Atkins? Again?

JakinsandPeykins

Maybe I am being impatient but I had fantastic luck with Atkins 5 years ago. It actually became a lifestyle change. Since being pregnant and gaining 60+ lbs I was certain just eating healthy and exercising would do it but here it is over a month into it and I have only lost a pound. I am worried that my metabolism is :the exception" and has been slowed by years of crash dieting/no carbs. I am feeling desperate and wanting to start crash dieting again even though everything I have read on here has said thats a big no no. Any one on here feel that limiting carbs is healthy? If it sounds like I am asking for permission to do Atkins i guess I am!

chevy88grl

Everyone is different. What works for some, may or may not work for someone else. I personally gained weight while on Atkins. My body struggled with all the protein and even drinking a gallon or more water a day? I was completely miserable.

If it worked for you in the past and you think you can sustain it long term, then go for it. The reason people are against "diets" is because as a rule they are not sustainable for the rest of your life. If you think you can do it for the rest of your life, go for it. After doing the "eat anything in moderation" lifestyle change, there's no way I could do a fad diet again.

ashleab37

I doubt your metabolism has slowed down much. Chances are you just eat more than you used to naturally. Losing a pound in a month is fine, as well.

Doing Atkins is fine (it's only semi-fad), but why not just track calories and aim for high protein low carb?

vonnywaft

Do it! If that's what works for you. I can only lose weight by cutting cards, don't care what anyone says, I've had this body for over 40years and I know how it deals with food. Do what works for you and what you can stick to for the long haul.

amysj303

I don't have a problem with low-carb. I also don't call it a "crash diet" if it's something you can sustain for the long-term but it doesn't sound like it was very sustainable for you. I've kinda gotten to where if I can't do it forever, I'm not going to do it at all, which isn't to say you can't cut quickly for an event or something if necessary, but just work on what you can do. Slow and steady is better, and I read an interesting reason why-when we crash diet we lose muscle as well as fat and that makes the lower weight much harder to sustain, making it likely we gain again, and when we gain, it is fat, so it's a cycle when you yo-yo. Does that make sense? I feel like I am not explaining it very well!

RachelsReboot

Doing Atkins is pretty drastic and unless you are really committed then it's probably not what you are really looking for, just try lowering your carb and sugar intake and see how that works, most of the time if you just cut out the really processed and sugary stuff then you will see things start to happen.

memcd911

Limiting carbs and/or being selective with the carbs you eat isn't a problem if it's a lifestyle instead of a crash/fad diet.

yesthistime

Try it. Might be great! And if it isn't, just stop :happy:

Frankenbarbie01

If Atkins is too restrictive take a look at Rob Wolf - Paleo Solution, might be what your looking for. Focuses on natural foods as close as possible to their natural state and limited carbs. What puts people off is the lack of grains and legumes (havent missed them really....) and its more of a attainable life style goal (PERSONALLY SPEAKING...please dont flame me) for me than Atkins was. Just a thought

seoid

I did atkins for a week and lost 10 pounds. but i can't live without carbs....i become this angry psycho *kitten*.

ki4yxo

I personally can't eat a stick of butter,
and not have a slice of bread. I just
watch what I eat now, and track it all
with MFP. That and exercise a couple
of times a week works for me.

Actually the number one thing I look at
is sodium. Everything else just seems
to fall into place.

LBachynsky

My fiance and I started MFP together at the beginning of the year and neither of us lost weight in the first month. The numbers given to you by MFP are pretty generic and you need to find you magic numbers for caloric intake and calories burned through exercise. Once you find those, the pounds will start coming off.

bestdaysahead

Over six months and I didn't loose anything significant until the last six weeks where I have now lost a total of 15 pounds! Finally, it is starting to work. Don't give up by eating only one type or kind of food. Your body really needs the nutrition from all sorts of foods, just not as much as we seem to think it needs in some circumstances. Good luck! BTW: I am a professional dieter, but not a nutritionist, so take my advice as you wish!!!

