Is anyone doing the Atkins Diet?

I'm doing a variation of it called Keto Dieting. It's sort of similar in that you severely cut carbs, but don't eliminate them (as many Atkin's supporters do).

Works great, though!

I'm going on 5 days now, have lost 3 lbs. I've done Atkins before, however did not fully understand the whole net carbs thing, so I just quit. Now that I understand that and more I am back on. My family has a history with diabetes, so I want to loose the weight and build a healthier eating habit. I'm anxious to see the weight loss when I weigh-in on Saturday for me weekly weigh-in. I'm really looking forward to this journey!

I am on Atkins as well. In April i started it with a strong mindset and still have it! I am down 30lbs now! I still have a long ways to go. My first long term goal is 80 more lbs. Then I would like to lose 40-50 more after that. No other diet has worked for me. The more i see results the more I want to keep going! Feel free to add me as a friend! Good luck with the weight loss!

keep up the sodium intake, with low carb you retain less and will get a bit low otherwise. I use "lo-salt" to give potassium and sodium. I've lost 56 lbs with Atkins, think of that as a stack of butter !

I've been following Induction rules (with the exception of whey protein isolate and almond milk shakes after workout) for 7 months. I have a few more lbs to go, then I'll following Maintenance phase for the rest of my life. Please remember that this is a lifestyle, life-long change, not a temporary diet that you can quit when you reach goal. When you do that, you will only gain it right back, and faster than ever.

Feel free to friend me and I'll do my best to support and encourage you. Also, there is a Low Carb Group you can join to get out of the judgment zone! The LC haters will hit this thread any time now. Just ignore them.

Hi, my doctor put me on Atkins about a week and a half ago for cholesteral and weight management. So far with induction, I have lost 4 pounds. I am having a bit of a challenge keeping under the 20 carbs per day. I logged into the Atkins site, but like the food tracker in MFP.

For exercise, I am working out with a program called farrells, which is a kickboxing/resistance band program six days a week.

I was wondering how long the induction phase should be? I have seen anywhere between 2 to 4 weeks. I feel great and am looking forward to hitting Onederland.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/atkins-diet/MY00648

Results
Weight loss
The Atkins Diet says that you can lose 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) in the first two weeks of phase 1 — but it also acknowledges that those aren't typical results. It says that you'll continue to lose weight in phases 2 and 3 as long as you don't eat more carbs than your body can tolerate.

Most people can lose weight on almost any diet plan that restricts calories — at least in the short term. Over the long term, though, studies show that low-carb diets like Atkins are no more effective for weight loss than are standard high-carbohydrate diets and that most people regain the weight they lost regardless of diet plan. However, studies have shown that people who continued to follow diet plans such as Atkins for two years did lose an average of nearly 9 pounds (4.1 kilograms) overall. Some studies suggest that it's not cutting carbs that leads to weight loss with Atkins. Instead, you may shed pounds because your food choices are limited and you eat less since the extra protein and fat keep you feeling full longer.

The bottom line is that to lose weight you must reduce the calories you take in and increase the calories you burn. Traditional recommendations for weight loss advise losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.45 to 0.9 kilograms) a week by reducing calories and fat and emphasizing complex carbohydrates. Losing a large amount of weight rapidly could indicate that you're losing water weight or lean tissue, rather than fat. The Atkins Diet acknowledges that you may initially lose water weight. In some situations, fast weight loss can be safe if it's done in a healthy way. For example, doctors may prescribe a medically supervised very low calorie diet for rapid weight loss if you're obese or have serious health problems. In addition, some diets include an initiation phase to help you jump-start your weight loss, including the Mayo Clinic Diet.

Physical activity and exercise help you burn more calories, aiding weight loss. Regular physical activity is also vital to prevent regaining the weight you've lost and, of course, provides numerous health benefits. Although the Atkins Diet says exercise is important, it doesn't specify how much you need. It defers to Department of Health and Human Services guidelines, which recommend getting at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity.

Health benefits
The Atkins Diet says that its eating plan can prevent or improve serious health conditions, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. In fact, almost any diet that helps you shed excess weight can reduce or even reverse risks factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. And most weight-loss diets — not just low-carb diets — may improve blood cholesterol or blood sugar levels, at least temporarily. One study showed that people who followed Atkins had improved triglycerides, suggesting better heart health. But there have been no major studies to show whether such benefits hold up for the long term or increase how long you live.

