OPINION ON ATKINS

FitnessBellaBarbie
FitnessBellaBarbie Posts: 46
in Food and Nutrition
Atkins diet - Opinions?
«134

Replies

  • tiggsnanny
    tiggsnanny Posts: 366 Member
    I've never done the Atkins diet, I have learnt to eat less and move more and it seems to be working for me and costs me nothing
  • FitnessBellaBarbie
    FitnessBellaBarbie Posts: 46
    Gym and food can get expensive!! : P
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    If you have no medical reason to cut carbs, I wouldn't recommend Atkins.
    My personal opinion is diets like Atkins are fads. You lose weight on them, but once you transition into normal eating habits, you can gain weight back. It's a cycle. The same with products like Advocare, Herbalife, ect.

    Calorie deficit and exercise is the motto I go by, and it's worked for me and many others on the websites. Losing weight should be a lifestyle change, and to learn habits to lose weight, and keep it off when you transition to maintenance. Unless you plan on eating Atkins forever, I'd recommend learning moderation, and how to eat the foods you want while reaching your goals.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    Gym and food can get expensive!! : P

    I work out outside!
    And I coupon for staple items, so I can save money for produce and meat. My food budget is actually pretty tiny, and I eat well!
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    It's been around since the 70s. If it really worked long term, everyone would be eating that way and everyone would be a healthy weight.

    For most, it is unsustainable.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    Gym and food can get expensive!! : P

    High quality meats are very expensive, though, and if you're going Atkins, that will matter. Or it mattered to me when I did it. Hamburger made me feel crappy and hungry if I ate it very often. I needed high fat steak.
  • JonnyQwest
    JonnyQwest Posts: 174 Member
    It works for awhile, then you start feeling like total crap until you can't take anymore and binge nonstop on carbs until you gain all the weight back you lost. Other than that it's awesome!
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
    unnecessary in most cases.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    OP, I just realized you've got a thread reaching out to people with eating disorders in another section. If you have an eating disorder it's time to go see a professional first, then figure out with your own nutritionist what your meal plans should be.
  • fitness_faeiry
    fitness_faeiry Posts: 354 Member
    short time results - yes. You cut out carbs and eat protein and fat. Its not rocket science.

    Better to find a more sustainable way of eating for long term though.

    Not a lifestyle choice.
  • fannyfrost
    fannyfrost Posts: 756 Member
    Atkins works short term for some people. if you have diabetes in your family cutting out simple carbs can be a good thing. I know people who have lost weight, lowered cholesterol and high blood pressure on Atkins. However, for me it would not work. I need the carbs to fill me up and can't do such a limited diet. My brother had no choice and actually went to the Atkins center which was the first group to figure out his issue. His body uses sugar and creates yeast. He basically had an imbalance with too much yeast in his system. he was really thin and very sick. He can eat no bread, no potatos, carrots sometimes even bother him. They said it was a prediabetes condition. So I can't say Atkins is a bad diet, but every person is different on what they can do.

    My daughter is Vegan and for her it is a healthier diet as she was having stomach problems and they are mostly gone now. She loves tofu and tempeh so protein is not a problem.

    For me a balanced diet with lots of fruits and veggies works best. Frozen vegetables are a good choice and can be less expensive than fresh in many cases. Atkins will not save you money because meat is pricey.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • trisH_7183
    trisH_7183 Posts: 1,486 Member
    A friend lost 60pds on Atkins. When she started eating regular food,she gained over 70 pds.It's all in
    how you plan to keep it off.
  • chsa22
    chsa22 Posts: 33 Member
    I've never tried it, and I never would. But generally reducing your carb intake is not a bad idea, especially if you're mainly eating foods made with a lot of sugar or white flour. I think anything you plan on doing short term will produce short term results. If you focus on eating unprocessed, whole foods for the most part, and exercise, you will feel good.
  • clafairy1984
    clafairy1984 Posts: 253 Member
    Hi Hun,

    I tried Atkins a couple of years ago, but had to quit after 3 months because it made me feel terrible. To start with I thought it was great, and I lost weight quickly. But then weight loss decreased, it got very expensive, I had no energy as wasn't eating carbs, I had issues with digestion and constipation, and it gave me constant dry mouth and bad breath. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I am still careful about carbs, and don't overload, but I tend to eat fruit and wholemeal bread rather than pasta, rice, potato etc

    Hope helps x
  • RINat612
    RINat612 Posts: 251 Member
    The issue is that most people who try Atkins don't make it to the phase where carbs are reintroduced. It's interesting because at first it's kind of awesome to eat all the bacon, etc you want. But then after a while you crave carbs like your life depends on it. Then you get sick of eating meat. Then typically you binge on carbs and fall off the wagon.

