Atkins - Does it work? How much did you lose on Induction?

EatClean_WashUrNuts

1) For weight loss and a "Short-term fix" it works. But you will still need to find a healthier Lifestyle/Diet to keep it off and maintain a healthy living. If you have issues with Cholesterol, it will help...but again, it's short-term.

2) some good reading here on the concerns to make this your lifestyle - "The American Dietetic Association also has concerns about the Atkins diet. Gail Frank, PhD, former spokeswoman for the organization and professor of nutrition at California State University in Long Beach, says, "The body needs a minimum of carbohydrates for efficient and healthy functioning -- about 150 grams daily." Below that, normal metabolic activity is disrupted.

"The brain needs glucose to function efficiently, and it takes a long time to break down fat and protein to get to the brain," says Frank. Carbohydrates, especially in the form of vegetables, grains, and fruits, are more efficiently converted to glucose. And this more efficient use of glucose has developed over a long period of time, according to Frank. "Fruits and berries are much more indicative of early man's eating pattern than eating only protein, and we haven't changed all that much physiologically."


Also, note that Atkins, himself, died of Cardiac Arrest.

So let me ask you....are you in it for the short-haul, or for life and long health? If its the short-haul, just go get Lipo

highervibes

Also, note that Atkins, himself, died of Cardiac Arrest.

Pretty sure he fell on ice and died of related injuries. I see this all the time. Turns out people just regurgitate rumours they hear as fact. Not that cool.

highervibes

I did atkins for 2 months last year June. I lost 2 stone is two months and after the induction felt great......BUT i started eating properly and i have put on 3 stone! So i am heavier now than i was before. It is a really boring diet and does drain you out of your energy for about a week. The food is very repetitive and there is a lots of fat involved which is not good for you. I would not recommend that diet to anyone, but it is your own choice. If you have anymore questions, ask.

You don't gain 3 stone eating properly, sorry but this isn't Atkins' fault, it's yours.

gracetillman

In the past I had success losing weight on Atkins. In the past I failed at keeping the weight off on Atkins. I could not maintain a low carb lifestyle for the rest of my life. I missed too many of my favorite foods and would slowly try to add them back and as I did the scale would rise.

If you would not miss certain foods which are severely restricted on Atkins (for me it was bread and pasta) then you may be a better candidate than I was for Atkins long term.

I also recommend you read the entire book before you start so you know how the whole plan fits together.

EatClean_WashUrNuts

Also, note that Atkins, himself, died of Cardiac Arrest.

Pretty sure he fell on ice and died of related injuries. I see this all the time. Turns out people just regurgitate rumours they hear as fact. Not that cool.

Yeah yeah, be that way...LOL He did suffer one, though.

jsiricos

I have the snack bars and shakes on hand, not to do the whole Atkins thing, but to supplement my regular diet. They are good to have for when I need a snack, or am away from home, driving at lunchtime (Diabetic)

highervibes

Also, note that Atkins, himself, died of Cardiac Arrest.

Pretty sure he fell on ice and died of related injuries. I see this all the time. Turns out people just regurgitate rumours they hear as fact. Not that cool.

Yeah yeah, be that way...LOL He did suffer one, though.

He suffered a what? a cardiac arrest? cardiac arrest is the cessasion of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract. Everybody who dies suffers cardiac arrest LOL Sometimes if can be CAUSED by a heart attack (which is not the same thing) but in this case I think that seems to be what you are trying to imply. Every single person who died, EVER... suffers cardiac arrest.

smb1186

I have been doing a low carb approach/ Atkins like and so far have been really enjoying it. I am definitely a carb and cheese addict, and once I start eating I find it difficult to stop. I noticed I especially was bloated and puffy daily and just had a sluggish feel. About four weeks ago, I resolved to give up bread, pasta, sweets, and diet soda. The first four days were hell, exhausted, headaches. I would eat a banana some mornings due to carb crash which would help a lot. Once I got through the initial phase I felt amazing. I have not cheated and had any soda since. I realize people don't want to cut out carbs and feel a diet long term is not healthy, but I feel so much better without the unhealthy carbs and sugar in my diet. My splurges are ceasar salads (no croutons) and I eat lots of nuts and fruit and nut mixes. I had pizza this past weekend as a Mother's Day splurge and I felt terrible the next day. A typical day for me is scrambled eggs for breakfast and coffee, nuts for a snack, chicken breast and broccoli for dinner, afternoon snack of almonds/or half a protein bar, and then a salad with meat for dinner. I absolutely plan to have splurge nights but I save them for a girls night out/wedding/holiday and I don't go overboard if I splurge. So far I have lost 10 pounds in under a month and am feeling great. I am also saving money by prepping lunches ahead of time and not buying in the cafeteria at work! I know this is not for everyone, but although I have no allergies I find I am sensitive to carbs. Another great side effect is my out of control appetite is under control and I don't crave sugar and carbs anymore, I feel like food is not constantly on my mind or controlling my life.

