Is anyone else doing the Atkins diet?

funkycamper

Why do people gain weight when they quit doing the Atkin's plan? Simple. They didn't actually follow the plan correctly. It is not and was never intended to be a crash diet or a no-carb plan. And it's the media that have claimed you can eat 3000 calories of bacon and not gain weight, not Atkins.

Those who are so anti-Atkins (or any other low-carb plan) are either uninformed of how they really work or are just trolls. I believe there are some of each in this thread.

Atkins begins with 2 weeks at very low carbs, I don't recall off-hand if it's 20 or 30 per day. This was never intended to be a long-term way of eating. Yet, I would bet my last dollar that the majority of those who are anti-low carb believe this is how Atkins intended you to eat long-term. Poppycock!

After the first 2 weeks, you are supposed to go into the OWL phase (ongoing weight loss). This means that you add 5 carbs/day to your food plan each week. So, first week of OWL, you might eat 35 carbs/day, go up to 40 carbs/day in week 2, to 45 carbs/day in week 3, and so on. You keep adding carbs back in until you get to the stage where you are losing about 1# per week while feeling satiated and not experiencing cravings for carb-heavy foods. If you go into a long-term weight loss plateau where you are no longer losing and/or you start getting cravings, you drop back 5 grams/day for a week, then again if needed, until you hit your sweet spot where you can lose without cravings while feeling satiated. When adding carbs, you should start with non-starchy vegetables and berries. If you find that you can eat a significant amount of non-starchy vegetables berries without stopping your loss or getting cravings, you can add in more fruit and/or small servings of starchier items. This is the phase where you find out what your particular limit is. For example, some folks can add in some bread and be fine, some can't. Some can only go up to about 50 grams/carb daily and some can go up to 100 grams/carb/day, some even more.

So, if OWL is done successfully, you find the right level for you and stay there throughout your entire weight loss. Again, the amount of carbs might vary greatly from person-to-person and be as low as about 50 grams/day to 150 grams/day. No, none of us are special snowflakes but we all have variance in our body's response to carbs based on our many factors.

Exercise: Atkins encourages exercise and, yes, it is very likely that someone doing a lot of it, especially long cardio if they're, for example, training for a marathon, will need more carbs.

Last summer, I was training for a 200-mile bike ride event (2 days, 100 miles each). During that time, on long ride training days only, I drastically increased my carbs or I would bonk. But I couldn't eat that high of carb on days without long rides or I would get carb lethargy (where eating too many carbs would raise my blood sugars too much causing me to want to just sleep).

So, yeah, carb amounts need to be adjusted for our individual variances in our response to carbs plus our exercise load.

Once you have reached your goal weight comes the final Atkins phase of maintenance. This means that you increase your carb intake until you find the level where you can eat it on a daily basis without gaining. Again, you should add 5 grams/carb/day and stay at that level for a week, then jump another 5, and so on in order to find that level.

Again, maintenance levels will vary. Some might need to stay as low as 75 grams/day and some might be able to go over 200 grams/day.

I really don't see much difference between this and the eating plans that some tout who are also anti-carb. I mean, many here at MFP say that you should eat about 1 gram protein per pound of body weight (or lean body weight) and about 0.5 gram fat per pounds of body weight (or lean body weight). I hear both regard to whether it's body weight or lean body so....well, whatever. And then they say to fill up the rest of your calories left with carbs. After the induction stage, that basically what Atkins is telling you to do as well. Sure, there's a tad bit of difference but the fundamentals are similar. Then once you get to goal, you up your calories to maintenance and fill it in with carbs. Again, just like Atkins.

I find it humorous that some of those who are most opposed to Atkins tout the eating style in the above paragraph which really isn't all that different from Atkins. The semantics are more different than the actual eating plans.

Laner25

Hi,

I did Atkins and lost about 8 lbs. Had much better luck with the Dukan diet. Lost 20 lbs in 2 months and kept it off, without keeping the restricted diet, after my weight loss.

IrishChik

Hi,
It is not recommended, as you will gain it all back when you quit. Heart Drs. do not like it at all, too much cheese,high cholesterol,bacon and other meats.
Good Luck
Sallyafe1

Funny since my Doctors (yes, more than one) recommended it due to a medical condition that makes me insulin resistant and makes it harder for me to lose weight.

A lot of people think about the old 1972 Atkins plan when they think about it.

While their are those that follow that plan, as well as that late 90s plan, their are a LOT of people that are following New Atkins New You from 2010 plan.

Believe it or not, I don't eat a lot of red meat and I am not eating bacon and other fatty foods every day. I am using olive oil, I eat olives and tons of greens. I dont miss my fruit because I get my nutrition from vegetables.

