Thinking about giving Atkins a shot

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nmn2
nmn2 Posts: 123 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I'm thinking about giving Atkins a try and would love to hear your tips and advice. I'm 29 and 198 lbs. I've really been dedicated to my weight loss efforts the last 2 months but I have still not seen much results only about 5 pounds. I am well aware I did not gain all this weight overnight but feel I should have lost more by now so I was thinking Atkins might be a good place to start. I don't want to give up like I always have in the past. Any advice and information would be greatly appreciated! Thanks :smooched: :smooched:

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  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,117 Member
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    I think the induction phase of Atkins is too extreme.

    Parts of Atkins make sense.

    Limiting carbs is a good thing...but not too low. This site has the carb macro set at 55%. I think that's a bit high...but for me. I don't know anything about your lifestyle, so can't really say for you.

    You will lose a few pounds by limiting carbs because they require more water to be in you digestive system to move them through. When you reintroduce carbs, plan on an uptick on the scale.
  • strawmama
    strawmama Posts: 623 Member
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    Low-carb is honestly the only thing that works for me. I have a tendency to eat a lot of food, so with low-carb, I can eat A LOT and still not touch my calorie goals. It really works for me because I'm not too fond of sweets, so I don't miss them. And when I tried to slowly add back carbs to my diet, I gained and then plateaued for almost a whole month. Another bonus--low-carb is very digestive-healthy.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Maybe try south beach instead?
  • nmn2
    nmn2 Posts: 123 Member
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    I did think less than 20 grams of carbs was kinda low, I'm always under my carbs on mfp. Now that I know they set it at 55% maybe I'll just lower it a little and see what happens. Thanks!
  • BigRedgw2010
    BigRedgw2010 Posts: 127 Member
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    Low carbs will make you drop the weight fast, but you must learn how to eat the right carbs at the right moment. When I get ready for a competition, I graudally drop my carbs over 3 months to drop 20 pounds. It's hard but very rewarding when I do it.
  • AABru
    AABru Posts: 610 Member
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    I did Atkins in my 20s. It works, but the minute I went off the Atkins diet, and out of ketosis, I gained all the weight back and then some. Try moderate eating and exercise. There really isn't a fast fix for weight loss.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,117 Member
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    I did think less than 20 grams of carbs was kinda low, I'm always under my carbs on mfp. Now that I know they set it at 55% maybe I'll just lower it a little and see what happens. Thanks!

    Yeah, to change it, you can go to MY HOME> Goals> Change goals> Custom

    A lot of people here recommend 40/30/30 with carbs being 40% .....good luck!
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    There is nothing magic about Atkins. It will work because it creates a calorie deficit.

    The key is, do you want to eat that way your entire life? And if you do, is it "good" for you?

    And I don't just mean your health. Consider what you are signing up for. Will refusing bread, cake, cookies etc. for the rest of your life make your life better?

    Personally, I would kick Atkins to the curb.
  • nancycaregiver
    nancycaregiver Posts: 812 Member
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    Atkins has been great for me. I've lost a bunch of weight and I feel great. And, yes, I do plan on going low carb the rest of my life! I've lowered my blood pressure and my cholesterol. Have more energy and less cravings. But be warned...the first couple of weeks are kinda rough. You will feel sluggish, lethargic. It's called carb flu. It's your body adjusting to not getting the sugar/carbs it is used to getting...withdrawal of sorts. But when you get over it, it is amazing how great you feel!

    But I agree with whodidntante. Ask yourself if you want to do this for life. It's not for everyone. But it is most definitely for ME!!!
    Add me if you'd like. I will support you no matter which route you take. I'm on here everyday.

    Good luck! :happy:
  • amberkkelley
    amberkkelley Posts: 6 Member
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    I am a big advocate of low carb, I've lost a lot of weight by severely restricting my carb intake. I
  • celebrity328
    celebrity328 Posts: 377 Member
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    I have been following a Atkins type diet for the last 10 months :) I have had great results with it! (70lbs so far!) I guess the only advise I could give you is if you think you could make this a lifestyle then go for it.
  • sblake204
    sblake204 Posts: 458 Member
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    My friend is doing it and she loss quite a bit weight w out much exercise. They sell snacks and shakes at most major distributors as well.
    It's completely up to u, just make sure u research thoroughly before starting any temp weight loss plan.

    Good luck w whatever u choose :smile:
  • nmn2
    nmn2 Posts: 123 Member
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    Thanks for all the info! I'm not sure if I can do this or not for a lifetime but I'm really wanting to change my lifestyle permanently! I think I'm going to give it a try and see how it goes, this may not be what works for me but I won't know if I don't try!
  • floridapanthergirl
    floridapanthergirl Posts: 87 Member
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    I was doing just reduced calories and exercise when I realized I wasn't dropping body fat. My trainer said to drop my carbs and increase my protein. So I dropped my carbs to 60 with 100 grams of protein ( about half my body weight). then dropped to 50, then 40 or less with an occasional day of 50 or 60. For me, this is very do-able. I feel great and have droopped 5% body fat.
  • LikeNoOneElse84
    LikeNoOneElse84 Posts: 475 Member
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    I'm on month 1 day 4 of Atkins and am down 14lbs and 10 inches. The induction phase is rough, but it only lasts two weeks and then you start adding carbs back slowly. You won't gain the weigh back unless you go past your specific carb limit. It varies for everyone so don't use someone else's success or lack there of as a guideline. It is a sustainable way of eating if you do it correctly. Don't think you're gonna cut back on carbs, lose the weight and then go back to your old way of eating without gaining the weight back, it just doesn't work that way. I say go for it. See if it works for you.
  • originalkazila
    originalkazila Posts: 200
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    My friend is doing a German low carb diet called "Keto" she's doing well, just starting. Try it out for a while. Nothing written in stone here. If it doesn't work great, try something new, if it does - yay.
  • Gjallarhorn
    Gjallarhorn Posts: 87
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    I've seen people lose a lot with low carb, but in reality, the weight loss was from a calorie deficit, not a carbohydrate loss. Get your macros straight and get in a little exercise (don't forget to pump a little bit of iron, to help with muscle loss.)
  • Jymm
    Jymm Posts: 28 Member
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    Just started on Atkins last week . I've done low carb diets in the past they do work well. Get the book and follow it. They have done some studies and refined it some in how you deal with the carbs. It's not hard at all to keep your carbohydrates down with the new formula for tracking them.
    There is an huge low carb community now. Trust me you'll never run short of new recipes to try. Most of them will fit Atkins easily. Don't worry about induction it's only for two weeks to teach your body how to burn fat instead of sugary carbs and the semi tough part is only for a few days until your body learns. But if you do it right you'll never be hungry on this diet. I highly recommend it. Good luck.
  • 366to266
    366to266 Posts: 473 Member
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    I've done every diet going. Low fat, calorie counting, Cambridge, vegetarianism, replacement meals, Slimfast, protein shakes, blah, blah and the only thing I have ever found sustainable is Atkins because it teaches you to stop eating junk and start eating real food, and the fat satiates you.

    I only wish I'd gone straight to Atkins instead of trying and failing on all those other stupid diets for 25 years!
  • Designingwoman1
    Designingwoman1 Posts: 6
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    my husband lost 35 lbs on Atkins- some of it was from his hair loss! Be Careful!

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