Is anyone doing the Atkins Diet?

elishaeffel

Working on week 4 of induction phase. I've lost 14 lbs, but have a really long way to go. I do not care to hear anyones negitive opinion about this diet!
I have done it before and it works great, I had twins one year ago and gained over 100 lbs, so I am back on the diet trying to lose that weight.
I am just now feeling good enough to work out. It takes some time after starting the diet in order to be able to have the energy. I feel pretty good now and I am ready to start hitting the gym 5 times a week.

stratusofkiser

I have done it before to but I gave up after losing some weight. I am planning on restarting it as it worked great for me. If you need any friends for support maybe we can help each other.:happy:

diemodemdie

I'm doing a variation of it called Keto Dieting. It's sort of similar in that you severely cut carbs, but don't eliminate them (as many Atkin's supporters do).

Works great, though!

zubenelekrab

started a week and half ago.I havent weighed myself but need to be on induction for somemore time..we could help each other

SW-187 lbs
goal-40 lbs

dadirtyredd1

I'm going on 5 days now, have lost 3 lbs. I've done Atkins before, however did not fully understand the whole net carbs thing, so I just quit. Now that I understand that and more I am back on. My family has a history with diabetes, so I want to loose the weight and build a healthier eating habit. I'm anxious to see the weight loss when I weigh-in on Saturday for me weekly weigh-in. I'm really looking forward to this journey!

CariKK

I started the Atkins induction phase 2 days ago. I am logging every morsel into MFP. I did South Beach Diet about 4 years ago and lost alot of weight that stayed off for at least a year but has slowly crept back over the past 3 years. I have done weight watchers, vegetarian, cabbage soup etc ...
A friend at work lost 10 pounds in like 3 weeks and told me she is doing Atkins so I decided to give it a go. I signed up at Atkins.com and started eating some meat. I'm still primarily on eggs and fish and loving the cheese! The fake cheesecake is awesome and I found a new love in "riced" cauliflower.
Worst thing is I don't lose any weight ... again.
Let's support each other and get skinny!

jgiese7

I am on Atkins as well. In April i started it with a strong mindset and still have it! I am down 30lbs now! I still have a long ways to go. My first long term goal is 80 more lbs. Then I would like to lose 40-50 more after that. No other diet has worked for me. The more i see results the more I want to keep going! Feel free to add me as a friend! Good luck with the weight loss!

Belle11296

Just started Induction 2 days ago and so far so good....until I read some horror stories on the net regarding low levels of salt and potassium. One woman claimed to being minutes away from a heart attack! Another keeps passing out. I had never even thought of these things! My sodium intake is good, my potassium intake is not as high as it should be. I do need to get a multivitamin (was at Wal-Mart today and totally forgot!). Any suggessions? Will a MV help?

Currently, I am on my way to becoming diabetic if I don't do something, so I have no choice but to change my eating habits. I don't think I've experienced the "Induction Flu" yet. I actually feel pretty good and have drank more water in the last 2 days than I have in years! I don't feel as bloated and am excited to see what results are at the end of the month. Any encouragement is appreciated!

yarwell

keep up the sodium intake, with low carb you retain less and will get a bit low otherwise. I use "lo-salt" to give potassium and sodium. I've lost 56 lbs with Atkins, think of that as a stack of butter !

traceyjayne1964

Been on Atkins since 1st Feb and im still loving it, lost 35lbs so far with no exercise.

Sarah_Wins

I've been following Induction rules (with the exception of whey protein isolate and almond milk shakes after workout) for 7 months. I have a few more lbs to go, then I'll following Maintenance phase for the rest of my life. Please remember that this is a lifestyle, life-long change, not a temporary diet that you can quit when you reach goal. When you do that, you will only gain it right back, and faster than ever.

Feel free to friend me and I'll do my best to support and encourage you. Also, there is a Low Carb Group you can join to get out of the judgment zone! The LC haters will hit this thread any time now. Just ignore them.

_hi_hat3r_

Today is day 1 for me

Kakramme

Hi, my doctor put me on Atkins about a week and a half ago for cholesteral and weight management. So far with induction, I have lost 4 pounds. I am having a bit of a challenge keeping under the 20 carbs per day. I logged into the Atkins site, but like the food tracker in MFP.

For exercise, I am working out with a program called farrells, which is a kickboxing/resistance band program six days a week.

I was wondering how long the induction phase should be? I have seen anywhere between 2 to 4 weeks. I feel great and am looking forward to hitting Onederland.

Sarah_Wins

I was wondering how long the induction phase should be? I have seen anywhere between 2 to 4 weeks. I feel great and am looking forward to hitting Onederland.