Some health experts believe that eating a large amount of fat and protein from animal sources, as allowed on the Atkins Diet, can increase your risk of heart disease or some cancers. However, it's not known what risks, if any, the Atkins Diet may pose over the long term because most of the studies about it have lasted for a year or less.

Risks
The Atkins Diet acknowledges that drastically cutting carbs in the early phase of the program can result in some side effects, including:

Headache
Dizziness
Weakness
Fatigue
Constipation
In addition, some low-carb or very low carb diets restrict carbohydrates so much that they result in nutritional deficiencies or insufficient fiber, which can cause such health problems as constipation, diarrhea and nausea. Eating carbs that are high fiber, whole grain and nutrient dense can improve the health profile of programs like the Atkins Diet, though. In addition, the Atkins Diet has changed over time to help prevent health problems, and it now recommends taking a small amount of extra salt, along with vitamins or supplements.

It's also possible that restricting carbohydrates to less than 20 grams a day — the recommendation for phase 1 of the Atkins Diet — can result in ketosis. Ketosis occurs when you don't have enough sugar (glucose) for energy, so your body breaks down stored fat, causing ketones to build up in your body. Side effects from ketosis can include nausea, headache, mental fatigue and bad breath.

In addition, the Atkins Diet isn't appropriate for everyone. For example, Atkins warns that people with severe kidney disease should not follow the diet. It also cautions that the weight-loss phases of the diet aren't suitable for women who are pregnant or breast feeding. The Atkins Diet recommends that you consult your doctor before starting the diet, especially if you have diabetes or gout or take diuretics, insulin or oral diabetes medications.

Sarah, how are you doing today? I hope that you conquered the diabetic thing. Best thing to do is to eat fresh healthy veggies and protein. Anything that is close to natural. Beware of "lowfat" or "fatfree" or "sugarfree" dressings and things in a bottle. They tend to have sugar added. I also read an article about ingredients in foods, if it has anything you can't read, then it shouldn't be eaten! LOL

Hang in there and hope you are healthier now!

I just started Atkins again. I did it a few years ago and it sure works to REALLY kickstart your weight loss. The problem is you have to ease your way into eating some carbs after the strict induction phase (nuts, some fruits, some whole grains in moderation), but instead a lot of people lose the weight during induction, claim victory and then go straight back to cereal, toast, pizza and bread. If you do that, you wasted your time. Doing that simply switches your metabolism to its old ways with a vengeance, insulin levels spike, hunger pangs return, etc.. doing this is probably worse for you than not doing any diet at all. I did this, and I paid for it.

I plan to use the induction phase to kickstart weight loss and *****slap my metabolism into burning some of my plentiful fat deposits... then slowly ease my way into phase 2 for a while. I have never had a sweet tooth, so eventually I'd like to just get all my carbs from salads, fruits, nuts (no bread, pasta, sweets, etc...)

I feel fantastic (after some initial greasy gaggy disgusting days...), and the weight is coming off quick. This is really encouraging so far. Wish me luck!!! and feel free to add me if you need low carb buddies! I hope to have a good "after" picture to add to the monstruosity currently on my profile that smacks me on the forehead everytime I log in!!! :-)

I'm on the Atkins diet too. Feel free to add me for support. I have been doing this diet for 6 weeks now.

Hey hello Im Malaya.... HOw is the diet going for you? I plan on starting this diet but need helps and tips..

I'm on day 7 of Atkins and I've lost 10lbs. I did Atkins about 8 years ago before I had my daughter and lost 100lbs in a year with excercise but I was ver strict and motivated. Now having a child it's much harder but I am determined!

Wow- 100lb? That is amazing!! No wonder you are back on it, and doing so well!! I lost 3stone on it a few years ago. Now I go running, so my carb intake has gone up and up. I recently read an article on the myths about carb loading, and I am trying Atkins again xxx

I did the Atkins diet last summer for about 6 weeks. I lost 17 lbs with no exercise but I found it just to limiting and I wasn't happy so I didn't stick with it. I got a Fitbit Flex this in June and I've lost 20 lbs by just walking and watching my calories. I find this is much easier to stick to and I feel much better than when I was on Atkins. Atkins does work it just isn't the diet for me.

Thank you! I gained almost all of it back when I got pregnant and then it's just been piliing on. I'm hoping to be able to do it again and keep it off this time!