    I was on it for a year or so when I was a teenager. Didn't really work for me. Why? Because at the end of the day my body was not in a caloric deficit. Diets like Atkins only mask the fact that you are in a caloric deficit.

    Besides specific situations (like diabetes) where a medical professional advises you to remove carbs/sugar completely I wouldn't recommend it. That doesn't mean you can't try it or that you should even listen to me at all :laugh:
  • kethry70
    kethry70 Posts: 404 Member
    OP, I just realized you've got a thread reaching out to people with eating disorders in another section. If you have an eating disorder it's time to go see a professional first, then figure out with your own nutritionist what your meal plans should be.

    OP, ditto this. Please reach out to your doctor - find someone who can help you with your eating disorders. You are a lovely girl - take care of yourself and get the help you need
  • RefilweMofoka
    RefilweMofoka Posts: 11 Member
    Don't do it. I tried it out for a week and it was a week from hell. I did lose 1kg in that week but it wasn't worth the fatigue and mood swings. 20g of carbs a day (induction) isn't healthy in my opinion.
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
    Gym and food can get expensive!! : P

    Indeed! Luckily, you don't need a gym to lose weight :)
  • nezbit88
    nezbit88 Posts: 37 Member
    ..is there a error in this site? I hit reply and it exits the page?....anyway..

    I have never followed for been fully aware of what the Atkins diet is, I am assuming it it cutting pretty well all carbs? I have done this to a certain degree a couple of times and lost weight quite quickly. It's not easy though, as someone with no sweet tooth I crave salt and carbs!

    Lately I cut out instant noodles/packet sauce pasta/bread/potatoes/chips/rice etc however whenever I crave salty chippy goodness I eat popcorn. About a teaspoon of oil and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt for two cups of popcorn it completely gets ride of the cravings (although still containing carbs it's a lighter snack overall).

    Obviously this is self popped stuff not the buttery bags.

    Anyway I am no shining example of weight loss I just know what works for me.
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
    Gym and food can get expensive!! : P

    You don't have to go to the gym to exercise. I have a gym membership when it's just cold/rainy/snowy/whatever to go outside and be active. I could totally get away without it, in fact I don't generally go there from April to December because I run and could do exercises in the livingroom.

    Excepting the gym, my expense is running shoes and races. I don't generally buy most of my running attire because the races give you stuff and you can exercise in it if you don't mind looking like a NASCAR.

    As far as food, you have to eat anyway. Plan your meals around what's on sale, make enough for leftovers or at least make several meals using the ingredients that are on sale, you don't have to have the same meal all week just because you stocked up on peppers or chicken breast or bacon.

    What is more expensive is big people clothes (seriously I used to be charged more), medical bills, you name it.

    All that being said, diets with a name generally deprive you of something and once you start doing/having it again, all your progress will be lost. If you want to deprive yourself of something to lose weight, I'd suggest second/third helpings.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    I did Adkins about 15 years ago and lost a bunch of weight, but for me, it was unsustainable long term and I was ignorant on what was really going on, so I gained it all back and with a vengence. That being said, the reason it works is because you will be eating at a caloric deficit for a while even though you are eating meat and fat in high amounts. Both of these macro-nutrients are very satiating and you will naturally not be hungry (that's why these two macros typically are recommended in higher amounts in dieting on some of these forums...not because you need to eat that much protein or fat, but they help with hunger), so in turn, you are actually eating less overall calories than your body needs (for a time). Also, typically people who have become obese, have messed up their insulin sensitivity and eating a lower carb diet results in not eating highly processed carbs which are not satiating and and are typically caloric-ally dense (so one tends to overindulge and eat more, thus gaining weight). But at some point in time, even eating low carb, you will reach a threshold point where your calories burned = calories taken in and you will need to reduce calories or increase activity to lose more weight. So in the end, no matter what method you use to get there...it's calories in vs calories out.
  • Jacob021
    Jacob021 Posts: 24 Member
    When I decided that I must lose weight I did quite a lot of reading. I tried low carb too for a couple of weeks.

    My impression is that Atkins is really a low calorie diet too.
    a) It is quite hard to keep to 5%-10% carbs.
    b) You never feel hungry
    c) After 2-3 days of Bacon and Eggs you get sick of them...

