Atkins curious

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)

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.

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.

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****.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

My MIL has been on the Atkins diet for 20 years...off, gain, on, lose, off, gain, on, lose...she still insists it works....when she's on it.

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 have been on Atkins for quite some time, it is the most misunderstood diet out there. It is NOT low fat! In fact it is high fat and is considered a ketogenic diet known to be good for diabetics, and has been more recently used by a select few physicians for patients suffering from autism and ADD!

The problem is that almost everyone reads only part of the plan... The induction phase. That is intended to be a short term boost to the beginning of your weight loss and restricts almost all carbs! In the beginning books and the descriptions of the diet the induction phase of the plan allowed for 20 carbs a day. High protien, high fat and low carb foods such as , all beef, chicken,poultry , eggs, cheese (4 oz.) and 1 cup of greens was allowed. That was recommended for two weeks and wasn't hard to do because the proteins and fat made you feel satisfied. As the book evolved and descriptions were revised, induction changed to state 20 NET CARBS , (total carb gram count minus fiber grams and sugar alcohol grams) ... The diet is still successful. Many people think that the induction phase is all there is, but after the two week induction it is up to the participant if they wish to continue the induction plan (this is where people get bored or discouraged) to lose weight more rapidly, or move on to the next phase which allows added vegetables, fruits, and grains. Oh but don't stop there! Once you have SLOWLY added different foods to your menus you are able to identify what triggers a gain... And cut it back until you continue to lose weight (there are actually several "rungs" on the ladder of foods listed for each step (food) that you add, but these are all within the "On Going Weightloss" or OWL segment). In the third and final phase of the diet is where you have basically learned your triggers, learned how to balance your intake between proteins, fats, and carbs ( the prior phase basically teaches you about the good carbs) and are "free" to maintain your newly modified way of eating. In effect, as with all diets, it's behavior modification. With ANY plan if you go back to the way you are eating Today... You will gain.

Atkins has worked well for me in the past (lost 65 pounds and kept it off with NO trouble for two years. Happened to start dating and eventually marry a guy that HAD TO HAVE bread and potatoes at every meal... Both were my trigger foods and after a couple of years I had gained back my weight. Other life events took over, but I got back on track last April and have gone from 185 to 150 and maintained at 150 for the past 6 months. I am now cutting back again after being off induction for almost 11 months, and am hoping to lose to 130 by June. I don't think I will have any trouble, but if you read my profile, you will see that I have concerns that I havent lost while working ou over the past 6 months. Maybe it's muscle, but I don't know!

Starting weight : 185 lbs Joined Fitness Pal at: 175lbs and haven't been on here!
Current weight: 150lbs
Height: 5'2"
Pant size: 4-6 regular or 6-8 petite depending on brand. (was size 12-14 in 2010)
Blouse size: 12. (previously 14-16)
Bra size: 34E or 36 DD. (previously 38 DDD or 38 G)

Atkins gets a really bad rap and its not justified IMHO. I have always been a carb addict and Atkins taught me some key things about food. The #1 being that fat wasn't the enemy I had always been told it was. This opened up the door to alot of healthy foods that I had previously thought were off limits. After the first week of adjusting my body ran better on an atkins style diet (lots of energy, good mood, no constipation) . The problem with it is that its hard to maintain because its so different from how we eat in the US and its more expensive to maintain.

BTW I eased out of Atkins when I stopped (maybe that is the difference from others experience?) so I did not gain back when I stopped and kept the weight off for years. If it wasn't for the cost and having two kids in the house to also feed I would go with Atkins again so instead I am following the South Beach diet. It focuses on healthy carbs and healthy fats.

That wasn't the case for me. I wasn't eating loads after Atkins, but the appetite suppressing effect of Atkins had meant that I was eating about 1400 calories a day while on it. I naturally ate more when I stopped the diet and lost that effect.