Atkins-Going against all I believe!!!!

LauraDotts · November 2012

Please, someone, anyone, tell me about a "diet" or "eating plan" or "lifestyle change" that will keep the weight off if I stop following it and eat "normally" again.

rebeccap13 · November 2012

Please, someone, anyone, tell me about a "diet" or "eating plan" or "lifestyle change" that will keep the weight off if I stop following it and eat "normally" again.

It's called moderation... oh wait, that's also called eating "normally".

ggsmamma · November 2012

I am doing a program that is low carb - I'm following a book by Diane Kress called The Metabolism Miracle. It has three phases - step one is very restricted carbs and lasts at least eight weeks, step two adds in more carbs and you stay on it until you reach your comfortable size/weight, and the third maintenance step is a lifetime plan. I've lost 35 lbs since June and I feel good.

the great thing about this book is that it explained why I was gaining weight even with dieting and exercising and it helped me kind of wrap my head around what the problem is with me. I'm enjoying the plan and after I got through the first couple days of sugar/carb withdrawal I have not had cravings and have been easily able to stay on the plan.

With any program that you do, it is not supposed to be a quick fix. Regardless of the plan you are on, if you go back to doing what you did before you will always gain the weight back. It takes desire and commitment...you have to do both. When you are ready to change it will be easy.

My mom did a program a lot like this one (??) called South Beach. She has lost about 45# and has kept it off for years. However, whenever her weight starts creeping up 5# or so, she jumps back on "Phase 1" (the no carb phase of the diet) and then, she lives in phase 2 or 3 the other time (with a sweet cheat once a week).

Personally, I would rather use MFP and just eat under my calories, allowing me to eat anything I want (in smaller amounts).

dawniee · November 2012

I lost 50lbs with it and kept it off for over 15 years......i only did strict low carb while losing and then slowly added healthy carbs back in over time after i hit my goal.......i slowly adding back in over several months more fruit and wholegrains and starches in moderation...I think the problem with people who gain weight back after doing a strict diet is that they do not still stay in control with moderation after they hit their goal. No matter what diet you do ........do what works for you and then slowly add back in what was restricted with moderation. Obviously eating more greens and less bread, pasta, rice etc is better for anyone...does'nt mean you can't have it when you hit your goal it just means have them in moderation. Same goals with anything...too much sugar is BAD.. I eat about 100 to 150 carbs a day to maintain my weight...this just means I eat way more fruit and veggies with lean protein in my diet then carbs...i eat carbs everyday....just my diet consisits more of food that grows in the ground. I eat oatmeal and high fiber cereal for breakfast and i enjoy sandwiches .....roll wth dinner....etc....Most people DO NOT follow the diet plan when in maintance mode with Atkins and that is where the weight comes. I highly recommend the diet that works for you and no matter what it is you need to keep at the healthy eating after you hit your goal...watching the calories and keeping with a excerise routine...without these good habits you will always put weight back on. I believe this is a good approach to being able to maintain weight after the loss.

betoarango · November 2012

Please, someone, anyone, tell me about a "diet" or "eating plan" or "lifestyle change" that will keep the weight off if I stop following it and eat "normally" again.

It's called moderation... oh wait, that's also called eating "normally".

If it were so easy to be normal we would all have perfect weights and none of us would have had to loose a pound or two (or 45 in my case). This website would also be superfluous.....

We are trying to do something "normal" people find impossible or at least hard to do... That said, she is going into Atkins with what I believe is the incorrect attitude, and if it doesn't`t fit her it's not going to work for her, and perhaps a calorie restricted low fat diet (or whatever) is what she should be looking into.

There are so many alternatives, why choose one that goes against your grain.

LoraF83 · November 2012

Please, someone, anyone, tell me about a "diet" or "eating plan" or "lifestyle change" that will keep the weight off if I stop following it and eat "normally" again.

It's called moderation... oh wait, that's also called eating "normally".

If it were so easy to be normal we would all have perfect weights and none of us would have had to loose a pound or two (or 45 in my case). This website would also be superfluous.....

We are trying to do something "normal" people find impossible or at least hard to do... That said, she is going into Atkins with what I believe is the incorrect attitude, and if it doesn't`t fit her it's not going to work for her, and perhaps a calorie restricted low fat diet (or whatever) is what she should be looking into.

There are so many alternatives, why choose one that goes against your grain.

Wait....I'm confused. Being normal means being able to moderate our intake OR normal people can't moderate their intake??

I'm going to go ahead and say that normal-sized people can moderate their food choices. And yes, that may be hard for some of us right now. But shouldn't we be trying to learn how to do that? If we want to be "normal-sized" forever, shouldn't we learn how to do it like they do? And how is it any harder to learn portion control and making good choices most of time than it is to give up carbs? Doing Atkins requires some major work - different groceries for the person on the diet, scanning restaurant menus and preplanning meals, explaining over and over to all your friends that bread is evil (lol on that last one!). It's not exactly a walk in the park....and it usually isn't sustainable. So why do it? Why not just learn moderation (also not exactly easy) and then be set for life? Sounds like a much better plan to me.

