegetables. You also gradually add back in grains and complex carbs. A big misconception about Atkins is that it's all meat, meat, meat and fat, fat, fat. The people who take it to those extremes are no different than the people who manipulate their points on Weight Watchers to eat nothing but junk or those people on South Beach who use it's no calorie counting approach to go hog wild.
Contrary to what was said, Atkins can, in fact, be a lifestyle. Look at my menu below of one of my typical days on Atkins. Does it look all that unhealthy to you?
Breakfast: 1/2 cup low carb cereal (homemade) w/ 1/2 cup low carb milk and a few blueberries, 2 pieces of turkey bacon
Snack: 4 chicken meatballs, 1 part skim mozzarella cheese stick
Lunch: grilled chicken salad (3 cups mixed spinach and romaine lettuce, 1/4 cup tomatoes, 2 tbsp chopped onions, 1/4 cup sliced cucumbers, 2 tbsp chopped green olives, 1/4 cup reduced fat cheese, 1/4 cup chopped green peppers, 6 oz. sliced chicken breast, 2 tablespoon Italian dressing
Dinner: 6 oz. moderately lean steak, 1 cup grilled mushrooms and onions, 1 cup Caesar salad (no croutons)
Snack: 1/2 cup strawberries, 2 tbsp light whipped cream
Oh and it is unknown as to whether or not Dr. Atkins died of a heart attack.
I believe that is the newest version of it. My mother and grnadmother both did it when I was younger and never once thought about the amount of fat they were consuming, or calories. They were losing weight, but they both felt and looked terribel and their health was in jeopardy. This is why I do not believe in Atkins, because of the original books and how he would go around say eat meat, no bread!
Even on the plan today, you don't have to count calories or fat, but you still can't go hog wild on either.
As on SB, you focus more on portions and food then the actual calories. I haven't kept up with the diet trends, but I think our opinons of Atkins are formed from what the original diet consisted of.
What we are trying to establish, also, is that when you "diet" it isn't a life change that most of us need. And Atkins and even SB are considered diets by many because of the way they restrict or cut out entire food groups. If you are eating healthy and "normal" on the new Atkins, then I really do applaude you and your intellegent decisions. :bigsmile: We are just trying to help here with getting her to eat more and to avoid falling into the pit fall that Atkins and South Beach and every other diet can be.
:flowerforyou:0 -
I am from the old school eat less, exercise more and u will lose. Like i said b4 the weight i have lost that shows here is just what i lost since finding MFP. It does not reflect the 42 lbs I lost b4 i found this site. My method works for me! and I am grateful for that. I wish U all continued success on whatever plan u follow. Just be healthy Please and enjoy life :flowerforyou: :happy: :flowerforyou: or and remember:drinker: :drinker: <lots of water--I think that is the best "cleansing" there is--just my opinion
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Yes, that DOES look unhealthy to me.
Having 4 servings of meat a day? You do realize health experts recommend keeping meat intake to a minimum right? 4 servings is probably 3-4 servings too much in a day. You're not eating any whole grains for fiber and I doubt you're getting the right amounts of niacin, phosphorus, vitamin A, C, E, etc....
That is a surefire way to drive your cholesterol level through the roof.0 -
Yes, that DOES look unhealthy to me.
Having 4 servings of meat a day? You do realize health experts recommend keeping meat intake to a minimum right? 4 servings is probably 3-4 servings too much in a day. You're not eating any whole grains for fiber and I doubt you're getting the right amounts of niacin, phosphorus, vitamin A, C, E, etc....
That is a surefire way to drive your cholesterol level through the roof.
A minimum doesn't mean 'zero'. Fibrous veggies have far more fiber per g than carbohydrates, and those are eaten freely on both Atkins and SB. In fact, it's hard not to eat a lot of them, because they're your side dish or base to every meal. Meats are very high in niacin, and green leafy vegetables supply large amounts of vitamins A, C and E. If you can be healthy cutting out meat entirely, you can be healthy cutting out grains entirely.0 -
Yes, that DOES look unhealthy to me.
