Atkins?

BogQueen1

I've tried Atkin's so many times. At least 4 times in the past year. I just can't make it work for me anymore. I lost about 60 pounds on it when I was younger, but anymore, I just can't give up my red wine and chocolate. Not to mention fruit. Principles of dieting like volumizing with lots of vegetables and monitoring your glycemic index, things I think are very valid, just don't have a place in this diet. Not to mention the heavy reliance on supplementation (since you can't get anywhere close to your daily requirements for vitamins on this diet) and the fact that some of the things recommended are ridiculously heavily processed (protein bars and shakes?), it's just not for me anymore.

Not going to comment on saturated fat and cholesterol. I don't think we fully understand how many of these nutrients fully impact us and truly believe that the healthiest diet is one that is minimally processed, and full of fresh produce, legumes, nuts, minimal whole grain, and low in meat as well. I can't say I will ever eliminate meat, but I really don't eat more then one to two servings a day normally, so Atkin's just about killed me with all the meat eating I had to do.

islandmonkey

Any ideas for low carb veggies? I LOVE broccoli but it's not too low carb so I have to not eat too much of it. Hrmph.

Edited to be less *****y.

Please, PLEASE don't be afraid of ANY vegetables, especially broccoli.


Also, please read up on the difference between simple and complex carbs. Broccoli is not something that needs to be avoided.

ExplorinLauren

LOVE low carb... In fact I'm following 1st phase of Atkins starting today (again) ... I've done it mannnnnny time before, but usually just to drop a few pounds. lol I've spent the last 6 months learning "how" to eat... and following low cal, high protein. The scale isn't budging for me recently, so doing Atkins hoping to jumpstart it.
You're going to get a million answers...and everyone is either gonna love it, or gonna hate it... but this is about whatever works for YOU.
I myself, am not a huge 'carb' craver... so I don't find low carb difficult. I loveeeeeeeeee salad, ribeyes, bacon, eggs, cheeses, broccoli, veggies, slim jims, .... so it isn't a big deal for me. I do like grilled potatoes, but a small sacrifice isn't enough to keep me from doing it. lol I'm also not a big fruit person... so it works for me.

zynx1234

Instead of Atkins try the Paleo or Primal diets/life styles.....

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I wanted to give you my opinion....this is not based on research studies or internet articles, it's what happened to me specifically.
A large amount of the damage done to my body was due to being misinformed about the diet. My mother had me try it when I was 13, but she basically said 'You can eat as many meats and vegetables as you want. This was incorrect.

Please note I AM diabetic, so that probably had something to do with it, I'd image insulin resistance would provoke the same outcome?

I was on and off this diet for two years and I lost ....maybe 30 pounds. The problem that was caused laid hidden, because I didn't notice the problem. My triglycerides were marked at 1,200....

This caused a bout of pancreantitis, which was very painful and almost killed me.

Now I am NOT saying to not do this diet if you feel it's right for you. I will however ask you, guilt free, to educate yourself on the progress, and get your doctor involved. You can't go at certain foods constantly (Say...two hamburgers a day) just because you are on the Atkins diet, it is not a quick fix! You really need to watch your saturated fat levels and anything with trans fat really should be eliminated. I know I might get some nasty comments about my opinion, but I don't care....it's more important to be honest. Please get your doctor involved in your diet plan... stripping the body of all carbs is a major chemical change in your body. I felt so betrayed when I found out my try's were that high because I killed myself doing a diet uninformed and I was as unhealthy as ever. Also Ketosis felt like CRAP.

So ....short version: Educate yourself, visit your doctor regularly. I wish you the best of luck in your journey.

If your mom had read the book, the outcome would have been different.

Also, high triglycerides come from too much sugar, not fat.

Trigs are lipids (fats) that, in excess, can increase your risk of heart attack or stroke. Eating foods high in sugar, starch or fat can dramatically raise trig levels in your blood. If your trig levels are elevated (a simple blood test can tell), you'll want to cut back on sweet and starchy foods.

Unfortunately, changing your diet may not always do the job. That's because there are other, less common reasons why some people develop high trigs.

