Atkins curious

spm2010

I am just wondering if anyone has tried or is on the Atkins diet. I know I did it in highschool and in 2 mths dropped 18lbs, which is great when your teased in highschool for not being skinny. So I was wondering whose on it and what are your results.

DeanBurrows

I was on the Keto Diet not that long ago which is were Atkins comes from except Keto has High Fat/Protein intake were as Atkins is low Fat.

I lost 7lbs in a week and only gained only 1lb after coming off it.

If you're willing to do it again but just make sure you are eating more than 1200 calories, i've seen this low calorie intake number too many times now and it's not healthy. (unless you are very petite ofc)

lauren3101

Everyone I know that has done Atkins (and there has been a few) has lost weight very quickly then piled it all back on again when they start eating carbs again. That's not to mention the smelly breath, the lack of energy but difficulty in sleeping, and the irritableness.

No 'diet' works in the long run. Just eat a healthy balance of everything, you will feel better for it, trust me.

celebrity328

I am doing the Keto diet also for health reasons

In 9 months I have lost 65lbs, keep in mind that is having problems with insulin resistance/pcos so those results are not bad for my condition.

mrso97

Everyone I know that has done Atkins (and there has been a few) has lost weight very quickly then piled it all back on again when they start eating carbs again. That's not to mention the smelly breath, the lack of energy but difficulty in sleeping, and the irritableness.

No 'diet' works in the long run. Just eat a healthy balance of everything, you will feel better for it, trust me.

^^^^^^^^^^^this...:)

bathsheba_c

Honestly, you are better off in the long run just using MFP as it was designed and trying to get a good balance of macros. That way, you are learning how to eat properly and returning to a healthy weight as a nice bonus. With Atkins and other diets in general, you learn how to eat to lose weight, but gain it back as soon as the diet ends.

spm2010

bathsheba, I see what your saying, I am just a major carb addict and this seems like the best way to try and get rid of the cravings.

jjrichard83

I have tried so many diets, and they ALL work in the short term... Long term should be the goal, not fad diets and MLM bull****.

celebrity328

Unless you have a medical condition that would require you to be on a low carb diet I wouldnt suggest it. Like stated above after you lose all the weight and go back to a "regular diet" you will gain all that weight back! Over the holidays I allowed myself foods I knew were high in carbs/sugars and on my no no list and gained 13lbs

bathsheba_c

bathsheba, I see what your saying, I am just a major carb addict and this seems like the best way to try and get rid of the cravings.

I'm a big carb person, too. What percentage of your calories are you getting from carbs? The two changes I found helpful were to reduce my portion size and to switch to less calorie-dense carbs, like buckwheat.

If that's not enough, and I can't believe I'm actually recommending this, you might want to look up paleo/primal diets. There are groups on here for people who are into that. The basic idea is to eat a hunter-gatherer diet, though there are different definitions of what that means.

lauriem1966

I lost 65 pounds doing Atkins but gained it all back. I honestly do love the way I feel eating low-carb, its just not sustainable for me. I don't even lose weight faster doing it. When I feel 100% on plan, my carbs are below 100 grams, and that's low enough for me now. Its really hard to give up fruit while doing induction and going thru the rungs...I love my fruit!!

One thing that has stuck with me from my Atkins experience is that fat is not the enemy....refined processed foods are, and if you can cut those out of your life, you're better off.

lauriem1966

Everyone I know that has done Atkins (and there has been a few) has lost weight very quickly then piled it all back on again when they start eating carbs again. That's not to mention the smelly breath, the lack of energy but difficulty in sleeping, and the irritableness.

No 'diet' works in the long run. Just eat a healthy balance of everything, you will feel better for it, trust me.

I didn't lose weight quickly, took me more than a year to lose 65 pounds. The bad breath in the beginning was brutal, but I had tonnes of energy and no problems sleeping. I'm always irritable, no matter what, no difference there
Took me 6 years to gain it all back....maintenance is my biggest issue.

spm2010

bathsheba, I see what your saying, I am just a major carb addict and this seems like the best way to try and get rid of the cravings.

I'm a big carb person, too. What percentage of your calories are you getting from carbs? The two changes I found helpful were to reduce my portion size and to switch to less calorie-dense carbs, like buckwheat.

If that's not enough, and I can't believe I'm actually recommending this, you might want to look up paleo/primal diets. There are groups on here for people who are into that. The basic idea is to eat a hunter-gatherer diet, though there are different definitions of what that means.

So basically meats, eggs and unprocessed foods right?

corneredbycorn

If you're a carb addict, it is very unlikely for anything low carb to be sustainable for you in the long run.

I tried primal a few months ago and found it wasn't sustainable for me (I love pasta!) but I did like how I felt on a high fat, mod protein, mod carb plan and have my macros set at 50/25/25 f/p/c. It works for me. Each day, I can eat one serving of grains, one serving of starchy veg, and lots of berries and be at or under my carb goal every day.

jjrichard83

bathsheba, I see what your saying, I am just a major carb addict and this seems like the best way to try and get rid of the cravings.