Induction must be at least two weeks, and after that you can move to OWL phase. If you don't have time to read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, you can get full info online. It's important that you get the details right, and not just the 20g net carbs. Good luck!

mcrowe1016

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/atkins-diet/MY00648

Results
Weight loss
The Atkins Diet says that you can lose 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) in the first two weeks of phase 1 — but it also acknowledges that those aren't typical results. It says that you'll continue to lose weight in phases 2 and 3 as long as you don't eat more carbs than your body can tolerate.

Most people can lose weight on almost any diet plan that restricts calories — at least in the short term. Over the long term, though, studies show that low-carb diets like Atkins are no more effective for weight loss than are standard high-carbohydrate diets and that most people regain the weight they lost regardless of diet plan. However, studies have shown that people who continued to follow diet plans such as Atkins for two years did lose an average of nearly 9 pounds (4.1 kilograms) overall. Some studies suggest that it's not cutting carbs that leads to weight loss with Atkins. Instead, you may shed pounds because your food choices are limited and you eat less since the extra protein and fat keep you feeling full longer.

The bottom line is that to lose weight you must reduce the calories you take in and increase the calories you burn. Traditional recommendations for weight loss advise losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.45 to 0.9 kilograms) a week by reducing calories and fat and emphasizing complex carbohydrates. Losing a large amount of weight rapidly could indicate that you're losing water weight or lean tissue, rather than fat. The Atkins Diet acknowledges that you may initially lose water weight. In some situations, fast weight loss can be safe if it's done in a healthy way. For example, doctors may prescribe a medically supervised very low calorie diet for rapid weight loss if you're obese or have serious health problems. In addition, some diets include an initiation phase to help you jump-start your weight loss, including the Mayo Clinic Diet.

Physical activity and exercise help you burn more calories, aiding weight loss. Regular physical activity is also vital to prevent regaining the weight you've lost and, of course, provides numerous health benefits. Although the Atkins Diet says exercise is important, it doesn't specify how much you need. It defers to Department of Health and Human Services guidelines, which recommend getting at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity.

Health benefits
The Atkins Diet says that its eating plan can prevent or improve serious health conditions, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. In fact, almost any diet that helps you shed excess weight can reduce or even reverse risks factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. And most weight-loss diets — not just low-carb diets — may improve blood cholesterol or blood sugar levels, at least temporarily. One study showed that people who followed Atkins had improved triglycerides, suggesting better heart health. But there have been no major studies to show whether such benefits hold up for the long term or increase how long you live.

Some health experts believe that eating a large amount of fat and protein from animal sources, as allowed on the Atkins Diet, can increase your risk of heart disease or some cancers. However, it's not known what risks, if any, the Atkins Diet may pose over the long term because most of the studies about it have lasted for a year or less.

Risks
The Atkins Diet acknowledges that drastically cutting carbs in the early phase of the program can result in some side effects, including:

Headache
Dizziness
Weakness
Fatigue
Constipation
In addition, some low-carb or very low carb diets restrict carbohydrates so much that they result in nutritional deficiencies or insufficient fiber, which can cause such health problems as constipation, diarrhea and nausea. Eating carbs that are high fiber, whole grain and nutrient dense can improve the health profile of programs like the Atkins Diet, though. In addition, the Atkins Diet has changed over time to help prevent health problems, and it now recommends taking a small amount of extra salt, along with vitamins or supplements.

It's also possible that restricting carbohydrates to less than 20 grams a day — the recommendation for phase 1 of the Atkins Diet — can result in ketosis. Ketosis occurs when you don't have enough sugar (glucose) for energy, so your body breaks down stored fat, causing ketones to build up in your body. Side effects from ketosis can include nausea, headache, mental fatigue and bad breath.

In addition, the Atkins Diet isn't appropriate for everyone. For example, Atkins warns that people with severe kidney disease should not follow the diet. It also cautions that the weight-loss phases of the diet aren't suitable for women who are pregnant or breast feeding. The Atkins Diet recommends that you consult your doctor before starting the diet, especially if you have diabetes or gout or take diuretics, insulin or oral diabetes medications.

guitron4

I started Wed. June 4, 2014 and it has now been 1 week for me. I am feeling tired this week. I went to spin class this morning and had a tough time. I am 168 lbs and my goal weight is 150. I'm definitely craving bread and cookies! I treated myself to an In N Out protein burger yesterday but the lettuce didn't help. I wanted bread! Oh well. I'll keep at it and see what happens. I can't believe how bad my cravings get. I don't even have a sweet tooth! What is that about? LOL

guitron4

Sarah, how are you doing today? I hope that you conquered the diabetic thing. Best thing to do is to eat fresh healthy veggies and protein. Anything that is close to natural. Beware of "lowfat" or "fatfree" or "sugarfree" dressings and things in a bottle. They tend to have sugar added. I also read an article about ingredients in foods, if it has anything you can't read, then it shouldn't be eaten! LOL

Hang in there and hope you are healthier now!