These include:
Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes
Diabetes, especially in combination with obesity, can boost your trig levels way up. Controlling your blood sugar can help bring trig levels back down.
Low levels of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism)
High levels of trigs and cholesterol (another blood fat) may signal that your thyroid isn't producing enough hormones. If this is true for you, taking medication for your thyroid will help.
Kidney disease
High trigs and low HDL (good) cholesterol levels may signal that you're developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). This is a condition you'll need to discuss with a doctor; together you can determine your best treatment options.
Alcohol consumption
Drinking alcohol can cause a rapid rise in trig levels—especially if you have a family history of lipid problems. If you're drinking regularly and blood tests show that your trig levels are high, consider cutting out alcohol.

Sloth_TurtleGirl

I did the Atkins diet years ago. I can't really say anything negative. I felt great on the diet. I went off, ate spaghetti on a cheat and got super sick. My body responded very well to Atkins. But, I had young kids and I just couldn't eat like that. You can be on Atkins and eat low calorie. Meat is more filling. Currently, I've found myself sticking with meat and veggies more than anything. I blamed the diet at the time I quit. But, now realize I probably had issues with pasta and other type so food like that. Not having them, and then reintroducing them to my system probably made me ill. But, I do love my ice cream, so I can't see myself doing Atkins again.

Many people actually recommend that people shop the outer aisles of the grocery store which is kind of Atkins like if you are hitting the meat and veggies. It might be a good idea to just do that. Eat a lot of veggies if you are a volume eater. I know that is technically against Atkins. Once you are through the beginning few weeks, you can eat a lot more on Atkins. People tend to focus on those first couple of weeks.

RingSize8

I really feel like most people DID NOT listen to what I was asking for, nor what I said. First of all, I DON'T EAT MEAT. ...so telling me not to eat all hamburgers or bacon is just silly. Secondly, I was asking for vegetables that are low carb for the first two weeks. I didn't say I wasn't eating broccoli. I actually ate two cups of it yesterday. I'm trying to incorporate in as many vegetables as possible for the phase of the diet I'm on - how could anyone take that, and tell me I'm eating a diet where I can't have vegetables, or I'm not going to eat enough vegetables? Let's think about things before we post them on the internet.

If you have some snide remarks you just HAVE to make, make them somewhere else. ...as for everyone else that gave me what I was looking for, I appreciate it.

Again, I'm eating a diet that's primarily made up of proteins, lean proteins at that, and vegetables, how is that unhealthy? Not to mention the fact that I was 214 2 days ago, and today I'm 209.

So, one more time, if you have any SUGGESTIONS for me that will help me with Atkins, I welcome it, if not, please gripe somewhere else.

amoffatt

:bigsmile: Good luck

Edited to say: If it works for you then keep at it. I havent personally tried it myself though so I cannot suggest what to eat on it.

LPCoder

I have been doing low carb, healthy fat. Going crazy on the eggs or high fat is not a good idea. I have one egg and one egg white omelet, grill a bunch of chicken (skinless) and chop it up to put in a bowl in the fridge. Same thing with beef. Choose a lean roast and allow the fat to drip off in the oven. then dice to keep in the fridge. Eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies. Avoid high starch fruits and veggies like, cantaloupe, potatoes, soy. Also no bread, rice and most grains. Drink unsweetened almond milk, or coconut milk. Use coconut flour or almond flour to bake with (get a good cookbook). Eat fish as well. If it comes in a box, don't buy it. try using Stevia for sweetening your life up! Also, choose non-fat milk products (cottage cheese, other cheeses, greek yogurt, sour cream, but NOT fat-free mayo)

Look for products that use pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds. I like Go Raw products. They make a pumpkin bar that I use for a bread substitute when I make tuna salad or chicken salad. (Don't buy their chocolate flavored chips, blech!)

Hope this helps!

oneorangecat

Their website has a lot of free info including lists of foods and carbohydrates amounts www.Atkins.com. I have been playing around with it while on here and I suspect it works (or seems to) because it ends up being low calories. I did some research and everything says people lose more on Atkins but then as with all diets can gain weight back. I am thinking about tracking here and eating mainly protein and veggies. Since January I lost almost 30 lbs with the best weeks being following Atkins and I paused for the summer and have not gained.