Confused about Atkins

vsecret921

So I was talkin to a friend the other day and she said she was going to start the Atkins diet. My first thought as "so you can only eat red meat?" she said no, so that peak my interest and I started to look at the diet. After doing so i searched the boards for topics on Atkins and there are many different thoughts.

Some people had great success, some gained the weight right back, and some say it's a health risk.

I'm not sure what to believe. I'm looking at Atkins or something like it to cut out carbs since I feel as though i have been carb-dependent.

Any advice would be great - but please no bashing on this thread

Tourney3p0

You will probably lose weight. You won't lose any more weight than any other well-balanced diet with a calorie deficit.

Acg67

So I was talkin to a friend the other day and she said she was going to start the Atkins diet. My first thought as "so you can only eat red meat?" she said no, so that peak my interest and I started to look at the diet. After doing so i searched the boards for topics on Atkins and there are many different thoughts.

Some people had great success, some gained the weight right back, and some say it's a health risk.

I'm not sure what to believe. I'm looking at Atkins or something like it to cut out carbs since I feel as though i have been carb-dependent.

Any advice would be great - but please no bashing on this thread

You will gain weight when you reintroduce carbs, but it will only be water weight. That is unless in addition to adding them back in, you are eating in a surplus.

vsecret921

won't it help me with my carb cravings? I crave them and I find that my diet is so carb loaded

Pandorian

If you have health issues that would caution limiting your protein, (kidney stones perhaps) then it may not be for you.

I did have to change my macro percentages to be more realistic for "how I eat" not that I follow atkins or anything but it did take 35% protein to get to a level that works for me.

mary_kate23

My honest opinion, is that I'm not a huge fan, for two reasons. 1. i love carbs. but 2. i see carbs as a natural brain food and something the body needs to sustain long term normal functioning. However, I think using it for short term isn't bad, but long term dieting with Atkins is not recommended. I've never done it, but I always hear about how they gained the weight right back. I guess as long as you use it short term to lose weight, but when going off the diet, ease back into a better, healthier lifestyle than before the Atkins diet, it would be successful. Best of luck!

vsecret921

Thanks everyone!

So is looking at the program it is basically eliminating carbs. So all those other people out there that are "cutting carbs" are basically doing the atkins diet in a sense?

MonicaT1972

I do a modified version as I don't think the unlimited idea of Atkins works. I count my calories here and watch my carbs. My carbs only come from fruit and veggies mainly. I also count my calories to stay within perameters.

Once withdrawl from carbs is over you don't crave them at all. The only time you will crave them again is if you have some and have to start withdrawl over again.

I have PCOS so it's the only way I have found to get my body to shed fat. Plus I feel great when I don't have refined carbs in my body. It's great not getting sleepy an hour after eating all the time!

Feel free to add me as a friend if you like.

sailorsiren13

I'm doing a cross between South Beach and Perfect 10 no processed meat like bacon and pretty clean eating. It mainly makes me feel better no PMS, cramps or migraines. Good luck to you!

Serenstar75

Deprivation. I have a friend doing this and he eats a ton of oil, because he read it was good for him, and has lost weight. He's also complaining that he feels his weight is more changing and that he's more saggy than fit. He's very unhappy with that part. I did it once. I will never do it again. It's More expensive, because it's primarily meat and veggies and protein-based snacks. If you eat other stuff that is healthy for you eventually it seems you gain the weight back just because the diet is so restrictive. It DOES help with your carb cravings, but just lowering your carbs will do that too. Oh and when I gained the weight back, I wasn't eating in excess.

I do like lower carb (though affordability counts for me right now) rather than NO carb.

vsecret921

I do a modified version as I don't think the unlimited idea of Atkins works. I count my calories here and watch my carbs. My carbs only come from fruit and veggies mainly. I also count my calories to stay within perameters.

Once withdrawl from carbs is over you don't crave them at all. The only time you will crave them again is if you have some and have to start withdrawl over again.

I have PCOS so it's the only way I have found to get my body to shed fat. Plus I feel great when I don't have refined carbs in my body. It's great not getting sleepy an hour after eating all the time!

Feel free to add me as a friend if you like.

Thanks! I think that is more what I am looking to do - is a modified version. I used to eat pasta almost every day but once i got married I went to Maui for 2 weeks and didn't have 1 pasta dish and since January I think I've had pasta 4 times. I think I just need to go cold turkey.