No_Finish_Line

i've done it in the past. surprisingly, i didn't really feel that much more sluggish. it was difficult for me to eat that way though.

I don't knock atkins but i don't knock the slim fast diet either lol

I lost weight, but not really any faster then i had using other approaches

in the end, the only way to burn fat is to use more calories then you take in. so if atkins helps you do that, then its a good diet for you.

it is exceptionally good for eliminating water weight though, which is probably why its often used in BB contest prep

fat2fit4good

I just started Atkins again. I did it a few years ago and it sure works to REALLY kickstart your weight loss. The problem is you have to ease your way into eating some carbs after the strict induction phase (nuts, some fruits, some whole grains in moderation), but instead a lot of people lose the weight during induction, claim victory and then go straight back to cereal, toast, pizza and bread. If you do that, you wasted your time. Doing that simply switches your metabolism to its old ways with a vengeance, insulin levels spike, hunger pangs return, etc.. doing this is probably worse for you than not doing any diet at all. I did this, and I paid for it.

I plan to use the induction phase to kickstart weight loss and *****slap my metabolism into burning some of my plentiful fat deposits... then slowly ease my way into phase 2 for a while. I have never had a sweet tooth, so eventually I'd like to just get all my carbs from salads, fruits, nuts (no bread, pasta, sweets, etc...)

I feel fantastic (after some initial greasy gaggy disgusting days...), and the weight is coming off quick. This is really encouraging so far. Wish me luck!!! and feel free to add me if you need low carb buddies! I hope to have a good "after" picture to add to the monstruosity currently on my profile that smacks me on the forehead everytime I log in!!! :-)

AliSR9

I'm doing Atkins and I love it - like with any diet - you can't loose and then just go back to old habits and expect to keep the weight off. Atkins is not a diet but a way of life.

Started the first of May and I'm donw 27.8lbs as of today.

EbonyAries

I'm on the Atkins diet too. Feel free to add me for support. I have been doing this diet for 6 weeks now.

MalayaBanks

How much do i lose in 4 weeks on Atkin Diet?

MalayaBanks

Hey hello Im Malaya.... HOw is the diet going for you? I plan on starting this diet but need helps and tips..

donyellemoniquex3

mom2bella

I'm on day 7 of Atkins and I've lost 10lbs. I did Atkins about 8 years ago before I had my daughter and lost 100lbs in a year with excercise but I was ver strict and motivated. Now having a child it's much harder but I am determined!

mebuthalf

Going in to the ketosis lifestyle ... wanting to lose 80-100 pounds by my June wedding ... lost 8 in 3 days since starting ... love love love me some like minded friends

widetobride

Wow- 100lb? That is amazing!! No wonder you are back on it, and doing so well!! I lost 3stone on it a few years ago. Now I go running, so my carb intake has gone up and up. I recently read an article on the myths about carb loading, and I am trying Atkins again xxx

widetobride

I'm on day 7 of Atkins and I've lost 10lbs. I did Atkins about 8 years ago before I had my daughter and lost 100lbs in a year with excercise but I was ver strict and motivated. Now having a child it's much harder but I am determined!

Wow- 100lb? That is amazing!! No wonder you are back on it, and doing so well!! I lost 3stone on it a few years ago. Now I go running, so my carb intake has gone up and up. I recently read an article on the myths about carb loading, and I am trying Atkins again xxx

cybersooner

I did the Atkins diet last summer for about 6 weeks. I lost 17 lbs with no exercise but I found it just to limiting and I wasn't happy so I didn't stick with it. I got a Fitbit Flex this in June and I've lost 20 lbs by just walking and watching my calories. I find this is much easier to stick to and I feel much better than when I was on Atkins. Atkins does work it just isn't the diet for me.

louisefranks

I've done it a long time ago but I think it's since been revamped - I did lose well on it though but found the very very low carb just wasn't sustainable. Now, I'm prediabetic and have to watch the carbs. so I eat a lower carb higher fat diet (about 60-120g carbs a day - usually more like 60).

mom2bella

Thank you! I gained almost all of it back when I got pregnant and then it's just been piliing on. I'm hoping to be able to do it again and keep it off this time!