Captain_Tightpants

Why not ease towards Atkins by going on a restricted carb diet that doesn't actually indice ketosis... maybe something like The Zone (40c / 30f / 30p)? It might be more sustainable and you should see good results so long as you maintain a calorie deficit.

infamousmk

I can't do Atkins
Carbs are good for brain tissue
Moderation wins

LuckyAng

I did Atkins in 2003 and I lost a lot of weight. Looking back, I lost more than I needed to. I'd be tempted to do it again, but I will never forget what else I lost along with the weight: My hair was coming out in the shower by the handful, my nails became thin and brittle, and I blacked out multiple times... Granted, I abused it. I would become so afraid to go over on my carbs that I would go too far under on them. For 3 months. Maybe if I had followed it as recommended, I'd have been fine. Again, it was my own fault that I had those results. Good luck to you in whatever you choose. Tracking my calories is working great for me. Best wishes.

1PoisonIvy

You have to find what works for you!
The girl that sits next to me, loss weight by watching calories and fats
And for me it is calories and carbs.
So it depends if limiting carbs helped you in the past, then try it again, but as somebody above stated, maybe try the zone where you have less carbs but not as drastic as Atkins. But I am doing Atkins trying to "jumpstart" my wightlost

JakinsandPeykins

Thank you all. I feel like I am trying my best but going nowhere. It helps to know that others got results after stick-to-it-tiveness. I could definitely try to be pro protein, or even semi South Beach. Just having one of those days where I don't even know what the hell I am doing anymore if i can't lose more than a pound in a month while working out every day. I'd like to learn more about the sodium thing, because I have never even thought of it before.

saverys_gal

OP: Remember that the goal of Atkins is to find the right number of carbs for your body to lose weight with and then the right number to maintain at...and I think that's a perfectly reasonable lifestyle change. Try easing into it and just slowly cutting out some of your more starchy carbs at first before deciding to go all the way. :flowerforyou:

blueeyedcristi

I lost 12 lbs the first week I did Atkins. I stopped bc I had trouble eating as much food as it told me too. Also have lots of friends that did the diet and gained all the weight back as soon as they quit.

saverys_gal

I lost 12 lbs the first week I did Atkins. I stopped bc I had trouble eating as much food as it told me too. Also have lots of friends that did the diet and gained all the weight back as soon as they quit.

That's because you don't "quit", nor is Atkins a "diet". It is most definitely a lifestyle change, just like people who change what they eat and watch their calories. Same concept.

RachelsReboot

I lost 12 lbs the first week I did Atkins. I stopped bc I had trouble eating as much food as it told me too. Also have lots of friends that did the diet and gained all the weight back as soon as they quit.

Ugghhhhh because it's not a DIET! It's a lifestyle change, if you go back to eating the same crap you are going to gain back, same thing with counting calories, if you count calories and lose all your weight and then decide, cool, I'm there I can eat whatever I want you are going to gain it all back!

Fieldsy

I tried Atkins and did lose some weight, but I didn't like how I felt

bluberrygoo

I'm doing Atkins now and love it! You need to do what's best for you and that you will be able to stick to.

E1rlindsay

I did Atkins for a couple weeks...lost a good amount of weight, but by the end of week 2 i was really sick...now i just eat LESS carbs, but still get a fair amount in daily.

sweet110

For many people, its because Atkins=induction. Which is far from the truth. Atkins is basically an elimination diet that controls carbs, not a "low carb" diet. People who live on Atkins "after" the 2 week induction, eat dairy, rice, fruit, all vegetables, potatoes, beans, etc. These are people who seem to do better controlling their carb intake rather than eating tons of grains, but they still eat a varied diet. And its not a "meat free for all" either. Calories *can also* count on Atkins for weight loss. He said so himself. Looked at this way, there's no reason it can't be healthy. But if you don't need to do it, the fact that you have to watch carbs AND calories if you're having trouble losing, doesn't necessarily make it easier...its only easier if you find it to be so. Some do. Some don't.