I'm a big carb person, too. What percentage of your calories are you getting from carbs? The two changes I found helpful were to reduce my portion size and to switch to less calorie-dense carbs, like buckwheat.

If that's not enough, and I can't believe I'm actually recommending this, you might want to look up paleo/primal diets. There are groups on here for people who are into that. The basic idea is to eat a hunter-gatherer diet, though there are different definitions of what that means.

So basically meats, eggs and unprocessed foods right?

I did this and grew tired after months, which is why I switched to a plant based diet. Unprocessed food is a GREAT start. If you must do meat, try as little red meat as possible. All meat is acid forming, so if you're working out, try to get your protein from shakes on workout days to try and limit inflamation which may reduce the onset muscle soreness. At least that worked for me.

cmriverside

If you're a carb addict, it is very unlikely for anything low carb to be sustainable for you in the long run.

I tried primal a few months ago and found it wasn't sustainable for me (I love pasta!) but I did like how I felt on a high fat, mod protein, mod carb plan and have my macros set at 50/25/25 f/p/c. It works for me. Each day, I can eat one serving of grains, one serving of starchy veg, and lots of berries and be at or under my carb goal every day.

I'm a pretty carboholic person, too, if I allow myself to be. The issue for me with carbs (at least breads and grains) is that when I eat them, it's hard to stop. Sugar is pretty much out for me. I don't follow any paleo/primal thing, but my macros are the same as yours basically. It gives me about 100g carbs a day and I eat the same way you do. My macros are set at 45F/30C/25P. It works really well for weight loss, maintenance, and cravings regulation.

.

dsapb

Last July, I read the book Wheat Belly. On August 1, I gave up wheat, sugar, corn, potatoes, and rice. I only planned on giving up wheat, but I'm a type 2 diabetic, so I decided to do it right. By Christmas, I had lost 35 pounds without ever being hungry or craving anything. Three years ago, I took off 60 pounds basically by starving myself. Last summer, I realized I had gained 20 pounds back over the last 2 years. I decided I had to do something, but the thought of starving myself again was not appealing. That's when I heard Bill O'Reilly mention Wheat Belly several times on his show. He claimed he had lost 20 pounds and felt great. So I bought the book and read it. I'm glad I did. I still need to lose about 15 pounds and I hope to get that off by this summer coming up. The great thing about low carb is that it stops the cravings and the hunger.

LavenderBouquet

bathsheba, I see what your saying, I am just a major carb addict and this seems like the best way to try and get rid of the cravings.

I'm a big carb person, too. What percentage of your calories are you getting from carbs? The two changes I found helpful were to reduce my portion size and to switch to less calorie-dense carbs, like buckwheat.

If that's not enough, and I can't believe I'm actually recommending this, you might want to look up paleo/primal diets. There are groups on here for people who are into that. The basic idea is to eat a hunter-gatherer diet, though there are different definitions of what that means.

So basically meats, eggs and unprocessed foods right?

I did this and grew tired after months, which is why I switched to a plant based diet. Unprocessed food is a GREAT start. If you must do meat, try as little red meat as possible. All meat is acid forming, so if you're working out, try to get your protein from shakes on workout days to try and limit inflamation which may reduce the onset muscle soreness. At least that worked for me.

The mainstay of the primal eating style I've been reading about in Mark Sisson's book is mostly vegetable based with healthy sources of protein and fat. No grain, no refined sugar, no processed food. I'm just starting to incorporate this, so I'm no expert on primal eating but I thought I'd add my two cents.

juanatere

So those who give up whole grains/carbs....how do you get your grains that help with healthy digestion, etc.? I am constantly told that because I am trying to limit my carbs my fiber intake is suffering. If your fiber intake suffers you end up in the long run with a colonoscopy bag???? just parroting the docs who advocate whole grain intake?

corneredbycorn

So those who give up whole grains/carbs....how do you get your grains that help with healthy digestion, etc.? I am constantly told that because I am trying to limit my carbs my fiber intake is suffering. If your fiber intake suffers you end up in the long run with a colonoscopy bag???? just parroting the docs who advocate whole grain intake?

Fiber is quite abundant in fruits and vegetables.

http://www.wehealny.org/healthinfo/dietaryfiber/fibercontentchart.html

As you can see, you can easily ingest enough fiber through other sources than grains.

spm2010

The only diets thats ever worked was Atkins, its hard yes but I got a bread maker as a gift and found myself eating a whole loaf by myself, with butter of course. I dont like pasta (and Im Italian how horrible lol) or rice so I don't even eat that and won't miss it. I have digestion problems as a result of meds I was put on last year so high fibre foods don't even work for me, over the counter products do. I think my carbs are set at 225 and I don't even know why, that seems high. I'll check out that Wheat Belly book. Thanks for everyones tips and advice.