Atkins induction

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Jesstatted1990
Jesstatted1990 Posts: 5
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Hi I'm new here, first time on any sort of group like this , I have decided to finally loose weight and think low carb is the best choice for me :), first day of Atkins induction I want to be 180 pounds which is ok for my height I currently weigh 220, I'm feeling hopefull has anyone recently started Atkins ? Any induction stories ect?

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  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
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    I did Atkins when I was 16, so about 8 years ago. I'm not trying to discourage you, because it's great that you're wanting to make a change, but carbs are not the enemy. You don't need to cut carbs (or fat, or dairy, meat, gluten, etc) in order to lose weight. I DID lose weight on Atkins (about 40 lbs in 4 months), but I'll never do it again. It made me hate food. I went from having one bad relationship with food to a totally different, and possibly worse, relationship with food. I had to stay on induction the entire four months because I'd stop losing as soon as I tried to raise my carb limit. 20 g of net carbs for 4 months - it was absolutely miserable. I had NO energy and couldn't work out the entire time.

    And, I'm sorry, but I fail to see the logic behind being able to eat a plate full of greasy bacon but not being able to eat an apple because it has "too many" carbs. Ridiculous.

    Some people love Aktins, but I still don't think it's a great idea to essentially cut out a huge group of foods. Now I'm just counting calories and watching my macros. I'm not on a low-anything diet. I refuse to do something now that I don't plan on doing forever. Diets are temporary, and the weight loss that results usually is as well. The best thing to do is to make lifestyle changes. You can still have foods you love, you just need to eat at a reasonable caloric deficit and you'll lose.

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
  • Anniebotnen
    Anniebotnen Posts: 332 Member
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    You may want to post this on the Atkins or other low carb support group forums (do a search on Atkins or low carb under Groups). You will not find much support for a low carb approach on the general forum! Some people on this one can be very blunt (to put it kindly) in their opinions in opposing counting carbs rather than calories.

    Congratulations on making the decision to lose weight!
  • Jesstatted1990
    Jesstatted1990 Posts: 5
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    Thanks for your input , guess time will tell if I love Atkins or hate it!
  • Anniebotnen
    Anniebotnen Posts: 332 Member
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    I did Atkins with my husband quite a few years ago. The first few days of induction were hard, and I had to add some carbs because I got headaches. I think I added an extra serving of vegetables. After that, I really liked it . We only stayed on induction for the recommended two weeks. I was never hungry, and lost 15 lbs in about 6 weeks, or maybe 8. My husband lost 45. We had no problem gradually reintroducing more carbs or maintaining the loss. However, I still had some weight to lose, and had to go to a lower fat approach (South Beach type) to lose the last 5. For me, low carb is easy and just as sustainable as the "eat whatever you want, just count calories" approach. People who feel deprived unless they are eating candy and bread all the time probably would not find it so easy.
  • Jesstatted1990
    Jesstatted1990 Posts: 5
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    I've heard the more you have to loose the more you could loose on induction ? Did you find this to be the case with you and your husband ? Sorry of that's to personal I'm just interested, I defiantly plan on eating salad and not "plates of greasy bacon" I don't eat pork period, I plan on stayin on induction for 3 weeks as I'll gradually up my carbs with veg , maybe some fruit , I've never done this before so Ill need to take each day as it comes I'm actually getting a bit of a sore head now on day one tho ? Could just be a coincidence ? Well done on your weight loss
  • Anniebotnen
    Anniebotnen Posts: 332 Member
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    Yes, my husband lost more on induction than I did, and continued to lose faster than I did. He did have a lot more to lose, and he was also male. I think he lost quicker for both those reasons. He also ate a lot more than I did - not fair!

    If your head continues to hurt, I think you should add small amounts of veggies until it goes away. I think 20 grams of carbs is just too low for some people, and you're no supposed to feel bad. Once I added the few extra veggies I felt great. And you're right, you can do Atkins without plates of greasy bacon. It's like any other eating plan - you have choices!
  • kkeen1487
    kkeen1487 Posts: 9 Member
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    I also did Atkins for about a year. Lost about 80lbs but in the long run you are still not learning how to eat properly. Portion control and good decisions are not emphasized on that diet. It basically lets you eat as much as you want from a certain list. I never gained it back but I just stopped loosing. I have been doing MFP for over 2 years but havnt lost more then a few here and there. My body has changed but that was due to my workouts. At the end of the day only you know what you need to do. If you stick with Fruits and salads mostly its not really Atkins. Just make sure you stay in a healthy caloric intake and you continue to workout. Healthy lifestyle can be low carbs but eating the Atkins bars or drinks as a supplemental way to loose is not something I recommend. I have dont every pill and crash diet out there and nothing feels as amazing as your body after a great workout. Good Luck
  • annko65
    annko65 Posts: 18 Member
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    I agree with you 100%. I followed Atkins for a few months in one desperate attempt to lose weight and a kick start....I lost a ridiculously high amount of weight but like you I came to hate food...not only that. In order to be able to have high protein diet menu every day for the three meals and snacks it cost me a fortune....

    But me personally I didn't stop there....I wanted to try the Dukan diet which is the European version of Atkins....another fortune to be spend and another torture to myself....

    Please forgive me if I disappoint some of you or if you don't agree with me but this is my personal opinion and experience. A bit of everything is my way of doing things now and so far it seems to be working......
  • kids183
    kids183 Posts: 204 Member
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    I've been on the low carb diet for almost 6 months now. I keep my carbs fairly low, but there are days that I "carb out" as I like to call it. I always keep my calories around the proper amount as well.

    I have had a lot of success with this diet and I'm eating healthier foods.

    But to each their own. I love this diet! Tried Weight Watchers and didn't like it. I tried many others. This one is what has worked for me.

    The first week was tough...I was craving sweets a lot. But I got used to it. I do not deprive myself of anything and I eat healthy and tasty meals.

    Good luck!

    :smile:
  • fastracker
    fastracker Posts: 11 Member
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    Did the Atkins a while back, felt great while on it but its not easy to stick with like any other "diet". I have started again with Medifast which is a lot less cal. than I'm used to. I feel much better only after a few days and am working on changing my eating habits. All of these things work, but if you go back to eating all the wrong stuff & too much of it the weight will come back. Enjoy it while you do it but concentrate more on the transition to proper diet, which we all know. Too much temptation out there makes it hard to stick with. New to this site but I can clearly see the benefits of keeping track of meals, and reading some of the posts. Good luck
  • phoenixx866
    phoenixx866 Posts: 173 Member
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    I did Atkins about 2 years ago with my fiance. He LOVED it (steak? bacon? pork rhinds? HECK YES) and the pounds just poured off of him, but I was miserable (I still lost weight, almost 8 lbs the first week alone). I had headaches and struggled really hard to eat my 17-19 net carbs a day because I was always so FULL. Plus I couldn't eat any fruit or nuts in induction which was a deal breaker for me since I love my fruit.

    In the end, we went off of it due to the rising cost of meat in CT. Fiance swears that when we get money, he's going back on it. For me, I won't look back, but it was definitely a learning experience.

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