You only cut fruits for the first 14 days. There is a reason for that. After that, you can introduce it back.

Atkins has been the only plan that has helped me with whats going on with my body.

It does work if you stick with it. Those that are "trying again" are people who gave up for one reason or another.

lyfwithluv

Because bad carbs and sugar are so healthy....not so, even in moderation. This is to the uneducated...I literally worked out 2 hours a day and stayed at my appropriate caloric intake for 6 months and lost ten pounds. I was 100 lbs. over weight, so 10 lbs. was absolutely rediculous! I quit eating sugar and bad carbs with Atkins and am down 40 lbs. Whoever downs Atkins is highly uneducated about health. Doctors have now found cancer cells thrive off of glucose, which is carbs and sugar, because cancer cells cannot live without glucose. So guess what doctors are prescribing to cancer patients along with their treatment? You guessed it, a low carb no sugar diet. It's sad to see people here push the idea that all they need is to restrict calories to lose no matter what junk they fill their bodies with. Sugar and bad carbs are bad no matter how you limit it. It's poison for the body and if we choose not to eat poison then let us be....all of you who hate the idea keep on with poisoning your body add I will keep on with keep,ing it out of mine.

What makes a bad carb bad?

There are highly processed carbs and carbs that come from whole fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans, etc. I will not get into this with people here because you are not my doctor nor will you ever convince me that a carb is a carb, a fat is a fat, or how a calorie is a calorie. I have never felt better in my life and I am no longer pre diabetic either. If you are here to knock a whole food organic lifestyle because you believe garbage and chemicals posing as food in moderation is okay go elsewhere...I feel amazing and my tests from the doctor prove what I'm going is good for me.

kckrahn

I was going to ask the same thing about the need to redo again after some years. If it is as effective as it is, then why would there be a need to go back to it? Is it safe to say it's a band aid solution? I think I need more of an approach that I can handle from today and on.

I have always said that having been blessed to have been born into a Latino family, there's no way in heck I'd skip out on our wonderful (yes, carb-rich foods) for some months, let alone a lifetime! I can do it for 2 weeks, tops!, to lose some weight quick, but forever.... NADA!

And, this is the kind of attitude that gives Atkins a bad name. Read the book! The first two weeks are the most restrictive, then you can slowly add your carbs back in. SLOWLY so you can see what foods trigger weight loss stalls or weight gain.

If you add healthy carbs back you won't gain the weight back. Like any diet if you binge after,you are going to get fat again. People need to read the book instead of making these ignorant comments.

elisa123gal

the snack bars are great...the chocolate one i love. I did low carb for five weeks..didn't lose a thing..it didn't work for me. but those snack bars are tasty and a good product.

kckrahn

Hi,
It is not recommended, as you will gain it all back when you quit. Heart Drs. do not like it at all, too much cheese,high cholesterol,bacon and other meats.
Good Luck
Sallyafe1

This isn't true. The new Atkins is all about veggies and protein. Please don't make comments like this without being fully educated on the subject.

kckrahn

I am skeptical of any diet plan that says you can eat as much as you want so long as you don't eat X. It does not matter what X is I just don't see it being true. If you eat 3000 calories of Beef and you only burned 2200 calories in a day I think you are going to gain weight regardless of where or not you have completely avoided carbs and sugar.

Hahaha. Actually on Atkins a woman is suppose to eat between 1500 and 1700 and a guy around 1900 and 2000. Read the book and get educated as this is 100 percent incorrect.

kckrahn

i want to know how the atkins works like do we only eat meat and thats it or can we have fruits and veggies ?? :embarassed:

It is about eating veggies, protein, healthy fat and Eliminating processed crap. You can read about it on the Atkins website.

GoddessG

I did it about 30 years ago. Kept the weight off for 20 years - until a lifestyle change that brought bread/pasta etc back into my daily eating - and I quit smoking (which added 30 lbs each of the two times I quit).

Now I'm back on LOW carb. It's not exactly Adkins because I don't eat vegetables or fruits. My goal is carbs under 10 a day. I have days that are under 5, but it takes the joy out of eating, so I'v given that up. I look forward to hearing the results of a blood test that I will have Monday morning. A comparison should be most interesting.

I get excited when I see the purple on the keto-stix. It reminds me that those ketones will not be used for fuel and are discarded before they can be. That can only mean that my body has to find energy somewhere else - making more ketones that will be sent down the toilet.

Atkins goes to more traditional eating beyond the induction phase. I prefer all eggs and meat plus a LITTLE cheese, though if I go out to dinner, I will add a salad with Blue Cheese dressing because it's lowest carb.