3laine75

i'd just try cutting (i hate to say it as people will shout at me) 'bad' carbs e.g. white bread, white rice, sugar, potatoes, pasta, cake etc.

try to have mainly veg for your carbs and a small amount of wholegrain bread, pasta, rice etc. i have my macros set at 40(carbs)/30/30 and i wouldn't advise going any lower on carbs than this.

lrkidd

The amount of weight you may or may not lose is completely dependent on your body type. My doctor has put me on a strict low carb diet because I have insulin resistance and am unable to properly process sugars in my body. Atkins is the perfect diet for me. If you follow Atkins properly and slowly add back the carbs at a rate that works for you then back off when you begin to gain, you can and will lose and keep your weight off. Bottom line it is a lifestyle change and not a diet. For us to succeed at any “diet” we must remember that.

dusty_712001

I did adkins years ago and had great results. I kept the weight off for many years. It wasnt till much later when I let my eating habits turn to crap that I gained my weight back.

Some people make it sound like the minute you stop adkins the weight comes back overnight. When you stop you will gain a small amount in water weight, but if your calorie intake does not exceed the energy you use in a day you can maintain what you lose with adkins.

debbiestine

Google the primal blueprint (mark's daily apple) instead. You can still have carbs- try to keep it under 100/day.
You can also have :
dairy- cottage cheese, greek yogurt plain, real butter, cheese, heavy whipping cream
fruits- just limit to a small amount each day. berries are the best/lowest carbs
veggies- as much as you want
protein- yes, eggs/bacon,chicken,fish,meat etc
carbs- you are gettting them in your other foods. I also occassionally have .5 Ezekial english muffin, organic red quinoa, quick oats or steel cut oats.

I love eating this way and it helped me lose the last 10lbs. I'm wearing a 0/2 and I keep telling people to up their protein to 100grams/day (it should be 1.1x your lean body mass) and decrease their carbs(most people eat over 200/day). good luck I hope you try it- you will love it.

77tes

I have tried Atkins, and although it addresses some of the diet lies that push high-carb, low-fat eating, I know that eating sensibly is the better plan. I lost on Atkins, and I gained it back when I went back to eating normally.

Think about it: I love bagels and cream cheese. On a high carb diet, I can eat the bagel; on Atkins, I can eat the cream cheese. Eating sensibly, I can split a bagel with cream cheese with a friend. What am I more likely to do for the rest of my life?

I encourage everyone to STOP dieting, and change his or her lifestyle. Thus endeth the lesson for the day.

Good luck with your weight loss!:flowerforyou:

galededras

It's only a health risk if you use the Atkins diet guidelines as a way to kid yourself into believing that a diet of nothing but bacon, eggs, ribeye, and cream cheese is good for you. You still have to eat responsibly. I am on a generic low-carb diet, and while I do eat bacon, eggs, ribeye, and cream cheese...I also make sure my diet is balanced with plenty of green vegetables. I also still monitor my calories, and try to eat as close as to my macros as possible. If you've read the Atkins book, and feel like it's too restrictive you might look into other plans like South Beach or Primal Blueprint. If you can give up dairy, I think Primal Blueprint is a very healthy way of eating.

I can say that if you lose a ton of weight on any low-carb diet, and don't reintroduce carbs back into your diet in a slow and methodical manner, you will gain weight back at an alarming rate. It's much more beneficial to look at low-carb as a lifestyle change, and not just a method of weight loss that you will discontinue once you reach your goal weight. That's true for most diets though, isn't it?

yarwell

won't it help me with my carb cravings? I crave them and I find that my diet is so carb loaded

The induction phase is designed to do that, yes. It does rely on your compliance though.

vsecret921

For the last couple posters it looks like you are all saying the same thing. just limi the carbs. I don't eat white bread I have changed to wheat. So perhaps I will just limit my carb intake and not go the Atkins route.

Thanks for all the advice!!!

i just don't want to do something to my body now that will have long term effects later

adamsurpren

Hey, just a tip from someone who did atkins (lost 52 lbs on it)...stay away.

It's great at first, quick and easy. Then you reach your weight, have an impossible time maintaining, your blood pressure and cholesterol are out of whack, and your breath stinks.

Very very difficult to keep the weight off, and switching to a new diet will bounce you back quick because of the carb difference.

