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Changing up diet. Good or bad idea?

fabulessmommy
fabulessmommy Posts: 40 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I started on my weight lose journey in July. I lost a few pounds but I decided to try to do it the Atkins way. I've been doing Atkins since August and I've lost 15pds. So what's the problem right? Well I decided it was time to find and exercise program to help tone as I lost weight. I've stopped losing weight and now I'm gaining. Yes, I know muscle weighs more than fat but the reason I was thinking of changing up my diet is because after I exercise I'm suppose to replace those calories. It's hard to do that without exceeding my daily carb limit (20g - 25g). I was thinking of changing up and following what MFP recommends for me. I’m would still limit my carbs but would eat more fruits and whole grains. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this and what they would recommend. Has anyone ever done this before and had better success with it?

Replies

  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,571 Member
    Research suggests you initially lose a lot on Atkins but it's hard to maintain. Sounds like you! Congratulations.

    What I've read suggests changing to 35-40% carbs is maintainable over the long term and will allow you to continue your success.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I think changing up the diet is good when you are chaging it to healthy foods like veggies and whole grains...it's only bad if you are adding in junk calories, which does not seem to be your plan!
  • knwitall
    knwitall Posts: 420 Member
    I don't believe Atkins is a lifestyle change. I think its more to lose weight fast. I think doing it the way MPF has suggested will be more of a lifetime benefit.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Another option you could entertain would be to set custom intake values. There's no reason you couldn't take your current intake and just make a small increase in carbohydrate rather than totally changing to MFP's defaults, which are basically the exact opposite of Atkins, LOL.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,438 MFP Moderator
    The issue with Atkins, along with most other diets, is they are all VLCD and over a long period of time become ineffective due to muscle loss during the weight loss program. You are better off setting a mild per week weight loss, adjust the macro's like sidesteel suggested (I usually do 35% carbs, 40% protein and 25% fats) and eat back some of your exercise calories (50-75%) in order to fuel your body and maintain your metabolic rate.

    Also but tone, I hope you mean heavy weight / low rep as this is much more effective at cutting fat (which is what toning actually is) than low weight / high rep. BTW, when you start weight training, you will gain weight (not fat) due to water retention in order to repair you muscles.
  • fabulessmommy
    fabulessmommy Posts: 40 Member
    I know. That's why the idea of changing it up kind of scares me but i do want to do something I can live with, be happy and healthy.
  • fabulessmommy
    fabulessmommy Posts: 40 Member
    The issue with Atkins, along with most other diets, is they are all VLCD and over a long period of time become ineffective due to muscle loss during the weight loss program. You are better off setting a mild per week weight loss, adjust the macro's like sidesteel suggested (I usually do 35% carbs, 40% protein and 25% fats) and eat back some of your exercise calories (50-75%) in order to fuel your body and maintain your metabolic rate.

    Also but tone, I hope you mean heavy weight / low rep as this is much more effective at cutting fat (which is what toning actually is) than low weight / high rep. BTW, when you start weight training, you will gain weight (not fat) due to water retention in order to repair you muscles.


    Actually I've started going to Zumba and part of the class is toning. I've also decided to start training for my first 5K.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    I know. That's why the idea of changing it up kind of scares me but i do want to do something I can live with, be happy and healthy.

    I agree with Sidesteel, change your macros manually. You can even try to do <100g a day carbs and it will still be considered by most to be a lower carb lifestyle, which shouldn't be hard since you've been living with <30g as of late.

    Please be mindful that any increase in carbs - or any change in diet, period - has the chance of temporarily making you fluctuate in your weight. When I raised my calories from 1400 to 1700, I initially stalled out. Once my body got used to the change and realized it would be receiving that amount of food regularly (and it could CHILL OUT), I began to lose again.

    Give any dietary changes a good 4-6, preferably 6-8 weeks before you rule on it officially. Your body does need time to adapt. Maybe tuck the scale away for a bit and concentrate on how you feel, or just weigh weekly.

    Best of luck.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Grains, whole or otherwise, aren't healthy. Gut health, auto-immune disease ...

    If you are low carb now and successfully using fat as a primary fuel source (and either losing weight or inches) then all you need to do is adjust your carb intake for the desired exercise intensity.

    Low level exercise can be sustained on fat stores, not much carbohydrate needed at all. Intense work will need some carbs to restore your muscles. I'd pick sweet potato as my preferred fuel. Or fruit.

    Also, the thing to remember on low carb is that supplementary salt is often needed to make up for that lost by the kidneys. Otherwise you can get fatigue symptoms.

    Atkins gets a bad name (and I'd agree that the original was too restrictive) but the core idea of adjusting carbs (to suit activity level) is solid.

    Why burn glucose (which is what all carbs end up as) when you can burn body fat?
  • TinGirl314
    TinGirl314 Posts: 430 Member
    This is a personal opinion not medical fact:
    The low carb life style was really hard on my body. I felt weak and tired all the time. I spoke with my doctor and even though I'm a diabetic, she said 150-200 g of carbs a day is good, as long as I'm being active and they aren't white carbs. All of my carbs are whole grains, and it seems to be working for me a lot better. I was on the original atkins for two years (YIKES I know! I was 13 at the time so I didn't really know what I was doing...) and I really didn't see the weight change.

    Again this is only my personal opinion, my other opinion is always consult your doctor, that's what they are there for. I think finding a healthy medium not only makes you healthier, but will make your maintenance easier as well.
  • needamulligan
    needamulligan Posts: 558 Member
    I have a few points here.

    1. initial weight loss will be the greatest and then level out. It may be unrealistic to expect a sustained, rapid weightloss
    2. adding exercise will often stall weight loss. From what I've read, new muscle tends to retain more fluid to repair itself.
    3. variety is the key to a healthy lifestyle. It's important to eat from all the food groups for good nutrition and long term management. Also, going a bit over your calorie limit/cheat days are good to keep your body from thinking that you are starving it.

    And, most important, I've done Atkins. It was probably 30 years ago. I lost about 70 lbs. Guess what, I gained ALL of it back. In fact, I gained 2 times that! Since then, I've found that there are good carbs. Whole grains, oatmeal, fruit, and beans are some examples of good carbs. I will caution you that re-introducing carbs can make you feel sick. Go easy if you are going to start eating carbs again.
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