SanteMulberry

I follow a low carb approach (not any in particular, just low carb so my sugar cravings stay away as well as my blood sugar stays consistent as I'm insulin resistant) I ALSO count calories, because no matter what you eat you can not lose weight if you're eating too much of it. I believe this gives me an edge because I do learn portion control and I also learn which carbs affect me more negatively (sweet potatoe is much better than wonderbread :P)

I lost a fair bit the first couple of weeks, 7lbs but the rest seems to come off about 1lbs/week. I eat about 1800 on days I"m not active to about 2000 on days which I am. Seems to work just fine for me and I am learning a lot about myself in the process. I don't expect to gain anything back even when I add in more carbs because I will still be eating aroung 1800 calories/day. The bottom line is no matter what you choose, too many calories is going to undermine your efforts so evne though Atkins says not to count calories I would count them based on your TDEE -20,15,10% whatever.

Yep--I would second this. I also have blood sugar issues so cutting back on carbs was essential for me (in addition to increasing my activity, which I have). I lost a lot more weight at first but then it settled in to about 1 pound a week and the last three or four months, it has been about 1/2 pound per week. I never feel deprived. But I prefer to call what I do as "lower carb" eating--I do not recommend ketotic diets. The reason why Atkins works is that you get so sick of eating meat, eggs, fish, etc. after a while that you cut way back in your eating. It is impossible to overeat on protein for days at a time (at least it was for me). But I don't think it is a healthy diet to stay on long-term. On lower carb eating, I usually stay between 70 to 100 grams of carbohydrate per day--I let it drift up toward 120 on my heavier exercise days. I get good appetite control at that level (I'm never hungry) and I consistently lose. I'm never tempted to binge because I don't eat sugary foods, which I feel contribute to binge eating for people with leptin-resistance, which I undoubtedly have. I don't eat any food with added sugar (now I find that on the rare occasion when I do have a bite of something like cake that it is WAAAAY too sweet). And I also took myself off of gluten because I felt it was contributing to my severe reflux and other digestive problems. The good news is that my reflux and digestive complaints have gone away and even my arthritis has improved on gluten-free eating. I generally have no problem staying within my allotted calories. Sometimes I have the opposite problem, pushing myself to eat a bit more when I don't really feel like it. (I generally try to "net" around 1,200 as if I don't, I might start losing too quickly and then feel totally dragged out).

I always eat at least one serving of fruit per day and lots of vegetables (and I eat mashed potatoes too--a personal favorite that would be a no-no on Atkins, I think). I don't miss the sweets and the bread but that's just me. Other people find that part hard to stick with. When I get to maintenance (it will probably take me at least another year because I actually want to lose very slowly) I will stay under 150 grams of carbs per day. I should be able to maintain at that level of carbs but if my weight starts to creep up, I will cut the carbs back down to 120-130. Good luck!

thecakelocker

I think the best Atkins story I've ever heard was from an acquaintance that lost a good amount of weight and then had what she described as a "Ring Ding Breakdown" while grocery shopping one day. She's kept it off but she also quit Atkins.

Personally, I did it for a month, hated it and felt horrible every minute of every day. I would never do it again.

tjolenee

I was in Atkins induction for 3 months a year ago. I was 165lbs. I exercised very little - walked my dog, calisthenics, ab lounge. By the time the 3 months was up, I was 130lbs and had dropped 4 pant sizes. But I love carbs, I just couldn't do it.

stephcollins91

I lost 14lbs in 2 weeks last year when I tried it before going on holiday. I quit because i only did it to get down before going away. I've started it again last week and lost 10lb so far, (I was 154lbs).

TanyaPress

I know this is an old post but wanted to comment on it for anyone else who stumbles across it. I restrict my carbohydrate intake and in my personal experience it works very well for me. I have energy, feel great, and sleep well. All of my blood work is excellent and my dietician is happy with how balanced m diet is.

A lot of people interpret the low carb eating plans incorrectly. The biggest mistake I see is that people assume it is an easy way to shed pounds while eating anything without carbs. Not true. You still need to make wise choices and commit to a healthy lifestyle. A pack of bacon is a BAD choice…an egg white omelet with spinach, flax meal, cheddar and avocado is a GOOD choice. The underlying issue of bad food choices is what needs to be corrected, or the weight will come back with any diet.