One thing that helps that wasn't available when Adkins came out are delicious protein shakes. I prefer Nectar by Syntrax. My favorites are Chocolate Truffle and Strawberry Mousse. this gives 24 grams of protein with no carbs and only 100 calories. I had a hard time getting enough protein until I started using them.

When I reached goal weight back then, I paid very close attention to my carb needs. I found that at 16, I lost weight. At 25, I gained it. So I set a goal of 20.

wcasie

doubt you should trust a diet created by someone who died of a heart attack! just saying

RotterdamNL

For me any off those known diets are bs and pure to generate money.

If you do research on your own on internet you can make your own diet easily.

But that my opinion

RotterdamNL

doubt you should trust a diet created by someone who died of a heart attack! just saying

This is not true btw, when he was 72 he fell of a step and bashed his head and went into a coma and died due complications

martinah4

doubt you should trust a diet created by someone who died of a heart attack! just saying

LOL! I bet you heard that on Facebook, where everything you read is true! *sarcasm*
No, he did not die of a heart attack.
He slipped and fell on the ice while walking to work.

med67

I am doing something they call Eco Atkins because I am a vegetarian. I basically have eliminated all bread, pasta, and sugar. I still eat plenty of veggies, some fruit and cheese and eggs. I feel so much better and in the past two weeks I have lost 9 lbs. Everyone is different but I think that Atkins can be very healthy for people who are carb sensitive and if the animal products aren't too overused!

mambagirl

Waaaay too much Ignorance in this Thread.Knowledge is POWER people! Please actually read the WHOLE book and don't base your views of the Atkins plan of stuff you heard.Read it for yourself......

Whats REALLY funny is that SO many people BAsh the Atkins plan when that is the exact plan that they are doing.I OFTEN hear on MFP things like this.....

"I eat .5-1 gram of Protein for every pound of lean body mass,the rest is fruits and veggies and I stay under 100 grams of Carbs."

"I eat LOTs of carbs everyday,but I exercise 2 hours a day."

Uhhhhhh,You are BURNING off all of those carbs(exercise),You are not storing them which is the WHOLe point of the Atkins plan.

When I completed my Atkins cycle and found That I could lose weight at anything below 95 carbs with NO exercise,More carbs with exercise...So..IMO,plenty of people are doing low carb,they just dont realize it and still bash the Atkins plan.

Atkins is about teaching YOU about YOUR body!!!! PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!!!

Its NOT about giving up your carbs forever,its about FINDING OUT how many carbs YOUR body accepts while still losing weight at a healthy rate every week.

The POINT of the first 2 weeks is to eliminate the cravings for Sugar and Carbs...Then you are SUPPPOSED to add back carbs SLOWLY every week to find out How many carbs your body accepts.You are supposed to add in beans,berries,nuts...healthy carbs...If done correctly and as written you will eventually eat the Types of carbs you always loved..just less.

That being said I think that the Atkins plan is Wonderful and it has taught the medical community so much.Mostly EVERY Commercial Diet plan(Weight Watchers,Jenny Craig,Nutri System) Changed their plans after seeing how effective and Scientificaly sound the Atkins plan was.....WW introduced the Core Plan..the others low glycemic plans..even Slim fast came out with higher Protein shakes and eliminated some carbs.

At my job when our Patients have to drop weigh fast for surgery the Dr's put them on Low carb,High Protein,High fat Shakes......Hmmmmmmmmmm.

The Cancer and Diabetes patients are given Low Carb diets too..I'm Happy that the medical community is finally catching up.

You can't burn fat when your insulin level is out of whack.Carbs and Sugar raise your Insulin..You can exercise it off,Eat less of it or a combination of both.

schondell

For Atkins to work you have to follow through with the diet plan and once you incorporate grains back into the diet, you're no longer "dieting" GET IT?

MaraDiaz

I am low carb, essentially following Atkins (none of the bars or other commercial stuff, though).

I intend to stay low carb the rest of my life. Because every time I try to sneak some carbs back in I get ravenously hungry and binge-prone again. And I hate being hungry.

Also, Atkins said in his book that if you don't exercise, you aren't doing Atkins. So don't expect good results or good health if you can't manage to work out at least sometimes (and I should be working out more myself).

JudiGM

Check out their website (atkins.com). There is a lot of great information. Be sure to check out the recipe link, very delicious and quick recipes!

JudiGM

I work for a physician and he has a weight loss program that uses the New Atkins diet. We have seen many numbers improve, such as blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, weight, triglycerides, energy levels. Just need to get past the initial cravings for grains and sweets and starches. After that, smooth sailing!