    I stopped it as the food I had to eat was "unnatural" to my normal diet and couldn't keep up this pattern for life.

    Also, it appears that for many who are insulin-resistant low-carb may be the only way to lose weight


    I don't go to the Gym either... I go walking on public streets and for weights I use my wife's candle holders ( !!)
  • jtrack3d
    jtrack3d Posts: 91
    I don't think it's sustainable. It made me very sick and I ended up having to see a doctor... and I didn't even do it to any extreme either.

    I am classified as insulin-resistant (syndrom X) myself, and it made me feel horrible. Calorie deficit, low sugar is the way to go in my opinion. The hardest part is accepting that you can't take it real fast. It is also easier to just plain stick with macros and go and the way to do this is find your weakest point and shore that up.... that is... am I going out to eat every day... or am I drink 5 sodas. Start there and make smaller steps rather than something extreme like Atkins.... you can't sustain it.
  • ggeise14
    ggeise14 Posts: 387 Member
    Op, my husband did this a number of years ago and lost weght but like others said, its not sustainable. And eating high amounts of fat while cutting out carbs --- bad idea. For me personally I try and eat lower amounts of carbs but dont replace them with fat. Your ticker says you have 9 pounds to lose, if thats accurate Atkins doesn't seem the healthiest way to go about it.
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
    If you have no medical reason to cut carbs, I wouldn't recommend Atkins.
    My personal opinion is diets like Atkins are fads. You lose weight on them, but once you transition into normal eating habits, you can gain weight back. It's a cycle. The same with products like Advocare, Herbalife, ect.

    Calorie deficit and exercise is the motto I go by, and it's worked for me and many others on the websites. Losing weight should be a lifestyle change, and to learn habits to lose weight, and keep it off when you transition to maintenance. Unless you plan on eating Atkins forever, I'd recommend learning moderation, and how to eat the foods you want while reaching your goals.


    That's true of ANY DIET. If you go back to eating too many calories for your height you'll gain weight end of story. there are benefits to atkins. it curbs your carb cravings and hunger levels. You have to count your calories still and when you get off the diet you STILL have to maintain your calories.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    If you have no medical reason to cut carbs, I wouldn't recommend Atkins.
    My personal opinion is diets like Atkins are fads. You lose weight on them, but once you transition into normal eating habits, you can gain weight back. It's a cycle. The same with products like Advocare, Herbalife, ect.

    Calorie deficit and exercise is the motto I go by, and it's worked for me and many others on the websites. Losing weight should be a lifestyle change, and to learn habits to lose weight, and keep it off when you transition to maintenance. Unless you plan on eating Atkins forever, I'd recommend learning moderation, and how to eat the foods you want while reaching your goals.

    That's true of ANY DIET. If you go back to eating too many calories for your height you'll gain weight end of story. there are benefits to atkins. it curbs your carb cravings and hunger levels. You have to count your calories still and when you get off the diet you STILL have to maintain your calories.

    I'm aware.
    She asked about Atkins. I answered in regards to Atkins.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    Atkins diet - Opinions?

    Why?
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
    If you have no medical reason to cut carbs, I wouldn't recommend Atkins.
    My personal opinion is diets like Atkins are fads. You lose weight on them, but once you transition into normal eating habits, you can gain weight back. It's a cycle. The same with products like Advocare, Herbalife, ect.

    Calorie deficit and exercise is the motto I go by, and it's worked for me and many others on the websites. Losing weight should be a lifestyle change, and to learn habits to lose weight, and keep it off when you transition to maintenance. Unless you plan on eating Atkins forever, I'd recommend learning moderation, and how to eat the foods you want while reaching your goals.

    That's true of ANY DIET. If you go back to eating too many calories for your height you'll gain weight end of story. there are benefits to atkins. it curbs your carb cravings and hunger levels. You have to count your calories still and when you get off the diet you STILL have to maintain your calories.

    I'm aware.
    She asked about Atkins. I answered in regards to Atkins.


    not really, because it's not an atkins thing. you don't gain weight when going off atkins unless you eat too much after going off atkins. it isn't a correlation
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    After seeing the other threads started by the OP I'm not sure any diet advice is the wisest course of action. She created this thread, a what time of day to eat carbs thread, and an ED related thread overnight. An ED related thread coupled with questions about a restrictive eating plan such as Atkins raises a few red flags from my perspective.

    OP ...
    What is your height?
    What is your current weight?
    What is your goal weight?
    What is your ED history?
    What is your thought process behind wanting information on such a restrictive eating plan?

Categories