Anyone on the Atkins Diet??

RayRay042408

So.. I know the general basics of the atkins diet....
i just dont know HOW to do it.
I have tried.
THREE times, and have NOT gotten past day 3!
I LOVE food...
& the things you have to narrow yourself down to is SOO much for me!

i need help.

Jenna70

It can be hard until you get a handle on the allowed foods and have a good number of favorite recipes AND get past the carb cravings. (I love bread and pastries myself, but I have a stronger desire to get back to a healthy and happy weight.) Get the allowed food lists printed out so you have them easily viewable. It also may help to get a copy of their little pocket sized book of foods and their carb contents to refer to. It sounds like you may need to get some recipes. There are some in the Atkins diet book and there are a variety of Atkins cookbooks available. There are so many great meals to make! For support you should type "Atkins" in the the search box above here and check out the other threads currently ongoing concerning Atkins. I read a bunch of posts today and saw some people have listed different websites for recipes. Also the posts are very inspiring.
Good luck!

Icewolf_The

I love food too. I think we all do, which is pretty much how we all got here in the first place. Basically you just have to ask yourself what do you want more? The biggest thing I can suggest is to cut out all bread. Period, and go a week, then 2, then 3 weeks. And once you've done that, and you no longer crave bread, and trust me it will happen, because carbs crave carbs. If you can't go without the bread, you'll never be able to do the rest of Atkins it'll make you crazy.

It may not be a bad thing necessarily, it may not be the diet for you, try something else. It's better to find something that works for you and have you lose the weight, than to pound your head on the wall and 'wish' you could do Atkins and never get started.

I hope that makes sense.. And I wish you luck.

jah_on

Dr. Atkins died from living off his diet. Most of those lose weight quick diets are gimmicks and really bad for you. I strongly recommend you speak with your doctor or a professional health expert on what types of meals are good for you and what you should avoid eating and drinking, portion control, laughing & exercise. There are diets just for your blood type and that's something your body will thank you for.

Gimmick diets may seem to be a quick fix and appears to work but whenever you starve your body of the nutrients it does need, what ends up happening is the stress hormones increases in your body which has a lot of negative affects both long and short term. Learn more about healthier eating and living habits and strive for it everyday for the rest of your life. You're the only one that can do it for yourself, you totally can do it too.

Jenna70

Dr. Atkins died from living off his diet. Most of those lose weight quick diets are gimmicks and really bad for you. I strongly recommend you speak with your doctor or a professional health expert on what types of meals are good for you and what you should avoid eating and drinking, portion control, laughing & exercise. There are diets just for your blood type and that's something your body will thank you for.

Gimmick diets may seem to be a quick fix and appears to work but whenever you starve your body of the nutrients it does need, what ends up happening is the stress hormones increases in your body which has a lot of negative affects both long and short term. Learn more about healthier eating and living habits and strive for it everyday for the rest of your life. You're the only one that can do it for yourself, you totally can do it too.

You are misinformed. First of all, it is not a gimmick diet as it has been around for over 30 years and it works for thousands of people. Second, Dr. Atkins did not die "of his own diet". He slipped on some ice while walking to work and hit his head which caused bleeding around his brain. His death certificate states that the cause of death was "blunt impact injury of head with epidural hematoma". It is true that in 2000 he developed cardiomyopathy, an incurable heart condition which Has Quite a Few Different Causes. But it was thought to be from a viral illness, and his physician stated at the time that there was no evidence that his diet contributed to the condition. His coronary arteries were reported to have been checked at that time and found to be free of blockages. Cardiomyopathy makes it more likely that a person will have a cardiac arrest (heart stopping), which happened to him two years later. Again, the cardiac arrest was not thought to be diet related. His cardiologist stated that (other than the cardiomyopathy), Atkins had "an extraordinarily healthy cardiovascular system".

If you read the details of the diet you will see that the intake of the proper amount of vitamins and minerals is strongly stressed. Also, there is no reason to sit and eat "a pound of bacon" for a meal, that would be stupid. Having a few slices with your eggs, sure but you are not supposed to overdo it on any one food. You eat a variety of fresh vegetables, some dairy, meat and fish prepared however you'd like. After the induction period you add in fruits and other items. After a while you also add in healthy whole grains. Different amounts work for different people. The fact is too many people eat excessive amounts of processed carbohydrate foods that have little or no nutritional value. In fact, simply cutting out pre-packaged foods and switching to brown rice and wheat pasta and having those items as small side dishes with your meat or fish and veggies would do anyone a world of good. Also, diet should not be the end all of being healthy -- regular exercise and strength training to make the body stronger is very important as well.