Having 4 servings of meat a day? You do realize health experts recommend keeping meat intake to a minimum right? 4 servings is probably 3-4 servings too much in a day. You're not eating any whole grains for fiber and I doubt you're getting the right amounts of niacin, phosphorus, vitamin A, C, E, etc....
That is a surefire way to drive your cholesterol level through the roof.
Experts...pfft! Nothing is one size fits all. Those were the servings recommended by my doctor and nutritionist for me. I got my fiber from sources other than whole grains and was getting around 35 grams per day. Please believe I was getting enough of all of those vitamins and minerals and my cholesterol was perfectly normal.
Curious...Are any of you familiar with the work of Gary Taubes? He wrote an article titled "What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie? http://www.diabetes-normalsugars.com/articles/fatlie.shtml
It's truly an eye opener.0 -
Yes, that DOES look unhealthy to me.
Having 4 servings of meat a day? You do realize health experts recommend keeping meat intake to a minimum right? 4 servings is probably 3-4 servings too much in a day. You're not eating any whole grains for fiber and I doubt you're getting the right amounts of niacin, phosphorus, vitamin A, C, E, etc....
That is a surefire way to drive your cholesterol level through the roof.
A minimum doesn't mean 'zero'. Fibrous veggies have far more fiber per g than carbohydrates, and those are eaten freely on both Atkins and SB. In fact, it's hard not to eat a lot of them, because they're your side dish or base to every meal. Meats are very high in niacin, and green leafy vegetables supply large amounts of vitamins A, C and E. If you can be healthy cutting out meat entirely, you can be healthy cutting out grains entirely.
EXACTLY!0 -
When I did Atkins a few years ago I got very constipated b/c there is simply not enough fiber in the diet. Being constipated or not eliminating frequently enough causes you to be bloated and thus more weight on the scale. You can eat some fruit and veggies on Atkins but the choices are very limited if you want to keep your carb levels down.0
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When I did Atkins a few years ago I got very constipated b/c there is simply not enough fiber in the diet. Being constipated or not eliminating frequently enough causes you to be bloated and thus more weight on the scale. You can eat some fruit and veggies on Atkins but the choices are very limited if you want to keep your carb levels down.
Wow! The only...and I mean only...time I ever had problems with constipation was during Induction, and that was only for 2 weeks. Even then, ground flaxseed sprinkled on my salads always did the trick. After Induction I had no problems whatsoever. On Atkins you've got to eat your veggies. I got up pretty high on the carb ladder and was eating LOADS of them...were talking at least 35 grams of fiber worth. As a result, I was VERY regular!
Don't know what you mean by limited choices. Almost all veggies, with the exception of starchy ones, are allowed on Atkins. If you're climbing the carb ladder correctly, you should be eating plenty of these. This may sound crazy, but I ate more veggies while on Atkins than I did while on any other plan.
Gosh, all this talk about low carb is making me think. No, I'm not about to do Atkins again, but I am about to cut waaay down on bread, grains, and starchy vegetables.0 -
Gosh... so I went last night and said screw it and had mexican and a little dessert treat at the end and felt really guilty ... all those carbs and calories. So today I'm putting the info in to my food diary and come to find out I actually only went over by 1-200 calories. I was shocked! Anyway, I'm going to stick with low carb as much as possible, eat more calories and do this until my birthday. Then I'm adding fruit and whole grains and changing my diet around to meet the 4 food groups better. As for my cholesterol, I have had it tested regularly and when I'm not doing the diet it is in the dangerous zone (like 201 - anything over 200 is considered elevated) and when I do the diet it drops about 30 points. Sooo you may think it's bad for cholesterol but I think the alternative (me eating whatever I feel like and being 130 lbs overweight) is MUCH more unhealthy. So I'm continuing, I hope that the pounds will shed more quickly if I up the calories a couple hundred. I'm taking a prenatal vitamin every day (no I'm not pregnant) so all my nutritional needs should be met and I have no problem with being regular unless I eat too much fat. Actaully if I eat sugar or grains I get heartburn. Thanks for all your wise and concerned advice. I hope this works!0
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