And, I would agree that the "average" (normal) person today can't moderate their food choices. That's one of the reasons we have an obesity epidemic. But is that an excuse not to do it?

runningmom27 · November 2012

Hello again everyone.
Here I am on day 2, I almost gave in last night but I stayed 'strong'. In the past, I have been against this and truly believe that it is a 'simple' calories in vs. calories out. Like I said before, I do EVERYTHING to the extreme and I have been eating just so badly. Saturday I was sitting there chowing on peanut m&ms and not feeling satisfied at all but just couldn't stop.
I am doing this for a very short time...I don't have a huge amount to lose, I am basically just doing it to get my bad habits eliminated, like last night after dinner, I wanted to reach for junk food...I didn't knowing that I 'could not'.
Someone complimented my children and thank you:) I don't speak of diet in front of them, as I don't really diet...this is a temporary change to change my mindset. It may or may not work, but it is all in my head and I know that. My kids eat great, I breastfed both of them for 1 full year, and made everything homemade for them, never buying processed baby food. They eat whatever is in front of them..sushi, butternut squash, pizza, whatever it is and they are smart enough to stop eating when they are full

I think in cutting out the carbs, I will think more about what I eat at night...seeing that is the problem...I pack my own breakfast and lunches for work and they pretty healthy-i am just a bad woman in the evenings!!!!
I will do this for one or 2 weeks, and slowly go back to eating 'normal' and looking more at the calories because when it all comes down to it...it really is the simple science. Some of us can control ourselves and some of us just don't have that strong will power to eat just one.

Akimajuktuq · November 2012

Please, someone, anyone, tell me about a "diet" or "eating plan" or "lifestyle change" that will keep the weight off if I stop following it and eat "normally" again.

If you expect to go back to a Standard American Diet, or whatever led to your weight gain, you will NOT keep off the weight. BTW a "lifestyle" change is not something that someone "stops following" or else it is NOT a lifestyle change. I have no intention of ever eating "normally" again but I had to finally get sick of being sick and decide that I don't want to die prematurely from preventable diseases to get to that point.

To the OP: the only way you will have PERMANENT weight loss is to make some permanent changes. If you are "only doing this for a short time" then it will only work for a short time. Personally, I think a more primal or paleo eating plan would work better, but you also can't only "do" them for a short time. Also, if weight loss, rather than health, is the only consideration, I'm not sure that it will be possible to commit to any real lifestyle change permanently.

aahd · November 2012

I think if you followed any diet in this planet and went off you will be gaining weight. The fact is we all tend to give ourselves a break from a certain diet after months, and our break is more likely to be binging on not allowed food on our previous diet.

Atkins, South Beach Diet, Dukan and a lot more they follow a strategy of limiting carbs in the first phases to jump start your weight loss. You must feel tired within this time but you will be used to it after couple of days.

All of those diets will not work if you are not watching your calories. Even if you have consumed a lot of the allowed food, still you will be filling your body with unneeded calories.

So if you will start with Atkins, then make sure you watch your calories when you are done and NEVER EVER go back to what you used to eat. Atkins will introduce carbs to your lifestyle in later phases so be patient and learn how to swab your carb cravings with something healthier.

It is all about you and how you change your eating mentality. Just go healthy so you don’t end up gaining and putting the weight again.

Good luck

LauraDotts · November 2012

Please, someone, anyone, tell me about a "diet" or "eating plan" or "lifestyle change" that will keep the weight off if I stop following it and eat "normally" again.

If you expect to go back to a Standard American Diet, or whatever led to your weight gain, you will NOT keep off the weight. BTW a "lifestyle" change is not something that someone "stops following" or else it is NOT a lifestyle change. I have no intention of ever eating "normally" again but I had to finally get sick of being sick and decide that I don't want to die prematurely from preventable diseases to get to that point.

To the OP: the only way you will have PERMANENT weight loss is to make some permanent changes. If you are "only doing this for a short time" then it will only work for a short time. Personally, I think a more primal or paleo eating plan would work better, but you also can't only "do" them for a short time. Also, if weight loss, rather than health, is the only consideration, I'm not sure that it will be possible to commit to any real lifestyle change permanently.

Well said.

runningmom27 · November 2012

I weighed myself yesterday and I had lost almost 5 pounds, I am sure most of it is water weight, but at the same time, I havent had any alcohol or junk food, I probably eat an extra 700 calories extra per night that I don't need normall and I am not doing that, I feel great, I havent gone hungry at all, and at night, when I would normally grab crap, I am not grabbing anything and I am sleeping so much better. I am counting calories at the same time, I guess normally when people do atkins, they dont look at calories, the thought of that blows my mind.
After 5 days of doing this, it makes me think...normally on my plate would be a large amount of pasta with some chicken and brussel sprouts and onions w/ fresh parm, now seeing I have cut out the pasta, my plate has the chicken and brussels/onions/parm....the flavor is just so good so it is teaching me that when i do start the carbs again, i can definately have a very small amount of pasta and the rest of the plate filled w/ veg and protein.
This is teaching me not to grab the crap, that I dont need to pig out, that I can survive without processed foods, and I am doing a small amount of exercising also, not too much, but I am moving daily. I only have 10 pounds to go to get to my ULTIMATE goal, I think I will do this for one more week and then just go back to counting calories and keeping the junk away....if I really crave a piece of chocolate, I will have it w/out eating peanut m&ms and reeces and rolos:)
This has been a good jump start, oh and my skin-my skin looks great! Normally it looks tired-not the last few days!
Oh-and i notice how much I normally eat extra, when i 'snack' off of my childrens plates or a few gummies here and there-but that all adds up for sure:ohwell:

Atkins-Going against all I believe!!!!

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