Don't get fooled, quick fixes aren't good. Be natural and healthy, eat right and exercise, I'm doing it now and look at the weight loss, and I have more energy and am healthier.

vidwiz811

I used the Atkins and lost 50 lbs and havent gained it back. read the book though, because most people don't understand what it actually is or how to do the diet. it works on the science that carbs are the main cause of weight gain. i wont go into that but study's have been proving that for sometime, but its been ignored. the health risk are from people who do the diet wrong and eat nothing but red meat and cheese, turns out that leads to heart attacks. I would suggest giving it a try and seeing if it works for you. after all every person's body works different for them. mind you that like any diet if you go back to eating poorly you will gain the weight back.

wilk2121

I looked at the old Atkins which really was dangerous for long term. The idea is to lose weight and keep it off. If you love your carbs you won't be able to maintain once you lose and will gain it back once you reintroduce the carbs back into your diet. The "New Atkins" looks like more like the South Beach diet. I had great success with it. I liked that I could have fruit, vegies and carbs! I even kept it off for 2 years because it was so easy to maintain. I changed my eating habits and it didn't feel like a diet. I met my fiance and got comfortable and ended up changing my eating habits to match his. He is a very bad eater lol. Consequently I gained over 40 pounds in the past 4 years. This time I'm not following a "diet" at all. I know what I should be eating. I've cut the sugar out of my diet and all processed foods. I eat my protein and my fruits, nuts and vegies. I eat whole grain carbs sparingly and it's working well for me.

vsecret921

it's good to see everyone's outlook! Thanks

Shannon2714

I did Adkins for 7-8 months and lost almost 70lbs. I thought it was the best thing ever. Then, I got pregnant and gained 90lbs. I tried it again after the pregnancy, but Adkins is something that you have to make a lifetime committment to. If you're able to do that, you'll have great success!!

Good luck in whatever you choose!

FinallyFindingLisa

I do a modified version as I don't think the unlimited idea of Atkins works. I count my calories here and watch my carbs. My carbs only come from fruit and veggies mainly. I also count my calories to stay within perameters.

Once withdrawl from carbs is over you don't crave them at all. The only time you will crave them again is if you have some and have to start withdrawl over again.

I have PCOS so it's the only way I have found to get my body to shed fat. Plus I feel great when I don't have refined carbs in my body. It's great not getting sleepy an hour after eating all the time!

Feel free to add me as a friend if you like.

This!!

Jesea

I have hypothyroidism, and my doctor endorsed Atkins for me several years ago when I was losing weight for my wedding. Fast forward 9 years, two kids, etc, and I needed to lose weight again. Lost 20 pounds just watching calories, but started slowing down. Limited carbs to 1/2 of MFPs allowance and started losing again. I love carbs too much to give them up altogether, but MFPs guidelines were just too high for me.

MemphisGirl75

The new Atkins plan allows you to introduce good carbs (like wheat bread, tortillas, brown rice, fruit etc) slowly back into your diet. Yes, the first two weeks of the Induction plan is strictly vegetables, meat, dairy and no more than 20-25 carbs a day. After that, you begin to increase the carbs 5 grams at a time until the weight loss ceases. Once that happens, you know what your limit is. But white flour/foods are pretty much off-limits or only an occasional treat. Also, Atkins now wants you to track calories, not like the old days when there was no limit.

I am down 77 pounds on a low-carb diet. I know that I cannot eat white pasta, rice, and bread without getting addicted again, so I just quit altogether.

vsecret921

The new Atkins plan allows you to introduce good carbs (like wheat bread, tortillas, brown rice, fruit etc) slowly back into your diet. Yes, the first two weeks of the Induction plan is strictly vegetables, meat, dairy and no more than 20-25 carbs a day. After that, you begin to increase the carbs 5 grams at a time until the weight loss ceases. Once that happens, you know what your limit is. But white flour/foods are pretty much off-limits or only an occasional treat. Also, Atkins now wants you to track calories, not like the old days when there was no limit.

I am down 77 pounds on a low-carb diet. I know that I cannot eat white pasta, rice, and bread without getting addicted again, so I just quit altogether.

That's what I was looking at was the new program. And I saw that once you got to the end of the program you slowly added in some carbs.

MrsBully4

I felt horrible on this diet, just terrible. Drained, lethargic, irritable, headachey and constantly exhausted. Trying to stick to 20 grams of carbs per day for the "induction phase" is brutal and I would never ever do it again.

IMHO, it might be a better option to try cutting your carbs to a more reasonable level (say 100-150grams) and trying to get them from filling whole grains, veggies and fruits before you go all out Atkins.

toysbigkid

eat healthy, veggies and fruits the most of and everything else sparingly, whole unproccessed and light on dairy. You'll do fine. Oh, and don't forget to move the body any which way for exercise, all that equals a lifetime of good habits. Now, if I can only follow my own rule, lol. (kidding, I'm doing ok)

vsecret921

eat healthy, veggies and fruits the most of and everything else sparingly, whole unproccessed and light on dairy. You'll do fine. Oh, and don't forget to move the body any which way for exercise, all that equals a lifetime of good habits. Now, if I can only follow my own rule, lol. (kidding, I'm doing ok)

I just started the c25k program and I'm feeling good! I am eating more fruits and veggies and Just stuck my bread "stuff" in the freezer so i have to think really hard if I want it!