bcattoes

I've never understood a "diet" that limits things like carrots. Carrots are one of the healthiest foods there is. Plus, I don't want to have to read a book just to know how to eat. That pyramid a much quicker read. I have known several people who lost weight on Atkins though, but I've never known anyone that kept it off.

jah_on

Ok, I was misinformed by his death. He sadly did die from head trauma after slipping on ice. I still believe his diet is a gimmick from what I understand about it. Extremely low carbs, high protein and many other restrictions like fruits & vegetables sounds more like a low calorie diet which will burn the fat but that doesn't mean its good for you. Many experts also find the Atkins diet controversial and sees that it may help people lose weight but at the same time, promotes heart disease which he suffered a great deal from. There are many fruits and vegetables which his diet restricts that have anti-oxidants and preventing heart disease, stroke and cancers (WebMD 2009).

Please read the article below to see why proper research of over a number of time is important to be better informed. Knowing that the Atkins diet has around for 30yrs or more and remains highly controversial to so many experts has me on the other side of this fence. Weight loss is a good goal to have if you're overweight and I genuinely wish everyone good health on their life's journey.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/atkins-diet-what-it-is

Jenna70

1) There will always be "experts" who disagree about the Atkins diet as there are also some who agree with it. There are many other subjects upon which "experts" disagree, not just nutrition and dieting.
2) I read the noted article and found nothing that would dissuade me from my Atkins-style eating habits. From everything I have read and learned about my body and mind (I live in this body so I think I am qualified to judge) I function better limiting my consumption of both simple and starchy carbohydrate foods. In my opinion the really bad carbs are simple carbohydrates (sugars) that can be easily digested by your body and include foods like cake, soda, candy, jellies and fruits. [Our ancestors did not eat much sugar in most areas of the world simply because it was not available to them and they lived just fine. The fat people historically were rich and could afford large amounts of sugary treats and were unhealthy and overweight because of it. But back then being overweight was a status symbol of wealth, now it is a symbol of unhealthy overeating of cheap processed and fast foods.] I argue that there is nothing wrong with limiting the consumption of fruits that are very high in simple carbohydrates while enjoying small amounts of other fruit. The other type are starches. Starchy complex carbohydrates take longer to be digested and include foods such as breads, grains, pasta, tortillas, noodles, and some fruits and some vegetables. I argue only that a healthy way of eating for me is getting my complex carbohydrates mostly from lower carbohydrate containing vegetables, some fruits and only whole grains high in fiber, nuts and seeds. I see no need to consume quantities of white rice, white pasta, over-processed white flour or white potatoes when so many whole grain options are available. I am not currently eating even whole grain bread, but can see myself after reaching my goal weight doing so from time to time in moderation.
3) Our bodies need fat to function well and fats are even included in USDA food patterns. I don't advocate eating vast amounts of saturated fat, but fats do contain essential nutrients that we need. Fat sources that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids or monounsaturated fats are good sources of fat. Fish, seafood, flax, walnuts, soy and canola are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Avocados, nuts and olive oil are an excellent source of monounsaturated oils.
4) By eating a good variety of vegetables you get those anti-oxidants you are talking about -- cutting out completely or limiting a few vegetables and a few fruit is not going to stop you from getting them. After the induction period you are supposed to add in little by little fruits and the higher carb vegetables. The key is to eat a small amount of many and avoid eating a large amount of any single one.
5) I do take a few supplements - a multi-vitamin/mineral, calcium, and EFA.
6) This is what works for me because, in part, I have issues with overeating sugar products and bakery items and with the severe limitations of those items the cravings go away. I am doing well having to measure everything and count calories, carbs, fats and protein as it makes me pay attention to making a proper balance of the foods I am eating. I suppose I am not doing as severely restrictive version of Atkins as some do... I do what works for me.

jah_on

Hi Jenna,

I am glad to hear you are doing well in achieving your progress to healthy living. I think its great that you are knowledgeable and have found a way that better suits you as far as dieting is concerned and understand what is working for you. There are things that I agree with you in regards to portion control and how important it is to cut out as much junk that consist of refined sugar and white flour. You sound very passionate about the Atkins diet and I don't mean to knock you or anyone trying it. I believe what works for one doesn't work for all and everyone and like many experts, we will have a difference of opinions.

My genuine concern for anyone deciding to take on any diet is to do as much research possible and take caution. Which is why I highly recommend consulting with your physician and nutritionist. Everyone has different bodies and blood types and at the end of they, its up the individual to decide how they want to live their life. Knowing is half the battle and on that note, Jenna, I'll agree that we'll disagree on the Atkins diet.