But ask yourself, why didn't you stick with it? What about it made it difficult? Has anything changed between then and now? If you think you can stick with it, and you enjoyed it and got results from it. Why not? I myself liked Atkins because of its focus on finding, through elimination and staged addition, problem foods for *you*, not some generic person. I found out I was wheat intolerant this way. But rice and potatoes? No problem whatsoever. And that I could eat some sugar, but not very much. And that, for some reason, I did better with a little less protein, but more fat.

Atkins gave me permission to eat a little less protein, more fat, to eat rice and potatoes, and huge amounts of vegetables. That's my kind of Atkins. Personalized.

**I should note, however, that I don't think of myself as "on Atkins" any longer. I think that there are now better ways to think about nutrition and health than when Atkins came up with his plan. They are all in the same vein, but, they are more focused on optimal health rather than simply weight loss. Because, in the end, if you are thinking strictly about weight loss, the best diet is the one you can stick too and incorporate into the rest of your life.

JakinsandPeykins

I kept my carbs around 20 grams for years.I had reached a point to where I wasn't losing, I did induction, fat fast - everything. until i finally ate carbs for the first time in years and just counted calories (very little calories ) This worked until I fell in love and ate whatever he ate , but still worked out like crazy. I began gaining, then found out I was pregnant. While I was pregnant I gave myself permission to eat mostly whatever, never imagining I would gain as much as I did. (always thinking I would go back on atkins when I delivered.) But then I breast fed for 6 months and was trying to give her adequate nutrition. I don't remember why or how I got off the bandwagon but it has been extremely hard for me to do atkins (at least the induction phase) ever since i became a stay at home mother. I know it has to do with being in my later twenties now, staying at home, gaining too much weight and continually sabatoging my low carb efforts for a year and a half.
I am not making excuses, but it truely feels like something has chemically changed in me to steer me away from Atkins. I loved Atkins, I breathed it. it was easy for me before. Why is it so hard now? I love all the low carb talk. Keep it coming.

sweet110

Hmm. 20 grams of carbs for years is low. That's induction levels, not Atkins as he intended. Maybe that's why you gained so much when you went off it? I'm just speculating.

But, I think what I heard you say is that the mind is willing, but the body is resisting Atkins. So maybe you should work with where you are, rather than what use to be. Did you ever go through the rungs and figure out if there were any starches that were especially difficult for you? My life became alot easier when I could have rice and potatoes. Not just because I enjoy them (more potatoes than rice), but because its easier to share meals with other people, which for you includes a family.

Right now, I follow a diet where I don't count carbs, I just don't eat things thought to cause inflammation: vegetable oil (I use coconut oil), grains (except rice), sugar (although sometimes I do). And I don't eat rice more than once a day. My point isn't to tell you to follow "my diet," but just to point out that in the years between when you use to do Atkins and now, its not only you that's changed, the whole world of controlled carb eating has changed too. There *are alot* of other options. There is a middle way in between where you were and where you are, nutritionally. You just need to figure out which way will work for you.

firedragon064

If Atkins worked for you, go for it.
When I tried Atlkins, I talked to my doctor , she actually said it's good diet.

amymarie8709

Maybe I am being impatient but I had fantastic luck with Atkins 5 years ago. It actually became a lifestyle change. Since being pregnant and gaining 60+ lbs I was certain just eating healthy and exercising would do it but here it is over a month into it and I have only lost a pound. I am worried that my metabolism is :the exception" and has been slowed by years of crash dieting/no carbs. I am feeling desperate and wanting to start crash dieting again even though everything I have read on here has said thats a big no no. Any one on here feel that limiting carbs is healthy? If it sounds like I am asking for permission to do Atkins i guess I am!

My mom did a low carb diet when she started....but, she wasn't exercising either. If you are exercising, I wouldn't suggest it. Our bodies need the right kind of fuel to function properly. if you look online to find a metabolism burn quiz, it'll help you know what kind of burner you are and what you should be eating more of....protein burner, carb burner, or mixed. I'm a mixed so have to eat close to equal amounts of carbs and proteins to make sure that my metabolism doesn't crash. I hope this helps.

http://www.elizabethdane.com/MetaTest/meta_qst1.php

Sherirt

I am starting Atkins today so...good luck to you. I will be feeling your pain