Furthermore, you do need to eat some carbs, but how many, when, and which type is what makes the big difference. Quoted from Atkins, all carbs are not created equally. It is about learning to stabilize your blood sugar, especially for sugar junkies like myself. Insulin, glucose, epinephrine, cortisol and growth hormone (to name a few) are all affected by blood sugar levels. In my opinion a whacked out hormonal system is a major contributing factor in yo-yo dieting. Getting my blood sugar on an even keel has been monumental in my weight loss. Everyone is different and everyone’s body will react differently to what is put in it, so keep that in mind. Atkins may not be for everyone. For me it great!!

Tyree985

I found success while on Atkins and I lost around 15 pounds during induction. I gained the weight back (so maybe not so successful)after I stopped because I found it difficult to maintain low carb. You are supposed to gradually add back carbs until you reach the appropriate level where you are still losing but do not have to avoid so many carbs. That's the part that got me every time; I would start to binge once I ate carbs again. It addition, you have to really plan ahead because you don't want to get stuck hungry with no appropriate snacks and trust me after a while you get tired of ordering a cheeseburger without the bun. Like I said, it works just plan ahead and read the book/or do some research so you will do it correctly. Good luck!

Minks_esposa

I think low carb is good for those who struggle with high blood sugar but people like me who have hypoglycemia it's not good. I've tried Atkins off and on throughout the years and it's always made me sick and miserable. I think the longest I've stayed on low carb was for almost a week and the side effects get worse and worse as the days go on. I get very dizzy, anxious, blurred vision, sweaty, rapid heart beat, insomnia, *****y, fatigued, lethargic, etc. The only thing that raises my blood sugar back into the normal range is carbs, protein doesn't. I just count calories now but definitely do what works best for you.

WannabeStressFree

I've been on the FAt Belly Cure, the plan is limiting on sugar 15g daily and 120 g of total carbs a day, so you do get carbs, and don't feel too crazy. When I go running I do eat sugar as in my recovery drinks and bars.
But in my daily life, the 15g of sugar limit works great when at an office birthday party, full of junk and sweets.
I used to crave sugar but the cravings stopped since I started this plan. I haven't lost crazy amounts of weight, but it's been def a little push towards the right direction, I calorie count and it helps to not have too much sugar in my life. I'm still aiming for a balanced diet.

strongmindstrongbody

I lose weight just fine with carbs. Calorie deficit is my #1 concern. I've been on this journey since January, averaging a lb a week loss. Then these past 2 weeks I managed to lose 10.5 lbs. What did I do differently? Lowered my calories further.

I've done Atkins in the past and it is a fine diet if you like foods higher in protein and fat. Too unnecessarily restrictive if you do like carbs, IMO.

Amitysk

I have done Atkins and it worked for me initially. I was never able to stick with it long term because I always wanted to add too much bread, chips etc back in. Now, I consider myself lower carb. Typically my day is under 100g and usually from fruit and veggies. I will say though, if I want to have pasta, a sandwich, a baked potator or a handful of chips, I'm going to have them. After about 6 months of eating this way, I don't feel restricted at all.



edited for spelling

bleep

I did it a few years ago and lost weight easily but I found I'm not a fan of it. I read and followed the Atkins 2002 book btw.

I have a co-worker that lost about 70 lbs following the Atkins diet and he did this about 10 years ago. To this day he is still his slim self, in good shape and still uses the Atkins plan. (he's been in the final phase for years now. maintenance I think) He also started riding his bike to work several years ago which helps because he does eat bread sometimes though. He really likes his hamburgers WITH BUN lol, just not that often.


Personally, these days, I'm going the lowish carb route but not Atkins level.

highervibes

I did it a few years ago and lost weight easily but I found I'm not a fan of it. I read and followed the Atkins 2002 book btw.

I have a co-worker that lost about 70 lbs following the Atkins diet and he did this about 10 years ago. To this day he is still his slim self, in good shape and still uses the Atkins plan. (he's been in the final phase for years now. maintenance I think) He also started riding his bike to work several years ago which helps because he does eat bread sometimes though. He really likes his hamburgers WITH BUN lol, just not that often.


Personally, these days, I'm going the lowish carb route but not Atkins level.

I think most people would be surprise how "low" their carbs would be if they were getting adequate protein and fat. I don't think 168 is low carb but it's not exactly what I would consider high either (with respect to my macros)